Musings on Technology, PR, Politics and Spirit

New Artist Platforms for Creative Innovation

2011-07-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

New art forms are the life-breath of creative innovation. Here are three that turn me on.

ThingLink .com. ThingLink is a new format for artists that uses image as a platform for story telling. Hover your mouse over a ThingLink'ed image and move into the 4th dimension with new, multi-media integrations of video, music and information shared across social networks.

Creating a ThingLink art photo starts with a favorite image that is evocative. Add rich media (from YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, Wikipedia, FlickR, and others) that plays inside the image. Pick a sentiment and search for it on SoundCloud from among millions of songs. Do the same with a video from YouTube. Be direct, be subtle. And the content that tells your story

Then use the symbols on the left side of the image to share with friends via Twitter, Facebook and email. Or embed the image on another blog or website.

Check out the ThingLink Gallery for some cool image examples.

Calligraffiti mashes up beautiful and traditional calligraphy with the street grittiness of graffiti. Artist Niels Meulman, also known as Shoe, is an Amsterdam-based creative director with international ad agencies like BBDO and television networks like MTV (where he was their creative director for a short period of time). Read more about Niels here.

Framed is a video format for displaying diverse forms of expression including interactive art, web applications, motion graphics & illustration. FRAMED* transforms all spaces - whether private or public. From your living room to a gallery, cafe or restaurant, FRAMED* brings style to all moments of life.

DIscover the Universe

2011-07-10T20:37:00.001-07:00

Hover your mouse over this image and discover.

Fox Sports Demo

2011-06-29T13:47:00.001-07:00

I did this demo of ThingLink for Fox Sports.

Band Marketing: Driving Fan Engagement with ThingLink

2011-06-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

At the recent San Francisco MusicTech Summit, I asked artists, "Next to your music, what's the most important tool in your promotional tool box for driving fan engagement?" Without argument, everyone agreed that after the songs, "photos" are a band's most important marketing asset.

Then I asked, "If you could supercharge your photos and make them 10-50x more engaging for fans, and do it for free, would you?"

Enter ThingLink, a service you can install on your blog or web pages, that turns photos interactive and lets you place a YouTube player, a SoundCloud player, and links to Twitter, Facebook and more -- INSIDE your photos.

Band marketing is all about finding ways to engage fans ultimately leading to a sale or exchange. Groups that fail to engage fans are history. Now a band can use images as a platform for audio and video content, social touch points and points of sale.

Because of the proven power of ThingLinked images to engage fans, band marketing campaigns should include a discussion on the best ways to utilize ThingLinked photos, and in particular, the content that fans will enjoy.

How many links inside an image work best for fans? 3, 5, 7? The more you work with ThingLink, the faster you can discover the most effective ways to tag your images.

Hover your mouse over the image below. Atlantic Records recently used ThingLink to promote Simple Plan's new album, "Get Your Heart On." They transformed the image into a very engaging platform with links to Simple Plan videos, songs, a pre-sale site, Twitter and more.

Thanh Nguyen, Digital Marketing at Atlantic Records, noted: "It’s an innovative way to introduce the album cover to the public and have it be dynamic, not just a static image. To have video and audio accompany the image really helps connect the marketing. And the social tie-in is a big plus."

Here's another cool feature of ThingLink'ed images. The left menu bar on the image has share and embed icons so fans can share images containing your links with 1-click to Twitter, Facebook and email. Grab an embed code and you can publish an image on any blog or web site.

Wherever your images are re-posted and published, the links go with it. So if 10, 50, or 100 blogs publish the embed code for your image, then hundreds and thousands of potential fans have a chance to click on your links to music, video, points of sale, Twitter and Facebook.

ThingLink also gives its users a Social Dashboard with statistics on image views, hovers and clicks, so you can analyze link performance and improve your fan engagement.

Check out this awesome collection of CD covers from the Billboard 200 for great examples of ThingLink in action.

And here's my own concert poster with ThingLink SmartLinks, so you can get some ideas for tagging your own posters.

How will you use ThingLink for band marketing? Get ThingLink installed on your Wordpress, Blogger, or Tumblr blog and website and start engaging fans in fun and effective ways.

(Note: In addition to writing, recording and performing my own music, I'm also the chief marketing officer for ThingLink.)

Boulder, CO: Shambhu at the Dairy

2011-05-14T19:58:00.001-07:00

Please come and hear my performance on May 19th in Boulder. Hover the image for more info on the event.

Apptwee.com Announces ri® Universal Remote Control App & Dongle for iPhone & iPad

2011-04-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Apptwee ri® controls an ever-expanding database of products; 225 popular brands, over 72 device types, and 845 models of infrared-controlled devices. caption

Two months ago I misplaced my TIVO remote. So I spent $25 and ordered a replacement. When I received the remote, I had to program it to operate my TV. And that involved so many steps that I gave up before programming 'volume.'

A friend turned me on to the ri® Universal Remote Control from Aptwee.com. It's a $29.95 appliance that plugs into my iPad or iPhone headphone jack that links up with a free AppStore app that just made my remotes obsolete.

Setting up the ri was so easy. They have a directory of brands and products, and I selected my Sharp TV and my Tivo and they set up perfectly first time. The ri has presets for 225 popular brands, over 72 device types, and 845 models of televisions, home entertainment, automation and lighting systems, computers, projectors, and other infrared-controlled devices.

The ri® requires no batteries or charging, weighs a fraction of an ounce, fits in my pocket, it's intuitive and simple to use.

I guess you could travel with it (it's the size of a quarter) and play jokes on your friends at parties by turning off the TV right before the big play. Bad joke? Perhaps. But I think it would be pretty funny to start turning the channel and nobody can figure out what's happening.

The ri® is compatible with any Apple iPhone or iPad device that supports OS version 4.2 or higher, including iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4G, and the iPod Touch 2G and higher.

The Apptwee ri® Remote Control Dongle is currently available at Amazon.com at $29.99 and the ri® app is downloadable for free from the Apple App Store.

Add a Link to my Inspiration Project

2011-04-10T16:41:00.000-07:00

Inspiration drives my heart, my life, my music and my business. So I love sharing it and this time you can too. Add links to this Lotus. Share it with friends on Facebook, Twitter and email.

Who inspires you?

Add a link to something (music, art, achievement, self-giving), an organization, or someone whose life, words, art, music, heroism, service, creativity, or actions inspire you.

Lets fill it up and share the Inspiration Lotus.

Mouse over the image below. See who inspires me. Who inspires you?

1. CLICK: Click on the PENCIL (Edit Tags) in the left of the picture. The Image Editor opens.

2. LINK: Click on a lotus petal. A small box appears. Move the box into the center of your petal.

3. DESCRIBE: Add description and html link inside the box. Click SAVE.

4. SHARE: Click on the PEOPLE SYMBOL and share the image on Facebook, Twitter or email.

5. EMBED: Click on the EMBED image (lower left menu) and use the code on your own blog or website.

Lets fill up the Lotus with Inspiration.

ThingLink: If An Image Could Sound...

2011-02-20T16:34:00.001-08:00

Read my post at ShambhuMusic.com.

Jango Rocks

2011-01-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

Jango is among several music promotion platforms I'm currently using to promote my debut CD, 'Sacred Love'.

With Jango the artist pays for online radio plays to an audience of millions. A band might buy 1000 or more plays monthly, and the site offers tons of great features that help you reach the right audiences that might like your music.

Jango flips the radio model by turning the airwaves into promotional platform for artists as your music is played side by side with perhaps more well known bands.

For listeners, Jango is free online radio, and listeners can become fans of those artists being played. Artists can target music to listeners by musical artist they like, and geographically by country and state (USA). With premium targeting (costs more per play), artists can target by gender and age as well.

When someone becomes my fan, some of them also join my email list. Jango also tells me stuff about my listeners: what other artists do my listeners enjoy and how old are they? That is really useful information that can inform every other extension of your marketing campaign.

My song "Natural Moment" is liked by fans who enjoy Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Santana and Pink Floyd. My song with Will Ackerman, "Imagine," is liked by fans who enjoy Josh Groban, Sarah Brightman, The Three Tenors and Andrea Bocelli.

That information lets me target my music to Jango listeners more precisely. And I get information that helps me rank my success, comparing numbers of plays to fan signups. Jango also lets me send a few emails a week so I can make a deeper connection with fans.

With Jango I'm reaching real people with my CD, Sacred Love and connecting with new fans. That's what it's all about. Jango gets 4 stars out of 5.

I'd like to see Jango add targeting by song. I've play a few styles of music and it's all about targeting music to audiences song by song. That will win Jango the 5th star in my book.

MusicSubmit: Where is the Value?

2011-01-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

On the way to producing my debut CD, Sacred Love, I tried out several band hosting and promotion platforms and services. I use several now: ReverbNation, Bandcamp, and reach fans with Facebook and MySpace.

I tried a one month promo offered by MusicSubmit that offered to circulate info on my CD to 400 contacts. I thought, for $99, lets try it out.

Over the next 6 weeks or so, every few weeks my email was flooded with a stream of 100+ emails notifying me that MusicSubmit had contacted bloggers, radio stations and writers about my CD. From that 400 I was contacted by 1 per cent of the recipients. That's a pretty crappy result even for email.

When I signed up as an artist, I also signed up with MusicSubmit to review music. I wanted to see how the platform worked end to end. So I had two accounts. As a MusicSubmit reviewer I rarely liked any of the MusicSubmit music review opportunities, and stopped looking.

Which concerned me - because I bet the vast majority of MusicSubmit queries for other reviewers reach guys like me - who are bombarded with information.

Since I'm in the public relations business, I know that if you pitch someone by email, you need to follow up by phone if you want to get something done. That's what is missing from MusicSubmit. Their outreach goes nowhere...and you throw money away.

FROM THE MUSIC SUBMIT HOME PAGE:
Are you a Rock, Hip Hop, Country or Indie Genre???

This special promotion package promotes your music to 1000 radio stations, music magazines, music blogs and music podcasts so you can get the word out!

That costs $210 and behind the scenes at Music Submit, there is likely someone simply pressing a button that sends emails to subject matter bloggers in their database.

MusicSubmit did everything they said they would do. I'm pleased that they were honest.

What artists need to know is that MusicSubmit is a cash machine for the MusicSubmit people, a really terrific business.

MusicSubmit is a waste of time for artists. I give Music Submit 0 stars out of 5....because artists can do better taking $100-$210 or more and hire someone to make personal contacts for you. If you do, you might end up with something more than nothing.

Tips for Creating Musical Magic in the Studio

2010-10-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

Having recorded my new CD Sacred Love with Grammy-award winners Will Ackerman (producer) and Corin Nelsen (recording and mix engineer), here are 6 sure-fire ways to make musical magical happen on your next recording session and take your CD to the next level.

1. Make a Budget and Stick to It
Records cost lots of money to make. If you're recording in your home studio, you've probably spent thousands of dollars for a computer, software, audio interfaces, speakers, microphones and musical instruments. Whether you're recording your CD at home or working with a producer at independent studios, you want to make a budget and stick to it.
My budget included fees for producer, studio, travel, musicians, mastering, PR and radio promotion, duplication, and distribution. Make sure you know what you expect to spend and over how long, so that you can raise the money.
Producers get paid hourly or by the song, or a custom deal plus points on a song. If you are co-producing, you can split the points.
Musicians get paid different fees from free to sky's the limit. The more famous and accomplished musicians get larger fees than your friend might - unless your friend is Sting.
Figure all the possible costs of your recording and put them into your budget. Then try to spend money according to the budget.
And even if you do, it's more likely than not that you'll go over budget. So add a 10 per cent contingency right now. Then when it comes time for you to professionally master, and design, duplicate and promote your CD, you can have the cash you need once the recording is finished.

2. Surround Yourself with the Best
Whether you're planning on a solo or group recording, bringing together neighborhood musicians, or recording with the best producers, musicians and production staff, you're only as good as the company you keep. As an acoustic guitarist and a composer of conscious music, I approached the legendary producer and guitarist Will Ackerman who I felt had the experience and expertise to help me take my music to the next level. As the founder of Windham Hill Records, a gifted creator of acoustic guitar music, and producer of artists like George Winston, Michael Hedges, Alex DeGrassi, Shadowfax, and Jeff Oster, Will brought his vast expertise and a unique sensitivity to my recording project.
His own Imaginary Road Studios in Windham County, VT also features customized state-of-the-art microphones and preamps that helped make me sound my best. Grammy Award-winning engineer Corin Nelsen is the resident recording and mixing engineer. At Imaginary Road I felt comfortable because the studio was situated in the Nature on 100 acres of spacious beautiful Vermont woodlands. So I was in a great place surrounded by accomplished production people, and I was able to focus on creating the music I needed to create for the recording.

3. Prepare
Preparation in the studio means you're making an efficient use of costly studio and staff time. If you're working with a producer, get together before you get into the studio to discuss and agree on a gameplan for the recording. How much time do you need to spend per song, how many total days in the studio for recording and mixing, which musicians are you planning to add to your tracks, and when are you scheduling the sessions, etc.
If you are bringing together musicians to perform on your CD, write out lead sheets and chord charts beforehand. And practice your songs. Make sure your own performances are so tight that you can deliver your best in the studio the first take. I practiced the songs on my CD, and recorded them in my home studio, so that I could perform them well in a studio-like environment. It really helps to be prepared and you'll likely save money as a result.
I was really impressed when my studio musicians contacted me before the sessions for copies of the lead sheets and recordings, so they could practice. Tony Levin played bass on five songs and he was totally prepared. Watch his session on YouTube.

4. Build Time Into the Process
Sometimes in recordings, you're pressured to record and mix without a break. When that's due to budget considerations, you have to go with it. I suggest building time into the recording process. Time is your friend.
I scheduled about 2 weeks between the recording of the guitars on Sacred Love, and layering of other instruments. That gave me time to familiarize myself with my own performances of the songs on "Sacred Love." From there both Will and I heard specific instruments playing melodies, leads and harmonies on the recordings, and we had time to line up the instrumentalists.
You can watch videos of my sessions on YouTube.com/ShambhuMusic.
Building in time for reflection was necessary for ideas to form, crystallize and then emerge. We added violin, drums, cello, bass, sarod and other instruments, and we sought out the most sensitive musicians to create with us. These artists included Eugene Friesen on cello (Call to Spirit, Edge of Eternal, Revelation), Jill Haley on English horn (Edge of Eternal, Revelation), Premik Tubbs on windsynth (Together) and flute (Nirab Amare), Ravichandra Kulur on flute (Humility and Call to Spirit), Jeff Haynes (percussion), Celso Alberti (drums) and Todd Boston (sarod).
I also scheduled about two weeks between the final recording session and the mix session. And then two weeks between the final mixes and Mastering, and a few days before mastering, we did the 'final' final tweaks.

5. When You're Done Recording, Then there is Post-Production
Congratulations...the recording is finished. Now you need to think about mastering, design of the cover, duplication, copyrights, digital rights management, etc.
Mastering adds the simonize to 'shine' the recording. A good mastering engineer can match the volumes and tone of the various tracks so your tracks soundåßß like they belong on the same album. I was fortunate to work with Adam Ayan, mastering Engineer at Gateway Mastering in Portland, ME, and Corin Nelsen was on hand to make sure we got the sound just right. Most major duplicators offer mastering services for 10-20 per cent of the cost of a Gateway. If you can afford the best, you'll definitely get your money's worth.
CD duplicators can deliver 1000 CDs to you in a few weeks. You get to design the cover and can work with your duplicator on all aspects of the recording. This includes design of cover and CD art, writing of a booklet or insert and inside and outside sleeves, and they can also help set up electronic distribution to iTunes, Amazon and other online retailers.
Copyright your sound recording with the U.S Patent and Trade Mark Office.
Set up your publishing with BMI or ASCAP. And if you're expecting to get radio play, sign up with Sound Exchange.

6. CD is Done? You're at the Beginning.
When you have your finished CDs in hand then you're at the staring line again. Now comes the challenge of promoting it and engaging with listeners and buyers. And you might want some help. There are people who specialize in radio promo, public relations outreach, social media and retail distribution. If you have the cash and budgeted for experts, hire them now. And if you want to get your songs into major chain stores, work with a music distributor who can help.

Sacred Love features Shambhu on guitar with:
Will Ackerman - guitar
Tony Levin - bass
Michael Manring - bass
Jeff Haynes - percussion
Eugene Friesen - cello
Jill Haley - English horn
George Brooks - sax
Ravichandra Kulur - flutes
Todd Boston - sarod
Premik Russell Tubbs - wind synth and flute
Celso Alberti - drums
Charlie Bisharat - violin
Jeff Oster - flugelhorn
Rocky Fretz - piano
Claytoven Richardson and Noah Wilding - vocals

About the Author
Shambhu is an acclaimed guitarist and composer who performs an exquisite fusion of contemporary acoustic, world, Indian and jazz styles that engender feelings of tranquility, harmony and fulfillment.
Shambhu's technical mastery of the guitar enables delicate expressions of nuance and subtlety while engaging audiences in deep spirit. His music has been called ‘magical,' a ‘journey', and ‘opening a space within'.

Shambhu has performed with Carlos Santana, Narada Michael Walden, Premik Russell Tubbs, and played on Whitney Houston's multi-platinum album, "Whitney." He studied meditation for three decades with the renowned mystic Sri Chinmoy.

(ArticlesBase SC #3451971)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ - Tips for Creating Musical Magic in the Studio

Rejoice in Ann Licater's Doorway to a Dream

2010-10-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

This summer during the making of my own CD, Sacred Love, I had the honor of recording on "Angel Bird," a beautiful song by my dear friend....world flutist Ann Licater .... for her new CD, Doorway to a Dream.

This album soars effortlessly in so many soulful dimensions that it's likely to become your best friend as it has become mine. Ann's music is performed flawlessly from an intuitive realm, and is perfectly toned for calming and relaxing listeners, though healing is really where all of Ann's music truly shines. So it's no surprise that healers, doctors and hospitals around the globe are gathering around Doorway to a Dream. And you might see Ann performing at a major conference or at a local hospital to relax staff and heal critically cared for patients.

Ann's passion for the inspirational and healing music of the Native American flute was ignited at a powwow where she heard the beautiful call of a flute being played. Being an accomplished silver flutist herself, Ann followed that call to a booth where she purchased the first of many Native American and World flutes heard in her recordings Doorway to a Dream and Following the Call. On those albums, as in her healing concerts, Ann's unique approach merges her intuition, spiritual perspective and traditional music background to create beautiful original melodies and inspired improvisational compositions. Her love of the wood and clay flutes led her to study with master flutist R. Carlos Nakai at the Renaissance of the Native American Flute, complementing her years of classical flute training at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, MN.

"Doorway to a Dream is best listened to in its entirety for the ultimate sonic and multi-dimensional aural experience,” Ann says. “The last track, Floating, connects perfectly to the opening title track so that listeners who want to press 'repeat' and extend the album can remain in the dream story while meditating, journaling or creating.”

Ann will be a special guest performer at my upcoming concert at EastWest Book in Mountain View, CA on November 20th.

Enter Doorway to a Dream...and rejoice in this heavenly music.

Your past does not define your future

2010-09-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

Now more than ever women are experiencing an awakening of the soul, a call to remove the masks that they wear, step through their fear, to claim their authentic self and live the life they are meant to live.

In A Juicy, Joyful Life you’ll meet 41 extraordinary women, from housewives to radio hosts; from coaches to healers – women who stepped forward to share their inspirational and heart-felt stories and authentic truth with the collective intention of encouraging ALL women to embrace the truth that “where you’ve been does not define where you will go. You CAN create a new personal story filled with love, hope and purpose.”

Obama Needs to Get It Together

2010-09-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not informed enough to really know how to fix the economic mess we're in. What I can tell you is that the Health Care bill was supposed to contain my premium costs. My business policy is up 22% this year alone, and that's one of the biggest annual increases I've seen.

"Sacred Love" Slated for October 1 release

2010-08-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

A healing and relaxing journey within, Sacred Love is being released on October 1 . Produced by Windham Hill Records founder Will Ackerman and Shambhu, Sacred Love is a landmark work featuring soulful compositions by acclaimed guitarist Shambhu and performed by a who's who in contemporary music (Tony Levin, Ravichandra Kulur, George Brooks, Celso Alberti, Charlie Bisharat, and more). Pre-order today at SacredLoveCD.com.

Reviews...

"Stellar in every respect. Shambhu is a superb guitarist and a true composer. Creating this dynamic and beautiful recording together was a joy.”

~Will Ackerman, Windham Hill Records Founder

“A masterful, melodic and magical expression … exquisite compositions played to perfection with guest appearances by some of today’s finest musicians. This tuneful journey has left me spellbound!”

~Lloyd Barde, Common Ground

"When I listened to Sacred Love, almost instantly I was transported to a deep and very profound place within, full of bright light and peace. Shambhu's heart-full guitar and his exquisite compositions possess an innate power that will take you on a journey worth taking, over and over.”

~Steve Sisgold, author, "What's Your Body Telling You?"

The Age of Conversation 3: Latest Thinking on Social Media

2010-04-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

The third edition of The Age of Conversation is now available thanks to the efforts Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton who collected contributions from marketing and social media thinkers from around the world, including my piece on 'Influence.'

Proceeds from the sale of the book are being donated to a charity - the Make A Wish Foundation with this edition.

The book features chapters addressing 10 topics: At the coalface; Conversational branding; Influence; Getting to work; Corporate conversations; Measurement; In the boardroom; Pitching social media; Innovation and execution; and Identities, friends and trusted strangers.

Here are my co-authors on the project:

Adam Joseph	Priyanka Sachar	Mark Earls
Cory Coley-Christakos	Stefan Erschwendner	Paul Hebert
Jeff De Cagna	Thomas Clifford	Phil Gerbyshak
Jon Burg	Toby Bloomberg	Shambhu Neil Vineberg
Joseph Jaffe	Uwe Hook	Steve Roesler
Michael E. Rubin	anibal casso	Steve Woodruff
Steve Sponder	Becky Carroll	Tim Tyler
Chris Wilson	Beth Harte	Tinu Abayomi-Paul
Dan Schawbel	Carol Bodensteiner	Trey Pennington
David Weinfeld	Dan Sitter	Vanessa DiMauro
Ed Brenegar	David Zinger	Brett T. T. Macfarlane
Efrain Mendicuti	Deb Brown	Brian Reich
Gaurav Mishra	Dennis Deery	C.B. Whittemore
Gordon Whitehead	Heather Rast	Cam Beck
Hajj E. Flemings	Joan Endicott	Cathryn Hrudicka
Jeroen Verkroost	Karen D. Swim	Christopher Morris
Joe Pulizzi	Leah Otto	Corentin Monot
Karalee Evans	Leigh Durst	David Berkowitz
Kevin Jessop	Lesley Lambert	Duane Brown
Peter Korchnak	Mark Price	Dustin Jacobsen
Piet Wulleman	Mike Maddaloni	Ernie Mosteller
Scott Townsend	Nick Burcher	Frank Stiefler
Steve Olenski	Rich Nadworny	John Rosen
Tim Jackson	Suzanne Hull	Len Kendall
Amber Naslund	Wayne Buckhanan	Mark McGuinness
Caroline Melberg	Andy Drish	Oleksandr Skorokhod
Claire Grinton	Angela Maiers	Paul Williams
Gary Cohen	Armando Alves	Sam Ismail
Gautam Ramdurai	B.J. Smith	Tamera Kremer
Eaon Pritchard	Brendan Tripp	Adelino de Almeida
Jacob Morgan	Casey Hibbard	Andy Hunter
Julian Cole	Debra Helwig	Anjali Ramachandran
Jye Smith	Drew McLellan	Craig Wilson
Karin Hermans	Emily Reed	David Petherick
Katie Harris	Gavin Heaton	Dennis Price
Mark Levy	George Jenkins	Doug Mitchell
Mark W. Schaefer	Helge Tenno	Douglas Hanna
Marshall Sponder	James Stevens	Ian Lurie
Ryan Hanser	Jenny Meade	Jeff Larche
Sacha Tueni and Katherine Maher	David Svet	Jessica Hagy
Simon Payn	Joanne Austin-Olsen	Mark Avnet
Stanley Johnson	Marilyn Pratt	Mark Hancock
Steve Kellogg	Michelle Beckham-Corbin	Michelle Chmielewski
Amy Mengel	Veronique Rabuteau	Peter Komendowski
Andrea Vascellari	Timothy L Johnson	Phil Osborne
Beth Wampler	Amy Jussel	Rick Liebling
Eric Brody	Arun Rajagopal	Dr Letitia Wright
Hugh de Winton	David Koopmans	Aki Spicer
Jeff Wallace	Don Frederiksen	Charles Sipe
Katie McIntyre	James G Lindberg & Sandra Renshaw	David Reich
Lynae Johnson	Jasmin Tragas	Deborah Chaddock Brown
Mike O'Toole	Jeanne Dininni	Iqbal Mohammed
Morriss M. Partee	Katie Chatfield	Jeff Cutler
Pete Jones	Riku Vassinen	Jeff Garrison
Kevin Dugan	Tiphereth Gloria	Mike Sansone
Lori Magno	Valerie Simon	Nettie Hartsock
Mark Goren		Peter Salvitti

Kroogi's "Pay What You Want" Model Could Transform Distribution

2010-03-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

For musicians, artists, photographers, videographers and authors acting as independent agents for their own content, the Internet offers a chance to reach a global audience of fans and buyers. The challenge, however, is getting people to 'buy' your stuff. And online, you can download content from illegal sites almost as readily as you can from online storefronts. While free might appear to make sense for a fan, it does little to help the content creator sustain himself/herself for the future. That's why buying content - or paying something for it - make sense.

Enter Kroogi.com - a content community that launched about a year ago in Russia. At Kroogi.com artists post content and fans can download and "Pay What They Want" for it.

Kroogi.com founder, Miro Sarbaev, calls it a 'gratitude economy model' and about 20% of fans at Kroogi.com pay for content they enjoy.

So if you're a musician, artist, photographer, videographer or writer looking for a new outlet for distributing and selling your creative content, check out Kroogi.com. I'm a musician working with Kroogi, and it's definitely a place where I want to post music. Who knows, it just might be the next, successful distribution model.

Shambhu Music

2009-12-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

This is Shambhu in my other life as new age recording artist Shambhu. Shambhu performs original music on acoustic and electric guitars.

Check out my new music site, Shambhu Music, where I will preview songs from my upcoming CD, share downloads and keep you updated on where we can connect up live when I perform.

8 Benefits of Health Care Reform

2009-08-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been denied coverage for a medical procedure (I have) by an insurance company, you'll be very hopeful about the improvements being offered by the Obama administration as part of their health care reform agenda.

Lets cut through the noise, disinformation and thuggery being paid for by the Insurance industry and orchestrated by their lobbyists and PR firms. These guys are going to lose and pay for it if they continue their despicable behavior.

8 ways health care and insurance reform will provide security and stability to those with or without coverage:

Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick.

Get more details at Whitehouse.gov.

Putting the Sahara Desert to Work

2009-06-29T11:27:00.001-07:00

Using 0.3% of the Sahara Desert as a concentrating solar plant would provide all Europe w/ clean renewable energy. http://htxt.it/5TjV

Today's Artists Bow to Michael Jackson

2009-06-28T21:43:00.001-07:00

Watching BET Music Awards Tribute to Michael Jackson. Today's artists bow to Michael Jackson: innovative entertainer, angel & gifted soul.

Tribute To Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

The 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson passed today. Our dear Michael is today dancing with the angels, free of the shackles of human life, and divinely blessed by the millions upon millions of people whose lives he enriched through music, dance and joyous self-offering. Do you think his Soul is shining? Do you think he's getting a hero's welcome in Heaven? I can feel it.

Here's a moving tribute by Deepak Chopra.

"...when the shock subsides and a thousand public voices recount Michael's brilliant, joyous, embattled, enigmatic, bizarre trajectory, I hope the word "joyous" is the one that will rise from the ashes and shine as he once did."

Andy Ostroy wrote: "Now that he's gone, the appreciation of his gigantic talent, and the tremendous impact it's had on pop culture, inspiring everyone from Justin Timberlake and Usher to Chris Brown and Madonna, has really hit home."

Jon Pareles' appraisal of Michael's life in the NY TIMES is worth a read..

And finally to Michael..."We are the World" - a landmark humanitarian effort from the mid-80s!

"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change." - Michael Jackson

Iran Revealed

2009-06-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

My takeaway from the Iranian election:

The theocratic regime in Iran is ugly, indeed. The idea that an unelected religious goon can steal an election and run his a Nation through brutal force has a short life. It's very likely that the current Iranian leadership will, over time, be ousted and imprisoned. Obama has it right: "No iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to peaceful protests of justice. Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history."

And if anyone thought the current Iranian government can be trusted to pursue a peaceful nuclear program or be honest partners, they just blew their covers big time.

The people of Iran, on the other hand, appear to have conducted themselves with incredible dignity. From peaceful protests to individuals who intervened to save the lives of police who happened to get caught up in the throng of protesters, to innocent people shot down because they were in the streets expressing their right to dissent, the Iranian people deserve their rightful voice in governance, and an honest election. Why the Supreme Leader ran a sham election we will never know.

While the force of Iranian police and Basij will increasingly curtail public dissent, this is an on-going story. A new government will eventually emerge through the rubble of the current, decaying Iranian leadership. Stay tuned.

NASA AMES...Getting Mooned Again

2009-06-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

I remember joyfully when Mom used to let me cut school for NASA launches and re-entries. Had I had more of a mathematical and scientific personality vs a creative, ADD mentality, I might have become a pilot or astronaut.

I have spent the majority of this great life exploring inner space through meditation and that's been about the best thing I've done so far.

Still, I'm still really excited that NASA's Ames facility in Silicon Valley is managing the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission. This is a pretty cool effort to help determine if there is water hidden in the permanently dark craters of one of the moon's poles.

NASA plans to crash a vehicle into the moon's south pole and fly a partner craft through the huge plume created by the crash to analyze it for signs of water and other compounds. Additional space and earth-based instruments also will study the plume, which scientists expect to be larger than 200 metric tons.

If there are substantial amounts of water ice there, it could be used by astronauts to make rocket fuel when they later visit the moon. The $79 million crash is expected to take place this month.

I'm all for going to the moon and Mars while dealing with all the other financial and social exigencies on earth. Space exploration has, in past, challenged America to brilliant innovation, and resulted in all kinds of new products and services.

And we must redirect the innovation driving America's weapons industry into clean tech, space tech and other more peaceful manifestations of science.

Follow LCROSS on Twitter.

Iranian policeman beaten by rioters, saved by bystanders

2009-06-15T13:54:00.001-07:00

Amazing video of Iranian motorcycle policeman riding into a crowd, and randomly beating people with clubs. Then two of them are captured by the crowd, and local citizens save them from a beating and give them water.

This is a revolution...and we're watching it live on Twitter.

View stunning images here.

Narada Michael Walden's Let the Sunshine In: Light Descended

2009-05-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Many of you know through my Tweets and Facebook entries that I attended and have been supporting my friend Narada Michael Walden and his Let the Sunshine In Benefit which took place on Memorial Day evening.

Narada asked me right after his incredible show, "What was the highlight, what was the best part for me?" I was speechless, and I felt somewhat incomplete having failed in a moment to find and express words. The reality is I was overwelmed by the greatness and goodness of the evening. There were so MANY highlights. Now I am ready to attempt to answer that question.

Let the Sunshine In
10+ standing ovations.
The Olympics of Music, with every artist breaking a world record.
Perfect string and horn arrangements as Narada recreated and brought to life so many hits from five decades with the original artists who peformed them.
The house band: has any one stage featured better?
The backup singers: sheer brilliance under Claytoven Richardson's leadership.
The production: Narada's impeccable, tasteful and pristine imprint on everything.
The Love: we all felt it coming from Narada's Sunlit Heart.
Christopher Rodriguez in the house - we send him our love.

Nothing in my life has matched my experience of Let the Sunshine In, the benefit concert staged by the great record producer Narada Michael Walden for Christopher Rodriguez, a young Oakland boy paralyzed by a stray bullet in a senseless and random act of gun violence. It was a night I will always remember and cherish.

Why was it amazing? Simple: Narada is a consummate perfectionist who has realized Music at a very sublime level. He is like a High Priest, a Guru, and it's no surprise that he has been the force behind more than 50 hit records that have enriched the lives hundreds of millions of people around the world….recorded by the likes of Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Barbra Streisand and many others. With three Grammys and an Emmy and recognition as a Top 10 Record Producer of All Time by Billboard Magazine -- it is Narada's spirituality-infused life that makes his work important now and forever.

Narada knows how to make great musicians and great music sound better. He knows how to connect music, spirit and audiences. He knows how to put it all together. And the performance on May 25th was powered by a giant engine:

A 16 piece backup band with the likes of Chuck Leavell, keyboardist with the Rolling Stones, Jim Horn, one of the most influential horn arrangers in pop music, and the great keyboardist Frank Martin, who partnered with Narada on the music that was performed. Two bassists, three guitarists, four keyboardists, two percussionists, six horn players (including my friend Premik Russell Tubbs), and it goes on and on.

Minna Choi's 60-member Magik*Magik Orchestra backed up the artists with a gorgeous palette of texture and color, and featured exceptional students from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music led by Maestro Michael Morgan, musical director of the Oakland Symphony Orchestra.

And a production team with pros like Merl Saunders Jr., Tim Jahnigen, Vadim Canby and Kimrea who made everything work for the audience and featured artists:

Sting, who sang several of his brilliant songs, including Fields of Gold and joined in a joyous operatic duet with the incomparable mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade.

Madame von Stade, who performed a breathtaking version of Ave Maria. I loved her beautiful spirit and grace.

The great Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis who performed many Fifth Dimension hits, including Up, Up and Away (a song they wrote), Hair, and One Less Bell to Answer. I grew up influenced by the awesome musicality of the Fifth Dimension so hearing Marilyn and Billy brought back a special magic.

Chris Botti and the incredible violinist Lucia Micarelli surprised us with a duet that touched the Gates of Heaven.

We were graced by the great R&B legend Gerald Alston of the Manhattans who performed Shining Star. And by the contemporary jazz acoustic guitarist Earl Klugh who elevated us to a serene place with his classic performance of Living Inside Your Love.

So many others joined, like Mandolin jazz/bluegrass fusion virtuoso Dave “Dawg” Grisman, singer Lisa Fischer, the incomparable Mary Wilson, and Dale “Satchmo” Powers, who invoked the great Louis Armstrong in a performance of What a Wonderful World. With Narada leading the way, the performers just kept hitting the home runs and the audience was overjoyed and overwhelmed.

And the great Bobby Weir and friends jammed it out and lit up Davies Symphony Hall.

So there were superbly great performances. Why was this a significant event? It all starts with Narada Michael Walden.

We met in 1973. I was an aspiring guitarist and Narada an extraordinary drummer. He joined the path of Guru Sri Chinmoy along with Mahavishnu John McLauglin and learned meditation, and I joined a year later at Narada's invitation. In those days Narada was washing dishes, giving drum lessons and developing his career. His humble beginnings were short-lived, however. For he soon joined the Mahavishnu Orchestra, met Jeff Beck, recorded with Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Jeff Beck, launched a solo recording career, launched a production career, and 11 years later, earned a Grammy as Producer of the Year. Along the way he catapulted the careers of Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, relaunched Aretha Franklin's career, and recorded over 50 hit records for many of the artists who appeared at the concert, including Shanice and Tevin Campbell.

In his life he has collaborated with a who’s who in music because if you're a really great musician, you probably want to know or work with Narada Michael Walden. Because music always sounds better when Narada is involved.

Narada is aware of Perfection and it's an intuitive thing. He knows what music can be and should be, and he takes us there. That is a rare place where goodness and greatness meet together with the penultimate peak of musical satisfaction. That's where Narada lives all the time, which is why so many people like me and the more than 150 people who made this show happen - were deeply grateful to support his work.

So history was made on May 25th in San Francisco at Let the Sunshine In. We were witness to something sublime, soulful, and spiritual. We heard great music and felt Narada 's humility, Narada's love, Narada's ability to bring Heaven down to earth. And being the giant and generous Soul he is, we all had a chance to participate as performers, as volunteers, and as audience members. We sang Give Peace a Chance and Let the Sunshine In. We were one soulful love fest for sure.

Welcome to the great Song of Love that is Narada's life. Welcome to the great Spirit who we know as Narada Michael Walden.

We join with Narada in supporting Christopher Rodriguez and the idea that music can inspire youth and should be part of their lives.

And we celebrate the great work of the Narada Michael Walden Foundation. I say, "Rock on!"

Meet the Real President During Bush 43: Dick

2009-05-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Want to wake up to a nightmare? We're back in the days of darkness with dickhead Dick Cheney, the lawless thug who slept during the first 7 months of the Bush Administration and then ransacked the Constitution for the next 7 years. Cheney gave a speech today defending the great work of Bush Administration which he apparently led while the young Bush 43 slept, watched sports and read the Cliff Notes.

Keith Olbermann speaks for me and a majority of the Nation.

SF MusicTech Summit Hits The Spot

2009-05-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

Fourth time's a charm? Maybe. The 2009 SF MusicTech Summit really hit the spot this year. Organizers Brian and Shoshana Zisk brought together a who's who of music industry executives, managers, musicians, promoters and lawyers, to discuss the current state of the industry and how it should move forward. Topics covered included technology - tools artists and labels can use for marketing, promotion and measurement, and monetization - new models and legal issues related to how music will be delivered and paid for in the future.

There has never been more opportunity for musicians to take control of their careers. Recording and career promoting technologies are now in the hands of the artist rather than the record label. At the same time, there is lots of competition out there among artists. Someone in the band also needs to wear the hat of a 'creative director' for it's often superlative creative marketing across new platforms (i.e. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) that helps gain attention for an artist and his/her music and can make the difference and help elevate music among its intended audiences.

There was a terrific mid-day performance by songwriter/singer Matt Morris, whose new album is produced by Justin Timberlake. My friend and triple-Grammy winning record producer / hit-maker Narada Michael Walden showed up at the post-conference reception to promote Let The Sunshine In, a benefit concert taking place on May 25th in San Francisco, featuring Sting, Earl Klugh, Bob Weir, Dave Grisman, and many others.

This year's' event was standing room only...and I suggested to Brian that it might be time for a larger venue. One more thing...there was nobody on the floor I met who was bummed out about the economy. People were excited and optimistic.

(PIC: Narada Michael Walden, Matt Morris, S. Neil Vineberg)

Bill Clinton Named UN Special Envoy to Haiti

2009-05-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

According to CNN, former U.S. President Bill Clinton will be named UN Special Envoy to Haiti. Having spent six years as a staff member at UNICEF and another ten years as a consultant to several United Nations agencies, this upcoming appointment gives me a feeling of delight.

It is a brilliant recognition of the extraordinary achievements of the President Clinton both during his presidency and beyond. It banks on his ability to uplift the welfare of the Haitian people in sustainable ways.

Bill Clinton as UN Envoy will add prestige to the UN and the Clinton himself. So whose idea was this? Bill Clinton, The UN, Hillary, or the Obama administration? Perhaps all.

Let All Investigations Begin

2009-05-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Newt Gingrich is calling for an investigation of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Lets agree to allow it, and lets also proceed with the appointment of a Special Prosecutor to investigate Bush, Cheney and anyone involved with torture and breaking the law.

In spite of Obama wanting to look forward rather than backwards, I'm saying an investigation of the Bush Administration is going to happen. The media is starting to put together the missing links. Cheney is speaking way too much. And it's gonna get ugly because coming to terms with one of the most corrupt administrations since Nixon won't be fun.

According to CNN, Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff for then-Secretary of State Colin Powell wrote that the Bush interrogation program began in April and May of 2002, and Cheney's team kept an eye on questioning. "Its principal priority for intelligence was not aimed at preempting another terrorist attack on the U.S. but discovering a smoking gun linking Iraq and al Qaeda," Wilkerson wrote in The Washington Note, an online political journal.

This is worse than Watergate and Cheney is looking a lot like Nixon. Bush, who has remained strangely quiet likely under advice of his lawyer, is looking like a poor dupe who allowed this insanity to move forward thinking he would be remembered as an heroic president. Instead, Bush is the misguided and naive zealot who bought into and condoned a deception that led us into Iraq under a false pretense.

It's very possible that as these investigations proceed forward, many Bushies will end up in prison. And if that happens, you are going to see open political warfare in America between the Democrats and the far right (Republicans). Very sad, but I say let the chips fall as they may. This is a cleansing that America needs to go through. And if it's any consolation, all these Bushies will be hiring big time lawyers and that will bankrupt many of them.

Appoint a Special Prosecutor

2009-05-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

I agree with Jonathan Turley, a professor of law at The George Washington University.

It's time to appoint a special prosecutor to examine the lead up to the Iraq War and the allegations of torture conducted and condoned by the Bush Administration.

An independent prosecutor will have the authority and time-frame for determining if laws were broken and by whom. He will have full subpoena power to call everyone from presidents to members of congress to the CIA, to military to contracted staff. There can be appropriate protections in place to conceal the identities of CIA operatives, as needed.

I just feel this is the only way to put this sad episode behind us because members of Congress are turning the discussion of torture into PR event with one side accusing the other of wrong doing. Partisan politics will get us no closer to figuring out what happened and how to prevent it from occurring future.

It's not going to be fun for anyone. But we are a country governed by the rule of law. Lets let an independent prosecutor carry the ball and make the appropriate determinations.

Narada Michael Walden on His Upcoming Benefit with Sting

2009-05-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

On May 25th, 2009, my dear friend Narada Michael Walden will produce a concert at Louise M Davies Symphony Hall to benefit young Christopher Rodriguez, who at age 10, was disabled by a stray bullet while at his piano lesson in Oakland early this year. The Concert will feature Sting, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis of 5th Dimension Fame, Mary Wilson, Earl Klugh, David Grisman, Bob Weir, Gerald Alston of the Manhattans, Lisa Fisher,Tevin Campbell, Shanice Wilson, Jeanie Tracy, Ralphe Armstrong, Dale "Satchmo" Powers, the Narada Band, an orchestra of students from The San Francisco Conservatory of Music conducted by Michael Morgan of the Oakland East Bay Symphony along with many other suprise performers. It will be a night to remember. The biggest show San Francisco has seen in years!

Check out Sheryl Breuker's podcast with Narada where he talks about his musical history, how we met in the mid 70s and how his career took off in the 80s and 90s. And watch the video below for more info on the Let The Sunshine In benefit concert.

Swine Flu Prevention Tip: Avoid This

2009-05-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

Genius

2009-05-03T23:07:00.000-07:00

Today David Broder opined in his NY Times piece, Genius, The Modern View, that "the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not a divine spark. It’s not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success, even in realms like chess. Instead, it’s deliberate practice. Top performers spend more hours (many more hours) rigorously practicing their craft."

I think he's partially right. Take Beethoven, Mozart, Einstein, John McLaughlin, Paul McCartney and Tiger Woods. They practiced a lot. But they also had two other important qualities: capacity (intelligence) and destiny.

Capacity is a prerequisite to greatness. Without capacity, no amount of practice will suffice. If, on the other hand, it is your destiny to be a Beethoven, Tiger Woods, Paul McCartney, or Barack Obama, there will be a spark in your soul. It will cause you to long for something. It will drive a vision within. It will energise your soul's deepest awareness. It will guide your search.

So I fundamentally disagree with Broder about divine spark. You gotta have it. Spark enables a search for our destined goal that practice then helps unfold.

Divine spark is a 'light' I've seen in the eyes of some truly great ones I've personally met, like Mikhail Gorbachev, Muhammad Ali, Mother Theresa, Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Bruce Springsteen, Clarence Clemons, Joanne Woodward, John McLaughlin, Eddie Murphy, and Ringo Starr. And in two very close friends Narada Michael Walden, a true musical and soulful genius of the first order and Ashrita Furman, a deeply soulful, spiritual and powerful seeker and holder of the most Guinness World Records. There is a divine spark in each that drives their greatness and goodness. I feel it and I know it myself.

Practice helped make these folks great for sure. But the spark was there to fire up the search they were destined to - each in his or her own way - and the greatness that unfolded through their lives.

My guru Sri Chinmoy was tapped into divine Spark's Source in such a conscious way that those around Sri Chinmoy - who also resonated with him - could feel it, too. My own understanding of genius comes touching the divine Spark in Sri Chinmoy's life and teachings, in the soulful time I spent with him for three decades, and in the quietude of my own reflection.

And I can remember during an interview with Dr. Amritananda Russell Barber when Sri Chinmoy was asked the question: what makes great people great? He offered that God chose them to play their respective roles...and by realizing the greatness of their lives, they had each fulfilled their unique destiny.

What is the greatness and genius of your life? And will the rest of your life be average or memorable? Stay tuned....

Pirate Prison

2009-05-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

What is the point of thwarting a hijacking of a tanker by pirates off the Somali coast and then releasing them so they can try again tomorrow?

The Huffington Post reports: Special forces on a Portuguese warship seized explosives from suspected Somali pirates after thwarting an attack on an oil tanker but later freed the 19 men. Hours later and hundreds of miles away, another band of pirates hijacked a cargo ship.

19 men? OK. Many nations are spending millions of dollars running warships aimed at interdicting pirates and protecting commerce in the waters off Aden and Somalia. When these forces catch hijackers in process, what do they do? The Portuguese and Canadians release them.

That is insane. Is there no international law against which these men can be held? What's the point of catching them if you then enable them for another day?

Right now piracy pays pretty well, and there's little risk. What we know is these guys are becoming more sophisticated and shipping companies are willing to pay ransom.

So how do we turn this piracy business into a lose-lose for them?

Here is the CIA playbook on Somalia:
1. Appoint Dick Cheney as a special envoy to Somalia. Give him free reign.
2. Get Sylvester Stallone to lead a team of warriors to take out the nucleus of the piracy operation.
3. Install and empower a powerful War Lord to command order among the lawless by any and all means.

The common sense solution - development - seems to be a difficult one. Somalia lacks a credible government and an economy and this piracy thing seems to be working. But where do you store tens of millions of dollars in ransom once it's paid? Do the pirates have credit cards or accounts at Citibank? Do we have any pirate spies infiltrating the operation?

This whole piracy thing defies logic. Still, there has to be a solution. How about a setting up a United Nations Pirate Prison? Or appointing Vladimir Putin as UN Special Piracy Czar? I vote for Putin.

NY TIMES: Transcendence-Race Inspired by Sri Chinmoy

2009-05-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

The New York Times blog today featured runners in a multi-day race inspired by my Guru Sri Chinmoy who believed that sports can be a powerful means of unlocking personal capacity. Over the years, Sri Chinmoy and his students have organized countless running races and triathlons, including a 3,100 mile race and this week's Self-Trancendence Six and Ten Day Races where ultra-distance runners can clock over 90 miles a day, generally averaging 50 to 70 miles every 24 hours. Props to my friend Viddyut Ballmer, a violinist I perform with in the Bay Area, who is running sixth among men in the Six Day Race.

I am personally not built for the ultra-distance format; running around a loop was never my cup of tea. Still, I did engage the concept of 'Trancendence' daily but my explorations were in expanding the physical scale, size and scope of projects and programs. In particular, I applied Sri Chinmoy's teachings to creating and organizing the world largest relay run for peace (now named World Harmony Run), in my work for clients at my public relations firm, and in my own music with friends like Viddyut. And I wrote about expanding personal capacity in this prior post.

The idea that we can achieve unbelieveable results if we simply believe it and do it is fundamental to many belief systems, including The Law of Attraction and The Secret, both of which reinorce a belief system that Sri Chinmoy enabled in me and for which I'm profoundly grateful.

And I admire all the 80 or so runners - many of my friends actually - who are out there to experience, know and live the Infinite and unlimited Bliss called Transcendence. Sri Chinmoy's Spirit and Joy are living through the experience of these runners who remind us that everything is possible if we simply go forward and believe in infinite possibilities.

Read more.

Reigning in Credit Card Companies and How They Gouge Consumers

2009-05-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

Ever missed a payment on your credit card? I rarely do, but many hard working families are struggling to make ends meet. Some are relying on credit cards to feed their families and cover rent.

Credit card companies successfully lure in customers with zero or low interest deals and then, once you've accrued thousands of dollars in credit, your interest rates rise either by default or penalty. If you're late on just one payment either through error or circumstance, you're completely screwed forever because your penalty is often an interest rate rise of 10-30 per cent. That is how credit card companies gouge consumers. Lure them in and soak them for every dollar they can

Those days are over...well they will be as of July 2010. The Obama Administration and the House have approved The Credit Card Bill of Rights - legislation that will eliminate sudden increases in interest rates and late fees, prohibit so-called double-cycle billing and retroactive rate hikes and would prevent companies from giving credit cards to anyone under 18.

This is a good deal. Except the bill should take effect immediately and I hope the Senate pushes the implementation date forward. July 2010 is too long to wait - especially if you're facing down 27% interest in a credit card balance of $12,000 a year.

TESLA Model S: Reserve Yours Today

2009-05-01T07:17:00.000-07:00

Tesla: the only electric car that operates like a high performance car, had its debut with David Letterman. The Tesla Model S goes for $49,900 and you can reserve yours today for delivery in 2011. It runs over 300 miles on a 45 minute charge, and goes 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. And there are some federal and, in some parts of the country, state tax incentives for owners of alternative fuel vehicles like Tesla.

I remember when I felt helplessly surrendered to the reality of the Bush/Cheney administration as they destroyed the nation and decimated the Constitution.

With the Obama team, we are liberated. I get a similar feeling with Tesla in terms of the enslavement we have to have to gas. Tesla means no more gas!

So where can I plug it in for a recharge? That's the next challenge: charging stations. Stay tuned on this one. I like Tesla.

A Very Competent White House: I Agree

2009-05-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

Assessing Obama's first 100 days is David Brooks: "This has been a very, very competent White House... They've negotiated a lot of tricky issues... in a sophisticated way. They've corrected for some mistakes."

A far cry from the Bush White House - a bunch of incompetent fools - in retrospect.

Read Bob Burnett's great piece in the Huffington Post.

Flu Viris: Overkill or Prudence

2009-04-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Why are we taking the H1N1 Flu Virus so seriously? Why is it the story of the moment?

Well, in Mexico where this appears virus was born, the number of confirmed swine flu deaths increased to 12 today, from eight yesterday, with 270 confirmed cases of human infection. Those are scary numbers especially for a disease with no cure.

In the USA we have 109 confirmed cases in 11 states with one unfortunate death, according to the daily tracking of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

So, the World Health Organization, the CDC and the White House, have done the needful. They have given adequate attention to the problem as a way of preventing the uncontrolled spread of the H1N1 virus. Obama even requested $1.5 billion in funds and put a bunch of pandemic management protocols into place to position Tamiflu and make it available to states as needed. And several US governors have already declared health emergencies as a way of activiting additional personnel and other resources. More than 300 schools are closed in the USA until we get a handle on the virus. President Obama even opened his news conference last night with preventive measures for families.

Why? Because this virus has already killed too many people and there's no cure. Makes sense to me because I've got a cold which a friend spread to me, and I'm trying hard not to spread it to anyone else.

Still, this is such a big story. Why? Simple: The 24 hour cable news channels are a giant amplification system for sensational stories like this. They turn the stories into a mystery and conduct endless interviews with health officials seeking to understand the problem, and analyze the responses by government leaders. Some networks even fan fear as a way of selling their coverage. And with 24 hours to fill on so many cable channels, Fox, CNBC, CNN, and MSNBC need lots of stories. So there's a bit of overkill on the flu story, agreed.

I'd still much prefer an over-reactive government going to war on a flu virus vs. bombing the hell out of Iraq. Obama and team have their priorities in order on this one.

We Must Investigate Bush/Cheney

2009-04-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

I think Congress or some body of government must investigate the Bush Administration's arrogant use of executive power and war crimes. I don't buy the argument that we cannot survive it. We need to cleanse the system of the kinds of corruption that enabled the Bush/Cheney crowd to pull a coup, fake the evidence for war, torture, and enrich their Enron, Halliburton, Oil Company, and Blackwater pals.

I definitely agree with John Nichols who wrote in The Nation:

On the matter of presidential accountability, the House has been less than it should be ever since. The chamber that refused to hold Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and their henchmen to account for Iran/Contra abuses--and that took impeachment "off the table" even after revelations that George W. Bush and Dick Cheney had committed acts that former White House legal counsel John Dean identified as "worse than Watergate"--has remained a bystander as successive presidents have engaged in ever more sinister abuses of authority.

Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Constitution subcommittee, who has long urged Congress to get more serious about checking and balancing executive excess, is now rightly arguing that evidence of the Bush administration's complicity in torture must be addressed. "Horrible abuses were committed in the name of the American people, and we cannot look the other way or just 'move on,'" he says. But Congress must also confront its own complicity: members must recognize that their repeated refusals to address abuses by sitting and former presidents have facilitated a breakdown in the constitutional order.

From Senator Robert Byrd: Our Obligation to Investigate

G.E.’s Breakthrough Can Put 100 DVDs on a Disc

2009-04-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

Trends to watch: batteries becoming stronger, more elaborate and available in rechargeable formats. And data storage: GE has invented a holographic storage format that can store 100 DVDs on one disc. Wow!

Read more

Coryell, Mouzon and DeFrancesco

2009-04-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

I think back to the superb trios and a few bands that I've heard in concert and a few amazing concerts come to mind: pianist Bill Evans in NYC with Paul Motian (drums) and Scott LaFaro (bass), guitarist Jimi Hendrix with Mitch Mitchell (drums) and Noel Redding (bass), ensembles like guitarist John McLaughlin and his Mahavishnu Orchestra, the Beatles, any ensemble with Pat Metheny, and the list goes on.

I recently heard an amazing trio that blew my mind so much that I caught all 4 of their performances at Yoshi's in San Francisco. The group was Larry Coryell (guitar), Joey DeFrancesco (organ) and Alfonse Mouzon (drums).

My connect to Larry goes back to the 70s. Larry was one of my fave guitarists, and among a few musicians who gave birth to jazz/rock fusion. What I did not know the late 60s was Larry was a devotee of my Guru Sri Chinmoy. Larry also was a mentor to John McLaughlin who also became devotee, and came to great fame as the leader of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, a name given to him by Guru Sri Chinmoy.

This summer Coryell may tour with Joey and Alfonse. Catch it if you can!!!

Keith Olbermann on Prosecuting the Bush Architects

2009-04-17T01:16:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of three political opinion shows on MSNBC - Hardball with Chris Mathews, Countdown with Keith Olbermann and The Rachel Maddow Show. Here is Keith Olbermann's commentary on Obama's decision to release the Bush Department of Justice memos torture but hold nobody accountable. He makes some great points and the argument .... strong.

TV in Transition: Dorm Life and 3D

2009-04-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

Television has changed. When I was growing up, the family watched TV together in the evening because there was often one TV in the home. Then cable emerged and everyone had a TV in their room. Now kids growing up don't need a TV box to watch; they can access everything they want on their computer screen, and the source is often user gererated content on YouTube or broadcast content on Hulu.

The past several weeks I've been working with Attention Span Media, a social media production studio whose credits include the mega online hit TV series, Dorm Life.
Dorm Life hilariously chronicles the experiences of ten college students residing on "5 South," a dorm floor on a fictional campus. It's the most popular web TV series on Hulu with 6+ million views and often called...NBC's "The Office" goes to college.

Attention Span Media is one example of a small, indy studio producing content that rivals the big ones and reaches mass audiences via a savvy social networking model. In a recent California Chronicle article that my firm placed, Dorm Life was called "a taste of whats to come." I agree.

Dorm Life is a great Long Tail example of a niche audience (college and high school students) growing so large that the show could easily migrate its audience to another platform; Dorm Life could find a home on traditional broadcast or cable TV and also monetize itself through sales and branded merchandise (shirts) and DVDs.

On the other side of the spectrum -- the big box TV -- AMG TV has just announced the first 3-D network, and their plans to deliver 3-D content to some 200 terrestrial station affiliates. That makes sense. I'm thinking the big box HD TV in the living room will never go away. The big screen at home will be used for big events like sports and 3D while the rest of us will continue to view our niche content on hand-held devices and computers. And don't be surprised when your local TV stations go out of business or consolidate as a result ... because viewership is shifting online. And advertisers will go where the audiences are.

Witness the recent demise of several of the most successful print newspapers in the world. I wrote about the publishing industry in transition last year. TV is also in a major transition. Watch for exciting new shows from Attention Span Media. And stay tuned!

Obama: Rebuilding the Engines of America

2009-04-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Watching President Obama tackle his job makes it clear to me that he is rebuilding the political, economic and social engines driving America in ways that will elevate our place in the world and enable a more productive and sustainable future for our people.

He is not playing at the edges of the vast problems facing us. He is taking apart and rebuilding these engines at the core of a flawed and mismanaged ecosystem. And Obama is wise and wide enough to understand the complexities therein so that we come out the other side of this mess a better nation and a stronger people. Welcome to the greatest adventure of our lifetime. One I'm proud to join.

Barack Obama - taking on all the challenges of today and tomorrow...at the same time. And he's challenging us to do the same.

And you know what? He's going to succeed and we're going to succeed in spite of the Republican goons who offer few solutions but only harsh critique as they reverberate the harsh negativity that is at the core of what was once their immense power. I'm not sure anyone would have imagined a united Democratic party and a Republican party so wounded and factured with few true leaders at the core, and where the most powerful and influential voice is a hateful drug abuser named Rush Limbaugh.

Share the Wealth

2009-04-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

For years Bruce Springsteen has invited non-profit groups to raise funds for the homeless and hungry during his concerts, and he announces the names of those group near the end of his shows. Few artists follow his generous lead, and I give him his props for this great work, and for his heroic effort supporting the election of President Barack Obama.

You may be aware that the E-Street Band / Bruce Springsteen tours are among the most popular in the world earning Bruce and his band truckloads of cash. In 2003, the Boss earned $116 million dollars, according to Yahoo. In 2005, Bruce Springsteen earned $55 million, according to Forbes. Over his lifetime, Bruce has earned perhaps more than $250 million dollars.

I would wager a bet that the Boss needs not a penny more to remain one of the most successful and wealthy touring musicians of all time! And while I appreciate his donation of real estate to non profit groups that raise funds in the lobby of his shows, how about if the top 10 performing artists donated 1/3 of their profits to the charities in the areas of their shows?

I don't begrudge wealth. But these are tough times and I just saw disconnect at a recent show when reps of a charity were struggling to attract the attention of fans who were more interested in the Boss than sharing with them a shiny nickle.

It might put tons of good money - your money - towards causes other than simply enriching the bands....most of whom are plenty wealthy - because we buy their records, their T-shirts, and concert tickets, etc.

Food for thought?

Veteran Affairs Dept links endoscopy equipment to HIV and hepatitus

2009-04-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

This is unbelievable to me. I am amazed at the brutality of the Bush administration. They sent hundreds of thousands of men and women to fight a needless war in Iraq. In their esteemed planning, it seems they forgot to upgrade the medical facilities necessary to care for the tens of thousands of our men and women who came back from that war injured, ill, psychologically impaired, permanently maimed, and otherwise violated by a poor political choice.

CNN reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs has launched an investigation into whether there is a connection between improperly sterilized endoscopy equipment and a veteran's positive HIV test. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, requested that the VA look into potential contamination at its facilities after more than 10,000 veterans were possibly exposed to HIV and hepatitis at three VA facilities.

This alleged carelessness is simply unbelievable to me. Yet, given the ineptitude of the Bush administration's handling of Katrina and Iraq, I'm not surprised. But I am sad. I hope Obama gets this fixed.

Read more

Volcanic Holy War Erupting

2009-03-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Another legacy of the Bush / Cheney administration: the ongoing mess in Pakistan and Afghanistan. By choosing to fight a war in Iraq instead of attacking the guys who brought down the World Trade Center - Bin Laden and his supporters in the Taliban - we now face a holy war in Pakistan and Afghanistan - them against us - and we're facing forces that have grown far stronger in spite of our spending billions of dollars there over the past eight years.

This is yet another giant, complex mess that President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton is trying to tackle. While I have little understanding here, I remain concerned by the deployment of American troops into a giant quagmire in a part of the world that has historically caused great armies and powers to fail. And be mindful that the military industrial establishment benefits in a destabilized world. So those guys are going to be delighted by these new troop commitments and a new war to fight.

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Obama: Master of the Universe

2009-03-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

In advance of the upcoming G-20 meeting in London, President Barack Obama seeks to lead with an editorial that appeared in over 30 newspapers around the world. We're in a period of national and global transformation. Just about everything that affects our lives is in hyper-change right now, from the economy to the environment, to media and how information is delivered. With all this change, it's a good thing we have a steady hand and a clear thinking, intelligent guy at the top who is smart enough to make decisions based on a team of people who are likely even more knowledgeable than Obama is in their respective areas of expertise. Let me also note that Obama's communications team continues to amaze me by their mastery of message and the means of delivering it both through new media and old.

From the editorial:

"I know that America bears our share of responsibility for the mess that we all face. But I also know that we need not choose between a chaotic and unforgiving capitalism and an oppressive government-run economy. That is a false choice that will not serve our people or any people....

The nations of the world have a stake in one another. The United States is ready to join a global effort on behalf of new jobs and sustainable growth. Together, we can learn the lessons of this crisis, and forge a prosperity that is enduring and secure for the 21st century."

Read the entire editorial.

Geithner and Obama Own Blame in AIG Bonus Debacle

2009-03-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

The Obama administration and Congress were aware of the bonuses AIG was about to pay and should have gotten in front of this issue. Treasury Secretary Geithner has failure number three on his hands. His first was a poor debut from which he has failed to recover. Failure two has been slow to staff up at the Dept of Treasury. And failure three is losing the public's confidence over AIG.

President Obama cannot avoid blame for he cannot talk one way and act another. He also knew about this, he miscalculated, and he needs to fix this situation and fast.

And Congress. These boneheads agree on the need to recoup the bonuses. My big question: why were members not writing laws to prevent this? Where were members of the House Banking Committee? Asleep at the wheel, as usual. Is there anyone thinking ahead vs reacting?

The only guy who looks proactive? NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. He acted to acquire information on the bonuses and gave that information to Congress. Should Obama's Justice Department have taken the lead? Of course.

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Geithner: Lack of Confidence

2009-03-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

With the economy on everyone's mind and struggling to find bottom, I am amazed that the Treasury Department has been slow to staff up key senior positions, including #2. That is today's update in the NY Times. Remember Timothy Geithner? He was the Treasury nominee later appointed who failed to pay payroll taxes and later fulfilled his obligations. Then, shortly after being appointed, Geither announced his plan to rescue the banking system, an announcement that was critiqued as short in stagecraft, performance and details. Geithner stepped into this role with liabilities and the spin on him continues to be less than hopeful.

I'm concerned by this. If Treasury is a weak link in Obama's game, that's not good. Says the Times, "Analysts say it is far too early to know if Mr. Geithner and his team will be effective. But some worry that political and financial constraints have made them reluctant to grapple with the full magnitude of the crisis."

Note to President Obama: Shore up confidence in Geithner, get his team in place, and do it fast!!

Aptera: This Could be Cool...

2009-03-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

When I was a wide-eyed young kid exploring the GM Futurama exhibit at the New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadow Park, I expected to see a car like the Aptera appear by 1989. Heck, I fully expected hybrid flying/land-based cars by then. What did we end up with? In the ensuing decades that saw America invent the technologies for reaching far into outer space and mapping the humane genome, we ended up with the same gas guzzling cars. American automakers just simply shelved innovation for what? They're now all on the verge of bankruptcy.

So what's new on the car front? How about an electric car that will get 100 miles to a gallon? It's the Aptera...and it's arriving in California soon. About 4,000 people have paid $500 deposits to reserve a car. So if you're inclined for new wheels, this one could be cool.

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Obama Budget: New Tactics

2009-02-28T23:17:00.000-08:00

To pass the stimulus bill, Obama built in ample tax cuts to please Republican lawmakers who ended up snubbing him. You think he learned his lesson? Witness the new $3.55 trillion budget -- it is massive, it excavates new terrain to enable the shifts in health care and renewable energy that Obama was elected for, it piles on new debt on top of old debt that we will have to deal with shortly, and it will jump start the economy with a blizzard of spending. Republicans and Democrats will battle Obama to snip and cut it down to a size that Obama wanted anyway. This time Obama built in enough slack to give everyone room to cut, while still maintaining a large enough bill to enable the reforms he feels are crucial to America's future.

Obama Budget: My Favorite Lines

2009-02-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

The Obama team is remaking the American government, and all this change is occurring while in office 40 days. The pace is mind-boggling and from one day to the next, he and his team and on the offensive. In contrast, the Conservative Republicans are meeting to define their priorities and listening to such illustrious speakers as Joe the Plumber.

Obama is proving himself as powerful in office as he was on the campaign trail. A powerful national leader with a mandate from the American people. The White House with a majority in Congress. And a smart team from one end of the executive branch to the other.

Over the past eight years under Bush/Cheney, the Republicans engaged in elective war, destroyed the American economy and bankrupted future generations.

Obama is spending everything we've got to the revive the economy and move the Nation towards productive investments in health care and energy that will prepare us for the 21st century. It's real change and consistent with his campaign promises. And he is clearly aligning his priorities around the American people vs the rich and special interests. Here are some classic lines from his weekly address to the Nation.

President Obama: "I know that oil and gas companies won’t like us ending nearly $30 billion in tax breaks, but that’s how we’ll help fund a renewable energy economy that will create new jobs and new industries. In other words, I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this:

So am I.

The system we have now might work for the powerful and well-connected interests that have run Washington for far too long, but I don’t. I work for the American people.

Narada Michael Walden and The Narada Band

2009-02-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

Last night I caught the latest Narada Michael Walden retrospective at Yoshi's in Oakland where Narada performed his own tunes with an all-star band of local studio musicians, most of whom appeared on Narada's more than 50 #1 hit records produced for divas and artists Narada launched into stardom and himself. Narada was unbelievably amazing as he led the band in recreating more than a dozen hits on stage that were originally written for Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and others, and honored jazz greats like the late Joe Zawinal, the eclectic keyboardist/composer from Weather Report.

Narada's successes date back to tunes he wrote for and recorded with Jeff Beck in the '70s to a string of hits for mega stars like Whitney, Aretha, Mariah, Shanice and others, in the '80s and '90s. His bio below is a who's who in music. And it's no surprise that Narada is ranked among the top 10 most successful record producers of all time by Billboard magazine. In his long and ongoing career, he has earned an Emmy, 3 Grammy Awards, and countless accolades. Most recently, he was awarded a grant to write a symphony for the Oakland Symphony Orchestra!

His performance last night was classic Narada. He was at once the high priest exhorting us to forgive him and ourselves, to love Him and ourselves, to support Obama, and to celebrate life and be joyful. He was the jazz/rock/fusion drummer - still one of our greatest living today - who powered the Mahavishnu Orchestra and later went on to record with Jeff Beck, Weather Report and others. He was the solo artist who had a string of his own #1 hits in the early 80's. And he was the consummate record producer whose signature sound was THE sound of hits during mid '80s into the '90s.

Long live my friend and brother Narada Michael Walden. Connect to him on Facebook.

NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN
Among a handful of the most innovative, original and influential artists of our time, Narada Michael Walden's stature as an authentic musical renaissance man is a matter of record - a lot of records, in fact.

Artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin and Wynonna Judd; Stevie Wonder and Tom Jones; The Temptations and Jeff Beck - these and literally scores of others have sought out this consummate creative catalyst to fashion some of the biggest hits of their careers. The multi-Grammy winner (with Producer, Album and Song Of The Year awards to his credit) has been at the helm of hit music that spans decades and flows freely from pop, rock, soul, hip-hop and country, to the rarified realms of jazz, fusion, world music and back in again. Along the way, Walden was an integral part of introducing such superstars as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey to millions of fans worldwide, by creating the breakthrough hits that first brought these divas in to the spotlight. Small wonder Billboard Magazine honored him as one of the Top Ten Producers of all time.

Yet, as impressive a production and songwriting resume as Narada Michael Walden has assembled over the past thirty years and counting, he has earned equal acclaim as a recording and performing artist in his own right. Beginning with his stint as part of the pioneering Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early Seventies, through eleven acclaimed solo albums and numerous appearances at the top of the Pop and R and B charts, Walden has given a whole new meaning to the term "multi-tasking." Along the way he has branched into a wide range of sonic arenas, from groundbreaking soundtrack work on such smash films as The Bodyguard and Stuart Little to the Emmy-winning "One Moment In Time," perhaps best known as the theme to the 1988 Olympic Games.

The list goes on, but the artistry of Narada Michael Walden is about more than charts positions and record sales. There is a powerful spiritual component at the heart of everything this richly gifted artist undertakes, an attuned and intuitive approach with a deep appreciation for music's transforming power. Simply put, the artistry of Narada Michael Walden gets to the heart of matter, about matters of the heart.

It's a commitment that reaches into the philanthropic arena as well, where Walden consistently lends his time and talent to causes ranging from the Cancer Society to funding music programs in the nation's schools. For six straight years he has served as Music Director for the Rain Forest Concert at Carnegie Hall, the high profile conversancy benefit spearheaded by Sting and Trudie Styler that has featured such marquee names as Elton John, Billy Joel, Ravi Shankar, Nina Simone and, of course, Sting himself.

Walden's prodigious energies have consistently kept him on the cutting edge of today's, and tomorrow's, music. Following up on the founding of his Marin County-based Tarpan Studios, he has recently announced the creation of his new custom label, Tarpan Records and recruited a number of promising young songwriters for his thriving publishing and production company. Aside from playing on key tracks for the new Stevie Wonder album, as well as producing the smash all-star tribute to late great genius of soul, Ray Charles and Friends, Walden has also written and recorded soundtrack material for the intriguing documentary, Guitar Man, which explores the world of vintage guitars and is set to premier at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Walden has also recently completed production on the debut album from acclaimed new vocalist, Naomi Streimer, whose debut single, "Cars" features special guest Carlos Santana.

In the midst of this flurry of activity, Walden is simultaneously hard at work on an eagerly awaited new solo album, highlighting a stellar line-up of friends and fellow musicians including Chris Botti, Clarence Clemons, Sting and many others.

With awesome abilities matched by a truly humble spirit, Narada Michael Walden is not only one of the most sought-after talents of our era: he is also one of the most admired, emulated and authentic. You can hear it in his music.

So Who Wants an Islamic Republic?

2009-02-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

Al Jazeera reported:
The Government of Pakistan has agreed to restore Islamic law in the Swat Valley (northwest part) and neighboring regions in a negotiation with pro-Taliban fighters. Pakistan has also agreed to stop launching military operations from that region.

This just in from CNN:
The founder of an Islamic television station in upstate New York aimed at countering Muslim stereotypes has confessed to beheading his wife, authorities said.

So who wants an Islamic Republic? YaY!

Two Planes...Two Stories

2009-02-15T08:41:00.000-08:00

I'm a believer in soulfully using heart power and mind power to manifest Goodness. I'm a believer in going for your dreams. I'm a believer in the power of positivity, hope and faith, hard word and sheer willpower, for achieving anything.

When Obama was inaugurated it was a joyous celebration that even the Republican goon squad could not ruin. So many people had worked so hard for that day which meant many things for our nation: a repudiation of the Bush/Cheney era, and a reminder that all dreams are achievable because in Obama's journey we could find ours. And for a brief moment, the negativity and pessimism so prevalent in daily life took a back seat to a truly golden, hopeful, and historic moment.

And in the Light through which that moment occurred, Captain Sully and crew guided his US Airways jet safely into the Hudson River and all passengers miraculously survived. It was in the Light shining on Obama's election and the first days of his historic presidency that this jet, its crew and its passengers each became living miracles. Maybe once in a lifetime we witness a miracle so visible that the entire world is inspired. The energy that surrounded Obama's election and Capt. Sully's amazing landing on the water, is the energy and good feeling I want surrounding me - all the time.

Unfortunately, the Republican goons who brought us the Iraq War, an economic meltdown and other sad moments of the Bush/Cheney era, have managed to raise high their unique style of negativity and dismissive politics back into the national debate. During the debate on the recently passed Stimulus, President Obama approached the Republicans in the House and Senate with an open hand, and the Republicans responded with the "politics of no." The negativity manifested by the Republicans in the House and Senate was startling for its sheer ignorance. But, remember this is the same party routed in the last election, and desperate for a voice. So they united under an old, but evil genius with a negative approach. Darkness. And they aimed all their snickering firepower at the Obama White House. It's not surprising that their negative approach pried open the door to more awful news that followed.

Instead of another miracle in the sky in Buffalo, NY, we had, instead, the exact opposite. A small plane with 49 souls on the way to landing in Buffalo lost forward motion, dropped from the sky in a vertical fall, and was vaporized in the ensuing inferno. The NTSB cannot yet explain way. Clearly, there was ice forming on the wings, but the plane functioned properly, and its ice breaking and propeller heaters appeared to be working. And the DASH 8 plane is a workhorse with a fine track record. Yet this plane lost its forward motion and it simply dropped vertically on a house belly first. It happened so suddenly - within seconds - that the passengers likely had no idea what was going on before they perished.

So what happened? NTSB officials will try to figure it out. We had two miracles in January - Obama's election and Capt Sully's US Airways landing in the Hudson. Then, this very visible and awful tragedy.

Eight years of Bush/Cheney and their Republican facilitators in Congress. Look at the untold destruction - 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan, Katrina, historic levels of unemployment, an economic meltdown - that ensued during their stewardship of America.

Negativity does not work. That's why Obama needs to keep the agenda positive as he is doing. And, over time, I do hope the Republican negative machine will fall from the sky. And some truly collaborative Republican politicians will push out the fanatics running the party right now and emerge with a more productive, creative and collaborative approach.

As that takes shape, we need to believe in a recovery that will emerge as faith replaces doubt and strength replaces fear. We need to spread positivity, live in a miracle mood, share love, and be thankful. For at every moment we can shape a better future.

Two planes...two stories. A positive approach enables miracles to occur. How many more lessons do we need?

The Scammers Never Cease

2009-02-09T21:02:00.001-08:00

It's interesting to experience new ads running in print, electronic and online media. Replacing some product and retail advertisers are bankruptcy and mortgage specialists, lawyers and the like.

Online phishing scams run by Nigerian, Kenyan and Eastern European info-mafiosos and maroons, also continue. This letter just arrived under the subject: "Good News" and it was From: ANTI-FRAUD TEAM. Finally, cause I was wondering where they were. And this one was signed by none other than Ban Ki Moon, Secretary, UNITED NATIONS.

Some of these letters are fairly sophisticated, using logos and emails from banks and credit card companies. One needs to see the raw code of the email to realize those links go to a fraud central where these goons are mining data and ripping people off.

This particular letter suggests maybe it was written by a complete idiot...it has so many grammatical mistakes. Still, I wonder how many unsuspecting souls will send their banking information?

Attention:
How are you today? Hope all is well with you and family?,You may not understand why this mail came to you.

We have been having a meeting for the passed 7 months which ended 2 days ago with the then secretary to the UNITED NATIONS.

This email is to all the people that have been scammed in any part of the world, the UNITED NATIONS have agreed to compensate them with the sum of US$ 100,000. This includes every foriegn contractors that may have not received their contract sum, and people that have had an unfinished transaction or international businesses that failed due to Government probelms etc.

We found your name in our list and that is why we are contacting you, this have been agreed upon and have been signed.

You are advised to contact Mr. Jim Ovia of ZENITH BANK NIGERIA PLC, as he is our representative in Nigeria, contact him immediately for your Cheque/ International Bank Draft of USD$ 100,000. This funds are in a Bank Draft for security purpose ok? so he will send it to you and you can clear it in any bank of your choice.

Therefore, you should send him your full Name and telephone number/your correct mailing address where you want him to send the Draft to you.

Conatct Mr. Jim Ovia immediately for your Cheque:

Conatct Mr. Jim Ovia immediately for your Cheque:Person to Contact Mr. Jim Ovia
Email: mrjim.ovia2008@gmail.com Phone: +234 8033923975

Thanks and God bless you and your family.Hoping to hear from you as soon as you cash your Bank Draft.

Making the world a better place.

Regards,

Mr. Ban Ki Moon
Secretary (UNITED NATIONS).

Republicans - Playing the Politics of No

2009-02-09T15:15:00.001-08:00

As I watched the last election play out, it was clear that Republican Party had badly misplayed their electoral strategy by naming a worn out war hero with no ideas like John McCain as the most qualified candidate to lead their party, and then selecting Sarah Palin as their Vice-Presidential torch-bearer. What a combo! That brilliant strategy led to a huge defeat in the presidential and Congressional elections.

And over the eight years of the Bush administration, many of the same Republican members who helped plunder the wealth of this nation to fund the Iraq War, Halliburton, Blackwater and other failed misadventures, have put us at the brink of a towering financial crisis.

So with those golden qualifications, we have John McCain, Lindsay Graham and other geniuses of the conservative Right, imploring us to follow THEIR lead in fixing the economy. Why follow them? Why follow the idiots who got us into this mess? Why even give them air time? For what...tax breaks? Didn't the American electorate vote against that approach? Are they suddenly now qualified to enlighten us to new solutions that work? No. These guys are shoveling the same crap they were shoveling the past eight years.

The 2008 election was all about cleaning house and putting new leadership in charge of the White House and Congress, putting new ideas in play, and trying new approaches for solving the myriad problems affecting this nation and our citizens -- most of those problems created by the Bush administration.

Now take note of the Republican approach to governance in the post election period: It is the "Politics of No." No true engagement. No sincere participation. No selfless interest in solving problems. Instead, it is all about them. All about the Republicans - their brand, their image, their voice. Etc.

The Republicans are focused on winning the 2010 mid-term congressional elections, and if that entails driving us over the cliff into despair, so be it. All they care about is gaining power so they can force us back into Bush economics and a Christian Right agenda.

Sorry, folks. That will not happen. And I will blog my brains out to argue against these Republican lame brains.

In fact, the Republicans have decided to band together as "The Party of No" and essentially do everything possible to stand in the way of passage of the Obama Stimulus Package.

Let it be known that Republicans in Congress are playing a high-risk game with America's future. And Americans are taking names and noting who had the courage to work together towards consensus and who decided to simply play the politics of No.

Corey Vidal's Star Wars Video

2009-02-06T07:40:00.001-08:00

Über creative and very fun!

Remember When Obama Lost Stride the First Time?

2009-02-05T21:09:00.000-08:00

Remember last summer when Obama headed off to meet European leaders and drew huge, adoring crowds in the hundreds of thousands, and the media covered his travels as if he was ALREADY President? In contrast at the time, John McCain looked irrelevant.

McCain's new campaign manager, Steve Schmidt, countered with a new playbook and TV ads that sought to attack Obama as nothing more than a 'celebrity,' as 'uppity,' as the 'Messiah' and they started to make the election about Obama. Remember those startling and entertaining TV commercials that compared Obama to Paris Hilton? Welcome to the Republican playbook 101. Trash. It took the public several weeks to realize that the Republicans were all mind-games and no substance. Because there were few policy solutions in the Republican play book. Only criticism of Obama for being popular combined with stale, failed ideas - like tax cuts for business. What Schmidt succeeded in doing was throwing off Obama's game. Maybe it was just the law of physics - a pendulum swing...what goes up must come down.

The same pattern is happening now with the Stimulus Bill. The Republicans are in their first joust with the White House. In response to Obama's olive branch approach to Congress - meetings at Congress, meetings at the White House, etc. - the Republican minority decided to play hardball (thanks Chris Matthews) and demonstrate the power of the minority at a time when bi-partisanship is needed.

Rather than joining on a Stimulus Bill to create jobs, the Republicans are stonewalling, focusing on the less than 1% of the proposed bill they consider to be unrelated to job creation, and voting no as a bloc. It's a good PR stunt when every day we are losing jobs and people are suffering. While this bill is far from perfect, Obama feels we simply need to put $800 billion dollars into the system to get things moving. And I honestly have no proof it will work - nobody does. This is take your best shot. But, we elected Obama to take the shot.

While it appears the Republicans have taken control of the debate on the Stimulus Bill and put the President on the defensive, this will turn in Obama's favor because the Republicans have shown themselves to be sad losers, and somewhat vindictive in their approach to the American people. They will seek to deny the American public a powerful economic engine for growth - one that will put people back to work - for politics sake. And by playing terrible tactics, they will continue in their free fall as a party.

Look, Obama is a fierce competitor who may appear to lose now and again, but don't count on it. He starts out kind and if you want to play nice, he will play nice. If you diss him, he will outlast you, out-think you and never give up.

A majority of American have entrusted national leadership to Obama and the Democratic majority and the Republicans should play nice.

Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats Dragging Down Obama

2009-02-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

It's fairly obvious that the Democratic Congress and the Obama Team have misjudged the process of passing the Stimulus package in Congress. The Republicans decided to oppose it in the House and nobody on the Republican side voted for it. Now the Senate Republicans might follow suit (despite being wined and dined at the White House by Obama).

There is a lesson here for Obama: while he wishes to govern in a bi-partisan way, the Republicans have little to gain by helping the Democrats solve the economic crisis. The Republicans feel they can gain back their power by doing everything possible to ensure the failure of Barack Obama. And with Nancy Pelosi driving Congressional strategy for the Democrats, it's almost like a defacto suicide. I've got zero confidence in Nancy Pelosi and there is nothing in her performance convincing me that she is a truly qualified leader. So the Pelosi problem also needs to be fixed and fast.

Because with Pelosi calling the shots, and the Republicans willing to wait two years while tearing down Obama, we might be stuck with a government in paralysis. Two years from now, if the Republicans gain back seats in Congress, they might become even more emboldened and win another national election. God help us!

Still, I think Obama and his team need to learn from this debacle and work strategically to win over the American public. And they can start by explaining the details of the Stimulus Plan.

You know I kinda thought things would be different. I thought Congress would try working together with the Obama team. But, it's clear the Republicans are sore losers. And with Pelosi running things, I'm less optimistic than I want to be about America pulling itself out of this mess.

And frankly, the more I learn about the stimulus package, the more I feel they should have sold it more effectively to the American people. Because they are throwing around big blocks of money on stuff and saying it's going to lubricate the economy and create jobs. But there's really no particular messaging and marketing to the bill. And it's reported to be full of non-job creation funding for pet Democratic issues. I agree with Chris Matthews, host of Hardball. Obama should have asked Congress to create a clean bill rather than one likely to cause division. And he should have marketed it better.

Approaching the Transforming Economy

2009-02-02T23:05:00.000-08:00

We are amidst a painful economic transformation affecting every facet of life for citizens rich and poor. A financial shift, political shift, and a consciousness shift are occurring simultaneously. And at the intersection of these shifts there is pain.

Economic pain, especially for people, for business, for families, and for our national psyche. With sudden, uncontrollable changes in the value of people's income, homes, 401K plans, combined with the loss of jobs, there are feelings of despair among families of good people. Politically, we're cleaning out the remnants of the Bush Administration and feeling the karma for their very bad deeds. And we're shifting into a higher consciousness and more compassionate approach to governance with the election of Barack Obama and a shifting power base in Congress.

In this transforming economy, everyone I know has been affected. The advice for myself and others:

1. See the future through optimistic eyes.
2. Feel that your situation will improve.
3. Visualize your goals, and recite them aloud morning and night.
4. Pursue your dreams with increased focus and vigor.
5. Attach personal passion to the success you want to create.
6. Feel the affluence you aspire for happening now.
7. Hold unwavering faith in the eventuality that your dreams will come true and success will dawn.

For those who believe in a positive way, every step you take will be the right one. Even as those around lose their faith and suffer simply by loss of faith, you can stay above it by feeling all will be OK and never let fear grip you.

Is this a test of faith? Perhaps. Stand tall!

Republican Game: Success equals Failure

2009-01-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

Republicans in the House of Representatives decided to vote NO on the Obama Economic Recovery Act. All Republican members voted no. Bunch of asswipes, if you ask me.

I'm not claiming expertise on the content of the bill. But the Republicans voted NO as a block, simply because they believe that things will get worse by the mid-term elections, and folks will blame Obama. Folks will forget that Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress helped create this mess.

Guess what? We will never forget that Bush left Obama with a gigantic mess. And if the Republicans are banking on a failed economy, they just ensured their own failure. Obama has taken every step to compromise and act in a bi-partisan way. Republicans equal politics as usual. They screwed him and hopefully he will not forget their lame tactics.

Let the Republican's negative approach become a costly price to pay.

Does Anyone Have a Clue?

2009-01-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Don't Washington, D.C. politicians pontificate like they know what they're talking about? I grant you, there are intelligent men and women in Congress. However, we're not in the post-Bush economic mess because of one President. We're in it because Congress was asleep at the switch, and morons like John McCain are still given the national stage.

How many times do we have to hear McCain contradict himself on issues before we realize he has lost his mind? He campaigned on the idea of building the broadband infrastructure in American cities. And last night, he condemned the part of the new budget that allocates $600 million to building the broadband infrastructure of American cities. McCain is a war hero, and a nice guy. But he has outstayed his welcome. He's a tired, mentally challenged career politician from the old school and he should move on. Or hire him as special envoy to Iraq.

Republicans are clearly back to gamesmanship when it comes to the Budget. They are finding their new voice as disruptors. And while they pretend to know how to solve the ills of this economy, folks, nobody can anticipate the impact of the bail out. But, eventually (hopefully sooner than later), people will start feeling better about the economy and there will be a perception it's working and life will simply feel better. Wealth will rise, and hopefully there will be significant infrastructure, economic, environmental and health care improvements undertaken under the stewardship of Obama.

Right now everyone thinks the economy is tanking, so it is.

Obama, rightly so, realizes we need to act like we can fix things, build confidence in our ability to win, and move forward. And he is asking for lots of cash to throw at the problem ($800 Billion) and allocating that cash is an issue he campaigned on: creating new jobs. Obama was elected to execute on his ideas and he owns the shot.

The Republicans resent this. Fine. It would be great if they started to play like they actually wanted to fix the economy. I get the feeling the Republicans want to simply impose failure on Obama and call it the day when they take over with ...oh yea. Sarah Palin has formed a political action committee in preparation for (shhhhh) her election to national office...4 or 8 years from now.

Spare me.

New Official Obama Portrait

2009-01-15T08:40:00.001-08:00

Our leader. May he be blessed with clarity. May he make peace his power and take an inner approach to leading and guiding our Nation.

Top 10 Failures of the Bush Administration

2009-01-14T21:58:00.001-08:00

Only a few days left until President Bush and Vice-President Cheney, Condee Rice and others from that group of failed politicians all retire to a place of ignominy.

As we await that fateful day on January 20th, here is irrefutable documentation of failures of the current administration compiled by the Center for Public Integrity.

Top 10 Failures of the Bush Administration
* False Premise for Going to War
* Controversial Assertion of Executive Power
* 45 Million Americans Without Health Insurance
* Too Close to the Edge on Torture
* Skyrocketing Deficit
* Hurricanes Expose FEMA Woes
* Politicization of Department of Justice
* No Robust, Sustained Alternative Energy Policy
* SEC Allows Investment Banks To Go Unregulated
* No Child Left Behind: A Few Bumps in the Road

Sri Chinmoy Videos

2009-01-14T07:21:00.001-08:00

Here is a collection of Sri Chinmoy Videos on YouTube where you can experience Sri Chinmoy as artist, athlete, spiritual guide and mentor. Enjoy!

Mahavishnu Orchestra Clips

2009-01-13T23:53:00.001-08:00

Perhaps the greatest jazz fusion band of all time: The first Mahavishnu Orchestra featured in these selected TV clips.

Play the first video - and behold the brilliant aspiration and unparalleled genius of Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, who was greatly inspired at the time by Guru Sri Chinmoy.

This Mahavishnu Orchestra group was transformational, revealing unparalleled musical virtuosity and vision, and exposing me to the soulfulness and philosophy of Sri Chinmoy who would, a few years later, become my own beloved Guru.

Set and Pursue Your Goals This Year

2009-01-13T21:41:00.000-08:00

The biggest piece of advice I've given myself this year is to clearly see, feel and passionately pursue my goals both in life and business.

That's where I'm headed and I'm certain 2009 is going to be the greatest year of my life. Are you seeing where you're headed and invoking the best future, or are you observing life passing you by?

Orpheus Raga - Anoushka Shankar

2009-01-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

On January 21, 2009 thirty-four musicians of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra will gather in a rehearsal room on New York’s Upper West Side to meet sitar virtuoso, Anoushka Shankar.

Working together over the next twelve days, they will give life to the world premiere of Ravi Shankar’s newest composition Concerto No. 3 for Sitar and Orchestra.

Filmmakers Chris and Alex Browne will capture this collaboration as Indian and Western classical music combine. They will create Raga Saga, 12 daily webisodes that will give you exclusive access to the skill, the artistry and the inherent drama that are part of the unique Orpheus rehearsal process.

OrpheusRaga.com - Anoushka Shankar with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra from Orpheus Chamber Orchestra on Vimeo.

Rise of the Machines: Zunes Freeze Up

2008-12-31T16:27:00.000-08:00

Thousands of Microsoft Zune MP3 players are freezing up across the globe at about the same moment. While it might be a programming glitch, perhaps its an accidental glimpse into a Rise of the Machines?

Absorbtive Learning

2008-12-28T21:30:00.000-08:00

So I'm learning Indian classical musical theory and practice. How? By absorbing the knowledge. Over the past few months I've engaged with the Indian classical music community in the Bay area, spend time with a teacher, attend Indian classical music concerts at the Sangati Center in San Francisco, and spend hours a day listening to recorded performances of hundreds of ragas by many Indian virtuosos....performances stunning in virtuosity while spiritually revealing.

I feel so comfortable in this musical environment, in fact, that it's almost a deja vu of an earlier and far simpler life when I was quite familiar and proficient in this music. I think too, it connects me to the culture of my Guru Sri Chinmoy in a subtle way and reminds me of the quiet, yet powerfully focused spirituality he inspired in me.

During the day the theory and practice of this music are revealed to me by great composers, instrumentalists and singers. While I sleep each night, the higher intelligence and logic I absorb from this music are informing my creative sensibilities, my calm, my ability to feel...really my entire being. It's a transformative experience of absorbtive learning.

Happy 2009!!!!

2008-12-28T01:06:00.001-08:00

Is there anything more to say?

75% Glad Bush is Leaving

2008-12-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

A CNN poll suggests that 75% of the American population is happy Bush is leaving the White House. Not a surprise and not soon enough.

28% feel Bush is the worst President ever. Add my vote to that list.
82% say he did not unite the country - as he claimed he would.

Who is to blame? The American people ... who voted into power a total dufus.

Read more

Wired's Top Tech Breakthroughs of 2008

2008-12-26T08:19:00.000-08:00

FROM WIRED: "The economy may be tanking, but innovation is alive and well.

When it came to products, incremental improvements were the name of the game this year. Phones got faster (iPhone 3G anyone?), notebooks turned into netbooks and pocket cameras went from recording standard-definition video to HD.

But the world's corporate and academic R&D labs were busy laying the foundations of some amazing future technologies in 2008. They produced concepts such as silicon chips you can swallow for personalized medicine from the inside out and a fourth fundamental element in electronic circuitry. And engineers cranked out a few less groundbreaking — but no less important — inventions, like a space-age swimsuit to help Michael Phelps slice through the water faster than a river otter on a jet ski.

The countdown of what rocked our world in 2008 — and what will change yours in 2009 and beyond."

Stellar Idea: YouTube Symphony Orchestra

2008-12-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

Whoever is coming up with ideas at YouTube gets a gold star for this one: YouTube Symphony Orchestra.

Play your part in music history. Perform at New York's Cargenie Hall as part of a global YouTube Orchestra in April 2009 under the direction of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas.

It is what they are calling "the first-ever collaborative online orchestra." Professionals and amateur musicians of all ages, locations and instruments audition for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra by submitting a video performance of a new piece written for the occasion by the renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). They have tools to help you learn the music, rehearse with the conductor, and upload your part for the collaborative video.

You practice and upload a video of your audition tape playing music from a list of recommended pieces. Finalists will be chosen by a judging panel and YouTube users will travel to New York to perform.

This is such a creative utilization of YouTube. It is inspiring, aspiring and engenders oneness on a global scale. Thanks to YouTube for a stellar idea.

The deadline for all video submissions is January 28, 2009. What are you waiting for?

White House Appointees Should Be Given $1 Million Legal Idemnity

2008-12-25T08:57:00.001-08:00

Before he and his team take office, Barack Obama and key appointees have had to hire lawyers to deal with the scandal surrounding Illionis Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Given the history of the Clinton and Bush administrations, and the incredible sums of money that appointees had to spend explaining their roles in the actions of presidents or administrative policy, working in the White House would seem to carry deep financial risk - irrespective of how honestly you play the game. Lets say you're working with someone else who breaks the law, but you spend $300,000 on legal fees because you worked with that person, and you're questioned about it by the Justice Department, the FBI, or Congress. And you'll need a lawyer.

How about adding to the perks of each senior position a $1 million legal fee indemnity that is available in all cases. The fund pays out only if you are not proven guilty of a crime in connection with your job. If you intentionally break the law you pay the bill yourself. But if you did nothing wrong, your legal fees are covered.

I'm sure this will generate an outcry of criticism. But it makes sense. How are we going to find public servants to take on White House roles, if there is a high likelihood that they are going to have to hire lawyers to defend those roles?

The other side to this is that guys like Karl Rove spent tons of money on legal fees during and after his term in the White House explaining his role in the Valerie Plame scandal. That particular financial penalty made me happy for it appeared to me to be just given the high crimes of the Bush administration.

NY Senate Choice: Kennedy or Cuomo?

2008-12-24T08:53:00.000-08:00

I've admired Caroline Kennedy and her service... to the New York City education system and recently as an Obama advisor. Virtually everyone of note in her immediate family has served this Nation honorably and been affected by the world of politics. Several Kennedys were elected to public office over the past decades. The history of her mom, dad, uncle and brother are legend yet so much sadness has been written into their life stories and ours.

So why politics, and why now? Maybe the folks around her smell an opportunity for more power and influence. Caroline Kennedy already everything she needs. She has a blessed life, and she's proven her ability to serve in wonderful ways from outside the system. Has she earned the NY Senate seat? I think not.

There are others who have achieved more in politics to earn the spot and who would be far more effective, like Andrew Cuomo, a political advisor to his dad (former NY Governor) and later (before he reached 40 years old), he was a Cabinet Secretary under President Bill Clinton.

My pick is Andrew Cuomo.

Did Coca-Cola Invent Santa Claus

2008-12-23T08:53:00.000-08:00

Did Coca-Cola invent the image of the modern-day Santa Claus - a white haired man in red clothes who delivers holiday gifts to kids? Not exactly. But they popularized Santa and ingrained into our mindsets that very image.

Here's some history, thanks to the the St. Nicholas Center.

1804 -- John Pintard, influential patriot and antiquarian, who founded the New York Historical Society in 1804, promoted St. Nicholas as patron saint of both society and city.

1809 -- Washington Irving joined the society and on St. Nicholas Day that year he published the satirical fiction, Knickerbocker's History of New York, with numerous references to a jolly St. Nicholas character. This was not a saintly bishop, rather an elfin Dutch burgher with a clay pipe. These delightful flights of imagination are the origin of the New Amsterdam St. Nicholas legends: that the first Dutch emigrant ship had a figurehead of St. Nicholas; that St. Nicholas Day was observed in the colony; that the first church was dedicated to him; and that St. Nicholas comes down chimneys to bring gifts.

Irving's work was regarded as the "first notable work of imagination in the New World."
The New York Historical Society held its first St. Nicholas anniversary dinner on December 6, 1810. John Pintard commissioned artist Alexander Anderson to create the first American image of Nicholas for the occasion. Nicholas was shown in a gift-giving role with children's treats in stockings hanging at a fireplace. The accompanying poem ends, "Saint Nicholas, my dear good friend! To serve you ever was my end, If you will, now, me something give, I'll serve you ever while I live."

The jolly elf image received a big boost in 1823, from a poem destined to become immensely popular, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," now better known as "The Night Before Christmas."

1931 - Coca-Cola started to use Santa in a 'good-feeling' marketing campaign. So, in fact, Coke mainstreamed the idea of Santa Claus and laid the foundations of the giant gift-buying extravaganza it is today. I would image all kinds of marketers had the same idea as Coke.

Well, even though it was/is a marketing play, still it's fun. So have a very Merry XMAS. And spend lots of money. Retailers need your support.

Publishing Industry in Transition

2008-12-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

There's this great word - disintermediation - that you should get to know. Wikipedia says, "In economics disintermediation is the removal of intermediaries in a supply chain: cutting out the middleman."

In publishing, the traditional printed newspaper delivered to your door is being disintermediated by online sources that deliver better information online faster - almost immediately, in fact. Over the next decade you will see an increasing number of bankruptcies among print media outlets, and the continued rise of online media and blogs. The Tribune Company / Los Angeles Times bankruptcy is just the most recent example.

And you'll see citizen funded reporting grow. I'm an advisor to Spot.Us, a community where people choose and fund stories they want written. Then those stories are made available so anyone can publish them.

Apple's iTunes service has became the largest online seller of music disintermediating retail music mega stores like Tower Records, Sam Goody's and others. If we can buy music online, delivered digitally for less money, do we need the brick and mortar retail outlets and all the related waste products (plastic, plastic and more plastic) that is wrapped around physical CDs?

The Post Office and shippers are being increasingly disintermediated by email and electronic communications. DHL is halting express deliveries in the US. They lost about $10 billion in the US trying to challenge Federal Express and UPS. So they're packing it in.

Mobile DJ's can spin popular party music from an iPod less expensively than hiring physical performing musicians, disintermediating opportunities for musicians who make a living playing music live.

And the Amazon Kindle, a wireless reading device that lets me download and read books and similar devices that will follow, will (over time) disintermediate the brick and mortar book store business. If we can download content faster and less expensively than buying a physical books, the bottom will fall out of the traditional publishing business, impacting store owners, shippers, and building owners who rent space for stores.

What other areas are being disintermediated by technology?

Bush Leaves Behind a World in Crisis and Writes About It

2008-12-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

I read in the NY TIMES this morning that the Bush Administration is creating more than a dozen crisis briefings for the Obama team. Makes sense. The inept and morally corrupt Bush team has been responsible for well over a dozen crises in the environment, economy, foreign affairs, science, and education, so it's kind of nice of them to capture on paper a global morass largely of their own making.

Bush came into office equipped to effect political change -- fill government with conservatives and cronies. So he brought in his old friends network to manage the People's House as he liked calling the White House. That worked well until everything he started a trillion dollar war, paid for it on credit, couldn't close it out, and everything started breaking down.

Obama has another approach -- hire the smartest people he can find to manage government. What a refreshing change.

Audioengine W2 is a Winner!

2008-12-16T14:11:00.000-08:00

Is your iPod the center of your audio universe? For many of us, it is. Now you can wirelessly run audio from your iPod to your stereo or powered speakers thanks to the Audioengine W2 premium wireless adapter for iPod.

Audioengine, the maker of the A2 and A5 speakers, have created the ultimate device for those who live by portable devices like the iPod. Simply plug the W2 transmitter into the bottom of your iPod, and attach the W2 receiver to an A2 or A5 powered speaker (or use the included AC adapter and connect the W2 receiver to your stereo system) and music from your iPod is amplified.

It took me about 30 seconds to set up and it worked perfectly and instantly right out of the box. If you've ever set up an Airport Express, that can be a 15-30 minute exploration.

You want these things to be plug and play. W2 succeeds flawlessly. If you're looking to get more value from your iPod, pick up the W2. Read my Audioengine speaker review from last year.

359: Self-transcendence

2008-12-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

I launched this blog in 2004 with one post, thinking I would start blogging for business. It was not until 2006 that I started to increase my writing and hit 53 posts. In 2007, I kicked it up to 358 posts and today I am transcending last year with my 359th.

And while I do blog on business issues, I also enjoy writing on whatever comes to mind. So my blog is a mixed bag. Bloggers will tell you that's the wrong way to build a brand. I agree. Happily, I'm blogging for my personal enjoyment and community, not to build a business.

I am also becoming more passionate about the need to come together behind goodness and kindness, spirit, self-improvement, politics, environmental issues, and doing everything we can to make sure technology works for us, rather than simply getting caught up in the bits and bytes of the technology-device-driven world as we know it.

For at least a year more I will be writing this blog with great frequency. Thanks for reading, thanks for your friendship, and there's lots more coming.

Illinois Politics: Troubling

2008-12-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois is the latest Illinois politician to fall victim to power. Apparently, he was trading grants, access and influence in exchange for contributions to his political campaign. His illegal and alleged transactions around the appointment of the successor to take the seat of Senator Obama capped what was a three month wire-tap by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald. This latest mess was simply the icing on the cake of months of corrupt activity.

Two things bother me. The first is how easily politicians flip from the idea of serving constituents to their constituents serving them. Maybe that's because it takes lots of money to run for public office, and as soon as you get there, you're inclined to use your power to stay there.

The second is a cloud of corruption continues to surround the state, Cook County and its governmental seat, Chicago, which have a long history of corruption by elected and appointed officials. In fact, 72 officials have been convicted of wrongdoing since 1972.

In that environment, we might need the Ghost Busters to come in and remove the ghosts of criminals past who seem to haunt the halls of government and its public institutions, or hire an exorcist.

The only good news here, perhaps, is the emergence of Barack Obama. Sometimes from sleaze and darkness emerges light. That is surely the case here. The sadness for me, though, is the hope that emerged from the Land of Lincoln seems tarnished through the sleazy politics of a Democratic governor.

Want it...achieve it

2008-12-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

I'm on Maui reflecting on my life and the future. It's clear to me that we can manifest anything we can imagine. We just have to fully see "It" in our vision eye, describe and then enable that reality in our minds, hearts and wakeful consciousness. It's even possible with large groups to have a common vision and direction emerge. In fact, it's essential. We cannot simply observe life and expect a result. We need to specifically know the result we seek and then achieve it. Want it...achieve it. This is something that is clear as day to me.

So it's interesting to read The Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks, because the conversations with Abraham in that book are informing my own perception of life in hyper productive ways.

And it's happening on Maui, a wonderful spot on Planet Earth where I am able to come into a personal clarity that allows me to reach higher and clearer through my own vision-eye to see and touch the Supreme Knowingness my Guru Sri Chinmoy allowed me to feel as I often dove deeply into the Eyes of his Life and Consciousness of Supreme Splendour.

And on the path I walk today there are many positive influences and friends helping me forward to realize the promise of my life on earth. I thank my dearest friends and visitors who blessed my time on Maui. There is much to do, indeed.

Transparent Government

2008-12-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

President-Elect Obama is doing what I predicted he would do. He is using the Internet to bring the American people into the heart of governance. Now you can listen to and take a seat at meetings during the transition and voice your opinions - online.

As people become more involved over time, my hope is that this process will flow into the new White House and a new branch of government will emerge very powerfully - the people. It will be the voices of people who will voice ideas and draw power from the top to the middle.

In many ways the people were able to overthrow the very dark and destructive Bush Administration by coming together. And clearly, Obama wants to tap into this constituency to power government in a new way.

Read this memo from transition head John Podesta and watch the video. This is very cool. More info at www.Change.Gov.

I know a spiritual group very close to my heart that should take notice. This group has no appointed leader, and no real infrastructure for governance. Yet, it wants to grow, thrive and achieve all kinds of good things.

For any organization, transparency and openness in ways that involve people in conversation, are fundamental to the development and sharing of ideas. And that's a productive pathway to a bright future. For this group as well, I'd like to see more conversation in ways that evolve creativity and move decisions and power from the top to the middle. That's a secret to their 'future' success and a direction I hope they evolve as a way of discovering it.

MEMORANDUM
From: John Podesta
To: All Obama-Biden Transition Project Staff
Date: December 4, 2008
Re: "Seat at the Table" Transparency Policy -- EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

Overview:
As an extension of the unprecedented ethics guidelines already in place for the Obama-Biden Transition Project, we take another significant step towards transparency of our efforts for the American people. Every day, we meet with organizations who present ideas for the Transition and the Administration, both orally and in writing. We want to ensure that we give the American people a "seat at the table" and that we receive the benefit of their feedback.

Accordingly, any documents from official meetings with outside organizations will be posted on our website for people to review and comment on. In addition to presenting ideas as individuals at www.change.gov, the American people deserve a "seat at the table" as we receive input from organizations and make decisions. In the interest of protecting the personal privacy of individuals, this policy does not apply to personnel matters and hiring recommendations.

Scope:
The following information will be posted on our website:
1. Documents: All policy documents1 and written policy recommendations from official meetings with outside organizations.

2. Meetings: The date and organizations represented at official meetings in the Transition headquarters or agency offices, with any documents presented as noted above.

This scope is a floor, not a ceiling, and all staff are strongly encouraged to include additional materials. Such materials could include documents (recommendations, press releases, etc.) presented in smaller meetings or materials or made public by the outside organization without a connection to an official meeting.

If you have any questions as to whether documents should be included, please email [REDACTED].

Process:
Prior to an official meeting with an outside organization or organizations, Obama-Biden Transition Project staff members will inform attendees that any documents provided will be posted on our "Seat at the Table" website found at www.change.gov. Suggested language for email invitations is: "By presenting or submitting any document at a meeting with the Obama-Biden Transition Project, you agree to allow the document to be made public and posted on www.change.gov." At the completion of each meeting or upon receipt of such documents, Transition staff will provide the documents to [REDACTED] with the date of the meeting, a list of the organizations in attendance, and the topic of the meeting.

Notes:
1) This policy does not apply to non-public or classified information acquired from the Agency Review Process and internal memorandum.

2) An "official meeting" is defined as a meeting with outside organizations or representatives of those organizations to which three or more outside participants attend.

Optimism

2008-12-04T07:59:00.001-08:00

Optimism is a powerful pathway for rising above the economic decline resulting from the misadventures and karma of the Bush administration. Even though personal wealth has declined - homes are worth less, retirement funds have declined 30, 40, 50, 60 per cent or more, and trillions of dollars have disappeared through stock losses - we still need to embrace optimism versus malaise as a pathway to recovery.

Embracing a soulful and hopeful optimism will create a pathway to more positive outcomes in our lives both individually and collectively. We do create our future with our own thoughts.

Use your own positivity to attract to yourself the people and things that will enable the fulfillment of your desires and goals. That law of attraction is also part of my personal game plan. I'm powerfully focused on highly positive outcomes because that's the fastest way to enable those outcomes in my life.

If you need a refresher in optimism, watch The Secret again. Dr. Wayne Dyer has a new book that might be helpful, Change Your Thoughts: Change Your Life.

Oral Histories

2008-12-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to record my guitar practice sessions and oral histories of my life with a portable, digital recorder. The Zoom H2 digital recorder records almost 2 hours on a 4 gig SD HD card and runs on 2 AA batteries that last a while. The sound fidelity is fantastic and it's very easy to use and transfer recordings to the computer. If you're looking for a compact recorder to capture life, music or your latest rants and raves, I highly recommend this little device.

Rhythm of the Waves Still Soothing

2008-12-04T01:57:00.001-08:00

When''s the last time you parked yourself by an ocean, slowed down and breathed deeply for several weeks? I'm parked in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the shores of Ka'anapali on Maui. Of all the many spots on earth I've stood and reflected on life, time and space, this particular place where I am situated feels much more than beautiful and nurturing. It feels sacred.

This is a sacred space for me for sure. I feel the abundance and richness of Mother Nature and Mother Maui. The sound and constancy of the ocean waves sooth my entire being. The gentle winds refresh each moment with clean, fresh air. Colorful and fragrant fauna thrive here. The people here on Maui are simply lovely -- welcoming and appreciative of the beauty that resonates at this spot on planet Earth.

I believe all people aspire for higher consciousness to greater or lesser degrees. Maui is one of God's greatest creations because here I feel divinity in powerful ways. So Maui is one of a few truly nurturing places on earth in which I thrive. A few years ago, before my Guru Sri Chinmoy passed, he said, "You should buy a house on Maui."

That was the ultimate validation of what I already knew from 1994 when I visited here the first time, to the 10 times I've come back. My soul loves Maui.

Happy Thanksgiving to You!

2008-11-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on and offer soulful gratitude to God, to family, to friends and to the Cosmic Universe.

So I send to all my personal gratitude and wishes for a very Happy and Blessingful Thanksgiving Holiday. And I look forward to catching up with you soon online and offline.

IBM Cognitive Computing: Precurser to Rise of the Machines

2008-11-22T07:36:00.000-08:00

Looks like we're going to need Arnold Schwarzenegger back as Terminator now that IBM is moving forward with their cognitive computing project.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is funding a $4.9 million dollar research project at IBM that will bring together neurobiologists, computer and materials scientists and psychologists from several universities to make electronic circuits that mimic brains and the synapses that occur in the body.

Dharmendra Modha, the IBM scientist who is heading the collaboration, noted, "There are no computers that can even remotely approach the remarkable feats the mind performs. The key idea of cognitive computing is to engineer mind-like intelligent machines by reverse engineering the structure, dynamics, function and behavior of the brain."

There is also the Soul...the manifestation of the Cosmic Source in each of us. I'm all for science, but I'd love it if there was more enthusiasm in the world for exploring the wonderment that is the Soul.

The awareness of the Soul can be perceived by becoming more conscious. Through meditation and the inspiration of spiritual teachers, we come closer to knowing our own Soul and connecting with our own Higher Reality.

At he age of 21, I came into contact with and became a disciple of Guru Sri Chinmoy. Through his life and teachings which include the practice and quietude of meditation, I came to a deeper awareness of my own life. There emerged a personal awareness of the inter-connectivity of inner and outer existence, and a conscious awareness of the Source. In my own professional work, this awareness manifests as intuition, inspiration, attention, quality, dedication, determination, kindness, caring, enthusiasm and a belief that everything is possible if we only apply ourselves to a goal.

Can we build the experience of the Soul into brainiac robots? Likely not. We might be able to program core morality, but others will be able to program robots as weapons.

I keep hearing from my buddies in the Bay Area who are atheists that there is nothing more to life than beings like us. That bewilders me having dedicated three decades of my life to exploring and knowing God in deep and intimate ways.

In any case, if we build machines that can think, we better practice more kindness because in the hands of the wrong people those machines might be rather difficult to manage several decades down the road. Thankfully by that time, I will be pure Consciousness and Bliss, beyond the physical.

Obama's Skilled Handling of the Transition

2008-11-21T13:16:00.001-08:00

Last night I heard author Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Blink, the Tipping Point and Outliers, comment on Barack Obama's approach to the transition. He suggested that when dealing with an enterprise the size of the U.S. Government especially at a time of domestic and international crises, it makes sense to put experienced hands at the helm of various departments so that the learning curve is reduced to zero and all departments are up and running on day 1.

That seems to be the Obama approach. It is a skilled, smart approach and the same one I would undertake. The criticism in the media of hiring former Clinton department wonks is bogus. The only experienced people available now are former Clinton appointees. What's the big deal? I'd rather have smart people running the day to day, and then - as a manager - set the agenda that those appointees are charged to carry out.

I'm also in favor of Senator Hillary Clinton at State and commend Obama for putting strong people like Clinton with diverse viewpoints in his cabinet. That's a great way to stimulate new ideas. And I know leaders of even small organizations who are so fearful of losing power that they surround themselves with weak-minded followers and minions.

With a consensus builder like Obama at the helm, I think you're going to see a really diverse group of brilliant thinkers running the show, and "change" will be realized in spades. That is my approach to management. Bravo Obama for your skillful handling so far!

Create an iPhone Game and You Might Hit the Jackpot

2008-11-18T22:25:00.000-08:00

A very cool story about Steve Demeter, developer of an iPhone puzzle game called Trism who sold $250,000 worth of his $5 game in two months. He's now launched a business and several new titles are on the way.

I love it!! A great example for anyone with an idea who is sitting on your rear end: Just Do It. Create something cool, and follow your dream. Everything is possible. And if you don't believe it, hang out in San Francisco for a while.

India Reaches the Moon

2008-11-16T20:40:00.001-08:00

How cool is it that a developing nation like India launched a spacecraft that has reached the moon!

Days past only the superpowers - USA and Soviet Union - were capable of celestial innovation like this. Now we know intelligence is spread across the entire planet and the far reaches of technology are in the global domain.

That means, too, that all the evils that technology unleashes are also possible. Just look at the eight destructive years of the Bush Administration and the unfettered growth of the military industrial complex which has put weapons into the hands of every fringe terrorist group imaginable.

Which is why we need to foster more goodness, love and kindness in America's approach to foreign policy and re-engage with the United Nations.

Read more.

Allan Holdsworth: Galactic Travels

2008-11-15T21:59:00.000-08:00

OK. Lets just say that its been a while since I spun an Allan Holdsworth record on my iPod. And it was several years ago when I re-engaged with Holdsworth via a young guitarist and dear friend, Muktambar Fulop who worked for me, and helped get me back to wood-shedding on the guitar.

Tonight at Yoshi's I experienced the great Allan Holdsworth with Jimmy Johnson on bass and Chad Wakerman on drums. A trio - imagine the Jimi Hendrix experience - except we're hearing three John McLaughlin-caliber virtuosos speed racing breathlessly across a colorful, jazz fusion canvas, navigating tricky odd-meter time signatures that I had a hard time following -- and that says alot. Johnson and Wakerman were simply amazing as was Holdsworth, each performing together and solo, with effortless brilliance. Chad Wakerman actually wrote some of the tunes I heard last night -- so he's quite a talent.

Let it be said that my mind was B L O W N!!!!!

From his bio: Holdsworth is one of a handful of musicians who has consistently proven himself as an innovator in between and within the worlds of rock and jazz music. Many of music's best-known instrumental masters cite Holdsworth as that rare and shining voice—a legendary player who continues to push the outer limits of instrumental technique and the electric guitar's range of tonal and textural possibilities.

Get a taste from a concert from a few years ago:

Jazz Piano Fans: Have You Been Eldarized?

2008-11-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

I have two words for jazz piano fans. Eldar Djangirov.

Eldar is a remarkable, young player with a facility beyond compare and an exhilarating style that is both daring and fun. I wrote about Eldar in May 2007.

His new CD, Re-imagination, is out. If you love jazz, go to iTunes and download his debut, Eldar Djangirov, and the new one.

Gay Marriage, the New Civil Rights Movement

2008-11-15T14:29:00.001-08:00

It takes a seminal event to cause people to rise up empowered by emotion in ways that drive change. The recent passage of Proposition 8 in California, a measure that banned same sex marriage and was funded largely by a Christian/Mormon collective, has definitely touched a nerve in the gay community. You could feel it today at a giant rally at City Hall in San Francisco.

California has been at the forefront of gay rights, but with the passage of Prop 8, the state took a giant step backwards. Today we saw this community come together like never before with Prop 8 rallies in San Francisco, San Rafael, and across the nation.

I was inspired by a call by a local religious leader and mother that protesters should avoid attacking the religious fundamentalists who attacked this community by funding Proposition 8. Rather, she implored the gathered that "hatred can be overcome only by love" and "be the change you want to see in the world," both sentiments inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.

Now that African Americans have achieved dramatic progress in the recent election, the gay community sees same sex marriage as the new civil rights movement. "Gay is the new Black." With the power of the Internet, you're going to see a coordinated national effort to remove religion from politics and mobilize support for letting all people live and love in peace...and that includes members of the GLBT community.

Because if there's anything to be learned this November 4th, its that people can come together for change. They rallied around the idea of getting rid of George W. Bush. So I see people rising up and getting more involved in setting the agenda for this nation rather than groups of religious institutions or their representatives in government. The role of religious dogma disguised as morality is finished now that some of the air has been sucked out of the hate machine called the Republican Party. Yes, the conservatives will reorganize themselves to hate and divide us around some new cause. But lets not underestimate the power of the new people coalition that has emerged and will be used to tamp down hate and replace it with love.

I'd also like to suggest that when religious groups engage in political work, they should be called political groups and their non-profit status should be revoked.

Thanks to my dearest friend and marketing genius Christina Kerley (CK) for taking this photo of a dad and his son at the rally in New York. This is the face of the new America - loving people who come together to unite, and not divide.

Support the movement to overturn Prop 8.

More photos.

YouTube Live celebrates ....YoU

2008-11-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

What happens when YouTube, the people's global video community celebrates itself? You get YouTube Live featuring online and offline stars in an MTV-esque mashup on November 22, 2008 at 5pm pacific/8 pm eastern.

Look up the word disintermediation. YouTube has cut out the middleman in the supply chain of content creators and audiences. Now content producers go direct to their audience and audiences popularize the content they enjoy. No big shot studio head in between them to say, "Yay" or "Nay" to a show concept or script. You want to publish your new show online? Do it. Start a channel on YouTube and make it happen. You want to be a star? Get a camera, and publish. Make it happen. It's all about YoU. Which is why YouTube is huge and it's going to become even more a part of our lives.

I tell all aspiring people - start with the idea that everything is possible in today's new media environment. And let your creativity flow. And if someone tells you to try and fit in (like an old friend of mine did about 6 months ago) rather than being your unfettered, creative self, tell that person to take a long hike. Don't let fear interrupt the brilliance of your life - even if it's fear of success.

I've mentored many people in my life. And I've tried to push people into creativity and thinking outside the box. And if you really want to make me happy, tell me or show me something I don't already know. Show me creative work that is way outside the box. That gives me immense joy.

For I see my own life as a spontaneous creation growing in wondrous ways from moment to moment. And life gets better every day especially when I tap into the brilliance happening around me and meet/work with those who are driving innovations changing our lives (for the better).