Two big issues we must discuss....

Wow folks! It's a scary time in the US of A and the biggest thing is Hurricane Katrina. Man what a horrible disaster. Not only are these people without homes or power or food, but they have to put up with riots, looters, people gone gun crazy and marshal law to boot. They keep telling us on the news that the death count will probably reach through the roof, not to mention what this devestation to oil production will do to the economy. It isn't bad enough that so many are homeless and hopeless, that those of us who are "okay" in the west and north are going to be paying through the nose now thanks to the unknown condition of the oil wells in the Gulf. That brings me to my next thought, which is the rising cost of gas.

Based on the average here in arizona, on http://www.phoenixgasprices.com we've gained a whole dollor more a gallan average since this time last year. As you can see, gas is still cheapest at Costco and Sam's Club, but with so few people with cards their compared to the population, it's not going to make much of a difference. For example, I dropped Tina (my girlfriend) off at the gas station she works at, QuikTrip, and gas was $2.63 a gallon for regular gas, and the next day at the same time, it was up to $2.79! 16 cents in less than 24 hours! And who stands to make all the profit on this cash cow? Check out these pictures of the gas barons of Saudi Arabia:

This isn't a palace or a city (through it really is both) but a private residence.

How about a fleet of luxury vehicles to top it off, and don't forget....

Here's the inside, you get the point. Here's your $3 a gallon, you f***ing bastards!

According to the news just now, gas has hit $5.57 a gallon for regular gas in Atlanta, GA. This sounds like the worst kind of price gouging, but then they show another station just up the street that's charging $3.87 or another at $2.89. They say that the price hike over $5 is to actually keep people from buying gas at stations to prevent running out, and that the price will come back down when they are stocked again. Of course, with the price of deisel so high, how many trucks are going to be running around delivering gas? Well, another day and another dollar or three. Get rid of your SUV's and big trucks, carpool and take the bus for crying out loud!!! Love and peace.

On the eve of recording

Just 20 more hours til we're in the studio and I am very excited. This preliminary meeting will in all likelihood include meeting the producer, the sound board guys and testing out the equipment. I'm sure we'll do some sample recordings and perhaps even play our first song, Second-hand Lover to a click track as our drummer is in Minnesota right now. Over the next six months we hope to make some serious progress towards completion with the agreed upon notion that nobody gets to attached to their "take" or track and will be willing to rerecord if everyone isn't copesetic. I know that this won't be easy as we are fairly used to playing live and all at once, but that's part of the fun. We don't have to commit to anything we don't like, and Jon of course will have the final word on everything as he's the song writer and ultimately has the say on what is good, though we all add in our own unique ways and our instrumentation beyond his singing and piano playing is totally unique and up to us (me and Kuba, and whoever else joins the fun) Well, got a long day of work ahead of me in the morning and a long night of fun and new discoveries. So be well, peace, and good night.

Another day, another song

Only five more days til my first session at the recording studio with the band. We still don't have a name, but we have lots of time to think up something incredible. And a mere ten days til I' m basking in the sun in beautiful Hawaii. Yeah, you hear me right, I'll be flying away to eight days of blissful sunsets and a well deserved rest. Thank you Tom for being the best friend I could have in the world. Peace and good night.

Fwd: A new Day Cometh

Ah, a long day finally over and new one just beginning. This is my beta test of blog by email. This will be crucial if I'm to stay up to date on my trip, so I'll be writing remote from the hotels. Look forward to many picture posts and up to the minute comentary on all the great sites. Until...well...later today for sure. Peace.

The Amazing Joran Show Welcomes You

It never ceases to amaze that we have so much technology at our disposal, yet many people are so computer illiterate that they can't even turn the thing on, much less worry about if it's plugged into the outlet controlled by the light switch. So let's turn on the light and get this bloggin' started!

Welcome! It's early morning here in Peoria and I have a million things I'd rather be doing right now that would conceivably give me no pleasure what so ever, but all of which include going back to sleep and dreaming about not working. Not that I mind driving 100 miles a day with gas up to $2.60 a gallon (I know California, quit whining right?) but that's kind of my job, you know, field technician. Mobile unit Joran Show...

Work aside, the talk of the town today is the upcoming recording contract me and my two buddies got to lay down a funky folkcore album. It's gonna be a jazz, folk, rock, goth fusion with some minor blues thrown in for good measure. Hope you like, you can check it out without my sultry sax on myspace.com, by way of the singer/song writer/piano play Jonathan Standifird, our mighty leader, wending his way through the desert coffee shops of the Phoenix valley. Me and Kuba (the darn tootin' drummer from Poland) are rockin' the air waves a few times a month, and studio time begins next Monday. I'll keep you posted cause hey! This is a blog! I'm outie,

The Amazing Joran Show ladies and gentlemen! Good Morning!