WISHING YOU A HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Melody Beattie

MAKE MUSIC OR DIE: JONEZEN'S STORY

JoneZen Official Website 

When Chris Jones was 27 and alcoholic he was faced with a choice.... go to rehab or die...

Make Music Or Die

By Jonezen

It’s been a long road getting to where I am: Hip Hop Artist Of The Year at the 2013 Los Angeles Music Awards. This portion of my career started in rehab. The rest…we’ll fill you in on later. BUT, I suppose a little back story is in order.

 

Started off with a hip-hop group called Outta-Control. That was not only the band name but also a motto for living. By the age of 26 that lifestyle almost killed me and my liver was shutting down to due EXCESSIVE drinking.
 

I chose rehab but ONLY on the condition that I find a treatment center that would let me bring my recording studio. If I couldn’t my plan was to continue drinking, lease a crappy room at a hotel/apartment complex with my remaining cash (I was about to be homeless too) and record what would be my last songs.

 DOWNLOAD LIVE FROM REHAB FOR FREE!

Before dying I planned on mixing and mastering the album, leaving a note for my brother instructing him to print the album and tell my story. I know…grandiose, stupid, embarrassing, all of the above. (And frankly it’s only a story people give a shit about NOW because I am here to tell it) BUT…I didn’t die. After looking at several rehabs and being shot down I finally found one that would let me bring my studio.
 

Now, how the hell did I get them to let me do that? And the answer is a instant connection with the owner. I’m not sure what it was but I liked him and he liked me. Even though I was blackout drunk at the time... I still remember bits and pieces of our encounter.

The Director and I sat down, talked briefly, and I popped the question. After looking at me a little taken back, he replied something along the lines of , “you can bring your studio, but no speakers”. I told him we had a deal. I checked into rehab about two days later at his facility in Los Angeles.

With no clue that checking into rehab would save my career and take it to an entirely new level. I thought my life was over, career over, not knowing what was next, who I was, or who I was going to be. But, I had my studio. That was all I needed.

Music is something that has been a part of me since I was born. Something I can't quit. And believe me, I was ready to die if I couldn’t find a place that would allow me to bring my gear. I was ready to keep drinking, recording, and stay caught in the downward spiral that led me to Rehab's door in the first place.

Sooner, rather than later, my liver would have failed and my life and music would die. Nothing would be as it is today. And today, life is good. Stay tuned…the best is yet to come...

My next album is in the works and dropping in March of 2014.

HOWLING DIABLOS CD RELEASE PARTY FRI NOV 29!

OJ SIMPSON DENIED NEW TRIAL!

Los Angeles Times | November 26, 2013 | 5:49 PM

Disgraced athlete O.J. Simpson has been denied a new trial on his 2008 convictions for robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas, which sent him to prison for up to 33 years.

Clark County District Judge Linda Marie Bell ruled that the 66-year-old will have to remain behind bars for now. Simpson, who will be 70 before he is eligible for parole, had sought a new trial, saying he had incompetent legal counsel.

For the latest information go to www.latimes.com.

BIG DADDY ED ROTH THE OUTLAW OF ART BY CHRIS MORTON!

I saw a photo of the original "Rat Fink" the other day and posted it on Facebook..people went wild..  As a kid in school, I drew Rat Fink on everything I could get my hands on.  I never knew what my attraction to Roth's art style was about until Chris Morton sent in this story. Thanks, Chris for letting me know.

Any fan of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and Rat Fink should watch this terrific Tales of Rat Fink video (with lots of voiceovers from famous folks)

One story has it that Stanley "Mouse" Miller, who eventually finished his training at Detroit's Center For Creative Studies (formerly Society For Arts & Crafts), was painting monsters on hot rods at fairgrounds around Michigan.

 

 Mouse Hot Rod Painting

Along came Ed Roth and, spotting a good idea when he saw it, took it to the next level. Mouse, of course, is better known for his rock poster work with Anton Kelley, most notably for the Grateful Dead.

The whole CA hot rod scene that eventually produced the Batmobile, the Munster Koach, and the Monkees' custom GTO was chronicled in Tom Wolfe's (Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test) book, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby.

Of course, the entire line of Carroll Shelby cars would never have existed without the initial express approval of Ford HQ in Dearborn, and—later—Chairman Lee Iacocca when he left Ford to head up Chrysler.

Those were heady times for any car-crazed model builder like me. And having both a stepfather and brother ensconced at Ford's "Glass House," I was privy to a lot of ephemera that most kids my age didn't have access to.

It even happened that we had some sort of tie to the Gallogly family, Wes Gallogly having founded AMT (the model car company that eventually had operations in Troy). They consistently issued the coolest kits until IMC came along. Of course, Big Daddy had signed with Revell, so that company-issued his line of monsters driving hot rods.

It was also the heyday of Peterson Publishing's Hot Rod magazine, featuring color photos of cars driven by the likes of Don Garlits, Connie Kalitta, and "TV" Tommy Ivo and the cars having names like "Hemi Under Glass" and "Little Red Wagon." Slot car racing parlors like Tiny Tim's on Woodward in Royal Oak also fueled (no pun intended) the dreams of young boys like me. Chris Morton

OBSESSIONS OF MY CHILDHOOD

 

Here are one of my first collection obsessions!Liddle Kiddles. These were the coolest tiny dolls that came packaged in bottles, necklaces, cars and eggs. They had very cute faces with bright eyes. Just loved them.They still sell tons of these on Ebay. They toy makers should revisit Little Kiddles.

Tressy was an awesome doll!The first doll that "grew" hair.Tressy had a button on her back when pushed her hair became longer or shorter..We were mesmerized by this doll..She had a superb tv commercial.We all wanted a Tressy doll!

A young boy with a propeller beany that allows him to fly (the "Beanycopter", complete with helmet and propeller, became a popularly marketed novelty). Beany is a good-hearted, upbeat lad. In most episodes, Beany would be kidnapped by the villain or vice versa, crying "Help, Cecil! Help!" to which Cecil would reply "I'm a-comin', Beany-boy!" as he raced to the rescue.
 

 Beany Copters were coveted by children because we wanted to fly like Beany Saturday morning cartoon show Beany and Cecil.

The Spirograph was and still is the most incredible toy. We spent hours making those intricate drawings. The Spirograph itself was developed by the British engineer Denys Fisher, who exhibited at the 1965 Nuremberg International Toy Fair. It was subsequently produced by his company. US distribution rights were acquired by Kenner, Inc., which introduced it to the United States market in 1966 and promoted it as a creative children's toy.
 

Mystery Date was hugely popular to play in the 1960's. It was a funny game to play. We all wanted to own it. There was a compelling tv advertising campaign for Mystery Date...

Ahhh the Beatle's Dolls with hair! I had Paul and George and I think my sister had the other two. We of course, were insane about Beatlemania.

We had to own anything that had the Beatles on it. We had Beatle notebooks, lunch box, and tennis shoes I think. The Beatles were the first band with MERCH!
 

Spent all my money on Archie Comic Books

Archie's first appearance in Pep Comics #22 on December 22, 1941, was drawn by Montana and written by Vic Bloom. With the creation of Archie, publisher Goldwater hoped to appeal to fans of the Andy Hardy movies starring Mickey Rooney. Archie Comics is also the title of the company's longest-running publication, the first issue appearing with a cover date of Winter 1942. Starting with issue #114, the title was shortened to simply Archie.

Peanuts Paperbacks 

and Mad Magazine.

Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century, with editor Al Feldstein increasing readership to more than 2,000,000 during its 1970s circulation peak.

3M book games. Just adored the game Ohwaree which had little wells that looked like they were made from marble. You would have a hand full of stones and drop them around in a circle.Object was to obtain all the stones.

My brother and I played this game for hours. It was a defense/strategy game with a flagship and it was based on Naval maneuvers.

RAT FINK!!! Man I loved this rat! Drew him on all my notebooks forever! Here is the history of RAT FINK! RF is still popular today see HERE

AQUARIUS NOVEMBER 25, 2013

Hi Kim! Here is your Daily Horoscope for Monday, November 25

You stumble onto something big -- but it may be too big for you to take it all in at once. Try your best to focus on the aspects of this situation that best fit with pre-existing plans.