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Jester's Last Song/King's Last Decree

7/9/2014

For this blog, I share sort of a spontaneous song that came to me while rehearsing during the last Mercury in retrograde. The song sort of creeped-out some of the people that heard it, so I added one more verse to it, and a happy ending for it by way of a written story, in the hopes that it wouldn't seem so creepy. So for what it's worth, here it is:

Many ages ago a jester performed the song that follows in the presence of his king, and in the presence of many of the king's subjects. (The story is meant to be read after listening to the song)

When the jester had completed his song, the king was infuriated, of course, but he stood and said nothing, looking no one in the eyes. The king left his court thereafter and his guards followed him to his private chambers, where he locked himself inside and clenched his fists.

All others present in and around the court-including the jester-stood silent, awaiting the only response they believed the king could offer. After all, the laws of the kingdom allowed only one punishment for humiliation of the king: public execution.

But there was an unexpected turn of events in the privacy of the king's chamber: after looking briefly at himself in the mirror and scoffing, he fell to his knees and wept. He wept profusely, and cursed the crown that had just fallen off his head, spinning, tumbling, and finally coming to rest before him. Shortly thereafter, the king gathered himself, placed the cursed crown back upon his head and instructed his guards to bring the jester to his chambers, where the two men were to be left in private.

"Sit down," commanded the king as the jester entered moments later, and the jester did so-ever so respectfully. The king turned his back to the jester and paced as he continued, careful not to look the jester in the eyes. "You understand I must have you executed, I assume."

The jester cleared his throat gently, "Yes, my lord."

The king went on, "And I'm assuming you knew long before performing your song that your public execution to follow cause a number of my subjects to riot, and possibly send our kingdom into a state of civil war?"

The jester's chin sunk down a bit, "I knew it was a likely outcome, my lord, yes."

The king slowly approached the bench the jester was seated upon, and sat down next to him. The king's tone was noticeably softer as he asked, "Do you consider yourself a martyr?"

With no hesitation at all, the jester replied, "No, my lord, just a person who can no longer bear to witness the suffering of our kingdom and its subjects."

The king continued, "And if I were to make you king, would you call for your own execution?"

Again without hesitation the jester answered, "Yes, of course, my lord...the law must be carried out, lest our kingdom fall into a state of chaos. Besides, I'd rather die than be king."

"As would I," mumbled the king. With that, the king patted his thighs and stood up, smiling ever so slightly. "Good, my friend, very good. It is settled then...tonight you and I shall die together."

The jester stood up, a pleading expression upon his face, "My lord, you need not--"

The king grasped the jester's hands warmly and spoke into his eyes, "The law must be carried out, as you said--I have committed treason against our kingdom. I have drank the blood of its subjects and reveled in my madness. Die with me, my friend--a peaceful death--a death that will restore honor and freedom to our people who so desperately need hope for better days."

The jester placed his hands upon the king's shoulders and said, "But you have no children to leave the kingdom to; who shall rule over our people?"

The king smiled again, a pure and genuine smile, and he embraced the jester. "We shall leave that to providence, my dear friend. Our kingdom is filled with good people--honorable people--people who value love and respect toward one another. They will find a way, I know they will."

The jester smiled and wiped a subtle tear of joy from the corner of his eye. "Then yes, it is settled, my precious king...tonight we die together, and become a light to shine upon our kingdom...we restore hope and freedom to all by our honorable example." King and jester embraced once more.

With genuine enthusiasm, the king unlocked his chamber's door and called for his guards. He instructed the guards to gather all available servants of the court and distribute his wine to all subjects that were present. "Let no one leave thirsty!" he shouted to the guards as the shuffled off down the halls to carry out his orders.

As the wine was being passed along, and more subjects gathered, the king had a second throne brought out and placed next to his, motioning toward the jester that he should be seated there. Shortly thereafter, the hustling activity subsided and the king received word that all present had received a cup of wine that they were instructed to not drink until the king gave word. He sat down upon his throne, aimed a grateful smile toward the jester seated next to him, and began his speech:

"My good people, I suspect most of you have gathered here expecting to witness a public execution. You will not be disappointed! The good jester here, seated next to me, has humiliated the king, as
you know. Also, as you know, the laws of our kingdom require his public execution. Despite his
lack of respect for the crown, his words were sincere, and he spoke what has needed to be spoken
in our kingdom for many years now--saying the things no one else would dare. In doing so, he
broke my heart deeply--I do believe I felt it bleed from inside--and he caused me to see things I
was unable to see before he sang."

The king then stood up and paced among the gathered subjects and servants, making eye contact with several as he continued his speech:

"I asked our good jester a simple question: if I made him king, would he carry out his own
execution? He did not hesitate in telling me he would indeed, for the law must be carried
out lest our kingdom fall into a state of chaos. He also told me he'd rather die than be king.
Tonight, he shall get his wish--on both counts--and it is my sincere hope that tonight, all of us
together, with one voice, will celebrate the beginning of a new era for our kingdom--a happy
and prosperous one. But before I crown our new king, I must make one final decree: that the
laws of our kingdom must apply to ALL its citizens--even to the king himself, no one shall
be exempt, from this day forward."

With that, the king approached the jester slowly, placed his crown upon the jester's head, and graciously knelt before him. The jester looked graciously into the king's eyes, not knowing whether he should speak. He chose silence for the moment. The king then stood up and faced the court, noting the thoughtful expressions that lie upon the faces of what were his subjects just a moment ago. He spoke again:

"My dear friends, for the first time since you've known me, I now speak to you as a person rather
than a king. I speak as a person so deeply ashamed that I would not even ask for forgiveness. I
allowed my mind to be poisoned by the weight of power, and, in turn, allowed our beloved
kingdom to be poisoned along with it--from the elderly to the infants, from the tree branch to the
soil of our land which once bore lovely fruit, but does so no more. I drank the blood of my
subjects, and gave nothing but cruelness and tyranny to you. In a word, I committed treason
against our kingdom, and its people. As you know, the law for this crime requires my public execution. You shall not be disappointed."

A collective gasp rang throughout the kingdom that second. The former king stood before his former throne and motioned for the once-jester-now-king to stand and speak. The new king spoke as follows:

"My dear people and friends, your former king has spoken well, and his thoughts are my own.
It is our hope that from this night forward, all people of this kingdom find joy and prosperity
with each rising sun. May all whispers of revolution be silenced now and forever, may all of
you--from least to greatest--work together in harmony to bring hope back to our beloved
kingdom. Before I lead us in a celebratory toast, I must issue one final decree: that it be
stated clearly in the royal archives your former king died honorably out of love for his
kingdom and its subjects, though he could not be forgiven. I would also ask, not as king, but
as a friend and fellow subject--that after our passing, you bury me as close as possible to
the former king; this in the hopes that future generations of our kingdom might remember
our sincere desire for everyone to live together in mutual love and respect."

Both the new and former king sat down, and two servants filled their cups with wine. The former jester and former king smiled softly at one another and shared words with one another for a moment that no one else present could hear. The new king then held his cup of wine high above his head, and waited for the rest of the court to do the same before he continued with his toast:

"Tonight, my people, my dear friends, we make a toast in the name of freedom, love, and
mutual compassion for one another. The former king and I shall drink with you, though for us, it
will be our last. We drink the same wine as you, except that our servants have been instructed
to add just enough poison to our cups to fulfill the requirements of the law. May our kingdom

prosper for many days to come."

The former king tapped the former jester's cup with his own, and they stood and embraced one another once more once they'd emptied their cups. The former king then stepped toward the court one last time and spoke to all that were present:

"Never forget this happy night, my friends, this happiest of occasions. Providence shall guide
you, and your love for one another shall always light your way."

The kingdom prospered for countless generations after that day, and they never did manage to find another king.

Thank you all for sticking around, and always remember that #LoveRockPrevails
Kev oxox

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Quiet Confidence & The Swagger Condundrum

4/28/2014

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I've spent many hours thinking & meditating on the difference between confidence and swagger after asking myself that very question more than 20 years ago. Only recently have I felt I have a clear enough idea of their distinction to write a bit about them; so for what it's worth, here's what I came up with:

Confidence
No matter our walk in life, no matter our goals, dreams, and ambitions, a measure of confidence is required if we're to achieve any sort of lasting success and contentment in our lives. Confidence is self-developed, self-contained, and self-preserved. In a word, confidence is selfish (not all forms of selfishness are bad, I have learned over the years).

I believe confidence is the natural result of hard work, practice, and lots and lots of repetition (no matter what you do-even without training-the more you do it, the better you will get at it). Confidence is a faithful and quiet friend of few words, and-if you work really hard at what you're doing-maybe even a faithful and gentle spouse that never leaves your side. Confidence is not competitive. In fact, it has little or no regard for others one way or the other: it's there for you, and only you. Confidence isn't born of praise and adoration from others, nor is it harmed by nastiness and harsh criticism. I think we can view things like consistency, tenacity, stability, contentment as the children of confidence (may we have many!).

I've heard it said so many times that confidence is sexy, and I used to believe that. Though I still acknowledge there's something to that, I no longer see it as being "sexy." I see confidence as being sort of homely, and even a bit boring-it's not something boisterous, outgoing, and flamboyant. What I think people may describe as "sexy" is often the natural appeal we have toward people that seem to be able to handle situations: there is great comfort in being around confident people.

Swagger
Just as much as confidence is self-contained (by the self, of the self, for the self), so do I believe swagger is external in its nature, that it is defined by your relation to others. A conversation with a good friend led me to consider that there might be various sub-categories of swagger, and I may address that at some point in another blog. For now, I see it as something that happens outside the self that has its legitimate time and place in society-especially if you are a performance artist.

On the surface, swagger is very much the opposite of confidence in many ways, as I see it. Swagger is bold, outgoing, energetic, and sometimes outspoken. These traits can serve you well if you need to be recognized, branded, or marketed. Used properly, swagger determines how the outside world views you, allowing people contrast you with others and help you to stick out among the various forms of competition.

Swagger is something else, though, which keeps it from being your friend: it is unstable. It may pick you up off the ground one moment, then kick you in the teeth an hour later. Nobody tells swagger what to do: it does what it wants, when and how it pleases. Though it can be a great help at times, it has no specific allegiance to you. It may invite you to the movies, but it doesn't care if you actually go.

Unlike confidence, swagger is constantly affected by the outside world: praise and adoration take it to new heights, while nastiness and criticism pop its glittery pink balloon. There is great danger in mistaking swagger for a friend: just ask the thousands of celebrities that have been/will be in rehab (or the ones who can't answer because they are dead).

Conclusion
I don't believe genuine confidence ever brought harm to anyone, and I maintain that the confidence brought about as the natural result of patience, hard work, and repetition will go a long way toward living a happy, meaningful, and productive life (no matter what you choose to do with it). If your station in life requires you to stand out among others, you're going to need a measure of swagger too at times-a healthy blend of the two would be your aim. If you haven't yet put in the hard work and repetition, I highly recommend avoiding swagger best as you can, since genuine confidence is the one that's going to clean your wounds and make you a bowl of warm soup after swagger has beaten you to a pulp again. That confidence isn't going to be there to heal you if you haven't put in the hard work and practice. Finally, never ever mistake swagger as your friend: even if you have tremendously huge genuine confidence, you should only associate with swagger when necessary. Send swagger an occasional "Thank you/Thinking of You" card, but don't invite it over for dinner.

Thank you for being there, we love you
KeV
oxox

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R.I.P. @atomic_honey :Happy New Year

12/31/2013

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First off, I want to apologize for the confusion I've created for a few of you on our recent Twitter-go-round. Secondly, yes, our old twitter account @atomic_honey has been shut down, and this will be permanent. It was not suspended, nor were there any technical issues; it was shut down by us for our own reasons which I'm going to try and explain best as I can in this blog entry that follows.

Shutting down that account was not a spontaneous or impulsive action, though to the online world I realize it would seem that way. Honestly the thought of shutting down that account had been crossing my mind since this last summer, but a number of things I won't go into here kept me from pulling the plug on it. I seriously love and cherish that account, and it will live on in our spirits forever-so many fond memories there, so many great acquaintances & friends made with it.

Analogy Time:
I've always viewed social networking (Twitter in particular) as sort of an ongoing concert, a stage. I suspect some of you that come across this might have been professional musicians in the past, and maybe even still are-so I will go with the "stage" analogy which was the best I came up with while deciding how to explain this. Those who have played in bands know the difference a stage makes-how each one has a different vibe to it-and how it effects your emotions and ultimately how you end up sounding. Even if you are not a musician, you probably know what I mean if you've ever attended a live show.

Obviously, a show at a large arena is very different from one at a small tavern and both have their ups and downs. Since Atomic Honey does not currently play live shows (we prefer to be around the house, raising our children at this point in our lives), the Internet is literally our ONLY stage, and Twitter is by far where we perform most often-it's not even close! Just as a band might progress over time to larger and larger stages as more people become familiar with them, so it goes on Twitter it turns out. What starts out as a very intimate setting with only a few followers to interact with eventually becomes that arena that wanna-be rock stars dream of playing. Though the cheers get louder and there's a greater body of emotions connecting with one another, the intimacy of it all fades over time. I know many a successful musician that has missed "the good old days" when they were playing to attentive & enthusiastic crowds of 3-10 people. Yes, it was awkward, but holy crap were those nights fun!

So basically, I started missing the intimacy that we used to have on Twitter and was hoping for a way to recapture the magic of our account's early days. Just like playing an arena show, it got to the point where there were too many people you cherished that were too far back in the bleachers and you could no longer see their eyes, or even their smiles. There were too many friends we made too quickly, and we simply couldn't keep up with all of you fabulous people anymore. This made me sad, made me feel like we were letting people down-people that we genuinely care about.

Right or wrong, I finally came to the conclusion that dumping the account was the only way to make me feel good about Tweeting again. I have no desire to play favorites, though in all honesty, yes, people that have been supportive of what we do for a long time hold a special place in our hearts-and we'll always try to put them up on a pedestal a little bit more-it's just the way it works.

As to the future (Happy New Year, by the way), we'll just have to see how it all shakes down. At the time of this writing, we have created two new separate accounts, neither of which will be allowed to grow as large and cumbersome as the old one did-I refuse to let it become a burden or put me in a position to have to take time & energy away from those that I love (and who love me back). The first of these new accounts is @AchyEmotion (which is an anagram for Atomic Honey). That one will remain public and will be used primarily for interaction-we will seldom tweet any promo from that account-virtually nothing of ours, at least. If you find me sharing links to songs, vids, pics, etc on that account it will likely be from someone else that we enjoy and simply want to share with you.I have associated this blog to that account, so these writings will be posted there, but that's mostly it Atomic Honey-wise. This may sound silly coming from a musician, but I don't like promo-not even for us. When I share something on twitter it's genuine-something I think you might enjoy, it's that simple.

The other new Twitter account we created is @LoveRockLockBox and will remain a locked account. That is where we will share more of what we're doing musically, especially rough drafts, demos, and even album recordings that aren't yet public. Using my "stage" analogy, the LockBox is a lot like a backstage pass-for trusted and supportive people only. We will be extremely selective about whom we allow to follow that account, and that's not to be snobby-it's to be safe-because we share some things there that can't be made public.

I hope this makes sense to most of you, and I sincerely apologize once more to those this caused confusion for. I want to thank you all for sticking with us always, you mean a ton to us-you really do. Should you find this explanation inadequate, I'm happy to try and explain more-hit me up on Twitter or feel free to leave a comment below.

Oh, one more announcement to make: we're also retiring the old #AtomicLove hashtag, also for reasons I won't go into here. I'll be revealing the new one on Twitter just after midnight my time (GMT-9hrs), but as a bonus to any of you that take the time to read this, the new hashtag will be #LoveReigns. Thank you again for your love and support!

Kev
oxox

PS If you know people that are into what we do, musically or otherwise, we'd love it if you helped pass along this info to them. Thank you again! oxox

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Happy Thanksgiving

11/28/2013

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I honestly can't recall how many times I had to write some sort of "what are you thankful for?" paper when I was a child in school. Needless to say, I've spent much of my life being aware of just how thankful I am for the many things I've had to be thankful for. So instead of telling you how thankful I am for so many things, I thought I'd tell you what's really on my mind this Thanksgiving holiday.

Many of you know this is a weird time of year for me: my father was both born and died in the month of November (born 11/7, died 11/30). It's a time of year in which I like to reflect, and also put together puzzle pieces from my past. Ultimately, separation from my father is always on the front of my mind this time of year, and not necessarily in a sad way. Instead of thinking of how much I miss him & what not, I tend to think of people that are separated from their loved ones-for any number of reasons.

Thoughts of my belated father take me instantly into a state of empathy for those that are alone for the holidays--I can't explain it, it's just how it is. I empathize best (especially during the holidays) with those that are alone: the lonely, despondent, the broken, and the shattered. I didn't choose this: again, it's just how it is.

For those that don't know, I spent many years alone--(this was before I met a girl and had children, of course). There was a time in my life-it lasted almost a decade-that I thought I'd die a lonely and early death. It wasn't that I ever wanted to die, it was just that I felt it wouldn't matter if I did. I didn't know at that time that this was a dangerous thought to have, but somehow someone was always there to keep me around--someone to show me compassion. Call it luck, fate, destiny or good fortune or what have you, but someone was always there: someone that made me realize my existence mattered. Those people weren't always friends and family--in fact, many of them were complete strangers, hard as that may be for some of you to believe.

My point in telling you this is to remind you that the holidays are an especially difficult time of year for those who are alone for any number of reasons. I'm not alone anymore-and very grateful for that, of course-but I've been there and know the emotions of a person that's alone feels during the holidays, and I know the thoughts too (yes, I've asked myself the unspeakable "What if?..." questions).

If you believe in what we're doing, and you want to make the world a better place, reach out to someone you know is alone for the holidays--they need you more than you realize. Whether it's a neighbor, cashier at your local store, or the family member that's been cut off: we all know and recognize someone who will struggle with their existence during this holiday season. Today is a great day to call someone you haven't spoken to in years, or even to introduce yourself to the neighbor you've never spoken to.

I'm not suggesting you say anything in particular or take any specific action, by the way. I know from my own experience that there were times in my life that the simple smile from a stranger made my day brighter, kept me alive. Do yourself a favor this Thanksgiving holiday, and reach out to someone who needs it--I guarantee you know someone who will be alone this day by no choice of their own. Seriously, sometimes a sincere smile & a sense of compassion in the heart is all it takes--sometimes, even, the difference between life and death. Let's make this the best Thanksgiving day ever!

Kev
oxox

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A Very Special Veterans' Day (Thank You, Dad)

11/13/2013

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Another Veterans' Day has come and passed, and we remain thankful for those who serve and allow us to live the lives we live without fear.

This year was a very special Veterans' Day for me, however, as through the efforts of several people, we were able to release a very special album unlike any we've ever done. The music is ours, but the words are those of a Veteran: Duke Sherman who wrote a fabulous book of poetry called "A Soldier's Thoughts" and was kind enough to send me a copy. We were inspired, and the rest is history in the making! If you'd like to know just how this project came about, I encourage you to read Amused Now's blog on it and watch the interview they were kind enough to do with me & Duke (link to the video is on the same page) http://amusednow.com/blog/soldiers-melodies/

The album, as you might have guessed is called "A Soldier's Melodies." Even if you don't end up purchasing this album, we highly encourage you to listen to the samples and read the blog page so that you'll have a better understanding of why we do the things we do. As I intimated from the last paragraph, all lyrics for these songs were taken directly from Duke's poems. I found myself changed after working on this project, as through Duke's words I was able to really empathize with our combat Veterans in a way I couldn't before. We hope that we translated this empathy properly into the music, and that it will serve to make the day of many a person brighter. We'd be even more honored if you'd stop by Duke's site which is here: http://www.duketheman1.com/default.html (If you go there now, you'll see a most beautiful review of the album along with a touching letter-front and center!)

The album will be sold exclusively on Amused Now, and as I understand it, will remain available until the end of the month (November). We're grateful to have had the chance to do something special like this and hope that at least a few of you will be inspired by it. If you're interested in even more details, then I'd suggest you follow the following people on Twitter:

@cynthiakahn

@amused_now

@duketheman

@1cryingeye

As always, we thank you for your amazing love and support. Please never forget to be grateful for the life you have, no matter how challenging your life may be. Many of us have been there, many of us understand. We're all in this together!

Kev

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Where I Came From (Remebering My Dad Through His Music)

11/6/2013

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I think at least some of you know that my dad was a musician, and also the one who really got me started in music. Rather than share stories of my dad and what he meant to me (we lost him to a brain tumor Nov. 30, 2007), I thought it might be nice to share a few songs from the two bands he was in. Since my dad's birthday is Nov. 7, the entire month of November has sort of become a time of reflection for me-a time to remember where I came from, and how memories of these sorts of things have shaped the person I've become.

Due to the kindness of one of my dad's good friends, I'm fortunate to have some tapes of live performances, and even just a bit of info about them.

The first two songs I've posted are from his very first band, The Shantels, which he formed with childhood friends when he was 17. My dad is the guitar player and does backing vocals; his best friend from youth (and next door neighbor) Gary Brooks is the lead vocalist. Gary Brooks died many years ago also from cancer, I believe, but I can't remember which type. Other members of The Shantels (all from Morris, Illinois) are Denny Neary, Greg English, Dave Butz, Terry Nelson, and John Boyle (though I don't know who played which instruments aside from my dad and Gary).

The two songs by The Shantels I've included here are from a show they played at the Morris Catholic School gymnasium from August of 1970 (my dad would have been 19 at the time) You'll forgive the sound quality, I'm assuming, and understand what it means to me to have these recordings.

The third song I've included here is by his second band, Prairie, which he formed in '71 while attending college at NIU in DeKalb, Illinois. Unfortunately I have no info about any of the other members of prairie at all, other than I know a couple of them were friends with REO Speedwagon who were essentially the SIU (Champagne, IL) version of my dad's band at the time-as I understand it.

This is from a live show at the 5th Dimension in Joliet, Illinois, though I do not have a date--it had to be somewhere between late '71 and early-mid '72. My dad is the one who says "The name of our group is Prairie, and we're from Northern Illinois University, if anybody doesn't know" before the song starts.

I hope some of you can find a little pleasure in hearing these songs (they really do capture a neat element of the time period, rough as the recording quality is). I really appreciate those of you out there that have supported Atomic Honey, and given me the outlet to share my time of reflection; being able to do so makes it a much more pleasant season for me. Thank you again.

Kev
oxox

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Why "Atomic" Love?

10/20/2013

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I know many of you have seen me use the hashtag #AtomicLove frequently on Twitter, and I was thinking the other day that maybe someone might wonder why I use that--I mean not in a technical Internet sense, but why I refer to this love as "Atomic."

There are actually a couple of different reasons for this. Obviously, there's the whole "band name" thing, but also the world is so different when viewed at such a small level. It fascinates me to no end to know that if the mass of a proton differed by even just the tiniest of tiny bits you can imagine, the universe as we understand it couldn't exist--matter (as we understand it) couldn't exist. You and I wouldn't exist.

That causes me to have very high regard for the "little" things in life, such as a simple "ch-ch-ch" from a space dude we've come to know as David Bowie changing my future forever; or how hearing Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson gasp for air during their song "Revelations" makes it one of the greatest metal anthems in rock history (in my opinion, anyway). Aside from music, there are things like staring into a loved one's eyes at just the right moment or watching the beautiful cadence of a leaf as it flutters its way to the ground.

Many of you also know of my desire to change the world through music someday, and I know for a fact many of my awesome acquaintances have a similar desire (some through music, some through writing, some through other forms of art). It seems so natural and common for us to think of "changing the world" as this gargantuan task: we think of activism, politics, religion, protests, missionary work, and the list goes on. We seem quick to believe, in order to change the world, we have to become someone of celebrity and renown--we have to "be" somebody. To me, #AtomicLove is the counterbalance to this (not that those other things aren't important or don't serve a purpose).

We pay so much attention to the "vastly important" things going on 'round the world that it's easy to neglect our neighbor who's obviously had a rough day at work, or the proverbial "old lady trying to cross the busy street." I don't think we can ever really know the full impact a simple "hello" (or other form of pleasant acknowledgement) can mean to the right person at the right time. That downtrodden person you walked past on the sidewalk could be a great leader, inventor, or teacher of the masses someday for all you know--and your smile could just be the thing that ultimately inspires them. Every single historical figure you can name was once just a bloke at some point in their life-think about that! Before Einstein changed the world's history forever (in more ways than I can name) he was a punk more apt to cause trouble than anything else. How he came to be the Einstein we've all learned about is an extremely long and intricate trail of tiny events that no one can piece together. Somewhere along the way, it could well have been a smile from a stranger or the falling of a leaf that led him to his destiny.

So this is what I mean by #AtomicLove. If I tweet it to you, I'm not only acknowledging you and hoping to add some small amount of something positive to your day, I'm also asking you to think about the really little things in life, and to believe that you can change the world more than you'll likely ever realize--simply by acknowledging and caring for others you come into contact with each day. The other great thing about calling it "Atomic": from an energy standpoint, we get HUGE results from really tiny particles. Love, too, is an energy exchange-I firmly believe that.

Thank you for believing in me, and in US, and your kind support is always greatly appreciated!

Kev
oxox
#AtomicLove

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Goals And Such Like That

9/25/2013

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Many years ago I read a book by Studs Terkel called "Conversations With America" which ended up having a huge impact on my life (for those not familiar with Studs Terkel, you can learn about him at http://www.studsterkel.org/ ). This book was basically (as its title implies) a collection of interviews Studs Terkel had done with people in America from all walks of life. Some of the people he interviewed in the book were quite famous, but most were common people you might find in your own community, working in any type of job you might imagine.

To be honest, I've forgotten nearly everything in that book except for a small segment from his interview with Ted Turner (yes, THAT Ted Turner). That small segment is something that has stuck with me forever; something Ted Turner said about goals in the interview. I don't remember the words, of course, but I remember the concept: it's important not only to have goals, but to have different types of goals. What hit home with me specifically was Ted Turner discussing the importance of having goals you'll never accomplish. This was a new concept to me and intrigued me to no end. Now that so many years have passed I've had lots of time to digest the concept and I'm thinking just maybe I can finally elaborate on it in my own words.

I believe now I fully understand what Ted Turner meant by having different types of goals-and why you must have them. You may categorize your different types of goals however you choose of course (there's no "right" way to do it), but for myself I prefer to keep it simple by having only two categories of goals: those I'm likely to accomplish, and those I'm NOT likely to accomplish. It seems to me goals are often thought of as short and long-term, but that doesn't quite cut it for me personally.

Over the years, goals I'm likely to accomplish seem to not differ too much from tasks; I tend to keep them small, short, and sweet. For example, coming up with a melody for a new song by the time I get home from a drive might be one of these goals; or maybe having the laundry folded before the football game starts. It's important to note I don't place written-in-stone deadlines for these things-they remain goals that I'm likely to accomplish. If I accomplish them I feel good to have them done; if I don't, then I establish another new goal that I'm likely to accomplish to take its place. The key here is that either way I keep negativity at bay using this method-I don't get down on myself and become despondent. I suspect some may see this as a way to excuse "slacking"-and perhaps it technically IS. Nevertheless this method has proven itself effective time after time, over many years for me. So the idea here is that by giving myself the freedom to change goals at the drop of a hat, I end up being far more efficient and productive-I spend less time thinking about doing things and more time actually doing them. And I spend ZERO time getting down on myself because I've already moved on--too busy working on that next goal that I'm likely to accomplish. Slack-ish as this concept may sound, it turns out (just as my name for these goals would imply) that the vast majority of these goals do in fact get accomplished. The ones I haven't accomplished haven't killed me or jacked up my life to this point.

A side note on deadlines: I recognize of course that there are deadlines in our lives, but in my mind those deadlines belong to someone else-not me. I don't make deadlines for myself...ever! I can choose to live by or not live by someone else's deadlines, but I never carry the weight of a given deadline myself because it's not my own. This may sound like a silly thing to say, but personal experience has shown me that this has a HUGE impact on one's psyche-it keeps you in power-keeps you in control of your life (as best as we humans are able to control our lives-I'm an existentialist by nature). You are making choices to go along with someone's deadline (or not to) as opposed to feeling like you "have" to do this or that. You are not trapped or stuck. This matters.

So in a nutshell, goals I'm likely to accomplish are the pedals on a bike-they keep me going on a daily (or even momentary) basis; keep me moving, efficient, productive, and generally positive. If my foot slips off the pedal for a second it doesn't mean I'm going to crash; just means I have to reset my foot upon the pedal--which I can do even while the bike is still moving. Anyway, on with the other type of goals I have:

The beauty of goals I'm not likely to accomplish lies in just that--I'm not likely to accomplish them. So guess what? They can be as absurd, realistic, meaningful or meaningless as I choose--it really doesn't matter. Approaching it from this angle frees up my mind for limitless possibilities. There are no rules when one chooses to look at it this way--absolutely anything is fair game. I'm not likely to ever build a device that will magically transport me to the lost city of Atlantis, but what's to stop me from setting a goal like that? You may say to this web page right now even "Exactly! Why set a ridiculous goal that you can't accomplish? It's stupid and a waste of time." To which I'd say, because I don't believe in the impossible: only the likely and the unlikely. I'm thinking most of you would have thought it impossible 50 years ago if someone suggested they'd have a computing device in their pocket more powerful than our defense system's supercomputer would have been at the time. Fact is, we don't know what the future holds, what knowledge and technology will become available to us in the decades to come.

As you might infer, this is really the key to my creative flow--keeps me from getting "blocked." In all sincerity I don't see why there couldn't be a device to transport a person to Atlantis, and further, why I couldn't be the one to build it. I probably won't (heck, going to Atlantis isn't even a passion of mine), but that is why I file it under goals I'm not likely to accomplish. Not doing it isn't going to hurt my confidence/self-esteem in the least. It was just an idea, right? And maybe a song or two comes out of just considering the extremely remote possibility of such a thing. Who knows?

The other important benefit of goals that I'm not likely to accomplish is that it gives me a reason to keep working hard, trying to grow (mentally, spiritually, and otherwise), and ultimately to keep living my life. If I only set goals for myself that I'm likely to accomplish, there's a reasonable chance that someday they'd all be accomplished--all my work would be done and I'd have nothing left to live for. I'd no longer have a reason to grow or work hard--or even get out of bed.

You see, the more years I spend accomplishing "little" goals I'm likely to accomplish, the more the absurd "not-likely-to-be-accomplished" goals gain a measure of reality--they become more possible (in my mind, at least). This is the engine and the fuel that keep me moving through life. One can't work toward a goal (no matter how absurd it is) without at least thinking of it.

I'll let you in on a little secret of mine as I elaborate on this: writing and recording more songs than the duo of Mick Jagger & Keith Richards is one of my actual goals--filed under "not likely to be accomplished" of course. When I first created this goal for myself a couple of years ago it seemed HIGHLY unlikely, though not impossible. Since then, a couple of years have passed, I've gone through books of songs I've written and discovered that Atomic Honey has recorded over 100 songs in the last 3 years--all of which I've written. That's 33 songs/year. If we continue at this pace we'd complete over 300 songs each decade. I haven't done the research to determine just how many songs Jagger & Richards wrote yet, but when I set this goal I was guessing somewhere in the vicinity of 600. That's two decades in Atomic Honey time. I honestly can't see any reason why (short of debilitating, chronic illness or death) I wouldn't keep writing and recording songs for the next 20 years (there's a reasonable chance it'll go on a lot longer than that), so I think you can see where I've gone with this. What was once a goal I'm not likely to accomplish now has a semblance of being "doable." This is because of all the "likely-to-be-accomplished" goals that I've accomplished, just a little bit at a time, without there ever being any pressure or personal deadlines.

This blog has gone on much longer than I intended, and I really appreciate those of you that stuck with it to the end. I'm hoping some of you will find some of these thoughts useful in your own life--whatever your walk of life or passions may be. I'm no expert or even a college graduate; just a dude that's been around the block a few times and have managed to pick up a few tricks along the way. As always, feel free to comment below any way your heart might compel you to and thank you again for your love and support!

KeV
oxox

4 Comments

Tony Harnell & The Wildflowers (featuring Bumblefoot)

6/2/2013

1 Comment

When I pledged and pre-ordered this CD directly through Tony Harnell, I did so because I knew it would be good: I've been a fan of Tony Harnell since I came across TNT's "Knights Of The New Thunder" way back when.

I knew the musicianship & production would be top-notch-that Tony would never release something that wasn't high quality. I also knew it would be lyrically solid & structurally sound, and imagined there'd be at least a couple songs on it that I'd like a lot.

My main hesitancy toward it initially was in the fact that they'd decided to call themselves "The Wildflowers." See, I had also purchased Tony's 2010 album titled "Round Trip" by Tony Harnell & the Mercury Train-a much cooler band name I thought (that's a dynamite album too, by the way). "Wildflowers" made me think of Woodstock, flower children, and psychedelic folk music-it's just how my brain works, for better or worse. My trust in Tony Harnell's legacy reassured me, however, I got past it, and happily confirmed my pre-order.

When the autographed CD arrived a few weeks ago, I immediately appreciated the packaging and color scheme of the artwork. What I did NOT expect was to be blown away from the moment it entered my CD player and to have that continue through the entire album. I got numerous tingles down my spine (the good kind) on many tracks. I also didn't expect such intricately-layered vocal harmonies, though never for a second did I doubt Tony's ability to make them-just wasn't expecting it. Bumblefoot's guitar playing is of course mind-blowing, but that didn't surprise me in the least. I also didn't anticipate the natural chemistry that takes place between Bumblefoot's guitar & Tony's voice-truly they were made for each other (that's how it sounds & feels, anyway).

As to style and influences, this album-stripped-down & approachable as it is-is a complex tapestry, carefully woven together in a way that would have great Minerva nodding her approval. From the very Zeppelin-esque opening track "Paralized" (circa Zep III) to their fantastic cover of Queen's "Somebody To Love" to the tensely multi-dimensional "Devil Of A Healer" (one hell of a groove on that song, by the way) this album is quite a journey (space suit & com-link are optional). There is also an underlying classic R&B vibe in many places as well as moderate doses of what seems to smack of 1970's Laurel Canyon.

Of special note: I'm not a big blues guy, but I discovered on "Get Up Again" that when Bumblefoot & Tony Harnell play them it's a whole different animal-a beautiful, pleasurable, and comfy one that scratches & bites just enough. I absolutely LOVE the lyrics to "What If" which song also seems to me the most TNT-sounding song on the album (apart from the live acoustic version of "Child's Play" they've included).

It's very easy for me to give this album 5 stars, but impossible to pick a favorite song from it-depends on my mood and the day. The overall feeling I get from this album is that Tony Harnell has truly found his balance between legendary rock star & sophisticated adult-and is embracing the role quite happily-this can only bode well for the future! Hindsight being 20/20, it now seems to me that Mercury Train was a bridge-a transitional period-and that train has now reached its destination with The Wildflowers. We're glad to have him home. Yes, your life will be less awesome if you don't purchase this album.

I recommend following them on Twitter to keep posted and to learn more about them-they are all quite friendly and approachable and always happy to hear from you:
@TonyHarnell
@TonyHarnellFans
@Bumblefoot

Also, complete lyrics & lots of other cool stuff is available at www.tonyharnell.com or you can click on either of the album pics I've posted. Always remember that #LoveRockPrevails Thank you for your time! ~ Kev oxox

1 Comment

Stryper's Second Coming Review

4/29/2013

2 Comments

Though I wouldn't typically review a greatest hits compilation (which is what this essentially is), I really feel that Stryper's latest release Second Coming (2013) is something special-something many of you would enjoy knowing about.

I imagine most of you reading this are familiar with Stryper, but for the few that aren't: yes, they are in fact a Christian metal band-quite legitimate and sincere in both respects-really the first truly metal Christian band in my opinion (I'm not the only one that would make such a statement). This year marks the 30th anniversary of Stryper by my reckoning, so they've stood the test of time without a doubt.

As much as I enjoy a wide spectrum of musical genres, metal has always had a special place in my heart-and for many reasons. Apart from things like thundering double-bass drums, cutting guitar riffs, and banshee screams that go on longer than some of the punk songs I also enjoy, I've always liked metal's image-it's spirit, it's vibe (yes, I like huge hair, leather, spandex, and spikes too). For me-growing up as a kid who never really fit in-metal was a true friend that allowed me to not worry too much about what others thought & to feel good about who I was. It was a great feeling to come home after a rough day, play my metal loudly, thrust my fist into the air, and dream of the day I'd be able to tell others "See, you shoulda been nicer to me."

Bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Lizzy Borden, Twisted Sister, Motley Crue were my core when it came to metal, but there was also Stryper. Yes, I had Yellow & Black Attack, Soldiers Under Command-loved them as much as the others and played them just as loudly. I even have to this day a chrome bracelet that I had custom engraved with "777" on it back in high school because of Stryper. I realized something about Stryper many of my more closed-minded friends never considered: that Stryper was the ULTIMATE form of rebellion-they were taking on EVERYone. Metal guys gave them flack for being a Christian band, and Christian groups attacked them for playing legitimate metal-they couldn't win. And yet, somehow they did! Their music videos were constantly among the most requested at a time when Bon Jovi & RATT "owned" mainstream metal-and they even toured with such acts. That they've kept their foot on the gas pedal all these years and never compromised-neither their spiritual beliefs nor their commitment to genuine metal-inspires me to this day. Anyway, on with the songs on Second Coming:

I won't go through a track-by-track listing on this review seeing as it's mostly a greatest hits compilation (there are 2 brand new tracks on it), but I'm quite happy that they opened the album with "Loud N' Clear"-it punches you in the face immediately (in a good way) and is a classic example of what I mean when I say that Stryper plays legitimate metal. All the great metal elements are there: double bass drums, blistering leads (AND sweet double-leads, even).

All my personal favorites I would hope for are on this album, and I think they did a fantastic job of selecting the tracks all around. Those familiar with Stryper know that they did their fair share of ballads, and they did a fantastic job of not putting too many of them on Second Coming-just enough to let you know they did them (the first one appears as track 5, "First Love").

One of the things I always loved about Stryper is that when they did ballads they seemed to come from different influences than most other metal acts-more of a Styx/ELO kind of thing rather than the typical, sappy GMaj-steel-string acoustic thing that was so popular among their peers.

As far as personal highlights go, "The Rock That Makes Me Roll" (track 6) has always stood out for me-one of my favorite guitar riffs ever-not just by Stryper-but by ANYone. If you are a die-hard metal fan and have never listened to Stryper, this is the song I suggest you begin with-you'll realize immediately that Stryper offered everthing Iron Maiden did (and even a little more, in a way). If not convinced yet, check out the opening scream from track 8 "Surrender" (eat your heart out Bruce Dickinson, much as I love you).

Track 10, "Calling On You" is another song that has long fascinated me. One thing Stryper had that many of their metal peers did not is a diverse melodic sensibility, and "Calling On You" is a great example of this. It's clearly a metal song, but intricately structured, and has much in common dynamically with Styx & ELO (as I mentioned earlier).

As to the two new songs, "Bleeding From Inside Out" & "Blackened" (tracks 15 & 16, respectively), they are a great continuation of a long-standing tradition we have come to know as Stryper. I like both songs very much and would have a hard time choosing one over the other-both encompass all the things I've been talking about in this entry. I honestly can't even say that I like them more or less than older songs that I enjoy by them-it's difficult to describe, but it's just sort of like this steady stream that's been flowing for more than 30 years-and these two new songs demonstrate that well. I would say that both songs are a bit more mature than the older songs-more complex in structure, but none of the classic elements that made them Stryper are lacking.

I'd have to reach deep to find something negative to say about Second Coming-something to the effect of "There's a typo in the CD text display," etc-(there is one by the way). If I could make one complaint about this album it would be that there are only two new songs on it-but as I understand it, they're working furiously to bring us lots more new material in the near future, so I'm pretty much okay with it. I'm happy with the songs chosen for this compilation and the way they were ordered-as I keep saying, everything just seems to sort of flow seamlessly. You hear a consistency throughout, never suspecting these songs were recorded over a 30-year span (even though they actually were)-which is a VERY rare thing in my experience. The artwork is fabulous, and it comes with a nice booklet inside (don't worry, no religious cartoon pamphlets) with pictures and lyrics to all the songs. As an added bonus-and in keeping with true metal tradition, they actually credit the guitar solos on the songs-a very nice touch I thought! (very METAL! \m/,)

In summary, I sincerely believe Second Coming will satisfy longtime fans of Stryper, as well as prick up the ears of the newbies (or "noobs" as my 8-yr old son likes to call them). Those who are open-minded will be glad they gave this album the time that it deserves; those metal fans who refuse to acknowledge them because of their Christian faith are missing out on an important part of metal's illustrious history, in my opinion. I know for certain that Stryper doesn't judge you for NOT being Christian, so I think it's only fair they aren't judged for being so. They've lost nothing-the illustrious Michael Sweet nails those banshee screams today even as he did 30 years ago. They retain their edge, energy, intensity, and unwavering commitment both to metal AND to their faith...oh, and they shred. May the metal continue to bring us together!

Kev
oxox