We Could Change the World…

If We Wanted To.

My most ambitious project ever is an undertaking that has been years in the making.  It started as an idea, like many of mine, it seems, that came to me while basking in the Maui sun.  A few months before my Hawaiian trip, a catchy tune found its way inside my head…this was followed by some lyrics that seemed to fit just right.  That sequence of events was the early genesis of this song.

Back to Maui…

I thought the song was good, but the lyrics were better—they meant something more than just what a song has to offer.  While on that tropical paradise, I put pen to paper and scratched out the basis for the book that was inspired by the song:

“We Could Change the World…if We Wanted To.”

 

Change.

In the book (and song and video), I discuss how the ability to change as a person can effect change on a larger scale—like maybe even changing the world for the better.  That’s a major and ambitious task, for sure, but one, if approached at a grassroots, singular perspective, could have global impact.

Being a videographer, a songwriter, and enjoying sharing both endeavors with as many people as possible through my myriad websites, I wanted to create the most effective way to share this concept.  A music video was my natural choice.  On all of my songs and music videos, I have collaborated with my pal Dale Price, from Electric Canyon Studios.  He is a master at making my voice sound better than it is and turning my acoustic guitar into a rocking band.  He was also instrumental in taking hundreds of hours of video footage and turning it into the amazing result below.  Thanks, Dale!

Please enjoy:

Remember: Change Yourself – Change the World

YOU + ME = WE

Think about it.

Until next time…

Peace,

Mike

Livelife365

Signed Limited edition of the book - $5.99

Kindle version - $3.99

Download the Song - $1.29

 

Our Issue This Sunday: Bye Tim

Today I'm adding a new feature I call Guest Blog. It's an effort to allow others to take over the virtual mic (not Mike) and deliver a message to the community I'm working to be a part of. The inaugural post comes from my good friend Eric of Multi Media Information. He's played an important role in the development of my livelife365.com website: editing text, helping me with research, creating and refining digital imagery, writing and tweaking code — tweaking just about everything, or at least wanting to. He's not an altogether bad sort, so I'm giving him the floor for a few minutes.

Our Issue This Sunday: Bye Tim


"Did ya hear the news? Tim Russert died." I was shocked. "You're kidding. You're serious?"

Like so much — too much — that is valuable, even irreplaceable, in life, I took Tim Russert for granted. Now I can appreciate that when I went to bed Saturday nights, I typically had one overriding concern: would I be able to arrange my Sunday morning schedule to allow me to watch Meet the Press on the local NBC affiliate? In recent years, there was a replay available on cable, and transcripts and podcasts online. But I was often thirsty for the event, sometimes very much so. I didn't want to let a day or even an hour go by without having the interviews Russert delivered as part of my information package, the material I could use to understand what was going on in the world, anticipate what others would be thinking, and promote my political views.

Barrack Obama appeared on the show in early May, two days before the crucial Indiana and North Carolina primaries. Russert grilled him relentlessly about Reverend Jeremiah Wright, spending, it seemed, the first half-hour pressing for answers regarding the controversial clergyman. I was mildly offended, a bit angry that the candidate I support with great enthusiasm was being subjected to this rigorous interrogation. But I soon realized that nothing could have been more timely and effective at clearing the air, blowing away the smoke generated by what I saw as unwarranted attacks on the senator's character and judgement. He had been cleansed of the mud thrown at him by partisan smearmongers. He had passed the Russert Test; no one could say he hadn't answered the tough questions. In fact, I was quite proud of the calm, patient, understanding demeanor Obama exhibited during the process.

I feel a sense of loss today, one I know I share with many others. And I expect I'll continue to feel that loss for a some time, every Sunday morning when the values I support with such passion — truth, fairness, decency, integrity — no longer have the champion Tim Russert was for their advancement, there in the trenches, fighting for what is best about America.

Odds and Ends...

Can you believe this weather? We are teetering on the verge of hitting 100 degrees, and for this time of year, that is way too warm. What can you do except kick back and kick on the AC, and focus on the things you can control, like the thermostat. Can't fight the weather, it never listens.

I'd like to give a few shout outs to some nice bloggers I've met over these past few weeks. Jessica at All About Habits, for some very kind words and excellent feedback on my site, livelife365.com. Check out her blog; you'll be glad you did. Very informative, great diet and nutrition information. Speaking of diet and nutrition: Visit Iowa Avenue, when you get the chance. This is a tremendous site, dedicated to healthy living, diet and exercise, nutrition, you name it--all those great things that I advocate on livelife365.com. Thanks, Lisa! Another excellent site, a spin-off of Iowa Avenue, is Healthy Lifestyle Bloggers. As the name implies, this is the place to be for tips about weight loss, fitness, healthy recipes. All these sites are loaded with informative videos and supportive offerings and tips from the best health bloggers around. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. I have links for all of these sites right here on my blog and at livelife365.com.

I am starting a new feature on my website that will showcase guest videos from other performers that either asked me to put them on my site, or just videos that catch my eye. The first one is: "Fired Up, Ready to Go," by Bergevin Brothers. It already has thousands of hits on YouTube, and after listening to it you will quickly understand why. Not only is the topic--who else, but Barack Obama!--newsworthy and important, the tune is very good. Why, you may ask, would I want to share space with what could be perceived as competition for my own political music video, "Pick One"? Because this is not a competition, it is the opposite, in fact. This election has inspired hundreds of songs because people understand the importance of whom we elect as our next president, and the unprecedented candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. So,I offer this challenge: all you Clinton and McCain music makers drop me an email! Send me something that tickles my political funny bone or sets my toes a-tappin', and I will add it to my "guest video" feature. Until then, watch and listen to "Fired Up," and, of course, "Pick One."

Lastly, speaking of the music of this presidential primary season. Check out the informative article written by Nekesa Mumbi Moody, the music writer for the Associated Press.

Nekesa interviewed me while researching this article, that appeared in hundreds of online sites, like Yahoo News. Alas, she did not include me in the main article (I was edited out), but was kind enough to add a link to my site at the end. Thanks for the shout out, Nekesa! I appreciate it!

That's it for the first installment of Odds and Ends. If there are any topics that you would like me to write about or make a video about, please add a comment in this blog or use the Contact Us or Messages tabs at my website, livelife365.com.

peace,
Mike

Isn't it Ironic?

What is irony and why am I blogging about it? Here's one definition:

Irony is a literary or rhetorical device, in which there is an incongruity or discordance between what a speaker or a writer says; and what he or she means, or is generally understood.
In modern usage it can also refer to particularly striking examples of incongruities observed in everyday life between what was intended or said and what actually happened.

Let me give you the short version, or at least the version that applies to me and this blog entry. In case you haven't noticed, and there is a very good chance that you (and 99.9999% of the rest of the free world) haven't, I recently recorded, and posted on every video site imaginable, a humorous political song called "Pick One." It is a lampoon about the tug-o-war of a primary race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, with a little Bush and McCain tossed in for balance. While it has received positive reviews and the feedback has been very encouraging, the amount of hits on all of the aforementioned sites has not been what I had imagined. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's too long, or the music is not every one's taste. Or maybe it is just not the type of entertainment that is successful on a broad spectrum. This is, after all, a country that finds shows like "Dancing with the Stars" and "American Idol" entertaining, and amazingly popular. Now, I'm not dogging (too much) these types of shows, just stating that they are not my cup of (green) tea. And maybe "Pick One" is not theirs.

Now, I have far from given up on "Pick One," especially with the promise of a summer filled with this nip and tuck race between Hillary and Obama. And I am still promoting my video with gusto, but my creative spirit must go on. So I make more videos, write other songs, and post them every few days. One video I recently posted is the first of several I have planned for a funny "How-To" series, called: "How to...Get Slapped by a Woman." It is funny in a wow-look-at-that-guy-getting-smacked way. And it is blessedly short (0:16). It also took almost no time to create, and definitely cost next to nothing. Here comes the ironic part...it has gotten almost as much attention on Funny of Die (a comedy video-sharing website, for those of you unfamiliar. Check it out, by the way, it is fantastic!) as "Pick One" has on all those other sites. More ironic: the slap vid has only been available for your viewing and guffawing pleasure for a few days, while "Pick One" is crawling toward the end of its second week.

My point, and I do have one, is this: Isn't that ironic? Or just fickle? Or eye-opening? Or...(fill in the blank). "Pick One" took weeks to make, cost a few bucks for studio time and video editing, and the end result is a polished product. "Slap Mike" (I'm paraphrasing here, folks), by comparison was whipped up one Sunday afternoon, filmed, edited, and popped on my website by that same night. Ironic? More like: bizarre. Or funny.

The bottom line is my videos are being watched, which helps promote my website, which is why I create a wide variety of videos in the first place. My goals have not changed, they still remain: to share information with as many people as possible; to help others; to entertain. And the thing that I must remember is the viewing audience cares not a whit about the cost or time it takes to produce a video, only that it is something that they want to watch, enjoy, and, hopefully, share.

Think about it.

peace,

Mike

View "How To...Get Slapped by a Woman" at livelife365.com or at bottom of this page. Enjoy!

Pick One, the lyrics.

Okay, by now I am sure some of you are tired of my shameless self-promotion for my latest music video, "Pick One." What's that? Some of you are still unaware? Then this short post should help clear a few things up. Like, what the song is about. And why it is important. And even though it can make you laugh (at least, I hope it does), it is also intended to make you think a little too. Parody. Satire. We often laugh at the things that frighten us the most, or bother, confuse, or annoy us. Like this primary season. Like the fact that the Democrats have two amazing candidates, yet still are lagging behind McCain in some head-to-head polls. Like for those who really want a change in Washington, the fear that they will get another heaping helping of the same-old-thing is gut-wrenching. But is it funny? Yes. If we cannot laugh at ourselves or at the bizarre or the craziness of this season's amazing campaign for president, then I offer you this little tidbit of advice: take a chill pill, dude, and watch "Pick One." You will giggle and ponder, tap your toes while clenching your teeth, cringe and grin all at the same time.



Here are the lyrics:

One is black
One is white
No matter which one you ask
They both think they're right
But pick one

One is a guy
And one is a girl
They both have in mind
That they're gonna change the world
But just pick one

Well, Barack Obama
What's with all the drama
Hillary Clinton
What are you thinking
Just Pick One

I said, pick one
Select One
Then elect one
Then forget one

One is for change
And the other is for...change too
One says, "Yes we can."
And one says, "Yes we will!"

Come on, just pick
Select one
Then elect one
Then neglect one

Well, they both think that George Bush is wrong
And we've been in Iraq too long
They sound the same on the economy
Universal health and global warming

Just pick one
Select one
Then elect one
Then forget one

Well, they both agree about McCain
He could be a royal pain
But if one of them does not back down
Then none of them are gonna be around
So pick one

(repeat chorus)

And then lots of mixing and mismatched names, like:
Hillary Obamamamamamamamamamamamaaaaa....(watch the video to see what I'm talking about)...Barackmccainacainacainacainacain...

Barack Obama Hillary Clinton John McCain

Hillary Obamabamabama!

Then more shameless plugs, like, for "Pick One" merchandise, available at livelife365.com

peace,
Mike

Pick One (the music video)

Pick One, huh? Not two or three? What is this guy talking about, you say? How about one of the most exciting presidential races in recent memory. How about having not one, but two (and maybe even three) very qualified and electable candidates? How about, for the first time in the history of this great nation, having a person of color or one who is not a man as the Democratic nominee? Add to that a war hero who is respected by both parties? Pick One? Now are you starting to see what I'm getting at?

A few months ago I had an idea for a song parody about this year's close, and often turbulent, elections. I sat down with my guitar and started plucking about, playing with some lyrics that had been swimming around inside my brain, trying to get those all important key words and phrases necessary to make the song work. What I came up with was a song called "Pick One." The version I originally recorded on video and posted was okay, but not complete. In fact, I titled it, "Pick One (the almost finished version)." I knew that I had inside me a better, more polished version, and I set about attempting to make that happen. But I decided that I would need some help.

Enter my new buddy and sound and video editor extraordinaire, Dale at ProSound (electriccanyon.com). I needed to make the song (and me) sound better. I had worked with Dale before on my "Fun with Fiber" video, but that was just some editing work. So I made an appointment for some studio time, burping down the butterflies as they scurried through my guts at the thought of singing and playing guitar, an instrument I have only messed around with for a few years, in front of a professional sound guy.

But Dale immediately made me feel at ease, partly by his calm demeanor and obvious knowledge and professionalism, but also by the serene surroundings of his Electric Canyon studios. And even though I was nervous, we got some good sounds down on tape. Then we discussed what I had in mind with the video, my vision of how the images would work with the song, and we went from there. The result is the version of "Pick One" that you see below. I would like to publicly thank Dale for his enormous efforts and patience and kindness during this ardours undertaking. As well for his tremendous talents at making a guy like me sound better than he could have imagined. Thanks, Dale.

Also, during the time while Dale and I were putting the finishing touches on "Pick One," I decided to tear down my website and redo a good chunk of it. The end result is more user-friendly, easier on the eye, and exactly what I was looking for when I undertook this massive remodeling. It could not have been done--in less than a week and with no site downtime!--without the enormous efforts of my pals, Eric at Multi Media Information (ememi.com) and Keith at Webxpertz. They did in days what most would have taken weeks to accomplish. Amazing job, guys, thanks. Especially Eric. He also was a great help with the "Pick One" video and is a valuable contributor to my website livelife365.com. Gracias, mi amigo.

So, that's the story behind "Pick One (the music video)". All that remains is that all of you watch and enjoy it. And if you like it as much as I hope you will, then, please, spread the word for others to watch, laugh, learn, and help me to decide which one to pick. Pick One? Are you nuts?

peace,
Mike