Some blatant, shameless. . .

. . . promotion - STRICTLY COMMERCIAL

My friend Doug Alan Wilcox will be performing songs from his new CD WHAT I MEANT TO SAY at the CD Release Party, Saturday June 11 at the Frederick Coffee Company. I am particularly looking forward to it because I will be accompanying Doug on keyboard. Hope you can join us if you're in the area. If you're NOT, hyperlinks to Doug's and my websites are further down on this page. Hope you'll visit our sites and maybe even purchase some music. Thanks.

Visit Doug Alan Wilcox's Website
Doug Alan Wilcox with Ray Jozwiak, Frederick Coffee Company, June 11 @ 8PM

Download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

Please Visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com



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Sipping my espresso. . .

. . . in the darkest little corner up at Tio's. A Don Tomas perfecto and Courvousier can make me feel just fine. If you don't see me there I might be on a plane and bound for Rio. I live the life you'd like to lead and look so happy all the time. Must be cool must be collected; best that I am able, as the hostess sits you down at the nearest table. I'm only pretending; only pretending; pretending I'm doing alright. There just was no bending; we saw it ending - no mending could help all the damage we'd done. I'm only pretending; only pretending; only pretending.

She said that I should be mature about this situation. Maybe. I didn't think I had a problem. I was dealing with it fine. I told her I was gonna go and find myself another baby. She didn't think that I was serious but still she didn't mind. Now I've got my chance; my freedom. I'm an Indy agent. This will roll right off my back. Look what I've been staging. I'm only pretending; only pretending; pretending I'm doing alright. There just was no bending; we saw it ending - no mending could help all the damage we'd done. I'm only pretending; only pretending; only pretending.

I can pretend that I'm Napoleon. I'm just a man on a limb. Trying to get my two feet on the ground. I can pretend that I'll win.

I automatically launch into my routine each time I see you. It's just this thing I have to do to keep my sanity alive. A little defense mechanism that I use when I feel blue. A desperate man will use some desperate measures only to survive. People say don't take it too hard. There are other fishes swimming in the deep blue sea. I'm all through with wishes. I'm only pretending; only pretending; pretending I'm doing alright. There just was no bending; we saw it ending - no mending could help all the damage we'd done. I'm only pretending; only pretending; only pretending.

ONLY PRETENDING
©1997 Raymond M. Jozwiak



Visit Doug Alan Wilcox's Website
Doug Alan Wilcox with Ray Jozwiak, Frederick Coffee Company, June 11 @ 8PM

Download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

Please Visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com



Tweet

My friend David. . .

. . . introduced me to what later became one of my major musical influences way back in the seventh grade. Our little, urban Catholic elementary school was, I'm sure, like most others. When we were young, many of our parents' generation (of the Catholic persuasion) had horror stories about 'discipline' in Catholic schools involving everything but water-boarding. To this day I'm not sure if these graphic stories were concocted merely to frighten us or if they actually were, in fact, true. Irrespective of the veracity of those tales, we (happily) never experienced the 'extreme' version of discipline on our school. I don't even remember a teacher (nun, priest or 'civilian') laying a hand on a student in my eight year Catholic education.

But back to David. Sister Mary Agnes just happened to have a Magnus organ in her classroom. (You can read about this magnificent instrument HERE) David had been playing this arpeggiated pattern on the Magnus during lunch period on a rainy day when we could not indulge in the usual dodge-ball game outside, which sounded like Bach (or Beethoven- not that I would have known the difference way back then); a sophisticated yet complex and compelling combination of broken chords. I insisted that David teach the pattern to me, which he did. I'd like to say that I clearly remember mastering the entire little song on the spot, but that would be a LIE. But I do know that I did learn it. David told me that it was called "Colour My World" by Chicago (now shortened from Chicago Transit Authority). I investigated the music of this wonderful, new (it was about 1971-2, so they may have been around for about 5 years by that time) rock band. And I can still say that Chicago (1968 - 1974) is most certainly one of my favorite rock (now 'historical' rock, I guess) bands and without a doubt, one whose music had a profound influence on my musical development.



Visit Doug Alan Wilcox's Website
Doug Alan Wilcox with Ray Jozwiak, Frederick Coffee Company, June 11 @ 8PM

Download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

Please Visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com



Tweet

I Am I Firm Believer. . .

. . in forgiving. . . holding no grudge. . . showing mercy, tolerance, empathy etc. . .

But is it my imagination or does it seem that our public servants are becoming more and more depraved? Take the case of the recently discovered (and more recently admitted) and aptly named Anthony WEINER, for example.

Of course our professional legislators and executives are only human beings, and most folks know that FDR had extramarital relations. And don't forget John Kennedy, who may be the Julio Iglesias of politicians - but that is unverifiable by this writer and neither here nor there all the same. But ever since Bill (S.E.G.) Clinton faced a grand jury and said, ""It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is. If the--if he--if 'is' means is and never has been, that is not--that is one thing. If it means there is none, that was a completely true statement....Now, if someone had asked me on that day, are you having any kind of sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky, that is, asked me a question in the present tense, I would have said no. And it would have been completely true." Granted, the Republican accusers were merciless in their glee in catching old Bill in the act (so to speak). But nevertheless, would you really want to buy a used car from a guy like Clinton, let alone let him run your country?

Well, that's now ancient history. But you know, the above printed quote from the former president sounds uncannily and unsettlingly like a female candidate (non-candidate?) of the opposite party, for president currently in it's sentence structure, thoughtfulness, sincerity and articulation of clear,
concise
thought. . .




Visit Doug Alan Wilcox's Website
Doug Alan Wilcox with Ray Jozwiak, Frederick Coffee Company, June 11 @ 8PM

Download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

Please Visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com



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A Clown

From Andrew Sullivan, The Dish. . .

". . .Even Chris Wallace cannot help laughing at this preposterous grifter. But creepier still is the fact that her cult followers responded to this perfectly predictable gaffe by trying to edit the Wikipedia entry on Revere to align it with Palin's ramblings about his "warning the British" that ... oh, let's not even bother.

Check out this surreal Wiki page in which the cultists are trying to insist that Revere did indeed warn the British, and use Palin's own quote as a source! I love this succinct response from a Wiki editor:

In the article on Paul Revere, someone has added false information in an effort to support Sarah Palin's FALSE claims about Paul Revere. "Accounts differ regarding the method of alerting the colonists; the generally accepted position is that the warnings were verbal in nature, although one disputed account suggested that Revere rang bells during his ride.[8][9]" This must be removed as it is a LIE designed to mislead. dj

One of the most pernicious and dangerous features of Palin is her clinical refusal to understand reality, to accept error, to acknowledge when the facts she has cited are not actually facts, but delusions. And her vanity and pathologies are so deep she will insist that black is white until her minions actually find a source to prove it. . . "

I hope her infatuated fans can eventually identify the lack of gravity possessed by this clown and rightly conclude that her talents lie more is self-promotion and entertainment than in government.







Visit Doug Alan Wilcox's Website
Doug Alan Wilcox with Ray Jozwiak, Frederick Coffee Company, June 11 @ 8PM

Download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

Please Visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com



Tweet

The soundtrack. . .

With the discomfort of adolescence came confusion not only about my development as a person but about music. But with my musical confusion also came a wonderful period of listening, learning and enjoyment. Seems that for some, music is merely background; incidental, if you will. For others, such as myself, music is the soundtrack to life. An old friend of mine once said that Jethro Tull's TO CRY YOU A SONG 'got him through' high school. I knew exactly what he meant. A plethora of music got me through grade, middle, high school, college, marriage, children and the deaths of various friends and family members. Music is so much more to me than mere background. And music still 'gets me through' everything I do. I wouldn't have it any other way.





Download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

Please Visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com



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You don't know Jack. . .

. . . but you should know Doug.

Doug Alan Wilcox, the Hagerstown (formerly Frederick) singer/songwriter/bard/guitarist/entertainer/excellent human being who offers his melodic musical compositions to you via live performance and cds. . . his newest of which is called WHAT I MEANT TO SAY. And you can hear it on his website by clicking on the hyperlink below.

Not only is Doug the creative musician par excellence, he is a board member of the Frederick Acoustic Music Enterprise promoting local original music and musicians.



Visit Doug's Website

Doug Alan Wilcox with Ray Jozwiak, Frederick Coffee Company, June 11 @ 8PM


Download your
very own copy of
ANOTHER SHOT
by Ray Jozwiak

Please Visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com



Tweet