Jam On!

The Band with No Name is having one of its last 3 practices today. Next Saturday we debut at Pete’s July 4th Party. If you didn’t get the invitation from Pete, I can’t really help you, but rest assured, I will miss your presence! When I fire the Les Paul up and crank the Music Man hybrid amp up to “11”, I want people’s ears to bleed with pleasure. (Not mine, I’ll be wearing ear plugs to retain what little is left of my hearing. I envision my bust alongside that of Ludwig Van’s in some future comparison of deaf musical prodigies!) Pity if you miss out.
But rest assured, You Tube versions of our “talent” will be forthcoming. And maybe, with a little luck, we’ll break into the bar circuit with a vengeance, playing gigs every Friday and Saturday night from San Diego to Lake Tahoe. We’ll be like the Med Fly phenomena of the 1980’s, infecting the boondocks and backwater towns of our great state with a hype rarely experienced in a human’s short existence.
How does one go from garage band to Bar Band? And is it ultimately worth the trouble? I have to admit, when my guitar playing is good, it is a thing of raw beauty. To me, it is like watching somebody else on stage. But I decided long ago that in music, it’s not how well you play or what you know, it’s who you know, and how many hours, days, and weeks can you keep your sanity riding around in a tour bus, opening shows for Rat Dog, or Seether.
And I can’t really pursue a musical performance career at this stage of life. After all, I’m an old man - I just celebrated the 19th anniversary of my 30th birthday. Yet something in me loves to wake up the “guitar player” and put him on display.
I’m really sorry if you can’t be there to watch. But I’ll tell you how it goes!

In case anyone cares, Executive Painting and Texture is my company. We are Santa Clarita’s most educated painters, and when we paint your house, we promise not to kick your cat or leave additional children at your home. We’ll just paint it and make it look really nice. You’ll want to show all of your friends and brag about the guitar-playing-astronomer painter that made your family room a work of art. Please visit our website at www.executivepainting.net
And shop smart at HotSpotSCV.com for internet coupons and the hottest deals in the Santa Clarita Valley!

Astronomy

Well, I did it. I submitted my podcast contribution to the 365 Days of Astronomy daily podcast. I'm no Astronomer, but I do take an interest in the subject.

Other contributions have been about Supernovas (Supernovae?), Black Holes, Galaxies, Exotic Matter, and the like. But my podcast relates Space Travel in Science Fiction to the real science of moving people and probes to distant parts of our solar system, our galaxy, and one day, the far side of the universe.

You can listen to the experts daily at http://365daysofastronomy.org/. For my contribution, you'll have to wait until Sunday, June 28. Please give it a listen, and send me a note at handymanvance@gmail.com. I'd love to hear what you think!

Thanks to Dr. Pamela Gay and Frasier Cain from Astronomycast, for inspiring me to participate in this International Year of Astronomy, in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Galileo turning the telescope towards the night sky, and opening man's eyes to the universe.

I would be remiss if I did not also thank Executive Painting and Texture, Santa Clarita's premiere painters, at www.executivepainting.net, and www.hotspotscv.com