My Man Bear

So once again I have fallen off of my blog.

Today a few thoughts hit me on topics to write about.

I mean so much is going on in OUR world and MY world it is hard to know where to start.

I figured I would start with a tribute to my man Bear. He was a huge part of my life, I figured I should pay my respects before rambling about baseball, football or anything else.

So here is my tribute to Eric Terrell Bowden or my main man forever Bear.

A few weeks ago I received a call from one of my out of state partners about a rumor that he had heard on my main homie Bear. He had heard that Bear was killed in Vegas over the weekend. Of course, I didn't believe it as I had just talked to Bear two days before. I quickly called Bear's cell and it shot to voicemail and the voicemail was full.

I am really afraid of bad phone calls and immediately all the ones I have received over my 37 years flashed before me. This one hit me different. It was disbelief (that's usual) but I felt like I was floating in space. Weird I know, but I could not come down to earth to deal with this. I made a few more calls including one to the morgue and they confirmed my worst fears. The lady offered her condolences but they floated in the air with me. Still weird.

Bear is only one of many people very close to me that has passed on. I mean all the way back to High School I can remember losing close associates and friends to car crashes, suicides and the other.

Death is a weird subject for me. I guess everyone deals with death differently. It is hard to lose young people. I miss my grandparents and aunts and uncles but they have lived full lives. To lose someone so young is unexplainable. I have a strong belief in God. But I always go back to a song written by Depeche Mode (Blasphemous Rumours) in which they said that "God has a sick sense of humor" in taking someone so young. The way I deal with death continues to evolve but I still cannot grasp why God takes good people.

So, as usual, I dove into my work, went out on the weekend and tried to have fun while constantly thinking about my friend.

I met Bear through my man Sleep. Bear was full of energy and wide eyed when I met him. He loved being in the mix. I put Bear in as many situations as I could and he always delivered. I trusted Bear with a lot . He honestly never let me down.

I remember once, I had this chick and she was talking shit about me while Bear was around. Bear got so upset he chased her out the spot with his pistol. She called me and was frantic. She called and said "Bear just shot at me! You need to call him-he crazy!" I called Bear, he laughed, we both laughed but that was the kind of loyalty Bear possessed.

I helped Bear to see more than LA and sent him out on the Guerrilla Black nationwide tour. Bear got to go to Texas, the South, the Midwest and through the Rockie Mountains. Bear fiend ed to go back to Miami, it was always a blast. Bear was tireless when doing what he loved. He never complained and always got it done. After business slowed down in LA, Bear moved to Las Vegas to get it going for himself. Bear picked up some accounts and was having a ball in Vegas. He once said to me that he was so happy that he moved there because it was new and LA was just "too hectic for him". Every time I landed in Vegas Bear was there.

This weekend I went back on tour to Vegas with Maino. It was so hard to be in what I thought of as Bear's city without him there. We ate Chicken and Waffles at a spot in Vegas and no Bear. We hit the video show with Tva Parks, who Bear really liked, and no Bear. One of the people who liked Bear a lot and took him on the promo stuff was my man Rory McAlister. Rory is a staple in Las Vegas and always has been. Rory was in about as much disbelief as I was around the whole event. I went to the club, no Bear. I felt so empty this weekend.I know Bear is in a better place, but I miss him. I feel he is still going to call and I am going to hear him laugh. I choked up and cried the morning of the funeral and that was hard. I am still numb to death, still numb to the thought my friend is gone.

In closing, I find it hard to take someones life. I find it hard to believe our generation does not find it hard to take someones life be it through war, money, cars, clothes or women. It is a sad state of affairs when people are disposable. Hopefully the next generation of young kids growing up will be a little more cognisant of how valuable life is.

I apply music to my life. A lot of songs stand out. I dedicate this song to my friend Bear.

Sometimes it Snows In April

by Prince

Tracy died soon after a long fought civil war

Just after I wiped away his last tear

I guess he's better off than he was before

A whole lot better off than the fools he left here

I used 2 cry 4 Tracy ‘cause he was my only friend

Those kind of cars don't pass U every day

I used 2 cry 4 Tracy ‘cause I wanted 2 see him again

But sometimes, sometimes life ain't always the way

Sometimes it snows in April

Sometimes I feel so bad, so bad

Sometimes I wish that life was never ending

And all good things, they say, never last

Springtime was always my favorite time of year

A time 4 lovers holding hands in the rain

Now springtime only reminds me of Tracy's tears

Always cry 4 love, never cry 4 pain

He used 2 say so strong, “Oh, I'm not afraid 2 die?

Unafraid of the death that left me hypnotized

U know, staring at his picture I realize

No one could cry the way my Tracy cried

Sometimes it snows in April Sometimes I feel so bad, yeah

Sometimes, sometimes I wish that life was never ending

But all good things, they say, never last

I often dream of heaven and I know that Tracy's there

I know that he has found another friend

Maybe he's found the answer 2 all the April snow

Maybe one day I'll see my Tracy again

Sometimes it snows in April

Sometimes I feel so bad, so bad

Sometimes I wish that life was never ending

But all good things, they say, never last

And love, it isn't love until it's past

PIGSKIN TIME (no tears please)

So as I contemplate the end of the baseball season and how two of my teams may NOT even be in the playoffs, I have decided to pick a football team to root for this season.

Now before you say, you can't just pick a team, let me remind you that we have NO pro football in LA.

I have never really rooted for the Raiders, because Ice Cube said "Stop giving juice to the Raiders, cuz Al Davis never paid us!" Don't believe me look it up.

I never rooted for the Rams after they moved to Orange County so I have never really had a team.

When I was real young, I liked the Steelers (Terry Bradshaw,Franco, Lynn Swann) and I liked the Cowboys (Roger Starbuck, TD, Too Tall Jones).

So in 2008/2009, I wanted to be able to watch a team and really root for them. Now by "root" for them, I don't mean buy the jersey and hat and be done with it. I mean follow them, know some stats, know some players numbers and all that.

I just finished watching the HBO special on the Cowboys (Hard Knock Life).

Good behind the scenes show, giving up all the info on why cats get cut, get hurt and why some dummies should have played 4 years of college before opting out for the draft.

Soooo I have made my choice based on a few things:

1. My childhood "like" for the team


2. My homies here in LA are BIG fans of the team and it would be fun to root along with them.


3. My M-Town homies are big fans of the team and it would be fun to root along with them.


4. They are my big boss Azim's favorite team (something to talk about other than records on Monday)


5. I really like the town where they are from and I have found two real good sushi joints there
   

So my 2008/2009 NFL team I will root for all season long IS (insert drum roll please)

THE DALLAS COWBOYS!

And lastly, My BIG homie Steve Nice will probably be DJ'n a shit load of after parties, so I plan to bring a football and a sharpie!

Your thoughts on my pick are welcome:)

My Tardiness

In between the flights, the clubs, the family events and baseball games, I am now making a HUGE effort to blog as much as possible.
I think about the blog daily, but I write, re-write and edit so much it is tough to get all my thoughts out in a legible manner.
I am once again in it with alot of BIG things around the corner
So please stayed tuned

Baseball Game Ticket and Arrival Etiquette

So I am on my "grizzly" to attend as many baseball games as possible this year.

The baseball park is quite difficult for first timers and even when you are a vet like me, it still packs a bunch of frustrating moments.

So I am writing my blog today to list my gripes and hope they dont happen again, but I know they will.

ARRIVAL

I am a big fan and I arrive early (for batting practice)-so should you!

Arriving in the bottom 3rd inning is not the business. Stay HOME! Watch it on TV, you have a missed 1/3 of the game!

I paid too much money for you to take your middle two seats and have me miss two batters.

Down in front!

SEATING

Every stadium in the world has a seating chart on line. Look at it, memorize it, bring it to the park-tattoo it on your forehead!

Last time a checked 3 came before 4 and 8 after 7. Why would your two seats marked 12 and 13 be anywhere remotely close to my aisle seats at 1 & 2??

When I was in pre school I learned the alphabet. Say it with me: A-B-C and DO NOT sing it!

So why do people with Row M or S, look directly at my row AA or A and think they are sitting by me.

UGH!

Come to the park early, leave late and always bring a "froggy" person with you to completely enjoy the game.

CHEERS and PLAY BALL!

Songs That Saved Your Life

So I think of blog topics, titles and ideas daily now.

My man Cri has me on his blog list so I do not want to disappoint my small audience and not write, so I figured I would answer a question that is always asked of me.

How did you get into listening to Morrissey?

Well....

May 17 2004 & Mar 13 2006 were two recent dates that have had a big effect on me.

May 17 2004 was the release date for You Are The Quarry, Morrissey's first album in seven years.

And the March 13 2006 date was the first time seeing Morrissey in concert in almost 9 years.

Now some of you may or may not know who Morrissey is. But I will try to tell you what the Man means to me.

When I started high school most of the hot girls were into alternative or "new wave" as they called it.

I was head strong into rap so I wasn't getting anywhere with the hot girls-dig?

So my man Rudy Morales, who was straight off the block in East Los, started dubbing me tapes of the new and old stuff he was listening to-New Order, Metallica, Zeppelin, Bauhaus, The Cure and The Smiths/Morrissey. Rudy knew that this was what the rest of the school and "hot chicks" were listening to. Good looking Rudy!

I'll admit, I missed the Smiths period, but when Morrissey's Viva Hate came out, we were all over it.

I honestly never heard so much frustration, so much angst, so much emotion in a rock song.

The only music where I heard frustration and anger was in a Public Enemy album and this was far from that.

Morrissey made it ok to have feelings, to be disappointed, to sometimes feel despair and to celebrate triumphs (when they occurred)

All I remember is that East LA was on it. KROQ was playing it, cats were dressing like him and yes the hot chicks were digging it too.

With great titles off of Viva Hate like:
Alsatian Cousin
Little Man, What Now ?
Everyday Is Like Sunday
Bengali In Platforms
Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together
Late Night, Maudlin Street
Suedehead
Break Up The Family
Hairdresser On Fire (only on certain issues)
The Ordinary Boys
I Don't Mind If You Forget Me
Dial-A-Cliché
Margaret On The Guillotine

Fast forward to May 17 2004 and the release of You Are The Quarry by Morrissey.

Now this was the first album in seven years.

I bought it, listened and was hooked all over again.

I picked up every single and album and completed my Smiths & Morrissey collection.

On March 13 2006, I did the unthinkable. I was in Texas on business and then flew to Tulsa, OK to see the first Morrissey show in the US in a long while. I hadn't seen the Man since 1992 at the Hollywood Bowl. It was a great surprise when my brother Lucky Lou flew in as well and wanted to see what I was talking about. Lou and I had a few beers, a couple of Jacks and the stage was set. Morrissey delivered in an incredible show and it made me wanting to see his shows more.

Since then I have seen shows in Chicago, Oakland, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and my fave Tijuana. I love the feel of a live show and the passion of the fans is unmatched.

Moz's new album will be out in Feb 2009 and will be called "Years of Refusal"

Catch the Man LIVE if you can-Viva La Rock and Viva Hate!

CAPTAIN'S LOG MAY 22 2008 "the beginning"

So I'm rolling around in the truck the other day, thinking about things.
Thinking about how much our world has changed in the past few years.
Thinking about the good, the bad and the indifferent in all things.
Love, Life, Music and the pursuit of finding good baseball tickets. That is what goes on with me-thus the title.

My man PJ Butta blogs, Nerv One has a good blog, that old guy on CNN has one (reluctantly) and a lot of pro athletes have one too, so I figured why not give it a try.

I used to do a monthly column in the PowerSummit magazine, the name slips my mind right now. Rene McLean needed content in between the 1500 ads, so I created Weezee's World.
I used to talk about my adventures in the music biz and do some advertising for my friends in the biz as well (artists, new jobs, unemployed). People love reading their names in print, good, bad or indifferent. Just spell their name right and presto! They will be reading your words avidly.
A good friend of mine told me "E, I write for a living!" and he is just the SVP of Promotion at a label.
Lylette Pizarro McLean (Rene's wife), once remarked to me about my column in the mag, "Weezee, you write pretty good." I guess Lylette thought I was some illiterate like the rest of Rene's friends:)

So now I'm a blogger, bringing Weezee's World into the cyberworld and hopefully entertaining you whenever you read this.
I have a camera and always have my laptop so check in frequently and I promise not to disappoint.

Always down to go "one on one holmes!"

e