The Lucky One

Be lucky - it's an easy skill to learn - Telegraph

A very interesting study on how lucky people get that way and what unlucky people are missing. The short version - Luck is all in how you look at things, and in seeing what you're not looking for!

Two of my favorite subjects: Music + Leadership!

I loved the shirtless dancing guy video when I first saw it, I love it even more now with Derek Sivers' comments on how it portrays leaders, followers, and the making of a movement. Get out there and dance!

It's been quite a day, hasn't it?

I still can't quite believe it, but there it is - President Barack Obama.

I've been glued to the tv most of the day - I think I've watched more tv today than I have in the last two years all put together! The four mile long stretch of Americans that braved the cold and filled the mall as far as the eye could see was incredible, almost one and a half million people strong. Even though I'm glad I wasn't in that frozen, packed crowd, there's still a twinge of envy for those that got to see it in person.

Some of my favorite moments from the ceremony were the beautiful music that accompanied the very moment the presidency transferred from old to new, Obama's humanity and humor during the somewhat fumbled oath, and his ambitious, forthright vision for the future in his inaugural speech. Reverend Lowery's benediction was great, almost making up for Rick Warren's blandly irritating invocation. I liked Elizabeth Alexander's poem in print, but her delivery was unfortunately stilted. And Aretha was, well, Aretha.

One moment that caught me off guard was the huge weight that lifted as we watched George Bush finally, FINALLY leaving Washington. I literally gasped, as if surfacing from too long underwater. If I never see him or Dick "Mr. Potter" Cheney again, it will be too soon.

But for now it's time to turn off the tv, go to sleep and in the morning go back to the real world. Tomorrow is a new day. A brand new day.

Beware the ninja cat!

This video cracked me up and I just wanted to share. Enjoy!


Ninja cat comes closer while not moving!

Where do songs come from?

You never can tell where a new song is going to come from. For me, they occasionally come when I mishear or misunderstand someone else’s song, which sends my brain down a whole new path completely unrelated to the song that created the original spark. Case in point: At the Luke Doucet show tonight I misheard Luke talking about one of his songs - he said it was about "falling asleep in the desert" and I thought he said "falling sick in the desert." Well, then my mind just took off with the idea of what it would be like to be incredibly sick and out in the desert in the middle of nowhere.

On the way home from the show I mentioned it to Bobbo and was rolling it around in my head when the phrase "High Desert Fever" popped up and it seemed like a pretty cool title and chorus. As we pulled into the driveway I remembered this amazing instrumental melody in 3/4 time that Bobbo’s been playing for a few years now. It has a real hypnotic, kind of psychedelic quality that really captured the feeling I was going for, so he pulled out the guitar and we started playing through it and moving some parts around to make it work with a lyrical structure.

Once we had the parts mapped out and the "high desert fever" chorus pretty solid, I walked around for a while humming the verse melody in my head, then disappeared into my office and started writing. I knew the story I wanted it to tell and the meter that I wanted to fit the syllables to, so it was just a matter of getting the right words to fit in the right places to make the whole thing flow. About half an hour later and a few more runs through on the guitar to make sure it all worked, voila! A brand new song!

So there you have it, a peek into our songwriting process and a preview of our newest song, High Desert Fever. Oh, and the Luke Doucet show was great too!

This man MUST be our next president!

Alright, so I was wrong about the Springsteen at the convention rumor. But you know what? I'm ok with that. Because I just got to see the most amazing and inspiring and pitch perfect frickin' speech ever delivered.

Barack Obama just raised politics to an art form, one filled with beauty, grace, intelligence and truth. And at the same time, laid out point by point why John McCain is so wrong for this country, why Democrats should and can and will win the White House in November AND exactly what they, and he, will do once they get there.

He reached out to Americans and invited them to listen to their best selves and join together to work towards a future where affordable quality health care, energy independence, and a thriving economy is the norm for all, not just the lucky few.

He predicted, addressed and neutralized every concern: foreign policy, domestic policy, social issues, character issues - every argument the Republicans have and will throw at him. He...

Aww heck, just watch it yourselves!

Democratic Convention so far - Reader's Digest version

I know not everyone is as obsessed with this years election as I am, so here's a quick and dirty list of the best speeches from the first two days of the convention. Enjoy!

Day 1:

Ted Kennedy overcomes brain surgery and kidney stones to give his support for Barack Obama.

Michelle Obama shares her story of love, family, and faith in the American Dream, with an adorable surprise ending.

Day 2:

Dennis Kucinich gives an energetic wake up call to America.

Brian Schweitzer riles up the crowd with his down-home truth-telling.

Hillary Clinton heals the rift between her supporters and Obama's and calls for a unified party and a united victory in November in spectacular fashion.

If you have a chance, check out the video intros for Kennedy, Michelle and Hillary as well, they were also excellent. Can't wait to see what the next two days brings!