One-third of US birds are endangered, says conservation report
Nearly one-third of US birds are endangered, threatened or in significant decline, according to a government conservation report.It says the findings are “a warning signal of the failing health of our ecosystems” and reports that birds in Hawaii, the most bird-rich state, are “in crisis”.
Spring is here. Very warm today.
Rehearsal with Michael until 13:30. Jon and I are both very excited about the new band and are looking forward to touring. MC adds a great groove to the music. Worked through new arrangements of Up Close: Beginning, The River and Streetlight.
Spring is here. Very warm today.
Found these blossoms in town. My Casa Monte Frio is always a week or two behind most of Santa Fe.
I love notes like this one:
i heard of you long time ago. but honestly, i’ve never taken time to listen to your music, until a couple of days ago.
i am writing a novel at the moment. and your music perfectly syn with what i am writing. Thanks for the inspirations.
btw, i am in hong kong. the other side of the world from you.
I was hoping to perform in HK this year. That might not happen, but there is still a good chance I might make it to Tokyo in the late Summer.
Breakfast @ CC with Jon. In the course of our conversation we solved several problems that plague the world at present. But, somebody should set up a microphone at our table, because we later forget which problem we solved and how we did it.
Rehearsal with Michael until 13:30. Jon and I are both very excited about the new band and are looking forward to touring. MC adds a great groove to the music. Worked through new arrangements of Up Close: Beginning, The River and Streetlight.
Added my Letters to a Young Musician to this Journal, including a new fifth one. Just click on the category on the right or here.
Candlelight – 2 from Ottmar Liebert on Vimeo.
Beautiful Morning.
Up @ 06:30.
A couple of black double espressos later I used the Mariachi Bullitt to move my trash and the recycle containers to the drop-off spot in the street. Carrying garbage made FUN!
Started setting up a new digital mix for another Lava track in the studio – this one was given the working title T-Rex #3 in 1995 – while the Canon camera was clicking away in the house, capturing light moving across the white wall…
Here is a quick edit of several time-lapse shoots from the past weeks:
Candlelight – 2 from Ottmar Liebert on Vimeo.
I am looking forward to creating time-lapse videos from photos of the band on stage this month! And maybe I’ll get up real early in Palm Springs and catch a sunrise…
Fixies, Hongkong style… I remember HK to be rather hilly. These guys’ thighs must be in good shape, especially on the downhills.
Received an email with an offer to hear an album somebody made:
If you are at all interested before someone else grabs us… please let us know. We will be sending our CD out shortly to Vegas for Tony Bennett to hear..
Please respond as soon as possible, we are very enthusiastic about our music. We would love to be associated with subspiral studios as we know you are always looking for new talent.
I added the red color. It’s always a good idea to actually know who you are sending a demo to. And that made me wonder what a Subspiral is. Is that a circle? Subspiral = Spiral minus the upward movement = Circle?
The Got 2 Go cassette that became Marita: Shadows + Storms which became Nouveau Flamenco was rejected by dozens of record labels, so believe me, I know what it’s like. Good luck with Tony Bennett, and I mean that. I imagine Tony Bennett and I don’t have a lot of favorite music in common, but who knows, I have never met the guy.
Politics | New Mexico governor signs measure to abolish death penalty | Seattle Times Newspaper
Gov. Bill Richardson signed legislation Wednesday to repeal New Mexico’s death penalty, calling it the “most difficult decision in my political life.”
After I heard the news I revisited the excellent Upaya newsletter from 2009-03-02, which contains a lot of wise words on why to repeal the death penalty. I also came across this:
Upaya Newsletter for 3/2/2009
When a rebel army swept into a town in Korea, all the monks of the Zen temple fled except for the Abbot. The general came into the temple and was annoyed that the Abbot did not receive him with respect. “Don’t you know,” he shouted, “that you are looking at a man who can run you through without blinking?” “And you,” replied the Abbot strongly, “are looking at a man who can be run through without blinking!” The general stared at him, made a bow and retired.
And this:
Upaya Newsletter for 3/2/2009
In Lewis Hyde’s wonderful book, The Gift, he describes dinner in a cheap restaurant in the South of France.The patrons sit at a long communal table, and each finds before his plate a modest bottle of wine. Before the meal begins, a man will pour his wine not into his own glass but into his neighbor’s. And his neighbor will return the gesture, filling the first man’s empty glass. In an economic sense nothing has happened. No one has any more wine than he did to begin with. But society has appeared where there was none before.
In Japan (((what about Korea, China?))) one does not pour sake for oneself. One always pours sake for each other. If one drinks alone, another patron or the wait-person will fill one’s glass. I believe it is those little things that bind a society together.
PS: wondered whether to release new music to you on Mondays (((it’s the beginning of the week, need a little pick-me-up??))), Tuesdays (((traditional release day for music, since the beginning of time??))) or Fridays (((almost weekend??))). While I think more about that and consult the Iching (((Ha!))) I will add a new song this Friday…
