Peace Love and Understanding....and Frustration

With Burgess working so late recently, I have had too much time for quiet contemplation. I say too much as I tend to dwell on things. I have been thinking about parenting and worrying about making sure my kids make it out alive.

I am not worried about drugs, sex or all the other extracurricular activities that kids like to make trouble with: I am genuinely worried about how they will deal with how cruel people can be. Not just as kids. Kids are always stupid and cruel. I am talking about the adults who should know better.

One of the hardest lessons to learn in growing up is that people have a distinct capacity within themselves to act like a total ass. Not all the time but it definitely happens. More so in some individuals.

For example, one woman where Burgess works saw her name tag. The lady’s face shriveled and she said, “Your mother named you Burgess. A little baby named Burgess.” That is a small, rather insignificant example but hopefully helps make my point.

I can already hear the argument now – the world is just a tough place and a kid needs to get tough to make it. What a load.

I look at Izzy and see a person who is genuinely sweet, happy and eager to make people feel good. Apart from the cranky old hags that gave him dirty looks when he had a Mohawk, he doesn’t know how jerky people can be. That knowledge will come soon enough. I just hope he has enough discernment to not hold other people’s mistakes and attitudes against them.

I know it is a pipe dream to hope for peace, love and understanding, especially on a global level. But as a parent I can understand even better the other parents who desperately want a better world for their children.

Most parents are not John Lennon and can send a song around the world, singing “all you need is love.” They can make sure their kids and every human they can personally touch is treated with love and understanding.

It is a strange feeling to be a parent, I want nothing more than a wonderful life with wonderful people around my child – and I am willing to fight tooth and nail to get it. What do I know though; I have been a parent for 2 years. I do know I couldn’t imagine a world without him and anything I can do to make it a little better is worth every frustration, ever tear and every moment of asking for forgiveness.

How Fantastic is Adsense?

If you were to visit the Lloyd Zeffler blog today, the wonders of Google would treat you to advertisements such as....
Your Pretty Mexican Bride
is Waiting for You. Browse 100s of Profiles & Find Your Perfect Match!
latinwomensite.com
Ugly Fat
Find great deals and save! Compare products, prices & stores
www.Shopping.com
Fat & Lovely Dating
Meet plus women & their admirers. 100% Join free. Huge community.
BBWDatefinder.com
Get U2 Songs
Free & Legal Music Downloads. Get Your Favorite Song or Artist Today!
www.SpiralFrog.com

I completely understand the ads for Fat & Lovely Dating and U2 songs, scroll down a ways and you will see articles for fat acceptance and U2. I am puzzled about Pretty Mexican Wives though. My skills with SEO writing and keywords must be severely lacking as the advertisements rarely relate to the actual topics I am talking about. Most often the ads just defer to the writer Zane - a black woman who writes erotic romance novels. Laughingly the exact opposite of me.

All over the Internet you can read about bloggers making hefty cash with Adsense. I am not one of them. I actually only signed up to see how many people were coming by the Lloyd Zeffler Web log. One question I may have is - does having Adsense on your blog add to the legitimacy of the site? Or does it turn off readers?

I know that any site I click on where you have to read through 1 and 1/3 of screen ads before you get to the content is one that I typically leave without even bothering to scroll down. Maybe there are some ad wizards out there who can help me out.

Photo Housecleaning

I have been organizing my photos in order to save backups before the inevitable explosion of our home computer. It's amazing how much abuse a laptop can survive in 6 years. Alas it is on its last legs. Running through the photos I found a few to post. I hope you like them.

...and the lone new photo for today.

NAAFA: Creating Equality and Acceptance for Fat Americans

Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance is on one side of the increasingly controversial debate on issues facing overweight people and their rights. Peggy Howell, the passionate PR chair, answered a few questions about the association and the uphill climb to further fat acceptance in America. Read my full interview with Peggy at Associated Content.

read more digg story

I reserved personal judgement on the association. As a fat person, I can understand both sides of the story. As with most issues, especially issues that involve associations and organizations, there doesn't seem to be any room for common ground - and often, common sense. Everyone has an agenda, and an argument for every bullet point on that agenda. Why should fat people pay more for insurance? Why should insurance companies have to carry individuals who are more at risk, and thus a worse investment?

How much of an issue is fat acceptance in America, if most of us are fat as the media keeps saying, shouldn't acceptance be fairly common? Should we force overweight people to lose weight? What a tangled web we weave.

IMG_6343

IMG_6343
Originally uploaded by Lloyd Zeffler Photography

This was taken at the same location that had the pink and green brick walls, and the ticket booths that are notable in a few of my recent photos. The outside art is different every time - I am working to get in touch with the artists at this location in order to learn more about what they are doing. Stay Tuned. I must say, it is great to see some art in southwest Arizona that is not a piece of pottery or cowboy cutout. I have many more photos to share from this particular day of shooting - you'll see them soon.

"The Fly" in Chicago - 2005

I ran across this video while YouTubing. It is a slight sample of what is to be had in the U2 3D movie. I know what you are thinking, and no, I do not own stock in Universal Music Group or National Geographic. This just happens to be the most outstanding musical experience I have had in quite a while.

Anyway, if you haven't seen it - see it. This music performance is similiar, but the visual experience is not even close.



...and a video of Eddie Vedder for good measure.

Lloyd Zeffler lens on Squidoo

The newest addition to the Squidoo group of lenses is Lloyd Zeffler. If people feel like they have good stuff to share they can take it to Squidoo and share it with like minded people. Here at Lloyd Zeffler, I feel like we have a little something worth sharing. Check out our lens for info on everything in the Lloyd Zeffler universe.

read more | digg story

Reservation Tree

Reservation Tree
Originally uploaded by Lloyd Zeffler Photography

Just posted a few new photos at the Lloyd Zeffler Flickr. Actually just 2 new photos plus 4 edits of those photos for a grand total of 6 photos.

Enjoy.

Hey, if you wanna - leave some feedback if you feel so inclined.

Top Ten Favorite Songs by U2

Associated Content unleashed a "Call for Content" eerily similiar to one they unleashed in August of 2006. Name the top ten songs by...whoever. The big difference - in 2006, each one paid $10. In 2008, $0 - plus pageview bonus. Alas, I whipped this one up real quick but prefer it to any of the 5 I wrote in 2006.

If you feel so inclined to contribute to the Lloyd Zeffler Debt Relief Fund, click on over to Top ten Songs by U2 at Associated Content. Otherwise, just keep reading.

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In September, 2006, Associated Content asked its writers to provide articles on “The Top Ten Songs of _____”. You fill in the blank. I personally published five such articles highlighting Def Leppard, Johnny Cash, the Pixies, Zakk Wylde and U2. A slight bit of subjectivity was needed for those articles, but this time around the question is, what are my personal favorite songs by my personal favorite band?

Subjectivity is dead and I am free to gush like a giddy child, slipping the War cassette tape into my Walkman. U2 is my favorite band for many reasons, but most specifically because it was the first music that every really spoke to me and changed what kind of person I was and what I wanted to be. Sure, I saw Slash from Guns ‘n Roses and knew I wanted to grow my hair down my face and wear a top hat, but U2 means more than my desire to look sexy in leather pants.

I love more than just 10 songs in the U2 catalogue, I can think of albums with more than 10 songs where I love the whole album – but for the purpose of this article, here are my top 10 favorite U2 songs.

All I Want is You (from Rattle & Hum) – This song is fiercely romantic. The Edge has a way of playing guitar parts that sound simple enough, but the effect is incredible. There is a real feeling of time and space in his playing, like you are actually in the room. When the song reaches the big climax with Edge wailing away and Bono howling, you desperately don’t want it to end.

Miss Sarajevo (from Passengers: Original Soundtracks 1) – Gorgeous song with gorgeous lyrics. Pavarotti’s part is heart wrenching, even more so when you find out what the English translation is. U2 recently added the song to a few of their live shows, notably in the U2 3D film. Bono takes center stage and does the famed tenor proud with his own rendition.

New Years Day (from War) – War is U2’s ROCK record. Boot stomping, flag-waving rock and roll. “New Years Day” is the true core of that record, reasonable but still optimistic. The Edge going back and forth between piano is fantastic, leading into one of his best solos. This is also an absolute favorite live.

One (from Achtung Baby) – "One" is overplayed. The version with Mary J. Blige really killed it for me for quite a while. It is also embarrassing to be so personally attached to a song that has become so universally accepted. It is like having a close, personal relationship with “Brown Sugar” by the Rolling Stones. Regardless, the song still tears at me to the point, it’s my favorite song and I can’t listen to it very often.

Slow Dancing (B-side) – Bono originally wrote this song for Willie Nelson to sing. When U2 couldn’t hook up with the country legend, Bono gave it a go – just him and a lonely acoustic guitar. The lyrics, again, are desperate and romantic. When Willie finally came around to sing the song, the band added some additional backing that may have been overkill. Bono’s lonely performance is by far the best.

Stay (Faraway, So Close) (from Zooropa) – Why Zooropa isn’t on every list of the greatest albums of the ‘90s is beyond me. “Stay” is a worthy successor to “One” and may even surpass it on some levels. The perfect mixture of odd and familiar sounds.

The Fly (from Achtung Baby) – The manifesto of Zoo TV. A phone call from hell. This song is much better live, as the band careens into the stratosphere. For my money, the best single song performance on the U2 3D film.

The Wanderer (from Zooropa) – Bono is Bono, but Johnny Cash was born to sing songs like this. The last track on Zooropa is almost gleefully apocalyptic.

I went out there
In search of experience
To taste and touch
And to feel as much
As a man can
Before he repents

Perfect.

Where the Streets Have No Name (from The Joshua Tree) – This is the definitive live U2 song. Everything that is great about this band rolled up into a single four minute explosion of emotion and excitement.

With or Without You (from The Joshua Tree) – This may be as overplayed as “One”, but everything about this song is undeniable. It’s so familiar that it might be difficult to still feel the ache of this song. From the quite pulse of an intro, into the “woooah, oooah, oooah” part, it still raises goose bumps.

Pithy Reviews - February

For the continuation of my semi-regular edition of Pithy Reviews - check out this link to antiMusic. New releases under the scope include LPs and EPs from II Big, Moros Eros, Disastroid, Eliot Carlson Botero, The Spoon Benders and Shenight.

Across the Universe

I finally got around to watching Across the Universe last night. At the recommendation of a good friend, I expected this movie to be right up my alley. When it comes to movies, very, very few are in my alley. The majority of movies would probably be shanked for coming through my alley.

Apart from being bored for most of the movie, there were a few scenes - musical performances - that I particularly enjoyed. Through the magic of YouTube, I can share them.

Joe Cocker - "Come Together"


Bono - "I am the Walrus"


"Oh Darling"


"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"


"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite"


My personal favorites might have more to do with my favorite Beatle songs and less about the actual movie. The soundtrack is probably spot on though.

The Goal, The Mission, The Point

As a youth, unwelcome – and often unnecessary – drama seeps into every day life. Age doesn’t diminish the unwelcome drama, but at least experience helps remove some of the unnecessary. Everybody needs a refuge. Everybody needs a place to get away from embattled adult superiors and idiotic peers. For the past 8 years I have ran away from my youth and the experiences it afforded me, but I am finally starting to realize that is a mistake. As with anything, ditch the bad and you lose some of the good as well. If I am to fancy myself as a writer – not just the non-fiction, business type articles – but as a real writer, I have to go places I never wanted to go back to. Fortunately, I can also go places that I have always wanted to go back to. One of those places was my car.

--

Four wheels. Three screws holding two speakers. One stereo and a chorus of angels. Welcome to the Blue Fade Lounge, where the blacktop is warm and freedom is just another word for 10 bucks fills up the tank.

With a cigarette lighter spark, the altar of the broken hearted keeps the silver discs spinning. On my knees at 65 miles an hour, every song is redemption and jubilation.

Junkies escape with dope. Drunks escape with booze. There is only one buzz that soothes my worried soul. At the right moment, with the right prescription, the pit of my stomach rushes to my throat and my heart begins to beat, not faster, but bigger. Booming heartbeats that threaten to explode from my chest. Every hair is on edge, every muscle is numb as my soul is ripping away from my body.

It’s vicious and exuberant, like I am not human anymore but my chest is filling with everything that is beautiful about being human. The moment is fleeting. I want this all the time. I need this all the time. The indescribable moment of being so much more than what I am. It’s in the music. This is why I love music. It’s in the words I have read, photos I have seen, people who have inspired me. As a writer, my goal is to make someone else feel this way. Anyone. Maybe even just myself. It won’t happen today, but it will someday.

New photos at the LZ Flickr

burgess in black and white
Originally uploaded by Lloyd Zeffler Photography

Edit - about 4 photos have been removed at the request of the subject.

March 2008 BUSRide

The March 2008 issue of BUSRide is now available at the magazine's brand new, much improved Web site - www.busride.com.

The new site will offer new features and opportunities that I am very excited about, but the regular Lloyd Zeffler reader will probably not be interested in.

I had a much more behind-the-scenes role in this month's issue, but my hoof prints are sufficiently printed. We have some pretty good feature articles this month, if I do say so myself.

I won't bore you with the details, but if you are interested or have a question, just drop me a message.

Fr:Izzy - To: Mommy Updated

Fr:Izzy - To: Mommy Updated
Originally uploaded by Lloyd Zeffler Photography

Another updated photo thanks to Flickr's photo editing software.

Fr: Izzy - To:Mommy Updated

Fr: Izzy - To:Mommy Updated
Originally uploaded by Lloyd Zeffler Photography

Flickr has its own editing software. I just wasn't happy with this picture, until now. I like this much better.

Associated Content Drama

I ran into a bit of a snag this week with an article I wrote for Associated Content. The working title is The NAAFA and Fat Acceptance in America. I interviewed the public relations chair - very nice lady by the way - for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. The association works to battle health care companies and certain states on issues facing overweight people.

I was intrigued by the association, especially given the popularity of diet and television shows like the Biggest Loser. Rather than provide my own judgment, I wanted to ask the association what they do and why they do it. I think they have some stances that lend themselves well to debate - heated and otherwise.

The issue at Associated Content is that the public relations chair mentioned several medical studies as well as specific doctors that support the association's beliefs. The article is a standard Q&A format, so I didn't think it was necessary to reference every study. It's her words. AC denied the article and asked for references to each study including in content links. I found the studies, added the links and was denied again. This time there was too much "third party information."

I added no more information into the article since the first denial, so this was odd. I removed all mention of the medical studies, without ruining the point she was trying to make, and again the article was denied with a threatening note from the Content manager.

• DO NOT submit the same article twice, especially when it was called out for plagiarism. Doing this again will result in account suspension evaluation. This is a warning to stop resubmitting this content. If you continue to resubmit this content despite instruction, AC will evaluate your account for suspension.

Don't throw the "plagiarism" word around me as I don't take it lightly. I also followed the instructions that came with each denial. The only method to contact anyone at Associated Content is through email - an email system that rarely works and probably won't be responded to. I will be giving the matter a few days to be resolved - if it is not, you will see that article right here at Lloyd Zeffler.

I have written for Associated Content for closing in on 2 years, with nary a speed bump in the way. This situation has not soured me on writing for that site. I normally receive decent offers for my articles and there are many other writers there who write fantastic stuff and are extremely helpful. I would still recommend AC to anyone. I also understand they have many writers who rely on cut and paste that give the site a bad name. I will not be one of those writers. If this was about making money, I would be writing 5 articles a day about Britney Spears and celebrity marriages. It's always been about becoming a better writer - getting paid was a nice benefit.

However, I will not be denegrated by a Content Manager who can't be bothered to actually read the article. These complaints against AC are a dime a dozen. That company has some major growing pains they don't seem equipped to handle at times.

I'll get off my soapbox now. Did I really say denegrated? It's not that serious. Maybe if I mention Britney Spears again it will alleviate the tension, and get the Lloyd Zeffler blog a few more pageviews. Britney Spears.

Happy Manic Consumer Day Disguised Under the Auspice of Love

For the real lovers - not just romantic love - I hope you take today, and everyday, as a chance to show it. Love is why we are here.

Free Short Story Writing Contest

I ran across a short story writing contest. If you check out Bebo Author - a writing blog - they are currently holding the contest with a deadline of March 21, 2008 and a minimum of 1,000 words. The contest is open to anyone, entry is free and you can basically write about whatever the heck you want, so long as it is in a short story form.

I already have a story stew simmering on the range, so this was a nice find. Gives me a deadline, forces me to actually work on it. I hope anyone out there with an inkling to write might take up this opportunity. If you need help, I am happy to offer some editing skills, or just a pair of ears to bounce ideas into.

Check it out at Bebo Author Writing Contest. Don't forget to check out the rest of their site, they have some very helpful information on writing and publishing as well.

Biscuits & Blues in San Francisco: America's #1 Blues Nightclub

At 401 Mason Street at Geary, in the heart of San Francisco's theater district, thumps San Francisco's crown jewel for the blues and southern soul food. Biscuits and Blues earned a grand reputation in merely 12 years among blues fans and musicians as the place to be for an intimate night with the blues.

read more digg story

I mentioned this club in an earlier post on San Francisco. I am still dying to get in there - so I tried to learn a little bit more of what they have going on. From what I have heard, it definitely seems like a place to check out. San Francisco seems to have a pretty hip music scene - much more than just the drugged up hippie vibe of the Haight/Ashbury days. I would love to hear from anyone with more knowledge about the current San Francisco music scene.

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Grammy

The Grammy awards are strange. For a lavish, glitzy stage production to hand out trophies to an artistic medium that begins and ends with blood, sweat and tears and fills the spaces of everything from dingy clubs to open air stadiums seems insignificant. The raw emotions in the greatest types of music seem to be completely lost in an awards show utterly devoid of those emotions.

I can guarantee on the same night Kanye West rattled an acceptance speech nobody really listened to and Amy Winehouse bothered to show up, there were countless guitar players banging away in their garages, countless of bluesmen lifting broken spirits in dirty bars, countless rappers battling on the streets and countless other musicians and artists giving the people in front of them - one or one million - a new lease on life. Hope for today and hope for tomorrow.

Legends are not built on the number of Grammy awards they receive; the Grammy awards were built on the legends they decided to include, or exclude in some cases. Who knows how many awards Frank Sinatra has? Who cares? When the record turns and that voice pierces your heart, the magic of music is the only thing that matters. When a rock band lifts a stadium of people into the air with one chorus. That is the magic that matters.

No doubt, music is entertainment. You can treat it like any television show or sporting match you follow. You can give it awards for "recording excellence." You can read the list of winners and chitchat at the water cooler like it was another must-see sitcom.

On the other hand, you could find that one band or artist that through the power of a 4-minute song can change how you feel. Change your emotions. Change your mind. Change your life. Those musicians do not need an award. They already have the gold within their music.

Willie Nelson - Moment of Forever Review

Willie Nelson is something else. The last of a dying breed. His smoke-filled bus keeps tooling across the country. He is a gypsy, living on the road year-round. The most dependable gypsy as it were. Every year the Nelson catalogue adds at least one original addition. Willie keeps a work pace beyond most musicians less than half his age.
Willie has settled into a groove with a steady stream of top-notch records done with a who's who of country music. Moment of Forever is the slicker follow-up to last year's Songbird. With a mix of old and new songs, written by Willie or for Willie by his high-class music friends – Moment of Forever is another tasty album from his latter years.

Read my full review at antiMusic.

My Lobotomy: A Memoir Review

Neurologist Walter Freeman invented and promoted the “ice pick lobotomy” in the mid-20th century. He reportedly performed this controversial procedure on over 10,000 patients who were stricken with all manner of mental illness.

In 1960, at the age of 12, Howard Dully was one of Dr. Freeman’s youngest patients. Dully’s stepmother insisted on the lobotomy, despite the 12-year-old not demonstrating any tendencies beyond that of a regular young boy. Dully’s father agreed, and the family paid $200 to Freeman.

My Lobotomy chronicles Dully’s life before and after his lobotomy. His childhood was cruel, and not just the normal amount of cruel a child of the ‘50s could expect. His stepmother was verbally and physically abusive; his siblings verify the treatment he received as the family’s whipping post.

Read my full review at Curled Up With a Good Book.

Van Morrison - Still on Top

Did Van Morrison die? The steady stream of hits compilations that continue to hit record shelves hint towards a schmaltzy biopic and cover song by Sheryl Crow in the near future.

For the betterment of music fans, the rock/soul/folk/blues crooner of an Irishman is alive and very well. His music is vitally alive and important as well. For certain, this compilation is a record company fill-in while Morrison completes the follow-up to the well received Pay the Devil.

Given the Morrison is on the third volume of a The Best of Van Morrison series, and the recent release of the well-done At the Movies compilation, another disc is unnecessary. Still on Top is a mere snapshot of a 40-year career.

With only two songs from his time with Them and a smattering of songs from the next 35 years, Still on Top leaves too much on the table. There are too many outstanding Van compilations to waste time with this one. In fact, the best course of introduction to Morrison would be a few of his original full-length albums. Go get Astral Weeks. Any long time fans will have these songs multiple times over, and new fans should start somewhere else – like Astral Weeks. And start they should. Start because Van Morrison's music is necessary human listening.

For more music news and reviews, head on over to antiMusic right now.

Happy Birthday Izzy!

Two years have passed in the strangest way possible. I can't beleive it is gone, but it feels like a lifetime ago. It was two years ago today that Izzy was born. He has grown from a 6 pound baby who needs his parents for everything to a walking, talking, alphabet-reading two-year-old.

Being a father is the most fun I have ever had. Every day is a new adventure because he learns something new, does something new and makes everyone around him feel special. You should surround yourself with people who make you want to do better, to achieve great things - people who push you and support you unconditionally. How amazing then when you are sent a little guy who can do all those things before he is even potty trained.

Izzy is already happier, smarter and cooler than I could ever have hoped my child could be.

Happy birthday Izzy. You can't read this yet, but in a few months you probably will. Maybe next year we can have a party with Axl and propose a toast to Marley's ghost.

Brand New at the Lloyd Zeffler Store

The new Lloyd Zeffler logo now adorns many products at the CafePress store. Check out the link to see what's available - not only is the new logo in abundance, the old logo and some alternate images are still around.

By the way, if you don't see something that fulfills your wildest dreams, let me know. I am willing to swap images or make changes (within reason) that will give you the t-shirt, hoodie or whatever else you have in mind. Most t-shirts allow for images on the front and back, please keep in mind that if you want something on the front and back, it is an extra $3.

The most recent CafePress coupon is for $5 off a $50 purchase - enter CLOUTSONGS as the coupon code when you checkout to redeem. This coupon is viable until Feb. 9, 2008.

Alice Cooper'stown in Phoenix: Best Grilled Meat This Side of Hell

Alice Cooper'stown Sports Bar & Grill is located in downtown Phoenix, AZ. With a central position in the midst of Phoenix's major sports and event locations such as Chase Field, the Dodge Theatre and the United Airways Center, Cooper'stown is a popular destination for people looking for a great meal before the Phoenix Suns charge them $12 for a hot dog.

Read my full article at Associated Content.

This was my first stab at a restaurant review, and it shows. Cooper'stown is very good nonetheless.

Lenny Kravitz - It's Time for a Love Revolution

18 years, seven records, one celebrity marriage and a handful of supermodel girlfriends later, Lenny Kravitz is right back where he started; preaching the message of love from the pulpit of his funk rock garage.

Read my full review at antiMusic.

Maybe this record's message appeals to the dreamer in me - I actually do believe all you need is love - but this was a great album. It was derivative and lacked any innovation, but Lenny made a record of exuberant rock you would play air guitar too in your bedroom. Sometimes, that's good enough.

New Zeffler Logo

I am tinkering with a new official Lloyd Zeffler logo. Just playing on the existing one. If I had my druthers, the few people that buy Lloyd Zeffler t-shirts or other goods will definitely stand out among the crowd. There is already a few people that have one-of-a-kind Zeffler shirts. Maybe this one can catch on as well.

Something in color...

...and one just for fun.

Fridays with Alice

Your soundtrack to this weekend's vehicular manslaughter.