It's one drum-haulin' machine.

Here it is...the newest edition to our family. We finally put our money where our mouth is this morning and got ourselves a new Honda Element. It is a 5-speed, front wheel drive, 5-door durable car. The color is called "shoreline mist" (basically a beigie-silver color). We've been pining over one for about three years...so it is about time! We worked a great deal (about $320 over dealer cost) and our excellent credit earned us 1.9% interest rate to boot. Can I get a WHOOHOOOOOO!?!? John can fit TONS of drums in it. The Element is very functional...it is "all business." IT ROCKS.
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Come out tomorrow night and call Lightning 100...

Hey...if you're looking for something to do that will work off that big Turkey-Day indulgence...Have I got THE show for you.

Tom Hambridge CD Release Party

(followed by Jeffery Steele.)

Saturday (TOMORROW)

Nov. 27

9:00pm

MERCY LOUNGE

1 Cannery Row (off 8th Ave. S.)

251-3020

Count on at least four hours of non-stop, great music
with Tom and Jeffrey takin' turns at the wheel!

Also, PLEASE help Tom get the word out about his new CD. CALL Lightning 100 to request "Milk And Honey." The request line # is 615-777-5100. OR...use this link to E-mail your request.

Thanks!
Hope to see you tomorrow night.

J

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

TOM HAMBRIDGE is a Grammy Nominated Singer, Songwriter, Producer and Drummer. Tom has just released his new CD "BANG AND ROLL" featuring the single "Milk and Honey." This is the follow up to his "BALDERDASH" CD that produced two hit singles "Long Way Home" and "Opposites Attract"

So far this year Tom has produced, performed or written songs on Disks that have included 3 Gold records, 2 Top 10 CD's, one Grammy nominated CD, and Two Greatest Hits CD's one of which went to number one on the Billboard Blues Charts. He also Produced the new Johnny Winter record for EMI/Virgin including writing Johnny's new hit single "Lone Wolf." Tom's work can be heard on new CD's by Nora Jones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Montgomery Gentry, Susan Tedeschi and George Thorogood and the Destroyers.

Tom who has won numerous awards for his drumming has performed and or recorded with over a hundred artists including: Chuck Berry, James Taylor, Boston, Ben Orr (The Cars), Jimmy Buffett, Del Shannon, Roy Buchanan, Jonatha Brooke and Bo Diddley to name a few.

Tom's new CD "Bang and Roll" will be available at the performance.
Visit Tom at www.TomHambridge.com

ATTENTION: Cell phone talking drivers

Just picked up this e-mail message from Denice:

"...I had a really bad day yesterday. I was driving to the office in the Stanza and was broad-sided at 43rd and Minn. by a Dodge pick-up truck, driven by a cable guy who was talking on his cell phone. He hit the driver’s side front left and hood it’s smashed up pretty bad, so it’s probably totaled as it’s worth less that what it would cost to fix it. He got a ticket for failing to yield. "

START RANT:

OK.
I'm really pissed at this guy for smacking into D.
But, let's face it.
We all do it (talk on the phone while we're driving).
Well...
STOP IT.
Today.
I mean it.
Encourage everyone you know to do the same.
It is just NOT SAFE...
and it's WAY TOO DISTRACTING.
(yes...I am yelling.)

END OF RANT.

UPDATE:
Research on cell usage while driving.

The Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) is a census of police-reported fatal accidents occurring in the US.

In one analysis of fatalities involving cell phone use, the cell phone-using drivers were all in the striking vehicle. That is to say: they struck something stopped in front of them, or left their lane of traffic and struck a vehicle or object.

In these crashes:
75% of the drivers were engaged in conversation
13% were dialing their cell phones
13% were hanging up

Of those engaged in conversation, one third were using mounted phones in the hands-free mode.

In the case of collision, according to a University of Toronto study, "Association Between Cellular-Telephone Calls and Motor Vehicle Collision":

1. The risk of collision when using a cell is 4 times higher regardless of the age or the driving experience of the driver
2. Hands-free cellular phone units offered NO SAFETY ADVANTAGE over hand-held
3. Note, in all cases the driver wasn't necessarily "at fault" but it still slowed their ability to avoid a collision caused by someone else.

BOTTOM LINE:
Please don't "cell phone" and drive.
The life you save may be your own.

NFIB Communications Retreat was GREAT.

BOCA RATON, FL -
The NFIB Communications retreat in Boca was excellent. While we really didn't get to see much more than the hotel, we did get to spend time with the DC communications team and the five regional media people (who we rarely get to see face-to-face). Good stuff.

Wednesday, 11/17:
Wednesday night we had an open bar, a yummy dinner and then we all went bowling. What a hoot! AND...believe it or not (with no help from me...my score was 68) my team won overall! ROCK.

Thursday, 11/18:
We had information / communication sessions all day to talk about the plans for 2005. We also got to see the plans for upcoming research. Good stuff. With the exception of a new media person being a little negative and disruptive, the day went well.

Then, Susan (VP of Communications) gave us a cool team building assignment that was due on Friday. She divided us into "Apprentice" teams to make 'faux' NFIB awareness commercials. Each team was given a prop budget of $60, an outline of rules and a video camera to shoot the spot. And, like the show, each team elected a project manager (me...whooohooo!) and created a name for their "business." We were Risky Business Productions.

Most people hadn't planned to have to work on something Thursday night...so there was a little dissention in the ranks at first. But, once we settled on a concept, everyone figured out the plan and specific tasks were assigned to each team member, things went a little smoother.

Our concept: Go ahead...Take the plunge! Join NFIB.

Most everyone on our team was able to go out Thursday night while four of us stayed behind to write the script. We finished writing at around Midnight or so. Then, everyone went to their rooms and I went to the business center to type up the script and create a shot sheet. (This whole exercise made me miss TV terribly.) It was crazy, but I ended up not getting to sleep until 2 a.m. Craziness.

Friday, 11/19:
The Risky Business Team met at 7 a.m. to walk through the script, determine prop needs and finalize tasks. At around 7:30 we broke to get things ready to shoot at 9 a.m.

Basically, Erin (DC media guru) volunteered to "take the plunge" in our hotel pool. The script talked about how she was living the American Dream by owning her own business. However, until she got into it, she hadn't realized all the pitfalls (taxation, regulations, etc.) of owning a business. She joined NFIB to have a voice for small business. The whole time the script is talking about this, we are showing a tight shot of clothes being dropped onto a pile near the pool. (no skin...yet.) At the end of the spot you see Erin in her bathing suit as she runs and jumps into the pool. "Go ahead...Take the plunge! Join NFIB."

We had a blast pulling it all together. Erin deserves an Emmy for her performance!

A 11 a.m. we met up with the other team in the meeting rooms to watch each others spots. Of course both teams ended up using the pool as the setting. Their concept was about "drowning in government regulations" and their "small businesses were on main street not Wall Street." Both turned out pretty well. Susan (otherwise known as "The Donna") declared the effort a "tie" and everyone is getting "You're Hired" T-shirts from "Apprentice."

Most of us had 2 p.m. flights back to Nashville on Friday, so we all hopped in our rental cars and headed to the airport in Ft. Lauderdale. I was home by 7 p.m. and asleep by 8:15. Didn't wake-up until 8 a.m. on Saturday. I was WIPED OUT.

Overall, it was a great trip.
Feels good to be home.

The Thanksgiving Parrot

A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity.

John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back.

John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.

John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer.

For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Boca Raton...here I come...

I should be in bed, but have a few things to wrap up for a trip to Boca Raton for work. Leave this morning and will be back on Friday evening.

Never been to Boca...but I've heard it is cool. I'll tell you all about it and maybe even post some pics this weekend.

Have a GREAT week.
Catch you again this weekend.
BB

Tonight's round at The Commodore

Just got home from a writer's round with Steve C and Cat Miller at The Commodore. It went well. (Love playing with those guys.) And, I even mustered up the courage to play piano. Didn't do too bad. May have to try it again sometime.

AND, as I was walking out the door, another songwriter asked me for my number. She said she wants me to do some demo work for her. Hope she calls! WHOOHOOOOO.