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Coretta Scott King died at age 78

I stole this from Niki's Blog : 1 MINUTE AGO: I was reading an article about the Boondocks 1 HOUR AGO: I was reading email 1 DAY AGO: I was at the Flying Saucer drinking Corsendonk with my DK coworkers 1 YEAR AGO: I was working on Music Row, engaged to Tara I LOVE: Tara, music, beer, Turkish food I HATE: Closed-mindednesss, impatience I FEAR: heights (open heights like cliffs and ledges) I FEEL: tired I HIDE: negative emotions I DRIVE: a 02 Corolla I MISS: Tara (when we don't see each other between Sunday night and Tuesday evening) & my parents I NEED: A massage and a powerball jackpot I KNOW: alot about music I THINK: I am less significant than I am FIRSTS.. First piercing: N/A First credit card: American Express ...member since 1987 First musician you remember hearing in your house: Jackson 5 LASTS... Last big car ride: Tara and I went to Louisville this past Spring Last food consumed: Banana Last phone call: electician Last Text Message: N/A Last drink drank: Water L...

I thought the show was spot on. I think that in private even the most erudite of Black folk will feel and express the very frustration that MLK showed in this cartoon. Some will choose not to use particular words while others will. Boondocks steps over line in its treatment of King

Although I don't go to Chinese or Japanese places too often I have been talking about this for a few years now. Go to restaurant with own chopsticks.

I'm probably last on the complete list, we add a 4 KwH block (I think that's how it's calculated...) to our bill each month. Top 25 Green Power users

Love yourself and be awake- Today, tomorrow, always. First establish yourself in the way, Then teach others, And so defeat sorrow. To straighten the crooked You must first do a harder thing- Straighten yourself. You are your only master. Who else? Subdue yourself, And discover your master. -from the Dhammapada

The more you practice the three trainings of ethics, meditation, and wisdom, the more difficult it will become for you to act in a way that is contrary to an ethical, compassionate attitude. Ethics arise naturally out of contemplating the three trainings. Martine Batchelor, " Meditation for Life "

Thanks to UComics & A Mc .

From Gristmill : Exxon Mobil Corp ., you may have heard, just ended the most profitable year ever , for any American corporation. Ever. To the tune of $34 billion. That means Exxon pulled down about $1,110 a second last year. Nonetheless, as Carl Pope extensively documents , the company remains one of the biggest deadbeats in the world, still digging in its heels about paying victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill (2,000 of which are dead -- and their surviving family members have no standing in the case, and will never receive anything). Then there's the matter of oil and gas royalties, which -- despite the skyrocketing cost of oil and gas, and subsequent industry profits -- have remained level over the past few years. All that profit is going directly into corporate coffers. Anyhoo, the point of all this is that ExxposeExxon has a new video up lampooning Exxon, and it's kinda funny.

The Global 100 is a list of publicly-traded, MSCI World-listed companies that, based on research and analysis by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors , have the best developed abilities, relative to their industry peers, to manage the environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and opportunities they face. The companies were selected from the Innovest universe of around 1,800 securities. The Global 100: Most Sustainable Corporations in the World

Enlightenment--that magnificent escape from anguish and ignorance--never happens by accident. It results from the brave and sometimes lonely battle of one person against his own weaknesses. Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano, " Landscapes of Wonder "

It's been awhile since I've really said anything. Basically, I haven't wanted to say anything. The days pass by some things stay the same and my mood moves toward depression...nothing major; nothing like 2 years ago when I was really dragging. Part of it is the reality that I make about 50% of what I made this time last year and my bills are exponentially higher. Tara takes care of most of them but I feel the pressure of being on a budget, a tight budget, and this is something I haven't had to worry about in a very long time. The other part, the part that I have to really work on is how much of a slacker I feel like around Tara. I know I shouldn't - and don't have to - compare myself to Tara but when such a commanding persona is in your space everyday it's hard not to feel a little, dare I say, inadequate. Tara is confident in herself and her way and sometimes oblivious to fact that other people do things other ways that work just as well. I have to figure o...

Rumor: Barcelona to purchase D.C. United?

Without love we could not survive. Human beings are social creatures, and a concern for each other is the very basis of our life together. His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Music Notes: Susan Tedeschi Desert-island discs: Queen of Gospel - Mahalia Jackson Hide Away: The Best of Freddy King - Freddy King A Donny Hathaway Collection - Donny Hathaway Trouble - Ray LaMontagne and Songlines - The Derek Trucks Band (due in February)

Netwerk Press Release : NETTWERK MUSIC GROUP TAKES ON THE RIAA NEW YORK- Canadian based artist label and management company Nettwerk Music Group has joined the fight against the RIAA on behalf of consumers who wish to download music. In August 2005, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) filed a complaint against David Greubel for alleged file sharing. Greubel is accused of having 600 suspected music files on the family computer. The RIAA is targeting nine specific songs, including 'Sk8er Boi' by Arista artist, Avril Lavigne , a Nettwerk management client. The RIAA has demanded Greubel pay a $9,000 stipulated judgment as a penalty, though it will accept $4,500 should Greubel pay the amount within a specific period of time. ' Suing music fans is not the solution, it's the problem ,' stated Terry McBride, C.E.O of Nettwerk Music Group.

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us be thankful. The Buddha

that in the year 2006, you still have racism, says FIFA president Sepp Blatter. Clubs should be docked points for racist abuse

Best looking MLS Logo in a long time...black and gold too. Houston 1836 prepares for 2006

It is good to control your words and thoughts. The seeker who is in control feels free and joyful. Listen to that seeker who guards his tongue and speaks wisely. Such a one is humble and does not exalt himself. Dhammapada

I like it! Houston MLS club pays homage to city's birth Now let's hope the logo is good. the League: Major League Soccer the Team: Houston 1836 the CIty: Houston, TX

In meditation, don't expect anything. Just sit back and see what happens. Treat the whole thing as an experiment. Take an active interest in the test itself, but don't get distracted by your expectations about the results. For that matter, don't be anxious for any result whatsoever. Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, " Mindfulness in Plain English "

From desert to oasis: Escovedo's rootsy rebirth the Man: Alejandro Escovedo Be sure to go by your local indi record store and pick up Room of Strings , the live 2 CD set from Al's String 5tet...

that a lot of pro atheletes are also pretty people? Look at this kid Marvell Wynne (see picture below), he's a really good looking guy. What is that about?

A Black guy as the #1 pick , who woulda thunk! Congrats, lets see how a defender shows his stuff... the Player: Marvell Wynne the Dad: Marvell Wynne the Team: NY/NJ MetroStars

Anthony Franciosa dies at 77... Tom Waits says Well I'm goin' out west Where the wind blows tall 'Cause Tony Franciosa Used to date my ma They got some money out there They're giving it away I'm gonna do what I want Do what I want And I'm gonna get paid Goin' Out West

One of my coworkers was a studio engineer for 20+ years. This morning I asked him if he'd ever worked with Wilson Pickett and he said yes, he had. Earnie proceeded to tell me a story about Wilson taking a joke the wrong way and not backing down from the much larger guy who told the joke. He said Wilson was a great guy but you had to be careful cause you never could tell when he'd take the joke the wrong way. This particular time he got nose to nose with a "rotund" black-belt bass player. The next day it was like nothing had ever happened. I imagine Earnie has many more stories like that.

Veteran soul singer Wilson Pickett died on Thursday of a heart attack in Virginia, his manager said. He was 64. Sad, sad. Wilson Pickett was an ass, or so I heard, but his music always transported me to another world. When he was on there was noone better! I suggest you go find some of those 60s Atlantic records, the ones recorded in Muscle Shoals. Look for the Hey Jude album in particular. The title track was the song that turned Clapton into a Duane Allman fan. Duane rips it up on a couple of tunes on that record.

Jan FIFA Rankings (changes notated by number on the right...no number, no change): 1 Brazil 2 Czech Republic 3 Netherlands 4 Argentina 5 Spain 5 France 7 Mexico -2 7 USA 1 9 England 10 Portugal 11 Turkey 12 Italy 13 Denmark 14 Sweden 15 Japan 16 Greece 17 Germany -1 18 Uruguay 19 Iran 20 Croatia The rest of the rankings...

Apparently I missed the LeAnn Rimes & Keith Urban sightings but yesterday there was Darrell Scott and also, my buddy, David Olney .

I didn't watch the Golden Globes but thanks to Egotastic I can share with you some of my favorite new wallpaper photos! My God! This woman gets sexier by the day. And I love her voice. Nuff Said. Grace.

Electric Blue Watermelon by my boys, the North Mississippi Allstars . They grow with each album and this one has some of their best ideas yet! It's essential a tribute album to Otha Turner, their mentor, they have subtle tribute parts like samples of him and they have overt tribute parts like "Moonshine". It includes some wonderful songs like Hurry up Sunshine with Lucinda Williams and the VERY Jim Dickinson, "Bang Bang Lulu". I feel at home with this record. My one complaint is Luther's continued "white guilt". Brotherman, we all know you are good people, you don't have to include a line on every album explaining that you're not like the rest of them... Please go see these guts when they come to your town, you will NOT be disappointed. the Tour: NMA on the road

If we pick up the handle, we pick up the pot. Similarly, if we meditate on and develop compassion—the wish that all others be without suffering—we hold within us the essence of all other Dharma practices. Geshe Hgawang Dhargyey, " Advice From a Spiritual Friend "

Henry Cho is my newest celebrity sighting. You remember Henry, right? Thr Korean comic with the country accent, from Knoxville. Very funny guy. Very nice guy. No major conversation b/c I couldn't remember how I knew him.

WSMV-Channel 4 pulled the new NBC show The Book of Daniel after the network rejected a Channel 4 request to air it overnight instead of during "family viewing time," WSMV General Manager Elden Hale Jr. said yesterday. Channel 4 pulls 'Book of Daniel' the TV station: WSMV-Channel 4 the TV show: Book of Daniel

Thanks to UComics & Aaron McGruder. Be sure to watch the TV show

Guarded in speech, Well-restrained in body & mind, Do nothing unskillful. Purify These three courses of action. Bring to fruition The path that seers have proclaimed. Dhammapada, 20, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

Buy into Bounty, Join a CSA I've mentioned this before but Tara and I are part of a CSA though her church. The farm is Avalon Acres in Hohenwald. During the Winter we get a lot more meat than in the Summer. Last month we got a "grassfed" beef roast that was very nice and we've gotten some wonderful breakfast sausage. Sometimes it's nice to know where your food comes from

A few weeks ago Alison Brown came in the store. Alison is the CEO & Founder of Compass Records and is also an awesome banjo player...think mellow version of Bela Fleck . Alison and I became acquainted when I worked at Wherehouse Music. She was the first indi label to make contact and through the next 5 years or so we worked hard to keep her label profile as high as it deserved. It was nice to see her again, it had been quite awhile. Jim Ridley was in the store last week.

I finally have some titles to call best of 2005... Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (this is just plain sexy! Her voice, her passion and her quirly creativity) Alejandro Escovedo - Room of Songs (a live recording of his string 5tet, lush recording and super hot performance of this variation of Al's band) Susan Tedeschi - Hope & Desire (SOUL Music!) There are a couple of more but I'll have to come back later.

I wasn't let go b/c I am a nice guy. Nice guy works really well when you work retail...customers trust you when you are a nice guy, your coworkers think you're cool b/c you are a nice guy. I am a nice guy...besides, I know more about more music than anyone in the store.

Today was a day of change at work...a couple of team leaders changed and 2 of the 3 of us who trained together we let go... I'm just lucky I guess.

I bought this last week but I haven't gotten to listen. I've seen several of the incarnations of Al's bands and it is quite amazing to see how he can rearrange these songs - for a rock band, a string 5tet and whatever else he puts together - and gets the same emotional strength. Nothing is ever lost in translation. It's a graceful, elegant record, hinged on a delicacy that belies the intensity frequently just below the surface. Room of Songs Review

someone who loves you... Lou Rawls, Dies at 72 sub required for full story or go here :

Foods for a better diet... Beans Peanut butter Almonds Olive oil Green tea Fish Whole-grain breads and cereals Spinach

Ten Mysterious Questions to wake up our inner selves. What is my life’s work? What are my unique gifts? What are the issues I must face? What activities deeply nourish me? What brings me pleasure and joy? What is the next step I must take in order to become more fully myself? What needs to be healed in me? How am I meant to serve? What is my passion? What is the task ahead of me now?

Because love is other-concerned, has no hierarchy, and does not cherish self-vindication, these teachings may be used as wise guides for intimate relating. May I consider all beings precious. May I always respect others as superior while attaining self-esteem. May I face my inner darkness and turn it to good. May I be moved with compassion for the pain behind the spite others may show me. When I am hurt by others, may I forego retaliation while always fighting injustice. May I reckon those who betray me as sacred teachers. May I offer joy to all beings and secretly take on their suffering. May all beings and I be free from ego concerns of loss and gain. Adapted from How to Be an Adult in Relationships by David Richo

Freddy Adu remembers the day he found out he had earned a shot at making this year's U.S. World Cup roster. FOXSports.com - USA- Adu realizes U.S. dream

I don't know where my head was at when I made that post about celebrity sightings but I forgot the following: Bela Fleck Victor Wooten (and his band) Futureman (we had a long chat about the Black Mozart, Monsieur de St. George )

Mindfulness is the miracle by which we master and restore ourselves. Consider, for example: a magician who cuts his body into many parts and places each part in a different region--hands in the south, arms in the east, legs in the north, and then by some miraculous power lets forth a cry which reassembles whole every part of his body. Mindfulness is like that--it is the miracle which can call back in a flash our dispersed mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live each minute of life. Thich Nhat Hanh, " Miracle of Mindfulness "

Leave your watch on the bedside table. Check your e-mail only two or three times a day. Take the scenic route. Light candles before you start cooking dinner. Make up rituals. Say a silent word of thanks and make eye contact with everyone at the table before you start eating. Let the phone ring once or twice before answering. Make a handmade present for a friend. Set aside one night a week all for yourself-- and a day once in a while. While driving, assume that everyone else on the road is answering the call of a friend in real need. Bake your own bread. Grow your own vegetables. Brew your own beer. Spend as much time outdoors in natural settings as you possibly can. Pay attention to cycles of the moon and the shifting seasons. Sit down beside a stream or river whenever you can. Appreciate the pleasures of slow music: tango, waltz, cool jazz, ballads, bossa nova, folk and more. Buy two hammocks: one for the garden, one for your living room. Sit for a moment with your eyes closed when ...

DK is located in a very ritzy part of Nashville known as Green Hills. Alot of celebrities live close by and it is an area where the haves want to be seen by the other haves. Everyday day I come home and tell Tara who I saw in the store today. I've meant to keep a log but I keep forgetting. Since I started I have seen, if not personally helped(these don't include book signings): Gov. Phil Bredesen Mayor Bill Purcell Kathy Mattea Steve Earle Gordon Gee Tim McGraw / Faith Hill (they usually come in together). Clint Black David Olney (my friend and regular customer from back in the 90s) I believe there are others that I am forgetting. Stay tuned for more as the days and weeks go by.