Savage Roads

Returning to Creative Dreams

2024-11-19T12:05:00.002-05:00

Take the time to reclaim your creativity, and watch your life blossom as a result.

As children, many of us entertained fantasies or even goals of being an actor, singer, dancer, artist, or musician. In some cases, we received enough encouragement to develop our abilities in those creative arenas, but somewhere along the way we may have stopped. This stopping may have been due to circumstances beyond our control or to our own unconscious acts of self-sabotage. Being creative can be scary in a world that seems to value logic over imagination and practicality over dreaming. We can forgive ourselves for shutting down or turning our attention away from our inner artist, but perhaps, we also can take steps to reclaim our dreams.

In certain times and places, developing a creative ability was considered an important part of being a well-rounded human being. It was not necessary to be a professional because the act of creativity was valued in and of itself. Its gifts are manifold — from the sheer pleasure of allowing our imaginations free rein to sharing and enjoying the fruits of our labour. Children share drawings and songs freely, without self-consciousness, and there is no reason why we cannot do the same thing. You may already be remembering some lost form of expression, such as making jewellery or writing songs. Your soul may be responding with an energetic lift as it feels its way back to a time when it was allowed to express itself freely. Your brain, on the other hand, may be throwing up obstacles, like the idea that you are too old or do not have the time.

The truth is, you are not too old, and if you have time to pick up a pen, you have time to make a doodle or write a haiku. Recognize that the obstacles you see arise from a place of fear, and they will wane in power every time you do something creative. Each creative act takes you deeper into a realm of beauty and magic — a realm that you have every right to return to and reclaim.

Stars & Stripes Harley & Bikini Shoot

2024-07-25T08:25:00.000-04:00

While filming my "Savage Roads" episode in Krabi Thailand we did a photo shoot for bike magazines with Swedish model Gunvor Friberg who just so happened to have a US flag bikini which made the shoot even better! These photos are high res so blow up quite large :)

Photos by Nathalie Enlund

Filmed by Ian Matthews

The Man Who Saved Harley Davidson – And Your Spine

2024-04-14T05:21:00.001-04:00

Written by Todd Halterman and originally posted September 28, 2012

Missourian Jim Schmig was on hand for one of the most important developments in motorcycling history.

“I was cruising down St. Charles Rock Road around St. Louis one day in 1977, and I saw the most unusual Harley frame,” Schmig said. “I stopped at a bike shop, it was called Osborne’s. I asked the cat working the desk about the frame, and he said it wasn’t for sale. I financially persuaded him to part with it, for like $650.00.”

Schmig had little notion that the frame he bought, and later used to build a bike, was one of the most important developments Harley-Davidson would ever discover outside the walls of their Milwaukee plant.

“I came back with my Rambler station wagon (I actually lived in Northern Illinois) and I built the scooter from a ’73 shovelhead motor, a ratchet top tranny. My Dad and a buddy of mine were machinists and we stoked out some good custom made parts,” Schmig said. “I went to the State Police, and they said I needed a builder’s title for the frame, so I called down to Osborne’s, but he had gotten himself killed somehow, so I called Bill Davis and told him my plight. He said he would only send me one, if I promised not to show it that year.”

So who was Bill Davis and why all the secrecy? Schmig had stumbled on to The Frame That Saved a Million Spines.

Schmig takes over the story again:

“I rode up to Al Muth’s in Blackriver Falls, WI, to his annual party, and ran into Willie G (Davidson) and his entourage, and he asked me if he could take a picture of the scoot. He offered me a shiny new leather jacket. He sat on it and got a few pictures and asked me how I came upon the design, I told him the story about St. Louis and told him (Davis) advertised in the back of “EasyRiders.”

Schmig’s bike, and those like it with the revolutionary frames built by Bill Davis and his company, RoadWorx, became the basis for the Harley Softail.

Not thrilled with the styling of his 1972 FX Super Glide, Bill Davis of Saint Louis, Missouri set to work crafting a custom version of his bike. The frame he came up with found so much love from other riders that Davis hired an attorney and filed US Patent 4087109 during March 1976, and that set the ball rolling. In August of that year, Davis met with Willie G. and Louie Netz of Harley-Davidson to gauge their interest in his design. While both men praised Davis’ work, they didn’t initially pull out their checkbooks.

Undeterred, Davis kept up work on his design, selling a couple dozen of his new frames and working on a version for the Sportster. It was also during that time that Davis entered into a business partnership with a person, at least according to Greg Field’s book “Harley-Davidson Softail,” whose name is lost to history and whom Davis refuses identify.

Six months passed, and unable to shake the experience of seeing the frame, Willie G. wrote to Davis to reopen talks. Davis met with Harley-Davidson again, but unimpressed with their opening offer, walked away empty-handed once again.

Davis forged ahead once again and continued to refine his design. This time, he placed the shocks under the transmission, lowering the bike, and found his latest design failed to meet one critical issue. On a shakedown cruise to Sturgis, Davis discovered that a build-up of heat broke down the urethane cylinders of the shocks.

Davis found that the Road Worx frames were labor-intensive to build and while his frames were selling well enough, the money wasn’t rolling in fast enough to cover a series of loans. Unable to find a way to scale up production, RoadWorx came to a sorry end and closed up operations. Unwilling to give up on his idea, Davis placed another call to Bleustein at H-D headquarters, and this time, the Men From Milwaukee wrote up a suitable offer. But there was one troubling caveat to the deal – all royalties would be capped. Davis, trapped between a rock and a hard place, signed the deal in January of 1982 , and the first bike featuring his revolutionary frame design (the FXST) rolled off the production line during the summer of 1983.

The Softail design was an immediate hit and provided H-D with a serious jump in sales. With the introduction of the Heritage Softail in 1986 and the Springer Softail a couple years later, Harley had discovered the formula for a bike which provided the level of comfort riders were searching for.

Davis’ quest for a bike with the look of a rigid and long-range comfort on the highway was ultimately a smashing success. His sketches of swingarm designs ultimately led to the triangulated swingarm which hid the suspension and improved the lines of the bike, and it went on to become the standard.

Even with a $7,999 price tag, the Softail provided Harley with an immediate 31% jump in sales during the 1984 model year and easily outsold every big bike in their lineup. While other factors were part of the equation which allow H-D to survive some lean years, it was the Softail design, more than any other single factor, which kept the Motor Company from disappearing down the rabbit hole of history.

A Citizen of the World

2024-04-12T07:39:00.003-04:00

An aware traveler sees each new journey as an opportunity to gain a greater understanding of humanity.

As the technology of travel grows ever more refined, the world grows smaller. Whereas a journey of a hundred miles once took many days, we can now travel across the globe in mere hours. The four corners of the earth are accessible by plane, train, and ship, and there are few pleasures in life as soul-stirring and trans-formative as travel. In a new land, the simplest of joys can be profound meditation takes on a new quality because the energy in which we are immersed is unfamiliar. Our sensory experiences are entirely novel.Yet, the relative ease with which we can step out of our own culture to explore another means that we are ambassadors representing not only our own way of life but also our culture. As a conscious citizen of the world, you can add value to the places you visit while simultaneously broadening your own perspective.

A truly aware traveler sees each new journey as an opportunity to improve international relations, spread goodness, and gain a greater understanding of humanity. To immerse yourself in foreign cultures is to open your mind to fresh ways of being. Your natural curiosity can help you navigate the subtleties that define a culture. While you may not agree with all the traditions or laws of a country, abiding by them demonstrates that you understand and respect their value. Staying centered in another culture is often simply a matter of learning about your destination, being patient with yourself and others, and accepting that people may treat you as an example of your country’s attitudes. New worlds will open to you when you take part in the everyday life of a locale the reality of a destination lies in its markets, its streets, and its people.

Traveling presents a wonderful opportunity to practice being open-minded and grounded. The voyages you make help cultivate a worldwide community in which we, as humans, can acknowledge and appreciate our differences as much as we recognize and appreciate our similarities. Though you will eventually return home, the positive impression you leave behind will remain as a testament to the respect and amiability that marked your intercultural interactions.

Harley-Davidson Study On Women And Motorcycles

2024-03-21T16:14:00.000-04:00

A Harley-Davidson-sponsored study about women and motorcycles says those who ride are considerably happier, more confident and more fulfilled than those who do not.

Freud asked, "What does woman want?"

Harley-Davidson has the answer. She wants a motorcycle -- or should.

That is the result of a study of female motorcycle riders and non-riders, commissioned by the Wisconsin-based bike manufacturer.

Female riders were twice as likely as their non-riding counterparts to feel "confident." They were twice as likely, too, to feel "extremely satisfied" with their appearance.

More than half of those riders said the two-wheeled experience made them feel "free" and "independent." And while they were marginally less inclined to say they "usually feel good" about their senses of humour and intelligence, they were almost twice as likely to say they "usually feel good" about their sex appeal.

Harley-Davidson's director of women's outreach marketing, Claudia Garber, is one of those female riders. She took up the sport six years ago with the purchase of a Harley Nightster and moved on to a Fatboy.

"It's about freedom," the married mother of two says. "When you’re doing things you want to do, for yourself, and you feel confident, it goes into every aspect of your life, including how you feel about yourself. You feel more comfortable in your skin."

More and more women are, in fact, riding. A 2012 study by the Motorcycle Industry Council found that women accounted for 12% of U.S. motorcyclists -- up from 10.5% in 2009.

Veteran rider and motorcycle journalist Susanna Schick found the results of the new study consistent with her own experience.

"I ride because I need the freedom," she said. "When I drive my car, I feel like a caged wild animal, trapped and forced to live within everyone else's limits."

The study, in which 1,013 riders and 1,016 non-riders were interviewed by the market research company Kelton Global, seems to bear that out. The results say female riders are happier in their careers, happier in their friendships, happier with their home lives, and twice as likely to be "extremely satisfied" with their sex lives.

Uh, maybe, said Schick.

"Being a woman in a man's sport means I meet loads of men who tell me how much they dig chicks who ride," she said. "Then they go home to their girlfriend or wife who doesn't -- and [who] eventually talks them out of riding altogether. So there's a real disconnect between the compliments I get and the reality. Having professional racers half my age flirt with me feeds my ego, but not my soul."

Whatever their experience, the rise in women riders is working for Harley. The company is selling more motorcycles to women than all their competitors combined, says the company's Garber.

The Sombrero Galaxy by Hubble

2022-10-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

The Sombrero Galaxy by Hubble

There are approx. 200 to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way. Now look at this galaxy. It has 200 to 300 billion stars. Now there are billions of galaxies with billions of stars and that is just what we can observe with the current technology. A billion billion is a Quintilian and there is about 400 billion x a Quintilian stars in the known universe. Something to the power of 10 to the 24th.

It blows my mind! What gets me isn’t just the number of stars, and the enormous scale and size and distance. It’s the amount of time and that each galaxy is 31 million light years away. The amount of time it took for the light from that picture to reach us, entire species could evolve on planets and develop into a space faring galactic civilization; empires could rise and fall, then fade into dust, and be lost in the sands of time, without us ever knowing. And that’s just the 31 million years it took for that light, which is a drop in the bucket of time that this galaxy has had to create life over many many billions of years.

Space vroom

Mystical Bridges Around The World

2021-07-23T08:04:00.000-04:00

Moon Bridge – Taipei, Taiwan

An ancient, mossy bridge is the perfect complement to any rural or river scene. These old and mysterious arched bridges are mankind’s way of traversing landscapes that are otherwise decidedly wild.

Interestingly enough, an arch is only kept in position by its own weight – the stones supporting an arch couldn’t possibly stay in their position without the stones above them weighing them down. So, while they were very effective and sturdy, their building process was complicated. This usually involved building an entire wooden framework underneath the bridge on which the arch could be rested until the rest of the bridge was built around it.

Devil’s Bridge In Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria

Huangshan, Anhui, China

Pindos Mountains, Greece

Låtefossen Waterfall, Norway

Mullerthal, Luxembourg

Rakotz Brücke, Germany

Ronda, Malaga, Spain

Multnomah Falls, Oregon, USA

Gorge De L’areuse, Switzerland

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scotland

Carrbridge, Scotland

Gazteuatxe, Spain

Stari Most, Bosnia And Herzegovina

Root Bridge in India

Ponte Gobbo, Italy

Tollymore, UK

Bridge Across The Merced River Yosemite USA

Gapstow Bridge, New York, USA

Hermitage Bridge, Scotland

Top 10 Qualities of Successful People

2021-07-23T06:51:00.001-04:00

Photo: Robert Lindstedt

What do you need to find and develop within yourself to be most successful?

The answer comes from looking at those who have created success in a variety of fields. These traits may sound very simple, but they do lead to remarkable results.

If you really want to bring success into your life, you should cultivate yourself just as you'd cultivate a garden for the best yield.

The attributes here are shared by successful people everywhere, but they didn't happen by accident or luck. They originate in habits, built a day at a time.

Remember: If you live your life as most people do, you will get what most people get. If you settle, you will get a settled life. If you give yourself your best, every day, your best will give back to you.

Here are the traits that the highly successful cultivate. How many do you have?

1. Drive

You have the determination to work harder than most and make sure things get done. You pride yourself on seeing things getting completed and you can take charge when necessary. You drive yourself with purpose and align yourself with excellence.

2. Self-reliance

You can shoulder responsibilities and be accountable. You make hard decisions and stand by them. To think for yourself is to know yourself.

3. Willpower

You have the strength to see things through--rather than vacillate or procrastinate. When you want it, you make it happen. The world's greatest achievers are those who have stayed focused on their goals and been consistent in their efforts.

4. Patience

You are willing to be patient, and you understand that, in everything, there are failures and frustrations. To take them personally would be a detriment.

5. Integrity

This should not have to be said, but it's seriously one of the most important attributes you can cultivate. Honesty is the best policy for everything you do; integrity creates character and defines who you are.

6. Passion

If you want to succeed, if you want to live, it's not politeness but rather passion that will get you there. Life is 10 percent what you experience and 90 percent how you respond to it.

7. Connection

You can relate with others, which in turns makes everything reach further and deepen in importance.

8. Optimism

You know there is much to achieve and much good in this world, and you know what's worth fighting for. Optimism is a strategy for making a better future--unless you believe that the future can be better, you're unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.

9. Self-confidence

You trust yourself. It's as simple as that. And when you have that unshakeable trust in yourself, you're already one step closer to succeeding.

10. Communication

You work to communicate and pay attention to the communicators around you. Most important, you hear what isn't being said. When communication is present, trust and respect follow.

No one plans on being mediocre; mediocrity happens when you don't plan. If you want to succeed, learn the traits that will make you successful and plan on living them out every day.

Be humble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are, and who you have always been.

My "Crush Of The Day" Best Of Bikes #30

2021-06-26T06:27:00.000-04:00

Greetings and saludos from sunny Spain! At long last my 30th collection of heart stopping, heart pounding, heart racing Harley Davidson rides. Oldies, choppers, bobbers and more. Vroom

The Most Stunning Castles Of Europe #3

2021-01-28T10:49:00.002-05:00

Europe has thousands of castles. Here is my third collection!

Top 25 Southern Rock Albums

2021-01-15T01:06:00.000-05:00

No. 25. Georgia Satellites, 'Georgia Satellites' (1986)

They shouldn't have been one-hit wonders, since 1988's Open All Night was pretty good too. Nevertheless, the Atlanta-based Georgia Satellites' self-titled debut remains their lone claim to fame. At the time, this kind of down-home roots rock was as rare as it was badly needed. But that left-field sound remained out of step with pop trends, and their humorous No. 2 smash "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" tended to come off like a novelty song. They soon broke up, only to reform later with a lineup that didn't include frontman Dan Baird.

24. Wet Willie, 'Keep On Smilin'' (1974)

Progenitors of a soul-focused brand of Southern rock, this Mobile, Ala., band loosened up on its third album and finally found its audience. The happy-go-lucky, appropriately named Keep on Smilin' almost cracked the Top 40 on Billboard's albums chart, Wet Willie's highest-ever showing. The title track was its bell cow and its big hit, a No. 10 smash that ran country rock through a reggae filter. Wet Willie ended up scoring two more Top 40 singles, but "Keep on Smilin'" will always be their signature song.

Read More: Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reunite With Rhinestone Suit | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-rhinestone-suit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

24. Wet Willie, 'Keep On Smilin'' (1974)

Read More: Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reunite With Rhinestone Suit | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-rhinestone-suit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

24. Wet Willie, 'Keep On Smilin'' (1974)

23. Gregg Allman, 'Laid Back' (1973)

The title here says it all, as Gregg Allman coasts out of the Allman Brothers Band's charging fusion-blues into something more contemplative and direct. That's best heard on his dreamy reworking of "Midnight Rider," which had first appeared on 1970's Idlewild South. But the whole album, recorded as Dickey Betts began to take a more central leadership role on the Allmans' tandem Brothers and Sisters project, feels just as personal. Allman's best solo album also expands his sound into the influences of R&B and gospel that surrounded him as a kid in Florida.

22. Kentucky Headhunters, 'Pickin' on Nashville' (1989)

The Billboard charts (where Pickin' on Nashville produced four Top 40 singles, including their No. 8 hit cover of Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me") and awards shows tended to pigeonhole the Kentucky Headhunters as a country act, but they were always far more than that. This album put them in league with rootsy Southern rock acts like the Marshall Tucker Band, despite that Grammy for best country performance. Unfortunately, the Kentucky Headhunters' original lineup held for only one more album before brothers Doug and Ricky Lee Phelps went solo in 1992. Taking a more traditional bent, they re-recorded "Ragtop" from this debut in 1994.

21. Black Oak Arkansas, 'High on the Hog' (1973)

Read More: Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reunite With Rhinestone Suit | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-rhinestone-suit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

21. Black Oak Arkansas, 'High on the Hog' (1973)

Black Oak Arkansas likely would have been a lot more famous had they ever settled on one definitive Deep South style. Fame's loss, however, was High on the Hog's gain. Black Oak Arkansas flex every musical muscle here, even if the album will always be dominated by their stomping cover of LaVern Baker's R&B classic "Jim Dandy." For every classic Southern rock moment like "Red Hot Lovin'," they add left turns like the thunderous funk of "Swimmin' in Quicksand," the kitchen-sink instrumental "Moonshine Sonata" and the country honk of "Back to the Land." It's a wild ride, and a fun one.

20. Gov't Mule, 'Dose' (1998)

You come in expecting an Allman Brothers Band feel, owing to late-period associations with both Warren Haynes and Allen Woody. What was a interesting is the way Gov't Mule expanded upon that on a tour de force album that was at once darker than their debut, more detailed and far more musically ambitious. They'd started out trying to show that Southern rock could work in a power-trio format; now they were ready to race further out – much further out. It all comes together on "Thorazine Shuffle," a band showcase in the truest sense of the word. But there are great songs throughout.

19. Blackfoot, 'Strikes' (1979)

Rickey Medlocke first tenure with Lynyrd Skynyrd ended when he decided to focus on Blackfoot, perhaps the heaviest of the classic-era Southern rock bands. Bad move. Skynyrd's star rose quickly, while Blackfoot spent most of the '70s putting out middle-of-the-road records. By the end of the decade, however, their fates had switched: Skynyrd's career seemed lost after the band's aircraft went down, then Blackfoot finally found the right musical mix on Strikes. They began with the mountain-moving "Road Fever," but it wasn't all metal flash. The heartfelt "Left Turn on a Red Light" is a lonesome delight, and they swerve confidently into Skynyrd's lane on "Highway Song." Then there's the bluesy "Train, Train," which finds Rickey's grandfather Shorty Medlocke playing a feisty harmonica.

18. Jason Isbell, 'Southeastern' (2013)

"This time," Jason Isbell said as he began work on his first post-rehab album, "I want to remember it all." And he wasn't just talking about sobriety. Isbell had never put out a deeper, more personal record. In keeping, he approached things in a simpler, more straightforward way – recording his vocals in one take, often without his regular band. Everything felt close up, like a confidant sharing secrets. Some of them, quite frankly, were awful secrets, terrible things that have to be reckoned with. Thankfully, Isbell's utterly unflinching recitations served as their own kind of reassurances.

17. Molly Hatchet, 'Molly Hatchet' (1978)

In the wake of Lynyrd Skynyrd's horrifying plane crash, Molly Hatchet initially seemed to fill a Skynyrd-sized void. (Multi-guitar lineup? Check! Florida roots? Yep! Super-long hair? Of course!) What set them apart was a penchant for fast-charging boogie-blues – oh, and the guts to rework an old Allman Brothers Band into the radio-ready "Dreams I'll Never See." Less country-inflected (perhaps because of the presence of Cheap Trick producer Tom Werman), Molly Hatchet benefited from a moment-in-time opening, but they sealed the deal with their own redneck gumption.

16. The Black Crowes, 'The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion' (1992)

The Black Crowes stretched out on their sophomore release, adding guitarist Marc Ford to what could have been a tried-and-true Rolling Stones-meets-Faces-meets-Humble Pie mix beside Rich Robinson. Instead, they began hinting at musical choices that weren't so clearly delineated – and the Top 40 hits dried up. ("Thorn in My Pride," the Black Crowes' last charting song, stalled at No. 80.) This was really just a sign to come. Southern Harmony and Musical Companion can now be seen as a bridge between their more song-oriented first record and the longer-form explorations that followed.

15. Johnny Winter, 'And' (1970)

Great album, dumb title -- since it implies Johnny Winter is joined here by a group of faceless sidemen. In fact, And found the Texas-born guitarist tossing out the staid blues of his first two records, buoying his career with a flinty new rock-focused attitude. Credit goes, in no small way, to Rick Derringer and the McCoys, an able backing back that pushed Winter as much as they complemented him. The guitar interplay between Winter and Derringer, in fact, provides the backbone of Winter's most complete album – and Derringer's songs are the best of the lot.

14. The Marshall Tucker Band, 'The Marshall Tucker Band' (1973)

The Marshall Tucker Band's legacy was framed by the tone-setting bluegrass and country of their upstate South Carolina youth, though they weren't limited to those basic influences. Songs like "Can't You See," their first charting song, were completed with notable jam-band and jazz elements. So they had no trouble revving up ("Take the Highway," "Ramblin'"), down shifting ("My Jesus Told Me So," "AB's Song") or just simply cruising happily along ("Hillbilly Band"). And in the end, that's what really set the Marshall Tucker Band apart: While their Southern rock brethren were raising holy hell, these guys tended toward a sense of sweet, sweet reverie.

13. Molly Hatchet, 'Flirtin' With Disaster' (1979)

"Whiskey Man," this album's on-the-nose opening track, might be the best song Lynyrd Skynyrd never released. Thankfully, Molly Hatchet quickly got back on track with "It's All Over Now," a bustling boogie number that's firmly entrenched in their own personal wheelhouse. Subsequent highlights included the perfectly named "Jukin' City," the great interplay of "Boogie No More" and the title track's timeless roadhouse swagger. Elsewhere, "One Man's Pleasure" also hewed too closely to the Skynyrd template, but by then Flirtin' With Disaster had already asserted itself as Molly Hatchet's best-ever album.

12. The Black Crowes, 'Shake Your Money Maker' (1990)

The highest-proof distillation of the Black Crowes' history-facing sound arrived on their concise multi-platinum debut. Shake Your Money Maker was important not because of what it said, so much as what it did. This was a like a biting, badly needed shot of brown liquor in an era dominated by umbrella drinks. (Billboard memorably published a contemporary think piece titled "Rock-a-Bye-Bye: Genre Left Behind in '90.") Then the Black Crowes arrived, piloting a way-back machine from a home base at Keith Richards' Villa Nellcôte. Maybe most of this had been done before – certainly "Hard to Handle" – but the familiarity of a swift kick in the ass doesn't make it any less needed sometimes.

11. The Allman Brothers Band, 'The Allman Brothers Band' (1969)

This is more blues than jam, with only a whiff of psychedelia on "Dreams" and the very first inklings of the instrumental supernova that "Whipping Post" would become. It is, in the very truest sense of the word, embryonic. But only because we know now where the Allman Brothers Band were going; we know all what they'll accomplish over the next few years. But even without the gift of 20/20 hindsight, this self-titled debut would still be one of the most important debuts ever, and a signature '60s-era album in both the rock and blues genres. That nobody bought it at the time (and we mean that almost literally; The Allman Brothers Band peaked at No. 188) tells you just how far these guys had raced ahead of everyone else.

10. Lynyrd Skynyrd, 'Street Survivors' (1977)

The tragedy of Lynyrd Skynyrd's end on the way to that Baton Rouge show was underscored by this album's many triumphs. Singer-songwriter Ronnie Van Zant had returned reinvigorated from a break, and the addition of guitarist Steve Gaines gave the band a fresh impetus. You hear it everywhere on Street Survivors, which arrived just days before both were lost in the crash. Their best album since 1974's Second Helping, Street Survivors would have positioned Skynyrd for their next era of greatness. Instead, it rang for years as a death knell.

9. Drive-By Truckers, 'Southern Rock Opera' (2001)

An independently funded dream project that predated the founding of Drive-By Truckers, Southern Rock Opera unfolds like the slow-and-low simmered project it was. Every detail in this gothic tale of growing up in the Deep South – and in the shadow of Lynyrd Skynyrd's fall from the sky – is honed to a glinty edge. Patterson Hood has since built a well-earned reputation for both celebrating and smartly eviscerating Dixie rituals, institutions, myths and misfires. That sharply intelligent journey into the essential duality of his homeland found its first full flowerings right here.

8. Allman Brothers Band, 'Idlewild South' (1970)

If you were judging on punching power alone, the more sophisticated Idlewild South would switch places on this list with the Allman Brothers Band's self-titled debut. If you're looking for the group's true big-bang moment, however, this is it. Dickey Betts' "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" provided a wellspring of inspiration for their career-making Fillmore East recordings. "Midnight Rider" and "Please Call Home" opened the door for later-era acoustic-based songs. "Hoochie Coochie Man," and "Leave My Blues at Home" circle back to those early roots, while "Revival" – the band's first-released Betts composition – pointed to where the group would go in the post-Duane Allman era.

7. ZZ Top, 'Tres Hombres' (1973)

No Gulf Coast band was as deeply rooted in the blues (or in the iconography of Texas), and that helped set ZZ Top apart from the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band. Still, they'd issue two widely ignored albums before finally hitting their creative stride here. "La Grange" became the band's first charting song at No. 41; it was soon joined on the radio by several others, including the album-opening pairing of "Waitin' for the Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago." "Move on Down the Line" even hints at the more chart-friendly fare to come on Eliminator. The result is ZZ Top's best album. To quote another deep cut, they'd finally found something that was "Hot, Blues and Righteous."

6. The Allman Brothers Band, 'Brothers and Sisters' (1973)

The first album to be finished without any contributions from Duane Allman, Brothers and Sisters saw the ascension of Dickey Betts (who penned both the country-tinged No. 2 hit "Ramblin' Man" and the delightful instrumental "Jessica"), as well as the addition of pianist Chuck Leavell. That represented a radically altered sound for a group that had long relied on a muscular two-guitar front. Gregg Allman's stirring vocal showcase on "Southbound" also found a home on FM radio, helping Brothers and Sisters become a surprise chart-topper. By smartly expanding their sound rather than trying to replace the truly irreplaceable Duane, the group set an unlikely template for surviving that continued for decades.

5. Lynyrd Skynyrd, 'Second Helping' (1974)

Lynyrd Skynyrd arrived at these sessions with a head of steam, having built upon their signature debut with an opening spot on the Who's Quadrophenia tour. They also promoted Ed King, and that unlocked something creatively for the band. He joined their three-guitar attack, perhaps best heard on the album-closing cover of J.J. Cale's "Call Me the Breeze." But he also contributed ideas that completed "Sweet Home Alabama," Skynyrd's biggest hit at No. 8. Elsewhere, stalwart Gary Rossington collaborated with Ronnie Van Zant on "Don't Ask Me No Questions," while fellow guitarist Allen Collins helped out on the devastating "Needle and the Spoon." Second Helping didn't rock as hard as their first album, but it may have had more heart.

4. Drive-By Truckers, 'Decoration Day' (2003)

The Drive-By Truckers came into their own here, adding an intriguing new voice in Jason Isbell. Fresh off Southern Rock Opera, they took a turn toward the more contemplative, telling inky tales of difficult choices and love gone wrong. Isbell, a decade younger than co-founders Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley, played a key role in that shift: The title track was the first thing he ever wrote with the Drive-By Truckers. But something more fundamental was already changing, as the group began to rely more on their instincts, first in hiring Isbell and then in their entire approach to Decoration Day. They'd steadily gained enough experience to be great, and now they were putting it to good use.

3. The Allman Brothers Band, 'Eat a Peach' (1972)

Cobbled together in the wake of Duane Allman's death, Eat a Peach became both an emotional memorial to his greatness and the initial road map for carrying on. The Allman Brothers Band had finally broken through with 1971's At Fillmore East before Allman met his fate at a Macon, Ga., intersection. That left his bandmates to combine early sessions they'd already finished with Fillmore leftovers (including a half-hour examination of "Mountain Jam") and – in a move that hurtled Eat a Peach to greatness – some key new songs. Gregg Allman said the touching ballad "Melissa" had been one of Duane's favorites; "Ain't Wastin' Time No More" directly addressed what must have been an unfathomable pain. Meanwhile, Dickey Betts' "Les Brers in A Minor" hinted at where they'd go on Brothers and Sisters.

2. Lynyrd Skynyrd, '(Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd)' (1973)

Lynyrd Skynyrd had worked for years to get to this point, and it showed. (Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd) was a song-by-song foundation-laying success. In fact, with tracks like "Tuesday's Gone," "Gimme Three Steps," "Simple Man" and the forever-requested "Free Bird," it almost plays like a greatest-hits package. But they certainly weren't an overnight sensation: The core of Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins and Gary Rossington had been playing music together as far back as 1964. Band names and bandmates came and went before they finally settled on Lynyrd Skynyrd, but by then they had amassed a deep well of lean, hard-rocking, often darkly poetic songs. That edge set them apart.

1. The Allman Brothers Band, 'At Fillmore East' (1971)

This project would make or break the Allmans, and they knew it. That's why they settled on making a live album, something that would showcase their strengths as improvisers. That's why they met with producer Tom Dowd after the first show, sketching out which songs needed another run-through. That's why they empowered Dowd to edit and, in some cases, condense their performances in order to achieve something greater than the sum of those evenings' parts. It worked. At Fillmore East remains a last will (this was the final album released in Duane Allman's lifetime) and a testament – to the Allman Brothers Band, and to Southern rock's lasting power and beauty. It's not just the best of its kind; At Fillmore East might be the best live rock album ever.

14. The Marshall Tucker Band, 'The Marshall Tucker Band' (1973)

Read More: Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reunite With Rhinestone Suit | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-rhinestone-suit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

23. Gregg Allman, 'Laid Back' (1973)

Read More: Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reunite With Rhinestone Suit | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-rhinestone-suit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

24. Wet Willie, 'Keep On Smilin'' (1974)

Read More: Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reunite With Rhinestone Suit | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-rhinestone-suit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

24. Wet Willie, 'Keep On Smilin'' (1974)

Read More: Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reunite With Rhinestone Suit | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-rhinestone-suit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

24. Wet Willie, 'Keep On Smilin'' (1974)

Read More: Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reunite With Rhinestone Suit | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-rhinestone-suit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

24. Wet Willie, 'Keep On Smilin'' (1974)

Read More: Watch ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Reunite With Rhinestone Suit | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/zz-top-billy-gibbons-rhinestone-suit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

My Crush Of The Day Best Of Bikes #29

2021-01-08T11:03:00.004-05:00

Here, at last, is my first collection of my bike series Crush Of The Day! A sweet collection of Harley bikes that make my heart go wow flutter. Enjoy and follow my blog with your Gmail acct! Vroom

Master the Path of the Peaceful Warrior

2020-10-27T06:09:00.001-04:00

Of the many factors that shape our lives -- geographical location, family dynamics, resources and influence, beliefs, self-concept, support systems, motivation, relationships, luck, karma or fate -- our sense of self-worth is the single most important determinant of the health, abundance, and joy we allow into our life.

To the degree we doubt our worthiness, we limit or sabotage our efforts, and undermine our relationships, finances or health. Ever wondered, for example, why so many young actors, who gain sudden wealth, fame, and celebrity, go on to self-destruct with drugs and erratic behavior? Or why many able-bodied people live on the streets, reduced to begging for spare change. Or why some people continue to accept abusive mates or undesirable work conditions?

Once we understand the lessons of self-worth, we are in a better position to help such people -- but first we must help ourselves. So, as we proceed, note the following points:

No one else can give you an improved sense of self worth. Self-worth comes from doing what is worthy.

Your innate worth has never been lowered, compromised, or touched by fate or circumstance. It exists as a fact of life, like air and trees, and doesn't need to be raised, revitalized, or earned.

To make this topic relevant to your own life, let's start with:

Self-Reflection on Self-Worth:

Consider the following questions, and answer "Yes," "No," or "Sometimes."

When fortune smiles on you, do you think, "This can't last?"

• Do you find it easier or more 'natural' to give than to receive?

• Does your life feel like a series of problems?

• Does money seem scarce or hard to come by?

• Do you find your work or relationships fulfilling?

• Do you work long hours and lack leisure time?

• Do you resent or envy people who take frequent holidays?

• Do you feel driven to work more, do more, be more than others?

• Do you overeat "comfort" food, smoke, drink alcohol daily, or use other drugs?

• Do you feel uncomfortable when you receive praise, applause, lots of attention, gifts or pleasure?

• Have you turned down or passed up opportunities in education, work, or relationships and later regretted it?

• Do you seem to get sick or injured more than other people?

• If someone asks the cost of your services, do you price yourself lower than others in your field to be "fair"?

If you answered "Yes" to a number of questions, did these circumstances or situations just happen to you solely through bad luck? Or is it possible that the choices you made, and actions you took, led to where you are? By acknowledging your role and responsibility in your current life, you find the power to make different choices.

That is not to say that someone who is robbed at gunpoint or run into by a drunk driver somehow "attracted" or "drew" such experiences due to low self-worth -- such ideas are superstition or magical thinking.

But when we make choices that lead to difficulties, it is worth understanding in this context. For example, if you were abused as a child, the abuser was responsible -- not you. But if you are abused as an adult (say by a troubled spouse), the abuse itself is not your responsibility -- but the choice to stay with that person may point to low-self worth. (This is not about blame, but it is about acknowledging our role or responsibility, which leads to the power to change.)

Discovering your unconditional worth can help you expand fully into the world. It begins with a first step -- awareness of the problem is the beginning of the solution.

Taking Charge by Taking Responsibility:

Sometimes bad things just happen -- a toss of the karmic dice: a hurricane or freak storm, or earthquake or other natural disaster -- we may become a victim of circumstance. We can only make the best of those circumstances and learn from them and grow stronger.

But much of the time, our lives are shaped by the choices we ourselves make, and the actions we take. So if life isn't going well, ask yourself this question: "Who's doing this to me?" If the answer is "someone else" -- if your boss or spouse or partner or another person appears to be the cause of your suffering -- then ask yourself, "Who chose to be around this person? Who chose this job. Did I truly have no other options? Or do I believe that 'beggars can't be choosers'?"

Maybe it's time to take another look:

We end self-sabotage only by taking responsibility for the choices and actions that created it. Only when we stop blaming our boss, the government, our parents, spouse or partner, children, circumstances, fate or God can we change our lives and say with conviction, "I chose where I am and who I'm with, and I can make other choices."

Taking responsibility has nothing to do with blame or finding fault. Rather, taking responsibility is taking control, because it represents the power-moment when we recognize the degree to which our difficulties are self-generated, and that what we created, we can also change.

The Heart of Self-Worth:

We don't always get what we deserve in life; we get what we believe we deserve. So the problem is not your actual worth, but your perceived worth. Most of us have lost touch with our intrinsic goodness -- our courage and humanity -- allowed our worth to be covered over by memories of a thousand transgressions, real or imagined, so that we feel only partly deserving of life's blessings.

Exercise:

Ask yourself: "How deserving am I?" Then give a numerical rating, somewhere between 1 to 100, based on how deserving you believe you are. Come up with whatever rating feels right and true for you. 60? 70? 80? 90? 95? Why?

Bear in mind that you have been subconsciously rating yourself since childhood. Now we bring it into the light, and consider how this self-perception has shaped your choices and your experiences.

Our sense of self-worth (or deservedness) comes from many influences, beginning in our early years -- how we were treated by parents or other caregivers (as judgments placed upon us by others become internalized). Abused children, as well as people from stable and loving households, but with extremely high standards, may both grow up with self-worth issues. The source of self-worth issues is complex, and does not come exclusively from how well or poorly we behaved.

But whatever the reasons or sources for your internalized level of worth, the purpose of this week's session is to draw it up from the depths and into the light of awareness.

Self-Worth and Self-Sabotage:

As I've noted, self-worth is a subconscious self-assessment of your perceived value, goodness, and deservedness. You allow yourself to receive only those people, experiences and blessings that reflect your sense of worth.

Success involves talent, effort, and creativity. But first and foremost, it requires a willingness to receive. As the saint Ramakrishna once said, "Rain or blessings may pour down from the heavens, but if you only hold up a thimble, a thimbleful is all you receive."

The Choices You Make:

The central theme of self-worth is that you subconsciously choose (or allow into your life) the level of people and experiences (both positive and negative) that you believe you deserve. Until you come to realize that life is full of cactus, but you don't have to sit on it.

In any moment, you are free to choose the high road, by being kind to others, working hard, finding supportive partners, and following good role models. Or you may burn bridges, use drugs or alcohol, or choose destructive relationships. Through your choices, your sense of self-worth influences whether you choose to learn easy lessons or more difficult ones, to strive or to struggle.

These choices are not conscious. We don't wake up one morning and say to ourselves, "I think I'll sabotage my relationship today -- oh, no, I already did that last week; today I'll sabotage my finances."

Some of us get in our own way and block success or abundance -- we start but don't finish that schooling or training that leads to a better career opportunity. Or we experience great success but self-sabotage, self-destruct, or don't allow ourselves to ride the wave and enjoy it in perspective.

Looking back on your life, have you wondered, Why did I say that? Why did I do that? Have friends or loved ones advised against a choice or action, but you did it anyway because you just felt you had to? Now you understand the source, and can finally get out of your own way, and make more positive, empowering choices and to take actions to build a new life -- whether in the realm of exercise, diet, rest and recreation, travel, improved working conditions, more education or training for a better income -- the world opens up to you.

Your Innate and Unconditional Worth:

Coming to appreciate your innate worth has nothing to do with entitlement or putting yourself above others. Rather it involves a basic recognition of your essential value as a human being -- realizing that you have done the best you could and made the best choices you could see at a given point in your life. More important, unconditional worth does not have to be earned; it belongs to you just as it did when you were a young child.

Let's say someone invited you in to gaze upon their newborn child or month-old infant. Most of us would gaze into that infant's wide eyes and rate it 100 on the deservedness scale. You were that child once. When did you start subtracting, and why? Because you made mistakes? Said unkind things? Weren't always respectful or kind? Had slips of integrity? (Well, if you were already perfected, you wouldn't be living on this planet!)

Each of us is a H.I.T. -- a human-in-training. It's time you recognize that you've done the best you could each day of your life, taking into account your own baggage, information, limitations, wounds, and struggles. You made the best choices you could see at the time. And now the time has come to appreciate your innate worth and choose the higher roads of life.

The Power of Grace:

Even when you don't feel very kind, or brave, or deserving, the roof over your head continues to shelter you from storms, the sun shines upon you, your chairs keep supporting you, and so does your life. Life itself is an unearned gift. This is the hidden meaning of grace.

If you have debts to pay, then pay, then pay them forward in the currency of kindness to others -- not by punishing yourself. Not ever again. It is not necessary. It never has been.

Daily Life Assignments:

(1) Remind Yourself: Write out the following words on a post-it, or piece of paper, and post it on your bathroom mirror so you see it each and every day: How good can I stand it today? (Because that's how much good you'll allow)

(2) Just Imagine: Let your imagination drift to a better life. Fantasize yourself as the star of a new movie of your life. You no longer have to be an extra or bit player, being told by others where to go and what you can or can't do. In this exercise you become the director, the writer, and the star.

• Imagine, just for a moment, how specifically you might have an improved relationship (it may be with your current partner, but with some different elements); or, if it is a troubled relationship, then with another partner.

• Now do the same in the workplace -- your current work, or another career or calling. What kind of work situation might you wish for?

• Let your mind drift to another area of life -- what possibilities might await you there?

For any and all of these areas:

• Is it possible to draw closer to your dreams? Why or why not?

• What steps might you take?

• Who is stopping you? (If the answer is "me," then this "me" can instead become a friend and supporter.)

Most of us have been our own "worst enemy" sometime in the past. Can you recall a choice you have made or action taken that you now see as a subconscious act of self-sabotage? What will you do to avoid such sabotage in the future?

How have you responded to favors, gifts, or opportunities? How might you respond differently now? What advice might you give yourself, as your own best friend, about allowing yourself to live a more abundant, enjoyable life?

The next time an opportunity arises that might interest you, or someone offers to give you something or do something for you -- instead of the reactive, "Oh, thanks, but I couldn't" open your arms and heart and mind, and say, "Yes! Thank you!" (Even if you don't feel deserving.)

When you are alone, in quiet moments -- as odd as it may feel -- every once in a while, open your arms wide and say to an imagined person, or to life itself: "Yes! Thank you!" And let this be your approach to living -- from now on!

The Most Stunning Castles Of Europe #2

2020-09-29T08:39:00.001-04:00

Europe has thousands of castles. Here is my second collection!

The Tiny Houses of Christiania in Copenhagen

2020-08-05T12:55:00.000-04:00

Christiania, is an intentional community and commune of about 850 to 1,000 residents, covering 7.7 hectares in the borough of Christianshavn in the Danish capital city of Copenhagen. Christiania has been a source of controversy since its creation in a squatted military area in 1971

Christiania began in 1971 as an occupation of disused army barracks in the southern portion of Copenhagen near a lake. The 900 or so freethinking individuals who inhabit the area are a self governing community who refuse to pay taxes to the Danish government, run their own businesses and schools, live without cars on unpaved roads, build their own houses, restaurants and civil buildings and even have their own currency.

Until 2004, one of the main attractions in Christiania was a series of hash stands on the main thoroughfare, which was named Pusher Street. While hard drugs have always been banned by community law, the hash trade was a burgeoning business for Christiania until the Danish government finally cracked down and the town was forced to refocus its business ventures. Visitors now come to Christiania for inexpensive, ethnic food, music concerts, coffee shops, yoga studios, farmers’ markets and handmade gift stalls. However, there is still a drug element in parts of the town.

The tiny houses of Christiania are wild, free form, colorful and charming. A vernacular architecture that blends in with surrounding trees and flowers. Walking around the park-like neighborhoods, you would never guess you are right in the middle of the city. Birds are singing, there are fish in the large lake in the middle of Christiania and community members ride around on bikes.

Some of the Christiania houses are even re-created from old shepherds huts, bathhouses and gypsy wagons.

However, photos of the houses, people, children and Pusher Street are discouraged. This is a hippie throwback community, but it is still home to hundreds of people who choose to raise their children in Christiania rather than out in Copenhagen proper. Most pro-Christiania citizens believe that the Danish government wants the community disbanded, probably because they are located on one of the most expensive and beautiful areas of the city."

Photos don’t do it justice, you just have to visit Christiania and see it for yourself. When you do, don’t forget to pick up a “Bevar Christiania”, or “Save Christiania” sticker.

Photos Courtesy of Harry Thomas

Savage Vintage Harley Davidson Collection II

2020-04-19T17:57:00.001-04:00

A second series of photos I've been collecting from different sources such as the HD Factory files, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook and more. Enjoy my 2nd collection at last! Vroom

Mystical Bridges Around The World

2020-02-05T02:19:00.000-05:00

Moon Bridge – Taipei, Taiwan

An ancient, mossy bridge is the perfect complement to any rural or river scene. These old and mysterious arched bridges are mankind’s way of traversing landscapes that are otherwise decidedly wild.

Devil’s Bridge In Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria

Huangshan, Anhui, China

Pindos Mountains, Greece

Låtefossen Waterfall, Norway

Mullerthal, Luxembourg

Rakotz Brücke, Germany

Ronda, Malaga, Spain

Multnomah Falls, Oregon, USA

Gorge De L’areuse, Switzerland

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Scotland

Carrbridge, Scotland

Gaztelugatxe, Spain

Stari Most, Bosnia And Herzegovina

Root Bridge in India

Ponte Gobbo, Italy

Tollymore, UK

Bridge Across The Merced River,

Yosemite, USA

Gapstow Bridge, New York, USA

Hermitage Bridge, Scotland

Optimizing your Twitter page for Maximum Results!

2020-02-05T02:10:00.001-05:00

One of the most important, and often overlooked parts of any Twitter page is the bio section. Your band may have the coolest profile pics, but without a great bio no one will ever see it.

Whether you’re new to Twitter or a veteran Tweeter, chances are you give more thought to the contents of your Tweets than to the content of your bio. Optimizing your bio is fairly simple and there are a number of tips out there to help you make the most of your Twitter experience.

I have compiled a list of proven tips that musicians are using to get their presence out to a wider audience.

1. Take full advantage of the space provided - Twitter allows you 160 character to wow the world, use all of them. It is near impossible to convey what you’re about in one short sentence. You know you’re great, you’re mom knows you’re great, but the rest of the world might need a little more convincing. The more information you can give them, the better.

2. Use keyword - Think of Twitter as a giant people based search engine. Think of things that people would search for to find your band, and try to include those keywords in your bio. Some keywords that might be relevant to you might include, “musician,” “indie,” “folk music,” “gangsta rapper,” etc. The more niche and targeted you can be, the better.

3. Have fun with it - Make your bio an extension of your personality. Whatever your personality is and whoever you are as an artist, make sure your bio represents that. If you’re funny, be funny. Showing your personality is a great way to make a great first impression.

4. Include your location - Some people don’t like to put a location or will just put the country they are from. I would advise against this. If you don’t want to be as specific as putting the city or town that you live in, at least put the general area or state that you’re in. This will help if people are looking for musicians locally or within a certain area, especially when looking for live shows. Additionally, this will aid in networking with other musicians in your area.

5. Have a link to your website - Twitter allows you to enter a link to a website that will appear in your bio. The only link you should be using in your bio is a link to your own website. Don’t use a link to your Facebook page, ReverbNation profile, etc. They can always go to those pages after they’ve visited your website. Give yourself the traffic, not some social media site. By sending people to “your” website, you can entice them to join your mailing list, read your blog, watch your videos, and visit your online store to make purchases.

6. Update your bio regularly - Your Twitter bio should be updated regularly. If you’re putting out a new album, going on tour, or have won an award, be sure to add a quick sentence about that. Always be aware of your Twitter bio and whether it still reflects who you are as an artist.

A good Twitter bio can tell someone a lot about your band. It can make it easier for new fans to discover your music. I hope these tips were helpful, now go write the next great Twitter bio!!

Follow my blog here with your Google account and Twitter @patsavageband

Rickey Medlocke: Blackfoot, Skynyrd And Beyond

2020-02-05T01:57:00.000-05:00

Rickey Medlocke (born February 17, 1950) is an American musician best known as the frontman/guitarist for the southern rock band Blackfoot. During his career he's also played with Lynyrd Skynyrd as a drummer (1970-71) before rejoining as a guitarist in 1996 where he continues to tour and record.

Being of Blackfoot ancestry, Medlocke was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Early life:

Rickey Medlocke was born on February 17, 1950, in Jacksonville, Florida. He was raised by his paternal grandparents. His grandfather, Shorty Medlocke, was a well-known Delta blues musician and taught his grandson to play a miniature banjo. Medlocke started performing onstage at age three, and his musical abilities increased over the years. He began teaching himself to play the guitar by age five and was playing drums in Shorty's band at age eight. Over the next several years Medlocke mastered the banjo, guitar, drums, mandolin, dobro and keyboards. He had a melodic singing voice and had taught himself to sing and play guitar at the same time. After graduating high school, Medlocke formed his first band, Blackfoot, where he was lead vocalist and lead guitarist.

Career

Medlocke wrote and recorded shortly with the 70's era Lynyrd Skynyrd band occasionally playing drums or singing lead on a few songs for them in 1970: "One More Time", "Preacher's Daughter", "Lend a Helpin' Hand", "Wino", "White Dove", "Comin' Home", "The Seasons", "Ain't Too Proud to Pray" and You Run Around. On occasion, Medlocke played alongside the band's original drummer Bob Burns but came to desire the energy of a guitarist at the front of the stage. This resulted in his 1971 decision to reform Blackfoot. The band began touring and producing hit songs that included "Train Train", which was written by his grandfather, and "Highway Song", written by Rickey Medlocke and Blackfoot drummer Jackson Spires, amongst songs written by others. He disbanded the group in the early 1990s.

For a while in the 1990s, Medlocke thought about pursuing other careers until he received a phone call in 1996 from Gary Rossington inviting him to rejoin Lynyrd Skynyrd as a lead guitarist and primary songwriter. Rossington asked Medlocke if he remembered how to play "Free Bird", "Tuesday's Gone", and "Workin' For MCA", among others. Medlocke rejoined Skynyrd and has been a member since. Occasionally, Medlocke will step away from Skynyrd briefly to join musicians like Shooter Jennings on stage. He joined American Idol finalist Bo Bice on stage for a rendition of "Sweet Home Alabama" when the top three finalists from season four returned home.

Discography

With Blackfoot

No Reservations (1975)

Flyin' High (1976)

Strikes (1979)

Tomcattin (1980)

Marauder (1981)

Highway Song Live (1982)

Siogo (1983)

Vertical Smiles (1984)

Rick Medlocke And Blackfoot (1987)

Medicine Man (1990)

After the Reign (1994)

Live On The King Biscuit Flower Hour (1999)

With Lynyrd Skynyrd

Street Survivors (1977) (drums & chorus on One More Time recorded during 1971-1972)

Skynyrd's First and... Last (1978) (contains early recordings from 1971 and 1972)

Skynyrd's First - The Complete Muscle Shoals Album (1996) (contains early recordings from 1971 and 1972)

Twenty (1997)

Lyve from Steel Town (1998)

Edge of Forever (1999)

Christmas Time Again (2000)

Vicious Cycle (2003)

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour (2003)

God & Guns (2010)

Last of a Dyin' Breed (2012)

Savage Biker Blogs

2020-02-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

Savage Biker Blogs

There really is nothing quite like the sound of a Harley Davidson motorcycle getting fired up and ready to hit the road. It’s a distinctive sound that once you hear, you are hooked. If you have ever gone hog wild yourself, you understand that riding a Harley is not just about a fine piece of machinery. My music is a reflection of my bikers lifestyle and for many years I've been lucky enough to get paid well for my music about our Harley bikers world.

It’s all about freedom and the opportunity to feel the wind in your face. It’s about riding in for rallies big & small and enjoying the comradeship of an exclusive group that recognize their fellow bikers from around the World. If you are a biker you can find brothers and sisters across the globe that share your love and passion for your Harley.

If you can’t hit the road as often as you would like but want to see what others are up to I put together a list of 37 hog wild Harley blogs just for you. These are just a sampling of the best I could find on the web if you have any others to recommend, please let me know.

You will soon be reading all about my new biker television series "Savage Roads" and my new Cd "The Best Of Pat Savage" is available through some of these blogs, Spotify, ITunes, Amazon and most streaming networks in the world.

Kind regards and welcome to my new blog!

Pat Savage

Biker/Producer/Musician

1. Moto E Metafisica

My dear friend Piero Marchelli an Italian biker and brother from another mother has a fantastic blog in both Italian and English that encompasses so much positive stuff. I highly recommend this blog for any bikers around the world.

2. Motorcycle Marc 

My dear friend and long time brother Marc J. Beaulieu has a passion folks and it is biking. He truly lives to ride motorcycles but when he can't ride, he blogs about it! Truly one of the best online blogs!

3. Harley Davidson

This blog contains details, photos, and reviews of different Harley Davidson models. It’s an interesting selection of motorcycles and a quick read.

4. Glory Road

I normally wouldn’t include an older blog like this in the list but this is interesting because the articles come from the eyes of a dealer and just have a different spin. I like it quite a bit. 

5. Arizona Harley Dude 

Paul Malone is an Arizona Harley dude. He writes about his adventures and various rides that he has been on along with general information about driving and maintaining a Harley.

6. Northwest Harley Blog 

This blog began in 2007 and has over 200 well written articles about Harleys and other current events related to Harley riders like California motorcycle laws and much more. It’s really a well written blog that you will enjoy reading on a regular basis.

7. Many Thoughts Of A Harley Girl 

This blog is from a self proclaimed Harley biker chick. She actually works for an annuities company in Des Moines, IA by day and is an avid biker chick in her spare time. You won’t find a more interesting read. This is actually my favorite blog on the list.

8. Harley Bound, Heaven Bound 

Harley Bound, Heaven Bound is about a born again Christian who found support in a group of Christian bikers. This blog chronicles their adventures together as they grow in faith and put miles on their bikes.

9. Chronicles of a Harley Davidson Rider 

This blog captures the ride history of one man as he attends rallies and enjoys time on the road with his Harley. It’s a fun read with a lot of humor.

10. Harley Davidson Malaysia

Here we add a little international flavor with a great Malaysian Harley blog which announces new motorcycle releases over there as well as some great articles from someone passionate about Harleys.

11. House of Harley

House of Harley comes to us from Milwaukee, WI. They have a lot of great pictures on the site and a bike of the week feature that is always interesting.

12. My Rocker FXCW

This blog features comprehensive articles regarding various Harley Davidson’s parts and functions. It also has tons of photos.

13. Harley Accessories/ Davidson Parts and Accessories 

This blog has feature articles covering topics like why harleys are more popular than ever and other interesting subjects. It is not just about accessories, it is much more than that (not that it wouldn’t be enough).

14. Harley Davidson Sportsters

This blog has several great bike shots and videos obviously revolving around Sportsters. The owner is sidelined by a surgery right now but is looking forward to getting his sporty back on the road.

15. Custom Harley

There are various stories and pictures from 2007 to 2009 on this blog including a near selling experience for the author and his road king (still safely in his garage as far as we know).

16. HawgBlog 

The HawgBlog features several great stories about people and their bikes including a true story of a man and his bike with over 350,000 miles on it. Wow, now THAT is impressive!

17. Christine’s Corner 

This blog is written by a female biker living and riding in the Rockies (Colorado). She writes about safety and other really good tips for other bikers. Oh, she has a Fatboy and the “Y” word we won’t mention.

18. The Ride

A Canadian biker/blogger, eh? Yeah great pics and a good read await you at this blog. You can read about his rides and the machines he is currently infatuated with.

19. Road Captain USA.Com

This blog is an essential source of information for HD motorcycle enthusiasts. It contains numerous photos and articles that will educate you on the subject of Harleys even if you thought you knew it all.

20. Planet Harley

This is a mile high Harley blog that is really current and full of interesting feature articles about things like properly storing your bike in the Winter, etc. Tons of articles and pics for your blogging pleasure.

21. Blaze of Glory Offroad 

This blog shares exciting adventures of different riders with their Harley motorcycles and other off-road vehicles (I just said Harley and off-road I guess you will have to go to the site to see what I mean). Readers will have fun reading the narrations and viewing the photos and videos as well.

22. Best Motor Pictures 

This blog features photos of a wide range of motorcycle brands, but dedicates a great deal of space to Harley Davidson.

23. Savannah Harley  Davidson

This is a newly redesigned blog coming to us from a dealer located in Savannah, GA. It is current with lots of useful ride info and more.

24. Bike Talk 

Since 1997 this has been a place for motorcycles lovers and Harley Davidson aficionados to share their insights, inquiries and comments regarding bike specifications and riding adventures.

25. Harley Davidson in China 

This is a great article on a cool biking blog that adds some more international flavor to the list. Check out what else this site has to offer us Harley fans.

26. Sound Harley-Davidson

This blog is all about the sound of a great Harley getting fired up and the chills it sends up your spine. The blog was started in 2006 but hasn’t been active in a bout a year. The articles though are really interesting on this no frills, but cool blog.

27. Thunder from the East

Here is a different international twist looking at Asian HD fans and events. It’s interesting to see that HD is a true international phenomenon.

28. Cool Motorcycles.com 

Lets quietly ignore the fact that they mention other bikes on this blog and just look at the HD section of the site. It’s a current and interesting place for bikers to congregate.

29. Bikerscum-Patrick St. Jean 

Harleys, ham radio, and other interesting topics are covered in this blog. Because of the collection of topics it is a really interesting place to visit regularly.

30. Harley Davidson Bikes|HOG News|Motorcycles|Sales

This blog contains various news, events and useful information regarding Harley Davidson motorcycles along with some solid Harley links/resources.

31. West Coast Bikers

This is s forum/blog most advantageous to people who are passionate about Harley Davidson motorcycles and the adventure it brings to their lives.

32. Harley Davidson Streetglide

This is a new blog (up-and-coming) that features current events, videos, and pictures of HD bikes and owners.

33. HD Talking

A forum on anything about Harleys and many other motorbike models and brands. This site serves as hub for Harley enthusiasts to exchange views, share experiences and ask questions.

A Business Case for Releasing Single Songs

2020-02-03T07:55:00.001-05:00

There are many examples of the benefits of working in harmony with nature. When first venturing out beyond home a child is taught to walk with traffic. A carpenter achieves a cleaner result by going with the grain rather than against it. In sports a team succeeds by taking advantage of what the defense gives them, and there are countless other examples that express why it is better to work with the flow rather than push against it. For the past ten years the recorded music industry has ignored this strategy, and stubbornly clung to a business model that is no longer in harmony with they way people consume music by predominantly releasing albums in a single song economy.

According to Nielsen Sound scan, in 2019 there were 1.374 billion digital transactions last year. Of those only 103 million or 7.5 % were for albums. This means that approximately 1 out of 14 times a consumer went to buy music online last year they were purchased an album. First with Napster and MP3s, then iTunes and the iPod, and now with streaming services like Spotify and Turntable.FM–the music consumer has repeatedly demonstrated that they prefer single songs to albums. Despite this fact, nearly 77,000 albums were released last year.

Rather than change strategy to work with this reality, most people in the industry just complained that it wasn't fair, and continued the status quo. I believe there are several reasons for this. The first reason is that labels believe they can make more money selling albums. The second, is that marketing and sales processes were built for the album system and that makes it difficult to change. The last reason is because artists believe they are supposed to make albums either as a musical statement or as validation of their professional status.

This essay will attempt to prove that all three of those reasons are not necessarily true, and that selling single songs can be better promotion ally, artistically and financially for artists and labels.

Layout of the Song Based Release Strategy

There are three key rules to the successful execution of the song based release strategy.

Every song is given a reasonable amount of time to stand on its own.
Every song receives its own unique marketing plan.
No song is available before it is promoted.

After that there are limitless ways to release the music. An artist can release a song every week, every month, every day, or every third Monday. It doesn't even have to be uniform. It really doesn't matter how the music is released, as long as the philosophy that every song is important in its own way is embraced.

Why this strategy works promotion ally

Not only do consumers prefer music in a single format, but the outlets for music promotion are all focused on single songs as well. Some of these formats are:

Radio: The bread and butter of radio is singles. Album Oriented Radio died when radio started hiring consultants in the 1970’s.

Blogs: Blog posts are usually about one or two songs. The biggest aggregator of blogs, The Hype Machine, focuses on songs instead of albums.

Club Promotion: By definition the DJ at a club or bar will provide a steady mix of songs. It is quite the rarity to hear a whole album played in a club with the exception of a listening party.

Syncs for Commercials and TV: For reasons of time, cost, and artistic expression, individual songs are usually featured as syncs rather than albums.

Music Videos: Music videos are primarily made for one song. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are few and far between.

The two promotional avenues that focus on the whole album are preview streams, which have the drawback of lasting for only one or two weeks, and album reviews. Album reviews have come to mean less and less each year as newspapers and magazines cut space and syndicated their copy. They have also lost their main purpose of previewing an album when consumers can decide for themselves whether they like an artists on streaming sites. The editor in chief of Spin Magazine recently cited that exact sentiment as justification for why Spin would be relegating the majority of their album reviews to 140-character tweets.

In addition to working in harmony with the promotion outlets currently available for music, there are several other benefits of the song-based release strategy in terms of marketing.

The first is always having new assets to promote to the media. One thing that occurred because of the digital age is content has a much shorter shelf life. The Internet is a voracious beast and is always hungry for more content. Importance is placed on newness and exclusivity. In a song-based system there is always something new to engage the media. If an album of songs is released you lose that newness factor when pitching for placement.

The second is that it creates a platform to consistently engage fans. In the current media landscape, attention is the most valuable commodity. By consistently releasing new material, an artist has an opportunity to engage their fans much more often than the year or more that commonly occurs between album releases.

The third is that it gives consumers a chance to know what they are buying. This eliminates the feeling of betrayal or trickery when buying an album based on a single song and finding out the rest of the songs are either poor quality or just not their cup of tea. The best analogy I can use to explain this is the DVD compilation release of a TV show. Fans buy a DVD of a show after having seen the complete season. If DVDs of television series were marketed the way music albums were, a 12-episode season would have one show picked to be played on television repeatedly in the hopes that it would drive people to retail stores to purchase the whole series DVD. It is not an exact comparison, because of the variety of differences in how the two are monetized, but I still think it illustrates how bizarre the current album-marketing paradigm is.

Why this strategy works artistically

First, I want to be clear that this method doesn't mean that an artist can’t create a full album of songs, or even a concept album. It only changes the order and format in which it is released. This results in the album not being fully experienced until all the songs are released and collected by a fan. The baseline question that needs to be confronted when evaluating this method is “Is it absolutely necessary that the first time a fan hears my album is in its entirety?” If the answer is no, then a song based strategy can work artistically.

After that hurdle is cleared — and there should be very few bands that should answer the above question with a yes — there are several reasons why this method can lead to better artistic expression. First it forces artists to step up their game. This method puts every song on a pedestal or under a microscope. The temptation to phone it in on an “album track” is eliminated. It might be a little hyperbolic but I hope that it could usher in a new golden age of songwriting.

The next advantage is release flexibility and the opportunity to be timely. Presently, there are a number of obstacles to releasing a song about current events in the middle of an album cycle. No matter how relevant or great the song is, there is a tendency to not put full promotion behind it, because the song will not drive album sales. With the song based method there is greater flexibility to interrupt the release schedule with a timely or important song, because there is less financial disincentive.

The last advantage is counter-intuitive in that it allows great albums to stand out. The true concept albums become something worth noting. If song based release strategy becomes the dominant model, and some group has another Sgt. Pepper or The Wall in them, then it will stand out. If they don’t, and have just another average album, then they will have given up their shot at sustained revenue.

Why this strategy works financially

This leads to the most important questions for whoever has invested in the music. Is the sustained revenue of singles equal to or greater than the lump sum of album shipments and sales? In terms of pure revenue from recorded music there is a relatively simple equation to determine how many singles an artist would need to sell to equal the money generated from the current combination of album shipments and individual track sales. This is:

(Album $ + Track $ ) / # Tracks ) /Single Wholesale = Average Sales Per Track)

Using hypothetical sales figures it would look like this:

Traditional album release A

10-track album

50,000 albums x $6.50 wholesale = $325,000

200,000 tracks x $.70 wholesale = $140,000

($325,000 + $140,000 ) /10 ) /$.70 = 66,428 average sales per track

Traditional album release B

12-track album

1000 albums x $6.50 wholesale cost = $6,500

13,000 tracks x. $70 wholesale cost = $9,100

($6,500 + $9,100) / 12) /$.70 = 1,857 average sales per track

After doing this initial equation for either previous or projected album sales the next step is to look at how the track sales were divided on previous releases to determine the possibility of meeting or exceeding the target average sales per track. As this is a subjective process there is no exact mathematical formula that will work every time, but I have two formulas that will give a rough idea of how a release will fare with this strategy.

Formula 1

(Sales of the promoted singles + average of all other singles) / promoted singles + 1

If that number is greater than the average sales per track needed, then a singles based release strategy is probably a safe bet.

Formula 2 (which is really not a formula and only for veteran artists)

Average first two week albums sales = core audience.

If the average of first two weeks of all an artist’s album sales is greater than the average sales per track needed then a singles based release strategy is likely worth pursuing. This method does not work for artists with one album that experienced great success after a slow build Ala Mumford and Sons.

If, after running the numbers, it is still not clear what release strategy is best, there are two other financial incentives to the song based release strategy to consider. First it eliminates the phenomenon of putting all your eggs in one basket and in turn spreads out risk when developing an artist. In this case the basket is the single.

There is nothing worse than the process of picking a single. In my experience it is usually a bunch of music executives sitting in a conference room listening to two or three tracks with their most intense faces, maybe with a couple of head bobs to let you know that they really feel the music. It is very funny to watch people try to indicate that their sense of hearing is working.

Then comes the debate. There is a discussion of what is currently on the radio and how the potential songs fits in with rest of the music landscape. There is sometimes research brought in to show what test audiences have thought of the songs. After that it is gut feel and a bit of magic to reach consensus and a single is picked. That is it. A half hour in a conference room determines the trajectory of an entire album campaign in both focus and budget allocation.

If that single doesn’t work it doesn’t matter how many people would have liked the other songs the artist created: they will never get exposure, because of a lack of marketing funds. The majority of the budget was devoted to creating awareness for that one single, and this does not seem like a very efficient use of resources.

The second benefit is for business arrangements where there are income streams that are not directly related to recorded music, namely touring. One of the big issues that bands have is making sure there is something new to promote around a tour. Song-based release strategy makes it possible to always have something new for fans and to either be considered for tour packages or have a story for promoters. By spreading out the release of new material, the artist will increase the demand for their other revenue streams.

The last benefit is better management of manufacturing expenditures. For labels, one of the toughest costs to predict is the amount of physical albums to manufacture and ship. For developing artists, manufacturing their first run of CDs will usually cost several thousand dollars. The song-based release strategy helps determine what the demand is for the project and consequently physical product.

Conclusion

This article shows that a song based release strategy has promotional and artistic benefits, and that it is feasible financially. There are many factors for why certain artists or albums succeed and others fail. The release strategy is just one of those factors and will never be fully responsible for either the success or failure of an artist. There will be times when it won’t work out, but the album release system doesn’t always work either. Nothing works all the time, and nothing is the perfect solution for every situation. The premise was that it can work, and I believe this shows how it can. Of course, this can never truly be proven until artists and labels take the plunge and start releasing their music as individual songs. I hope they take that chance.

Common arguments against this theory and my responses

When writing this essay I floated the concept out to many people both in and out of the music industry. I received several common responses:

1. This will never make enough money if music moves to streaming as a dominant listening habit: If streaming makes no money, then whether music is released as an album or as individual songs will be irrelevant. At that point other revenue streams become more important, and I would argue that the ancillary benefits of always having something new to promote and to engage an artists fans still makes the song based release strategy the more attractive option.

2. It is easier to record as an album: Agreed, but his strategy does not preclude an artist from recording a whole album at once, which I know is a much more efficient and cost effective way of creating music. It is focused on how that music is released after it is recorded.

2a. But what if all the tracks leak?: This is definitely the weak point of the strategy. A leak is much more detrimental to song based released system as it effectively destroys the advantages of letting each song stand on its own, and the newness quality when promoting. The only counter I have is that music most commonly leaks when it is submitted for manufacturing. As manufacturing is delayed or eliminated in this model, perhaps it would curtail the practice of music leaks. I am not certain of that though, and it is a risk.

3. This would kill record stores: There are many factors at work in the decline of physical music retail. Song based release strategy is meant to work in harmony with the existing trends, it did not initiate them. The one positive is that after a little while record stores would have a lot more data available to gauge demand. There are many instances of something that was available online first finding a successful second life in music retail for latecomers to the band. Radiohead’s album, In Rainbows, is the best example. After the pay what you want experiment the band released it in stores and still had a #1 album. This method could ensure that only the albums with the most demand are in stores eliminating the phenomenon of shipping platinum and returning gold.

4. This won’t work if you want to go to radio: The question that needs to be answered here is whether the network effects of radio play of one or two songs will result in enough artist affinity to drive sales of the non-radio singles. When coupled with the other promotional methods for those songs, I think they will. The other possible benefit of this method would be that radio might go back to playing a diverse group of songs, as singles will no longer be dictated to them. Every song is promoted, and radio can once act as a filter instead of a megaphone.

Pat Savage

http://www.savageroads.com

Be Free from Unhealthy Relationships

2019-12-18T15:59:00.001-05:00

If you want to be free from unhealthy relationships, then the first step is not to call, text, e-mail or even Facebook a person that you:

· Have broken up with or has broken up with you

· Have determined is abusive

· Are highly attracted to but they are not returning your level of interest (for whatever reason)

· Have an unhealthy connection or relationship with

· Is presently in your life but you’re trying to not act needy with

When you contact someone you're not hearing from or trying to let go of, there can be a pleasurable rush of adrenaline from the anticipation of seeing them, hearing their voice or reading their message. But this rush is just a temporary fix, which you may have to pay a tremendous price for.

Even if the person does respond positively when you contact them, it may be momentarily thrilling or electrifying, but soon the anguish will return, because the problem is still there. Nothing has really changed. You're still not a couple or the person remains emotionally unavailable. You'll just have to start detaching all over again, doubling your efforts.

If you've ended the relationship because someone was doing something that you experienced as hurtful or refused to tolerate any longer, contacting them would take away your credibility for the boundary you set. By initiating a contact you would also be colluding with the behavior that you already told them was unacceptable.

Impulsivity

When you contact someone you're trying not to act needy with, it's often impulsive. Acting on impulse can make life exciting and dramatic but it can also put you at risk because you are not reflecting on whether it's a productive behavior. You're not thinking of the future and consequences. You're just acting in the moment.

So if you're thinking of making a contact, take time to reflect. Sit on your feelings. Endure your anxiety. Don't just do something because you feel like it. There could be disastrous effects if you do.

Call people in your support system to discuss any impulsive urges that come over you- whether to see, e-mail, call, or text them. Discuss and process your feelings with safe reliable people Remember that feelings do pass. Feelings are only temporary, which is why it's important to hang in there even when the urge to contact them feels unbearable.

You have to do whatever it takes to endure urges to make a contact and move past them. As you do this more and more, you will feel yourself gaining emotional strength.

Clinging

Clinging is any behavior that demonstrates holding on, not letting go. This can be exemplified by activities ranging from a compulsive phone call, text, or e-mail when they haven't responded to any of your previous contacts. Contacting someone who is not reciprocating your interest, or has rejected you is a form of clinging. The urge to cling can be irresistible. You know with your rational mind that your behavior isn't appropriate, but you are driven by a compulsion you feel you can't control. You may experience actual discomfort when you don't carry out the compulsive act.

It's essential to remember that clinging behavior causes most people to distance themselves even further. If someone has issues about intimacy your clinging will make them feel closed in and claustrophobic. They may feel that they have no room to breathe from your relentless trying to get them to prove that they're not going to leave you. Your clinging also makes you look emotionally hungry making them feel that they'll have to endlessly supply you with reassuring love which will scare them off.

It's human nature to have a hard time falling in love with someone who's bombarding them with phone calls, texts or e-mails. A clinging person doesn't leave someone a chance to long and yearn for them. They are so available another person doesn't have the space to fantasize about or miss them, which unfortunately is sometimes what falling in love, is all about.

Why clinging is not productive

There are people whose psychological problems prohibit them from having a relationship. These people are married to their pathology. Your chasing them will not break through their defenses, resistances and impairment.

Sometimes their lack of response or reciprocating is not even about you. It's truly about them. It doesn't make a difference because no matter who it's about; they just can't do it. They can't be there for you. You must face the truth of their unavailability so you can let them go and move on. Bottom line, you can't force another person's feelings, motivation for relationship, or emotional health no matter how many rules and programs you follow or implement.

In fact if you don't chase them around you'll get an opportunity to see what they do when they don't get any prompts or reminders from you.

Action steps: What you can do when you want to cling

· Go on dating sites online. It will also show you the abundance of people out there. You might also meet someone new who is even better than your ex or a person you're trying to let go of.

· Distract yourself - do whatever it takes to not think about your ex or a person you're trying to let go of even if it feels counter intuitive.

· Call someone in your support system.

Writing exercises

-Think of a time you were clinging to someone you were in love with. What were you feeling? What was behind the clinging? Was there another action you could have taken to not cling?

-What does it feel like to show someone that you have been clinging to that you are now independent? Does it feel empowering?

Action step/ Writing Exercise:

·The next time you feel insecure or lonely, try not to reach out to the emotionally unavailable person you are currently attached to. Instead, see how you get through it on your own. Write about your feelings that come up in your journal.

·Try to imagine life without the stress of an emotionally unavailable person's confusing behavior. Get to know how it feels to have emotional space free of them. Write about your feelings in your journal.

·Visualize yourself in a relationship with someone who's sure of their love for you. Someone who makes you feel secure. Someone who has never disappointed or betrayed you. Describe your relationship in your journal? What is that person like? How do you feel with them?

Spiritual Tip #5: Surrendering To What Is

If you're trying to hold onto someone even though you know it's a hopeless situation then you are resisting the inevitable. When it's time for someone to go you can't fight it. The relationship time with them has passed, even if it hurts. Surrender to what is.

"My Crush Of The Day" Best Of Bikes #28

2019-11-29T06:08:00.000-05:00

Greets from Italy! Here at last is my new collection of Crush Of The Day! 26 beauties!

"My Crush Of The Day" The Choppers #27

2019-10-09T14:51:00.001-04:00

Greets from South Africa! Here at last is my new collection of Crush Of The Day!

Sunday Morning In Bussana Vecchia Italy

2019-08-17T18:48:00.001-04:00

We spent Sunday Morning In Bussana Vecchia Italy walking,climbing up walls and stairs to stop and talk with it's variety of artists and local residents for my first episode of The Savage Roads!

Andreas starts our visit by capturing the village sign

Bussana Vecchia is a former ghost town in Liguria, Italy. Abandoned due to an earthquake in 1887, it was renovated and repopulated by an international community of artists in the early 1960s. It is administratively a hamlet (frazione) of the city of Sanremo, near the border with France. I decided to take a ride on the Harley from Genoa with cameras and drone in tow! What an amazing spot!

Bussana was founded probably in the second half of the 9th century when the coastal region was repeatedly attacked by Saracens. It was built on the top of a hill to be easily defended. In 1429 it had 250 inhabitants and it was granted autonomy from the Maritime Republic of Genoa. A period of major development followed and most of the current buildings were built in this period.

The buildings left standing after the earthquake form a lovely vista.

The French Riviera and western Liguria are at the junction of the south-western Alps and the Liguria basin, a region of moderate seismic activity. The severest earthquake to hit Bussana struck the region on February 23, 1887, killing more than 2,000 people. The worst of the damage in Bussana occurred at 6:21 on that Ash Wednesday morning, a seismic wave lasting 20 seconds which caused immediate destruction and deaths throughout the village. but no sense of this remains today.

The earthquake was the first recorded by a true seismograph built by Filippo Cecchi in Moncalieri, Italy. Most buildings were severely damaged and the authorities decided to rebuild the village on a new site downhill called Bussana Nuova (New Bussana). The old village was abandoned and all of its buildings declared dangerous. The locals have done a great deal of rebuilding and shaping up.

A small restaurant serves locally grown food and craft beers

In 1947, immigrants from southern Italy started illegally settling the ghost town. After a few forced evictions by the Italian police in the 1950s, the authorities ordered the destruction of all first-floor stairways and rooftops. Despite this, in the early 1960s Vanni Giuffrè, a Sicilian painter, together with a group of artists, the Community of International Artists (now International Artists' Village), decided to move to what was by then commonly known as Bussana Vecchia (Old Bussana). The spirit of the organization was somewhat idealistic: to be able to live simply and to work artistically.

Hippie community garden supplies all the residents with fresh veggies

In the village there was no electricity, tap water, or sanitation, but the new community of inhabitants grew from the small original nucleus to around 20-30 people by 1968, mostly hippie artists coming from all over: Italian, Austrian, English, French, Danish, German, and Swedish.

Tensions with the old inhabitants and with the police grew until on July 25, 1968, an eviction was ordered again and the police were sent to the village to enforce it. When the police forces arrived, they were faced with the villagers behind barricades refusing to leave and by a large group of international news reporters. The police decided to avoid confrontation.

Gerson, Beppe & Andreas Lucerna Films team taking a break.

During the past sixty years, Bussana Vecchia has been partially rebuilt by its new inhabitants. The International Artists' Village was born, and despite periodic confrontations with the authorities (the latest eviction order was issued in 1997 when all buildings were declared property of the Italian Government), the community is still living there, selling art to tourists, and organizing art events.

The artists and craftsmen, who live and work in Bussana Vecchia, have turned it into what it is today: an oasis of creativity, a unique and special place in the world. In December 2017, however, the Italian Department of State Property (Demanio) sent to all the inhabitants tax settlements of tens of thousands of euros and termed them ‘occupiers’. Fear arose within the village that the "Bussanesi" might lose their houses and homes, which they had rebuilt from ruins.

Inside the walls there are many gardens rich and overgrown but well tended.

On my new biker adventure series The Savage Roads I am going to take you the viewers with my brilliant film crew and ride around the planet on Harley bikes, horses and camels, jeeps and dirt bikes, hummers and helicopters as we go down the most amazing, diverse, ancient and sometimes forgotten roads... the roads less travelled... the Savage Roads...

Art galleries are sprinkled throughout the village walls and crafts as well.

We spent the morning walking around and climbing up walls to stop and talk with it's variety of artists and local residents for my first episode of The Savage Roads!

Coming soon... real bikers real adventures... vroom

All photos by: Pat Savage except for Bussan Veccia overview by: Samuele Nella

All footage by: Lucerna Films

August 17th 2019