"Stopping to smell the Roses...a little"

It started out as a normal day..well, for me at least. At 5:15a.m I staggered up outta bed, let out the dog, got into my suit for work, and got a lunch together. My wife asleep, Lucky the Wonder Dog gave me just a shrug when I let him back in as if to say."Thanks Poppa...but I'm hitting the bed with Momma"...and so he did. It was now 5:25a.m. I left the house and went to a 24hr Walgreens for a paper, and stopped for gas on the way to work. It was now 6:15a.m. I got to my desk 15 minutes early like always, called the Officers at Station 5 that I was 'on duty', and began doing paperwork, and checking our pass-on book. Now 7am., I spent the next few minutes calling the alarm company and putting the building in bypass for fire-panel testing, and for a service company to check all the building systems. Fine. I did that, and went to check my emails. Since writing Johnny Paris's biography, I get emails from around the world at all hours of the day and night, depending on what time it is THERE. They keep coming. It's now 7:30a.m and I know Lucky's in bed with my wife, his crotch in the air, legs all spread out...in MY spot, of course. Thats ok. Im used to this kind of routine.

So I open my website, myspace page, blogger page, my-yahoo page, and of course Soulful Detroit Music Forum page. Now, at 8:05a.m., I put the fire panel into bypass and go back to what Im doing on-line, and the phone rings. It's my co-author and partner, Sonja Paris, John's wife. She usually calls early from out-of-state, so it's all good. We talk about the business, the Hurricanes and John's bio, and some legal issues and personal issues. We talk for over an hour, all business. It's now aprox 9:10a.m., and I get another phone call to expect MTV on the premises for a tour...and the phone rings a second time to let a film crew into the facility on the south end side. Fine, no problem. I run over to the opposite side, and get them in. I dealt with the engineer, the fire panel folks, the Service folks, and another one of my officers, some phone calls, a one hour business call from Sonja, got the film crew in, and went off looking for MTV to get here. It's now 9:45 a.m. Once I found MTV, and the film crew got what they needed elsewhere, I reset the Fire panel, called the authorities, and completed my reports. The time was now 10:00a.m Saturday morning. Great...piece of cake. The only glitch is I have 13 more hours of my double shift to go.....13 hours today, and 16 more of a double tomorrow back to back...again. Long day...or two...or three...what a day in Public Safety!

So it goes for me, but I think it's beginning to catch up with me and my energy level. This week everyday I took my brother to radiation therapy, went to Ohio, and they came back to Michigan, I went to work Wednesday, and voted for Union affairs Friday, and helped my brother with some issues he has on Friday...at which point I went home to cut my grass. Stopping at the store, I also got gas and went by another friends house. Getting home around 3pm Friday, I took out the mower expecting to cut the grass. It didnt really need it, so I went inside, played with Lucky a little, and went to straighten my office out. Having all my materials spread out on the floor, I began to sort things out. So far, so good. But, things were about to change. All of a sudden, I passed out on the floor catching myself at the last second. The room was spinning and I had to crawl to the couch and lie down. I've had one stroke, and I dont need another one thats for sure. I thought, "Oh oh!" and I slid onto the couch with the fan aimed at me. Just too much STUFF on my hands these days I figured...better heed the warning and slow down. Easy for someone else to say. They dont have the kind of days and night I have.

Between my wife, Lucky and my Mother in law, theres my brother and his doctors and some social agencies, my book partner Sonja in Ohio, the websites, my blog, my job, my house and yard, my bro's house and yard, and my mother in laws house, yard and car. Plus theres always dinner, and dishes, and dog walking, yard work, computer work, musical rehearsals, and video productions I try and help the wife with. MULTI-TASKING you say? Ha! MULTIPLE-MULTI-TASKING is the cornerstone of my daily life. But, it's become apparent (especially passing out with my face down into the carpet) that something has to give. The book? No, never. It's gonna be a block-buster. The dog Lucky? Over course not! He's our 'son'! Cut back on-line? Nope...got a busines to handle, and interviews to do yet. Caring for my brother? My Mother-in-law? Naw...forget that...they really need me. But someplace all the way, I gotta slow down. Or else.

An associate asked me once about my weekly schedule, and how I keep it up. "So what your'e saying" he said...is that you work 7 days and nights a week, right?" Thinking about it, I realized he was right. "You make it sound like a bad thing! I just keep one foot in front of the other every day. And I try and help at least one person each day. We never really know how much time we have here on Earth anyhow, so I try to make the best of it. Well, with me passing out that day, I realize that no matter how much we have to do...there's always another day. Guess my body's catchin' up finally to all this stuff that never ends.

Reminds me of an old Native American saying.Indian saying: "There are two things in life to remember. One is "not to sweat the small stuff. Second is that...it's ALL small stuff!"So..for the next few weeks Ill be running some of my favorite "Drivin' Sideways in Detroit!".

Please check me out at GOOGLE BLOGGER: http://www.drivinsidewaysindetroit.blogspot.com for over 25 topics. Thanks for your support...and God Bless my friends. Drop me a line...
"Hurricane" Duane c/o
http://www.myspace.com/duanethomas1
duanethomas@johnnyandthehurricanes.com
hurricane.duane@atilarecords.com

"Fall, a change in the air"

I had just let Lucky the Wonder Dog out the back door. As I reached the kitchen, he crashed around into the side door as if to say "BOOM! Let me in! Now!". Opening the door, he came flying in, his paws all wet with the morning dew. At Least, I thought is was morning-dew. But, at 44 degrees at 5:40 a.m on a Michigan morning in September, it was more like frost. And Lucky looked all confused shaking all over with chills, his paws soaked from the wet grass. He looked like it was a shock to him. As if he was thinking "Hey! Where did Summer go?!"

All I know is it seemed like overnight and it was now darker for longer in the mornings, and at least 20-25 degrees cooler in the crisp Southestern Michigan air we wake to. I've always loved this time of year, at the start of Fall. Defroster on the car windows before pulling out in the morning. Grab a sweater or a jacket. Time for the leaves to change and the last of Summer's garden and farm produce to start trickling in to the markets. Its time to pull out the electric blanket so we can still sleep with the window open, and start pulling out the flannels, hoodies and light gloves and caps. And, the phrase "Honey? We need some lawn bags and a new rake from the hardware!" Oh oh! That can only mean one thing...leaves!

Here in Michigan, leaves come with the deal when living here. About the time your'e done cussing and mowing grass for the year, its' time to tackle those son-of-a guns that fall from the sky. Some neighborhoods are lucky. They get to burn them or rake them all into the street, whereas other communities require paper lawn bags for waste only. Never the less, they are a weekly hassle. I think the only ones who enjoy the piles we make with them are kids and dogs. I've never understood why we HAVE to rake leaves when in the forests, they don't rake leaves! In the huge wooded areas of the Great Northwest they dont rake either! So, how come we insist on compiling piles of these perpetually pervassively falling nuisances? Ya got me!

Cut the grass! Rake the leaves! Edge by the sidewalk! At least Fall signals a brief end to the grass cutting. But, the cutting gets replaced by raking. I think its' God's ways of messing with us. And we can't forget cleaning the windows and screens have to be removed for Winter. Winter! There's a scarier thought! Well, at least with the end of Summertime, we have a few things here we look forward to every year at this time in MIchigan. University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University football and Homecoming games, floats and parades, fall festivals, fairs, flea markets, Haunted Houses and Barns, and Cider Mills, cider, pumpkins and donuts. All good things we wait all year for here.

Cider mills abound here in Southeast Michigan, and the types, kinds and varieties of cider and apple based products one can buy, are beyond compare. We got trees 'n orchards, parks and woods here Michigan! LOTS of trees! And, the Cider Mills all have homemade donuts, candles, cheeses and breads to choose from. It's right-of-passge every year here. The 1st trip to the Cider Mill, along with that 'ride to see the leaves changing color', both signal the beginning of the end of the year. Time to take out those screens, wash the windows, turn up the thermostat a couple notches, and get wood for the fireplace. Now, thats something me and the Wonder Dog do religiously on our almost nightly fall walks, is pick up kindling we pass as we walk. I feel guilty if I see a perfectly good-sized piece of wood or pieces of wood, and don't stop to pick it up. Hey! It's there, it's in abundance, and it's free!

I love getting the fireplace rolling with a big fire, and Lucky does too. I get out the matches, and he runs up to the fireplace and plops down in front waiting for it to get roaring. And, just about the time we get used to the fireplace, and the raking and baggings of leaves galore, they are gone. The nights and mornings grow even chillier and colder with the cold air rushing through the now empty branches. Soon, those mornings are accompanied by hot chocolate, the night time with flavored hot teas, and afagan blankets to ward off the chill. Overall, and all things considered...its one of the best times of year to be around Detroit-City and S.E. Michigan.

So, I dug out my flannels and hunting vests this past weekend while straightening up the garage. Got the leave bags out and rake to inspect it for any damage. Damn! Got lots of bags, and the rake's in fine shape. Just my luck! I'm all prepared for the 1st batch of 'em. Oh well, I suppose it could be worse. I could live where there are no seasons like Cancun or Fiji or someplace warm always. But, still. I DO love Michigan and all it stands for. Looking around the garage, I find my prunning shears and garden gloves for raking. Suddenly, while glancing into the corner, I realize that no matter how much of a hassle it is to cut grass and pick up leaves, it always could be worse. Looking at the long-handled wide shovel hanging on the last hook, I realize just HOW MUCH worse it could be....It could be snowing!

Happy Autumn everyone......

"Copyrights & Trademarks. Thieves!"

Friends: Copyrighted and trademarked material is flying unchecked by all of us in cyber-world. Youtube, Flikr and a zillion other sites are sharing stuff like crazy. But, is it right? Be informed.
Peace all.....

FAIR USE LETS ME DO ANYTHING I WANT WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION, RIGHT? Wrong. Fair use is one of the most abused concepts of copyrights. Fair use allows you to use excerpts for journalistic review or educational inclusion. It is generally considered valid in educational or journalistic settings, generally not so in a "for profit" setting. Fair use does not allow you to take a drawn image and scan it, then post it on a web site. That is a violation of the creator's right to reproduce. Nor does it allow you to create an image of another's copyrighted character for "public use." That is a violation of their right of derivative work. Neither can you make a scan of an image (or large excerpt from a literary work) for use as advertising - this violates at least 3 of the creator's rights. Unless you are using it in an educational or journalistic manner, be very careful about using "Fair Use" as an excuse to violate someone's copyright. There are very limited uses outside of educational or journalistic endeavors. A major copy company recently was severely fined for attempting to classify the wholesale lifting of material for publication for ultimate use on college campuses as "Fair Use." While the initial violations were by the many teachers & professors that used the copy company to make their class readers (without getting permission from the copyright holders initially), it was ruled that since the copy company knew the rules and did it anyway, they were held responsible. It could be argued that it was for educational use, but it was not excerpts, it was whole articles, and it was in a "for profit" manner.
AS LONG AS I DON'T CHARGE ANYTHING FOR IT, IT'S NOT A VIOLATION, RIGHT? Wrong. The fact that money does or does not pass between doesn't alter anything. If you violate any one of the rights a copyright holder has, it's still a copyright violation. For many creators, it's not about money, it's about what happens to their creations. They want to have a say in what happens to their work, so that it doesn't turn into something that offends them.
ANYTHING ON THE NET IS PUBLIC DOMAIN, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S IN A PUBLIC AREA, RIGHT? Very much wrong. If someone posts his own stuff to the net, unless it's stated as "public domain," he still retains all rights to it. If someone else posts something of that person's without their permission, it's still a violation. Much of what is on the Internet is potentially in violation, so never assume that just because you found it on the net is it in public domain.
WELL, I'M HELPING THE ARTIST (WRITER) BY PUTTING HIS STUFF ON THE NET FOR HIM. I JUST WANT TO HELP - I LIKE HIS WORK. I'M GIVING HIM EXPOSURE. You're not helping him, you're violating his copyright. If you want to help him, ask him first. If you can't contact him, don't violate his copyrights. If he says no, that means no. Not much simpler than that...
I WANT TO SET UP A WEB PAGE TO HIGHLIGHT MY FAVOURITE ARTIST (WRITER, MUSICIAN, MOVIE, BOOK, ETC...) ALL I WANT TO DO IS SHOW EVERYONE HOW MUCH I LIKE MY FAVOURITE . THERE'S NO PROBLEM - IT FALLS UNDER FAIR USE, SO I DON'T NEED TO GET PERMISSION, RIGHT? No, you still need to ask permission. Even if they lose no money, you are dealing with their copyrighted material, and they may have strict ideas on what they want to do with their copyright. Many web sites have been shut down for not getting permission first. Fair use has (as yet) never been found to be a valid excuse, as the "journalistic review" part is generally limited to regularly published papers & magazines. No web site (that we are aware of) has been able to defend their use of copyrighted material with fair use. Never assume that the images, words, or music pieces you desire to use are in the public domain, and can be used without permission. Unless you know for certain it's public domain, always ask first.
I WANT TO MAKE A CD-ROM (BOOK, COLLECTION) OF MANY PEOPLE'S ART & STORIES - I DON'T NEED TO GET PERMISSION, JUST MAKE A STATEMENT TO THE EFFECT OF "ALL COPYRIGHTS BY THEIR CREATORS," RIGHT? Wrong. If you can't (or don't) get permission, you can't use the work. As a publisher, it would be your responsibility to verify that all work included in your collection was legal. If others submit work that may use a third party's copyrights, it is still your responsibility to verify the copyrights. The courts have ruled against publishers in these sorts of cases. If you want to publish ANYTHING, you must be certain of ALL copyrights contained in any collection you might produce. You can be fined, your production run confiscated & destroyed, all sorts of unpleasant things...
I DON'T AGREE WITH THE WHOLE COPYRIGHT CONCEPT - IT'S HORRIBLY RESTRICTIVE. I WANT TO MAKE EVERYTHING I DO PUBLIC DOMAIN - EVERYONE SHOULD. That's nice. This is a choice the creator has. You have the right to place anything you create in public domain - you created it, you can do what you want with it. But simply because you disagree with the concept, you cannot apply your beliefs on others who are using copyrights. By default, the second you create your work, you have a copyright. You can choose to waive the copyright - but unless the creator does so, that copyright is still in effect. You can not upload copyrighted music, photos, images etc. without the copyright owner's written permission, even if he doesn't lose any money. Web sites have been shut down for not getting permission and law suits being filed. Fair use is generally limited to regularly published papers & magazines, not for websites. Do not assume that a music piece, photo or image you desire can be used, ALWAYS ask for a written permission by the copyright owner.

For further information go to:

http://www.rexx.com/~jaguar/copyright.html

Special Thanks: La Grizzy, Team Detroit, the Hurricane Shelter, Sonja Paris, Marcus Da Vinci, Larry Patterson & Treasure Island Gold, Ralph Terrana & Soulful Detroit Music Forum, and "Lucky" the Wonder Dog!

"Yeah Detroit! Labor Day Weekend!"

Seems it was just a couple weeks back that I wrote about all the things to do here in and around Motown this summer, and now the end is already upon us. But, there sure isn't a lack of anything to do. For sure Detroit is one to throw a party, and any reason will do, especially the Labor Day weekend. Decisions, decisions. And we sure have them here this weekend. Events abound all within 10-12 miles of the center of downtown.(except one). All are outside (except one).

*Downtown: The Detroit International Jazz FestivalSome acts appearing: Stanley Jordan, The Miracles, Herbie Hancock, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Regina Carter, Maria Muldaur and James Dapogny, Marcus Belgrave, Poncho sanchez, Kenny Garrett. Otis Caly, Patti austin, Mavis Staples, Wendell Harrison, Johnny O'Neal, Alexander Zonjic, Betty Levette and Yusef Lateef....just to name a few.

*Pontiac Arts, Beats and EatsSome acts appearing: Starship/w Mickey Thomas, TheGin Blossoms, Mark Farner/Grand Funk Railroad

*Downtown Hamtramck FestivalSome acts appearing: Rare Earth, Question Mark and the Mysterians

*Downtown Wayne State Cultural Center's Dally in the AlleyClose to 50 local bands and artists

*Detroit Grand Prix on Belle Isle
*Renaissance Festival in Holly

*The Henry Ford Museum Stars Cars and Guitars20 custom guitars and Rock Star's guitars, Johnn Lennon's Paisly Roll Royce and Rickenbacher Electric guitar, ZZ Top's Roadster and Billy Gibbons Les Paul etc...

And all of the above is just for starters. There still is DTE Concert Theatre, Freedom Hill Ampitheatre, Comerica Park, Meadow Brook Ampitheatre, Chene Park, Hart Plaza, Ceder Point, the Beaches, Mackinaw Island, Put-in-Bay and Kellys Island, Irish Hills etc, etc, etc. For some reason, Detroit likes to wind down big with almost all of these happening at the same time very close to each other, on the same holiday weekend. I think Im going with Alice Cooper at the State Fair, the Renaissance Festival with all the 'wenches', a day trip to Put-in-Bay on the Island, and Cars & Guitars of Stars.

Yep, all this is sure exciting. So many choices and so little time. I suppose it would be better to spread all these things to do over a period of time, but you know? The Assembly Line was started by 'ole Henry Ford right here to move things along in a timely manner. But, with all these great musicians, cars, exhibits, festivals and fairs, who wants to hurry? It's like that in Detroit here. Cram as much as you can into one weekend...like the assembly-line.

I guess its good thing to have some options though. I just wish they werent all at once, and at the same time, at the end of our summer here. All that great music, food and things to do and people to see? It all boils down to one thing.....Get out the rakes and sharpen the shovels...'cause the LEAVES and the SNOW'S-a-comin'! ('n Where the devil are my tire-chains?!)

Peace, Love 'n Light all......

Special Thanks: La Grizzy, Team Detroit, the Hurricane Shelter, Sonja Paris, Larry Patterson & Treasure Island Gold, Ralph Terrana & Soulful Detroit, Marcus, Jake and "Lucky" the Wonder Dog
http://www.drivinsidewaysindetroit.blogspot.com
duanethomas@johnnyandthehurricanes.com
hurricane.duane@atilarecords.com