| 11-11-11 Special Newsletter from Chris Chandler  This is the special annual 1 month 1 day edition of the M.U.S.E. .A.N.D. .W.H.I.R.L.E.D. .R.E.T.O.R.T.
But first!
The New album Matadors is done!
You can get your copy right here!
Click on the picture
or paste http://www.celticartstudio.com/store/benoit-cds/
And now enough of the crass commercial announcements it is time for my favorite annual newsletter.
Hey everybody,
Seven Come Eleven.
It's that time of the year again. This year it is 11-11-11.
I have been sending out a special edition of this news letter once a year for a decade – starting with 01-01-01. It has been a fun annual tradition for me.
Please feel my forward it on to friends on 11-11-11.
I am sad to say that this will be the second to the last of these annual special edition news letters – as I look to 12 - 12 -12 as the final one…
Well, unless someone between now and then ads a month to the calendar and we have a 13-13-13.
But hey – it has happened before – twice – I mean why do you think "OCT"ober is the tenth month and "DEC" ember is the 12th?
Well….
That is because Julius Caesar wanted a month named for himself – and he got it: July. And then not to be out done Augustus Cesar wanted one to and we got August.
So there is a precedence - It could happen - and who am I to speculate?
So HERE WE GO,
11-11-11
Eleven.
Seven Come Eleven.
She is a beauty of a number. I mean if just to look at… two parallel lines reaching to the heavens, yet firmly rooted to the ground. She is the same if turned upside down or if viewed in a mirror – or both.
Sideways, she is a ladder.
She is the first three Syllable number. The next would Seventeen.
For once, I will not get into arguments with the negative number crowd on this one because the word negative itself is a three syllable word.
In this "E-Lev-Un" has no competition even the obscure esoteric kind. She is the first three syllable number.
She is the first two digit Prime Number (unless you count negative 11)
Eleven… she is a beautiful las.
We count in base ten – because (As I have said on many occasions) because we have ten fingers.
Eleven is the first number that you can not count on your fingers.
She is the moment when we – as ten fingered humans - burst beyond our physical bodies and discover a world that is more than our selves.
The discovery of eleven is a pivotal moment in human evolution –
THE moment…
The gateway moment…
The moment when we realize we are not the center of the universe – that there is a world beyond ourselves that is countable – but to do so we have to reach beyond our very human-ness.
The concept of eleven represents us entering the puberty of our reign as the dominant species.
At eleven, we have entered the awkward years… we have put on the training bra of human awareness…
OK, my mother is dead and I can say these things…
I lost my virginity at age eleven.
I smoked my first cigarette then. I experimented with drugs then too… yes. I was that guy… who changed his shoe size as often as changing gears in an 18 wheeler going down a mountain road.
I am the same size now as I was then.
5'-8' and 120 lbs… I was huge… The sixth grade class was mine!
At eleven, I ran away from home in Stone Mountain Georgia - bound for New Orleans. I know these days that is an early age.
I got picked up by an Alabama cop and taken home to Georgia.
My inevitable wanderlust would be delayed.
Years passed… 11 of them….
When my nephew turned eleven, I thought, "Oh, …I am going to be the cool uncle… I am going to sit him down and talk frankly to my nephew… about drugs and sex and rock and roll. Wine women and song." Not of course to encourage him to do that – but to let him know he was soon going to be exposed to such things… to let him know that I would be his go to guy if and when such an incident transpired.
I did so… It was Christmas Eve. I told him about my life at eleven….That I had done drugs and quit. I had been there. I told my tale with all of its misgivings – carving out each misgiving with all the details attendant.
He said nothing…
He sat slack jawed underneath the blinking Christmas decorations that were the hallmark of my family experience.
Twilight fell.
Santa Claus came.
We all rejoiced as my mother prepared breakfast. Christmas breakfast,,,
The entire family gathered round… Formal… Aunts… Uncles…. Cousins… My grandmother…
He, the only "child" at the table (Eleven) was naturally the center of attention…
"So Steve-O How did you like the presents – was Santa Good to you?"
He answers, (I am not making this up) "Yes, Santa was good,.. But…
"Chris told me I should run away from home and start doing drugs…."
Abject silence.
Eleven…
I am sure this newsletter will make this Thanksgiving with my family interesting…
Oh where was I?
Eleven…
The puberty of human existence…
Eleven has no center (sorry 5 and a half) she sits catawampus – bending the rails of the abacus.
One one – or as the Rastafarians call it - Eye and Eye. Eleven.
Perhaps it is no coincidence that it was indeed Apollo 11 that landed the first humans on the moon.
By the way a rocket must travel at 11 km per second to get out ot the earth's atmosphere.
99 minus 88.
Eleven… she is a beautiful las.
She is salty – the atomic number of Sodium.
The phrase "The eleventh hour" comes from the fact that this is a holiday.
Veterans Day.
The Treaty of Versailles ending the Great War was signed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
We in the US call it Veterans day. But in Europe, Canada and Austalia it is Armistice day, or remembrance day.
We were only in the Great War for a few months so for us it is not as ominous. But when you go to our neighbor in the north and you see those monuments – especially in the small towns – the smaller the town the taller the monument – the number of names is overwhelming.
It's like descending into the American Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC.
Names upon names – you can almost hear the commander shouting. "Send in the Canadians."
The Great War ended on November 11, 1918 with a terrible armistice that only lasted 22 years. (2 times 11) Then, the Great War changed her name to the diminutive: World War One.
World War Two is often abbreviated with Roman Numerals – which makes it look like World War 11.
Eleven.
77 divided by 7
In the year 11 AD Jesus Christ was well… 11.
After Judas turned out to be a fink…
we had only eleven Apostils.
Jesus was seen eleven times after he resurrected.
Now THIS is not a classic Mel Brooks Gag: There are actually Eleven Commandments.
There are eleven statements in the Bible texts of the traditional Ten Commandments. Roman Catholics combine the first two statements into one and the Protestants combine the last two in order to arrive at the number ten.
How to number the Ten Commandments was a major issue during the Protestant Reformation.
Eleven: 3 and 2/3 times 3
Ben Hurr, Titanic and Lord of the Rings all received 11 Oscars.
There are eleven people on a soccer and field hockey pitch.
Eleven on a football Grid and eleven on Cricket field.
Eleven was the number worn by Sparkey Anderson, Carl Hubbell, Norm Van Broklin,, Joe Kapp, Phil Simms, Steve Spurrier, Yao Ming, Issah Thomas and, Mark Messier,
In cards, the Ace can be counted as 11 or 1 – depending on which is more advantageous to the players.
Eleven: the 5th smallest Prime number (unless you count negative numbers)
In a 12 Step Program Step ELEVEN is a step of meditation and courage
The deepest point of the ocean floor is 11km at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
Eleven 5 plus 6
The Band, Harry Connick JR, The Smithereens, and Ryan Adams have all released Albums titled "Eleven." I assume in each case it was their eleventh album. My eleventh Album was called: American Storyteller Volume II.
Which kind of looks like American Storyteller Volume Eleven
"This Amp Goes to eleven" was one of the most memorable gags in the Iconic film "Spinal Tap."
Seven – Eleven decided not to change its name to simply 24 when it went from being open from 7 AM to 11 PM to just being open all the time.
There were eleven pipers piping. Perhaps they were Peruvian street musicians.
The Canadian Maple Leaf has eleven Points representing the 10 Provinces Plus the Monarchy.
The Canadian Dollar Coin has eleven sides (a hendecagon) and The Clock on Canadian Currency reads eleven O'Clock.
Aquarius is the 11th Zodiac sign.
And finally, it was American Flight 11 that flew into the twin Towers (which looked remarkably like the number eleven) on September the 11th 2001
No, I don't want to leave you with such an ominous thought.
It is eleven that gives us hope – and leads us into the future. It is the gateway number.
The Phrase "Seven come Eleven." is a wish for hope.
It comes from the game of craps: The first roll is indeed the "come roll," and you are hoping for a 7 or an 11, both winners.
Your bet on this roll is called the "come-bet."
So on this 11-11-11 – likely the only one in our life-time:
I say to you: "Seven Come Eleven."
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A.N.N.O.U..N.C.M.E.N.T.S.
The new CD is done! If you would like to get your copy please click here:
Pauli and I are still up in the North West with a few more shows. After that he heads for Asia and I return to Oakland.
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Occupy!
Check out this video from the new album:
http://youtu.be/ilExjbNj5HY
New Videos coming very soon! Including 4 more for David Rovics
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Please check out Jen's website a very good choice for Christmas:
www.celticartstudio.com
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As you may know I won the 2011 Ameri-Cymru Eisteddfod in LA this year.
Here is an announcement and request from the organizers:
Hi, my name is Ceri Shaw and I run the AmeriCymru Welsh American social networking site. We organize an event each year, in conjunction with the MLMEF ( see below ) called the West Coast Eisteddfod. We held the 2011 event at the Barnsdall Art Center in Hollywood and we were both pleased and honored to welcome Chris Chandler as a competitor in our live Poetry and Storytelling events. He won both! And next year we want to invite him back as a competition judge and as a performer in our Grand Opening Concert.
Events cost money and, since we are Welsh, we run everything on a shoestring ( we've been broke since before the end of the Roman Empire ) BUT we are not asking for donations.
ALL WE WANT IS YOUR VOTE! Please read the blurb below and discover how, in just a few seconds, you can help us win $25,000 to help fund the West Coast Eisteddfod 2012.
This doesn't cost you a penny, will only take a few moments and you can really help us out by doing something quick and easy! We have only two weeks to make it, PLEASE vote for us and help us get there!
http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/263243673-mlmef
Make sure you vote by hitting the big, green VOTE button, not just like the charity or the page.
http://www.facebook.com/gaabriel.becket and let me know!
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H.E.R.E.S. .D.A. .D.A.T.E.S.
Thursday, November 10, 20119:00 PM
Seattle, WAspecial CD release party1707 NW Market Street
Seattle, WA 98107
phone: 206-789-1621
Website: www.ballardjamhouse.com
Friday, November 11, 20117 PMVashon Island, WA19529 Vashon Hwy., S.W.
Vashon Island, WA 98070
phone: 206-463-9800
Website: tvicr.com/
Located in the center of Vashon Island, WA at the corner of Vashon Hwy., SW & Cemetery Road.
We're just a short ferry ride from Seattle in the heart of Puget Sound in the scenic Pacific Northwest.
From the north end ferry dock heading south, we're at the 2nd stop sign.
Sunday, November 13, 20118 PMOlympia, WAThe Tall House Arts Consortium Presents with special guests Citizen Band311 Capitol Way North
Olympia, WA 98501
phone: (360) 705-0760
Website: www.facebook.com/people/Royal-Olympia/100000219743514
Sunday, November 20, 20118:00Decatur, GASpoken Word Feature205 E Ponce de Leon
Decatur, GA 30030
phone: (404) 378-5002
Website: www.javamonkeydecatur.com
Sunday, December 18, 20119:00 PMSebastopol, CANorthbay Poetry Feature230 Petaluma ave
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Website: www.hopmonk.com
NORTHBAY POETRY SLAM
Web Site http://www.hopmonk.com
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