He said, She Said.

You know what word really bothers me? Politics. That word puts my stomach in knots,spins my head in circles, and generally just confuses and nauseates me to a point where I can't even think about it anymore! Anyone else have this problem?

Sure, you could sit there and tell me that it's "Un-American" not to be involved in the political discussion or that I should be taking advantage of the fact that I live in what we Americans refer to as "the free world"(and believe me, I am!)...but more often than not, when I wake up to read the news and try and submerse myself in my
country, I often times am left with a whole lot more questions than answers....anyone else have this problem??

What i keep coming back to at the end of the day is this simple fact, there is NO WAY to truly believe what you see or read anymore. The media and its hold on the American psyche is so powerful that it can manipulate our minds as hard as it wants to, or as soft as a pile of play-doh!



When it comes down to it, the only truth out there in this media saturated world is that, there is TOO MUCH INFORMATION!!! And because of neat little inventions like TEH INTRAWEBS, globalization rocks on in the free world, one day at a time, in a MILLION different ways....and most people in this country, better still, in this world, have NO IDEA it's even happening at all!

I took a class my senior year of college with 7 other students (8 being the minimum to call it an actual "class"), called "Globalization". It was taught by Dr. Gita Rajan, still, one of the most incredible teachers I have ever had...and in this class I learned more about my country,myself,and my relationship to the world around me then I could have possibly imagined. Sounds crazy right? Four plus years of undergrad work and ONE CLASS made that big of an impact on me!? If you know anything about globalization, you know that it's complicated. There are lots of ins and outs and of course, lots of "what have yous"...but its roots and a basic understanding of how it works made me realize, that what is happening in our world in 2008 has been coming for a long, LONG time!

So maybe tonight, instead of watching the season premiere of Heroes, or Brett Favre in California, or spending a little too much time on Facebook, you can use your intrawebs portal to google, "globalization". I can't say you will learn that much from just "googling" it, but hey, it's a start, right?

See You In September

Yeah, yeah, yeah...You know where I'm going with this don't ya? Or maybe you don't?
Somewhere in the neighborhood of TEN weeks ago, most Americans decide they are going to let it all hang out, try out something new, travel somewhere, do something adventurous... live life to the fullest...



Well I applaud YOU!
After all, isn't the whole purpose of this existence to get rich or die trying?
Of course, then you would need a closer examination of the word "rich"...and just what constitutes "riches" in life...more on that on the next blog :P

As is customary in any good rant, or rave, digression is necessary...but again I digress...ok...


WAKE UP AMERICA!!

These ten glorious weeks of Summer have made me remember what I love about life and more specifically what I love about this country and I refuse to allow myself to get swept in to this cesspool of deceit and tomfoolery which passes, all too freely, through the veins of this country like the ketamine and crystal meth in Amy Winehouse's body.
(Amy's Flattering Concert Clip Here)



I know...it's terrifying...

Ok, so what is this all about?
The summer is a time when most people feel a sense of renewal and freshness. The feeling it conjures up and the vibrations through the air are unmatched, but I guess what I am asking is that, couldn't this be something we strive for all the time? Almost as if to bottle it up and sell it to society one bottle a time like a coors light or a coke.
I know its unreasonable to think that any moment, or any feeling, could last forever, because they, like all things in life are fleeting too. But what causes us to do things in the summer, that we wouldn't ordinarily do? Is it the temperature outside, or the vacation time most people have? Is it the convertible in the garage or is it something more?

What "IT" is, is the soul.

Whether you believe in having one or not is for a different time and place, but if you don't believe, then lets just play pretend, mmmkkay? SUPER!

The soul needs to breathe every once in awhile and when you suppress the appetites and desire that are so vital to your souls respiratory system, you run the risk of having an unhealthy soul.
Here is a prime candidate for healthy soul-->


Now take that and put it next to that Amy Winehouse clip, who lets not forget, CAN REALLY SING, when she wasn't high off her ass and on the brink of total self destruction.

The healthy soul vs. the unhealthy soul.

I use these clips not to glorify Marvin Gaye or to belittle Amy Winehouse, but instead to try and shed some light on an important belief of mine.

Every summer Americans explore their souls, and every September we start to explore less and less until the next summer comes and we do it all over again. Why not explore your soul everyday? I know it's not as simple as just saying it, nothing is, but simply recognizing it once a day goes a long way.

It is the exploration of your soul which is where the true riches in life come from. When you are true to your soul and thus true to yourself, the things in your life you have always wanted, happiness, love, friendships, etc.. begin to reveal themselves to you.

When you suppress the soul and its appetites you end up with a homogenized society of walking zombies, who trudge through life destroying themselves, their home, and the people around them. Unfortunately, I feel Americans want to be soul "searchers" but end up being more like soul "squeezers" in the long run!



The time is now America. I beg all of you to take a close look at your soul today. Talk to it, ask it questions. Make sure that its getting all the proper nutrients it needs to make it through the day.

And while I still got you here, please make sure you vote in the upcoming election...just don't vote for the other guy! :P


LISA SIMPSON: "You know Bart, Pablo Neruda always said laughter was the language of the soul."

BART SIMPSON: "I am familiar with the works of Pablo Neruda."

STRINGFINGERS

Well,well,well...It has been well over a fortnight since last I found myself writing on this blog...and as I stumbled across it this morning at "the day job", I said to myself, "why not utilize this rainy, Monday morning, to tell all of the blogging community out there, what I have been up to lately"...

To put it quite simply, Music has been life lately....other than "the day job"...

In April, Dan Tressler
and I finished our FIRST ALBUM TOGETHER under the name
String Fingers.
The album is available now and is titled:
STRUNG UP

In lieu of this recent effort, big Dan T and I have formed a band.

The current members of the band are:
ROB BONACCORSO-DRUMS AND PERCUSSION
RYAN McADAMS-BASS GUITAR
DAN TRESSLER-FIDDLE/MANDOLIN/GUITAR/BANJO/VOCALS
DAN CARLUCCI-GUITAR/MANDOLIN/VOCALS
SARAH NOVIA-VOCALS
MIKE QUATRELLA-HORNS

AND HERE IS A SMALL SAMPLE OF WHAT WE SOUND LIKE:



The band is about 2 months old as of right now and we are just getting the ball rolling. Learning new material, regular rehearsals, booking more gigs, and sometime this fall starting work on our second studio album is all part of the big picture right now.
We are currently hosting an open Acoustic/Bluegrass Exploration night at the Georgetown Saloon every first and third Wednesday of the month. Come on down and pick a bit or just enjoy the music, food, and great atmosphere!

We are also in the process of putting our website together, so be sure to stay tuned to www.stringfingers.com for more exciting developments!!