Hey, welcome to the "Guitar Man" website... my website.

If you're new here, like, if you are one of the people who has been catching some of my tunes on Podcasts around the world... double welcome. Take a few minutes to look through the "Archives" and see what we're all about here. The webmaster of this site, James Marino, has built a kickin' site... really easy to navigate. There are FREE songs to download, original political catoons you won't find anywhere else (I draw them), some Photoshop stuff... it's all FREE. Pass it all around. Just tell people where you got it okay?

EVERYBODY... if you wanna hear the wide range of people who are out there Podcasting, James has made many of them a click away... over there on the right, below the "Concert Clips".

And, if you're a regular and live in or around New York City... man! We'll be getting out to Central Park before you know it.

Damn! We have a lot of fun around here. And, I can't wait to get out to Central Park, Riverside Park (The Storyteller's Hill"), and Pier 45 ("The Sunset Concert Series"). Got some new original songs to share with you guys... some new cover tunes. A bunch of classic rock, folk, love songs, funny songs... gonna be a great summer.

And, this year, we're gonna do the video-Podcasts from these locations so you guys can all be a part of it. (You'll be able to tell your friends and family all over the country and around the world at this site to check out a gig that you were a part of.

Very cool.

I'm also very happy to be among those at the head of the line, now that it seems the country just might be catching on a little. At times, it's actually felt like I was getting my musical-ass kicked a little for some of the things I've chosen to say and put in my songs. Maybe we'll start breathing a little life into some inherently American principles... like free speech, honesty, accountablitliy and the rule of law. Goodness knows it isn't the Democrats in Congress who are leading the way... (with perhaps the exceptions of Jack Murtha and John Conyers.)

It's the American people.

(I hope.)

And, dammit... HA! In the tradition of American rock n roll and the social consciousness of folk music, it's what we do!!!

Who knows if it makes a difference... it's just music. But, I like to think it might make a differnce in some small way. Anyway, I don't really have a choice about it. It's what we do. Kind of in the job description.

Y'know, I am a fiercely independent artist and politically Independent my whole adult life. Never been a registered Republican, Democrat or anything else. Hopefully I'm just a grateful man who loves music and Life, someone who lives a life with reason and purpose, an American man who loves the principles this nation was founded on, and an average, imperfect human being whose doin' the best he can every day. I wrote a song which I'm recording this week called "I Love the Company". I'm talking about people who "get" that. I pray that the party is getting a little larger every day.

I'm feeling rather encouraged by this particular MSNBC Poll.

(Although I still get email from a few of the 15-out-of-a-hundred people who still buy his crap.)

Here's something I would like to share with those people. Well, with all of you. This is an excerpt from yesterday's press conference. (Only the second one the intellectually-timid Mr. Bush has held this year.) Of course, they air them during the daytime when most of you are at work. So, very few people see anything but the edited, watered-down versions on the filters of FOX and the other so-called "news" channels. But, I'd like you to read this exchange with Helen Thomas, especially the part I highlighted in bold type.

Then, honestly ask yourself two questions....

"Is this man sharp or is he an embarrassment to the office?"

And, "Is he obviously getting confused by his own line of bullshit?"

Okay, read carefully. Pay attention.

Q: I'd like to ask you, Mr. President, your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime. Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is, why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House, from your Cabinet -- your Cabinet officers, intelligence people, and so forth -- what was your real reason? You have said it wasn't oil -- the quest for oil. It hasn't been Israel, or anything else. What was it?

BUSH: I think your premise -- in all due respect to your question and to you as a lifelong journalist -- is that -- I didn't want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect --

Q: Everything --

BUSH: Hold on for a second, please.

Q: -- everything I've heard --

BUSH: Excuse me, excuse me. No President wants war. Everything you may have heard is that, but it's just simply not true. My attitude about the defense of this country changed on September the 11th. We -- when we got attacked, I vowed then and there to use every asset at my disposal to protect the American people. Our foreign policy changed on that day, Helen. You know, we used to think we were secure because of oceans and previous diplomacy. But we realized on September the 11th, 2001, that killers could destroy innocent life. And I'm never going to forget it. And I'm never going to forget the vow I made to the American people that we will do everything in our power to protect our people. Part of that meant to make sure that we didn't allow people to provide safe haven to an enemy. And that's why I went into Iraq -- hold on for a second --

Q: -- go to war --

BUSH: -- and therefore, we worked with the world, we worked to make sure that Saddam Hussein heard the message of the world. And when he chose to deny inspectors, when he chose not to disclose, then I had the difficult decision to make to remove him. And we did, and the world is safer for it.

Q: Thank you.

BUSH: You're welcome. (He chuckles.) I didn't really regret it. I kind of semi-regretted it. (He laughs.)

Q: Have a debate.

BUSH: That's right. Anyway, your performance at the Gridiron was just brilliant -- unlike Holland's, was a little weak, but -- (He laughs.) - - uh, sorry.

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Kind of a shame some of you gotta catch up on this stuff here at a musician's website... but, it is important.

Anyway, hey! It doesn't change my primary purpose here at this site... which is to share music, laughs and time with you guys. And, very soon we'll be ramping up the audio-show (Podcast) "Crazy on the Same Day". Keep checking back for more about that, okay? Y'know, I write rock n roll, and folk, and ballads and love songs... and I even kick a little country around once in a while. Hey, have you guys been listening to the Podcasts that are out there already. There is a guy in New Jersey who's got a show on the internet called The Jersey Todd Show. It's a very cool thing and the man obviously loves music and the people who make it. Go check him out!

Oh, and once again... THANK YOU! To all of you who are helping out with this year's Permit Fund.

Seriously. Very soon I'll try to send a personal "Thank You" email to every one of you, okay?

If you feel like helping out with this year's "Permit fund"... now would be a good time to do it. I put the paperwork and fees in for most of the permits to play on "The Hill" in Central Park already. If everything goes smoothly, and it doesn't rain like it did last Spring, we'll be hanging out together before you know it.

So if you feel like it, the webmaster has made it really easy. There are two buttons over there on the right. PayPal actually keeps a smaller percentage of your donation. But, either method is good.

But, only if you feel like it and only if you can afford to help out. Remember, it's most important to me that you show up... with or without your money.

If you feel like emailing me about anything at all, just click on the "Contact" button. I can't answer all the email I get. But, I promise I eventually read every single one. And listen, I know there are people reading this in different parts of the country and different parts of the world. If you're new here take a look through the "Archives" to see what we've been up to. There's alotta fun stuff in there... FREE songs to download, original political cartoons I've drawn... all kindsa stuff.

Thanks again.