Leela Music Newsletter, June 2010Michael Stribling Here's an overview of what you'll find in this issue:
Some things happen fast, faster than you thought they could. That's what's happened with my newest CD, Paradise Lost. It's finished! And it's on its way to the CD replication folks. I hope to take delivery about the third week of July. In the meantime, the CD is available on Leela Radio right now. You can listen to the whole thing ... for free! Let me know what you think. The two-month international promotion begins August 1. Here's where the real fun begins. I'm looking forward to reading the responses of the reviewers, and hearing from you listeners. I hope you will help me celebrate the birth of my new baby ... Paradise Lost.
Context, Intention, Motive I recently needed to have my air conditioning unit replaced, and, as luck would have it, this occurred when the temperature rose to 107 degrees (Fahrenheit; that's 41.7 degrees Celsius). Even with all the fans on full blast, the temperature inside rose to 94 degrees (34.4 C), which made it a challenge to sleep at night. I had the opportunity to go to a friend's house, where it was much cooler, but I decided to stay home and "tough it out." Why did I do that? Part of me wanted to revisit my experience at graduate school, when I lived for a time in a dorm apartment that had no air conditioning. But part of me wanted to see what it felt like to live as so many people do: without air conditioning. I wanted to "walk a mile in their moccasins" as the expression goes. I wanted to increase my empathy for others. I wanted to be reminded of just one of the many things I have to be grateful for, by taking it away for a little while. (Actually, as I write this, the air conditioning is still not fixed.) There are many other reasons why I could have chosen to stay home. I could have stayed home so I would have something to complain about to others, so others might feel sorry for me, and for any number of less noble reasons. This brings me to a quote by David Hawkins, which puts this, and so many other daily choices, into perspective: "It is not the action itself but the context of that action which determines whether it is spiritual or not. Context is set by intention. Motive, though, is what makes the difference. One can earn money out of love for one's family, company, country, or all mankind, or one can make money out of fear, greed, or selfishness. If we view our work as a contribution to society, it then becomes a gift no matter how seemingly simple it may be" (David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I, p. 247). We can do the things we choose to do for any number of reasons. But it seems to boil down to three basic things, which are good for us to be mindful of: Context, Intention, Motive
A bit of sad news... Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The gravesite was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Born and bread in Minnesota, Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his wife, Play Dough; three children, John Dough, Jane Dough, and Dosey Dough; plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes. If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else that may be having a crumby day and kneads a lift.
Every issue, I give away a free CD (autographed, of course :-). If you're on the mailing list, you're automatically entered in every drawing. This month, the winner is Sabrina Jones. Congratulations! ============================================================ That's it for this issue. Feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you liked, or didn't like, in this issue, and any recommendations or requests you have for future editions. If you're new to the mailing list and/or you want to read some of the back issues of this newsletter, just visit the Leela Newsletters page. Thank you for your support. Please invite your friends to visit Leela Music and sign the guestbook. Oh yeah, it's okay to order some CDs, too! They make wonderful gifts :-). I also have a page on MySpace.com. Have a look and join the list of friends at www.myspace.com/leelamusic. I wish you peace, joy, and love. Namasté, Michael Stribling If you would like to be removed from my mailing list, please reply to this email and type the word "unsubscribe" in either the subject line or the body of your reply. One more thing: if you change your email address without telling me, I won't be able to send you any more newsletters. So, please keep me in mind if/when you change your email address. Leela Music Newsletters
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