The Accidental Extravert

In response to my recent post on intuitive writing on Medium (here), some readers replied that they didn't believe I was a shy kid, given my prankster persona. 

Perhaps writing and performing helped make me more outgoing, which is a good thing since spending too much time stuck inside my mind is a bad idea.

Anyway, people often mistake me for an extrovert , but my natural inclination is to turn inward to process the real gone world. Being an introvert can sometimes feel like swimming against the current.

Oops There Goes Another Introvert

Society tends to reward extroversion — those who speak the loudest command the most attention. But there’s power in introversion, a strength that’s quiet but impactful. 

Being an intuitive introvert, I find strength in solitude and a deeper connection to myself and the world.

Introverts are frequently misunderstood. People may see introversion as shyness, social awkwardness, or even aloofness. But being an introvert isn't about being scared to speak up; it's where we draw our energy from. 

I feel more comfortable and energized in quieter, more introspective settings, rather than in bustling social gatherings. For me, a quiet evening with a book or a deep conversation with a close friend is far more rejuvenating than any party.

Listening Intently

In a society that prizes speaking up, or talking out of school anonymously from behind the cloak of social media, the power of listening is often undervalued. Intuitive introverts are natural listeners, keen observers of the world around us. 

This attentiveness allows us to notice what others might overlook, giving us unique insights into people and situations. It's a different kind of influence, one that doesn't need to shout to be felt.

Reflecting Deeply

Reflection is another strength of an intuitive introvert. We thrive on processing our experiences deeply, often finding connections and meanings that are not immediately apparent. Doing so can lead to rich inner lives, full of creativity and insight. 

Introverts draw their creativity from the inside out, whether in writing, art, or other forms of expression. Our reflective nature allows us to see beyond the surface, exploring ideas and possibilities that escape those who are always on the go.

Navigating an Extroverted World

Living as an introvert in an extroverted world is not without its challenges. The constant pressure to be more outgoing can be exhausting, and the value of being still is often overlooked 

But it's survival of the fittest and I learned early on it was either adapt or be singled out. 

Since being a tough guy wasn't an option, I developed a prankster persona to get people to laugh. My offbeat sense of humor was a defense mechanism that got me through my school years relatively unscathed.

Embracing Introversion

At the end of the day, I'm a double agent: an introvert in an extroverted world. But embracing introversion starts with knowing my limitations, when to retreat, setting boundaries, and finding ways to recharge. 

It also means bringing my unique strengths to bear -- empathy, insight, and quiet resolve. These qualities are needed now more than ever in a world that never stops yapping. 

Bring on the Quiet

The true power of being an intuitive introvert lies in the realization that quiet does not mean silent. While people often overlook the quiet, there is strength in stillness, wisdom in listening, and profound creativity in reflection.

It's in the quiet moments, the deep conversations, and the thoughtful reflections that I often find my creative inspiration. 

So here's to embracing the power of quiet, finding strength in solitude, and thriving in the real gone world.

Long Live Rock

Unless you've been napping for the past 20 years, you know that Rock is dead. That’s right, I said it. And before you say “Ok, boomer,” gone are the days when sneaking off to rock shows was a rite of passage, replaced now by 15-second TikTok backdrops.

While some bands today act like rockers because they occasionally pick up a guitar, Rock-n-Roll left the building long ago. And Boygenius just won Grammys for best rock performance and best rock song? Seriously? Let’s conduct an autopsy to determine Rock’s cause of death.

Rock's Golden Age

After trailblazers like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton, and countless other Black rhythm and blues artists set the stage for what became “Rock-n-Roll” in the 1950s and Elvis was coronated as the King, the genre entered a golden era in the 1960s and 70s. 

Once upon a time guitar solos lasted longer than most current pop songs when legends Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page wielded their axes through "Forests of Azure" and the Grateful Dead kept on Truckin before Jerry Garcia’s premature demise, and the heart of gold band morphed into that corporate concoction, Dead & Co. Talk about a slow train coming, yikes!

Fast forward to today, and guitar gods have been replaced by bedroom geeks with a laptop and a SoundCloud account. While there's undeniable talent in contemporary music – artists like Billie Eilish and Finneas didn’t get there by accident – I still miss the visceral thrill of a live guitar solo or a Phil Lesh bass bomb. How about you?

The Beats On Death Row

Dare I say that Rap busted a cap in Rock’s ass? Hip Hop has proved itself more than a fad—it's ingrained in our culture. Unlike Rock's descent into the hades of "classic rock" radio stations, hip-hop has continually evolved with beats and rhymes reflecting the pulse of a new generation. 

From block parties in the boogie-down Bronx to headlining the biggest music festivals around the globe, Rap has filled the void. It's still rebel music, 50 years later, telling stories of struggles with the Po-Po and everything in between with a rawness that was once the hallmark of Rock.

Bob Dylan once remarked that "rappers are serious street poets hurling horses over cliffs.” That’s pretty high praise from a Nobel Laureate. And don’t forget, Kendrick Lamar was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for his “Damn” album. Then again, Jay-Z sounded like a grumpy old man the other night, and Snoop Dog was last seen smoking spliffs with Martha Stewart – what the hell?

We Don’t Need No Autotune

Remember when a singer's voice had character? Every crack, every off-pitch note had a human touch. But then, autotune entered the scene, smoothing out every imperfection so that songs are more polished but sterile. 

Rock's raw emotion and imperfection don't jibe with this trend. Now, the airwaves are dominated by voices so perfect they sound as if they've been manufactured in a lab. In today's streaming scene, pop music reigns supreme.

Every playlist and "Top Hits" chart is a shiny, auto-tuned object. This isn't your mom and dad’s pop (pun intended), with its catchy choruses and merry melodies. Today's Pop Muzak is sleek and algorithm-friendly, designed to hook listeners with earworms, not anthems. The end product is endless tracks that disappear from cultural memory as quickly as they arrive. 

Rock's Swan Song

Streaming has been a double-edged sword for music. On one hand, it democratized music production and distribution, allowing anyone with talent (and a good Wi-Fi connection) to share their art with the world.

On the other, it's signaled the death knell for the traditional album format, a staple of the rock genre. Playlists, not albums, are where it's at, making it harder for rock bands to craft the kind of cohesive narratives for which bands like Pink Floyd and The Who were known.

But then, it was Frank Sinatra who introduced one of the first concept albums “In the Wee Small Hours” in 1955 – a long, long time ago. Now, the concept of the album—an art form in itself—has been driven deep beneath a sea of playlists titled "Chill Vibes" and "Study Beats."

Rock's Resurrection?

To paraphrase Joni Mitchell, "They took all the rock stars and put'em in a Hall of Fame Museum." Maybe there’s a flicker of hope that rock will rise from the ashes. Perhaps it's waiting for the next Hendrix to arrive or for the next Dylan to return from the wilderness to blow our minds Like a Rolling Stone. Until then, Long Live Rock!

Taylor Swift For President!

If you haven't noticed, Taylor Swift is in the news 24/7 lately. The reigning Queen of Pop turns 35 in December. This milestone comes just after the dust of the presidential election settles.

If the stars had aligned differently and she was born in spring, I'd nominate Taylor for president! Given that our choice this November comes down to picking the lesser of two evils (as usual), tossing Swift’s hat in the political ring doesn't seem too far-fetched, does it?

The Swift Rise to Stardom

You know the story. As a young girl from Reading, Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift strummed her way into the hearts of millions. With her guitar, golden locks, and confessional lyrics, she didn't just climb the ladder of success – she practically flew to the top (with the help of Nashville songwriting pros). 

From a country music darling to a global pop icon, she's been as unstoppable as her Eras tour. Swift’s not just a pop star; she's a cultural phenomenon. Her songs resonate with millions, turning listeners into loyal Swifties who’d probably vote for her in a heartbeat.

Rooting For the Anti-Hero

Here we are, having to choose between Pops Biden and Agent Orange. How the hell did we get here? At the risk of enraging the Magaites, Trump had no business being president in the first place. How he beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 is a mystery to many, but then Trump didn’t win as much as Hillary lost by ignoring Bill’s advice and not campaigning in Michigan and Wisconsin until it was too late. 

And we know what happened after that. Now, we’re stuck with President Biden. Seriously? He's got no business being in the White House either. Face it: he’s wandering around looking for the outhouse (with apologies to my Democrat friends). 

We can do better than that, no?

Waiting in the wings is Taylor Swift – a ray of light in a sea of political darkness. Why not Taylor? She's got the whole package: charm, intelligence, and a knack for storytelling. Don’t forget, her army of Swifties could easily double as a voter base. 

Imagine a candidate who can articulate their policies as clearly as Taylor can belt out a tune, a president who can navigate international relations with the same finesse she handles paparazzi. In a country gone wrong, Taylor Swift could make politics more tolerable, if not entertaining.

Swift’s Campaign Slogans and Policies

Picture this: Campaign posters with Taylor Swift, guitar in hand, and slogans that hit the right note. “Shake it Off People," or "Make America Swift Again!" MASA….well, perhaps not. And her policies? They’d be as catchy as her chart-topping hits.

First on the agenda: "The Love Story Act." This policy aims to spread love and acceptance, like her fairytale romance with Kansas City Chiefs star tight end, Travis Kelce. It's politics with a heart, something that's been missing from the debate since George Washington was running the show. 

Then, she’d propose the "Bad Blood Resolution," focusing on mending fences and building bridges. With Taylor at the helm, diplomatic relations would be less about saber-rattling and more about harmonious collaborations.

Bold ideas, though we’d probably be asking, “Where’s the beef?”

Diplomacy with a Melodic Touch

Swift international summits would look more like award shows, with red carpets and dazzling performances. As President, Taylor wouldn’t just enter a room; she'd make an entrance. Her approach to foreign policy? Think "You Belong With Me" but for countries. She'd be all about building friendships, understanding, and maybe even serenading a few foreign dignitaries.

Gone are the days of stiff, awkward handshakes. Taylor would bring warmth and genuine connections to the table, solving international disputes not with Trumpian tweets or Bidenesk mumbles but with heartfelt lyrics and maybe a group sing-along.

Swift’s global fanbase could double as a network of goodwill ambassadors, spreading the ethos of love, respect, and catchy tunes. It's a world where diplomacy is less about power plays and more about making connections, one melody at a time.

A Swift End to Political Gloom

While the idea of Taylor Swift running for president is admittedly bizarre, it's a pleasant diversion from the usual political fare. A leader like Swift would be a welcome respite in a nation that seems to have lost its way. It reminds us that politics, at its core, is about connecting with people – something Taylor does exceptionally well. 

For now, Taylor Swift will rule the music charts - and Kelce's heart - instead of the free world. But who knows? In politics, stranger things have happened. Meanwhile, don’t forget to hold your nose and vote for the candidate of your choice come November 5th.

The Stones Keep a Rolling with Hackneyed Diamonds

To borrow a line from Public Enemy, don’t believe the hype. The new Rolling Stones album is not their best work since their 1968-72 Salad Days, or Some Girls for that matter, but Hackneyed Diamonds is their best in decades. That’s a remarkable feat, given their octogenarian status and the loss of drummer Charlie Watts in 2021 -- pretty high praise from someone who’s not the biggest Stones fan. That would be my sister, Donna, but that’s her story. 

With guest slots by Sirs Paul McCartney and Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Lady Gaga, those bad ole boys have delivered a quality recording rooted in trademarked riff-based songs with driving rhythms and superb vocals and snarls by 80-year-old Mick Jagger. Sobriety has served Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards well; their playing is spot on. I believe Keef quit smoking also, and his backing vocals and lead on his solo number are equally impressive – rough and ready.

Having listened to HD more than a few times now, it’s clear the band put a lot of work into making this, digging into their blues/rock/pop roots to make a modern-sounding recording. It’s vintage Stones but far from dated and there's not a bad song on it.

Much of the credit for that goes to  32-year-old Grammy-winning producer Andrew Watt — who has worked with artists ranging from Post Malone and Justin Bieber to Ozzy Osbourne, Iggy Pop, and Eddie Vedder. For instance, the tune Mess it Up sounds like a danceable number you’d hear on the Spotify Top 100, and the melody on Driving Me to Hard also sounds fresh. 

Watt's an accomplished guitarist as well and his thumbprint is all over this, lending bass, guitar, keyboards, and vocals (obvious on Mess it Up) and sharing writing credits on three tracks -- Angry, Get Close, and Depending on You. I read somewhere he’s also a Stones fanatic and wore a different RS tee in the studio every day.

Talk about a dream gig. It’s akin to Jimmy Iovine being called into engineer one Easter Weekend in the 70s only to find they were recording Bruce Springsteen's landmark album, Born to Run, but I digress.  

By now, most of you have heard the first song, Angry with Me….give it a few more listens to appreciate the guitar work here – it’s good chit. Meanwhile, Live By the Sword features a cameo of Watts and former bassist Bill Wyman and EJ on piano and a classic Stones riff that will kick in some memory cells. 

Other highlights include the bluesy acoustic “Dreamy Skies” and the strongest Richards vocal in decades on “Tell Me Straight. While “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” with Wonder and Gaga shoots for gospel ballad status, her over-singing and lack of nuance are the only blemish on this overall excellent recording. But then, it’s only rock-n-roll.

Charlie’s absence is huge, but his presence looms large as his death prompted Mick and Keith to get back to the studio after the Stone’s last tour. Meanwhile, drummer Steve Jordan, having played with Richards extensively in the past and filling in for Watts on that tour, steps into the rhythm, faithfully preserving the Stones' distinctive beat.

The album comes full circle with "Rolling Stone Blues," Jagger and Richards pay homage to their roots, giving it that bluesy, rough-around-the-edges vibe, interchanging notes on guitar and harmonica. It's a nod to where it all began, and if this is the Stones' grand finale, it's a good way to go out. 

But don't get too sentimental. They recorded enough tracks for a follow-up album. And the Stones will likely keep rolling til the last wheel falls off.

 

Lessons in Brutality

In this world 

lacking in moral clarity

we keep repeating 

lessons of brutality

Oh, the humanity 

the depravity 

the gravity

the fate of our race

and the hour is late 

ripped from the headlines

pictures at eleven 

but bad news comes in hot

twenty-four seven 

and massacred babies 

don't go to heaven 

and I'm still looking 

for a true religion

one that doesn't teach

lessons in brutality

Summer Swoon

Down 

by the seaside

one last time  

oceans release

gulf stream heat

the season retreats

falling 

falling 

falling

all too soon 

with nothing 

left between

us a secret

story about

the glory

and the

wonder

the wonder

of  it all

It Happened on a Summer Day

Heavy skies 

later summer's day

winds pick up 

across the bay

tide creeps in

white-breasted birds

fly off from a wire

suddenly the world 

turns upside down

all is not what it seems

what to believe in this

time and space 

still looking for grace 

for wisdom for 

the key to reality

as thunder rumbles

across the sea 

on gravitational waves 

of tranquility and peace

I Remember Tony

Sunday dinners 

playing songbook songs

sung by Tony B. 

thanks for the memories

and all that jazz

jamming with Bill Evans

Sharon and all the rest

or with Ellington's band

at Westbury 

in the round

who knew Tony 

had the blues

left over from the war

nearly led to his demise

until he had a reprise

to find a new audience

to keep the Great American

Songbook alive though

he's been long gone 

from the stage 

and now this life 

I remember Tony

never say goodbye

Summer Sirens

Breezes off the bay

carry songs of  

eternal youth

saying come with us

across the distant seas

a peaceful place for

everyone under the sun

the apogee of this

moment where everything

stands still as if in a 

dream in the dawn

of time out of mind

as silent voices rise

of summer sirens

Sky Falls

Sky falls of rain

coming down again

off in the distance

storm clouds gather

on the outskirts 

of town where 

something lingers

in the shadows

of the night

faint sounds 

of sonatas

and hosannas

to the One 

when all else fails

as sky falls of rain

come down again

All New Sutra

Living in the light

shining within

the heart and soul

hold the truth

a telltale sign

of the universal mind

where reason reins

a quantum scheme 

plain to see

reality unfold

in geometric designs

in the fabric of time

beyond the pearly gates

where entropy 

awaits all things 

in space

A Love Sublime

Energy and matter

convert to one another

as if a love sublime 

making waves while

little chills and fevers 

of pleasure ripple down 

my spine every time

you're by my side

here in spacetime

where dreams carry 

us away into 

the universal mind

back down roads 

and roads 

singing songs of 

salvation and surrender 

to a love sublime

Falling Stars

Icons falling all around

like stars over Alabama

Oh, to write a standard line

like Johnny Mercer 

or sing like Sinatra 

would you hear my voice

in the still of the night

as the shadow of 

your smile lingers 

in the rarified air

over the moon 

beyond heaven's gate 

where love lies 

waiting to be found  

Savasana Blues

Lying in Savasana

under the winter sun

mindful of  the one 

true glory of it all 

another secret story

waiting to unfold

like cold rain and snow

sung so long ago

another time and place

lost without a trace

where memories linger

as if an empty page

waiting to be written

in the book of life

of love and happiness

ours for the taking

once we awaken

to ringing bells 

reminding us

to love one another

Empty Space

The space between us

the stuff of life

separating you and me

distant particles 

across the galaxy

spooky action and all

so fundamental 

muons, bosons, and quarks

shooting out sparks

of consciousness

here on earth

the place of our birth

where fate awaits

beyond the empty 

space between us

Random Thoughts Of Constellations

The hunter prances 

under a crescent moon 

quivers in tow while 

further down the road 

in the real gone world 

guitar gods are mere mortals

playing something like

cause we've ended as lovers

in perfect three-part harmony

when all is said and done 

the bells ring for everyone 

under the sun subatomic

particles are all there is

the stuff of life across

the expansive universe

with many mansions

to rest our weary

hearts and minds from

these random thoughts 

of constellations

Paradiso

Winter night sky 

putting on a show

Saturn Jupiter and Mars

all in a row 

tugging at my soul

meanwhile thinking about

the wonder of it all

the mystery of life

of faith 

of eternity

the laws of entropy

what to believe

a cosmic reality

for all to see

perfect harmony

in the shadows 

of moonlight

roundabout midnight

a peaceful paradise

for you and me

Grace

Looking for grace

in the time of corona

to save the people

a return back liberty

to live more freely

unbound

unbroken

when the truth

can be spoken

without fear of reprisal

and retribution

from the thought police

and media elites

posing as experts

on the wire

propagandists all

while the rest of

us mere mortals

are longing 

to be forgiven

still looking for grace

Solace

Sitting in contemplation

seeking solace

in the universal mind

searching my heart

for signs of peace

in a world gone wrong

listening for the sound

of my inner voice

telling me what’s real

when all I hear are lies

gossip and smears

on social media

on cable news networks

on Capitol Hill

in a country run by fools

saying power to the people

but not for me and you

while down on the farm

they are spoon-feeding

the sheep political 

pornography

unable to think freely

or question authority

when all I know is

the truth is within me

I am what I am

seeking solace

sitting in contemplation

Refuge

I am taking refuge

on an Island of mind

Refuge from

the real gone world

Refuge from

lies of our leaders

Refuge from

rumors of war

Refuge from

media propaganda 

Refuge from

the plague 

Refuge from

the CDC and the CCP

Refuge from

the NFL and MLB

Refuge from

the Olympic charade 

Refuge from

the cult of personality

Refuge from 

the high-tech lynch mob

Refuge from

the lunatic fringe

I am taking refuge

taking refuge in myself