Advice if you get pulled over, hand cuffed, then.....

Thown in the back of a squad car. Always remember, the nice cop is NOT your friend. (neither is the bad cop)

AND hopefully you will have taken my advice and saved that bottle until you got home.

REMEMBER: "IT'S CHEAPER TO TAKE A TAXI FROM LAKE TAHOE TO SAN FRANCISCO, THAN IT IS TO GET CAUGHT ON A DUI. TONIGHT and SUPERBOWL SUNDAY are the two nights that traffic cops live for. Overtime has already been appoved just to accomidate your drunk ass. Dragnets and Stingers are getting set up as I type this. Avoid main streets if you can. (even if you're still sober, those field tests can be a bitch even when you're straight)

Don't do it. Don't drink and drive. Not even a glass of wine with dinner. You'll enjoy waking up in your own bed tomorrow morning in a color other than orange. Your insurance agent will thank you. Your boss will thank you. Anyone that depends on you arriving on time will thank you.

PLEASE. Have a safe and legal New Year's Eve.



Peace and Joy


Ace.........

Preparing to kill brain cells.....

I think today is the equivalent of Black Friday for the alcohol industry. As millions of consumers head for their local "Beverages and More" or "Joe's Liquors" to stock up on Brain killers. I guess one sign of growing old is when you actually realize that waking up 1/1 without a hangover is better than going to bed 12/31 in oblivion.

As 12/31 approaches, I need as many brain cells as I have left to reflect seriously on 2007. One place I really want to avoid, and will, is the local drunk tank. And don't think one 12oz. Budweiser won't get you there. And that's just the beginning. My lawyer friends say that after all is said and done, a DUI (no matter how drunk or sober) will cost you somewhere in the hood of around $10,000 dollars US. This will get you a new year's gift of attorney's fees, court costs, rehab courses and of course unaffordable insurance for the next 10 years. All because you turned the key of your stupid little ignition with alcohol in your system.

And as scary as that is; beware of the drunks (the real ones) that the cops didn't catch. They'll not only end your holiday but your life as well. I have unforgettable memories of phone calls on New Years Eve/Day. Ones I wish I could forget.

My New Year's wish for everyone including myself is that you stay out of jail, stay alive and do something to better yourself in the upcoming year.


Peace


Ace..........

And now a word about the future.........

Freezing our asses off at the Duck

In what could have been our last show at the "Mucky Duck", I must say that it was one for the memory. All of the shows at he Duck are outside. The temperature at showtime was somewhere in the upper 40's (i think). All I know is that I wore leather gloves to pack in and pack out. The first two sets I was thinking "Valley Forge". The 3rd set was unbelievable. All I can say is that it turned into a Shred-0-mania set. People where taking pictures. Lots of people were interviewing us. Everybody wanted a piece of us (literally, I got my hair pulled)except the night manager. Don't know why, but I'm not going to worry about it. We had lots of people standing in 40 degree weather clapping and screaming.

What else is there to Rock and Roll.

I'll let you know where we land next.


Ace out............

MERRY CHRISTmas ACE FANS

And Happy Birthday Terry Anderson.

How do I feel about Christmas you ask? Well it will surprise you. I don't see it as a religious Holiday at all. As a matter of fact it was the Pagans that founded the capitalistic Idea. The Idea of remembering the birth of Jesus once a year on an arbitrary date is both inaccurate and non-biblical. So I don't see where seculars, atheist and non-Christians get offended. Actually true believing Christians have more reason to be offended. There is NOWHERE in the bible that instructs followers of Christ to memorialize his birth. Most die hard Christians will attest that his death was far more significant than his birth, and they are instructed to observe his life, death, burial and resurrection when they participate in "communion". Something that is done in most church's on the first day of the week (Act 20:7).

So Christian's, although having their savior glorified thru retail sales, have this once (out of two, Easter being the other) opportunity to share their belief system with non-Christians. But in a forum that is not endorsed by the scriptures that Christianity uses to build its belief structure. It's a double edged sword. Both Christmas and Easter. It's a great recruitment season, yet a religious fallacy. So while both left/seculars and right/religious fanatics duke it out from Satan's day (Halloween) to New Year's eve, Jesus must be looking down upon it all smiling yet shaking his head while saying to Himself, "they're missing the point."

How do I, personally feel about Christmas? It's Americana. It's a great reason to get people to stop war for 24 hours. It's great for the economy. It represents 75 percent of retail sales. It stimulates temporary employment. It makes most people "hopeful". It gives some people an excuse to "try" religion. And aside from the sky rocketing suicide rate and needless persecution of Douglas firs, I'd say the upside outweighs the fallacy/religious collateral impedance it has on non-Christians.

BTW, where's the outrage over Halloween? Why doesn't the tolerant right get upset over families dressing their children up as minions of Satan? Halloween is treated as mother's day. (Although I did get a laugh when a school district in Oregon outlawed Halloween because they thought it discriminated against witches. lol The funny part of the story was, some head of the local witch chapter went on TV and said, "No it doesn't". lol.....

Satan must be looking up at all of this shaking his head and saying "Good their missing the point."

Merry Christmas all.

Ace Andres
www.AceAndres.com

State of the Music Union

If you want to know what shape the music Industry is in; just walk down to your nearest Tower Records or Wherehouse records and try and find my latest CD. It just ain't gonna happen. It boils down to this, it just takes one CD sale, then the rest are all free.

Gene Simmons said he wasn't going to make anymore new music. When music became digital, they should have invented analog computers. Because records became files. How can a musician make any money? Obviously not from the honest altruistic people that brought you "Millie Vanillie". Or Ashley "lip syncing" Simpson. Bars hardly employ bands anymore. And who is going to stay out til 2 in the AM to check out your band? The computer changed Life and entertainment as we know it. Guys and Girls use to go to clubs to meet and have sex afterwards. Now it's "Chat Room". Then you "Hook up" afterwards. Plus Rock and Roll is their parents music. I don't wanna hear that (says a 21 year old) I'd rather go home and watch Jack Ass or Hulk Hogan's reality tv show. This generation doesn't have any "Music" to call their own. Even Rap dates back to the Carter Administration.

This generation gets to play video games. Instead of playing guitar, you can play guitar hero (a simulated guitar game)

And I'll save MY MYSPACE RANT for the NEW YEAR. Maybe you'll get to hear my new song: "Everyone's a MYSPACE ROCKSTAR".

The music business is bankrupt. After years of decadence and having ZERO interest in the music, the music industry is stuck with empty discs with nothing on them while every Joe Lunch Bucket that can fart into a microphone has a "My Space Music" Site.

Buddy Holly, where are you when we need you?




Ace out....

A TRUE STORY.......

Two nights ago I had a rather unique dream. I dreamed I had died and gone to heaven. I recall everything being peaceful. But the setting was a schoolground. Each room had people in it moving quite slowly. At one point I remember asking "am I dead?" "Did I die"? and twice, the most gentle black woman's voice said:"You've come home baby". Now thinking I was dead took on a whole new meaning. One thing I recall saying to myself was: "Well that wasn't that painful". (dying) Then it dawned on me that I didn't recognize anyone. You know like in the book "The 5 people you meet when you die"? So I wondered if I was in heaven or Hell? Not a good question to wonder in the after life. I recall everybody was being so "helpful" to others. Then it dawned on me that perhaps that is the essence of Christianity. Caring for others. And if we can't do it here on earth; why would we do it in the afterlife?

Then I started thinking about the 10 commandments and all of the "Thall shall nots" in the Bible. This made me really wonder if I was really in heaven. I mean, if you really study the Bible, nobody deserves to go to heaven. And it's funny because all I saw was mostly old people that looked like they had the time to repent and live their lives by the rules. I personally was wondering when I was going to be escorted to the down escalator.

But I woke up. In a way, it was sort of a happy disappointment. I mean, I was happy to be alive, yet disappointed to have gone through such an epiphany only to find out it was just a dream. So I've been thinking much about living the past 48 hours. I honestly believe that the price of "salvation" (Christian redemption) is free will. Meaning if Love is for real, then you must always have the ability to walk away from it. Sort of like my song "The door's a step away". Being a Christian doesn't assure you of a happy life. Quite the contrary. Some of the most tortured people to ever live called themselves Christians. From the days of Caligula to the killers in Columbine.

I asked myself when I thought I was in heaven: "Why am I here"? I know I've never done anything that would merit an eternity in paradise. God knows if it were a scorecard protocol, I'd be in Hell dwelling with the rest of mankind. I am by far NO DIETY. But as the story goes, God came down to earth 2041 years ago in the form of a human. He died a wrongful death at the hands of the jewish/Roman govenment. But in doing so, he gave those of us that could see the love in his sacrifice a chance at spending our spiritual lives in "Paradise" or "Heaven". Ya see,it's not about what you've done to earn a spot in heaven. You can't. But it's what you beleive that get's you into heaven. AND HERE'S the CATCH. IT'S NOT WHAT YOU SAY YOU BELIEVE. It's what you truly believe in your heart. And your belief structure will show in your actions moreso than your words. Going to church every Sunday and Wednesday doesn't garuntee you entrance to heaven.

But that little part of your heart that cries for the terrible punishment God endured to get your attention is a sign that you believe. If you have a desire to be baptised like Jesus said, that's another sign. If you try to keep God's commandments, that's another sign.

IT's not about Christmas or Easter or even Passover. It's about putting yourself in Christ's shoes on the night in the garden of Gethsemane. It's about loving your maker.

Merry Christmas all



Ace out........

The Mitchell Report

I think the Mitchell Report basically cheated Major League Baseball out of 20 Million dollars. It has got to be the most expensive version of "Juiced" to date. In essence, Senator Mitchell, a former Watergate convict, did what Jose Canseco did only with a much bigger budget. My concern was how his report focused primarily on eastcoast, NO, New York ball players. And that being said, please know that I hate the Yankees, but still feel anyone in New York that even shook hands with that towel boy Radomski risked being named in this "He said/She said" fiasco. The ex-Towel boy and ex-trainer for the Yankees along with the book Game of Shadows and the Grand jury Testimony of Giambi,Bonds,Sosa and Sheffield were the guts of this report.

Now it wasn't all hearsay. I can't believe that Paul Loduca was dumb enough to write checks to his drug dealer. It makes me feel bad for Tommy Lasorda. But if they were going to name names; how come certain obvious names were not mentioned? Like Bret Boone or Ivan Rodriguez? Even Sammy Sosa's name was left off intentionally.

It's my opinion that many of the names named are innocent. Yet many are probably more guilty than they appear. But what good is naming names when the source is a convicted felon. (Radomski) To quote Donald Fehr (another entity I can't stand) none of this will hold up in due process, yet it's already done severe damage in the court of public opinion.

Even sports writers are making fools of themselves. One writer insisted we owed Barry Bonds an apology for not villifying Roger Clemens all these years. You see? Writers are already dishing out slander. Personally I had my own opinions on Clemens and AROD. But to say that the only difference between Clemens and Bonds is the color of their skin is ludacrist. Clemens is far from being indicted. And isn't half the Jack Ass that Bonds wants people to think he is.

Some of the quotes in the report are just downright unsubstantiated. Comments like, "He told me he used steroids once or twice in 2003". Come on; if you stick yourself in the ass with a needle, you'll remember if it was once or twice. Vague comments like that just sink the validity of this report.

My .02 cents on the report - No names should have been named unless the report had sources in every organization at every level. Not just two bad guys in New York. I think it was a PR stunt to help save Bud Selig's reputation as being the father of the Steroid Era. Many say Bud Selig saved major league baseball. Just look at the profits. Yes, and look at the price of a box seat. It's no wonder Baseball has 20 million to spend on a gossip report.

If this report stimulates both the players union and the owners to WANT to come to an agreement, then it will be viewed as a turning point. But a lot of scouring has to be done to rid the game of it's cheaters.

Who's really at fault? The players that are juicing/the owners that are paying millions to the juicers/the players union for refusing to accept strictor punishment/Victor Conte and Greg Anderson/The San Francisco Giants Organization for fostering the poster child of the Steroid era/ Bud Selig for having a spine made of Jello/and finally, the fans that support or "tolerate" this practice by purchasing box seats for 130 bucks. (a game)

In the 50's and 60's the game was as close to it's zenith as it will ever get. In 1961 when Roger and Mick went after the Babe's single season homerun record, they were real homeruns. Ironically nobody made much over 30,000 a year and the price of a box seat was about 5 bucks.

Today I believe the league minimum is over 110,000 the average box seat behind home plate is about 75 bucks and the game needs to spend 20 million to try and weed out the cheaters. The real problem is, that the inmates are running the prison and we, the fans, are financing it. It's not Steinbrenner paying AROD's 30 million a year contract. It's Joe lunch bucket from Brooklyn or Queens. It's that MLB cap you wear that cost a buck and some change in Taiwan to make that you paid 28 bucks for.

I guess Professional sports saw how much money Vince McMahon was making with the WWE, and didn't think much of looking the other way.


Ace out.....

Understanding is the key to communication

I remember in college this being the philosophical equivalant of the Chicken and the Egg. It's true that you can't communicate an Idea to another without verbalizing it or typing it, or sending smoke signals/simaphore/or even morris code. And often, action is the surest form of communication.

However, the receiving aspect of of communication is just as important as the sending aspect. In other words, If I don't understand the message you sent to me; we failed to communicate. This happens often when using email. The abscence of emotion, emphasis on sylables etc... all leads to miscommunication.

It's like acoustical physics. If a tree is struck by lightening in the forest and nobody is around to hear it fall does it still make a sound?

If you're upset with someone for not doing something you wanted them to do; tell them the why behind the emotion. Anger is a poor communication device. The Why behind the How is almost always more important in anything you do. I know this goes against military training, but in real life, it's almost always more important. If you know what you are trying to mutually achieve, and why, then orders make sense and situations can be put into proper context.

Often miscommunication comes from a variety of flawed logic.

Assumptions are probably the most common source of miscommunication.

Insecurities causing insufficient data is also quite common.

Ignorance and fear of having to learn more than you want to know is also popular.

Selective hearing. (hearing what you want to hear)

And just insufficient data.

All of these can lead to fights, frustration, divorce, firings, war, you name it.

In the military, we were taught to:

1.Tell you what we were about to teach you.
2.Teach you the message.
3.Tell you what we just taught you.

Steven Covey suggests that when you listen to someone, listen as if you were going to be responsible for teaching it to someone else. He also describes active communication when he says "First seek to understand the other person, then attempt to be understood"

American Natives used what was called the Indian talking stick. When seated in a circle, one person would hold the stick and make his statement. Nobody else would be able to rebutt the comment until they absolutely understood the person's statement. Then and only then would the stick be handed to another person.

When we argue and fight, we're not trying to communicate. While the other person is making their statement, we're busy preparing our response, all the time ignoring what is being said. This is called the "collective monolog".

There's two old sayings. One is "God gave you 2 ears and one mouth for a reason". (suggesting that listening is twice as important as speaking)

And I quote John Lennon who once said "When you're drowning, you don't say politely: I hope someone notices that I'm drowning and has the common decency to provide help. No you SCREAM FOR HELP".

We should learn to utilize our ears and mouths in this manner. Listening is the key to understanding, which is the key to communication. Your mouth should be used for your self preservation. (eating, breathing and hollaring when your drowning)


Ace out.....

A break from the Muck and the public

Well, we ended our string of Tuesday night shows at the Mucky Duck. I must say that I was playing so hard tonight that I was actually sort of breathless after a couple of songs. To quote Jack and Chris: "Ace, you rocked the shit out this place tonight".

Thanks guys.

But what meant more to me than the money we made were the kind hearted remarks from the people that made a special point to catch an Ace Andres show. Simple thank you's for bringing back memories of being at a concert at a coliseum somewhere. One gentleman said he use to do security for Ted Nugent, and his heart just lit up when I did strangle hold and Cat Scratch Fever.

The "Cream" Set got lots of good response. We're getting really good at White Room and "Badge".

I'm hoping that if you still haven't seen a show with this band, that you catch the last show of the year on December 26th, a Wednesday. We're planning a really big shoe. You better catch this authentic ass kicking Rock and Roll before it goes on tour.

Again, a special thanks to the fans that have been braving the cold. On behalf of Jack and Chris, We love you.


Love Ace

27 Years later

The NIght John died............

It was 27 years ago Today..............

Today is Pearl Harbor Day.....

Well, the day Japan had the nerve to try and fuck with a nation mighty enough to make their testicles glow for 4 decades.

the Last Great Rock Video

The Perverts in the dying Music Industry Rant #206

Why is it dying? Because key players that call themselves "marketing brains" Think the whole world is homosexual. Now it wasn't homosexuals that made Elvis or the Beatles popular. So why is the industry looking for slightly post pubescent boys that appear confused about their sexuality?

I really think that Great Rock and Roll is limited to most Garages and a few bars that can attract an over 40 crowd. Even Sum 41, once they gained notariety hooked with Rob Halford and Tommy Lee.

And now everyone is a rock star. You can get your own My space site if you can fart on tape. You can pretend to be "Slash" in the latest video games.


FUCKKKKKKKKKKK

Why is it?

That when a lot of people grow up, they leave the cowtown they were brought up in. It's either once they've gone to college or joined the Military. My situation was easy, my father died while I was in the military and I felt a strong connection to the SF Bay Area, so I chose to live in the east bay when I got out of the service.

Now I was only brought up just 60 miles from the bay area but most of my friends went their own ways. One person in particular "Skip Aksland" followed in his brother's footsteps (Bud) and started racing on the AMA professional circuit. His new best friend would be the King "Kenny Roberts". I'm sure this means a lot to those of you that follow AMA racing, or just love motorcycles in general.

Skip and I grew up best friends. Well at least up through highschool. Then after my freshman year in highscool, my father and I moved from Manteca CA back to Stockton CA (where I would go to school with Chris Isaak)

All this was 35 years or so ago. And it wasn't until I went to Yahoo people search and went looking for Skip's phone number. I mean, we were so close, that his mom use to dress us up in the same cloths.

It's very interesting to note; one of the last conversations I remember the two of us having as kids were: " Hey it's boring watching you ride your motorcycle. Ya and it's boring watching you play music". I think that's when we started going our own ways. But as it turned out, Skip is known as an AMA great from the last century, and I'm selling albums on 3 major continents. It's sort of a destiny thing I guess. Anyway, I really look forward to seeing Skip again and going over the last 30 years to see what life's been like.