rickyleepotts …an opinionated realist

The first time I saw this man’s album cover I knew that it was something I wanted to listen to. Ignore the stereotypical answer that you cannot judge a book by its cover. When I opened this album and began to listen to the pure genius it held I was very impressed. Matching a distinct voice with honest lyrics and a dash of piano and guitar overtones, you have a complete package. He provides an image to fit his music perfectly. It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to Saul Ashby.

What is your first memory of the guitar?

My dad’s old Levin acoustic. He got it when he was a kid from one of his friends’ sisters in the 60s. He gave it to me when I was 13. It’s worn to pieces, cracked and falling apart, but it’s probably the only thing I treasure.

How long have you been playing?

I used to sing along to records when I was little. I started playing drums when I was around 9, which I loved, but a few years later I really wanted to write songs. That’s when my dad gave me that guitar.

When did you know that you wanted to take a run at this thing they call music?

I’m not sure. I can’t remember ever wanting to do anything else.

Where are you originally from?

I was Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, but I grew up in London. My parents were flat broke, and I think my dad owed some guys a lot of money. We came to London with two suitcases. As kids, he’d tell my brother and I the story of how he went back to pay off his debts with a bag full of cash, a pistol in his pocket and one in his sock. I imagined him being like Clint Eastwood. I loved that story.

Is Saul Ashby your real name?

It’s what most people call me.

Do you write all your own lyrics?

I’ve recently started to co-write a little, but up until a couple of months ago I hadn’t written with anybody else. Writing lyrics for me is a very special thing. It’s when I feel at peace with myself, like I’m listening to what I have to say.

Where do you get inspiration for a new song?

I carry around a little notebook that I’m always writing in. Observations, bits of conversations…anything really, though it’s usually something that’s happened or the way I’m feeling that walks me over to wherever my guitar is lying around.

You seem to be a storyteller in those lyrics. Tell me a story.

There’s a spider that lives in a hole next to the bathtub in my flat. The spider is huge and has only been sighted a couple of times. I imagine him to be a sweet talking Frenchman, who plays guitar like Django, tempting passersby into his lair with his silky voice and seductive gypsy jazz.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would you go?

I’m quite happy in London for now. I recently moved back from New York. I loved it there, but I always felt like I was an outsider, just visiting. I’d like to spend some more time in France, but I’d drive myself mad there.

What are you drinking on stage?

Scotch.

How did you get hooked up with Disc Makers?

Hooked up implies that they gave me something. I appreciate the free publicity, but I’m not in the pocket with them.

If you could tour with anyone in the market today whom would it be?

Someone I really respect like Paul McCartney, Elton John, Cat Stevens, Tracy Chapman; anyone who could teach me a few good life lessons.

What is the largest crowd that you have ever played for?

A couple hundred people. I haven’t played any enormous shows yet.

The smallest?

I’m happy to play to 3 people if they’re listening. I’d rather do that than play to a packed room who aren’t.

What is your favorite venue to play?

At the moment, it’s the Bedford in Balham, South London. There’s always a great crowd who love music and come just to hear new acts. The same goes for the Living Room in NYC.

Who designed your album cover?

It was designed by my very talented friends Alex Merto, and Chad Cheverier, who shot the picture.

Where can I get a copy of that album?

You can’t, I’m afraid. I sold them all, and it’s not getting re-printed. It’s still available for download all over the net though, including iTunes, Rhapsody, etc.

Staying single while out there on the road?

There’s someone I love, but I think I’m too late and I’ve messed up too bad.

I love your MySpace design. Who is responsible for that?

A company called Parallel designed it.

Any thoughts on a tour this year?

It would be great, but not just yet. I need to work on my new some some more first.

Do you have a job outside of music?

I worked in a second-hand record store, but I got fired.

If you could be any cartoon character whom would you choose?

Probably Bender from Futurama.

Let’s say that you are offered a record contract but it is someone else’s lyrics and it is a rap album. Do you do it?

I’ve always wanted to be a hype man on a hip-hop track, just shouting: “Yeeeahhh. What!! What!!” or something like that. But me as a rapper? Don’t think I could pull off the swagger.

PC or Mac?

I just got an iPhone, and it’s really impressive. I’m not very good with technology though.

What are your thoughts on MySpace?

MySpace is great, but I can’t really be bothered with all that. I use Twitter a lot, (@saulashby). It better suits my attention span.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

If you’d asked me this question five years ago, my response would look nothing like where I am now. So let’s just wait and see.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

Making honest music, and hopefully making a few people feel better. Or at least not alone.

Well as it seems I can not go too many posts without talking about the wonderful state of our economy. But the article you are about to enjoy is a surprising one. I mean, we see companies that are closing down left and right, like Circuit City, Jo-Ann Fabrics, and Prince Paper just to name a few, but there are ones that are growing with each passing day. The firm I work for, for example, has been growing non stop since I began researching them over a year ago. There are a lot of companies firing employees left and right, even Fortune 500 companies, but there are places that are hiring. But there is one company that you simply assume is doing well. That company would be Netflix.

Let me tell you a little bit about Netflix in case you are unaware of what they offer. Netflix is an online video store. You can rent movies that are shipped to your house within usually two business days. The envelope they arrive in is also the envelope that you ship the DVD back in with postage already paid. So the turn around, depending on your DVD watching habits, is quite nice. They also offer unlimited online streaming of TV shows and movies. These are broadcast in HD if you have the proper equipment and the list of streaming films is growing every day. But with the recent change from DVD to Blu-ray discs, Netflix began to realize just how expensive offering these movie was going to turn. And with nearly every film that is coming out these days, to compete with places like Blockbuster, Netflix simply has to offer these discs. So to combat the rising cost in the products they were carrying they raised their monthly fees by $1 per month per account that was set up to receive these Blu-ray discs.

Netflix offers numerous packages ranging from a maximum of two rentals a month to as many as eight DVD’s out at a time with no limit on rentals. Prices range from just under five dollars a month to just over fifty. (Yeah, fifty dollars a month is a little insane if you ask me. Unless you watch movies all day every day it would never be worth it to me.) I subscribe to the three DVD’s at a time package, which I would assume is the most commonly chosen plan. That plan started, many moons ago when I first became a Netflix user, at $18.99. The price has dropped since then coming all the way down to $14.99 a month. However, this does not include that extra buck they tack on, but the quality difference in these films is worth way more than a dollar.

But today Netflix admitted to their rising cost and drop in sales due to this recession by raising their Blu-ray DVD rates from $1 to $2 per user per month. That might not seem like a lot but I can tell you this right now, they are going to be making a HUGE difference in their monthly income. Just think of the number of people you know who subscribe to Netflix. And with the overwhelming push to the HD side of viewing, both on cable and in the movie industry, folks are being forced to make the switch.

But what irks me is that they do this with out a warning. And they do this to folks that I feel should be grand fathered in. I mean, I have been paying my bill on time every month for several years and I have been paying the extra dollar since they began that change as well. And do not get me wrong here, a dollar is not that much money, it is actually not about the money at all, it is about the way that Netflix has handled this switch. Maybe some of you out there can not afford that extra buck. And if you are one of those people, then my suggestion to you is to cancel your Netflix subscription as you have bigger issues on your hands.

I get an email today stating that my bill will be changing effective immediately and I will be charged that extra dollar. Do you think there is a better way to let us all down like that? What about a vote? Do we not live in a democracy? Why could they not take, say, three months and every time you log in you are asked, “Would you be willing to pay an extra $2 to have access to Blu-ray DVD movies on the available selections in your current DVD queue?” This would at least give the user some input. Even if they end up charging the extra two bucks at the end of it you would feel better “making a difference.” But to all you Blu-ray watching Netflix subscribing HD junkies out there, I salute you, as for your viewing pleasure is about to cost you more Benjamins.

Tiger Woods got hurt last year. He got hurt leading up to the U.S. Open. But he won the U.S. Open. He had, technically, a broken leg when he won that event. And he won that event in a playoff. So wait a second. Tiger had a broken leg, played four plus rounds of golf on a tough setup, and still wins? Anyway, that was over 8 months ago. But Tiger has made his come back. Playing in only his third tournament since his unfortunate time off, Tiger grabs his 6th victory at Bay Hill. This is actually the 4th time he has won the same event 6 times. Yeah, think about that for a second. It is facts like that that continue to boggle my mind of his pure talent. Oh, don’t forget, he is only 33 years old.

But anyway, today at the Bay Hill, they were speaking with the King himself, Mr. Arnold Palmer. They were asking him about his past struggles, his hopes, dreams, etc. on the tour and on the golf course. And being so humble he just kept going back to Tiger and his raw talent. Tiger came in to today, the fourth round for those that are not familiar with golf, five shots off the lead. He had never come back from a victory, to win, from that far down. Not at least in regulation. (He has come back to tie and head to a playoff only to loose, from that far down. But never to win.) And from the start Tiger was in control. He had some misses, three of which ended up in nearly the same spot (the lip of a bunker) but always managed to get out of them. He hits the ball into the trees, gets a shot to the green leading to a par. He yanks it into the rough, slams his club, and makes birdie. The guy is a machine with the club, sure, but his pure mental toughness is what I envy.

Coming down the stretch he made a bogey and put a little bit of hope into Sean O’Hair. Of course, they were so far ahead of the rest of the field, it was not a setting for a hero to come and beat both of them. And you know, I think Tiger likes it that way. I can not imagine being out on the course and someone throwing a low number on the board only to make you try to beat someone you are not playing. At leas this way Tiger had Sean right next to him to get under his skin the entire day. And that leads me to my next point.

(Before I go on, I want to touch on one more thing that Palmer said today. He was talking in his interview about how last year, when Tiger won (he was the defending champion at the Bay Hill Invitational) he told Tiger when he walked off the green that he knew that putt was going to go in. The putt tiger hit last year was an insane putt with multiple breaks an one that you could hit ten times and maybe make once. But today, when Tiger walked off the green Palmer shakes his hand and says, “You remember what I said to you last year? Yeah, well, I knew before you hit that putt it was going in too. Great job Tiger.” Can you imagine that feeling? The guy that has been an icon of golf placing his bets on you to make the final birdie to win it all. Just makes me happy to be a part of this game.)

O’Hair is young. Only being 26, having very little tour experience at all, was up against the number one player in the world today. And asked in an interview this morning, before he teed off with his five shot lead, he was asked how he would handle himself on the course today. Sean said, and not to quote him, that he was going to play his game and nothing else. He was not going to watch Tiger and that if he would hit the ball the same as he did the last three days that he would be holding the trophy at the end of the day. Well, that was not the case, and Tiger walked away with yet another win to add to his mantel.

This is a big win for Tiger for a number of reasons. The first being that he is only two weeks out from the Masters. And come Masters time you can expect to see Tiger in contention all week. He plays that golf course well. It fits his game. He hits the ball higher than anyone on the course. He hits the ball further than most guys out there. He might not always hit it that straight, but he knows how to find the flag stick. And if his putter is even remotely on that week, well, just watch out because he can throw some insane numbers at Augusta.

And outside the fact that this leads Tiger right to the Masters with a win, it gets the “return to action” monkey off his back. When he did not win in his first two events, one of which was a match play event that was not even an official PGA Tour event, the critics started talking about him being in a slump and not any better than he was before he left 8 months ago. What will Tiger have to do to shut up any critic on the planet? What happens when he wins the official Grand Slam (which is all four majors in the same calendar year)? What will the critics say then? (Tiger has actually held all four majors at the same time. It was not in the same calendar year so he was able to call it whatever he wanted since no one else in the history of the game has done that. That is now what is reffed to as the Tiger Slam.

Tiger is back. He is stronger than ever. He is simply ready to do what he knows how to do. He is ready to win. Last week, when he picked up a random event at Doral to just get four more rounds under his belt (and yes I mean four rounds because we all assume he is going to make the cut) he was not necessarily playing that event to win. Of course, that is the overall goal, but he needed time to get used to swinging the club in front of fans and camera. He did that to prepare for this week. And to prepare for the Masters coming the second weekend in April.

I wish him the best of luck. I have begun to follow him on Twitter and I can’t wait to see his Tweets as this year unfolds. Welcome back Tiger. Is is nice to see you where you belong; the top of the leader board.

What is Rocket Science? – Watch more Funny Videos
I used to watch her more than I do now, but I really enjoy watching Judge Judy. I actually enjoy watching all o these TV court cases. I like watching them for a number of reasons. The first is the pure entertainment from their idiotic responses. (This video will serve as exhibit A.) These are either truly scripted and filmed on a Hollywood back set, or these people are really just that stupid. And if that is the case then I feel sorry for a lot of those surrounded by these individuals. But the other reason I like watching them is the way people react to the questions they are asked. Like, in this video, when Judge Judy asks the rhetorical question, “What is rocket science?” she does not expect the girl to answer her. She just wanted to point out that rocket science is often considered the hardest and most challenging of career choices. But this girl decides to answer her. And her answer just makes me laugh. And the way she finishes, with, “I think.” That is just pure comedy right here.

We have the joke books and the on going questions about why blonds tend to be a little more on the slow side for lack of a better term, but I do not think it is just blonds that act like this. I know some pretty stupid brunettes too. But regardless, I hope you can get some enjoyment out of this video. And if you have not watch an episode of Judge Judy I highly suggest you take the time to do so. She is a hilarious woman in her own right (and is an actual judge whether this is scripted or not I do not know) but the show just makes your day seem a little brighter. Compare it to a bad golfer playing an easy course. It just brings up your self esteem a little. Because I know a lot of people and none of them are as dumb as this girl is.

I know you have seen this guy’s face before. This is Vince Shlomi, or as you might know him, the Sham Wow guy. You have seen his face on the late night infomercials trying to sell you these German made paper towels that can hold 15 times their weight in liquid. I mean, come on, as he said it best himself, the Germans are always making great things. It’s for your house, the car, your boat, the bathroom, the kitchen, you can even use it on yourself when you get out of the shower. Who needs paper towels, or a towel for that matter if you have the Sham Wow. (Listen to me, I sound like I am trying to sell you one myself.)

Vince has been making his way across the TV screen for quite some time selling these magic towels. But recently he has switched his role from salesman to convict. Vince here was arrested last week for getting into an altercation (and you should see his mug shots, they are quite brutal) with a prostitute. He basically got his ass kicked by this woman, the police get involved, and he was arrested.

But why do I bother to write to you about this junk? Well, for a couple of reasons. One, it shows that these people you see on TV in the red eye hours of the night are real individuals with real lives. I mean, it almost becomes a routine because it is the same actors selling you this junk night after night. If it is not Billy May it’s Vince. And before I go any further with this, why do they all wear those ear pieces? They look like they are taking an order at a drive-thru window and not selling these house hold products. I want to know who they are speaking with when they wear those headsets.

But the other reason I bring this up is because of who this Vince character looks like. (If anyone can guess before reading the next line you win a prize.) This guy looks so much like Beavis (who does not have a last name to my knowledge) that it creeps me out. I was a huge Beavis and Butthead fan, still am, and he is the real life version of that cartoon. I mean, look at him. It’s a spitting image.

But I just wanted to bring awareness to all of you out there that own one of these wonder towels that your sales guy pays for sex and beats up the women he makes out with. I just think it is so funny. And by the way, in his mug shot, his hair looks just like this, but he seems to not have shaven in a few days and looks drunk. Just wanted to paint you a visual. (Sorry Josh, I did not post the image. I know, I know, you want to see the images of the things that I am talking about. But, the way I see it, you are smart enough to Google this for yourself if you want to see his mug shot. I am sure that it would not be hard to find. But again, I am sorry that I did not provide this image for Josh’s sake.)

So apparently we were all lied to. For my entire life, and granted that is only 25 years, I have thought they were real. That there really was a pot of gold at the end. That there would be a leprechaun hanging out ready to give me all my gold if I ever found the end of a rainbow. But, sadly, that must not be true. Or is it?

What you are seeing there is a picture that comes from the greatest phone on the planet, the iPhone. This said phone snapped this while driving down the road (the phone was not driving) and has proven the end of a rainbow really can exist. But, what are your thoughts on the photo? (I know, Josh, you are going to complain and say that the image takes me somewhere besides to a larger snap shot. Well, get over it. I like to be spontaneous. I like to take you to places that are not expected.)

Do you think there could be some Photoshop work here? Do you think there could be some touching up that took place and some edits to this image to create a news worthy story and to get this individual some exposure? I tend to think that it is fake. I actually, for the most part, seem to think most images are fake with the technology that is currently on the market. I mean, I have the whitest teeth and a year round tan thanks to the burn and dodge tools. I mean, if I can do it for Facebook images, don’t you think this guy could do it for a news story?

I just saw this and wanted to get your ideas and opinions. What are your thoughts on rainbows to begin with? Do you think they are pretty? Do you think they are nostalgic? Do you think they are the gateway between heaven and earth? Do you think they are gay? (Look that up if you do not know what that means.)

Where did you guys all meet?

Terri and I met in 1996 at a rock show my band was playing.

Where did the name come from?

We kind of modeled the name after Mazzy Star, we wanted a pretty girl name that described the mood of the music.

How long have you all been playing?

(Tim) I have been playing since I was a young teenager. (Terri) For about ten years.

Who is the ringleader of the band?

Tim is definitely the ringleader. Terri is definitely the talent!

Who writes all the lyrics?

(Tim) Terri used to let me write some lyrics. Now, Terri writes all the lyrics.

Where do you get inspiration for a new song?

Depends.

Where are you all originally from?

We are all from Texas.

You guys are currently unsigned. Any leads on a label any time soon?

Although we aren’t signed we do have a couple of labels that help us out: Popsicle distributes us in Scandinavia, and Six Gun Lover records distributes us in the U.S.

What is the largest crowd that you have played for?

One to two million.

The smallest?

We played a show in Jackson, Mississippi to the opening band. So, two people.

Ever been booed off stage?

Nope.

Do you ever forget the words to your own songs?

Terri for many years had all of the lyrics written and taped to her Fender Rhodes piano. She still takes notes and lyric sheets, just in case, to shows.

If you could be any cartoon character who would you be?

We are already cartoon characters.

What super power would you hold if you could only have one?

Telepathy would be fantastic. You would always say the right thing and you would always know what the other person / people were thinking.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

The Pixies, The Sundays, Innocence Mission.

Where can I get a copy of your latest album?

Lots of places. To name a few: CD baby, Apple iTunes, Amazon, emusic, Independisc, Popsicle.

What was it like being featured in a Disc Makers catalog?

The best promotion a band could get. We have had a lot of people come to our shows because of that catalog. It definitely didn’t hurt our career!

How did you guys get that connection?

They helped us with our first record, too. When I sent them our new record, Say Goodnight, they asked us if they could use the artwork for their new catalog. Lauri (Combest) Johnston has done all of our artwork stuff. She is awesome!

Do you have any thoughts on a tour this year?

We already toured for the new record. Just playing a few shows while we complete our new record.

Who does all of your graphic design?

Lauri Johnston.

Is there any song that you play in ever set?

Sun is King.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

The Sundays, The Pixies, the ocean, the mountains, red wine.

Do you guys all have jobs outside of music?

I am a professor at Austin Community College and UT. I teach audio engineering. We also own and operate a recording studio. Terri recently started working full-time again. Indie rock bands don’t pay the bills!

Is there meaning behind “terri+tim+andy= 3x-4”?

Wouldn’t you like to know.

Where do you guys see yourselves in five years?

Still writing, playing, putting out records.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is said and done?

For putting out some consistently fine, mellow, and beautiful music.

I always let the artist get the last word. Go.

Annabella is about good relaxing vibes and friends. Terri and I are married, our guitarist was our best man, and our bass player is one of our best friends, too. Speaking of, Anderson Bracht plays guitar live with us and Joshua Zarbo often plays bass.
Finally, CHEERS!

I have seen this man on TV numerous times. I have seen him basically idolized on Oprah more than once. I have seen this guy do interviews, talk to the press of his on going issues (yeah, guess what they are), and even speak about his wife and how happy they are together. But this week I have seen this guy talk about his newest toy. Fatty got himself a car. Well, not a car. But he got a truck to be driven around in. This man is so fat that he had to have one wall from his house removed to get him into the sunshine. I mean, when does enough become enough? When you wake up one morning and say, “Honey, I can’t get out. I’m too fat.”

And this does a few things for me. One, it pisses me off. And before you feel all agitated toward me for saying that, let me explain. This man has stated before that he would eat upwards of 30,000 calories a day. OK, what is the daily recommended intake for a healthy adult? 2,000? 2,500? 30,000? A day? I mean, come on. And you wonder how he got so far. He got so fat because of his insane eating habits. He became addicted to food. Yeah, no kidding.

But why do people continue to feel sorry for him? Why do they run TV specials on his struggle? Why do they continue to give this dying man exposure? Because people love to see it, that’s why. I mean, I am not the skinniest man in the world (shut up Sheryl, gRegor, Suzie) but come on. I am only a few pounds over weight. This guy eats my daily intake in one bite. And besides that he is absolutely disgusting.

And I am sure you will say that I am just upset with his exposure, or jealous of him in some way. Well, I’m not. But take a look at what has brought him back into the news this week. He gets out of his a few years ago and can not do much more than just turn his head and see the sunshine. But this time is because he has been given a car. OK, how is that news? He is fat, get over it. He did it to himself. He does not have disorder that causes him to eat a cracker and gain a pound. This guy eats 30,000 calories a day. He deserves to look like this.

So great, Mr. Fat got himself a ride. Congratulations. Now you can tell all your friends to that you are driving to the theater tonight! Oh wait, can you afford movie tickets? Just think, you can buy an extra turkey leg at lunch tomorrow if you skip the movie.

Excuse me for being bitter and upset with this but I hate that my news stories continue to be filled with this pop culture garbage. I see fat people all the time. Just walk into any public place in the United States and you will see fat people. But leave this guy alone. He can not possibly have too many years left. The guy’s heart (all of his organs for that matter) have got to be on their last leg. His health has got to be shot. He can not exercise for he can not walk. He can not loose weight by sitting there and continuing on this diet. So stop talking about him.

Again, I am sorry if I have offended anyone, but this was his choice. He chose to eat these pounds and has chose to spend the thousands of dollars to make him the way he is. I am just glad that he has been able to find what seems to be true love with his wife. At least he can share that with someone. But give it up news crews. He is fat.

Can someone pass me the gravy?

Today was a good day. At least for those of you who live in the United Kingdom. Well, those of you who live in the UK and are in grade school. OK, so those of you that are living in the UK, are in grade school, and have a computer that has Internet access and parental permission to access and use the hit trend Twitter. (I call it a hit trend because I am not sure a website has gotten more usage and media attention at the same time as this site. I saw today that they have gained over four million new users already this year.) Back to the children.

A certain town in the UK today announced that they are going to be teaching courses to grade school kids on the importance of not only Twitter itself, but also social media and the importance that it has in the workplace. And I could not be happier. A good friend of mine, Michael Coffey, actually works in social media and the importance to adults. He is a sales man for my firm and lives out in San Fransisco, but works part time as a social media expert. And he has been talking to me about the importance, like it was not already smacking me right in the face, and I have jumped right on that band wagon.

I am currently doing a corporate identity for a lawn care company. I have been able to chose the name, the logo, the colors, the business card design, the list just goes on and on and on. But one of the pieces of this puzzle, and included in the package, was an account on Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and Gmail. This is what I have coined, when I handle corporate identities, as my Social Media Bundle. I will set up all these account to be cohesive, similar user names, passwords, etc. and then I will train the individual(s) to use the services to their advantage.

I can go on and on about this but I will save you. But one cool thing, while I am on the topic of social media, is Ping.fm. This is a site that my buddy Ian turned me onto and is really interesting. It allows you to send one message (similar to all of your status updates, etc.) in once place and it be forwarded to all, and I do mean all, of your locations. It goes to your Flickr, your Facebook, your MySpace, your WordPress, your Blogger, your Yahoo, your MSN, your AIM; you get the picture.

Again, saving the hundreds of lines of code (characters, just been a long day in front of Terminal) I will save my thoughts on the genius behind these medias. But there are doubters out there. I was just speaking with (his name will remain hidden to protect the innocent) and he was saying that it is a waste of time, a waste of resources, and a waste of energy, in not so many words. To each his own he says. And I have to admit, I was anti-social media not six months ago. But now I am hooked. Why? Maybe I see the importance in the future I have as a web designer. Maybe it is the importance of being connected at the drop of a text. (You thought I was going to say the drop of a hat didn’t you?) Maybe it is the potential that I see for income, to expand business, to reach a whole new set of clients. Maybe I see something that most don’t. I mean, every great invention starts with an idea. Someone has a vision, they take the proper technology and raw material they need to make it happen, and they create a product for the better of man. This is not to that point. It has been invented but it is up to us to produce the power and the words behind it to get it to the top.

I am creating a following, a direct relationship with my online presence to who I am as an individual. And it is spotless (I think) and something I pride myself on. I know another good friend of mine spent his spring break creating a new branding for himself. It is good. His logo is simple, but good. His direction is simple, but good. His entire process is just that; good. He will succeed with it and I hope that he is one of those that understands the importance of social media.

I heard a quote once that kind of relates to this. (If you can tell me who said this you win a prize.) This has a little bit more to do with being a designer, but the overall message behind social media and networking just the same. The quote goes, “I am a designer. I work countless hours for sometimes nothing more than a thank you, and for what? For communication. I am a designer. I communicate. I tell stories with pictures, fonts, colors, kerning, leading. I communicate. And at the end of those sleepless nights, if my message is clear to at least one person, then I have succeeded. I communicate. I am a designer.”

I love to play golf. Some of you might not know this but I have been playing competitive golf for quite some time. To save the boring three hour story, we will leave it (for those of you that know anything about golf) that I carry a 1 handicap and that I play any chance that I get. I actually practice more than I play, but you get the idea. I have not shot a score over 79 in the last two seasons and I am going to try to make it a turkey this season. But that is all besides the point.

The reason you are starring at the leading role in the 1980 (yeah, I couldn’t believe that it was that old either) hit movie Caddyshack. This was a film about a kid that wanted to go to college and was working as a caddy at a local course. He gets into the usual antics, causing stir and congestion all around him, and meets some interesting characters along the way. It was one of the first golf movies ever released and still to this day is one of the best. (Sorry Tin Cup, but they have you beat. Even though Kevin Costner did hit every single shot that the movie shows in real life. And before the movie began filming he had never swung a club. I must say that deserves the title for the most improved swing.)

But I was reading a list (yeah, I know, me and my lists) about the top ten golf hazards that you do not think about. Gophers, this being one of the most famous ones I know, was on that list. And I can see this being an actual threat but some of the others not so much. Like TV towers. How many times have you been playing golf and seen a TV tower? Are you on the PGA? Then maybe. Are you starring with Adam Sandler in another great golf movie, Happy Gilmore? Probably not. So no, a TV tower would not stand in your way.

Alligators was another one on the list that might be ab actual threat. If you are playing golf in the desert so are snakes, scorpions, and a cactus. But those were not on the list. But there are a lot of golf courses in the south where gators strive.

The only other item on the list that scares me is lightning. When you are on the course and there is a storm coming, you are basically a walking lighting rod with a metal stick that you keep waving around. Lee Trevino, a former PGA Tour star, has been struck by lighting numerous times. (If anyone can tell me the number of times, without using Google, I will give you a present.)

The tenth item on the list was just stupid. But apparently Hungry Hungry Hippos are a threat to golfers everywhere. I mean, sure, the list had some decent threats, but come on. That was an addictive board game (can you call it a board game) that I was addicted to years ago. And I would like to play it again. I have some fast moving wrists (and not in the way that you are thinking you perverts) and I can rock me some HHH. (Do I need to go into another marketing ploy here? Because I will.)

Just be forewarned everyone that is out there on the golf course. Not only do you have to keep your knees bent, your head straight, your torso down, your left arm straight, your grip relaxed, and your body to move with both momentum and grace, you need to worry about getting his by lighting, a gopher stealing your ball, an alligator eating your hand, and a hippo eating everything it can get is mouth around. Fore!