The presidential hopefuls are slowing gaining steam as we plow past '06, into 07, with an eye on the big prize in '08.  Each presidential hopeful has put his/her best foot forward, but who will rise in prominence in '07, and who will become burried in baggage and scandal? If the election were held today, McCain would beat Hillary.  Will McCain's momentum slow down in '07?  Will Hillary gain momentum and pull ahead?  And what about Osama, or Obama or whatever his name is (just kidding Democrats)?  Will he prove to have something real to offer or is he just a fleeting visionary without the will or the skill to turn his dream into reality?  

What about the flavor of politics?  Will it be marked by bitter partisanship, divisiveness, vitriol, and bitter rancor, or will politicians of disparate positions work collaboratively to build a future for America? 

Personally, for what's it's worth, I'm with the Police, as they proclaimed in the song, Spirits in the Material World: "There is no political solution/to our troubled evolution..."
I may be biased, but I believe more hope is to be found in music that unites and in spiritual renewal that begins in the heart of every individual in America and around the world.  When we humble ourselves as individuals, and, as a nation, and stop trying to be our own gods, then we will truly discover a Future to Behold in '07 and beyond. 

It's time to play the game of blog n roll.  Perhaps its your first attempt of the new year.  Perhaps it's your first attempt-----period.  It's really quite simple.

Blog n Roll Rules (yes, it does!)

Allow me to rephrase that:

Rules of Blog n Roll

1.  Listen to the original song corresponding to the blog entry.

2.  Read the blog entry.

3.  Enter a comment.

Well, now that you've heard the song, here's your opportunity to share your experiences and answer the question: Can faith, or devotion to Jesus, keep a spouse faithful?  Is a person committed to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ any less likely to cheat in a marital relationship? 

Do you have any personal experiences you would be willing to share as it pertains to this issue?  Did you place too much trust in somebody over your perception of their religious devotion, and did they end up cheating on you?  Or, on the other hand, have you found your spouse's foundation of faith to be a good insurance policy against infidelity?  Which is stronger, hormones, or a deep connection to a holy God?  Here's the deal: I drop a blog post, along with an original song that corresponds to the post, and you keep the energy going with your comments.  On your marks, get set......GO!

John Lennon, when he was alive, urged us all to Imagine.  Can you imagine a world in which the Beatles actually claimed Bakersfield as their home town rather than Liverpool?  What if, instead of calling London, I had just grabbed the local phone book to interview the Quarrymen, the band that Paul and John were in just before forming the Beatles? 
http://www.tollbooth.org/20...

What if we were lucky enough to have the Beatles as our claim to fame---as our lingering legacy?  Would you feel any different about this town?  How would this town be different.  I wrote and recorded the song.  Now it's time for you to set the stage for a BeatleLand blog discussion.

When I release Bakesfield (This Ain't Life as it Should Be), arguably my biggest local blog n roll hit song of the year, some questioned my sense of civic pride and my love for this beautful city of Bakersfield.  Well, I hope this here new song puts all rumors to rest and removes all doubts cast by those who would think I was anything less than proud of Bakersfield. 

How about you, how deep is your pride in this town?  What are you proud of, and what are you ashamed of about living here? 






LYRICS:

As Long as I'm from Bakersfield
Dr. BLT
words and music by Dr. BLT (c) 2006

people put me down
'Cause I'm from B-town
they laugh and call me "redneck" to my face
they ask me what I spit and chewed for breakfast
I tell them livin' here is no disgrace

chorus:
'cause as long as I'm from Bakersfield
I'll hold my head up high
as long as I'm from Bakersfield
you'll never see me cry
sticks and stones may break my bones
but words just fly right by
as long as I'm from Bakersfield
I'll hold my head up high

they call this town "the armpit of the valley"
because our summers are as hot as heck
but Miles, our weather man is cool as ever
now I ask you
have you ever seen him sweat

as long as I'm from Bakersfield
I'll hold my head up high
as long as I'm from Bakersfield
you'll never see me cry
sticks and stones may break my bones
but words just fly right by
as long as I'm from Bakersfield
I'll hold my head up high

when I moved here I met my next door neighbor
he didn't have front teeth, but I don't care
he said "Please meet my wife and my dear cousin."
I only saw one person standing there

as long as I'm from Bakersfield
I'll hold my head up high
as long as I'm from Bakersfield
you'll never see me cry
sticks and stones may break my bones
but words just fly right by
as long as I'm from Bakersfield
I'll hold my head up high

To follow Jesus in '07, you will need to leave the worries and fears of '06 behind.  To follow Jesus from the cradle to the cross, and beyond, you will need to suspend your doubt and cynacism long enough to take hold of the reins of faith.  To follow Jesus through his death, you will need to leave your burdens, and all of your sins at the foot of the cross.  To follow Jesus through the resurrection, you will need to leave beyond what Freud described as Thanatos, or "death instinct," and grab ahold of the abundant life. 

To follow Jesus through '07, you will need to rely upon his spirit, whom he called The Comforter, that manifestation of the trinity he left behind as a parting gift when he joined his father in heaven.  To follow Jesus in '07, you must put faith above politics.  You must trade hatred in for love---even if it means loving your enemies.  You must trade your emotional baggage for his deliverance.  You must trade the warring factions within and without for his peace.   As I have made abundantly clear, I call myself a doubting believer and a stumbling follower, but I will not stop following Christ in '07, no matter how many times I stumble. 

I cannot and would not want to decide for you, whom you should follow in '07.  Moreover, if you decide to follow Christ, you can count on one thing: suffering.  But along with that suffering, you will rise again, as he rose.   The Bible says that "Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  They shall  fly up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."   The cross will be my path in '07.  What will be your path?  Will it be a path to pleasure?  Will it be a path to riches?  Will it be a path to isolation, lonlieness, and despair?  Will it be a path to victory, or a path to ultimate and profound loss?  Will you take a path of peace or a path of war? Will you take the path of personal self-destruction, or will you take a more constructive path?  I know what path I am, on, though I often feel just as lost as I was before I was found.  I wish you well in whatever path you decide follow in '07.

For my final Christmas blog post, I'd like to introduce the subject of Christmas as a romantic time of year.  How many of you are in love this Christmas?  How many are falling in love?  How many are rekindling the flames of an old romance?  What sorts of romantic memories do you have that correspond to the Christmas season?  What are the most romantic Christmas songs?  What other elements combined together put you in the mood for a Christmas romance?  By the way, may Christmas bring out the best in all of us this year.  May it be a time for peace on earth and love in our hearts, not only for our loved ones, but for those we struggle to love.  MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!





Christmas 4-2 credits:
lead vocals/harmonies: Dr. BLT
drums: Pat Frase
rhythm guitar: Dr. BLT
lead guitar/bass: Reggie Langendorfer

There's one song I never seem to get tired of as Christmastime rolls around.  It was a hit song penned by Johnny Marks that Brenda Lee turned into a timeless classic.  This year I decided to pay tribute to Peggy Lee and songwriter Johnny Marks by covering the tune myself.  I don't think it's possible to duplicate, or to even come close to capturing the innocence, charm and delight of that original recording, but if you have grown weary of Brenda Lee's original recording and are ready for something a little different, try this.

In the meantime, it's been a great year of blogging in the Bakersfield blogosphere.  Let's all relinquish our differences of opinion, gather round the Christmas tree and rock on together!

credits:
words and music by Johnny Marks
original recording by Brenda Lee
lead, backup vocals: Dr. BLT
drums: Pat Frase
rhythm guitar: Dr. BLT
lead guitar: Reggie Langendorfer

A world without Christmas would be a very sad world, as would a world without Easter.  It seems like district trustees had their priorities straight, voting 4-1 Thursday to change the names of Kern High School District breaks to Christmas and Easter. 

This is a small step towards reclaiming holidays that have, and continue to have, a profound impact on American culture.  While I believe the trustees made the right decision, and I applaud them for their actions, I am against pushing the dominant religion, namely, Christianity, on students who do not share that religion. 

So while Christmas and Easter are realities that those who do not adhere to the Christian faith must contend with, given the nature of Western civilization, officials must do something to also demonstrate a willingness to reach out to those who celebrate holidays other than Christmas and Easter. 

We must do something to show students that while Christmas and Easter are a core element of our culture, we do not want to force our faith, and our faith-based traditions on them.  That's why I'm introducing this blog post.  I believe there are other ways to reach out to those who celebrate Hannukah and other holidays instead of Christmas and Easter----ways other than subscribing to a generic, politically correct, but fundamentally wrong, and lifeless language to describe our holidays.   So if you have any ideas, share them here.  I blog, and I write and record the songs corresponding to my blog posts.  But without you folks, there is no blog n roll.  You put the roll in blog n roll by contributing your much-valued comments. 

Am I culturally insensitive in affirming and supporting the decision of the district trustees?  Am I woefully ethno-centric and biggoted for taking my position?  That's up to you to decide.

Have you got an axe to grind?  Are you one of those last-minute Christmas tree shoppers who can't find a tree because folks bought them early this year and you're up against the shortage?  I've got the solution, and it's contained in this song.

Perhaps who were among those who purchased your tree early, but you can't stand the last-minute-Christmas-shopping crowds at the mall?  Once again, I've got the solution. Escape the way the two redneck Christmas tree huggers in this song did.  Try some last-minute-Christmas chopping.  Last-minute Christmas Choppin' is a redneck duet I recorded with Walter Stormont.  I hope you like it, and I hope that you learn a lesson from the song, and the story contained therein.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!  HEADS UP! TIMBER!

.............................................Well , if you haven't guessed by now, it's a freshly broken heart?  How many of you have suffered one of these just before the holiday season?  How many of you have had to take back a cornucopia of gifts because the one you bought them for left you out in the cold just before Christmas?  Now let's try putting the shoe on the other foot.  How many of you have broken somebody's heart just before Christmas?  That's right, how many have played the scrooge of hearts?  

If you wake up Christmas morning and find a broken heart in your Christmas stocking, then this brand new, original song of mine should be the gift that keeps on giving.  Without any further ado, allow me to introduce What Kinda Christmas (Has This Become) by yours truly, featuring Pat Frase on drums and Reggie Langendorfer on lead guitar and bass.  

The song is my gift to the broken hearted this Christmas.  And, here are a few stocking stuffers to boot----tips for seasonal heartbreak survival:

1.  Surround yourself with friends who share your sorrow and are emotionally invested in seeing you survive the season, and thrive in the New Year.  It's not hard to mobilize a support network when you are suffering from a heartbreak.  Start with family, then branch out to trusted friends. 

2.  Avoid the dreaded rebound relationship.  If you need a shoulder to cry on, find one, but don't mistake a shoulder to cry on for a boyfriend or girlfriend to rely on.  Healing takes time, so give the process lots of it, and don't rush into anything new, or next Christmas will be even more brutal than this one.

3.  Mobilize internal and eternal resources.  Allow the message of Christmas to penetrate deep within your soul and psyche.  Use this time wisely for some serious soul-searching.  Allow the savior, who once lay in the manger to wrap your heart in swaddling clothes, and provide your heart with heavenly comfort. 


So there you have it, I hope the song, and the stocking stuffer tips from "Santa Shrink," serve as a buffer to soften the blow that this Christmas brings.  And BTW, Merry Christmas!  Well, maybe that's pushing it.  How about Get Well Soon?!

It is the centerpiece of the Christmas story?  Is is merely a fiction that makes us feel warm and fuzzy during the Christmas season, or is it a miraculous historical fact?  If try, the implications are ineffably profound: A holy God coming down to earth to walk among men and women; to feel the trials, tribulations, and temptations known to heart of humankind; and to bear the burden of the sins of the whole world on his shoulders.  If an 'immaculate deception," what creative, if cruel minds, would conceive (pun intended) of such an incredible tale, and for what purpose? 

You know the game.  I introduce the topic with an original song.  I address the issues.  I bring up the questions.  You answer them.  I call it blog n roll.  Are you a believer in the virgin birth, a skeptic,  or a cynic?  Haven't made up your mind?  Respond in kind. 

Above all, have a very, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

As a young man, I had, and have, more of the temperament of an artist than a construction worker.  So the sight of me working as part of a construction crew with a bunch of hardened blue collar workers presented a rather sorry mental portrait.  As a young college student, you do what you have to do to make those tuition payments. 

In the summer of 1979 (or perhaps 1980), I took a job laying concrete pipe underground for a company called Wapel Construction in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  It was a tough summer.  Every day I received my instructions from a Ukranian boss who had not yet mastered the English language.  Only half of the words were in English and I had to figure out what the other half meant.  Needless to say, I made numerous errors and got cussed out every day, several times a day.  I eventually called up a previous employer and asked for my job back.  He eagerly welcomed me back.  Of course it was a dramatic pay cut, but I was more than happy to accept it.  Before that phone call, I had a hard time facing each day.  Four angels got me through and they were known as ABBA.  The song that provided me with the strength to get through each day was ABBA's
I Believe in Angels. 

Allow me to hit fast forward.  A number of years later, as I was driving south on the 405 where I was teaching classes at CSULA, listening to James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, I was suddenly struck from the left lane by an ajacent car.  My car spun 180 degrees and I passed several lanes, starring at car after car heading straight towards my vehicle at speeds of about 70 mph.  The last "car" was actually a diesel truck and it missed me by a few feet.  Eventually I glided towards the right shoulder and that's where my vehicle stopped.  That day, I believed in angels. 

There was somebody else who was happy I survived the accident without a scratch.  That was, and is, the woman I refer to in this song: Heaven's Favorite Angel.

Walter Stormont, a friend and fellow band member asked me when I had written a particular song we were working on in the studio in late November.  I don't him, "Two weeks ago," and he replied, with his signature wit, "Oh, then it's one of your old ones."  Well, then I guess that makes this one positively antediluvian.

You may have heard this song on the radio as it generated some local airplay when it was initially released in the Christmas of '04.  Today I am releasing it to the general public, in hopes that visitors to my blog will be able to answer the question introduced in the song: If Bakersfield Were Bethlehem, just what kind of reception do you think Jesus would receive? 

And for those who don't know how to play blog n roll, the rules are exceedingly simple:
I raise the issues.  I ask the questions.  I provide the blog n roll tune.   Your role is to put the "roll" into blog n roll by simply providing a comment.

What do Johnny Cash, Bakersfield, Christmas and South Carolina share in common? Well, the answer is contained in the song you are about to hear, and so is the story.  Let's just say that getting an all-expense-paid trip to South Carolina to be a keynote speaker on the subject of Music as a Therapeutic Tool can be a dubious blessing at best, especially right smack dab in the middle of my wedding anniversary, and right smack dab in the middle of the Christmas season.  This song came to me in early December as I sat in front of Starbucks on Rosedale Highway in Bakersfield, California as I contemplated what was supposed to be happy moment in my career as a psychologist who specializes in the psychology of modern music.   I hope you enjoy the song.  It's a free ride. 

song credits:
lead vocals/harmony: Dr. BLT
drums: Pat Frase
percussion: Walter Stormont
rhythm guitar: Dr. BLT
lead guitar: Reggie Langendorfer
bass: Reggie Langendorfer

Bing Crosby.  Andy Williams.  Burl Ives.  Frank Sinatra.  The Carpenters.  These are a few of my favorite singers of classic Christmas songs.  But every once in a long while, I'm ready for something new.  How about you?  If you are ready to hear a new Christmas song, it might as well be one of my very own.  This song has already recieved nearly 200 download hits in the last 24 hours.  No, it's nowhere near my chart-climbing Christmas hit from last year at this time, Black Santa (a song that is picking up steam again this year, BTW), but it's brand new, so give it a chance.  Let me know what you think (see credits below).  If you're a guitar player, grab your "axe" and add a few guitar licks along the way.  If you can see (or even if you can't) sing along. 

And while you're at it, let me know what are your top 5 favorite Christmas songs are---including the old and new.   Or how about your worst?  By the way, my worst Christmas song of all time, is Christmas Shoes by Newsong, followed by Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. 

Free Download link:
Brand New Christmas Song
Dr. BLT
words and music by Dr. BLT (c) 2006
http://www.drblt.net/music/...

Here are my top five favorite Christmas songs:

1.   Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano
2.  O Holy Night by Andy Williams
3.  I Wonder as I Wander by George Beverly Shay
4.  Little Drummer Boy: Harry Simone Choir
5.  Jingle Bell Rock: Bobby Rydell
 
Brand New Christmas Song credits:
lead/backup vocals: Dr. BLT
drums: Pat Frase
percussion: Walter Stormont
rhythm guitar: Dr. BLT, Reggie Langendorfer
lead guitar: Reggie Langendorfer

I've listened to nearly every Christmas song Johnny Cash ever recorded.  There's something decidedly dark and haunting about every one.  Though he loved to laugh and to have a good time, Johnny Cash was not a jolly old soul.   But he was an old soul with deep convictions, deep sorrow, and deep compassion.  His songs he sang, and his consistent advocacy for the down-trodden reflect the real spirit and real meaning of Christmas.  This Christmas, as every Christmas, we are visited by the ghost of Cash past.  He reminds us of what Christmas is all about.   Johnny Cash, this Christmas, we still miss someone, and that someone is you!

The song, You're Not the Kind of Ho (That Santa had in MInd) is based on my own personal experience.  In the first verse, I draw from my father as a role model, reflecting on a situation I experienced as a youth, as I witnessed my father's refusal to allow a hooker to come in between himself, his family, and his efforts to gather food to feed his family.  In the second verse, I draw from my experience years ago, when I worked as a Program Coordinator of a runawy shelter in Modesto, California, and from the traps that teens who entered the shelter, found themselves caught in, including the trap of teen-age prostitution.

The question of how society should educate teens surrounding their sexuality has been a controversial one.  Some, who believe that sex should be reserved for marriage, advocate for a message of abstinence, and shun programs that introduce teens to methods of birth control.  Others, who accept sexual promiscuity, or, at least, sexual experimentation as a reality that is concomitant to the adolescent years, believe that we must protect teens against STDs and unplanned pregnancies, by offering them a comprehensive approach, including an overview of birth control measures. 

I am interested in understanding your views as it concerns the role that public education should have in teaching children about sex.  Is it the job of our public schools?  Is it the job of parents?  Should secular humanists set the agenda for sex education in schools?  Should conservative Christians set the agenda?  Is there room for compromise?  Your comments put the roll in blog n roll, so let's get rollin'!

It's called Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD.  Poets identified it long before mental health professionals like myself analyzed the heck out of it.  It may make for romantic muse, but once it gets you in its throes, it can be quite painful and disruptive.  This mood disorder seems to be associated with a decrease in the time period in which one is exposed to sunlight, and so onset is generally in the late fall and early winter.  Symptoms include lethargy, sadness, hopelessness, insomnia, loss of appetite, loss of interest in sex and other activities that were once experienced as pleasurable, and social withdrawal.  In severe cases, a person can become suicidal, especially when it emerges along with a pre-existing mental health condition. 

The worst thing you can do when you feel the symptoms of SAD coming on are to stick your head in the sand (or in the snow if you live where it's cold), and ignore it, hoping it will go away.  Sometimes something as simple improvement in diet and excercise habits can cause symptoms to go away.  Some have experienced positive results with special types of indoor lighting.  When the problem feels more overwhelming and it begins to result in an impaired level of social and occupational functioning, then it's time to seek out professional help.  The combination of antidepressant medication and psychotherapy has proven quite effective in such cases. 

Sometimes it also helps to pray.  Prayer can be a powerful means of allowing spiritual light to penetrate the soul and psyche.  And then, there is sublimation.  This involves the transformation of negative energy into positive energy through engagement in creative activities like music and painting. 

I sincerely hope that if you are suffering from SAD, you will pay attention to the problem and actively seek solutions that are best suited for you.  Don't let SAD stop you from savoring the season!

I recall Christmas in June, 1969.  That's right, June.  That's when the real Christmas came for me and my brothers.  That's when we discovered the guns that were to have gone with the Johnny West sets we received for Christmas in the Christmas of 1968.  My mother had apparently tried to burn the little plastic guns by placing them in the family burning barrel and setting them on fire along with the other burnable items.  As it turned out, like Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego, the three Old Testament characters who were placed in a fiery furnace by an evil king, these guns were completely spared.  The Johnny West set was now complete and we began firing away.

My mom's plan obviously failed, and I turned out to be a pretty peaceful, non-violent sort of guy.  So far, I haven't gone postal or anything. That leads me to my question.  Should parents give their children toy guns, violent video games and other violent gifts as Christmas gifts.  What do you think the effects could be?

Some parents sacrifice everything just to give their children a good Christmas.  Other parents sacrifice everything, including their children at Christmas, just to get high on cocaine.  This song addresses the issue of cocaine addiction and the price families pay during Christmas for the addiction of one or more parent.

Before they Were the Beatles:  My Interview with the Quarrymen
By psychologist, Dr. Bruce L. Thiessen, aka, Dr. BLT 

For the past two years, Santa has been extremely good to me.  Last year, I had the distinct honor and pleasure of interviewing Pat Boone.  This year, it’s a Quarrymen Christmas.  That’s right.  If you can believe it, I had an interview with the Quarrymen, the very boys who used to jam with John Lennon and Paul McCartney---the boys that laid the foundation for the sound that would eventually evolve into a worldwide, historical phenomenon. 

When I spoke with Rod this morning, he was recovering from a bad cold (I bet even the Beatles got those).  He was also preparing for a trip to Valencia, Spain, where he and the boys will be performing at an event known as Beatles Week. 

Rod was the main spokesperson in this interview.  He took the lead, but the others chimed in here and there, and when they did; their comments were greatly treasured and appreciated. 

I’ve also taken the liberty of inserting the occasional personal reflection or two in response to the comments of the band members, including a musical reflection. These will generally be in italics. 

Rod was hospitable, affable, and incredibly humble, especially for a man who had traveled side by side with Paul McCartney, and John Lennon, on a long and winding road that helped define and shape the signature sound of the Beatles. 

Based on the comments of the other Quarrymen, they seemed to have the same admirable qualities that Rod possessed, and this made the interview a real pleasure.  They all traveled the same journey, as well as their own individual journeys. 

The entire interview/profile piece is now available via this link:

http://www.tollbooth.org/20...