Rhyme and Reason

OK, kids. Gather ’round. Because I’m gonna tell you a story that’s true, even though it sounds like a fairy tale. “Once upon a time, when I was a kid, my whole family would sit down in the same room and watch television shows together. That’s right, the same shows…together.” Yeah, that sounds like a fairy tale these days. But it was true. And a news story...

“Hey! Shut up! Don’t lie to me. You think I’m blind. But I’ve got eyes to see.” Yeah, a lot of what’s going on in America reminds me of those first couple of lines from Bonnie Raitt’s song “Have a Heart.” And I know it’s not a direct correlation, but it’s how my Rhyme and Reason brain works. It connects that rhyme and those lyrics w...

Each and every time America goes through an election cycle there’s a bunch of what I call strange change. And it’s rarely, if ever, for the good. But the presidential election of 2020-2021 goes down as one of the strangest. I suggest you hold on for the ride. And don’t just look for a place to hide till it’s all over. Yeah, hold on for the ride on a bronc named Consequences...

Social media. That term or description or title…whatever you wanna call it…has become an oxymoron. Because the biggest social media platforms have turned into bloated, antisocial, propaganda propagators. They’ve increased their agendas toward repressing, suppressing, and even shutting down anyone who disagrees with their worldview. But their actions have provided an ironic blessi...

It’s funny (not ha-ha funny) how people with the worst possible ideas always want everybody else to have open minds. Have you ever noticed that? And cheaters tend to want everybody to get along and “unify” once they get “in charge.” But those supposedly open-minded deceivers never seem to think any of that applies to them. Or at least that’s how they live out th...

You and I live in an atmosphere full of germs. And it’s been that way on good ol’ planet Earth for your whole life. Doesn’t matter how old you are. Bacteria, viruses, and all their little germ cousins are everywhere. And here’s a real kicker. They’re even setting up homes in your mask of death. “Whoa, mask of death?! That sounds like a conspiracy theory.”...

A woman I know (a friend of mine) has a 17 year old son who just experienced the suicide of one of his best friends. And her son had already shown bouts of depression and anxiety with his life. Keep in mind, my friend is a successful business woman who’s been raising three kids, on her own, for most of their lives. And she’s provided a nice house in a great place…with all the mod...

“God is in control.” And “God’s got this.” Or how about, “Just gotta remember it’s all part of God’s plan, so wait for His perfect timing.” If you’ve been saying any of those things…or anything that sounds like them, then I gotta say, “Stop saying that.” You gotta stop saying that because it’s not true. And when yo...

Yeah, I’m gonna have a good day. And I don’t care who tries to stop me. Because it beats the tar, dust, and heck out of the alternative. And I’m gonna have a good day tomorrow, too. Because I want the streak to continue. After going through thousands and thousands of good days, why stop now? Right? And, you might be thinking, “Nobody has that many good days in a row. It&#82...

It’s pretty amazing what technology can help you do these days. For example, I’m using my iPhone as my computer to write this. And I’m typing on a small bluetooth keyboard that feels almost as good as the keyboard on my laptop. And my computer…I mean my iPhone…is propped up nicely on a little “drawer” in the dash of my mobile office (aka my little blue Toy...

The age of the Earth increases all the time. And you’re probably thinking, “Duh. Doesn’t the age of everything, Tony?” But I’m not talking about how Earth is another year older every year. No, I’m talking about how some so-called “scientists” have increased Earth’s age by millions of years in just the past 150 years. And that does not compute....

You’ve heard this expression: The only thing that stays the same is change. Right? Well, it’s the only thing because there are two things that stay the same. Continuity and change. Wait! How can that be? Two things stay the same because there’s only one thing that changes? Ow…my head hurts. And I didn’t even have champagne last night. Continuity and change are two sid...

Well, here it is. The last day of 2020. And it has been one of the strangest, and certainly the stupidest year in my life. And that’s saying something, considering the decades I’ve accumulated. I wish I could say it surprised me. But the only part of it that surprised me was the level of fear and how easily it could manipulated. Right here in good ol’ America. So, this last day o...

Dr. Rockrazer, an archaeologist from the twentieth century was excited. And, for him, that was completely out of character. Because most of his contemporaries and fellow workers in the dirt found him to be quite dry, if you’ll pardon the accidental pun. But here he was with a face full of obvious exuberance as he held a tiny thimble above his head to get a better view in the light. And the t...

In 1989, I had been back in Colorado for about a year. And I was in my little apartment, B17 (yeah, like the old Olivia Newton-John song), listening to the cool variety of music on FM station, KBCO. Because they had this segment they called “Home Grown.” And I had sent a song of mine in to them. But they didn’t send out advance notice if and when your song was chosen. So, that&#8...

Homo sapiens. The pinnacle of design. And incredibly, almost incomprehensibly complex. But even the fittest, most sophisticated models break down. And that’s in spite of all the mechanisms installed to help them function at optimum levels. If you’re a homo sapiens, here’s one example you might find interesting. (And by the way…if you’re reading this, you fall into thi...

In the early eighties I shared a townhome, in Houston, Texas, with my buddy, Jack. And it was a nice, secluded spot on the West side of the city suburbs. Jack worked days, and I worked nights. So, we typically only saw each other as we passed in and out. But I remember it was a great place for me to set up and work on my music. Plenty of space. And I could turn up the volume quite a bit without ge...

In 1982 I played a couple of times, for about a month each time, at a once famous barbecue restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. It was just me and my Helpinstill Roadmaster piano, my microphone, and a small sound system. And I hadn’t done the solo thing in a while, so I was nervous. But, as it turned out, the managers and staff really liked me. So, I had a short, but successful run. And one thing...

I just read an article on Don Gibson, a songwriter from the 50’s and 60’s. And it said he sat down one hot, summer day, in 1958, and wrote two songs. “Oh Lonesome Me” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” And would you believe it? Those two very different love songs both became hits. In fact, Ray Charles recorded a version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You&...

In 1981 I joined a popular trio, in Atlanta, Georgia. They added me as their drummer, and all four of us sang. So, we had some nice 4 part harmonies. And I remember how their fans enjoyed our rendition of a song called “Leader of the Band.” Because the bass player, lead guitarist, and I played recorders, and sang backup, while the rhythm guitarist strummed guitar and sang lead. It was...

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to be selfish? And how difficult it is to be merciful, kind, patient, and humble? And it all starts when you’re a little kid. Don’t believe me? Then, I’d say you either don’t have kids or you’ve never seen them together in a room full of toys. You’re more likely to see them pitch a fit than put on love. And that’s becau...

When I was a kid, there was a saying…you might even call it sort of a motto. Cheaters Never Win and Winners Never Cheat. And if you got caught cheating, whether it was in sports, academics, or even snagging somebody’s #2 pencil, there was punishment. And even ridicule in front of the class sometimes. Cheaters never win because they don’t achieve on their own merit or skills. But,...

You don’t need radiometric dating to discover the first rock-n-roll song to top the Billboard charts was written by a guy from the 1800’s. But you DO need to know how that’s even possible. And I’m here to share a little bit about it. Plus, I’ll show you how timing is everything. But what’s radiometric dating got to do with rock-n-roll? Well, patience my good ban...

Journey with me, back to a time when masks weren’t required to…well…just about anything. Except maybe to rob a bank of convenience store. Back to a time when music and fire fused together for a hit song. And I didn’t care about it nearly as much as a particular objet du désir; or objeto del deseo. Or for those of you still wandering around in the world of English…obje...

Did you see the Star Trek movie, Wrath of Khan? It was about how Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise had to battle their arch enemy, Khan. Because he planned on using the so-called “life-generating Genesis Device” as a weapon of mass destruction. Huh? Sounds strange. But it was an entertaining movie. And it was a big box office success. But the so-called “wrath of Khan&#82...