R. I. P. Louis Bellson

As a kid, this guy blew me away! I wish we would've had Youtube back in the day! His influence is threaded throughout the great ones: The Appice brothers, Billy Cobham, Dave Weckle and on and on.

Louis was a solo extraordinaire. While not as flamboyant as Buddy Rich, who always seemed angry at his kit, Louis put on a "happy show". He just seemed to have so much fun while tearing up the skins! Buddy was a haunted house while Louis was Disneyland.

His friends say he was the same way in life. It's always sad when an icon passes - today is such a day.

Rest in peace, Louis Bellson, and thanks for the memories!

dh

I Want a Press Corp Like Obama's

I wish I had a press corp like President Obama's! They would fawn over me, ask me simple questions and NEVER follow-up or act huffy!

Come on already! Am I the only one who caught that last night? I was blown away by the softballs lobbed at the new prez. I know it's customary to be "nice" at the beginning. It's the honeymoon. The press has been ogling Mr. Obama for four years and now that they've officially "tied the knot", they're just all ga-ga . . . seriously . . . all syrupy and gooshy! Yuck already!

Also, I don't recall such a rigid, set order on who asks questions when. And, again, with NO FOLLOW-UP! How much more staged can this get? Honest to God, I'm not a commu-phobe, but it sounded so "Soviet"! Unbelievable!

I'm sure NOT against the president but I want to hear substance. Last night he offered meaningless words - ambiguities. He said things like, ". . . and if we have a bad teacher we need to fire them, after they've been offered adequate training." What? Is our local school board supposed to pay for that? He said, "I don't remember what Joe and I were talking about." Not ONE of the reporters protested!

I want a press corp like that! Non-critical, non-thinking, robotic, fawning - a press corp that has a CRUSH on me! Just sayin' . . .

Peace and love.

dh

HBO's "The Trials of Ted Haggard" is NOT recreational TV!

Poor Ted Haggard! Again, he's back in the spotlight - not like he's on stage but like the bloodhounds are howling at his newly found scent, complete with helicopters buzzing overhead and that infamous searchlight, tracking him down! "Quick - the fugitive has surfaced! He's moving again!"

This month, HBO is airing "The Trials of Ted Haggard", a documentary following Ted and his family from their move immediately following his ousting to the last couple of months. He's become an insurance salesman and life just seems to suck! Of course, he was a swindler. Of course, he was a huckster. Of course, he was a hustler. Of course, he was a hypocrite. Of course, he hurt a LOT of people!

But here's a man, with a wife and kids, trying to find his place AFTER scandal. Is there such a place? I live in Baton Rouge, home of another such scandalous preacher: Jimmy Swaggart. He had the biggest "ministry" in the world in the mid-eighties. He fell about as far as one can fall. However, he seems to have learned his lessons, cleaned out his wounds and moved on. I hope Ted finds a way to do the same. I hope his family survives. I hope they all find peace.

Jimmy was a bit harsh - not so much now. Locals refer to this effect as the "pre-humiliation" and "post-humiliation" phases of Swaggart's life. Ted, however, was NOT a harsh preacher. He was very gracious. If Jesus' words mean anything, then the way Ted judged others is the way he is judged. So, God's not Ted's problem. TED - and other PEOPLE - are Ted's problem. In spite of the helicopters, spotlights, paparazzi and circus that has become your life, I pray you find healing, Ted Haggard. May you live to fight another day!

Peace and love . . .

dh

P.S. Thanks Andrew Jones for the pic (tallskinnykiwi.com)!

Irreverant Behavior

I have a knack for irreverent behavior. At times, I think I'm corrupting my three beautiful kids! At times I think I'm an embarrassment to LifePoint, the Lord and - most importantly - my mom! As for Valerie, seeing that I've always had this propensity, I just assume it's what made her fall in love with me to begin with! So, I'm sure she's fine!

Seriously, I've come to admire self-deprecation. Shakespeare said, "To thine own self be true" and I couldn't agree more! What's lacking in the world is "self-awareness". People are awkwardly NON-self-aware! Therefore, they don't realize how their idiosyncrasies can be viewed as weird by the outside observer. They don't even realize their idiosyncrasies are idiosyncrasies! Why? Because they are not self-aware!

I find irreverence often opens a door of opportunity to share what is VERY sacred! There have been times that if I had been "self-unaware", I would NEVER have been heard! I would have sounded too distant, resolute, cold, even pompous. By poking fun at something I consider amazing, I have been able to see the amazement spread as dialogue is opened. Strange as it may seem, through irreverence, I've seen my sacred Message spread!

So lighten up - for cryin' out loud! Don't be such a prude already - Tiny Alien Jesus is watching you!

Peace and love and power to the freakin' people!

dh

Servolution 2009

What was Bobby thinking?

In 1961, as Attorney General of the United States, Bobby Kennedy said he envisioned "a negro president in about 40 years." Today, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president. What was Bobby thinking?

What led him to the number "40"? Was it just a random, off-the-top-of-his-head figure or some date too far in the future to matter at the time? Or did he have a more rational basis of reasoning for his semi-specific prediction? Perhaps, it was the recently passed civil rights legislation and he assumed that within a generation an African-American president could be realized. What was Bobby thinking?

When Martin Luther King was interviewed by the BBC in 1964, he was even more optimistic. You can see the video here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/default.stm. Dr. King predicted a black president within 25 years. His assessment was off by 20 years, which makes Mr. Kennedy's even more intriguing. Was he privy to intellegence as Attorney General? Was this some kind of conspiracy? You know, where the Illuminati/Club of Rome/Trilateral Commission all control world politics? Probably not.

I'd love to ask Ted or Caroline about this sort-of prediction. Until then, I consider this a lesson on VISION! Perhaps Bobby was taking the present circumstances, projecting, prognosticating the future possibilities and coming up with a time frame. He hypothesized - he guessed - with a certain amount of education directing his proposal. Maybe Bobby Kennedy was no seer or conspirator after all, maybe he just had VISION.

If that's the case, I can learn a lesson from yet another assassinated Kennedy: SEE THE FUTURE! Today, my friends, we are seeing Bobby's future!

Now is the Time

I'm not into resolutions anymore. I usually blow them early on. I've come to understand it's impossible to win this "time thing". Time flies. I don't. End of story. However, I'm tired of all the time gettin' all of me while all the time I get none of the time! So, this year will be different. I'm gettin' me some '09!

I'm determined to take advantage of 2009 with the same ruthless tenacity that previous years have taken advantage of me! Instead of being exploited by 2009, it will be exploited by me! Yes, my ADD, scatterbrained, focus-challenged self will struggle and lose some. OK, probably a lot! But not all! Not this year!

By December 31, 2009 will have pieces missing. Do you know where those missing pieces will be? I'll have them! They'll be squirreled away in my accomplishments, achievements and progress! They'll be housed in my newly acquired knowledge, wisdom and confidence! Yep, one thing's for certain: I will be gettin' me some '09! Now is the time!

Peace, love and power to the freakin' people!

dh