A few years back, Dan Gaffney and I started a project with local Rehoboth musician Xavier Alexander. Here’s how it happened… Xavier had been in and out of mental hospitals for the last few years, being involuntarily committed by his family, he began showing up at WGMD radio broadcasts with his guitar and singing songs that has written.

He eventually came on the radio on Dan’s morning show to be interviewed and to tell his story. A year or two later, we decided that I would produce an album for Xavier that included new interview segments, in a way to tell his story.

Though we never finished an entire album, 5 songs were recorded and about 26 minutes of interview audio were captured that spring day at WGMD studios in Rehoboth Beach. Shortly after these sessions were taped, Xavier found himself back in the hospital (after a brief stint of moving some of his possessions including his guitar to the radio station).

Though we haven’t worked with Xavier since, these following recording tell a powerful and haunting, beautiful and scary portrait of a tortured artist at work. I recently unearthed these recordings, and not knowing what to do with them, since the album project is not happening, I’ve decided to post them here and at a few other sites. Although I own these sound recordings, the songs are owned by Xavier and I would not in any way try to make anything from them. I just want you to hear them. Therefore, I’ve uploaded these songs to playlist.com and below you can listen to the complete session the way we envisioned it that day.

Here’s the link to the Playlist.com playlist…

http://www.playlist.com/standalone/34398795

Here’s the direct URLs to the MP3s –

“Backwards Dreams: The Music and Words of Xavier Alexander”
By: Xavier Alexander

Words and Music written by Xavier Alexander
Acoustic Guitar and Vocals by Xavier Alexander
Interview by Dan Gaffney
Recorded and Produced by Jared Morris
Concept: Dan Gaffney/Jared Morris
Recorded at WGMD Studios in Rehoboth Beach, DE 2005

1. Backwards Dream
2. About Backwards Dream
3. About Mother Earth
4. Mother Earth
5. About Cover Your Smiles
6. Cover Your Smiles
7. About Keep Chasing Pretty Face
8. Keep Chasing Pretty Face
9. About On The Right Track
10. On The Right Track
11. About Xavier Alexander

LOTS of WGMD listeners have their own websites and Dan Gaffney gave everyone an hour to promote their hard work.  Many people have asked for the links - so here’s most of the links that were called in.

• Judson Bennett for County Council - http://www.judsonbennett.com/
• Long Neck Family Practice - http://www.longneckfp.com/
•  Extreme Brewing - http://extremebrewing.com/
• Coldwell Banker/Katy Werner - http://www.cbmove.com/katy.werner
• Katy Decorates - http://www.katydecorates.com/
• Cyber Game Lan - http://www.cybergamelan.com/
• Vintage Delaware Tags - http://www.vintagedelawaretags.com/
• LowTags.com - http://www.lowtags.com/
• Bethany Beach Vol Fire Co. - http://www.bethanybeachfire.com/
• Gumboro Mudbog - http://www.gumboromudbog.com/
• Sussex County Government - http://www.sussexcountyde.gov/
• Delmarva Insulation - http://www.delmarvainsulation.com/
• Your Pet Food Store - http://www.yourpetfoodstore.com/
• Margarita Man - http://www.margaritamande.com/
• Ghost Hunting at Five Locks Canal - http://www.freewebs.com/5locks/
• Mid-Atlantic Regional Sport Stacking - http://www.midatlanticstacking.com/
• Man-Maid Cleaning - http://www.manmaidcleaning.com/ 
• Keenote Music Studio -
  http://www.makingmusik.com/servlet/KM_DisplayMain?s=3083
• Frank Prekup’s Purple Martin Houses - http://www.atlanticbreezes.com/pprekup.htm
• Johnson’s Country Market - http://www.johnsonscountrymarket.com/
• CopyRight Inc - http://www.copyrightinc.net/
• Community of Independence - http://www.independencede.com/home/
• Delaware State Housing - http://www.destatehousing.com/
• Guardian Property Management - http://www.guardian.us.com/guardian/page.html
• My Kids Support.com - http://www.mykidssupport.com/
• Sussex County Bible Church - http://www.sussexbible.com/
• Smith’s Used Cars - http://www.shopsmiths.com/
• Bella’s Cookies - http://www.bellascookies.com/
• Food 2 Go - http://www.food2gode.com/
• Isorobic - http://www.isorobic.com/
• Millman’s Appliance - http://www.millmansappliances.com/
• Indie Rocks Blog - http://www.indierocks.org/

Heard this morning on the WGMD Dan Gaffney morning show - “Dover” by John Flynn of Hockessin

Hear it again - John Flynn - MySpace

John Flynn website

Here are the lyrics -

Dover                                    By John Flynn

 Elijah was a sergeant, 42 years old
from Mesa Arizona, Elijah won’t grow old
Patrick was with C Troop, Second Armored Cav
His buddies all remember how Patrick loved to laugh
Seth was from East Brunswick, just a newly wed
Somewhere in New Jersey a young widow bows her head
Daniel was from Boston shipped out from Fort Bragg
His mother got back Daniel with a folded flag  

Chorus:
Oh big airplane bring’em down easy
Out of the Delaware skies
Oh big airplane Dover is waiting
to welcome the  heroes you fly… home

William was in Anbar, combat engineer
1^st Marine Division, William isn’t here
Alan rebuilt bridges for Battalion B
Next to cause of death they wrote the letters I E D
Gussie was a scrub nurse hailing from Fort Bliss
Gussie had a spirit this world’s gonna miss
Jeremiah’s son cries on his mamma’s knee
There was no armor plating on his dad’s humvee

Chorus 

Scrubbed wooden pallets with white straps cinched over
Long boxes of flag draped aluminum
The C-5 is crowded when it lands in Dover
The honor guard boards and makes room again

Making straight for Nineveh, just like Jonah’s whale
Holy truth you swallow, overseas you sail
Precious is the cargo sacred was the gift
offered in the sandstorm from which your wings lift
Those who would pay homage can’t watch you set down
Behind barbed wire sentries miles from their town
No one breathes to question this silent parade
Except for the anguished loved ones left to say

© 2005 Flying Stone Music

This is a Scotish aire partially written by the poet Robert Burns, but not published until after his death. “Auld Lang Syne” means ‘old long ago’ or ‘the good old days’ and is sung at midnight in nearly every English-speaking country to ring in the New Year.  Because the song is generally sung about once a year, the melody is more recognizable than the words - which usually are sung incorrectly past the first line or two. 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

CHORUS
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
And surely I’ll buy mine!
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give us a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

While to us the song is one that represents beginnings - in some Far Eastern countries and Hungary - it represents endings or farewells and is sung at graduations or funerals!  It also represents endings and farewells in Brazil, Portugal, France and several other European countries.  

The melody we are familiar with may or may not be what was originally intended by Burns, but it’s what was made popular by band leader Guy Lombardo who actually had the song released as a single in 1947. 

Happy New Year!  May 2008 be everything you want it to be. 

I’m always interested in tech stories. I’m a little bit of techie, I suppose. I like to read about the newest contraptions, the new trends, new improvements in technology. I don’t often do the topics about technology on the air, so, maybe I’ll post some on here… I mean you’re on our Web site, so you at least have a computer, so they may be interest to you.

The Record Industry, RIAA, is angering everybody today with the latest story about unauthorized music copying. Now, I fully agree that trading, giving away, stealing people’s mp3s, bitTorrent-ing songs, copying mp3s off of other peoples computers, iPods, giving away CD-r copies of songs and e-mailing mp3s is stealing and for the most part wrong. It’s so easy these days with record stores online, amazon.com, Best Buy, Walmart, half.com, iTunes, CDbaby.com, and countless other services and stores to get music, and get it cheap, that trading songs amongst your friends is wrong. CD sales are down again 20% this holiday season because kids, adults and everyone seems to be trading music. To curb this trend, the RIAA is now saying that copying/ripping a CD that you purchased into your computer is illegal.

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/28/AR2007122800693.html

So, according to the RIAA, if you go to Walmart(s) and buy the new Barry Manilow Christmas CD, take it home, put it in your PC, rip it to iTunes and jam it on your mp3 player or iPod, you are “Breaking the law” - cue Judas Priest.

I’ve never illegally downloaded a song, call me an mp3 saint. Everything that I have was purchased legitimately at a record store, online, at iTunes or actually given to me by the artist. However, I have copied CDs to my iPod, to listen to in my car, so that these rare CDs I just bought don’t get scuffed. According to the RIAA, that is “unauthorized” - Even if no one besides myself ever touches my iPod or even hears it. It’s not illegal to listen to a CD in my car, but, it is illegal to listen to a copy of that CD. It’s akin to the debate in the 1980s regarding copying that Air Supply record to a tape and listening to it in your car.

A similar debate came about regarding the ownership of Roms of video games about 10 years ago. A lot of people figured out how to “rip” the rom images of old Nintendo and Atari games. Nintendo of America threatened lawsuits and shut down a myriad of Web sites offering free download of Roms of old Nintendo Games. Their legal said “it’s only legal to own a backup rom if you already own the cartridge” - that you could, in effect, own one backup copy, anything else was illegal. It was actually the same problem as the problem facing the music industry. Lots of unscrupulous people were downloading Rom images of brand new Playstation games and Nintendo 64 games, and either playing them on video game emulators on their computers or creating a CD-rom and playing them on mod-ed Playstations, or later, Gamecubes and Wiis.

It’s essentially the same problem. People want to own the content without paying for the right to own it. Whether it be DVD movies, music or video games…. The digital revolution, the lack or a hard copy, has created a generation of people who feel entitled and don’t want to dish out any cash for other people’s work. Bands just starting out feel like they have to give away their music to get any attention, established bands like Radiohead are offering their music for “whatever you want to pay for it” for publicity because their real CDs aren’t selling. The RIAA thinks that telling people that creating back-ups is illegal will help curb this behavior. But it won’t.

It’s a losing battle, but thousand of digital thieves have caused these reactionary tactics.

You’ll never call me an Orioles fan – I’ll be a NY Mets fan till the day I die, but living here on Delmarva it’s hard to avoid everything orange and black during the spring, summer and fall.  But I will admit to watching a few O’s games in my day – especially when it came to some of the bigger games – like championship games and Cal’s streak, but now, the era of Orioles’ Magic is truly over.
 
While Orioles’ Magic generally refers to the team’s glory years in the 1970s and 1980s, the man who was as well known to O’s fans as Cal Ripken and Jim Palmer has given fans their last spelling lesson.  William “Wild Bill” Hagy has died at the age of 68. 
 
Hagy ruled Section 34 at the old Memorial Stadium – and with his long beard, beer belly and wearing his straw cowboy hat - led cheers spelling the Orioles team name – using his body to create the letters. 
 
In a statement on the Orioles website –

“The Orioles organization is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of “Wild Bill” Hagy. While leading cheers from “The Roar from 34″ at Memorial Stadium, Wild Bill became a Baltimore institution. He was one of the great characters of the Baltimore sports landscape and was a true die-hard Orioles fan, supporting the club year in and year out. He will be missed by everyone who knew him and by everyone for whom he led the “O-R-I-O-L-E-S” cheer. All of us in the Orioles organization extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends.”

 Hagy was a cab driver until his retirement a few years ago.  He was found dead Monday morning at his home in Arbutus by his roommate – and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
 
Hagy did make the transition to Camden Yard, but didn’t lead cheers any longer as he said he was not happy with the ‘new breed’ of O’s fans who talked on their cell phones through games.  However during the playoffs – he did bring his cheering back in the mid-1990s when the O’s were contenders for a few years. 
 
Like Max Patkin, the clown prince of baseball, Hagy was one of a kind and though he’s not been around Camden Yard much, preferring to watch the games on TV, he will be missed.
 
 
 Tribute to “Wild Bill’ Hagy

 

Do you have a family pet?  If not – you can leave now.
 
If you answered yes – does your pet think he or she is human? The family comedian?   It’s interesting to really watch the personality of your animal emerge - be it a cat, dog or whatever.  I know not one of my animals has been like any other I’ve had.  Like humans, each has had its own distinct personality.
 
I’ve had cats, dogs, turtles, fish, gerbils, a hamster and snails.   Since I moved to Delmarva, most of my creatures have been cats – and 2 dogs.  Puddkitty is the current critter and while she isn’t as animated as some that I’ve had, she does keep herself and me entertained.  She also makes sure that any creepy crawly critter that manages to get into the house doesn’t stay for long.  Now if only she would decide that cricket legs taste like chicken!  She leaves those behind – I guess it’s just her gift to me, but it’s better than leaving ‘other’ things!  Pudd likes height – the top of anything is a great perch – doors, furniture, the mantle.  Even with only hind claws, she’s still a great climber.
 
Most of the cats I’ve had through the years have been social – they like the company of the humans in the house rather than going off on their own to sleep in a sunbeam.   Sam was a fighter – he protected the property from any other cat in the neighborhood.  He was my only outside cat, but met his match when he went after a large four-legged – car. 
 
Samantha was my mouse cat.  She could find any mouse that had the unfortunate luck to come into the house.  Of course she didn’t hunt it – she played with it to death.  And then just left it for Mommy to dispose of.  She liked everyone and had the knack of finding the one person in a group who didn’t really like cats and did her best to change their mind.
 
Pywich was the anti-social one of the bunch, but also came to me after her Mommy left her with me.  Actually Py was the queen of the house – and oversaw all in her realm.
 
Mickey was the lover of the bunch.  He knew he was cute and worked it to the max and then just sat on you and purred, but sometimes I think he thought he was a dog.  He is the only cat that actually came when you called him and he would play fetch with his toys!
 
Mo was abandoned at the Worcester County Humane Society and she and Puddkitty came to me at the same time.  Mo was 5 and very unhappy to be in such a noisy place and Pudd was 6 months and the baby in the cat room.  Mo was like Pywich – older and aloof, but she was more sociable.  Pudd you’ve already met. 
 
Cats aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but as long as you provide food and water, the occasional visit to the vet and some attention – they’re really the ideal pet for someone who wants a 4-footed companion, but doesn’t necessarily have a lot of time to devote to training.  Cats learn the litter pan in about 20 minutes.  You really don’t have to provide a bed – they’ll find their own – several actually.  I’ve read that cats need about an hour of your time a day, for petting and being paid attention.  Just sitting on you will do, too. 

How about you?  Do you plan to go see “Sicko” when it comes to a theater near you?  I hope you do…as I certainly plan to…not that most of us don’t already know the state of the health care system in this country is absolutely abysmal and has been for far too long.  Read items like THIS and THIS (among far too many others like them) and one has to wonder how we stooped so low.  When did medicine become a “for profit” organization?  What happened to the Hippocratic Oath and “First do NO harm”?  If you happen to disagree with a more equal system, “socialised” medicine, how do you reconcile that disagreement with the 9 million kids who do not have access to health care…and what would be your suggestion?  I doubt there is another on offer…except for “I’ve got mine and so I don’t care”. 

One argument often heard is “Why should we pay for everyone else’s medical care” (with regards to a system similar to either Canada or the UK).  Why not?  We pay for it, anyway, as noted here…

“Marian Wright Edelman, of the Children’s Defense Fund, called the problem a “national disgrace.”  The crisis “not only costs lives of children and stress for families, but it also costs taxpayers money,” she added.

Here’s how it costs taxpayers money:

When Carol Martin’s son, Simon, had an infected toe, she could not afford to take him to the doctor. She cut a hole in his shoe and hoped it would get better. But it got worse.  After five months fighting red tape, she got public insurance for her son, but by then his foot required expensive surgery — a bill taxpayers swallowed.

“I’m not looking for a handout,” said Martin. “I just need assistance. Health care. That’s all.”

When uninsured children do get medical care, that care is often inferior. One study from Families USA said an uninsured child is twice as likely to die when hospitalized, when compared to an insured child.”

What would it take for any one of us to change our minds on this travesty?  I can tell you…our own child or children to die from an abcessed tooth, cancer or other serious illness simply because we, you, I lacked health insurance through no fault of our own and no-one gave a damn.

I don’t care…because it doesn’t matter…what the personal opinions are of Michael Moore.  Go see the movie…(June 29th. release date…if it comes here).  

  

As promised during our discussion today of local Mormons and Professional Wrestlers, I shall now provide you with a visual comparison of Mormon prophet Moroni and NWA wrestling legend “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair in one of my now famous “separated at birth” blogs..

Moroni is: (from wikipedia.org)

according to the Book of Mormon, was the last Nephite prophet and military commander who lived in North America in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. Latter-day Saint theology can be interpreted to mean that after his death Moroni was resurrected and became an angel. In addition to the Book of Mormon account, Joseph Smith and the Three Witnesses also testified they saw Moroni in the form of an angel of light.

Ric Flair is: (from wwe.com)

While at times he has been the dirtiest player in the game, Flair has never strayed from being “The Man” who most young sports-entertainers—WWE Superstars included—idolize. Even those unfamiliar with his storied career, the “styling and profiling” in custom-tailored sequined ring robes, or his “Nature Boy” strut know one thing when they hear “Woooooo!” shouted at a WWE live event, a craps table in a Las Vegas casino, or on the scoreboard at the RBC Center, home of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes: they’re in “Ric Flair Country.” “A kiss-stealing, wheeling, dealing, jet-flying, limousine-riding son-of-a-gun”

Now.. without further adieu.. Prophet Moroni vs. Ric Flair (separated at birth)

On a lighter note:

This is the first time I’ve ever watched “American Idol” and wasn’t too thrilled to be doing so, at that but…compromise is everything! Then I got caught up in it as the weeks went on. To be honest, rocker-Gina was my choice…some bad, some good and when she pulled a Chrissie Hynde, great…not Chrissie but the potential could be there…so when she was voted off that was a big disappointment. In the last several weeks, though, Blake Lewis has been my favorite to win. To be honest, I never thought he’d get through to the final two since Melinda couldn’t seem to put a foot wrong, week after week after week. Great voice but, for me, lacks “fresh” and “interesting”…does the same thing to too many songs that Whitney Houston and her ilk does (the only way I can describe it is ‘adding all the twiddley bits’ many of her song choices didn’t need). Jordan, ditto…although her personality shone, particularly for one so young. Should we mention Sanjaya? Oh, why not! He was cute but, for the most part, ummm…not good shall we say (although having heard the original “Bathwater” song I really did like his rendition much better!) and ultimately I rooted for his “pony-hawk do”.

Last night I really thought Blake would be gone and, that being so, decided this would be my last time viewing a programme I don’t really care for. Not so! Upward and onward to next week…another two nights watching something I really hate to admit to doing. I like his voice, love his panache, most of his song choices…loved his version of the Bee Gee’s “Danger Zone” and Maroon5 “This Love” and decided that, win or lose, when this boy cuts his first CD I’m buying it. He’s fun and fresh to listen to and watch although I’m really not big on beatboxing, (less is more). I’m thinking that if the final of the contest were to be between Melinda and Blake, she would win but I believe…hope…Blake will pull this off. Certainly, I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of Melinda or Jordan and I wish them well but my vote’s for Blake and I’ll be at “Music for a Song” the day his first CD is released!

Still not sure I’ll watch another “idol”, though!