Think you knew all about the chess crowd?

Just a bunch of scrawny, brainy, anit-social geeks in that there chess club?

You ain't seen nothing yet.

Heck, I ain't seen nothing yet.

Check it out, the Hip Hop Chess Federation. The inner city chess club using chess, music and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and non-violence. http://www.hiphopchessfederation.org/ And then check out the Wu Tang clan's new chess site: www.wuchess.com

Looks like the game of kings is going back to the people.

'bout time.

Were you there when Bobby Kennedy died?

I was around, but just barely. Still an infant. When I started realizing what was what in the world, it was just after Watergate and near the end of the Vietnam. All the air was gone from the balloon, but there was a tinge in the air still of 'what would it have been like if we'd gotten to see what Bobby promised'.

Now, on the month of the 40th anniversary of his death, a new democratic candidate of promise takes the stage. I can't help seeing that as significant.

I can't help but picturing a political illustration in my head of Barak is picking up a metaphorical fallen American flag off of a blood stained hotel kitchen floor, to carry it forward.

As I've watched Barak and listened to his book, I can't help but seeing a little Bobby Kennedy, a little Dr. King---oh, and a little Cliff Huxtable.

Maybe we'll get to see that promise after all. And hmmm, 40 years---like the Jews in the desert with Moses, waiting to cross over. We shall see.

The Angel Ascends

You may or may not know, but my daughter has been budding as a young singer/songwriter for almost a couple of years now. We knew that she was interested in singing and could play the piano, but one day before her 16th birthday I came home from work and she and her mother eager ushered me over to the piano where she was going to perform a song that she had made up.

I allowed myself to be pulled along with a grin on my face that said I was glad to hear her song and that I was preparing to be fatherly proud, like I was with all the drawings on our fridge. She sat down and played a song that had been inspired by a boy from school who didn't return her affections (sometimes a person might think that boys were invented so girls would write music and poetry). The song was called TimBurton Romance. And when it was over I was speechless. It was much more than I had expected.

At that point, I must admit, I went into a bit of a depression for a couple of days. I was unprepared for her to cross over from kid to artist so quickly and unexpectedly. I kind of felt like she had something there and I suddenly wouldn't have anything to offer her any more---that she would have out grown me. Of course, all this was unfounded and she's been great for having me along still. I just had to make the transition from daddy/teacher to artist/collaborator, and it's been quite a ride.

She made her debut at her 16th birthday where we hooked a keyboard into the DJs sound system that was playing for our backyard party. It was a Tim Burton themed costume party, so everyone was dressed up as a character from a Tim Burton Movie. She had not played her song for anyone before this point, keeping it a secret, and when she was done, all her friends exploded with cheers. They were all as impressed as I had been. A true rock star moment.

Now, a year and half and a whole roster of new songs later, she is blossoming again. A few weeks ago she put up an artist page on myspace---and was discovered (after a fashion). A least enough to get offered a spot on the roster at the popular indi underground concert space in Omaha. She's joined up with her brother on drums and a friend who just moved back on bass--and now she has her first "pro" gig on July 17th!

They call themselves Sami Angel (Sami pronounced saw-me---it's a nickname that she got in high school from friends who believed it to be the word in Japanese for 'innocent'. She later found out when taking a class in Japanese that it really doesn't mean anything in any language, but she kept it all the same).

Check them out at myspace.com/samiangelmusic. She has some samples of her music up there (just keep in mind that these are basement tape demo grade samples at the moment--we're working on getting more fully polished versions posted).

Oh, and don't forget to 'friend' her if you have a myspace page. :-)