Thursday


I have to admit that I do not read the Bible often. I would like to, but I guess I wasn't raised that way. I've tried a few times, after getting inspired, but I just didn't "get it." I've tried various chapters such as Jeremiah, and I've asked some friends and Preachers for guidance.

What I do read for inspiration are books with one line per page such as "The Feel Good Book," "Life's Little Instruction Book" or "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." Last night I was in a Rasta chat room and Donna needed inspiration for words to a song. I thought of what I read the day before which was "Reverse Roles with your spouse." I quoted from one of trustily little books, "It's sad, yet the easiest person to take for granted is probably the person you love most in the world, your spouse.

The key to prevention is to put yourself in your spouse's shoes," that didn't inspire her, but we came up with a metaphor that the world is like an out of tune drum.

Just to get off on a tangent a bit, I also "want" to be a vegetarian like my 10 y/o daughter. But I guess it's the same kind of thing as above, I guess I don't want it bad enough. I call my self a vegetarian want-to-be.


Friday

As I mentioned previously, I do not have a list of my Bob Marley tapes, and I still do not, but I'm getting closer. With the help of several Internet buddies, I am at least getting the tapes in chronological order and numbering them.

One has to be pretty compulsive with collecting, so I do not know where I stand, (It's taken me 25 years to make a list) I still do not have my list on a floppy disc or have one in print, but at least I am starting to know what I have, and what I need. I have been using others' lists as a basis. BTW, there are many that have much better tape collections than me.

Saturday

I was fortunate enough to have been to Rogers house twice and see his collection. Talk about being compulsive, he has specially built tape draws (earthquake proof) and knows where everything is. If one takes a tape out of a draw, one is not supposed to replace it. Sometimes my house looks like Rogers, but on a smaller scale. Piles of tapes everywhere, stacks of CD's
and vinyl. Every so often I take time out and try to organize items, (such as non Marley Reggae, test pressings, Radio shows, or Marley related singles).

Just when I think I have all bases covered, I find a new category to collect, such as Press Passes, special format MTV Reggae Videos, or promotional Press Kits. Fortunately I do not go overboard such as collecting buttons or posters.

Roger once asked me "how do I the find the time to do all the things that I do." I'm not really sure, but one thing I am good at, is delegating.  My wife recently stated that if I could, I would have someone take naps for me.


A while ago, I read a book called "Working Smart, How to Accomplish More in Half the Time."

I quote, "Do you find yourself doing routine jobs others could do or be trained to do? There is enough time to get everything done, if you use others' time. Such is the nature of delegation-assigning to others tasks that you want or need to get done.....We allow ourselves the liberty of performing many tasks whose completion is of little or no importance.  Worse yet, we spend our time on jobs that could be done by others, more effectively. As a result, less time is spent on high-priority items.  Our effectiveness is severely diluted." 

The above vignette is dedicated to Grace Polson.


Speaking of delegating, I asked a internet friend to write 2 articles for me. 1. Songs that the Wailers sang backup on, for Lenonard Dillon of the Ethiopians, ( ie." Beggers have no choice") 2. Was Marley a hopeless Romantic? (listend to his early Ska songs)

If I had more time I would love to find out what's the real story with the song "Train to Skaville." Rumor has it that the Wailers somehow were involved in the record, possibly the introduction to the song was by Tosh. This might be the same record as "Train to Skaville" by the Ethiopians.

Roger and Leroy are supposed to be putting out a Wailers discography book one day, and I hope it addresses these type of songs. I saw the completed manuscript, but was denied a copy of it. It was roughly 150 type written pages, with the complete listing of the musicians. Each song took up about 4 lines of print.

I would also like to hear what people have to say about the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Ethiopia has stated that they killed 865 enemy troops and wounded 1600 in a 2 day battle near the Mereb River. Eritrea blamed Ethiopian troops for the starting the new battle and said 785 Ethiopian troops were killed in 5 days of fighting on the Badme front and that 1800 were wounded."

This war seems almost sacrilegious, due it's historical location. There has been no mention of this war in any Reggae Usegroups or Rasta chats.

As I mentioned earlier, I like to take on a challenge, mastered conquer it, and then move one. I tend to recycle my conquests periodically, and then get back to them at a future date.

Like many, Close up and Stage magic was a childhood interest of mine.
Over the last few yeas, I have been associated with POPAJO, MOKO the Clown and the Amazing Juan (Wand). This was my interest before I was heavily getting into computers.I did several educational shows for the local schools, cub scouts, a few family birthday parties and appearance at the Library and one large stage show at the local Synagogue.

Anyway getting back to Reggae there was an interesting quote by Marley pertaining to magic, from the Richard Cromelin "Rolling Stone Magazine" Interview, (An edited version was published in the Beat Magazine. Taking this statement out of context:

RC "I want to talk to you about Haile Selassie a little We want to understand your reaction to whatever the political situation in Ethiopia of the last year. He no loner rules Ethiopia politically, right?"

BM "Politically. You see when you talk abut-Him is not a man, you know. Him not a natural man like me. He's God! You can see Him. You have a thing named magic. Magic, I mean real magic! I'm not talking about, like tricks. I'm talking about. ......real..... magic! And me no talk about learned magic, I talk about real magic. Him is a magician (laughs) - He is the real Magician.

Once I wrote an article that I submitted to a Magic magazine that was not published comparing the power of suggestion of a Physician and that of a Magician. I'll edit a version for this page at a future date.


My son Jeremy, is into Magic Cards.  I would trade anybody out there, 10 tapes for a Black Lotus.

My 81 y/o mother in Law, Minerva Altchuler just helped me with editing, grammer and punctuation for this Journal.

Mother in Law?, What type of word is that?, Is there is a Lawyer in her Mother?


Sunday

My wife and had a great time last night. We went out for Italian food with Abe and Bonnie Dorfman. After dinner, we went to an acquaintance of Abe's house where a real live professional Baseball player from the Arizona Diamond Backs was there, by the name of John Frascalu  #80.  He is a relief pitcher (known as a closer, according to his sister) and I believe he was on the St.
Louis Cardinals last year.  I got his autograph on a prescription pad and he mentioned whether he should write out a Rx. for Sanism .  (I guess that means to be sane) Since I was a bit intimated and shy, I chose not to continue the conversation (I do not have the gift of gab, like Abe).  Under his name, he signed Isazah  4127-31.  I 'll have to ask for some help in finding this chapter in the Bible.  All I know is that it's from the Old Testament.

About 3 years ago, I obtained the 18 page Master Catalog from Cayman Music of Wailers songs. I do no know if these songs exist and some of them are mistitled:
Be your friend     (High Tide, Low Tide)
Band Played on
Bailando toda la noche
All the girls are ready
A toast to the people
Body Slang
Blue Grass
Beautiful Baby           I'm only up to the B's.     ........

In one of my Life's Little Instruction Books, one of the quotes was "Take a vacation at home," which is what I did this long weekend.

I dedicate this page to Virginia Nestler, who passed away yesterday morning.  I am really going to miss her.  ;'-(

I have been trying to learn Hawaiian guitar unsuccessfully.  My father in Law gave me one about 6 months ago and it's a bit more difficult than I expected. I purchased a video on how to play Dobro.  I had my FIL give me a lesson yesterday, which I video tapped and have since partially transcribed.

Musical theory is not one of my strong points.  My 84 y/o FIL has perfect pitch and used to be a band teacher, School Principal and played with the likes of the Benny Goodman Orchestra.

A C cord is made up of C, E, G and C. I always learned better by writing things out.



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