Hi All!
It all began in my old Massachusetts drum circle. I used to email people each month to remind them of the next drum circle.
The emails basically read,
“Just a reminder that this Sunday, January 4, is a drumming night. 6pm. Hope you can come. ~Rick”
After a few years I grew so bored and impatient writing those annoying little emails that I almost stopped writing them. Then
my sense of humor kicked in. I started poking fun at my own weekly emails. My emails became a self-parody. Those emails took
on a life of their own and became fun to write.
Years later, when I started DDDC back in March, 2003, not only would it become the most frequented community drum circle in
the state but my weekly emails would find their most appreciative audience ever.
I've had people list their 4 or 5 favorite DDDC email gags. At a drum circle, I've suggested to a first-time drum circle participant
that they get on our email list and had the roomful of drummers start laughing. Some people will write me when they think
a weekly email was particularly funny. I've had people notify me that they were moving out of state but would like to stay
on the list because they look forward to my goofy emails. I've had many folks tell me that a DDDC email turned their mood
around during a particularly stressful week. I even had one woman write me to tell me that, when her dad died, she got my
weekly email and laughed for the first time that week.
So, for those of you who enjoy my nutty news blurbs, or new participants who wonder why our drummers chuckle and snicker when
the subject comes up, I have gathered a collection of some that made me chuckle as well as the ones from which I have received
the most feedback. I haven't saved all of them. The “Pirate email,” the “Australian email,” the “Jamaican
email” and many others are lost. But I dug up enough to portray some of the more creative moments of DDDC's weekly news
blurbs.
I'll categorize the first type of email as the “Cultural Parody.” I'll start it off with my favorite...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dearest Brethren and Sistern of the Beat,
It is with light heart and tongue in cheek that I sayest unto thee: Howdy!
I
pray that _________ (Diety of your choice) hath bestoweth upon thee and thine all the graces and goodies of beinghood over
this past weeketh. Waketh not thy neighbor with thunder from thy goat-thkin. Nay! Sayeth I. Cometh and drumeth this Fridayeth
at the house of _________ (Diety or phenomenon of your choice) at 97 Main St. in Yarmouth.
Hope to see you there.
Ricketh
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After
this came out, DDDC participants were calling me "Ricketh" for weeks! When someone assumed that I was parodying Shakespeare,
it inspired this email a few weeks later...
Dearest Brethren and Sistern,
Much ado has been made about my "Ricketh"
email that went out a few weekths ago. But many have confuseth this with Shakepeare, whoeth I had no cause to spoofeth at
that time.
For the sake of clarification, here is a Shakespearean
reminder about whacking the goat-thkins:
How now, you of percussive
revelrie?
As the sun dost cease to gild the Yarmouth sky
upon
the Sabbath will be the very hour
to revel upon the skins of goats
with what merriment and noise thou wilt.
Fail not! For 'tis known drummers break not hours
but heads.
Beseeming to thrice disturb the quiet of streets.
Tis well thou not give deafness sway
but beat apace
should you this day.
Rickio
Translation: This Sunday, 6:30pm Drum circle. Yarmouth. Come and drum.
Rick
Howdy Y'all!
How in tarnation are y'all? We just got back
from Alabama last night where everyone tawks lahk theis (but slower) and even grown-ups call you MISTER Rick or MISS Judy.
Imagine how I blended in with my distinctly New England accent. ;-) While in Alabama I found the most beautiful hand-painted,
two-headed Chinese street musician's drum being sold as (I kid you not...) a footstool! It is making its way home to Maine
now. Judy and I got the store employees cheering when we cut loose on a pair of huge authentic taiko drums. ($250. each. ...They
were advertised as "coffee tables". <groan>
And speaking of fun (and drums)... Round up yer coffee tables and
footstools and sachet on over to the Yarmouth UU Church this Sunday evening for some...
(Y'all think I'm gonna say
'Drumming!')
D R U
M M I N G !
(Ok...I'm predictable.)
When?: 6:30pm
Where?:
First Universalist Church, 97 Main Street, Yarmouth
Who?: Hopefully You! (pronounced: yeeeeew)
Bah! (Bye)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
M'Lords and Ladies;
By
proclamation of all the powers that rightly be, let it be known throughout the land (Southern Maine) that on the eve of Frye's
Day (this Friday evening) there will be percussive reverie (drumming) in the heart of the white spired castle (church).
To
cast eyes upon thee would bring such song to a weary heart. (Hope to see you there)
Rickademus (Rick)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Top 'o the morrrnin'
to ye!
Just a wee reminderrr that this frrriday
evenin' be high time for...
D R R R U M M I N ' (roll
those 'R's)
Usual time (6:30pm)
Usual place (UU churrrch, 97 Main St. Yarrrmouth)
Unusual cast of perrrcussive
(roll that 'R' again)
charrracters
Hopin' to see ye marvelous self behind a drrrum!
Rrrick
Hola Dudes and Dudesses!
Que pasa? I'm happy
to report that this Friday
(viernes) is the fourth (as in 'Uno, Duzo, Treezo and
Fourzo'...) Friday of the month and
time, once again,
for...
D R U M M I N G !!!
(tambor)
Yarmouth
UU Church (Iglesia UU de Yarmouth)
97 Main Street
6:30pm (Sixo Thirtyzo)
Hope to see you there.
Rick (Ricardo)
http://synthrick.tripod.com
Howdy y'all!
Ah reckon some of ya may be a'knowin that this here Friday is high time for puttin hand to goatskin
and...
A-DRUMMIN'
It would plum tickle me to death if'n y'all saw fit to
join
the percussive hoedown.
When? Friday 3/25 6:30pm
Where? Yarmouth UU Church 97 Main Street
Who? Lotsa right fine
folk
Vocabulary word of the week? ReinTarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
"And on the seventh day, (Deity of
your choice) created the drum circle.
And it was without form (freestyle).
And (He/She) said, 'Let there be Rhythm':
and there was Rhythm.
And He heard the Beat, and it was good.
It made His Spirit move and groove.
So
he took the day off and Danced."
Coincidentally, we
will be drumming this seventh day (Sunday) at the U.U. House of (Diety of your choice) at about 6:30pm.
Come join us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greetings and Salutations gentle spirits
and raucous rowdys!
Today, as every day, may you feel the tender barbs of sunlight dance upon your face. May the wee
folk put a spring in your step and a shamrock in your shake. Remember always that today is the first day of the rest of your
life. Remember also that yesterday is the tomorrow you sweated about two days ago. Go into the world boldly, where no man
has gone before. If you consider yourself a Goddess, go rightly in peace. If you consider yourself a God, expect some serious
fallout. Remember that we are but one... enough in our enoughness. Have a pleasant day. Leave a message after the beep, dear
ones...
I heard a voice mail message that sounded much like that. Ok, I embellished a bit...
They'll be some
serious embellishing going on this Friday at 6:30 at the First Universalist Church in Yarmouth. (drumming)
You should
come and spare yourself a lifetime of endless reproach.
You know you want to.
You'll have more fun than a frog
sitting in a plate of warm water!
Ok, I'm messing with you again...
Come anyway.
Rick
This Friday evening...
Usual
time: 6:30pm
Usual Place: First Universalist Church, 97 Main St., Yarmouth
Usual random assortment of noisy people:
Some
old, some new
Some red, some ...
Ut oh. I'm starting to sound like Dr. Seuss!
So come ...play a drum...
With
your hand or your thumb
Play it soft, play it loud
By yourself, in a...
I'm doing it again, aren't I?
<sigh>
Come
anyway.
Rick
And then there
were the just-plain-silly emails that defy classification...
______________________________________________________________________
Hi All!
Knock...knock.
Who's there?
Yaw
Yaw who?
What are you so excited about?
Personally, I'm kinda excited about the visit
we got from Annegret Baier (from Inanna, Loopin and Zulu Leprechauns) last Sunday night. It was great to have her presence
and her music in our circle. Despite Superbowl Sunday there were 19 of us in all.
Knock...knock.
Who's there?
Yule
Yule who?
You'll make the usual excuses
like, "I can't drum", "I don't own a drum", "I can't afford an evening out", "I'll be the only beginner there." and "I'll
miss CSI:Troublesome Toddler Division!" ...We're novice-friendly, we have lots of drums, we don't charge a cent to drum and
we average between 2 to 8 first-timers per night. As for CSI... the three-year-old did it.
Knock...knock.
Who's there?
Norma Lee
Norma Lee who?
Normally, I remind you all of our next drum
circle much earlier in the email. This week I have decided to go wild and tweak the nose of convention, as it were. We're
drumming this Friday night at 6:30pm at the First Universalist Church, 97 Main Street, Yarmouth, ME.
I hope to see you there.
Knock...knock.
Who's there?
Water
Water who?
What a way to spend a Sunday evening! Listening
to your fellow drummers (Different Drummers Joyful Hearts Club Band) making music with the poetry of Rumi in between! A perfect
opportunity to show your friends and family why you go off and do this "drumming thing" you do. This Sunday night, 7pm, at
555 Forest Ave., Portland.
Knock...knock.
Who's there?
Wooden
Wooden who?
Wouldn't you love to learn African drumming?
Well, Annegret is teaching a new class beginning March 13 which will run for 7 consecutive Tuesday evenings. FMI write
or call “Class details deleted”
Knock, Knock.
Who's there?
Nobel.
Nobel who?
No bell, that's why I knocked!
Ok, I'll stop...
Rick
No trees were killed in the sending of this message.
However, a large number of electrons were somewhat inconvenienced.
Hi All,
Happy Ides of
March!
The Ides of March is a bit like Groundhog Day. No gifts, no cards, no parades, no day off, no holiday dinner...and
speaking of holiday dinners...If we eat turkey on Thanksgiving why is it that on Easter we don't eat rabbit? And on Groundhog's
Day we don't eat...OK, I digress. In any case, I hope that this Ides of March is the best and most memorable you ever had!
Hi All!
I'm happy to report that THIS Sunday is the first Sunday in December and time,
once again, for...
(Drum roll please...)
MORE COLD WEATHER!!!
...and drumming.
...finally!
Yes
friends, there will be Latin drumming, Middle-Eastern drumming, African drumming, New Age drumming, Celtic drumming, Rock
& Roll drumming, Swingy-Jazzy-Bluezy drumming... in fact there will probably be forms of drumming that are unclassifiable.
Unclassifiable, indescribable, defying all attempts at categorization, classification and repetition. That's right, I said
repetition. Come to make music. Come to make merry. Come to heal. Come to roll over. Come to set a fire under the britches
of the spirits until they dance like squirrels in the supply closet at Starbucks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rick: "Mom, I think I want to be a drummer when I grow up."
Mom: "Don't be silly! You know you can't do both!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Rick's 10 Best Reasons" is one of the few email routines that I send
out annually... tweaking it slightly each year.
_____________________________________________________
Rick's 10 Best Reasons to Drum in a Drum
Circle:
1. To balance your left and right brain hemispheres (allowing you to walk straighter)
2.
To align your chakras... saving you from costly chakra-realignment bills down the road.
3. To entrain
your brain waves. ("Sit, Alpha, sit!")
4. Because it beats watching reruns of "CSI: Pooper-Scooper Division"
5. To become "grounded" with Mother Earth without having to go barefoot in the grass and risk stepping
in something.
6. Because the precise rhythm at the precise tempo can cause you to dissipate into the atmosphere
and become one with the universe. (Mr. Henry L. Stool reportedly achieved this once, though members of the lost Mayan culture
eventually returned him to Lewiston, Maine.)
7. To connect with others at an even deeper level
than than we do in most public elevators.
8. To use our energies to connect powerfully with the spirit realm. ("Hey!
I swear I heard my Aunt Faustine playing the spoons!!")
9. If we drum at a frequency of 7.8 Hz we will resonate
with the earth itself and harmonize with other planets (except Pluto) creating a cosmic barbershop quartet of percussive merriment.
10.
Because it's way funner and cheaper than most nights out!
Dear (You-Know-Who-You-Are):
This is not spam. It is NOT a warning that
some common food will kill you or make you blind. It contains no news of a deadly computer virus that Microsoft and
his pal, Norton, have determined is the "worse virus in history". There is no offer to split my 5 million dollars with you
if you will let me hide it in your bank account until I get to the States. No miracle breakthrough to increase the size of
body parts (...though if you hit your thumb hard with a hammer, I understand it swells up pretty good.) Russian women are
NOT aching to marry you. They don't even KNOW you! If you forward this email to everyone on your email list Microsoft and
Disneyworld will NOT send you free money for your trouble. The IRS is NOT notifying you that they owe you $99.23. If you make
a wish and forward this email to 20 friends, you will have made a wish and forwarded this email to 20 friends.
No.
This is not spam. It's that not-so-subtle nudge reminding you when our drum circle is meeting... what's going on in the percussive
world... etc, etc, etc.
Well, our drum circle isn't meeting until December 2nd.
Kinda anti-climatic as news
goes, eh?
__________________________________________________________________
This Sunday is the first
Sunday of the month and time for...
D R U M M I N G !
I know,
I know...it's also Superbowl Sunday, where... as I understand it... a bunch of guys try to get a pointy ball past a big "Y".
Some of us will be
drumming. ;-)
When?
Sunday evening, 6:30pm
Where?
First Universalist Church, 97 Main St, Yarmouth
Cost?
Free
Do
I Need To Own a Drum?
Nope. We share.
Shouldn't I Take Lessons First?
Not unless you plan to cut your own CD or
join a band.
But What If I Can't Keep a Beat?
Play softly.
What If I Can't Think Of Any More Questions?
Go to
announcements.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
In response to the numerous (2) complaints that I take the writing of this newsletter (and,
indeed, life) much too lightly, I decided to try placing my more frivilous remarks within parentheses. So, this week, if you'd
prefer a nice, (dry), serious, (boring), objective, (lifeless) newsletter (blurb) simply ignore any parenthetical remarks.
Hi
All! (Dudes and Dude-esses! What's the buzz?!)
I'm happy (borderlining on giddy) to report that this Friday is the
second Friday of the month and time, once again, for...
(a shower?)
D
R U M M I N G !
Hi All!
No drum circle until Sunday 4/1 but Announcements Galore!
"Announcements
Galore?" Wasn't she in an old James Bond movie? Nah...That was probably her sister.
What does one write when informing a drumming community that there
is no drumming that week? ...Especially on weeks when there are no announcements either? Here are some examples...
_____________________________________________________________________
Guys and Gals,
M'Lords and Ladies,
Dudes and Dudesses,
Lads and Lassies,
Stooges and Molls,
Men and Women...
Drummers, plumbers, hummers, thumbers, gummers
and bummers...
Ladies and Gentlemen: (and I use the terms
facetiously...)
No DDDC drumming this
week.
__________________________________________________________________
No DDDC drumming until Friday,
6/15, due to some scheduling difficulties. While struggling to get through the next few weeks without community drumming,
you may wish to consider one or more of the following alternative activities:
a. Join a Spinning Circle. The kind with a spinning wheel and yarn. Of course, there may be spinning circles out there
that involve storytelling or the telling of tall tales. There could be spinning circles based on spinning tops. I
suppose 5 or more Dervishes could be considered a spinning circle of sorts. Who cares what kind of spinning... give it
a try!
b. Those of you who are drawn to Native American culture should consider a Medicine Circle. This
is where a bunch of middle aged to senior folks get together to discuss their ills and which medicines they are taking to
remedy them.
c. Loosely related to the Spinning Circle (the kind with yarn) is the Sewing Circle, of which there are two distinct
types. One type is devoted to making clothing and the other is devoted to gossip. Warning: If you should stumble into
the wrong circle you may be talked about disparagingly for years to come.
d. Warm Wet Circles are often left behind by cold drink glasses on a hot day. (Also a terrific song by the
British band, Marillion.)
...or you could always just wait for the next
drum circle on June 15th.
Hope to see you then.
Rick
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
5. Behind Bars,
Paris Hilton Kills Time Wondering How She Can "Make the World Better"
Attorney Richard A. Hutton, who
on Monday afternoon claimed that Paris Hilton is the "victim" of an "unjust, unfair" legal system , says his client is doing well, this first day into her 23-day "incarceration." Confined to her cell for 23
hours a day, Hutton says Paris is "using this time to reflect on her life, to see what she can do to make the world better
and hopefully, change the attitudes that exist about her." That is, when she's not laboring to fashion a shiv out of an emery
board, to ward off Big Ethel during her hour in the yard.
OK...I threw that last one in just to see if you were paying attention.
<grin>
2. There is little truth to the recent rumor that
the Yarmouth UU church steeple landed in the front yard as a direct result of a particularly enthusiastic Different Drummers drum
piece. Don't believe it for a second. We've been known to raise a roof or two but we've never actually launched a steeple.
People always complain about their jobs. If they were any fun, wouldn't we have to pay to get in?
Some people
get so obsessed about doing everything "naturally", the way our ancestors once did... natural foods, natural remedies, back
to nature. Doesn't it ever bother anyone that the ancestors who lived that way had a lifespan of around 40 years??
OK.
I made up those last two. I go wild from time to time.
In
2005, I spent 10 days in the hospital being treated for a rare and serious condition called gall bladder pancreatitus. Humor
is a coping skill for me. It rescues me from many a stressful situation. We can't always control what's happening around us,
but we can control our mood.
During my 10 day stay in the hospital in 2005, I was on a steady diet of morpheine, and
couldn't eat a morsel of food nor drink a drop of liquid for 7 full days. Intravenous only. After successfully stabilizing
my pancreas, they removed my gall bladder so it couldn't happen again. Here are a few of my favorite morpheine-inspired
lines that went out in DDDC emails from the hospital ward:
"The Doctor expected the surgery to take two hours not four. After having failed trying to yank my
gall bladder though my bellybutton with various medical, kitchen, construction and farm tools, the surgeon finally reverted
to leaving a trail of goodies on my stomach so the gall bladder would find it's OWN way out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The gall stone was so big, in fact, that it was seen in Old Port later that evening having
drinks with the surgeon."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I
haven't responded to any of your emails individually because my pain medication gives me the attention span of a fly on the
counter at STARBUCKS."
In 2007, I had to return to the hospital for a scheduled surgery. One of our drummers, John from Bangor, said
that I “Poked the eye of adversity.” What a great line!
You'll probably get an email from Judy, letting you know how I'm doing. Expect to see less public-service
percussion-related announcements from me during August since narcotic pain relievers tend to cripple what meager organizational
skills I have to begin with.
Well, I'm home. The good news is the surgery supposedly went real well.
The bad news is this
hurts. Yow!! Despite some serious narcotic painkillers, everything between my chest and my abdomen is unmercifully tender.
It hurts to stand, sit, get into bed. get out of bed, climb or descend stairs, bend, cough, reach, you-name-it. Once simple
hiccups now feel like tiny, evil leprechaun terrorists have planted internal explosive devices which the wee hooligans trigger
at will. The smallest amount of flatulence can bring me to my knees (whereas that effect was once limited to those around
me.)
You get the idea.
The guy who shaved my stomach before surgery warned me that the hair would grow back
"faster and thicker." I replied, "So my bare belly will look like a bear's belly?" Judy pointed out that it was a good thing
he didn't shave my chest or I might wind up looking like Austin Powers!
My hospital diet consisted of finely
chopped and pureed mystery meat which was pressed into an appetizing-looking patty delicately dressed with gravy. It wasn't
until I went at it with my fork that I realized it was finely chopped meat. Imagine cat food with gravy.
Now imagine
baby food without gravy. That was last night's hearty supper.
My life still cracks me up.
On the
other hand, it looks like my pancreas is going to be just fine.
Thank you all for the prayers, healing energy, concern
and emails.
May you never be visited by evil leprechauns.
Consider drumming this Friday night. 6:30pm.
I'll
see you Friday, August 10th.
Namaste*
Rick
*Namaste: Sanskrit for "My holy bits dig your holy bits."
And,
finally, here are my two favorite Holiday Messages...
Rick's Politically- Incorrect Holiday wish...
Merry Christmas!!!
For
those who feel this wish does not apply, allow me to elaborate: I wish you well.
I define "well" as being in good physical, emotional and spiritual health, having
employment or means of survival, clarity of mind, the ability to love and the good fortune to be loved, and the ability to
take life lightly... to play... to enjoy... and to laugh.)
Wishing you Health, Love, Clarity and Laughter...
Rick
~RICK"S POLITICALLY CORRECT HOLIDAY WISH:~
We sincerely wish
you a Merry __________(Holiday of your choice) and a Happy
__________(Another holiday of your choice). May ________ (Diety
or
impressive phenomenon of your choice) bless your life and family with
_______ (Desirable thing or quality of your
choice) forever (or however long
you think you could tolerate such a 'blessing'). Know that I say this (unto
thee)
with one tongue planted firmly in cheek (What do you mean, "Which
cheek?***") and the other flapping wildly as a bird engulfed
in diesel
fumes.
*** "Which cheek" meaning the right or the left. I am perfectly capable of
getting myself into
trouble without any help, thank you very much.
But I digress...
<grin>
I hope your holidays are
memorable.
Rick
Hi All!
This week I want to talk about New Age Spirituality. I had an interesting
conversation recently with someone who was telling me about all sorts of 'spiritual' people... People involved in leading
everything from spiritual retreats to yoga and kirtan events to all sorts of alternative healing. Consistently, the focus
was on the person's spirituality... their 'holiness'...their link with the 'divine'. ...So far, so good.
And then I was asked the question, "Why aren't you charging money for drumming in your drum circle? The energy in your
drum circle is so FILLING! People would gladly pay for what you're doing! You'd make PLENTY! Why do you do it for free?"
I had to ask myself... How can someone who appreciates what's 'spiritual' and 'divine' not understand why I
run community drum circles for free? At the risk of being cynical, Joe Potatohead calls himself Guru Potatish and recites
his spiel or performs music or teaches his slightly modified version of something traditional for 50 bucks a head and he or
she is considered spiritual and divine, despite the fact that the poor are excluded. Seriously? This is someone who has transcended
something??
I'm reminded of a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The more he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons."
I'm not against anyone making a living. But, if you're selling a product or service you're a salesman, not the reincarnation
of Krishna or Buddha. If you're singing or playing music you're a performer, not the second coming of Jesus! If you've found
a new way to market an old idea, so did the guy who sells "ShamWow!"
I give up! I've been doing this drum circle thing, trying to allow everyone to have the experience they came for, even
when it differed from my own. I have done it for free because I never needed a transfer of wealth as a prerequisite for my
'showing up'... and because it felt right to be able to draw from the larger community, which included people who couldn't
afford to be part of other more exclusive 'communities'. Okay. I was wrong.
From this day forward, I'll be known as "Baba Ganoush". I'm working
on a long, convoluted explanation of the healing properties of group drumming. It won't include information of any logic or
significance, but it will be expressed in a very compelling way, using lots of key words like "Balance, Harmony, Essential,
Enhance, Stimulate, Mind-Body, Energy, Natural, Bliss, Ecstatic, Transformation, Love, Spirituality, Heart, Alignment, Development,
Nurture and Holistic". Studies have proven that these words can coax money out of the barest of pockets.
I'm also working on a new look. I'm thinking about a turban or a fez, some beads and a long, flowing robe. Every American
instantly associates these with spirituality. (Anyone who dresses like this MUST be at one with the universe, right?) If used
car salesmen dressed like this I bet they'd sell more cars. Also, I'll be growing facial hair and lots of it for that spooky
'who's-really-in-there?' look.
Also, the humor is history. Finished. Spiritually-attuned beings do not make jokes. It's a known fact. They know that
there is nothing funny about the big topics like Existence or God or fulfilling one's true purpose. When Oprah skyrocketed
the unknown Eckert Tolle to multi-millionaire status, it wasn't by exploiting his flair for getting laughs. Spirituality is
serious business.
And, speaking of business, aside from the shamefully high new admission charge for drum circle participation, I will
be offering some new services. For only $25.00* I'll be happy to drum "healing energy" for any cause or individual you choose.
For $50.00 I'll drum twice as long. (*Sending healing energy over long distances will incur an extra fee of $10.00 per 100
miles.) There will be other services offered too, as soon as I think of other things you might be willing to pay for.
May the Supreme Being anoint your chin with the buttercups of Love and Compassion.
Baba Ganoush
P.S. Only kidding. Come and drum. This Friday, 6:30PM. Still free. ;-)
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. Curmudgeon's Corner:
If you are on LinkedIn, bless your heart. I'm not. And when you send me an invitation to join LinkedIn and I refuse it (nothing
personal) they continue to fill my email with "reminders" for months until I suffer the laborious process of 'blocking' the
invitation reminders. This must be done with EACH individual invitation!
I'm on Facebook. Different Drummers, Bluezberry
Jam, Different Drummers Joyful Hearts Club Band and even each of my books has its own Facebook page! That's more than enough
social networking. I'm not on LinkedIn. Please stop inviting me.
May
the Supreme Being anoint your chin ...yada, yada, yada...
Baba Ganoush
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two people unsubscribed
because of this next blurb! One particularly nasty email accused me of "adding to the world's problems" (!) while the other
left because "language is everything." Fortunately, more than a dozen people wrote to tell me how funny they thought it was,
so I didn't throw myself into the nearest volcano over the loss. ;-) Hi All!
Just who is the New Age nutjob that dreamed
up with the notion that, just because the 5000-year Mayan calendar ends on 12/21/12, this must have been the Mayan prediction of the Apocalypse? Even the Mayans are chuckling over this! Some of them are saying
that, since OUR calendar ends on 12/31/12,
we gringos are predicting that the world will end on that date.
As a result, New Age folks all across the U.S.
are playing this year's winter solstice up for all it's worth... as though the Mayans made this one special! It's like watching the dawn of the new millenium all over again.
(Remember 1/1/2000?) It's like another prediction of the Christian Rapture. (Remember the pastor who predicted it TWICE and
made millions each time?)
In our nutty culture, so long as someone is selling it... someone is buying it. Make
no mistake there's an ass for every seat!
But surely I digress again...
What does this have to do with drum
circles? Absolutely nothing. I'm just having fun ranting again.
May the Supreme Being anoint your chin with the
buttercups of Love and Compassion... and may he do it without his hand in your pocket. ;-)
Rick ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No DDDC drumming this week but I thought I'd share some exciting workshops scheduled for the Portland area...
Chinese Herbology Program This certification course covers the therapeutic uses of more than 21 Chinese herbs
and spices, including their taste and contraindication, taught by Bobby Chin of the Lucky Dragon Restaurant in Lewiston. Learn
the proper uses for hot mustard sauce. Learn why duck sauce is truly the “miracle sauce”. You'll learn how there
is seldom any actual soy is in those little packets of soy sauce! Time: 9:30 to 4:30PM four consecutive Saturdays and Sundays beginning May 4. $395.00
Creating Sacred Space with Feng Shui with
Dr. Yeng Pong Feng Shui
is the art of creating sacred space... in your home... at your work...anywhere. A prerequisite to this vital spiritual work
is that you first clean up your ridiculous mess! There are people who live like pigs who sit around reading my Feng Shui books
instead of cleaning up their own clutter. Feng Shui is NOT about tossing out your empty pizza boxes or getting those stacks
of papers off your kitchen table, counters and couch. If you live in chaos and disarray STOP READING FENG SHUI BOOKS! When
you come to me as an organized, hygienic adult, THEN I'll teach you Feng Shui. Friday, August 3, 6-9PM $199.
Have You Had a Past Life? With Goddess Irene
Souza (formerly Cleopatra of the Nile) Join us for a 4 hour workshop which
includes the exploration of your past lives through simple hypnosis. Discover that you were once more significant than you
now feel. We guarantee that no participants will have had a lower or even middle class background to suggest that they were
ordinary in any way. Barney the Dinosaur says that “We are all special.” and Past Life Regression PROVES it. Saturday,
July 10, Time: 1 to 5PM. $150.00
Sacred Turtle Integrative Aromatherapy The way to healing is not through energy. It is not through
spirituality. Cultures long-extinct knew that the key to healing and immortality is in the scent of a turtle. Turtle sniffing was a well-guarded secret practiced by the Druids as well as the Mayans. Though they only
lived to an average age of 42, experts now agree that they might have only lived half as long without the mystical healing
properties of turtle sniffing. Phyllis Babineau
has the secret and she has the turtles. June 26,
9- 4PM. Cost: $395.
I hope that one of these
exciting workshop opportunities appeals to
you. Hope to see you behind a drum soon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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