My! OH! My! but she is cute! This is my new daughter, Xela Willow Nicole Ryser. Xela is pronounce (by us) like "Zay-Luh". We've been calling her Willow. Just so you're in the know, my last name (and hers) is pronounced like "research" but without the "ch". She was born at the Northwest Hospital here in Seattle, WA on Thursday, August 24th at 3:33 AM. She weighed 7lbs 1.2oz and was 19-1/2in long/tall. I've been spending my time holding her, staring at her, talking with her, changing her diaper, and generally trying to figure out what she might need/want now. It's been incredible so far. I've taken a little time away from the world to focus on her. She new and needs a little assistance with the physical world right now. Her body is a new one and she hasn't quite gotten the hang of it. It's still a little squirrelly! Here are a few more photos of her. Their small, but cute. Check it, I'm listening to "New Life" by Depeche Mode.

Currently listening:

Speak & Spell -
Depeche Mode
Original Release Date: 1981

If you click the link below, you can look at a grip of photos. Many of them are personal photos which you may or may not be interested in. Many are photos from shows and tours. Have fun and feel good about leaving comments!

Click here to go to Big Talk's photo gallery.

Currently listening:

One Nation Under A Groove -
Funkadelic
Original Release Date: 1978

I've been watching Star Wars most of my life. I used to come home to my parents house late at night after partying with my friends and put on a video tape of Return of the Jedi to fall asleep to. Of course, I've seen all six movies. I'm not a nut about it; I didn't see a couple of them till they came out on DVD. Star Wars has really been a big deal - to me and many other people. The story of the Skywalkers has effected millions of people around the world and Yoda has to be one of the greatest teachers of the last 50 years.
I've been studying T'ai Chi Ch'üan for a little while-bit now. I've learned that the word chi, or ji, means "life force". So many of the concepts that I've been learning in Tai Chi, I heard before in Star Wars!
I have come to the realization that I have been studying to be a Jedi!
This intrigued me so much that I decided that it would be a good idea to not only study Tai Chi, but to study Star Wars as well.
My first thought was to read the Star Wars books behind the movies. I picked up "Star Wars" and "The Phantom Menace". What a bore! They weren't anything more than the movies. It was like someone was watching the movies and jotting down what happened.
OK, I've already seen the movies and understand what happens there and the lessons in the force. I looked up Star Wars books online.
There are like a million!
I decided to ask around a bit. Faith told me that she had read like 20 or 30 of these books. She said they were "OK". She had heard, though, that the "Thrawn Trilogy" by Timothy Zahn was really the way to go.
These books take place about 5 years after Return of the Jedi. I'd heard of Timothy Zahn before, so I looked it up. Sounded as good as anything else. I decided to start a Star Wars Book Club.
If you click on the link at the end of my little blog here, you can check it out and join if you like.
I thought an online book club would be perfect. Nobody would have to coordinate schedules to meet up and I could still have conversations with people about the books.
Sometimes, it's a real drag when you read a book and no one else has or is reading it. You feel like talking about it and the people who get stuck listening to you just can't get onboard with the conversation. You end up just telling them the story as you remember it. - Not always that much fun.
So this is the scoop: goto swbc.JonRyser.com, click on "register" in the top left, fill out the info (don't worry, it's me. I'm not letting anyone get that info, and I won't do anything with it either. It's just for inter-club comunications.), go back to the main page and click "profile" (you need to be logged in.) in the upper left, fill out all the cool profile stuff (like selecting a nifty avatar to represent you), and start reading.
You can ad input to the forum at anytime in your read. In fact, the more you write, the better. TALK TO ME! Let me know your thoughts. I'm sooo curious!

Click here to check out Big Talk's Star Wars Book Club.

All the best,
- Big Talk

Currently listening:

John Williams Conducts John Williams: The Star Wars Trilogy
The Skywalker Symphony Orchestra
Release date: July 1, 1991

The position of "lead vocals" is a very taxing and demanding job. Most often, the job of the lead vocal is to "front" group. Front is important for the customer relations part of the night. This is the face the group gives to the crowd.
Kimo Muraki is a beautiful singer, I think all would agree. When Marmalade was in Marseilles at L'Intermediaire, Kimo and I started the night out with a tight horn line, effectively setting the scene for a vocal melody. Kimo stepped up singing and took control of the crowd; really communicated with them. He wasn't just throwing words at them, he was speaking to each and every one of them. Language was no barrier; he was inside their eyes, inside their ears and inside their hearts. It was beautiful.
Since I have begun playing with Marmalade in ernest; I have seen Funk step up time and again and do this. I know that this is one of the most difficult things to do. It feels dangerous. I really respect Funk in how he has been developing this ability. I have watched him for years. It has been my distinct pleasure to watch this flower bloom.
Another great example of a musician who can really handle the job of front is Ernest Pumphrey, Jr. He has an inate ability to connect with the crowd. It comes so naturally to him. It is probably because he has been doing it most of his life. I don't think he ususally even questions it.
For someone just sliding into the spot, it can really be upsetting. Too often, I have watched a vocalsist get up there and just sing words at the crowd. They have some idea that if they just keep singing, the crowd will be there for them. Sometimes they do get some on board with them, but that is mostly because the audience is trained to watch what is happening on stage.
I am talking about this because I see it (or don't wee it) so often. If there is anything I could say to a front person it would be, "Connect."

Currently listening:

James Brown - 20 All-Time Greatest Hits!
By James Brown
Release date: By 22 October, 1991