In-between browser refreshes I caught a glimpse to a link to this Drupal Developers discussion -> Why WordPress.org Should Scare You …

Suffice it to say it is a fascinating read and perhaps the comments are most telling …

Essentially the story in said link holds true for most brands and companies, not just code jockeys and developers, in that it warns that anybody or group* that puts themselves first and losses sight of ultimate customer, is well, you can read for yourself but most likely headed way of legacy of T.Rex - once great and groovy, but now refined to museum exhibits …

Now I’m not saying WordPress is mecca …

Yet in the past I’ve spent time with Joomla, Drupal, and more CMS solutions than most people care to count … I even started my CMS hunting journeys when WordPress was then known as b2 / cafelog - okay I’m dating myself, but fortunately I’m also happily married and dating is thing of the past but I digress …

My point is this - after reading the robust comment thread on Drupal I then gleamed towards the top of my browser to see the url and laughed when I read aloud -> “http: site dot org /node/136294″ …

It was in particular the directory / folder name “node” that got me … not “discussion” … not “conversation” … not “debate” … not “thread” … but “node” … yikes … if there is anything more telling about who comes first, code or customers, please … and not that the url makes or breaks it when it comes to inspiring or discouraging discussions but I do believe it hints at focus …

On a separate venture capital forum I read a post about how url design is in the top five business decisions a new dot com can decide, right under achieving funding and securing top tier management team … in that case the author argued, “Can you imagine if Facebook had to re-design their user profile url path after they had 200,000 users or more …”

Accordingly, moral of the story (and this post) = code jockeys and brand managers can learn a lot from each other …

Which essentially can be distilled to common denominator -> Serve Your Client First and Foremost, and You’ll Thrive! …

This is also something that the best chefs know instinctually - e.g., great food and service at market rates = eternal food chain of happy repeat customers!

Bon Appetit! And a toast to those who serve the best, repeatedly!

*as of March 26th 2011, perhaps my favorite comment in the Drupal thread was from John Overall -> “a Camel is a Horse designed by committee.” … Yikes - having lived in condos with incompetent boards, group think is scary but lone wolves aren’t always better so somewhere between the two might be happy medium ..??..

This is one of those angry posts as I just sent the email reply below to a domain registrar - name removed as I don’t want to give them any free press but I digress …

Each year domain registration fees continue to go up … This makes absolutely no sense because every year the cost of computers, computing and bandwidth continues to get more efficient … I’ve actually had ISP’s lower their hosting costs for clients who locked in a year or two back in order to be competitive with the ISP’s current hosting plan offers but again I digress …

But when it comes to domain registrars, they seem to think like pirates and thugs believing they are entitled to raise the annual renewal price every year just because they can get away with it …

I’ve changed registrars many times over the years and unfortunately my favorite one sold out to a group that totally doesn’t get it and is this close from inspiring me to yet again find a new registrar …

e.g., every week this registrar sends out Domain Promotional Offers - buy one, get one free or at reduce cost; signup two or more and get xyz free added on; refer a new customer and get bla bla bla …

So over past couple years I’ve thought “wow cool offer - let me go register for this” and only after spending 5-10 minutes reviewing the offer, completing the form with credit card, have I been bummed to get the proverbial error message “Sorry - your wholesale account does not qualify for this offer” …

So after wasting my time, time after time, today I got yet another email promotion and sent them this in return:

fyi - your promotions STINK and are a complete waste of time … i can’t remember how many times i thought “wow cool” and then tried to signup for promotion only to get the “sorry - your account does not qualify” message …

thus your marketing team continues to violate Net 101 = Don’t Waste Customer’s Time …

if you are smart enough to flag my account during signup for service then you should be smart enough to not keep sending me your bogus promotions that don’t apply to my account …

ditto on your continues raising of domain renewal prices … save the stamp and analog mail and save some trees - will you … then keep my renewal prices low … after all, your 44 cent postage fee (plus ineffective marketing costs) certainly show up in my increasing renewal fees …

boy do i miss the original [name removed] owners from Pennsylvania - they knew how to run a domain registrar but i digress … cordially, chuck scott

I promised myself that I would not write another post in this blog until I had a chance to upgrade this butt-ugly ancient site with legacy hacks to the newer WordPress 3.1 MultiSite Network tricked out blogs that I’ve been building for clients. But as the shoemaker’s kids run around barefoot while the busy cobbler bangs away for paying clients, I too have to make do with this bare-blog for now, as the necessity of respect to fellow songwriters, producers and performers necesitates this post.

What follows is a thread and an account of a woman who asked my wife about buying/licensing her song Playing Solitare and the dozen or so responses I received from other music professionals from whom I sought feedback from.

I’ve fielded similar requests over the past couple of years and have spent way too much time on the phone and emails with tire-kickers, so this time around I decided to reach out to a dozen plus songwriters, producers, and performers I respect.

Some of them have Grammys. Others have Emmys. Others have platinum album credits and famous clients in their dossiers. All have love for the music trade, exceeding talents, and great respect for the Divine Muse(s) that whisper inspiration in their musical souls and leads them to rounds of winning applause from fans.

And all were kind enough to consider my appeal for feedback. So at a minimum I owe them, and their contributions, some air-time with this post in the spirit that it might help others who are looking to sell or buy songs.

This is a bit of a long post as I will include the various comments but edit out names to protect the innocent. I should also mention that these kinds of shared dialogues are something I’m building into the upcoming CoolTea Online site, but I digress.

Scene One - Enter the Prospect

Subject: a song purchase
Hi Katie,

Could you explain how I can license or purchase one of your songs? I have no clue. I love “Playing Solitaire”….it fits my voice…..if it’s not available I’m sure I can find something else.

I usually record old classic country songs, but was advised to look into purchasing originals by a well respected musician in my area.

Thanks, [name removed]

This scene generates great excitement with us, as we never know if we are dealing with somebody who is connected (as many in the past have claimed to be) - connected to music industry pros that is - or if we are dealing with another tire-kicker. Either way, it is exciting to have people think highly enough to consider Katie’s body of work, and we always respond with respect.

Since I have spent too much time in the past fielding funky phone calls and emails only to get to the money part and never hear back, I’ve developed a one-pager that kind of outlines what’s involved, including the fees.

But maybe something is wrong with my one-pager, so before I respond back to this prospect, let me do what most good marketing pros do - is get some real feedback from seasoned pros.

I say this because last Fall I had an agreement with a Nashville artist for three songs but we left off with him having to get his manager’s approval to cut the check, and that is when I never heard back despite numerous follow-up calls and emails.

So I took a critical eye on my previous one-pager and said to Katie that based on what I know now, I can see how a manager might have balked at some of the language, so let’s clean it up, and upgrade it, so to speak.

Scene Two - Soliciting Feedback from Pros

After I had buttoned up the next version of my one-pager, Katie and I made a list of some of the people we know and respect.

Then I constructed personalized emails and sent one at a time to each on my list but essentially said something like this:

Hi … [personalization followed by ...]

on other fronts, i was wondering if you could provide some feedback / reaction on the SongWriting license that Katie and i are working on … Katie has gotten some nice feedback over the past couple years on her songs and has had several people inquire about licensing them … to date, we have not sold a songwriting license (although we have licensed her Sound Recording to a Guide Dog school) …

we re-hashed the license below in anticipation of responding to the current inquiry [see Scene 01 email] …thus thought we’d run it by you in case you had some high-level feedback / reaction you might be able to share ..??..

accordingly, thanks in advance for your consideration and to be continued … cordially, chuck scott

=======================
Typical SongWriting Request from Web Prospect [refer to Scene 01] …

and here is licensing info i was going to send ->
==============================
SongWriting Services by Katie Scott
- at http://www.KissPrint.com
- Management by Chuck Scott
- email chuck@avantigroup.com
- voice 203.438.8801
==============================

[=] Songs for Sale … Technically, Katie’s songs are not sold but are licensed … Thus Katie owns and retains her copyrights to the lyrics and melodies, but you have the option to create your own sound recording copyright thus produce, sell, and distribute per the following licensing parameters …

[=] Licensing Fee … $350 per song plus revenue share …

[=] Revenue Share … Together we share in your success with two splits … 50-50 gross income when you license your sound recording (e.g., sync rights to film, TV) … and 80-20 gross income (i.e., 80% your share, 20% Katie share) with respect to product sales (e.g., CDs, digital downloads) …

[=] Gross Income … Defined as the money you receive … Your marketing, production, promotion, distribution, legal, agency, administrative, and/or other fees, are your business and are not factored into the revenue share calculation …

For example, if you sell your produced version on iTunes as a digital download for $1 and Apple’s fee is 75 cents per download, then your gross income is 25 cents per download and Katie earns* 20% of your 25 cents …

Similarly, if you create a CD with 10 songs and sell it for $10 per CD, then the gross income per song is $1 ($10 per CD / 10 songs = $1 per song) thus Katie earns* 20 Cents (20%) for each song of hers on your CD …

And if you license your sound recording to Film or TV, the payment(s) and/or royalties you receive from ASCAP, BMI, or other, constitute gross income thus are shared 50-50 …

*Or Katie earns the statutory mechanical right minimum set by Congress, whichever is greater …

[=] Term … The license is non-exclusive and is valid for two years, after which it is subject to renewal …

[=] Sound Recording Copyright … You own the copyright for the licensed sound recording you produce …

[=] Production Window … Upon payment of the license fee, you have up to six (6) months to produce and submit your finished sound recording for Katie’s final approval … Additional extensions for production granted per written request …

[=] Final Approval … Sound recordings are approved or rejected within 10-days of final submission … Failure to submit finalized sound recording within designated time frame invalidates license and the license fee is forfeited … If reasonable industry standards of production quality are not met, or obscene or offensive tracks, then license is subject to termination at Katie’s sole discretion in which event a full refund of the license fee will be issued and all license options promptly terminated …

[=] Moving Forward … Send your check for $350 license fee per song payable to The Avanti Group, Inc., Attn: Chuck Scott, POB 319, Ridgefield, CT 06877 … Submission of your final sound recording can be forwarded via Audio CD sent to the same mailing address or digitally delivered via FTP or Web per separate arrangement …

- fin -

Scene Two ended with hope that our inbox would get some replies, brutal honesty welcomed and anticipated.

Scene Three - The Various Feedback Replies

Within ten minutes of sending out my first email, replies started to stream in, so I will list them here in order received:

Response 01

Chuck, I know next to nothing about licensing individual songs. Best of luck.

Response 02

Hi
it all depends
no rules
i just bought for $100 the rights to record [song title removed], by [famous artist] — for a 1000 CDs through the Harry Fox Agency for an artist I’m recording.

if it ends up in a film, there’s a whole different set of parameters…

if Celine Dion wanted to record your song, you’d almost give it away for the exposure — so you have to weight these things –how bad do you want this person to record the song?

also there’s the publishing and writers share –

you’re giving them a license to record the song — you’re retaining pubishing and writers share (assuming you have it).

remember you’ll never know how many cds they’re going to sell –

good luck

Response 03

First of all, it is great to hear from you! I think of you and Katie often. I have to make sure that you are on my Fan Blast Gig Alert emails. I just played on …

As to the contract ideas, all of them sound very good, right in what I would expect as a licensing deal. However, you are leaving it all up to him to honestly report all sales and to cut Katie her share. I am not sure that there is any other way of doing this at this point. Perhaps reports from iTunes, Amazon, etc. to track digital sales, but there is nothing to track cash for CD sales. I am sure that you realize this and it is pretty much the state of affairs. It is wonderful that she is getting this kind of interest. I am curious to see how it all turns out.

Take care and I hope that all is well with you. Things are very interesting on our homefront…

Response 04

Hi..Chuck..hope u guys are well..

In regards to your questions:
it is whatever you want to accomplish in todays music biz..There is a lot here to wrap my head around right now…But I can suggest the following..
Normally if someone want to cut your song you keep all your shares(If written alone) then the artist who is interested in your song would license the song from Harry Fox Agency (if you are a member)they collect mechanical licenses then BMI or ASCAP would collect on air royalties..You may work out a deal with this artist and ask for a up front fee for future sales..So she is paying you for possible future sales on day one.. I am going through this now with [song title removed] from a few years ago..I am getting $1000 as an advance of 10,000 sales..I still own my writers and publishing shares..Do the math..This deal is not thru Harry Fox because they would get me a lesser rate..This was offered by the producer and artist.
In regard to all other subjects you’ll have research and read up..I am not that verse in all this..sorry..

Please refer me to any artist that need professional productions…As you know I can write and produce in all genres…thanks..

See u

ps - also do not give any of your song % away..this is your property..unless someone is taking a piece of the publishing for a nice advance..

Response 05

Man, I have no idea about this stuff. If someone just wants to record a tune for a “vanity” CD to give to friends and family, I’m sure they will not pay $350. But for a major established artist you probably can’t ask for too much. :->)

All else is fine here….

Response 06

Howdy, Chuck.

Congrats on getting licensing interest! It’s a serious step forward.

As to the proposed licensing, I’m curious about the up front charge. I’m wondering if that might discourage the use of Katie’s song.

Perhaps it would be better to just ask for a bigger songwrighter’s share? You know the local market and the licensee better than I.

*smiles*

I rarely do covers, but, recently I was mulling over a couple of them and found this company that helps get covers licensed. Maybe they have some relevant persepctives for you.

http://www.songclearance.com/

Cheers,

Response 07

Hi Guys, your license is very good. :)..

I would attempt to get more than 350 upfront so maybe 500.

Also, $1 per CD sold for one song is amazing for you to get, however, it is FAR from industry standard.

So, if you can get it, than do so but industry standard according to HARRY FOX Co. for mechanical sales is 9.1 cents per CD sold per song(s) on a CD.

I hope this helps and best of luck!

Response 08

hey chuck,
good to hear from you and glad things are working well with katie’s songwriting.

really, you can set things up any way you like - or is mutually agreeable. looks like you’ve got a good set-up here. i think the main theme should be everyone is comfortable with the immediate arrangements as well as the long-term specs.

when it comes to licensing - like most things - win/win is where you want to be.

best of luck and hope you are well.

Response 09

Chuck,

I assume you submitted Form Pa to the
US Copyright office, with words and a recording of the work.

If so, seems like you covered everything.

Good luck to Katie…may this song be a big hit!

Response 10

chuck,
i find that any time you can streamline things and qualify things…that’s a good thing. sounds like you’re heading down that road.
peace,

Scene Four - Email to Prospect with New License

So after all the feedback received, here is the email I sent to prospect:

Hi [full name] … thanks for touching base and glad to hear you love Playing Solitaire … that is one of Katie’s favorites :>)

licensing songs can get a bit complicated and typically depends on what you are trying to do … for instance, if you want to produce 1000 CDs and include a cover tune, you can go to Harry Fox Agency and for $100 or so get the mechanical rights license to do so … but that license does not typically cover digital downloads or if you sell your version to Film or TV etc …

thus below is a license that Katie provides that for $350 allows you the flexibility to produce both product (e.g., digital downloads and CDs) as well as sell to TV or Film (see license info below) …

the music business is in a stage of flux with all the new digital options these days and this license is not a take it or leave but has been one that has received enthusiastic response from other performing artist …

feel free to contact me at your convenience … cordially, chuck scott

==============================
SongWriting Services by Katie Scott
- at http://www.KissPrint.com
- Management by Chuck Scott
- email chuck@avantigroup.com
- voice 203.438.8801
==============================

[=] Songs for Sale … Technically, Katie’s songs are not sold but are licensed … Thus Katie owns and retains her copyrights to the lyrics and melodies (i.e., publishing and writing shares), but you have the option to create your own sound recording copyright thus produce, sell, and distribute per the following licensing parameters …

[=] Licensing Fee … $350 per song plus revenue share …

[=] Revenue Share … Together we share in your success with two splits … 50-50 gross income when you license your sound recording (e.g., sync rights to film, TV) … and 80-20 gross income (i.e., 80% your share, 20% Katie share) with respect to product sales (e.g., CDs, digital downloads) …

[=] Gross Income … Defined as the money you receive … Your marketing, production, promotion, distribution, legal, agency, administrative, and/or other fees, are your business and are not factored into the revenue share calculation …

For example, if you sell your produced version on iTunes as a digital download for $1 and Apple’s fee is 75 cents per download, then your gross income is 25 cents per download and Katie earns* 20% of your 25 cents …

Similarly, if you create a CD with 10 songs and sell it for $10 per CD, then the gross income per song is $1 ($10 per CD / 10 songs = $1 per song) thus Katie earns* 20 Cents (20%) for each song of hers on your CD …

And if you license your sound recording to Film or TV, the payment(s) and/or royalties you receive from ASCAP, BMI, or other, constitute gross income thus are shared 50-50 …

*Or Katie earns the statutory mechanical right minimum set by Congress, whichever is greater …

[=] Term … The license is non-exclusive and is valid for two years, after which it is subject to renewal …

[=] Sound Recording Copyright … You own the copyright for the licensed sound recording you produce …

[=] Production Window … Upon payment of the license fee, you have up to six (6) months to produce and submit your finished sound recording for Katie’s final approval … Additional extensions for production granted per written request …

[=] Final Approval … Sound recordings are approved or rejected within 10-days of final submission … Failure to submit finalized sound recording within designated time frame invalidates license and the license fee is forfeited … If reasonable industry standards of production quality are not met, or obscene or offensive tracks, then license is subject to termination at Katie’s sole discretion in which event a full refund of the license fee will be issued and all license options promptly terminated …

[=] Accounting and Reconciliation … Successful license requires that every six (6) months, a statement of gross income must be submitted with check for outstanding revenue share within 30 days of six month intervals … Failure to do so invalidates the license unless other arrangements are agreed to in writing …

[=] Termination … Upon license expiration or termination, any additional product sales from unsold inventory (e.g., from previously manufactured CDs during license period), and/or royalty payments (e.g., from sound recordings contracted during license period), still inure Katie’s revenue share to be accounted for and settled during six month integrals … Failure to do so, unless previously agreed to in writing, means that you (or your heir or estate) are responsible for all legal and collection expenses, if applicable …

[=] Moving Forward … Send your check for the license fee per song payable to The Avanti Group, Inc., Attn: Chuck Scott, POB 319, Ridgefield, CT 06877 … Submission of your final sound recording can be forwarded via Audio CD sent to the same mailing address or digitally delivered via FTP or Web per separate arrangement …

- fin -

Scene Five- The Climax and Response from Prospect

Drum roll please …

Thanks for getting back to me. It seems pretty complicated…lol. I’m just a 43 year old hometown wife who wants to record a CD locally - and hopefully sell them to family, friends, and people who compliment me when I’m singing out somewhere in town. I get asked a lot if I have a CD. I’m not into being a recording artist, being on tv or the radio…etc…lol…just some local fun. I’m too old, too fat, and too family oriented to do anything other than be around town. But I will reread the info you sent and share it with the hubby. You probably don’t hear from a lot of people like me….I’m not into being a “star”…..

Scene Six - Follow Up with Feedback Friends

Along the way, I enjoyed several additional emails bouncing back and forth discussing various points about licenses and fees, but perhaps this clip sums it up best:

… i reached out to a number of other producers and performers i know and received similar feedback … some said ask for more upfront, other ask for less upfront and more of a cut … and others said the mechanical fee was too high but in the end all said similar in that today there is so much flux that almost anything goes …

i’m with you on win-win and what i was trying to do is get a simple one page to bounce back to inbound prospects as i’ve gotten a fair amount of tire-kickers over the years … some have been phone calls from nashville circa midnight wanting to yap about projects - i even remember this one guy [name removed], telling me about his recording studio and client and how he likes to drive big rigs - to which i responded that when it comes to driving rigs, i’m more of golf cart guy … he laughed and that deal never happened thus the search for one-page that helps explain a bit of how songs are licensed not sold and there are a bunch of issues ..

with respect to this most recent inquiry, i had sent a modified license one pager to her based on some of the other feedback received and got the following reply [refer to Scene 05] …

anyhow, thanks again for honest feedback … cordially, chuck scott

Scene Seven - Conclusion and Closing Curtain

Okay, so I walked away from all this without a sale. But I also have a tighter one-pager and confirmation from a diverse group of pros that I’m not off base and that it is a fair basis to build upon.

More importantly, I am reminded how lucky Katie and I are to know so many wonderfully talented creative people who are so willing to share.

While I know many other professionals that are Intellectual Property experts, they just don’t share the same way musically centric folks seem to do.

Yes I know. Lawyers get paid for their time and expertise and often don’t have product extensions like CDs that they can sell in exchange for exposure.

But years ago when I was in my first band as a 30-something late-to-the-band-gigging game, one of my bandmates told me something I’ve never forgotten.

“Chuck you need to respect all musicians regardless of the type of music they play. Music is a gift that comes from Source - Him - Divine - call It what you want - but all musicians will confess that they know there is a Muse that touches them. And it is for this reason that each one of them, regardless of their genre, style, lyrics, should always have your respect even if you don’t agree with them or appreciate them since all of them, all of us, share that gift of the Muse’s touch from somewhere else.”

Lastly, I am reminded of another friend who told me their definition of an artist “is somebody who makes the unseen see-able for everybody else.”

Accordingly, thanks to friends who shared, thanks to all the prospects who have considered Katie’s songs, and more importantly, thanks to all those artists who listen to the Muse and bring forth sound currents for the rest of us to enjoy!

ps - I now am toying with the idea of creating a new license, one for people like the prospect mentioned here, a win-win amateur license I’m calling “NonCommercial Just for Fun” … so what do you think, $75 bucks sound right? The stipulation would be gotta give the CDs away but can charge shipping and handling - I jest!

Photo by ChuckScott.com taken Fall of 2009 on Western side of Main Street looking South - circa the Aldrich Museum around 5PM on Friday October 30th

If you saw me talking to myself and laughing on Main Street yesterday afternoon, let me explain.

I tend to be a bit of a space junky and love my own space unfettered by the vibrations and habits of others. This is one of the reasons I never sought corporate - in part because the idea of cubicles rubs against my grain.

Since 1995, I’ve been blessed to have my own studio - free of overhead and grumpy coworkers - thus am accustomed to spending a fair amount of time working solo.

So yes, I’ve since developed a tendency to talk to myself on occasion during work hours - especially when coding as it helps me think through some of the steps I’m working on.

Ditto for when editing, which is more of a reading aloud, voice-over, proof-of-concept thing vs. self-talk thing, but still vocal.

Self-talk is also applicable when it comes to spiritual thoughts - e.g., personal enjoyment via silent communion with God and His Management Team (note: I recently read that is important to verbalize our praises so to add volume and express gratitude out loud).

And yes, self-talk also includes talking to animals - e.g., with Kasha when street walking as it is important to reaffirm commands and confidence as we proceed - e.g., “Leave it” when it comes to other dogs and sometimes irresistible sniffs; “Good Girl” when it comes to proceeding through a cross walk with confidence with her in the lead, with her head up and a happy tail.

So yesterday while Kasha and I were out strolling along Ridgefield’s beautiful Main Street circa 3PM, I found myself conversing out-loud on all three levels.

The conversation and laughter started right after I started thinking about how to compute the number of stars in our Universe and was reflecting on a client’s recent blog post about the Second Sunday of Lent - see link here.

The client’s blog post started with: FIRST READING: Genesis 15: 5-12; 17-18. The Lord took Abram outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

Somewhere else I had read about accounts of God conversing with Abraham and/or others akin to saying, “And where were you when I created the Universe ..??.. And go ahead, count the stars and tell me how many there are ..??..”

So this counting of stars got me to reflecting on the magnitude of our Universal Father.

This thinking was also inspired by this past Sunday’s workshop experience with Rev. Patrick Devine and his The Urantia Study Group at The Oaks on Long Island Sound in New Rochelle New York.

In an effort to help me get up to speed with my first data point with The Urantia Book, Rev. Patrick Devine took time to explain several beautiful works of art in the room that showed and referenced relations of the various Celestial Universes that Jesus presides over, ours included.

When I said “I get it,” many of the seasoned attendees were a bit taken back with body language that suggested, “Chuck, do you really get it?” and while I did not reply directly, my sense was “Yes - I kind of get it - e.g., God is awesome. God is expansive. God is unlimited. God is in control of billions of billions and way beyond billions of billions. God is love. God’s love is eternal. God is endless.”

So to my simple way of thinking what I think I get is this -> homeboy can’t truly fathom how much He truly manages but tip my hat 100% to His greatness and His mathematical awesomeness when it comes to counting stars (e.g., not counting His powers of love, creation, universal management, etc.).

Accordingly, I get that He is way beyond my comprehension, but I’m totally cool with that and respective of the fact that I don’t need to come up with a finite number of stars but an understanding that there are more stars than I could ever mathematically account for, works.

Thus for now, the fact that I get He is beyond my gettingness is okay with me and that as I evolve, I have faith that He will reveal and make known to me that which I’m able to process and/or be able to understand, according to His Will, His Wisdom, His Timetable, His Grace - yippee and aren’t we lucky to be on the receiving end of His Goodness!

So there I was walking along thinking a bunch of loose thoughts and saying thank you for all that was in my world but also pondering that He is aware of every car that drove by, past, present and future, and how incredible His everlasting awareness is when I just so happened to blurt out when thinking about His math skills in being able to account for et al., “God you are good!”

Then it dawned on me how funny my statement was in particular the word “good”. Something about Him creating the world in seven days and then stepping back and saying “that’s good”.

So there I was with pun-in-cheek kind of thinking, laughing and saluting His goodness, when it dawned on me that people driving by might wonder what was that guy doing hence this post.

It’s funny what kinds of things stick out and sneak up on you. In this case it was an email sent separately to my wife and I from a mutual friend.

His email merely had a link to the video below and a one-liner “Well, sort of. He’s not very good at it.”

I’m more of a dog person so didn’t rush to see the video, but my wife was working home and laughing so loud that I had to inquire about the source of her laughter.

“This email from Ethan about this psychic cat is so funny - haven’t you seen it?”

“No I haven’t but will add it to my to do list to check out.”

A couple days later, and now even four months after that original email, Katie and I find ourselves periodically saying to each other things like, “Mouse. Treat. Silence.”

Accordingly, this two minute video has become a family classic and the spirit of humor portrayed now permeates our family history - enjoy!

I have often looked at ancient structures with wonder and silently pondered, “How exactly did they build that?”

From the Great Pyramids, to the perfect stone fittings of Machu Picchu, to the pillars of Stonehenge.

Below is a six minute video clip that goes a long way in explaining how Stonehenge might have been built. You don’t have to be an engineer to appreciate how this one man, Wally Wallington, shows how he can move Stonehenge-like pillars weighing 22,000 lbs and move a barn over 300 ft. - all by himself, using only gravity and his ingenuity - enjoy!.

Late last night I was flipping channels out in the living room while my wife and dog slept peacefully in the bedroom. Somehow I ended up catching the last ½ hour or so Frontline’s The Suicide Tourist - a very powerful documentary about Craig Ewert and his choice to die in peace versus die painfully from the ravages of his progressing ALS disease.

The documentary was exceedingly well produced and Craig’s candid final steps with his reflections and family and filmed death-bed scene in Switzerland under the supervision of Dignitas’s director, Ludwig Minelli, was truly remarkable. I think the scene of Craig sipping his death prescription, followed by pleas for an apple juice chaser, while his wife rubbed his sock covered feet protruding at the end of his death-bed, really gave new meaning to the term last straw.

Seeing this actual death on my TV screen was a bit surreal and on some level I couldn’t help think that it was all staged, that he was an actor, would pop out of bed when the scene was over and months later be on stage accepting a film award for best actor.

But no, it was real death. And the humility of seeing his wife leave their rented Swiss apartment, have the bell man put Craig’s empty folded wheelchair in the trunk of the black Mercedes limo to escort Mary to the airport, was indeed humbling.

The documentary was so real that I could feel Craig’s suffering - from his ventilator to his wheelchair and helpless dependence on others.

About seven years ago around this time, I awoke in a hospital bed after having spent six plus hours trapped in my car in seven degree winter weather, only to be miraculously extradited and airlifted to a local hospital. When I gained consciousness, I had tubes everywhere, was strapped into the bed complete with nonmoving neck brace.

My first thoughts were, “Yippee I’m still alive. There is hope. I didn’t die on the side of a lone winter road in vain. I have a chance.” But these thoughts were quickly dispelled when the doctors said that I had broken my neck (along with many other bones) and might be paralyzed.

The fear of being trapped in my body was horrifying. I was already trapped in that hospital bed and all the noises from the tubes, the discomfort, the sorrow in my fiancé and family’s eyes, was more painful than the physical agony that permeated my physical body. Yet the fear that this state of being would be permanent was, well, something I would never wish on anybody.

Three months of hospital care and approx. a year later with great physical therapists, and now I can get out of bed on my own and type my thoughts like I am doing now.

Yet the experience of being a prisoner to one’s body is a legacy that still haunts me. To this day I can not wear a necktie, nor a turtleneck or even a t-shirt with stitched neck collar that rises too far above my collar bones. The memory of other nursing home patients crying out in the middle of the night for help because they could not breathe and the ventilator alarms going off in their rooms and in the alarms in the nursing stations, still brings me back to the times when my ventilators went down and alarms went off and my feelings of drowning from lack of breath - all of which still bring chills to my soul.

So when I watched Craig and Mary Ewert’s story, I knew I couldn’t change the channel and I encourage everybody to do the same - you can see it free online here.

And you can read more about the Ewert family’s thoughts three and half years later at this link.

In the end, the Ewert’s story is a love story. A love for life, a love for each other, a love for family, a love for decency and a love for individual freedoms - especially a love for choice, in this case end of life choice.

In one part on the PBS web site Mary is quoted, “My challenge moving forward will be continued activism on issues involving what we do with our bodies. One important question is whether the state or church have a right to demand suffering at the end of life.”

She goes on and says “… our society places an inordinate emphasis on the emotional aspect of dying, urging patients to fight death, to be brave warriors in the face of death. The decision to quietly, gracefully accept and welcome death is at odds with the emotional battle against death. Both are ways of dealing with death, one is not better than the other. However, both approaches should be respected. I fear that acceptance of death is still viewed as somehow bizarre and frightening, something to be forbidden.”

Human suffering stinks and it boggles my mind to think how cruel and inhuman our supposedly technologically advanced, forward thinking society is when we treat elder dying pets with more compassion than we do humans.

I’ve never met the Ewerts but salute them for their sharing and leadership in advancing sensible end of life options. If only our global government leaders can tap similar sensibilities but I digress!

It’s Thursday night, Dec 31st 2009 circa 5:30PM as I pen this blog post and while most people are prepping for festive New Year celebrations with family and friends, I’m thoroughly bummed at a recent email I just received from Monty, the creator of MySQL (see below).

Long story short, here is my comment I sent to Monty when I signed his petition just now:

allowing Oracle to control MySQL is akin to allowing Oracle to take over the English Alphabet’s 26 letters … the alphabet is free and no society can grow unless there are communal commons of communications that nobody owns but all of us are free to use and build upon … SHAME on ORACLE … pray the EU sees and endorses societal wisdom in keeping MySQL the free, open source, rich LAMP cornerstone it is today … THINK “eminent domain” … to that level, forward thinking EU Leaders should exercise eminent domain on WinXP SP2 … Oracle and M.Soft are companies that are out-dated akin to out-dated principles like Human Slavery … Long Live the Best of Open Source … Viva MySQL … cordially, chuck scott, ridgefield connecticut, www.chuckingit.com …

Accordingly, please follow the links in Monty’s email to learn about the evil doings where the Sun does not shine (literally).

Happy New Year and here is hoping 2010 brings about more love, joy, success and positive growth for all and our planet.

Email from Monty - Creator of MySQL

Hi!

I am contacting you because you have in the past shown interest in
MySQL and from that I assume you are interested in the future
well-being of MySQL.

Now you have a unique opportunity to make a difference. By signing
the petition at http://www.helpmysql.org you can help affect the
future of MySQL as an Open Source database.

You can find more information of this on my latest blog post at:
http://monty-says.blogspot.com/2009/12/help-keep-internet-free.html

Help us spread the world about this petition!
http://www.helpmysql.org is available in 18 languages and every vote
is important, independent of from where in the world it comes!
If you know people that are using MySQL, please contact them and
ensure they also sign the petition!

Regards,
Monty
Creator of MySQL

PS: If you already have signed the petition or know about it, sorry for
reminding you about this! Because of the importance of this issue,
I am trying to contact every person that I have ever communicated
with regarding MySQL.

- fin -

The Van Speaketh of Evil Winds

Much of life can be distilled to binomial elements that somehow seem opposite yet also somehow seem necessary to hold them together.

We speak of these common binomial elements in everyday life like: good and evil; right and wrong; love and hate; black and white; north and south; east and west; up and down; etc.

Yet many people misunderstand the true nature of these binomial opposites - e.g., the true opposite of love is not hate - it is not caring - after all, when one loves somebody or hates somebody, they spend a lot of time thinking about what they want to do to that other person, how they want to make that person feel, consumed with planning their next moves, etc. - so hate is not the opposite of love; not caring at all about that other person is the true opposite of loving that person.

In following up to my previous post about loving guide dogs vs killer Nazi concentration camp attack dogs, I was pondering the concept of evil while reflecting on some email threads with various circles of friends about the current health care debate in Washington.

I suspect many people tend to think of evil as big, bad, scary, demonic, savage, ruthless people, critters and spirits. But this understanding of evil is a mistake and akin to thinking the opposite of love is hate.

At it’s simplest, I propose that evil can be defined as an absence - in particular, an absence of God, an absence of Divine, an absence of Love, an absence of respect for Universal connectedness to all things. Perhaps even defined further as a fullness of ego, a fullness of self-centeredness “I’ll get mine and the world be damned” kind of mentality.

Thus when somebody does something or says something that does not contain a basis of love, then it is fair to say that person is evil. Not that they have to appear as big, bad, scary ogres with flames, just to say that their basis for doing and speaking is void of Love, void of Divine, void of Universal Truth.

Below are two videos that confirm there is a great evil brewing in Congress and the satanic poster boy for this evil health care wind is Obama.

The proof of this evil comes in the most basic form - e.g., why is Obama, Congress, Senators, and their families exempt from the very health care reform they are trying to push on us?

Accordingly, here is another binomial pair of opposites but in this case it is very real - them (our elected representatives) vs us (everyday people who pay their salaries and benefits).

Below are two videos that were part of the email circles with friends. They are both short, circa 4 minutes each, and feature Congressman Mike Rogers (Michigan) as he spotlights the evil of Obama’s intent in the second video while squaring off with the Democratic Chair in the first video.

The Van Speaketh of Evil Winds Continues

If you watch both of these videos, you can see that Representative Rogers is coming from a basis of Love, while Obama is absolutely coming from an evil basis. Now don’t get me wrong, as I’ve never met Obama and have every reason to believe he thinks he is a good person, but as the saying goes, “The Road to Hell is Paved with Good intentions”.

But Obama is not, nor never has been, a business man and as Mike Rogers recounts in the 2nd video with Fox News about conversations with Michigan employers per the incentives and facts in the proposed health care bill, well you can see Obama is coming from a basis of evil. Okay sure, they might have good intentions, yet the international statistics and first hand experience presented by Rogers are truly coming from a basis of love and one cannot say the same for the other camp.

In the end, name calling or saying one is good or evil doesn’t move the ball for reform in either direction. Certainly, I’m all for some kind of reform that helps bring health care to affordable quality levels but I’m also not a fan of most consumer-related things government generated (e.g., consider declining public school student satisfaction and customer service at the DMV).

I’m also reminded of a recent conversation I had with a newly minted nurse.

This nurse, a retired self-made businessman and multimillionaire going on his third or fourth career, went back to school to study nursing because of the passion for caring in his heart and soul. As he was finishing his second year in nursing school, he told me the story about how an illegal alien (no green card, no passport, no insurance) suffered from a collapse lung and received over $70,000 worth of surgery and medical care from a Fairfield County Connecticut hospital. This patient paid no deductible and would have been left for dead in his own country.

My nursing friend stated it clearly when he said “Paying for the uninsured? Shoot, we’re paying for them already. That $70,000 uncollected fee shows up in everybody else’s insurance premiums.”

So, if there is going to be any health care reform whatsoever, I propose the first thing is that there is no binomial division between our representatives and us.

In other words, they have to eat the same dog food and go with the same plans as the rest of us, otherwise they are just plane evil and not coming from a basis of love, let alone true Universal respect for et al.

First Video:

Second Video:

Every 26 days or so, a new group of students start class at Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB) and with each new class, my wife Katie, gives them a welcome presentation about volunteers who are available to assist these new students on sundry levels (e.g., go shopping, drive them to church, cut their hair, massage, etc.).

Thus it is always interesting for me to be at dinner table on the nights she comes home from those monthly presentations.

“Who is in this class ..??.. what kind of backgrounds ..??.. any interesting reactions to Kasha (our released dog and GEB ambassador dog) ..??.. any funny jokes or comments ..??..”

And even though I’ve raised six pups, attended and filmed numerous graduations, sometimes Katie tells stories that blow me away, like this one of Mr. Max Edelman who’s tale was featured in this GEB newsletter (pdf file) and I’ve included the text here:

Max Edelman’s story was featured in the July 29, 2009 issue of USA Today.

“I was blinded in a Nazi concentration camp at the age of 21, and arrived in America with my late wife in 1951. We worked and raised two sons, and now, at 86, I have five grandchildren. For most of those years, I depended on a white cane. My problem, although I was reluctant to admit it, was that I had a fear of getting too close to dogs.

But the day I retired, I decided to apply for a guide dog at Guiding Eyes for the Blind. I so much wanted the freedom a dog could give me; I had to make the attempt.

Charlie, our class supervisor, had a few cheerful welcoming words for the twelve of us that arrived in Yorktown Heights in May 1990. But afterwards, I took Charlie aside and said, ‘I would like to have a guide dog. But because of my negative experiences with dogs, I am not sure I could ever bond with one.’ Charlie asked to hear my story.

‘I am a Holocaust survivor,’ I said. ‘In one of the Nazi concentration camps I was in, the commandant had a big, vicious German Shepherd. Sometimes, when he entertained guests and wanted to show how cruel he could be, or how vicious his dog was (or both), he told a guard to bring a group of inmates into his courtyard. Once, before I was blinded, I was in that group. I watched as he chose one of us to stand apart. Then he gave the dog the command, ‘Fass!’ meaning ‘Fetch!’ With one leap, the dog grabbed the victim by the throat. The man died in just a few minutes, and the dog returned to his master for his reward. More than four decades later, nightmares about this still torment me,’ I confided to Charlie.

After a moment of reflection, Charlie said, ‘No human being is born evil; some become evil. No dog is born vicious; some are trained to be vicious. Give us a chance to prove to you that our dogs will guide you safely, love you, and protect you.’

His words strengthened my resolve. I was determined, I told Charlie, to give myself a chance. Should I fail - it wouldn’t be for lack of trying. Charlie decided Calvin, an 80-pound chocolate Lab, would be the right match for me. When I returned home with him after our four-week training period, I found myself struggling to fully relax and forge a bond.

Often, I recalled Charlie’s words, ‘No human being is born evil, and no dog is born vicious …’

Slowly, Calvin and I began to break down the invisible barrier between us. Finally, after about six months I began to trust Calvin. Any lingering doubts I had about Calvin were dispelled one day as we stood at a busy intersection, waiting to cross the street. When we stepped off the curb, a motorist unexpectedly made a sharp right turn, directly in front of us. Calvin stopped on a dime. Realizing that he had saved us both from serious injury, I stepped back onto the sidewalk, gave Calvin a hug around the neck, and praised him for a job well done.

It was the turning point in our life together. After that, the love between us flowed freely and Calvin Blossomed.

Calvin retired in 1999, after more than nine years of giving the best he had and then some. He was succeeded by Silas, a 78-pound yellow Lab, that was his mirror image.

And today, nineteen years after I began my Guiding Eyes journey, I have been blessed with Tobin, my third guide dog.

Yes, Charlie. You were right. ‘Give us a chance,’ you said, ‘Your dog will guide you, love you, and protect you.’ ”

Be sure to checkout this GEB Sept Newsletter for more stories and the picture on page four of Max and Tobin - Woof On!