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About Me

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very own MySpace LayoutsI'm the quintessential Gemini: Eclectic. Creative. Passionate. Complex. Educated. Loyal. Compassionate. If I could only pick a handful of words to describe myself, those seven would be worthy choices.
I'm a former advertising/marketing/PR guru with nearly 20 years of experience who now spends his time writing screenplays and books, promoting rock bands, and building web sites. I'm a true Renaissance Man, with more interests and hobbies than I have time to pursue. My biggest passion is music. I'm a total music freak! (Doubt me? Check out the depth and breadth of styles on my Friends list.) But I'm also a writer. And a book lover. I read everything from Dickens to Tolkien, from Hemingway to Rowling, and from Advertising to Zen. Plus, I'm a photographer with a keen eye for capturing the magic inherent in the moment.
If you love prog/power metal music and would like to read exclusive interviews with some of the world's best bands, visit Notes From The Other Side . That site was built exclusively to present interviews with musicians who played at the world-famous ProgPower USA VII metal fest in Atlanta. This year, for ProgPower USA VIII, I created a new site called Dark Rhapsody . Half of each interview is posted there. The complete interview was printed in the official program given to attendees at the sold-out ProgPower USA VIII festival.
I just created a new web site for Folk-Metal, Pagan-Metal, Celtic-Metal, Viking-Metal, and Melodic Doom-Metal. If these genres get your blood pumping, visit Metal Wyrd . There's not much there yet. But watch for an exclusive interviews with legendary Irish Folk-Metal band Cruachan, Canadian Melodic Doom-Metal masters Woods of Ypres, and Swiss Folk-Metal octet Eluveitie coming soon!!
If you make your living (or would like to make your living) in the Arts, visit my professional web site: PurpleCrayon Direct . Maybe we can help.
The photo of the cat with no ears in my profile pictures is Bradbury. Brad is a Scottish Fold, a delightful (somewhat rare) breed that not only sits and looks funny, but can seem downright human at times. Oh, the stories I could tell about Brad! (He wouldn't like me to spill the beans, though. So mum's the word.)
If you want to know how to solve the illegal downloading problem that's decimating the music industry, read Ayn Rand. Atlas Shrugged. Or The Fountainhead. You'll gain a tremendous appreciation for your work (as well as the work of others) and the effort it took to create it. Intellectual and creative property is worth every penny charged. Probably more. Bands are sometimes tricked into thinking they'll solve the problem by initially offering their albums as free downloads. Or going to a pay-what-you-wish business model. Don't buy it. People today will rip you off seven ways from Sunday if you give them a chance. Illegal downloaders are freeloaders. They're highway robbers who demand that musicians become their slaves. They may not use a gun, but their actions are no less violent. Or no less final. The end result in both instances is the death of the person being robbed. Only, in the case of musicians, the death suffered is the loss of creative control and, ultimately, livelihood. I don't understand the mind of a thief. And I hope I never do.
Finally, I have a soft spot in my heart for the people and country of Tibet -- a peaceful nation that was crushed in 1959 and has been occupied (and destroyed) by the totalitarian Chinese government ever since. I still can't believe the 2008 Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing. China has one of the worst records of human rights violations in the world! (Not to mention exporting some of the world's most deadly products.) Frankly, I think American companies that do business with China are as guilty of violating human rights as is the Chinese government. Capitalism is a wonderful thing; but without compassion to temper it there's a risk it can render its practitioners cold-hearted and greedy. I say BOYCOTT THE OLYMPICS...and BUY PRODUCTS MADE AND SOLD LOCALLY!

Juno Movie Trailer
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Kamelot - Rule The World from Kamelot Official Vimeo on Vimeo .
Eluveitie - Inis Mona
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ENSIFERUM "Ahti" Videoclip
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irish folk metal band CRUACHAN
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Eva Cassidy - "Over the Rainbow"

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Nightwish - Amaranth

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Nightwish - Bye Bye Beautiful

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Steven Wright

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CCP - Mitch Hedberg

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Here's Looking At You Kid - Casablanca

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The greatest sword fight in movie hisory

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My Interests

Pick a subject. If I'm not already interested in it, I will be before you blink an eye.

But you'll get my attention real quick if you mention Tibet, movies, screenwriting, martinis (shaken not stirred, Plymouth Gin, two olives), iPods, literature, cooking (De Cecco pasta rocks!), live theatre, surrealism (especially Dali and Escher), guitars, biking, photography, Woody Allen, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Robert Plant, Far Side comics, sushi, the environment, Zen, and enjoying life to the fullest.

I'd like to meet:

People with talent, creativity and, above all, passion! Diablo Cody, for example. She ROCKS!

If I could go back in time, I'd love to meet Cary Grant, Bela Lugosi, or Errol Flynn. If I could meet anyone on earth today, I'd pick the Dalai Lama, Woody Allen, or Paul McCartney. (Mysticism, movies, and music. My life in a nutshell.)

Music:

You're kidding, right?

Here's merely a partial list...
Juno Soundtrack, Amorphis, Rob Rock, Dionysus, Highland Glory, Symphony X, After Forever, Saint Deamon, Fairport Convention, Trees, Sandy Denny, Ensiferum, Turisas, Tyr, Eva Cassidy, Within Temptation, Nightwish, Grateful Dead, Eluveitie, Evil Masquerade, Marillion, Pink Floyd, Heart of Sun, brillig, Korpiklaani, Elvenking, Astral Doors, Andromeda, Pathosray, MASS, Dark Tranquility, Everwood, Firehouse, Delain, Into Eternity, Tarot, Robert Plant, Primal Fear, Dokken, Loreena McKennitt, Tristania, Manticora, Evergrey, Darrell Mansfield, Allies, Iron Maiden, Mostly Autumn, Shaman, In This Moment, Threshold, Bryan Duncan, Rez Band, Bloodgood, Communic, Suspyre, Vanden Plas, Robert Fripp, Alice Cooper, Pyramaze, Benedictum, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Kate Bush, Rush, Pagan's Mind, Riverside, Midnight Oil, Deep Purple, Spock's Beard, Epica, Wastefall, Iced Earth, Jethro Tull, Blind Guardian, Bach, Vivaldi, Circle II Circle, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Magenta, Fates Warning, Vision Divine, Savatage, King Crimson, Edguy, Dream Theater, Kamelot, Queensryche, Johnny Cash, Peter Gabriel, Umphreys McGee, Phish, Robin Trower, Particle, Secret Sphere, Fish, Aimee Mann, Porcupine Tree, Beatles, Eloy, The Runaways, King's X, Emerson Lake & Palmer, U2, R.E.M. -- virtually anything made with creativity and passion. (A killer guitar riff or a tricky time change never hurts, either.)

Movies:

Juno (easily one of my Top-Five faves!), Serenity, Bridge to Terabithia, Pan's Labyrinth, The Illusionist, Stranger Than Fiction, Casablanca, Princess Bride, Army of Darkness, Galaxy Quest, Office Space, Napoleon Dynamite, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, City Slickers, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, Half Light, The Godfather series, The Maltese Falcon, Somewhere in Time, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Harry Potter series, The Spanish Prisoner, The Usual Suspects, An Affair to Remember, The Matrix, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Titanic, Match Point, Lost in Translation, A Love Song for Bobby Long, Girl With a Pearl Earring (Scarlett Johansson rocks!).

Television:

These days, 98% of TV is 100% a waste of brain power.
There are very few contemporary shows I enjoy. All others, I watch on DVD. Examples from both categories: LOST, 24, Hawaii 5-O, Bones, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Twilight Zone, Carnivale, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Kung Fu, The Simpsons, Wild Wild West, M*A*S*H, Lost in Space, Star Trek, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The X-Files, Seinfeld, The Andy Griffith Show, American Gothic, Nowhere Man, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.

Books:

Favorite authors include J.K. Rowling, Fritz Leiber, Ray Bradbury, Charles de Lint, J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. MacDonald (Travis McGee ROCKS!), Hemingway, Dickens, and Lawrence Block. I'm currently rereading a delightful book called The Burglar On the Prowl by mystery author Lawrence Block. He's the master of witty dialogue. I'm also reading Bambi vs. Godzilla: On the Nature, Purpose, and Practice of the Movie Business! by the brilliant writer David Mamet. I alternate between those books and the latest one by the very wise marketing guru Seth Godin called Meatball Sundae. And the classic A Fine and Private Place by the incomparable Peter Beagle. When they're finished, I'll probably re-read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, a masterful novel with such vivid language that I felt I was right there with the characters.

Heroes:

The Dalai Lama, Errol Flynn, screenwriter/authors Diablo Cody, William Goldman and David Mamet, Woody Allen, Aimee Mann, Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Jerry Garcia, Cary Grant, Eva Cassidy, Peter Gabriel, Ray Bradbury, J.K. Rowling, and whomever invented Ramen noodles...Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream...and Scottish Fold cats.

My Blog

SWISS FOLK-METAL BAND ELUVEITIE KICKS MAJOR BUTT ON PAGAN FEST USA TOUR

When Swiss Folk-Metal band Eluveitie (pronounced "el-way-tea") takes the stage, they generate enough energy to power a small city. They're a non-stop blur of movement, grins, laughter (not to mention...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Sun, 11 May 2008 07:27:00 PST

GAS SKYROCKETS TO $3.75 PER GALLON IN GRAND RAPIDS

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Gas prices just hit a record $3.75 per gallon here in Grand Rapids.The price was just $3.58 per gallon an hour ago.What causes prices...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:49:00 PST

THE REVOLUTION: A MANIFESTO

Congressman Ron Paul is still in the race to be President of the United States. He hasn't gone anywhere. The media just ignores him more than usual. You might be surprised to learn he has received ne...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:17:00 PST

THE RETURN OF R.E.M. AND OTHER ODDITIES

I had written off R.E.M., the once-classic band from Georgia with the singer who always sounds like his dog died minutes before laying down a vocal track.But R.E.M.’s new album, Accelerate, is ...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:39:00 PST

ONLY 32 TICKETS LEFT TO PROGPOWER USA IX!

ProgPower USA IX tickets are selling fast! At last count, they were down to just 32 tickets remaining. This year’s line-up is, arguably, the most diverse, fascinating, exciting, and must-see of...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:03:00 PST

YA GOTTA LOVE THOSE CHINESE: "THE DALAI CLIQUE"

The following excerpt is taken from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States web site.Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Qin Gang’s Regular Press Conference on March ...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:05:00 PST

TIBET NEEDS OUR HELP

Tibetans continue to fight for their freedom. The Communist Chinese government -- as corrupt and evil as any ever was -- threatens further crackdowns. Reports say nearly 100 Tibetans have been killed...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Sun, 16 Mar 2008 05:42:00 PST

THEN SINGS MY SOUL...

It's said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.Never is that bromide more true than when it's applied to music.I never know when a band, or a genre of music, will kick my ass. All I know is that...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:55:00 PST

LOST IS LOSING ME

Even though I don't like watching network TV, Elisabeth and I succumbed to the siren song of LOST Thursday night. We love that show and have eagerly awaited the debut of Season Four.Unfortunately, th...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Sat, 02 Feb 2008 06:13:00 PST

SLEEPLESS IN GRAND RAPIDS

So...Here it is 3:45 a.m. and I'm awake. Can't sleep. After responding to an email from my good friend Bill Hudson, the killer guitarist formerly with Cellador, I find myself surfing the 'Net, starin...
Posted by The REAL Bill on Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:17:00 PST