YEEGBL! GRBLG...

Yeah, it's been a little while...and this will be short.

Hey, Mr. "Adventures in Penmanship", where are you? Too good for this place? I thought so, Mr. "I LOVE NAZARETH, SOUND ELIX-AH, OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW-OW"! And don't tell me the exclamation point goes inside the quotes; it can go in either place.

Anyway, just a quickie for all you "I-absolutely-MUST-include-an-"I hate George Bush"-comment-in-everything-I-write-speak-or-even-think" idiots:

well, you're idiots...

I never liked Bush too much, and I even live in TEXAS (yes, I further know, this disqualifies me from anything remotely intelligential (go on, look it up, this will still be here when you finish)). However, I at least understand how this country works, and the schematic is NOT one circuit, one loop.

Imagine, idiots, if you will, that RIGHT NOW 9/11 was to happen on Obama's watch (give him an extra month to buy clothes for his wife). What would be his legacy? What would he focus on for the rest of his time in office? When YOU are on watch during THE game changing, NATION changing event, the rest of your time in office doesn't revolve around "green jobs" or "health care". No, YOUR time is spent on making sure THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN. You don't get the luxury of dealing with crooked congressmen over infrastructure crap, nor do you have the time to hire, then fire several avowed communists you've attempted to slip under the radar (idiot).

No, Bush had only ONE mandate: THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN - and he succeeded in fulfilling it. No luxuriant presidency for him, no easy time in office, and looks like he aged about twenty-five years in the process.

Yes, very easy...a job anyone could handle. Idiots.

And, by the way, to you foreign citizens who also ape the above action, shut up. Your nations have nothing to do with nothing. The sacrifices of our soldiers have made the world a safer place for you as well.

You shut up too, idiots.

Sometimes (many times) I get stupid...

Unreal!

My first "Top Five Favorite Drummers" post left out one of my all-time drum-loves:

Bernard Purdie.

Yes, I know, "how can you seriously forget Bernard Purdie?" I don't know what sort of mind-flexing, dimentia-laden things were taking place that day, but I must have been caught up somewhere in Jimmy Chamberlin's snare sound from "Siamese Dream".

So, here's the updated "Top Five Favorite Drummers In No Particular Order of Greatness" list:

1. Jeff Porcaro

2. Bill Bruford

3. Bernard Purdie

4. Buddy Rich

5. Stewart Copeland

(Jimmy Chamberlin still in Top 10)

My God, how much different this list looked in 1995! Well, wait a minute; three of the five were there in '95 - can you guess who they were?

No Aston Villa this weekend due to international break - and of course, we COULD HAVE BEEN THERE FOR ONCE, but no. Once again we're let down by AV's poor, poor timing in away goal totals.

Later!

What most would call "Good News"

Hello to myself!

Well, I received the results of my cardiac tests from last week. Had a Nuclear Stress Test (on that damned treadmill), full blood-work, and a carotid echo (ultrasound?) done.

Of course, given my history of heart issues (more on that later) and panic disorder I've been expecting the worst of all results.

Hmm. According to my stress test, my heart is "normal" with an "ejection fraction" percentage of 62% (over 50% is normal). "No major blockages detected with this test" (notice the "with this test" caveat - although they do take two sets of 3d pictures, I'll translate this as "this test doesn't tell the whole story, so you'd better start freaking out"), and finally "your heart is working well and receiving adequate blood flow". Whatever the hell that means.

My carotid scans were negative for any issues.

My blood-work was better than I thought it would be: cholesterol is 161 (150 is normal). But, the HDL "good" cholesterol is ONLY 31, 45 is normal...got to get that up. And, of course, that makes my LDL "bad" cholesterol at 105, of which 80 is normal. Gotta get that down. Triglycerides are at 156, normal is less than 150, so not so bad.

The diet changes I've made over the last 4 months have definitely helped. But, more is needed.

Now, the "normal" person will take 99% of this as good news, smile contentedly, and file it in the back of their mind and go on with their daily life. Me, of course not. Like I mentioned above, the "no major blockages were found with this test" means I need a more detailed test - if there is one. I mean, TWO sets of pictures and a treadmill test just aren't enough evidence, right? Such is the thinking of the panic-addled. I even thought (for a moment) that my test results may have been mixed up with another patient, and my actual numbers are scaring the life out of some 30 year old.

Well, more later.

By the way, Aston Villa over Fulham 2-0, with ANOTHER own goal score by The Cottagers. That's two so far this season (Liverpool being first). I hate own goal scores - they're totally tainted. At least AV scored extras in each match, so they were "fair" wins. Still, why can't AV ever win when they really need it - like Rapid Vienna? I mean, they "won" the game, but lost Europe on aggregate away. Makes the stomach hurt. Anyway, GO VILLA!

Later!

Sunday Morning with the EPL

Hello everyone (anyone? ha-ha-ha!?) -

Watching Everton v. Wigan go to intermission 0-0. Everton doesn't look too crisp like they have in the past. But, of course, I don't see them too often, especially here in the states. Wigan looks like a collection of very young guys who are trying to get used to playing in the EPL. 

Everton had a free kick and one of the Wigan wall guys started his run to block the ball at the same time the Everton striker was taking the kick. So, of course, he was about two feet from the placement when the ball ricocheted off of his back. The ref immediately stopped play and started walking towards the offender, who proceeded to shake his hands/head and state ignorance on what he had just done. He got a yellow card. The EPL is starting to look like the US NBA; it seems that more and more players are raising their hands in disbelief when they don't get a call or if they get tackled in a manner they don't like - I mean on small things! I've watched a lot of EPL classics, and this constant pouting/body language is a fairly new thing. And the diving has become shameful. And I must be honest - I really don't like foreign ownership in the EPL (or any other sport for that matter). Teams should be owned by citizens/investors of their host countries - period. And my EPL team is owned by an American whose NFL football team has been a disaster for years (Cleveland Browns). I don't want American sporting-type influences on the EPL - period.

I've been watching EPL for about 2.5 years now, when work allows, and I've learned quite a bit about the game (which I completely ignored prior to watching Aston Villa defeat Chelsea 2-0 back in 2007 (?) - John Carew being the player that first made me realize what a great game it is; he was great that day). Understand, I did not watch football/soccer ever. Prior to the AV/Chelsea turning point, I had glimpsed some Argentinian football in mid-summer, which was bizarre because in Texas it is 133* in July, yet these Argentinians were in the freezing cold playing football/soccer ("football" from this point forward - if I refer to American football, it will be in context). I thought the Argentinians were great athletes, and the fans were crazy. Some mental circuit clicked during the viewing, but wouldn't be fully completed until I watched the famed Chelsea vs. Aston Villa match later in the month.

After that, I couldn't get enough EPL and football in general. I subscribed to Setanta (over here it is very expensive compared to the overall cost for satellite), which has been an absolute Godsend for an eclectic like me. I now get to see the SPL, rugby, and Irish Hurling, which is just amazing. Also, having the ability to view sports events in small towns on TV is something we hardly ever see in America. I love it when a small-ish town Rugby team's match is on Setanta - you can see the town behind the intimate grounds, ancient iron work adorning the roof line, usually spelling out the town or team's name. At times, the stands are very empty, but when near full it just gives one a feeling of "this is how sport should be."

I'm a bit off-topic, but so what. In the USA, it's all "biggest and most expensive is best", and this has been growing for a few decades. Team owners blackmail citizens with threats of moving the beloved team unless a brand-new palatial stadium is erected with mostly or full taxpayer backing. Depending on the sport, our athletes are cheating by using performance-enhancing drugs, just to get that big contract worth more money than some small counties' GDP. And the common fan continues to be priced out of the game - try $25.00-$75.00 parking fees and $7.00 sodas. Up your parking fee robbery.

Everyone is making out like robber barons except the fans. No, the fan's only stake is loyalty, and hardly any athlete/owner even knows the meaning of that word. However, the most depressing fact is that we continue to allow it all to happen. I may insist on never paying to watch an NFL football game, but I'll turn right back around and catch the Texans on TV when I can. I'll also pay Setanta's outrageous monthly fee in order to get my extra helpings of European sports, all the while knowing where most of that money goes. I've played and been a fan of sports for too long to just stop cold turkey. Maybe if we had a huge fan rebellion it would be easier. That would be so unbelievably great to put these greedy players/owners behind the 8-ball.

I just wish, somehow, that we could prioritize in this country. Perhaps we've become so depressed at the state of our poor priorities that we'll pay anything for the escapism of sport.

Back to EPL. Of course, during intermission I switched to Setanta, and while "getting into" writing the last few paragraphs, I forgot about the game. I now switch back and it's 1-1. I just love it when I miss goals! Oh, well, back to finishing the Aston Villa topic.

When I tell people who know about these things that I'm an Aston Villa supporter, they usually cringe or act as if I've opted to buy a Pinto over a 300zx. At first I just put it down to regionalism and intense defense of one's football team (which I love about the EPL, though hooliganism is just for true idiots/criminals). But as I gained knowledge, the prevailing view seems to be that Aston Villa is bemoaned by its own fans about as much as by rivals. Support is seemingly okay, but at a constant cost of doubt. And I truly believe that doubt makes its way onto the pitch in Aston Villa's case. Most top-flight teams can overcome shaky support or fan doubt in a trend of success. Aston Villa seem to have a LONG history of this brand of fan behaviour, and I think it has permanently soaked into the team's "soul". It will take a team with remarkable chemistry and grit to overcome this decades-long manic-depressive type fan nature. Losing Gareth Barry was a step in the very wrong direction. And now recently, going out to Rapid Vienna on away goals. How should a supporter react? The team has such an up-and-down, Jekyll-Hyde personality.

Now, if a rabid Aston Villa fan happens to read this post, please don't come with:"What do you know? You're an American, a new fan, and still learning football! I've been watching since '63 and you don't know anything about Villa!" etc etc etc

Like I've said - still learning. One thing you could educate me on is salaries; are they getting completely out of control? They've been just plain stupid over here for about two decades now. I'd be interested to hear a longtime EPL fan's perspective.

Well, this post went WAY too long. Still 1-1 at 89:11. Come on, Everton! 5 on 2 rush by Wigan...GREAT save! This is going to draw. PENALTY KICK GIVEN at 92:11! Close on the penalty, but deserved. PK GOOD! Everton 2-1! Almost 3-1 - really should've got that third. But over now...see, this is why football is the best! One mistake with just a few seconds left in the match and the entire thing is turned around. Shame to see such a hard-fought game by Wigan go up in flames like that, but you just can't do that in the box, young man. Like in the first part of this post, young teams will make crucial mistakes.

Aston Villa v. Fulham tonight 7:00! (tape delay, but that's just fine) GO CAREW! GO VILLA!

Later!

First List of Faves (and it changes often)

Hello Again -

Well, after a few days away (and a fairly big panic attack Saturday night, which I survived with just a bit of overreaction/humiliation) I've decided to post my first "Best Of" list.

Now, these types of lists change fairly often, but the top five spots usually stay fairly consistent. Slots 6-20 are always in flux, usually depending on how stable my memory is (lately, not too stable...anxiety kills stability of any kind).

So, here we go with my first list:

MY TOP FIVE DRUM SET PERFORMERS, WITHOUT REGARD TO GENRE

(1-4 IN NO SPECIFIC ORDER)

1. Buddy Rich

2. Jeff Porcaro

3. Stewart Copeland

4. Bill Bruford

5. Jimmy Chamberlin

Chamberlin is a last-minute entry; it was going to be Tim Alexander or Chamberlin.

With this list, it could be obvious to see that I do not immerse myself in the fusion/clinic scene, and that I do not consider it extremely impressive that a drummer has light-speed hands or feet. In fact, I'd rather listen to an hour of a player like Charlie Watts or Tony Thompson than Dennis Chambers or Vinnie Colaiuta. 

It's not that what they do doesn't impress me - it does. But I like to see guys that have a somewhat "lack" of speed-chops be able to stretch the creativity in other ways. Bruford falls into this category. The other top five all have abilities that separate them from most everybody else. Buddy Rich, well, you know. Stewart Copeland had a truly original style, and wrote the intro to the book on interesting hi-hat/ride playing. Jeff Porcaro was so totally solid (the other side of the coin that Bonham is on) yet also insanely versatile. Jimmy Chamberlin has everything: speed, depth, time, and beautiful independence.

I believe the drum community places too much emphasis on speed-chops and blazing feet. In a way like the guitar equivalent of Yngwie Malmsteen. Fun to listen to, but too much reliance on speed playing.

"Well, you're saying these things because you're slow, and you're just jealous of these guys."

Well, I'm not "slow", nor am I "jealous". A little envious of the ease these players produce such speed, perhaps, but I recognize that I have my own style and place. This is another reason I choose not to follow the clinic "scene" or instructional videos. I believe it's far more important to develop your own style outside of the Guitar Center DVD rack OR the Zildjian/Yamaha clinic circuit.

Anyway, I'll include my 6-10 portion of the drummer list (maybe through 20) next post, and possibly relate some interesting panic/anxiety stories and how this relates to my music career. Can't disclose the torture of 1990 yet...I don't think we know each other well enough - yet.

'Till next time - control the sticks with the fingers.

Jeremy

Rudiment #1

Hello to you -

This space will be dedicated to discussions of drums, drummers, percussion, equipments, philosophy of styles, anxiety/panic disorder, and anything else I might find to be relative, even if it is not.

Quick info about me: somewhere around forty years calendar age ("body age" and "mental age" are completely skewed), currently recovering from ligament/cartilage tears in left wrist suffered during eleven-foot fall at work (AT&T U-Verse Premesis Tech). Obviously, this has placed new demands on my drumming skills. I will cover all drums/drumming philosophies/opinions in next post.

The other part of this blog, though not equal in coverage, will be dedicated to another companion of twenty years - anxiety disorder. Not only general discussion, but perhaps sharing of experiences or personal methods of coping/eliminating anxiety/panic from our daily life, including effects on our music and performances. I do hope that this is seen as an invitation to contribute as much as you feel, on whatever level, and on any of these topics.

Anyway, this inaugural post is finished. Next post will "show a little more", and will include a drumming-specific topic.

Later,

Jeremy