A little bit about me...in case you were wondering...

I was born on July 3rd 1969. My mother is Japanese. My father is African American, Cherokee and Blackfoot. I am a musician. I have been for over 27 years, professionally. I love it. The joy of it is a never ending story to me. Music is at the core of every culture. Without it, life would mean something completely different to us all. When music is heard, it is understood already. For it is a universal language. Because of this fact, some of us musicians take great responsibility in cultivating it into art.

When I think of all the times I have hurt inside, or have become depressed or even upset...I need to play or listen to music. It allows me to break the monotony of cognitive reflex in my emotions. Rather than react with words or unnecessary action, I pick up my guitar. I'm not saying that's how I think you all should be. It's just how I think. It's a trick I have taught myself over the years. Turn the negative feelings into something that other people may enjoy. If it's possible. Even if the song has a negative meaning, as long as it sounds good, most people will enjoy it.

As a teenager, I learned quickly that alcohol and music don't blend well with me. By the time I was 18 I had stopped liking the feeling of alcohol. So I gave up the peer pressure drinking. Most of my friends kept drinking and still drink today. I don't mind at all if they do. I just don't drink alcohol. I am always the designated driver where ever I am. And it has kept me out of a lot of trouble over the years. Not to mention that my mother is a retired court investigator. I once had the presiding judge of Alameda county come to see me play at Ruthies Inn back in the 80's. So getting into trouble with the law was not an option. I was always somewhere with my guitar writing songs, anyway. To this day, I do not have a criminal record. Which works for me. I once had a girl ask me if I had ever taken a mug shot. We were watching cops or something. She was curious. I said no. And felt kinda good about it. And my driving record is spotless, minus a few parking tickets, of course. You see, in order to be a musician, you have to do a lot of driving. The gigs don't come to your house. You have to drive to them. So it all works out for the better. I just don't want to waste any music time on trouble, I guess. I hardly thought about it until recently.

I'm pretty neutral with my attitude in life. It all revolves around the sweet sound of music. The harmonies that it brings me, continues to set a stage for how I must get a long with people. It literally sets a stage. And once you've been on stage, you realize one thing. Songs must be accepted by both men and women if you want to make good music for the people. The differences between men and women are endless, we all know. But every once in a while, there are moments when it really works. And that seems to always make me smile, wherever I am. I will not say that music is a solution to the problems we have, as people. But sometimes, it is the perfect remedy. In fact someone recently asked me my opinion, as a musician, on love and war.

I said what I have always said,

"....well...when everyone is all done with fighting and the drama for a while...I'm playing a gig down at the (insert nightclub). You are ALL invited. After the gig...y'all can get back to what you were doin..."

Gotta live peacefully to know what peace is, sometimes.

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

Phones...how many of us have them?

Phones...how many of us have them?
Phones...ones we can depend on?
Phones...how many of us have them?
Phones...Before we go any further, on our...

Phones a device we use everyday
Most the time we use it with nothing to say
Now you can look the word up, with friends or alone
But the dictionary doesnt know the meaning of phones

And if you ask me, you know, I couldnt be much help
Because a phone is something you use for yourself
Some are ok, and the reception is cool
But some make you stand there and look like a fool

Can you hear me now? don't sound that funny
with your cel to your earhole talkin bout money
Standing in the street near a blue parking zone
Yeah you look kinda special on that there phone

Homegirlz through the Summer, Winter, Spring and Fall
talkin' and a yappin like jaw basketball
some do it so much they got dribble on their chin
and no referee can blow the whistle on them

Before we had cel phones we saw each other
hangin out chillin with our sisters and brothers
But in no time at all, the cel phone came
and cognitive memory...erased from the brain

Drivin' on the cel phone for hours at a time
gps navigation frees the mind
don't think about steering just talk about problems
as if all those words in your mouth are gonna solve them

memory was strong but won't last too long
compared to other things it don't seem that wrong
Cause out of nowhere it just came to an end
the numbers in my head that belong to my friends

Phones...how many of us have them?
Phones...ones we can depend on?
Phones...how many of us have them?
Phones...Before we go any further, on our
Phones

you and your girl were so tight
but now she's on the phone all day and night
She even has facebook hooked to her phone
And she shares most things you don't condone

And as she holds your hand, she's texting her friends
And it's done so smooth, and it never ends
But the silence is golden on days like this
With friends like that you get used to this

You wonder how long it will last these days
you feel you don't ever have that much to say
but you hear people talkin again and again
like that lady on the phone with OBGYN (gross)

But phones come in handy when walkin down the street
women grab their phones when they see some creep
it don't work as well when you use bluetooth
but a cel phone works like an old phone booth

Phones...how many of us have them?
Phones...ones we can depend on?
Phones...how many of us have them?
Phones...Before we go any further, on our
Phones*

* inspired heavily by whodini's " friends "
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRn2VQWNkgA

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

Po'tree: Remember, Remember To Vote In November...(the WEED Man, the WEED!

Remember, remember this coming September

to vote on the weed...Oh I mean in November!

Which means xmas shopping this coming December

will be twice as fun for you costco club members

Zig zags will come in construction sheet rolls

dispensers will drop like those olde english scrolls

as we drive home like robin hood smiling with ease

with pounds of Old Sherwood in our SUV's

Prisons will empty like import car barges

can't hold a dealer if we drop the charges

Macy's will hire these folks without fail

to market their upcoming Green Flower Sale

Remember that old alcohol prohibition

revoked by the people that owned ammunition

we pot smokers waited with patience and pride

we would never use guns or the voice that's inside

Trips to the store will be more fun than ever

I'm not being sarcastic witty or clever

shopping is great when you get what you need

but have you tried your sunday shopping on weed?

I'm shocked that department stores aren't chiming in

consumers with credit cards shop with a grin

and if your store aint selling chronic my friend

the chances are slim... that I'm coming in

Smoke it for peace, smoke it for war

and if you forget what you're smokin it for

Think about bees and how they make honey

votin for weed is like votin for money

Who put the cookie in the cookie club

the same genius who was rollin a bud

back in the 80's when you said it's crazy

to waste your time smokin so you could be lazy

They gave a cookie to some ADD kids

and oh my gawd... do you know what they did?

with out that pharmaceutical hocus pocus

weed gave them 8 hours of Jedi focus

So remember remember this coming September

add a reminder to vote this November

I won't need to kill a pine tree this December

that green and red plant will keep growing forever...

your friendly cyberhood

unclesamurai

Oakland Police Theory...just sayin'...

~we have a 211 in progress...can I get an officer down there pronto?!

Officer - "On my way...

(20 minutes later)

Officer- "SIR! Please put the gun down and step away from the counter!"

Perp- " No way man! YOU back off man...I gotta pay my damn mortgage...my wife is leavin' and both my kids are goin with her...I just got fired...I NEED the money!"

O- " You're makin' a huge mistake...think about the consequences sir...drop your weapon, put the money on the counter and put one hand on the counter..."

P- "...why one hand?"

O- (spark) puff puff...(cough) "...oooh wee...god damn...'ere..."

P- " what the...? What IS that? Is...is that weed?"

O- " This aint just weed, son...it's (cough) The Chronic. It's called Purple Brainfart or somethin'...'ERE man...take it! That's an order! TAKE IT!!"

P- "OK! ALright already, Jesus..." puff puff...(COUGH)...Jesus Chricst! (cough) This (puff) is some killer hay brah...(puff)...(cough)

O- "puff puff GIVE! That's another order... fer Christ's sake, GIVE me that gun...AND the money...THANK you...now...would you mind tellin' me what in the heck you think you were just DOIN' there, mister ? (puff puff) ...'ere... "

P- (puff puff cough) ( smile) "uh..... oh...I dunno man...you know...stress...child support...whaddya call this again?

'ere... "

O- "...Purple Brainfart...hold on...Hey...IS EVERYONE ok in here? No one hurt? All that money there? Good...now, this young man is going to apologize and then he is going to walk out of here with me...RIGHT?"

P- " uh...aww dude...I'm sorry man. I think NEXT time I'm just gonna... sell some weed, or something'. I forgot...it's legal now...my bad. I could've just sold that GUN... bought some herb...and then twi.."

O- " Alright, alright...you DO have to come with me now. These folks seem pretty upset in here, what with you wavin' that stupid gun around and all. WE need to finish this conversation downtown... But uh....... you should see some of the NEW stuff we got down at the station... came in yesterday...Bubbleberry 2.5 Update...that Bill Gates fund is on hit...knock yer frikken teeth back! "

P- " Really? ok..."

O- " what are you doin?"

P- " Aren't you gonna hand cuff me? "

O- " Hahahaha...as high as YOU are right now? You look like you need both arms... now, come on...

you gotta lighter? "

P - " uh...yeah. "

O- "... you can ride in the front seat..."

Don't forget to vote this November

Birthday Po'tree

It's my birthday today and the coffee just hit me

rational thoughts reach up slowly to grip me

the sun is on fire and it lights up the sky

giving life to us all and we still don't know why

As the thoughts of raw violence dry up like cold spit

from sleeping through hours of nicotine fits

I stretch and I yawn to embrace one more day

as I exhale the smoke and leave ash in the tray

There is hope on the the cusp of reality's dream

it's the color of coffee mixed perfect with cream

yes it's blonde and so full of what I like to taste

and it sits there so patiently right in my face

And the news of the world is a teenage obsession

it spreads like pure gossip with talks of recession

The war, rapes and violence that all of us hear

have always been here, just not all in our ears

It's the telephone game mixed with media snitches

who fan all the flames like a room of drunk bitches

burning the truth like cracked out salem witches

twitching like junkies to scratch their own itches

And what of this hope that I mention quite briefly?

it comes in all shapes, sometimes green sweet and leafy

it makes you all dreamy and full of affection

and most of it lies in your cd collection

To contemplate all that is right and so wrong

to not act in violence and sit with a bong

but to write your synopsis into a great song

and watch people dance while they're singing along

That's a gift that I got from the world I live in

it's like armor I wear in a battle of sin

I aint sayin' I'm perfect, I just don't mess with folks

unless I 'm assured there's a punchline or joke

If you know who I am then you know you can say

I have never put people in front of harms way

I don't think about this or my own reputation

I just smoke and chill out with my daily libation

Defuse the confusion and write the next tune

I watch people live in this earthly cartoon

If that's how you are then I can't say it's wrong

but that's how you'll end up in one of my songs

The truth is so brittle but oh when it ages

it turns into historic facts on the pages

and life aint no war, it can never been won

I know what I'm sayin'...I'm Forty one, son...

your friendly cyberhood

uncle samurai