Tom Ray

Truth be told I’ve actually thought about this situation before. I’ve asked friends about it. What would it be like to know a magician?

Today I got a glimpse of that answer.

It wasn’t the magician I was expecting though. I expected a David Copperfield or a David Blaine type. One that takes it maybe too seriously.

I pictured it more this way. Even when doing something simple like– passing the salt, their hands get all swoopy and dramatic as they hand it over.

What I got today was more of a Doug Henning. He was more the hippy magician. Or as he would say illusionist.

It was still quite the experience.

I was at a store returning something and greeted by a man with his hair in a ponytail on top of his head and a braided beard. He was very nice and helpful. The term “no worries, no worries” was used like the period at the end of each sentence.

As I walked with him to another area in the store I noticed a wooden stick in his back pocket. Thought it was a drumstick. He kept swinging it around during conversation.

That’s when he worked into the conversation, “Do you like magic?”

I of course had to ask him to repeat himself because who expects that to be asked? Needed to make sure I heard it right.

He of course responded with “no worries, no worries.”

Then started to pitch to me his magic act and told me when he performs most weeks. It started to dawn on me, the stick in his pocket was a wand!

But I have to say he did try make a connection with me while I was at the store. He helped me, we did what I needed to do. Then after getting to know me in those few minutes, told me what he does and asked me to check it out if I like.

While it was weird, I wasn’t annoyed that he did it. It was personable. And now I know where to see him.

I mean, I’m not gonna go. But I respect the way he tried.

How long should one wait on campaign performance?

Take Facebook ads for example. I’ve heard wait at least 24 hours before deciding if it’s optimized. I’ve also heard up to 48 hours.

If the ads are costing too much per click, when should you pull the plug or revamp?

With the ability to watch this happen in real time it’s very easy to decide to change it. Is that just watching a boiling pot?

At some point it’s like the new form of online gambling. You put your own products in the pool. But those you show your cards to only need to invest their time to play in the beginning. Unless they antes up because they like what you show them.

If you believe in what you’re sharing, it really makes it feel personal. But remember, those you asked to play weren’t asking.

Make sure what you have to offer is something that helps. I think it’s the only way.

That’s what I like to call it.

The past couple of weeks things have been different. My normal schedule has been off it’s course. It will only be that way for a few more days but I’m starting to feel it.

I only have a few things that I really like to accomplish in a day, and I am. I’ve just had to do it differently because of this.

Things like this happen from time to time in many ways and they can consume my head. It doesn’t feel right. Like something is stuck in there.

The same way it feels when you try to start a car when the battery is dead. You stop and think to yourself– it’s gonna work this time, and try it again.

That’s the thing I’ve dubbed disruption mind here.

It can bleed over into other things and just make you question it all.

Editing,I felt it while editing my podcast.

Musically, working on writing a new song last night. Nothing seemed right. Something was missing.

Client work, no longer seemed to be delivering right. Seemed fine then it wasn’t. Started second guessing what I had created and researched.

Usually I can see things pretty optimistically. Even try to take it as an oppertunity to learn something, most cases.

But when head gets stopped up like this with disruption. Like that car, seems stuck.

I know it won’t last long. Never does. Something changes it and ideas start flowing again.

Sense of relief, like when you finally get that car battery jumped and it starts? We all know what that’s like. Everything seems normal again.

-image via: sitcomsonline.com

In my 20’s I was really looking for something different.

Nirvana had just broken out to the mainstream world, which was a good thing.

The problem was, after that every existing band decided to make a grunge album. Labels would sign anyone from Seattle.

I was done with it. There were few acts during this period I would even listen to in my own time. I wasn’t feeling it anymore.

People I knew would play this stuff repeatedly. I still say to this day I don’t ever need to hear the album ‘Ten’ by Pearl Jam ever again in my lifetime, it was played so much.

I was looking for something different.

But I didn’t know where to look for it. There wasn’t a streaming service at the time to suggest something.

Then I found a suggestion in the most unlikely place. A Nick-at-nite TV program.

The show was called Fernwood 2 Night.

It was an obscure spinoff of another show from the 70’s “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”.

The concept was, a late night talk show hosted in a small town called Fernwood.

Like the show Between Two Ferns. Only it was just made decades earlier and hosted by Martin Mull & Fred Willard. (Ha! Fernwood… Ferns. Didn’t realize that before.)

So I’m watching this and finding it thoroughly entertaining.

Then they introduce the musical guest. He’s passing through town and his van broke down. So he came to do the show to pay for it.

His name was Tom Waits.

He’s at the piano playing like he knew the notes but his fingers kept slipping on the keys. Then with a growling swagger, he sang into the microphone.

“The piaaaano has been drinking…”

His different way of playing, his unique voice. The way that he seemed like a cool 60s jazz musician, without… all the jazz.

I know it was supposed to be funny but there was something about it. Something I needed to hear more of.

I remember clearly, turning to my wife when he was done and saying, “If this guy is actually a musician and not just an actor? I’m going out and buying this album tomorrow.”

I went to the record store the next day, that’s how we rolled at the time. Looked up his name and sure enough, not only was he there, but he had several albums. I looked for the song from last night and found it on one called Small Change.

I had no idea what to expect. And Jesus, did I not expect this! Thought maybe at its worst, it would be a comedy album.

But it opened with a serious heartbreak ballad. Then it jumped from cool upright bass & scatting vocals to beat poetry over a free style saxophone that sounded like a New York street corner soliloquy.

It was different from anything around at the time. I had discovered something.

But here’s the thing. This album was from the 70’s. And at this time, I was unaware that he was about release a new album.

Then, when I went back to get more by this guy, I saw it. Bone Machine.

I didn’t know it, but this album was going to change my musical direction forever.

This album was just nothing like I had ever heard! The sounds were out of nowhere. The lyrics and vocals just did things I didn’t know how to do. And from the man with that same voice. He had taken what he had and made something completely new out of it.

That’s when it went from just finding something different, to wanting to know how to make things that felt and sounded this way.

I needed to figure it out. I needed to know how it was done.

I studied every aspect of his albums after this.

I started experimenting with different instruments and recording techniques. Mixing media types, handheld recorders and reel to reel tapes. Layering studio takes on top of it to get more depth and sound.

And I haven’t stopped. I’m not sure where I would be musically if I hadn’t seen this silly little cult program one night.

Yesterday I wrote about the time a friend and I found the book Doctor Sax at a used bookstore.

Today I got a text from that friend asking to meet up at lunch. He had moved back here around 2005 from Portland.

When I met him he handed me something. Told me he saw this somewhere yesterday and knew that I’d like it.

It was an old hard cover book of collected Peter Arno cartoons.

How strange? The day I thought of that story.

This artists style is right in line with what I like. Much like Dean Haspiel who I’ve mentioned before. Also similar to Andi Watson, another great artist.

The simplistic yet styled cartoon people in them are what do it for me. They can be comfortable in a serious setting yet be completely at home in something that is just absurd.

And the rough texture of the outlines and inking is what really makes it my favorite over all. Big thick course pencil-like lines.

A really great thing to get a copy of.