Music and memories

A long time ago when I was in college, the M in MTV stood for music. Most of their shows were around music. Sure they had the Real World and Comedy shows and Springer on Spring Break but you got to see a lot of music videos and shows about music (and yes we walked uphill in the snow, barefoot to our one room schoolhouse...). I think one of my favorite shows of this time on MTV was Unplugged. Musicians playing their hits stripped down and acoustic (the music was stripped down, not the musicians). You got to see and hear the music without the aide of audio production that turns mediocre singers into superstars (not naming any names here [cough, boy bands, cough]).

I saw Extreme live in this period of time in a small dive in Alabama and they played More than Words for what they said was the first time live. An acoustic song was a big hit for them due to the success of Unplugged. Other bands quickly rushed to the studio to record and sell their acoustic hits. I think some of my favorite stuff on Unplugged was the faster, upbeat stuff that you dont think of as traditional acoustic music.

If you were around Upper Alabama (and around the Southeast) in this time period you may remember seeing N-Dangered. Brad Cotter that won Nashville Star a few years ago was a member but I think all of the other members are still around playing (not neccessarily together). They played mostly the faster stuff from Unplugged along with calls from Tracey for a "Social" after every other song. These guys rocked and I miss seeing them live.

Why, you may ask, am I rambling about the good old days that happened over a decade ago? A few weeks ago, I went to see Brothers of a Feather. You may know them better as Chris and Rich Robinson from the Black Crowes. I have seen the Crowes several times and unfortunately they have become more of a hippie jam band live than playing the stuff that I like. As Brothers of a Feather, they play acoustic versions of their old (ie, good) stuff and throw in some covers, too. Loved it! I felt like I was back, sitting on a stump at Brothers listening to N-Dangered. If only Chris had screamed out "Social!!!!" at least once during the show.

Organ Donation

The last week or so have found me thinking about and talking about organ donation. A friend that is also a lobbyist is about to have his transplant (that will make 3 of us in 3 years... maybe we should start our own caucus). Last Friday I learned about an FBI agent in Chicago that gave a kidney to someone he didnt know (drop me a message and I will send you a link to his excellent blog). Saturday I was asked to speak at my old dialysis clinic about PD and transplant. While I was there I met a friend of a friend that is waiting on his transplant. We had emailed each other a few times but actually met for the first time last Saturday.

Yesterday I went to Organ Donor recognition day at the State Capitol. I have been the last 3 or 4 years and this year's event was the largest yet (and my first post transplant). Several donor families spoke about their experience, some living donors spoke, and a couple of recipiants also spoke.

One woman is a foster parent. Her foster son needed a transplant and she ended up being a perfect match. He is the cutest four year old you have ever met. The odds of the two of them being a match is so rare (kinda like being a match with someone you meet through a hockey message board) that it makes you really believe in fate/destiny.

Another woman lost one of her sons 2 years ago and 7 people were able to be helped through his death by receiving organs. I cant imagine the grief that this mother had to go through with the death of her young son but the fact that she was adament about helping others is something truly special. Last fall her older son learned that a friend of his needed a kidney and so he gave one of his. What an incredible story of an incredible family.

I remember being in 6th or 7th grade and somehow we began discussing being an organ donor. Most of my peers were adamantly opposed to it (at 12 or 13) but for some reason me and a couple of others were not. When I got my drivers license I also signed up to officially be an organ donor. I never knew that I would need an organ but I felt strongly about being a donor.

As National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness month winds down, please take time out to seriously think about being an organ donor and signing the back of your drivers license (or downloading a card off the internet) and letting your family know your wishes. Almost 100,000 Americans need a transplant. Every 12 minutes, someone else is added to the transplant waiting list. 18 people die every day while waiting for a transplant. Please help them out.






Oh, thank you Brandi for helping me.

Good Day

Today was a good day. Not going to post many details other than saying that somethings are in play for 2 clients that are good for them and by extension, me.

Oh, and playoff hockey starts tonight in Atlanta. That is a good thing.

I have a couple of long blogs that I have been mentally writing and will try to get up soon. One is on music and memories, and the other is why would a good southern boy have like me have an interest in hockey (since I have been asked that hundreds of times).