Jerry Lieber, Rest in Peace

He was half of the writing team Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller who wrote songs recorded by Elvis, the Coasters and others. They wrote "Hound Dog" "Little Egypt" and "Jailhouse Rock" and more. There's a new star in Rock'n'roll Heaven and a big hole if there is such a thing as the Rock Writers' Hall of Fame.

Elvis was accused of stealing "Hound Dog" from Big Momma Thornton but Elvis came up with his version of the song after hearing a guy sing it at a fair in Dallas TX.

(Picture: Elvis sings Hound Dog on the Steve Allen Show. Inset: Elvis with Lieber and Stoller)

Loser?

Labeling someone a loser basically makes the accuser the loser. At least that's the way I feel about it. From what I've heard from friends of mine who share this and similar forums, lots of them are tired of the how social websites have been over-commercialized. It's called networking and it is effective until it gets to the point of being obnoxious.

Let's talk about something that you won't see among MY pages and that is, anyone trying to push Amway. On two occasions I was approached about this. One time, a young friend of mine was getting his life in order in many ways, including spiritually and had invited me over to talk, I THOUGHT about his spiritual condition. This was before the cell phone and I had only known one Charlottean who had had a car phone and he had rooked our boss out of that. It turned out to be an Amway meeting. After a while, I became very familiar with the circles on the then, chalk board which today is probably the dry board or even some sort of power point presentation.

A friend had previously pitched Amway to me and I promised if he ever reached something called "Diamond Direct" I would "come in under him." More on that later. Then, years later a guy approached me with it and I told him of my promise to my FIRST friend and his reply, not paying attention to what I'd just said, was, "I'M Diamond Direct!" I made the promise to Ron White, who has long since ditched Amway, multilevel marketing and embraced his ministry calling.

The thing that is so unbecoming of these schemes is the way they instill in their inside victims (members, associates, whatever) an "us and them" mentality. They're LOSERS, because they haven't seen the light of AMWAY! There are people all over the country with attics and garages full of soap and vitamins and whatever Amway puts out. All good products, by the way.

There is a quiet, but growing roar that I believe is soon to manifest itself over these Amway-like multilevel marketing things and that is, a rejection of having them on your social website because they've heard it and are at the point of being TIRED of hearing it.

To her credit, I did see ONE friend who's involved in one of these who didn't wish to bombard people with this crap and started a separate page on a similar group. I salute her. For the rest I know you have to hear it three times, (some of you more) so here it is...No...no...NO! Okay?

Never Got a Chance...

You MAY have read about the Brewery, closing down this week. I failed to pay a visit there as most of my entrance into bars is for karaoke, but I always wanted to go check it out. Yesterday, it was demolished to make way for some new edifice to be constructed on that land. There are technicalities and legalities afoot that restrain me from just totally doing a number on the property's new owner, so suffice it to say that it is a shame my buddy Tom Taylor wasn't given adequate time for a proper "Good-bye Brewery" festival so several of the bands who have played there could do a fare well performance, etc. Let us hope that the old adage is true that what goes around will indeed COME around for this classless, opportunistic, well, YOU fill in the blank. Tom deserved much better than how he was treated.

An Outsider's Perspective

Outsider, because I have a handicap license plate but I only park in handicap spaces when I really NEED to. Sometimes I do, sometimes I do not. Courtesy is at a premium these days and rare at best.

One place where I love to hang out for several activities each week is kind enough to provide special parking spaces for motocycles. That's great. At times, there need to be additional signs above those that read "Motorcycle Parking Only." One above reading, "What part of..." and one below reading, "don't you understand?" because rude four wheelers from pick up truck drivers to those who think their cars are so special they have to park away from everyone else routinely park there. That's just wrong!

However, there recently was an incident where not all of the motorcycle spaces were used up, and motorcycles were in the four wheeler spaces. A friend of mine, not wishing to park in Chocowinity, parked in a motorcycle spot and was severely repremanded by a biker, quite rudely. Now that also was rude of the biker because there was plenty of space in the biker area but none in the four wheeler spaces. It HAS to work both ways or it just doesn't work. Of COURSE, if all the biker spaces are taken, bikers should feel free to park in other spaces, but this incident was one that required courtesy. My friend wanted to leave. One of the owners convinced him to stay. Come on, people. Grow up. As Mr O'Donnel at the Falls Church Boy's Club used to say, "ALL uh yuz!"

;-)

What's in a Name?

A name is very important. If your name was Joe and you were walking down the street, there is little chance that you'd acknowledge someone shouting, "Hey, Frank...Frank...oh Frank!!!" So it is with God. I did not say gods. I mean the One True and LIVING God Who created the universe.

His enemies and those who don't believe His Name is important wish to remove even his TITLE from the Pledge of Allegiance. The simple phrase UNDER GOD really gets under their skin.

God is real and His arch enemy, satan is as well. satan knows that God's Name is powerful probably more than any human realizes. When Thomas (the doubter) saw Jesus enter the room, not using the door seconds after loudly proclaiming he would not believe, Jesus had him examine his body, to touch the scars, put his hand in the wound in his side. Thomas' reply was a profound one. He said "My Lord and my GOD!" Jesus is deity as in God, the Son. Scripture further said that Jesus gave people the power to become children (sons and daughters) of God even to those WHO BELIEVED ON HIS NAME!

Acts 4:12 proclaims, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

Do NOT be amazed at satan's attempt to mess with Jesus' Name. He knows it is poweful and he knows that his days are numbered. That's why he has so many people like puppets uttering his name. After all, when was the last time you heard someone say, "Oh Buddha!" when they hit their thumbnail with a hammer?

DEATH!

It's not a fun kind of subject, but it's part of life. For each of us personally, the end, in terms of this earthly existence. God's Word tells us that it's an "appointment" and following that comes the Judgement (Hebrews 9:27) For the believer in Jesus Christ to exit this body we live in now, is to be present forever with Him (2Corinthians 5:8)

Sometimes, and recently for me, someone dies and the HUMAN understanding tends to dwell on how "unfair" it is for someone to live a short life here, but when you get to know the character of God, and I'm just starting to get to know Him, you see that first of all, He is in control, and you can believe that if something happens that seems to be "unfair" there is a good reason for it that we more than likely won't know until we're in Heaven with Him. I can just about guarantee you that when someone dies "young" as we understand it, had they continued to live, something bad was going to happen and God in His mercy spared them from it.

You may say, "well then, why are there people who suffer long, painful diseases." That one's EASY to answer. I don't know. And none of us do. But we can put our complete faith and trust in God knowing that He's not some big mean old man in the sky who's out to prevent fun. He INVENTED fun. He created a sense of humor. He's not angry with you. Amazingly, though I give Him ample reason to be, He's not angry with ME. His mercy endures forever.

I will never regret having come to know Him. That doesn't mean I'm perfect by any means, but it DOES mean that He accepted me...weird old me just as I was. He's still got a lot of work to do on me, but He's changed me quite a bit, too. Yeah, it hurts, death does, but I've found the Lord to have the best set of "shoulders" to cry on. He is where compassion originated.

Hope what I've said will help you to stop hurting, or at least to hurt less. You'll find that sweet memories will eventually come and you'll tend to only remember the good times.

I love you

My brother in law shares this from God's Word Deut 29:29--

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Matters of the Heart: At SOME Point You Have to Use Your Brain

If there's anything I believe in with all my heart it is the concept of redemption. We ALL sin, make mistakes, mess up or whatever you want to call it. No one deserves a second chance. Did you hear me? I said NO ONE DESERVES a second chance, but the funny thing is the ONE Person Who is capable of forgiving forgives freely. Therefore, I don't have the right to not forgive. Forgiving is not an emotion. It is a decision. You can decide to forgive someone and feel zero manifestations of it, but eventually, if you've decided to do so, you will.

What does this have to do with matters of the heart? Plenty. But first, let's not forget the concept of fool me once, shame on you. Fool me TWICE, shame on ME!

Forgiving doesn't mean becoming one's door mat and letting people continue to abuse you, no!

In the "relationship" arena, (this expression cracks me up, because there are all kinds of relationships besides romantic or lustful ones) hopefully one learns. I am single. There are a lot of reasons for that.

1. If someone is giving out "samples" eventually they will run out of them. Who's to know how low the supply is running out? How few are left. How many other guys (girls) has this person given a "sample" to.

2. If someone tells you they are damaged goods believe them. Beyond that, it's your choice but be ware...You can try to convince them of redemption, but if they feel they have a right not to forgive someone in their former "relationship" they are not capable of being at square one with you and it will be totally unfair. You will probably wind up hurt. Now, if you know redemption and live it before them and are patient enough, they may catch on, but God will not violate the will of a person. Hear me, He will NOT make someone trust you who is in this condition. He WILL NOT MAKE THEM LOVE YOU, no matter how you pray. PERIOD.

3. No one can make you hate someone. It, too, is a decision. Choose not to. This may require a little distance between you and the one you are tempted to hate.

4. Being single is not the end of the world. You may be misunderstood as a horn toad, or a number of other things but you can function without a "help meet." That doesn't mean it's all that fun, but you DO have the freedom to flirt. Do it, too much, and you'll be categorized by some, but you know what? Those people don't count!