The Bean!

Back at The Bean on Aug. 19 @ 8pm to 10pm....
Come and join me for an evening of good food,
good friends and good music!

Pics from SVFF Showcase

SVFF Songwriter's Showcase

On Aug. 4, in beautiful downtown Cobourg, I had the privelege of playing in a Songwriters Showcase for the Shelter Valley Folk Festival. What a great time! There were 10 performers chosen from a field of 48 submissions, so I feel honored to have been included. Each performer was given a chance to showcase 2 songs, and with a crowd of over 150 people packing onto William St. in front of Victoria Hall, the scene was quite incredible. Unfortunatly, I wasn't chosen as a finalist, but congratulations to Joseph Izdebski, Sarah Crips, and Jess Graham!! Can't wait to see you guys at the festival!! Three more weeks!!!

Peace,
Shamus

Bean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

July 21/06, 8:00pm!
The Human Bean
Come!! Check it out!!

Tired, but Excited!

I've stayed up a couple of nights this past week, after working Aft. shift, to finally write some music and lyrics! I am way beat, due to the 3 am bedtimes, but I'm so pumped about the songs, I'm actually giddy, which is not something that I normally am. (No unnecessary comments from the peanut gallery req'd) It has been a long time since I put down anything meaningful in the way of music. It feels good.

I think I have been officially folked..... (grin)

Both songs (one finished, one almost) have a decidly folkie bent to them. The first, called 'Step into my shoes' is actually a conversation with a repo guy, and has a very bluesy thing goin. The second,'All we really need' is almost a bluegrass tune. Its great. Loving it.

Anyhow, its late... Gnight

Shamus

What a Hoot....(gah, sorry)

Just got back from The Hootenanny Revue, at the Lawless Gallery in Grafton.
Awesome, hilarious, excellent music. Thanks for a fun time L.bo and Crillo.

Shamus

Fours!

Four jobs I've had:
1. Dish Pig @ Swiss Chalet
2. Material Handler @ Norcom/CDT
3. Machine Operator @ Horizon Plastics
4. Insulator Operator @ Belden/CDT

Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. Shawshank Redemption
2. Lord of the Rings Trilogy
3. Star Wars Sextuplet
4. Poolhall Junkies
Rounders

Four TV shows I watch:
1. Daily Planet
2. Myth Busters
3. Smallville
4. CMT Central

Four Places I've been on vacation:
1. New Brunswick
2. Tremblant
3. Florida
4. T.O.

Four Websites I visit daily:
1. Hotmail.com
2.L.Bo's Site
3. This Blog.... to check for responses and get to L.Bo's :oP I use hers as a hub.
4.Yahoo.ca

Four Favorite Foods:
1. Chicken Wings, the hotter the better
2. Pizza, Pepperoni and Double Bacon- The Heart-Attack Special
3. MB's Chili, with added spices and Frank's Redhot
4. MB's Fajitas.... again, hotter is better

Four places I'd rather be:
1. The Grand Ole Opry
2. Chapters (with an unlimited budget)
3. Playing at The Bean
4. The Shelter Valley Folk Festival

Four Charities I'd give bucketloads of money to
(if I had bucketloads of money to give):
1. Youth for Christ- National and Local
2. Amnesty International
3. Absolute: Hero
4. Alpha House of Northumberland

Four People I'm tagging:
Everyone I know has been tagged..... So I'm
ending the cycle!

Health Care ponderings.....

In light of the recent federal election, and the sore need that is our health care system, I wanted to ask you guys your opinions on Two-Tiered Health Care, and Private Health Care.

Here is what I am thinking;
-The current system is overworked and wait times for essential procedures are outrageous. If a person can afford to pay for an essential service, would that not effectively remove them from the queue? And considering they are paying their own way, wouldn't that free up thier tax money to pay for someone's procedure who is less fortunate?

-The current system is underfunded. This is only true since the Harris axe fell, but before that mandate took effect, the system was bloated with misuse and waste of funds. There needs to be a balance between the two at some point. In a true two-tiered medical system, funding for the public side of health care would continue to come from our tax money, but essentially, people would be 'paying' to use the private side twice, through taxation and user fees.

-The argument that a two-tiered health care system would see a flood of medical expertise to the private sector seems a little redundant to me. In a country where people are dictated to by the government all the time (overtaxation, by-laws, extortion.... oops, was that last one out loud?), wouldn't it be simple to just mandate that salaries in the private sector be capped at, or even slightly below that of the public sector. The choice for a prospective nurse or doctor, then, would be less clouded by monetary considerations, and more driven by the ideal that sends most people into medicine in the first place, 'Helping People'. And I'm sure that the private companies that are interested in building clinics wouldn't balk at the idea of capped salaries, therefore having to spend less on staffing costs, which in health-care are a massive expense.

These are a few of my thoughts.... what do you think?
Peace,
Shamus

-

Bean-arific!

Friday Feb. 10 8-10pm at The Human Bean!
I reckon' you should be comin' on down, pardner....
And ya'll come back now, y'here....

Back at The Bean

The Bean! Sat. Jan. 28! 8ish-10ish P.M.!

Check..Check.... Is this thing on?

I have finally begun to pursue my dream of recording, albeit not in the conventional way....
I have purchased a Digital Multi-track Recording Studio from Zoom. Its basically a professional level recording studio in a box a little larger than a laptop. It Rocks! And I am so excited about the endless possibilities! Just think, perhaps a 'Live from the Bean' album....... :oP

For now just trying to get aquainted with the system and such, nothing else really going on!

Peace,
Shamus

To Bean... or Not to Bean....Dat's de Qestion

I am playing once again at The Human Bean this Saturday Jan. 7!!
Be there or be.....

Falla-la-la-laa-La-la-la-la!

My next appearence at The Human Bean has been booked for Fri. December 23/05!
Come on down for a good ole' time!

Nays and Dights....

Its 2:45 am....
I am awake....
Shift work Sucks...
But heres a couple of cool pics I found while surfin'.
Yawn,
Shamus

Back from blog hiatus!

Hello Everyone!
Sorry for the extremely long time between posts.... whats can I say, I am boring with nothing to say :oP. Please plan on stopping by more regularly if you have stopped coming, cause I plan on updating much more frequently than had been the case over the last little while.

Quick note- Thanks to all at The Human Bean.
Friday was a Blast!

This past month has gone, (dare I say it?).....fairly smoothly, so really not a whole lot to report.

I am planning on going into the studio in the very near future to record some stuff. I am trying to decide what the best route is, just a demo of 4 songs or a full CD at 8-10 songs. The issue really is capital..you know, cash, bread, dough, moola, dinero etc. etc.

If I could wish with no strings attached, I'd definently go for the full track. I 've tossed around the idea of preselling copies in hopes of raising some funds, but other than that I am stumped.
Any thoughts?

Peace, Shamus

At Da Bean.....

I will be playing once again at The Human Bean on Friday, November 25 from 8pm to 10pm.
Please spread the word to all your rednecked country music loving friends!

Peace,
Shamus

Ideas....Feedback......Abuse

Just thought I would ask you guys for some advice. I am wondering if you know of any places where I should be approaching about playing. Thought I would also open this thread up to allow for suggestions, song, abuse and such. So please tack on your thoughts! I would also like to thank everyone who made it out to my 2nd show at The Human Bean. It was great fun!
I will be playing sometime in November at The Bean.....so check back for a date!

Thanks,
Shamus

Sobering Moment

Colborne Chronicle Article

I found out yesterday that a guy I worked with at Horizon has killed himself. They found him in a tree, in Colborne. This is supremely disturbing to me..... I have found myself thinking of him and his family almost constantly. I wonder if there is something I could have said, you know? Something I could have done?

I don't believe that we are here, just to take this ride and get off. Our impact on others and vise versa is not only a by-product of this trip, but second only to trying to understand and live out the will of your Creator.

Today, I am not laughing.

Peace,
Shamus

Ta Da Dump, Ta Da Dump.....etc.

Here I come to save the DAY!!!

Emergency Update! I am playing at The Human Bean this Friday Oct. 21 at 8 PM!

The act that was scheduled to play canceled , so I was forced to slip into a phone booth and change into my costume....... wait, thats a different dream entirely.

Please spread the word!

Thanks,
Shamus

Happy Belated Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving!!........Better late than never, I suppose.

Hope you took the time to spend a moment with those that you care about most, and to thank God for his wonderful providence.

With Thanksgiving,

Shamus