Yeah it sucks having a common name like mine - there are thousands of 'us' around and I have been hounded by it in numerous ways nearly my entire adult life.  Creditors chasing the wrong 'me', cops nearly arresting me on more than one occasion and being on the CIA and FBI watch lists just because of my common name.  No worries I just roll with the flow and let it work itself out and prove that I am not the 'one.'

Now yesterday the straw that broke the camel's back - a background (criminal) check that nets hits against my name.  I am undergoing this background check to get a contract (you know make some bread and butter?).  The check comes back with hits against my name from NY - I haven't been in NY in years and the last time I was there I caused no problems!

Maybe it was the same guy I was almost mistaken for once for killing a cop in NYC.  So I am pissed all the way home yesterday trying to figure out how to clear my good name.  This morning I run my own background check on 'me' (using my name, DOB and SSN) and whoa the hits that come up are unbelievable but it is obvious if you read through the report none of them are 'me.'  I am not black, nor am I 6'0" or do I have blue eyes.  Pretty obvious stuff.

Of course not all reports from all reporting agencies contain the same info so maybe the 'employer' wasn't privvy to such physical stats on their report.  Part of the problem is that the courts don't always report SSNs because of identify theft so if the name (or a part of it and the DOB) matches you get a hit.  Ah the 21st century and the digital age - so imperfect and ready to screw up your life in an instance.

So now I am trying to straighten this shite out with the contracting company and see if I can get my good name back.  Life is so complicated now.

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WTF!  What has happened to respect in this day and age?  Maybe it is because I am of the old school or maybe just because I am old but it seems that people for a large part are just rude as hell and disrespectful these days.  Many times I am approached by people wanting to do business with me, some I welcome gladly, some I eye cautiously and others there is no way I want to do business with them.  All the same, I try to respectful of all just the same.  If someone calls or writes with an inquiry, I diligently try to respond to all out of respect.  I feel this is better than leaving someone to wonder if I ever received the communication.  Even in those instances where I don’t find myself wanting to do business with someone in one instance it doesn’t mean that I won’t in another time, another set of circumstances.  Grow the fuck up, show some respect and learn to be more professional in your dealings with people.  The person you ignore and piss off today might just be the person you want (need) to do business with tomorrow.

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Music has always been special to me and
been a big part of my life. More often than not the radio, stereo or
IPOD is on more often than the TV. Well that is always the case
given that the rotten thieves who broke into my house last month took
the TV – that's another story though for another time.

Growing up, when I was a young kid –
dating myself here – I remember laying on the living room floor on
Saturday night and watching all the weekly country music shows –
Porter Wagner with Dolly Parton, the Grand Ole Opry, and more. It
was how Saturday night was spent at my house.

Of course there was the collection of 8
tracks my dad had in his '63 two door hard-top Chevy Impala. I wish
I had that collection now just for the music! Charley Pride, Hank
Williams, Barbara Mandrell and so many more. All the original
Rock-n-Roll biggies of the 50's and 60's too! That was the start of
love for music.

Over the years it grew and expanded to
the 70's – Alice Cooper, .38 Special, Black Oak Arkansas (who can't
remember Jim Dandy? Of course there was the Stones, KISS, Bob Seger,
Fleetwood Mac and the list could go on and on! Rock-n-Roll didn't
replace my love of country music it just expanded my love of music
overall!

Growing older I was exposed to great
honky tonk bands all over Texas and loved it all. My tastes in music
expanded to the Blues, Soul, RnB. Is there anything better than
listening to John Lee Hooker and the decades of music he amassed?
All the 'old guys' that started the Blues and made them into what
they are.

For a spell I even played a little bass
guitar and took voice lessons for about three years with aspirations
of being a Rock n Roll Star! Didn't we all when we were growing up?
Yeah well it wasn't meant for me to be one of the 'greats.' Life and
reality set in and I had to move on to find my calling – I am still
looking for it by the way so if you see it could you send it my way?

Today, I can honestly say that I love
music – music of all kinds – every genre! There isn't anything
that I don't listen to. Like all people I have those that are my
favorites and those that I will listen to if I have to and some that
I run to the other room when they come on. Still the music moves me
and I continuously find new things that I like!

Several years ago down in Houston, I
had a good friend, Rob, that was big into music too – we attended a
lot of concerts and listened to a lot of bands in dives, clubs and in
the street. Ever hear of the Hunger down in Houston? An awesome
band, I recommend looking them up and giving them a listen. Met
those guys several times and always enjoyed there shows. I remember
one night Rob was telling me that he was going to see Saliva just
before they got big. I joked about him going to see “Spit”
afterwards. That was until I saw them for the first time and ended
up seeing them about five times in four months! The night we 'sat'
on the stage in Houston will always be a night to remember.

So last week when I was sitting in the
Kitchen Pass in Joplin Missouri listening to a couple of bands (I am
still waiting to hear from the opening band) and Trevor Hall. I came
up with the idea for www.missouribands.com
after realizing how much a variety of live music was missing in my
life! Talking to my friend Nancy, the idea for the site was born.
What better way to get in touch with all the great bands in the state
and to hopefully get out and listen to as many as possible. Not
being a selfish person, I want to put them on the World Wide Web and
all the bands be known to the world!