Blogging 101 | Post 2 – A Name, A Tagline, and Some Mellencamp

Blogging 101 LogoAs I said in my last post, I am woefully behind in the daily assignments for Blogging 101. I am trying very hard to get caught up this weekend, but again I am failing miserably. I intended to spend most of today writing posts and taking photos for Photo 101, which I am also participating in. I say participating, but what I really mean is I may have signed up for the course and I may have had every intention to publish photos daily and I may have taken some pictures, BUT they still languish in their digital solitude waiting for me to do something with them. But, I am getting off track here – this article isn’t about the photos I’ve taken and not published – it’s about writing and blogging; specifically this Blogging 101 course.

In this post, I am supposed to choose a name and tagline for my blog. Well, that is already done. As I explained in yesterday’s post, this blog is over two years old, so it is already well established. Given that, I am not interested in changing the name or tagline. They might not be the best in the WordPress World, but there is already name recognition for them. Just as important, though, they are already indexed in the search engines. So, I’ll leave my current blog name and tag line alone.

Since I covered the basics of this assignment I’m going to take a minute here to talk about something else – rock music – specifically John Mellencamp’s music. I have been a huge fan of his music since his earliest “John Cougar” days. Over the last thirty plus years, his songs have just gotten better and better. He grew as an artist and songwriter from the hard rocking days of “Uh Huh!” to his most recent “Plain Spoken” which once again solidifies his place as the “poet” of my generation. He has written so many songs that touch every nerve and emotion in this tired old body of mine. I thought the Beatles were and would always be the greatest musicians of my time. I was wrong – very wrong. In my humble opinion, Mellencamp and his body of work surpass the “Fab Four” by leaps and bounds. He writes songs that reach inside me and strip every fiber of my being – he makes me feel good and bad and guilty and happy and blessed to be a human being.

Thanks to Spotify, I am now an hour and a half into a twenty-eight hour Mellencamp marathon. I doubt seriously that I will make it the full twenty-eight hours, but I’m gonna give it my best shot.

Wish me well!

“My whole life I’ve done what I’m supposed to do. Now I’d like to maybe do something for myself, And just as soon as I figure out what that is
You can bet your life I’m gonna give it hell”~From “The Real Life”. Written by John Mellencamp. From the album “The Lonesome Jubilee”

Hardcore 1970’s Blues

Album Covers - Wet Willie Band and J. Geils Band
Album Covers – Wet Willie Band and J. Geils Band

I’ve read a few things about distraction free writing. In fact, WordPress offers a toolbar option for distraction free writing, which I am using now to write this. As long as my PC is connected to the internet and my brain is even half-working, I’m going to get distracted. Like yesterday, which led to this post. Here is what happened.

Yesterday morning I decided to listen to Wet Willie and J. Geils as I tried to finish some overdue paperwork. As I listened and worked, I decided to write a post to share a couple of songs from these two bands. As I started writing, I searched Google to verify where Wet Willie hailed from. In doing so, I found out from their web site that they are still together, recording and touring. Wow! Next I checked their touring schedule and saw their next date this year was October 9 at a venue in AR. I mapped the venue location and driving directions from my home; then started scheming how to go see them. That is how I got distracted just within a couple of hours on Wednesday. Here are a couple of cuts; one from each band’s seminal live album.

First up is the Wet Willie Band performing Macon Hambone Blues from their 1973 live album “Drippin’ Wet,” recorded in New Orleans, LA. This is one of the finest live recordings ever produced.

 

Next up is Serves You Right to Suffer, from J. Geils Band’s “Live, Full House.”

 

 

Then, later in the day, I had a major distraction. I blacked out in my garage, fell and hurt a bunch of me. My wife took me to the ER, who in turn admitted me for at least an overnight stay. As I prepare to publish this, that is where I am. Piled up in a hospital bed, waiting to find out what is next.

Productivity Recognizes No Time Barriers | DP – Because the Night

Countdown to the Reaper
Countdown to the Reaper

The first thing that came to mind when I saw the topic of today’s DP was rock and roll. Specifically, this hard rocking, hard driving number from Patti Smith. Released in 1978, and co-written with Bruce Springsteen, it’s titled, appropriately enough, Because The Night. If I hadn’t already, I’m showing may age here, which led me to wonder; does WordPress have any accurate statistics of the age breakdown of people who read and write here? If I had to guess, it would be more younger folks than people my age. Anyone know? It would be interesting to see the numbers if they are available.

Now, as far as productivity goes, which is the actual question being asked by the DP. It varies. My health issues and the meds that go with them wreak hellish havoc on my sleep. Some days I manage a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. Other days end up as all night marathons of television, snacking, and some writing every now and then. These are the nights when the Java Fueled Journaling articles show here. Depending on how the meds are affecting my mind, I have long periods of clear thought at night just as easily as in the morning or afternoon. Like I said, it just depends.

Besides, productivity is not a big deal for me right now. Getting well is.

Enjoy Patti Smith, but just a little warning, it ain’t bluegrass.