I'm busy with taxes, which I hate and try to postpone until I'm six feet under, but I took off about 5 PM yesterday with no ticket and a nice camera that was forbidden in the theater, and sho' nuff, there was the Man I've tried to imitate forever. Actually, he was in the Army in Germany, a West Point grad and a helicopter pilot, and sang in the GI clubs. I loved his songs, because they were written stright out, with passion and intelligence and strength of character, nothing sleazy, no knock-offs of anyone, just Kris himself.
I used to teach writing and public speaking for the Univ. of Maryland in Army Education centers in Germany 1975-1994, and I used him as a example of great writing. You can't change one syllable, one word, one comma or anything without making his songs weaker. They are that taut, that strong, that personal, and that well structured, polished, and perfected. You know when he's done his work, it's good work. There is no, absolutely no, such thing as good writing. There is only good RE-writing. Right! Rewriting and turning things in and out and up and down and tightening up, eliminating the fat, the fluff, the do-dads, the gimmicks that are often thought of as "poetry" or "style" or "art." Forget it. If you can eliminate even two or three words from a poem, a song, a speech, or a novel, you'll have a better piece of writing.
Kris amazed me. I've always loved his songs, I've never seen him in a movie, and never seen him life. But we're both 72, both singers and songwriters, but he's famous and I'm not, yet. But until last night, I thought he might have an "attitude," something I might not like. He did not. He came out with his harmonica around his neck, like Dylan in the old days, and his acoustic guitar with the electrics inside it, hidden, thank God, and he sang softly. No belting it out. No showmanship or dancing or anything lame or puny or stupid. He sang. I have only heard him on the radio, and that's not too often, and I thought he had a hard time holding a note, like he was a great actor and songwriter, but no singer. Last night he was so cool, so intimate with the audience of mostly mature people, and noisy, for a Boston crowd, without any "show" or dancing girls or laser lights or smoke, just a guy you would like to know much, much better, a guy with rich values and a world of vision and experience, overpowering in his mild and simple way. I've been suffereing from terrible sinus problems and I've been realy bothered by Tax Time, but since about ten last night, after I waited until I thought he'd come out of the theater, but he did not, so I passed a copy of my "Ballad of Sam Bede" (about a soldier who died in Vietnam in 1971) in a lig white envelope with my DrHanzonScience card taped in the return address place, and his naje in big Marker black letters on the front - to a guy who was making sure everthing was squared away in the alley next to the stage door, and asked him if he'd be seeing Mr. Kristofferson. He said yes, and agreed to hand him my envelope. I could not cut a CD until today, somehow I got the computer to make a good one with 11 of my favorite songs on it - all written my me, and sung my me, with just my 90 dollar guitar, here in this office where I sit, avoiding sleep . . . and I hope to be sending them to may favorite musicians. I need someone to give me a lift so I can make some money. I've dedicatd my whole life to doing good things for people, and I'm broke, so I hope somebody out there can use my songs and let people hear them and support me and my work. That would be nice karma!
If you have not listened to my songs, go to youtube.com/user/DrHanzonScience and click on my funny name. "My videos" will be ina dropdown menue. Click and listen and watch. I hope you like them.
James Louviere in Belmont, MA, louviere2001@yahoo.com
Monday, March 30, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
A Complex but Happy Time: Middle of March, 2009
I've been too busy to write or post new songs on YouTube (see youtube.com/user/DrHanzonScience, which is my "channel" with 14 songs rated 5-stars, and a couple 4.5 stars, and a video of Mao Sim at her Mao Sim Silk cart in DownTownCrossing pedestrian mall, Boston, MA, a Latin guitar player (3 stars), a "bottle neck blues" guy from New York City, playing in the subways of Boston), and a drummer playing on Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.
For a week or more, I've been preparing my 2008 tax forms. Still gathering materials I need. That's always a really nervous time for me.
My old college, the College of Santa Fe, is going to close down May 22. They went bankrupt. I've booked a flight to attend my 50th anniversary of my original BA, general science, minor English, 1959. Hugh Downs, the TV guy, was our commencement speaker.
I got word that my handicapped friends in Louisiana don't have any more Lou-Vee-Air
Car parts so I have to order 10,000 more sets of parts. That's always a tough time too because it's a big investment and always has an element of risk involved.
Another thing on my mind is getting back to work on the pushcart occasionaly. I went in to help today and it turned out to be fun, and I helped sell over $100 dollars worth of silk bags myself while the wonderful Mao Sim was getting some work done at her warehouse and at the Haymarket Square produce market, where she bought me broccoli, mangoes, bananas, apples, lemons, oranges, and tomatoes, at least 15 pounds worth, for only $13.00. Mao is amazing and knows how to squeeze every penny of every dollar until she gets a really good buy. I enjoyed a dinner of mangoes (s), a banana, spaghetti and Ragu sauce, whole wheat toast, an orange, an apple, raisins and two plums. I'm being a good vegetarian now. that's good, because I had some turkey soup last night and 3 blueberry muffins (a gift), and had a very bad attack of gout in my right elbow all night. Major pain. Uric acid causes gout, and it can wreck your eyes, kidneys, joints and tendons. Gout is really a bad disease, very dangerous and painful. So begetarians don't have much of that. Only the broccoli I know have is a real facor in gout, so I'll have to be careful of that.
Songwriter-songwriter saw a fellow with a new musical instrument in a box today as I rode home in the city bus. I gave him my youtube.com channel (above), and he sent me a video he just made using the new instrument. I thought it was one of those things that sound like a Zyther, but it turned out to be a ukeleli. He recorded Oh Prudence, and did a good job of it.
Well, I have to go no and get some sleep. Remember, when you write a song, make sure it does not have "poetic license," which means twisted sentences forces to fit into a rhyme pattern artificiall. Good poetr should all work well without twisting the words all around to "fit" the song tune. Until next time,
James DrHanzonScience Did you like anything in this post? What was it?
Did anything bother you or puzzle you, or shock you? Making comments is not just OK, it's very important so I'll know there's really someone out there I'm writing to. That's what a blog is for. Cheers! James
For a week or more, I've been preparing my 2008 tax forms. Still gathering materials I need. That's always a really nervous time for me.
My old college, the College of Santa Fe, is going to close down May 22. They went bankrupt. I've booked a flight to attend my 50th anniversary of my original BA, general science, minor English, 1959. Hugh Downs, the TV guy, was our commencement speaker.
I got word that my handicapped friends in Louisiana don't have any more Lou-Vee-Air
Car parts so I have to order 10,000 more sets of parts. That's always a tough time too because it's a big investment and always has an element of risk involved.
Another thing on my mind is getting back to work on the pushcart occasionaly. I went in to help today and it turned out to be fun, and I helped sell over $100 dollars worth of silk bags myself while the wonderful Mao Sim was getting some work done at her warehouse and at the Haymarket Square produce market, where she bought me broccoli, mangoes, bananas, apples, lemons, oranges, and tomatoes, at least 15 pounds worth, for only $13.00. Mao is amazing and knows how to squeeze every penny of every dollar until she gets a really good buy. I enjoyed a dinner of mangoes (s), a banana, spaghetti and Ragu sauce, whole wheat toast, an orange, an apple, raisins and two plums. I'm being a good vegetarian now. that's good, because I had some turkey soup last night and 3 blueberry muffins (a gift), and had a very bad attack of gout in my right elbow all night. Major pain. Uric acid causes gout, and it can wreck your eyes, kidneys, joints and tendons. Gout is really a bad disease, very dangerous and painful. So begetarians don't have much of that. Only the broccoli I know have is a real facor in gout, so I'll have to be careful of that.
Songwriter-songwriter saw a fellow with a new musical instrument in a box today as I rode home in the city bus. I gave him my youtube.com channel (above), and he sent me a video he just made using the new instrument. I thought it was one of those things that sound like a Zyther, but it turned out to be a ukeleli. He recorded Oh Prudence, and did a good job of it.
Well, I have to go no and get some sleep. Remember, when you write a song, make sure it does not have "poetic license," which means twisted sentences forces to fit into a rhyme pattern artificiall. Good poetr should all work well without twisting the words all around to "fit" the song tune. Until next time,
James DrHanzonScience Did you like anything in this post? What was it?
Did anything bother you or puzzle you, or shock you? Making comments is not just OK, it's very important so I'll know there's really someone out there I'm writing to. That's what a blog is for. Cheers! James
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2009
Hi. Two weeks or more have passed and I've been working to finish and file my 2008 taxes. I have not had time to write about songwriting or make any new videos worth posting on YouTube. But I have one thing to say today, and I'll make it short.
I once used Blogit.com, and my Religion and Spirituality blog was always in the to fifty, usually in the top 20, week after week, and since there were about10,000 blogs on the subject, that seemed to be pretty good. I have not posted there for over a year, but I still have the fire in my heart to write about apiritual values and concepts.
I don't carry any particular religious flag here, because there is too much divisivenss, and it seems that if you life any particular banner, it sparks hostility and hurt feelings among many, many people. Soi all I have to offer on the subject is this: There's something about poets, songwriters, singers, actors, artists, dancers, people of every kind in the arts and humanities, that seems to be characteristic of most: We are all drawn to a higher plane, a higher Power, like sunflowers turning aa landscape, unanamously and all at once, toward the sun. They are classified as "heliotropes," or sun seekers. I've noticed that most really inspired, soulful, deep people are "Theo-tropic," that is they turn toward "Theos," the Greek word meaning god, or God, if you perfer. We generally live less well structured, less conformist lives than the general population, many of us marry several times, often turbulently, or drink or smoke or party too much, or do other things that may be more or less taboo for the general population, but one thing is sure, as faulty and "weak" as some of us are, as prone to human frailty and "bad behavior" as we may be, we are drawn, nonetheless, in the direction of the Higher Power, God, the Lord, and that seems to be true in 'way more than half the people I know in the arts and humanities. Songwriting is part of that scene, and I'm happy that so many of my friends and dearest ones in the arts and humanities are "Theotropic" people, like me. Without offending anyone by being selective of this or that way of expressing this "turning to God" type of trait, without saying this is "my way" of relating to or expressing my love for the Almighty, there is no doubt we are in general agreement that good is better than eveil, beauty is better than ugliness, and kindness is much, much superior to rudeness, and finally love is better than cruelty, affection is better than hate.
Now that's off my chest, I'll get back to my Income Tax Forms, and have them in on time (for the first time in years!)
James P. Louviere, AKA DrHanzonScience (Go to YouTube.com/user/DrHanzonScience for more.
PS: Please post your comment now
Posted by DrHanzonScience at 6:31 AM 0 comments
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2009
Is Songwriting somehow connected to "blessings"?
There's a really nice custom we have, but as a commentator mentioned in an email today, saying God bless you" or "Gesundheit" or whatever is probably just a nice, polite thing we do that kind of binds us all in a nice warm network of humanity. But lately, in the exact same time period when Ive been incredibly creative, posting 17 musical videos on YouTube in 21 days, and having 12 of them rated "five stars" (the highest rating), and two at 4.5 stars, and three not yet rated (two are very dark, and probably discourage rating by being so dark), I have been giving blessing right and left, to whomever seems like they may be receptive. I'm old enough and harmless looking enough that I don't tend to frighten people, Check out my video I'll add at the end and you can see what I look like.
I'll tell you next time we meet how blessing is connected to wongwriting, but for now, just assume it is ("take it on faith")and let me bestow my no-fail blessing on you:
Bod bless you! Eery day of you life, from today on, will be marked by some unexpected, "undeserved," un asked-for blessing straight from the Divine source of all life and power. This I promise will happen!
It will, and you'll be amazed, but don't expect to get "free money" or any other much advertised "benefit." Look for more important, vital, relationship things that will work out for you in surprising ways. I'll let you in on my secret next time I blog with you. Meanwhile, if something happens, please let everyone who reads this know, by your comment. Happy Valentines day!
I have 3 songs without ratings. Here's the URL for one: the dumbest Man Taking Blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc7Uw6Q34bM.
Hi. Two weeks or more have passed and I've been working to finish and file my 2008 taxes. I have not had time to write about songwriting or make any new videos worth posting on YouTube. But I have one thing to say today, and I'll make it short.
I once used Blogit.com, and my Religion and Spirituality blog was always in the to fifty, usually in the top 20, week after week, and since there were about10,000 blogs on the subject, that seemed to be pretty good. I have not posted there for over a year, but I still have the fire in my heart to write about apiritual values and concepts.
I don't carry any particular religious flag here, because there is too much divisivenss, and it seems that if you life any particular banner, it sparks hostility and hurt feelings among many, many people. Soi all I have to offer on the subject is this: There's something about poets, songwriters, singers, actors, artists, dancers, people of every kind in the arts and humanities, that seems to be characteristic of most: We are all drawn to a higher plane, a higher Power, like sunflowers turning aa landscape, unanamously and all at once, toward the sun. They are classified as "heliotropes," or sun seekers. I've noticed that most really inspired, soulful, deep people are "Theo-tropic," that is they turn toward "Theos," the Greek word meaning god, or God, if you perfer. We generally live less well structured, less conformist lives than the general population, many of us marry several times, often turbulently, or drink or smoke or party too much, or do other things that may be more or less taboo for the general population, but one thing is sure, as faulty and "weak" as some of us are, as prone to human frailty and "bad behavior" as we may be, we are drawn, nonetheless, in the direction of the Higher Power, God, the Lord, and that seems to be true in 'way more than half the people I know in the arts and humanities. Songwriting is part of that scene, and I'm happy that so many of my friends and dearest ones in the arts and humanities are "Theotropic" people, like me. Without offending anyone by being selective of this or that way of expressing this "turning to God" type of trait, without saying this is "my way" of relating to or expressing my love for the Almighty, there is no doubt we are in general agreement that good is better than eveil, beauty is better than ugliness, and kindness is much, much superior to rudeness, and finally love is better than cruelty, affection is better than hate.
Now that's off my chest, I'll get back to my Income Tax Forms, and have them in on time (for the first time in years!)
James P. Louviere, AKA DrHanzonScience (Go to YouTube.com/user/DrHanzonScience for more.
PS: Please post your comment now
Posted by DrHanzonScience at 6:31 AM 0 comments
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2009
Is Songwriting somehow connected to "blessings"?
There's a really nice custom we have, but as a commentator mentioned in an email today, saying God bless you" or "Gesundheit" or whatever is probably just a nice, polite thing we do that kind of binds us all in a nice warm network of humanity. But lately, in the exact same time period when Ive been incredibly creative, posting 17 musical videos on YouTube in 21 days, and having 12 of them rated "five stars" (the highest rating), and two at 4.5 stars, and three not yet rated (two are very dark, and probably discourage rating by being so dark), I have been giving blessing right and left, to whomever seems like they may be receptive. I'm old enough and harmless looking enough that I don't tend to frighten people, Check out my video I'll add at the end and you can see what I look like.
I'll tell you next time we meet how blessing is connected to wongwriting, but for now, just assume it is ("take it on faith")and let me bestow my no-fail blessing on you:
Bod bless you! Eery day of you life, from today on, will be marked by some unexpected, "undeserved," un asked-for blessing straight from the Divine source of all life and power. This I promise will happen!
It will, and you'll be amazed, but don't expect to get "free money" or any other much advertised "benefit." Look for more important, vital, relationship things that will work out for you in surprising ways. I'll let you in on my secret next time I blog with you. Meanwhile, if something happens, please let everyone who reads this know, by your comment. Happy Valentines day!
I have 3 songs without ratings. Here's the URL for one: the dumbest Man Taking Blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc7Uw6Q34bM.
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