Uh... Sorry.... I didn't see you there!

Drivers do the same thing to bicyclists. WAY too many times has a car pulled out in front of me while I was on a bicycle.... going down hill... at 30 - 35 MPH.

I have had a few accidents because, in their minds, people refuse to validate motorcyclists and bicyclists as 'valid things that are moving FAST on a street.'

When I was 19, I was going down a fairly steep hill, and a woman in a van pulled out in front of me. I saw the "I don't give a damned about you" vacant look in her eyes, and although I was braking as hard as I could, and I was yelling as loud as I could to get her attention, she pulled out in front of me, anyway. I slammed into the side of her van, and my body bent the sliding door in so bad that I think they would have had to replace the door, and I know she was never able to open it again.

After my body hit her van - right shoulder first - my bicycle continued to slide underneath her van, and out the other side. If I was lucky in this scenario, it is because I was bounced off the street, and into the small grassy area between the sidewalk and the curb.
That bitch jumped out of her van and yelled at me (while I was still on the ground!), "Look, kid! You need to watch where you are riding that thing!"

I staggered to my feet, holding my aching shoulder, and I asked her, "If a car was sitting at the same intersection, and it was going at the same speed that I was - 35 mph - there is a good chance that somebody would be dead now."

Would you believe that this hideous, beastly woman continued to refuse to see that she was 100% at fault, and she continued to blame ME.

This incident occurred 25 years ago, and it was before the time of small, easily portable and popular cell phones. Should this incident occur TODAY, I would definitely retain the driver, I would call the police, and the driver would be ticketed (and they would pay for the damages to the $6,000 bicycle that I own!

I started yelling back at this woman. I finally said, "Look, I can walk over to Hardees (which was a half a block away), and since I work there, I can use the phone to call the cops,and THEY can settle this matter."

Even though it was DIM, I could see a small light flicker on in her eyes, and she started to get defensive, stating, "Hey! You don't have to be THAT way, do you?" I answered her with, "Since you were very wrong, and you tried to blame me for your error, yes, I do think I have to be "that way!"

It was at that point that she realized that a bicyclist has as many rights and responsibilities as she does, including having their rights on the same roads that she uses.

She got in her van, and floored the thing. I never saw her again, but I do wish I would have gotten her license plate #. She destroyed my bicycle, and 25 years later, I have severe arthritis in the shoulder that flew into the side of her van, and it is to the point where I will soon need a new shoulder!

Motorists use 'perceptual deception', which is a cousin to 'denial'. When they are sitting at an intersection, many people are looking for ANYTHING with 4 or more wheels, and they honestly will not allow themselves to see anything on 2 wheels.

- Michael

What Doesn't Kill Makes You Stronger! Really ?!?

Along the same train of thought, Tina Turner - my momma who got her start in St. Louis! - never publicly bad mouthed that worthless Ike Turner because, as she tells the story, if it had not been through the crap that he put her through, she might not have turned into the force that she remains today.


HOWEVER.... (Don't you just LOVE 'howevers'?).....


I would like to think that the price of becoming 'whoever you are today' could be paid at a much lower rate - just a little cheaper, if you know what I mean!


For example, I would like to believe that I would have become the musician and the creative person that I am today even IF my mother was supportive, rather than jab and make fun of any efforts that I ever attempted.  She she tried to thwart or squelch anything that I ever attempted.  As a counter, "I'll-show-you-who-can-do-what" measure, and absolutely no thanks to her, I became a creative, musically inclined individual.  Please keep in mind that her intent was not to make me better, or to drive me forward.  Her efforts were simply to stop me from becoming better than her.  I am here today to tell you that 'Laziness never pays."  


Needless to say, even to this day, she continues to fail miserably at trying to bring me down to her level - and I continue to explore my world, to create beautiful objects and I learn to play new, increasingly complicated music EVERY DAY.  She continues a downward spiral, and I continue to soar to new heights, but my victory is by no intentional effort of her own to make me a better person.  The results that I have seen in my life are 100% a result of my own hard work and determination, and attention to detail and finesse.  Growing up, I knew that there HAD to be a better life than the one that I was dealt, and I was bound and determined to find it.  It is a fact that I don't live in a mansion, or I don't have a high paying mob. Nonetheless, my efforts in finding a better life have paid off. I have been successful in my quest.


One would think that I could have achieved the levels that I have without having to go through the shit that she slings my way, but hey, I guess the outcome could have been much worse for me.  I COULD BE HER!


Another thing that Tina credits for her life turning around after her "Ike days" is that she converted to Buddhism
.  
One of Buddhism's main values is KARMA.  That old girl, Karma.  She is getting busier by the day, her response times are becoming quicker and her accuracy can't be beat!  :)


Here's to Hinduism and Buddhism......   That reminds me... I need to stop by the Hindu Temple here on Weidman Road to say a puja....


Here are some images to browse.  The details in this building are amazing, the food served in the basement is wonderful, and I find this temple to be the wonderful, calming and centering respite that my soul craves:

 

(That building looks small in the pics, but it is actually a fairly large building.)
More images:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=hindu+temple+of+st+louis&FORM=BIFD#x0y0

Please find your place of respite and visit it frequently.  It should be a special  place where no other person can bother you, remove you, or otherwise harass you while you are there.

Another native St. Louisian, Maya Angelo says,
"My Garden is the place that I want to go after my last place is refused, but before I meet God."

I have several such places, including when I am on a Hammond organ or piano bench, when I am walking through the Missouri Botanical Gardens, when I am walking through a national award winning Fine Art Show, or when I am sitting in an Indian restaurant.

Your place(s) of respite will probably be totally different than mine, but they should exist, nonetheless.  Go forth and find it, or find them!  It will do your mind and body some good!

- Michael

Will The Real Judge Please Stand up? (I think he just did!)

My good sister, Karma, does seem to have my back again.    See!  I told you that the Buddhist Monk that is hiding inside me would one day come bubbling to the surface!


Are the following events pure coincidence, or is there more to the store than meets the ear?  You tell me:


The church that I was raised in from 1979 until I got the Hell out of there was a Pentecostal church at 16th & Locust in Quincy, IL.  The pastor that founded this church, Charles Mitchell, was never my biggest 'fan', and the man that took over the church after Mitchell left, Mark Fogarty was DEFINITELY not in my court, if you know what I mean.


At any rate, after Mark Fogarty basically robbed this congregation, as  is his modus operandi, he moved on from this church to another somewhere in Georgia.


Another pastor came along to Calvary Tabernacle (16th & Locust), and eventually moved the church downtown Quincy.


The irony of it all?  The church building at 16th & Locust became the home for the Church of the Holy Spirit - a gay congregation.  Not so many years ago (the details are below), 'Pastor' Fogarty tried to tell me that I was 'living wrong', and that I was basically going to burn in Hell.  My favorite sister, Karma, has made the entire thing come around full circle.


1) I played piano / organ for Calvary Tabernacle when I was in my early - mid teens.
2) I played piano for MCC (Metropolitan Church of Christ - a gay congregation) when the church was at 24 North 5th Street, Quincy, IL
3) Now, the same building - 16th & Locust - what was used to scorn and condemn me is now a place of respite and shelter for me - the Church of the Holy Spirit.


Pastor Fogarty:  Ya really gotta be careful when you play God.  I know it is difficult to imagine, but there are powers greater than your own, and they can and will be used against you!


The details:


I will never forget that little meeting that Mark Fogarty called when he found out that I am gay.  He started 'throwing the book' at me, and I hurled it back at him.  When he realized that he was not gaining any ground, he tried to squelch me by saying, "Oh, Son!  Don't judge God's wisdom!"  I said, "Sir, I think you are a little confused.  I am a mere 7 yrs younger than you.  I am not your son.  And.... I'm not judging GOD's wisdom.  I'm judging YOURS.  And you're only a man.  And barely that."


Both of my parents were at this meeting, as was Diane, both Diane's parents, both my parents, and Mark Fogarty's wife (the poor, beat down thing!)  In all, there were 8 people at this little meeting, and the agenda was to discuss my sexuality.


After I politely said (with a smile, of course!), "You're only a man, and barely that!"  He said, "Meeting's ajourned!"  He stood up, and I rose out of my chair to shake his hand.  He closed Good Book, and I went to the door. I turned and said, "Call me when we can do this again some time.  I'll be looking forward to your call!"  That was the last time I ever saw that man.


From what I understand, he has been busy since that meeting:
http://www.spiritualabuse.org/experiences/lawsuits/mark_fogarty.html

I have always had a guiding hand on my shoulder.  When I first laid eyes on that man, I told my mother, "There is something about that man that I don't like.  Look just beneath the skin, and you will know what I'm talking about."  Of course, I was once again squelched.  After he left that church in a much bigger hock than he found them (which included selling the church's organ and piano to buy himself a Hammond B3 and a digital keyboard, which he took with them), he left town, and left them in a mess.


The moral of this story:
A man (woman and child) is just that. A human being. Human beings are capable of doing anything they set their minds to.  A title that had been bestowed on them (or one that they have bestowed upon themselves!) doesn't mean squat to me.  In my humble opinion, a person is judged by his / her actions, and not a title, if you know what I mean.  :)

Don't Judge God's Wisdom!

I will never forget that little meeting that Mark Fogarty called when he found out that I am gay.  He started 'throwing the book' at me, and I hurled it back at him.  When he realized that he was not gaining any ground, he tried to squelch me by saying, "Oh, Son!  Don't judge God's wisdom!"  I said, "Sir, I think you are a little confused.  I am a mere 7 yrs younger than you.  I am not your son.  And.... I'm not judging GOD's wisdom.  I'm judging YOURS.  And you're only a man.  And barely that."

Both of my parents were at this meeting, as was Diane, both Diane's parents, both my parents, and Mark Fogarty's wife (the poor, beat down thing!)  In all, there were 8 people at this little meeting, and the agenda was to discuss my sexuality.

After I politely said (with a smile, of course!", "You're only a man, and barely that!"  He said, "Meeting's ajourned!"  He stood up, and I rose out of my chair to shake his hand.  He closed Good Book, and I went to the door. I turned and said, "Call me when we can do this again some time.  I'll be looking forward to your call!"  That was the last time I ever saw that man.

From what I understand, he has been busy since that meeting:
http://www.spiritualabuse.org/experiences/lawsuits/mark_fogarty.html

I have always had a guiding hand on my shoulder.  When I first laid eyes on that man, I told my mother, "There is something about that man that I don't like.  Look just beneath the skin, and you will know what I'm talking about."  Of course, I was once again squelched.  After he left that church in a much bigger hock than he found them (which included selling the church's organ and piano to buy himself a Hammond B3 and a digital keyboard, which he took with them), he left town, and left them in a mess.

The moral of this story:
A man (woman and child) is just that. A human being. Human beings are capable of doing anything they set their minds to.  A title that had been bestowed on them (or one that they have bestowed upon themselves!) doesn't mean squat to me.  In my humble opinion, a person is judged by his / her actions, and not a title, if you know what I mean.  :)

What's with this 'music thing"?

Where did I get my musical passion from?  The short answer:
It is my salvation that was sent to me to spare me the twisted antics of my family while I was growing up.  (The creative adult is the child that survived!)

The long answer:

The Albert / Willis family that were the ministers of the Hannibal Pentecostal Church in Hannibal, MO have  been the most influential people in my entire musical life.  They are the sole responsibility for the reason that I have 18 keyboard instruments in my home, and since my birth (no exaggeration!), I have tried to mold my playing style to match Phillip Willis '!


I have seen this family play music several time a week since I was 2 weeks old, until I was 11 yrs old. Then.... My family dragged me from Hannibal to Quincy, and I was confronted with that poor, lowly Hammond L-100 (with no Leslie!), instead of the Hammond C2 with a Leslie 122 that I grew up listening to!


Until I was 11 years old, I had never been to another church in my life, other than the First United Pentecostal Church of Hannibal, MO.  I had never even walked through the doors of another church, much less attend a service there.  I had never heard of ANY other type of organ than that 'fabulous, mystery box that was full of power' that sat in front of me, my entire life.  I had never heard of Allen, Thomas, Baldwin, Moller, Wurlitzer, etc, and I couldn't even imagine another type of machine, especially a pipe organ! I didn't see my first pipe organ until I was 17 years old.


Through competitions, and their musical accomplishments, in general, I had one of the best seats in the **country** until I was 11 years old.  I didn't know that not everybody in the world was not regularly having the same experience as myself.  


When I moved from Hannibal to Quincy, I was glad that I moved to a bigger city (!!), but I will never be able to convey to you the shock, horror, and ultimate dismay when I saw the 'band' at the UPC in Quincy!  I didn't know a spinet organ existed!  The only piano that I had ever seen in a church was the black grand piano in Hannibal.  They also had an upright bass, 4 accordion players, a couple guitar players, at least one banjo, a trumpet player, a trombone player, and someone usually played a tambourine.  Those folk made a huge, joyful noise, and they did so with pizzazz and much spirit.  Then...oh, then.... We moved to Quincy, where everything was squelched under the thumb of Charles / Shirley Mitchell.  I cried, and I cried often.  Not because I was emotionally touched, but because I was musically deprived!  I had tasted the best, and at the time, I didn't know it was the best.  




I now know I had the best THEN, and I will never take it for granted NOW!  :)

- Michael

(Musical) variety. It is, after all, the spice of life!

Just this last week, I went to Jackson Pianos, which is a privately owned local St. Louis piano dealer. They deal in used pianos, and they buy, rebuild and resell them.

Jackson Pianos' Home Page:
http://jacksonpianos.com/

I met one of their technicians this past summer while standing along South Grand street, watching the Gay Pride parade. This technician was watching her daughter walk in the parade, and she was attending the parade to show her support for her daughter.  I will have to add, "Good for both - the mother,  for having the sense to support her child, and the daughter for having a loving mother!  Such a relationship should be treasured, and not taken for granted. Trust me when I tell you that not everybody has such a family... but I digress....)

At any rate, Jackson Pianos recently moved their shop from the Cherokee St. district to Olive Street - the Central West end area. Unfortunately, I missed the open house that they held at the beginning of December, but I still wanted to see their new shop.

(Incidentally, this past July, while I was shopping for my new piano, I stopped by their old shop on Cherokee to give a few of their pianos a test drive. In the space of about 30 minutes, I played 8 different pianos, ranging from a sweet little Baldwin Acrosonic to a Steinway.
**NOT** simply because it is a Steinway, the Steinway AND the Acrosonic had the specific tone that I like, but their 'touch' was a little too light for my playing style.

A Stenway Upright piano

A 36" Baldwin Acrosonic Piano\

(Note how short the Baldwin Acrosonic piano is. It's 36"!  A lot of the 'action' is below the knee level, instead of above the keys.  This makes for a short, more-portable piano, but it also makes the 'touch' much too light for me, "Edward Heavy Hands!"  HOWEVER...they do have probably the best tone of any spinet piano!)
 

Back to the story:

 The owner of Jackson Pianos was in an adjacent room, working on another piano. When I finished playing, he told me that the repertoire of music that I played was one of the most diversified sets of songs that he has ever heard played in the same sitting! :)

 Depending on the piano that I was seated at, at the moment, I played everything from Classic Rock to Classical music, to Jazz....to Country....to Modern Rock....to Gospel!

When he told me that I was the most diversified musician he had ever heard, I smiled and said, "Thank you! I intend to keep it that way! :)

To make a long story even longer (!!), in the end, I ultimately decided to buy a brand new piano from Lacefield Music. I had done business with them before, when I bought my Hammond A-100 (B3), and they know me well. We decided that I needed an Institutional Piano, which is one that was built to be played for hours on end by students, they are of very sturdy construction, and they can 'take a beating', All of the used pianos that I test drove had actions that were too light for my playing style, and we decided that a new piano with a new, tight action was the type of piano that I needed.

ANYWHO.... Back to my second (recent!) visit.

Last week, I dropped by Jackson Pianos to pay their new shop a visit. Janet, the tech that I had become acquainted with, was in the front of the shop, disassembling and rebuilding a piano. (BTW - I could have watched her for hours. Her skills are flawless, and her attention to detail is impeccable!)

I started to tell her (Janet) that I was looking for a vintage Rhodes electric piano as my next purchase. I already have a full-size digital piano, a full-size acoustic piano, a 6 keyboard MIDI computer setup, and a 1966 vintage Wurlitzer electric piano (think "Supertramp" music), and now, I am looking for a Rhodes piano to complete my collection. (I know...I know...those are famous last words!)

If I am lying, I am dying, and my soul is going straight to Hell! I am here today to tell you that when I started talking about Rhodes or Wurlitzer electric pianos, and Hammond organs (a B3 - the KING of all electric organs, for Crissake!), this woman looked at me as if I had just landed from Mars! She had **NO** idea what any of these instruments are! 

A Wurlitzer 140 Piano, the same model that I own.

A video of a gentleman playing a recognizable Classic Rock song, "Goodbye Stranger" on a Wurlitzer electric piano:

See!  There are TWO jobs that need to be done, and two very different, distinct tools (pianos!) that can do this job!

A Rhodes piano, hard at work:



No.  These are not standard, acoustic pianos. They are electric (but not electronic!), and they have a very specific job to do.  An acoustic piano has it's own task, and electric (And electronic keyboards!) have their own tasks to accomplish. Personally, I wouldn't want to be involved in the music world if I had to choose "Either / Or", rather than to make my favorite choice, "That and MORE!"

Back to Jackson Pianos:

I love Janet. I love her dearly. She knows I do! With that being said, I looked her straight in the eye, and I said, "Janet, I have never owned a huge Dodge Ram truck - but I know what they are! Likewise, I have never owned a Dodge Viper or a Corvette - but I sure the Hell know what they are! Along similar lines, I have played a handful of pipe organs in my life, but I have never owned one, BUT... I know what they are!"

For the life of me, I can't imagine anyone who is not diversified within their own field. But.... there are millions of people out there that are secluded in their little corners, and they never venture out. If *I* ever get that way, please shoot me! I hereby give you permission. But...until then.... I am thankful that I am diverse in the clothes that I wear, the food that I eat, the places that I go, the instruments that I play, and the music that I play and listen to. There is definitely a 'down side' to not being diverse, if you know what I mean. :)

- Michael

(Conrad) Cake, anyone? :)

No.... I'm not feeling 'Holiday Festive", nor have I turned into Miss Suzie Homemaker that Mark so desperately wishes that I would morph into.


This is Conrad Cake! Yes. That's right. It's 100% BIRD FOOD! :)

These squares, along with the rest of the cookie sheet pan (used as a short sheet cake pan!) are Conrad's daily food rations. I feed him 'Conrad Cake' along with a supplement of... whatever his daddy is eating!

I'm tempted to leave this pan out on the counter until Mark gets home. He might walk by and take a piece. Would it be considered cruel (but funny!) if I let him eat the entire piece of Conrad Cake before I told him that it was bird food? he he he

Unfortunately, he has wizened up to my antics, and he usually asks before he takes a bite! :)

This diet is especially effective when Conrad decides to change his diet to 'just peanuts, sunflower seeds and marshmallows!" I will offer him THIS recipe for a few weeks, with no exceptions. Yes. I will get my ass cussed out, and get glares from across the room, but I can hold out longer than he can, and he will eventually break the stand-off, and eat the more nutritious food that I offer him.

Ingredients:
(Expensive, finely ground parrot pellets!), and Flour, Cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, Cheerios, Captain Crunch, Fruit Loops, 2 eggs, vegetable oil, pureed fruit and water.

About once a year, I get the large bag of ZuPreem FrutiBlend Flavor parrot pellets from PetSmart, one large box of Honey Nut Cherrios, onf large boxy of both Fruit Loops and Captain Crunch Cereal, and one box of yellow cornmeal I put the cereals and the parrot pellets in a food processor, and in SEVERAL batches, I return them to finely ground bits - almost a dust. About once a month, when Conrad runs out of his daily rations, by eye, I put several cups of the dry mix, two eggs, water and vegetable oil in my 5K Kitchen Aid Professional Line Stand Mixer, and I make a fairly stiff cookie-like dough. Then, I roll it out to a 1/4 - 1/2" thickness onto an oiled cookie sheet, and bake it for 25 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees. While it is still hot, I use a pizza wheel to cut it into tiny squares.


More information on this parrot pellet:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3111896


When I am making Conrad's staple food, if I want to make more of a hard square or cube, rather than a soft cookie or cake-like consistency, I leave out the baking soda and baking powder, and I make it the consistency of a stiff cookie dough.  If I want a lighter, more cake-like consistency, I add the baking powder / baking soda, and add more water to make the batter the consistency of a muffin batter.

In this manner, I accomplish 2 things:
1) I stretch a bag of expensive parrot food.
2) I can get a spoiled parrot to eat more than just peanuts and sunflower seeds!

- Michael