The Intergalactic Cowboy

It’s the spirit of capitalism son… The hedge funds and the media are working together to create artificially low stock prices and then repurchase these same stocks at a low price. Son, even more people will profit from this. The day traders and momentum traders are sitting in their offices right now with one eye on CNBC and the other eye on the computer screen. Their mouths are open and salivating. Their demeanor is similar to the character that David Bowie portrayed in The Hunger. Their fangs are out, waiting to bite the soft, tender neck of a virgin stock whose price has gone down so low that a huge profit will be made by the end of the year. It doesn’t matter to them that other people’s life savings are being decimated by this worldwide panic. Their behavior is so rabid that even a well seasoned satanist would flinch with revulsion at the sight of it !
Son, this type of monetary conspiracy has happened many times in the past. You were too young to remember the previous times. It is as if the market makers of this world have considered other people’s life savings to be mere ‘assets’ to be manipulated into a deep depression of buying opportunity. It’s enough to motivate a person to read and become influenced by the writings of Karl Marx. It’s even enough to inspire someone to become a socialist and communist. In the extreme cases, it could actually cause a person to fill up balloons with urine and to throw them at our world leaders at the next G7 conference !
What usually happens is that some will get rich and others will get poor. Some will buy Lambourghinis; others will take their own life rather than face the world as a homeless person.
Have a good night’s sleep son,
I.C.

If you can read this post, then I have successfully figured out how to write one with the new software on this website.
The past week has been spent rescuing the investments that I have direct control over. There have also been moments of band rehearsing, guitar teaching and eldercare assisting.
My two cats seemed to have worked out an arrangement where the older cat has dominion over the south end of the property, with the kitten having dominion over the north end. Their skirmishes have fortunately become infrequent.
Details later,
I.C.

This is a shot of the as yet unnamed band that I am playing in, from the other night. One of the managers of the club emailed this to me. From left to right: Joe Allen - Bass, myself on guitar, Tony Martinez - Drums, and Jerry Gordon - Harmonica
A professional photographer took some photos of us at this show, which may be available to me at a later date.
With inadequate pixels,
I.C.

Last night, the band that I have been rehearsing with played its first gig at a local venue. My bandmembers have been balking at the idea of doing this due to our lack of tightness, but they finally swallowed their pride and accepted the offer that the clubowner presented to us. I am relieved that the clubowner no longer feels that we are ungrateful. Tell me, how many of you out there have had a clubowner ask you to perform at his club, rather that the other way around ? I realized from the beginning how fortunate we were to have a clubowner willing to support us, sight-unseen.
Despite our musical deficiencies, the crowd liked us. Our first set was comprised of classic rock songs that we knew fairly well. We, as a band, succeeded in transmitting our apprehension into energetic playing. The audience applauded politely. The second set was made up of tunes that we did not know really well and the audience was lukewarm. By the third set, we felt comfortable with the atmosphere of the club and gave a relaxed performance that the audience enthusiastically hooted and hollered over. They insisted that we play a couple of encores. One member of the audience seems to want to join the band. The club sold more beverages than they usually do on a Monday, which is, of course, the bottom line when it comes to having a band return.
Of course, there were some ridiculous moments. During “When The Levee Breaks” and ” Who Do You Love,” during the second set, all four bandmembers stayed out of sync with each other for the entire song. I have never experienced such rhythmic anarchy on a rock and roll stage ! It was so embarrising that I laughed out loud in the middle of the songs. Ironically, the club had better acoustics than our practice room and I was able to hear my bandmates better than usual. During at Love and Rockets song called… “Bound For Hell ?” I think, our drummer was playing at half time, which I had never noticed in the practice room. I forgot the words to ” Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, which is one of the three songs that I sing. Our harmonica player, Jerry Gordon, was his usual impecable self. This band is really his band. His stage fright causes him to play in the dark, behind a chair or table that is used to line up his collection of harmonicas.
This band needs a Myspace site.
With satisfaction,
I.C.

In my last diary entry, I mentioned that I was running sound at a wedding this weekend in which all of the wedding music would be prerecorded. My additional job was to cue up and play the appropriate wedding music at the proper time of the ceremony. You may remember from previous diary entries that the church p.a. is wearing out. The consultant that we hired told us that the entire system could break down at any minute.
Yesterday at the wedding rehearsal, the system performed at the level that it has recently been performing at. We had a left hand main speaker, powered by an old power amplifier, aimed at the congregation. We had a monitor amp, powering two monitor wedges, aimed at the choir and the organist. Today, at 1:30 pm, I arrived at the church to soundcheck the p.a. for a 3 pm wedding. The one main speaker started producing a high pitched buzzing sound, similar to an obnoxious alarm clock. There were several small children banging on the grand piano. Ordinarily I would have told them to stop, but they were providing a distraction to the three or four members of the wedding party who happened to be in the sanctuary. This gave me a couple of minutes to hopefully correct the buzzing. Nothing worked. I had to unplug the speaker from the speaker cable to stop the buzzing. I then pointed the monitor speakers in the direction of the congregation and began adjusting the volume of the microphones with the auxilliary output # 1 knob on each channel for each microphone. I then adjusted the volume of the CD player, using this same technique. By this time, wedding guests started to arrive and I was asked to begin the prelude music. All faders were turned down to minus 60 decibels since they would have only controlled the defunct main speaker volume anyway.
I pulled off a half decent wedding with only the use of a monitor amp and two monitor speakers. I never told the wedding party about any of this because they had enough to worry about. Tomorrow, I address the building and grounds committee of the church, who have been reluctant to fund the purchase of any new p.a. equipment. Obviously, when the monitor amp and speakers eventually fail, there will be absolutley no amplification in the sanctuary.
I should add that I remembered to perform this emergency procedure today with care and attention, rather than overtly panicking.
Whew,
I.C.

Well, just when I thought that progress had been made in my two cats’ relationship with each other, the whole thing takes a turn for the worse. Yesterday afternoon, both cats were outside and I felt the need to check on the kitten’s safety. I was delighted to find both Ashley and Suvy asleep in the daylillies; sleeping in peace, about ten feet apart from each other. It seemed logical to me that they might be able to co-exist in the house together now. Unfortunately, last night when I came home from dinner, Suvy chased Ashley up to the back door of the house, clawing at her. When I opened the back door, Ashley was afraid to go in before Suvy went in, as if Ashley had become aware of a pecking order between the two of them. Suvy then entered the house and Ashley followed. Suvy then angrily chased Ashley to the back of the house with teeth and claws exposed. I then did something that I have never done before; I swatted Suvy on the rear end and said, ‘ bad kitty !’ I then kept Suvy isolated in my bedroom while picking Ashley up and isolating her in my Mom’s bedroom. This upsetting change of events distracted me from feeding either cat the wet cat food that I had planned to feed them. They each had to settle for the dry cat food that is always available to them. It would seem that Suvy is still determined to make this new kitten leave the premises. Ashley has been afraid to go outside where Suvy is all day.
My Mom’s broken wrist has caused her to become more needy than usual, but, to her own credit, she has learned how to bathe and dress herself without assistance.
My sore and stiff hands, feet and back have improved with the use of an anti-inflammatory drug called Nabumetone. The side effect of this substance is a jittery, nervous feeling. I have put up with this for the past few days in exchange for pain free guitar playing. Now, I am beginning the process of weaning myself off of the drug.
This weekend, I run sound at a wedding and wedding rehearsal at the Methodist church. The bride and groom want no live musicians performing at the ceremony; only recorded music played, by me. I hate being put into this position. The potential for miscuing the recorded music is high. I will conduct my mind, body and heart with as much discipline as I am able to.
With acceptance of challenge,
I.C.

As luck would have it, my back pain, shoulder pain and foot pain has now invaded my hands. The stiffness and pain are similar to the tendonitis that started over a year ago. The wrists are not involved in this yet. My internist has given me a blood test for rheumatoid factor which shows no rheumatoid, anti-immunological problem. Another blood test shows no anemia. He has prescribed me an anti-inflammatory drug, whose side effects will be closely observed by me. The timing of this maladay coincides with the beginning tuition of two new guitar students who need me to be dextrous enough to teach guitar. My harmonica partner has found a bass player and drummer to augment our sound. I hope that I don’t have to quit the band !
On top of all this, my Mom fell in her bathroom on Friday night and broke her wrist ! She also has a large bruise on her left temple. I helped her to a private emergency clinic which gave us a surprisingly positive, professional experience. She is now in need of twice as much assistance from me on a daily basis. It will take more logistical planning on my part to fulfill these responsibilites. It will take a measure of committment for me to perform these tasks with relaxation and attention. But, challenges can become energy producing events if performed in a certain way. Will I or wont I ? Only my Will knows for sure.
More later,
I.C.