Writer's Block - Version 1.00

Welcome to FNHHVD. I have writer's block. It coincides perfectly with my chest and nasal congestion. As a result, I am offering some humour to get you through these depressing, rainy, cold days of March. Enough said....watch and laugh.

Tex-Mex in Northern Ontario?

Welcome back to FNHHVD. Last week's episode was pre-empted due to the Speech from the Throne. Nothing I could do....seriously. CBC pre-empted a lot of things when I was a kid. We only had CBC-TV so it wasn't as though I could just change channels. I would really like to see my kids live with one channel today. They couldn't handle it. Their gnat-like attention span wouldn't allow it.

While I am musing about the CBC, do you have any memory of the 60's TV Show "The Forest Rangers"? If so, you'll remember the show's cast of kids who lived at a northern Ontario forest outpost, and basically ran around solving the world's problems with very little adult supervision. I spent most Saturdays watching this show, and every once in a while, I find myself humming the jaunty theme song (you'd know it if you heard it.) Although I'd like to keep this blog focused on rock/pop/soul/folk videos, I may one day just slip in a TV theme song or two. I can do that because it's my blog, and I don't have any adult supervision.

Tonight's featured artist is actually in town tonight opening for Eric Clapton. I sincerely wish I was going, but I am not. Los Lobos is from East L.A. and serves up some great Latin-inspired Tex-Mex rock. Like so many bands that I listened to in the 80's, they seemed to disappear then reappear several times. They gained success by covering Richie Valens' La Bamba for the motion picture, but I think their best work was their first album "How Will the Wolf Survive". This cut is from that album and features great vocals and guitar. Plus, there are few that look as cool as these guys. Enjoy and Beunos Noches!

Stand By Dave

Welcome back to FNHHVD. Last week's episode was postponed due to plans being made to watch a certain team from Wisconsin win a small trophy. Yes, the Packers are Super Bowl XLV champs, and I am still on cloud nine.

Tonight's video comes as a suggestion from my old friend Dave, who now resides in Kelowna. Dave and I met on our first day of ski patrolling over 20 years ago and he is a true friend. Since that fateful meeting, we have lived together, shared a business dream together, played in a killer band together, and shared one or two beverages from time to time. Years ago, Dave placed a massive pile of sticks on my 1961 Valiant while I was asleep. That's the kind of thing that a true friend does - and one doesn't mind. Although we see less of each other now due to our distance apart, we still manage to chat once in a while, and we get together when we can. Life goes on. Good friends can be apart and still be friends. That's just how it works.

Dave's suggestion comes from "Playing for Change", a group of documentary filmmakers whose goal is to bring the music of the street to the masses. This video, "Stand By Me", was created by recording and then synchronizing tracks played by a huge variety of musicians across the world. What I like about it is that it's NOT the over-produced, auto-tuned, American Idol tripe that we see so much of. These people play simply because they love to play - there is no expectation on their behalf. There is no glitz or glamour, no awards. Yet, their musicianship is remarkable.

Like Dave, these people (or at least some of them) have probably piled sticks on their friend's car at one time. And power to them for that.

My "Inception" Dream

I have had R.E.M. on my mind all week. Not the band, but the sleep state. It all started on Tuesday morning as I tried to grab those last few precious moments of sleep before facing the day. I dream a lot at that time, and Tuesday was no different - except it was different. Bear with me here. In my dream I was at some business meeting on a 20-storey rooftop with my brother and when it came time to leave there was a panic with the elevator. You may or may not know that I absolutely despise elevators. After a treacherous ride down, I awoke, breathing heavily and my heart racing. After telling Leona about my nightmare, she comforted me and rubbed my back, soothing me. I was lucid and ready to arise and start the day. Then......I freaking woke up. So, as you may have guessed by the title of this post, I had a dream within a dream. If you haven't seen the movie Inception, you should, and if you have seen Inception, you know that this is indeed a seriously excellent thing that happened to me.

So for tonight's video post, I thought it pertinent to celebrate with a video from one of my favourite bands, R.E.M. Many connect their name with the sleep state (Rapid Eye Movement), however the band considered names like "Twisted Kites", "Cans of Piss", and "Negro Wives", before settling on R.E.M., which singer Michael Stipe selected at random from a dictionary. Although it's a fine name, are there any bets on how far they would have gone as "Cans of Piss"??

This song was their first single, back in 1981. The performance was R.E.M.'s first live television gig, back when David Letterman was funny, Michael Stipe had hair, and my dreams were only one level deep.