T.H.E. .M.U.S.E. .A.N.D. .W.H.I.R.L.E.D. .RE.T.O.R.T
September 09, 2009
Special 9 9 9 edition!!!!!!
Silver Spring, MD

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Wait --- Wait --- Wait just a second here.  We MUST have a sec for a rare but still important crass commercial announcement It is from our sponsor um me.

Ya see It is done!  The new CD is finished.  It is named after the first thing ya say to a hitch hiker:  "So, Where Ya Headed?"

Ya see The whole CD seems to be a conversation with a stranger about the road and the places it takes you.  Paul Benoit seems to play the part of an amazing radio station that just keeps picking the right tune.

It is fully recorded and mixed and wow does it sound good.  My best studio effort in years!  

All due to Paul Benoit www.paulbenoitmusic.com.  He is nothing short of a world class slide, roots and Americana guitar player living in Seattle, El Salvador and Paris.  He both accompanies on and produced this new record.  "So, Where Ya Headed?"

I am posting a song from it -- for a few days -- that seems to fit the theme of this newsletter at Listen to a song from the new album by Chris Chandler and Paul Benoit

The thing is, now I have to pay to have it to be manufactured, and you too can help!!!  by doing one of the following:

1) Purchase an advance copy. I will send you a signed copy of the new CD for $20 bucks including postage.  

2)  Become an executive producer and have your name in the liner notes!  For a donation of a hundred dollars ($100), I will include whatever name you like in the liner notes and send you a signed copy as soon as it is done.

Either one would be a huge help!!!!!!!!!!

The easiest way is to click here: www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=3Z4vlk0fQqQCcQlWayfyn9mvtass_JqmOZgGZ1moGzUgK6E7A0swGQxpoKW&dispatch=50a222a57771920b6a3d7b606239e4d529b525e0b7e69bf0224adecfb0124e9bed5d628c8572747938ce7012172b0cd7806bec4f454843ac

The other is to send a check or money order to:

Chris Chandler
3128 Memory Lane
Silver Spring, MD 20904

In either case, make sure you include your snail mail address and how you would like it signed or your name listed.

And one more thing before we get to the featured newsletter: The tour  see tour dates if you are on the east coast from NYC around the peninsula of Florida all the way into Texas!

NOW, enough of the crass commercial announcement and on to.

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T.H.E. .M.U.S.E. .A.N.D. .W.H.I.R.L.E.D. .RE.T.O.R.T
September 09, 2009
Special Editition
Silver Spring, MD
T.H.E. .M.U.S.E. .A.N.D. .W.H.I.R.L.E.D. .R.E.T.O.R.T.
Special 9-9-9 edition!

Well, it's that time of the  ummm  year again

For the past 9 years, I have been sending out an additional "Muse and Whirled Retort" when the day, month and year are the same, such as February 2nd, 2002 etc. Four four four  was a particularly good one.

So it is that time again! Today is Nine Nine Nine.  Let us have a look at the number 9.

Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall

Number Nine Number Nine Number Nine Ironically, The Beatles are choosing this date to launch the Beatles Rock Band video game.  How's that song go? Number Nine
Number Nine Number Nine No, Not that one "Gimmie Money  that's what I want!"

John wrote Revolution 9 and George wrote "Cloud 9."  When the remaining two were asked if there was any significance to the release date being 9-9-9, they answered in German: "nein."

I guess the most common reference is to 9 is a cat having nine lives  hence the Nine Lives brand of cat food.  I always thought that was an odd name for a brand of food.  Like their slogan, "Well it's not going to kill the cat."  But it may kill the K-9.

So where does it come from  the nine lives thing?

One theory on the origin of this expression is that in ancient times nine was a lucky number because it is the Trinity of Trinities. As cats seem able to escape injury time and time again, this lucky number seemed suited to the cat. While in most countries the cat is said to have nine lives, in Arab and Turkish proverbs, poor puss has a mere seven lucky lives, and in Russia is said to survive nine deaths.

In Europe, a fear of cats for some religious reason or other  I really dont quite get it  led to their mass slaughter  and when folks tied to drop them from high places, they had to do it nine times.  The cats got the last laugh though, 'cause without the cats, the fleas needed somewhere to lite and, well, that brought on the plague, and humans only have one life.

In many African cultures, the cat is considered holy  I only say this as I cite Zora Neale Hurston, an influential African-American writer of the early parts of the 20th century.  She told the story of a very hungry cat that entered a house one day and found a plate of nine fish that were going to be eaten for dinner by the nine starving children who lived there. The cat was feeling a little selfish that day and ate up all of the fish in nine quick bites. With no food on the table, the nine starving children died of hunger the very next day, along with the cat, who died from eating WAY too much.

God was so angry with the cat that he threw him out of heaven and made him fall for nine days all the way back to earth. To this day, the cat still holds the nine lives of the starving children in his belly, which is why he must die nine different times before he will stay dead.

A similar thing happened to Sally Struthers, but I digress

I had always thought it had something to do with the cat-o-nine tails.  But no.  That goes back to the 17th century.  It is a whip  much like a riding crop  with 9 tails designed to inflict much pain (oddly, from Hinduism). 9 is the complete number, and after the English invaded India, it was developed by the English Navy for complete punishment. These days, its mostly used in the S&M scene.  Brings new meaning to that song "In the Navy."

Nine is the counting number between 8 & 9 (for the fourth year in a row). Why was 6 afraid of seven? Because 7 ate 9.  Sorry, I had to.

Nine is the last digit and has often represented the end.

There are 9 planets (I still love you, Pluto!).

And nine muses (also streets in New Orleans): Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (erotic poetry), Euterpe (lyric poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (song), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy).

Ramadan takes place in the 9th month.

The number 9 is revered in Hinduism and considered a complete, perfected and divine number because it represents the end of a cycle in the decimal system, which originated from the Indian subcontinent as early as 3000BC.

There are 9 circles of hell in Dante's Divine Comedy.

There are several rituals involving 9 Buddhist monks  but they also involve a vow of silence, so I really dont know what they are.

The term Cloud Nine, which usually means to be in a place of bliss, actually came from the US, from a late 40s radio broadcast Johnny Dollar. Whenever the hero knocked the villain out, the announcer said he had gone to cloud 9.

Cloud Nine was not enough for Gene Rodenberry  He took it all the way to Deep Space 9.  At least he didn't take it to District 9.

There are 9 innings in a baseball game  one for each member of the Supreme Court.

9-ball became popular when they started televising pool matches.  Watching someone else play pool on TV sounds about as exciting as watching someone play cards on TV, but people do it.  9-ball proceeds more rapidly than 8-ball because contrary to what the names would imply, there are actually fewer balls on the table.

The San Francisco 49ers are often called the 9ers  perhaps that is because they play so poorly you would think there were only 9 on the field instead of the eleven you are supposed to have.



Drew Brees of my beloved New Orleans Saints wears number 9 and the season starts on Sunday  so we do not yet have a losing record.  We are in fact #1.  Granted, we are tied with everyone else, but we are in fact #1 but will likely wind up around 9th.  (8 teams make it into the playoffs)

I figure the Saints will finally be Superbowl®-bound about the time I write the 12-12-12 newsletter but then the Mayan calendar will end, and all of the euphemisms about the saints winning the super bowl and the world ending will be true.

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The New CD is done and I hope to have it soon.

Wanna check it out?  https://chrischandler.org/index.php?page=news

If you would like to order an advance copy, go to www.chrischandler.org and click on the picture of the coffee can

Or send me 20 bucks (including postage):
Chris Chandler
3128 Memory Lane
Silver Spring, MD 20904

If you would like to be a patron of the arts and get your name in the liner notes,
$100 will make YOU an executive producer.

Again, just go to my website - www.chrischandler.org - and click on the coffee can. Or send a check to the above address!

I really do need your help here.  Thanks  I could not do it with out you.

I have posted a track from it here:
www.myspace.com/chrischandlerorg
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Sept 1 was the 70th anniversary of the start of the second World War
I posted a video I made of me reading a WH Auden poem at www.chrischandler.org
I will leave it up all month.
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I have sold out of books and as soon as I can I will reprint some more  thanks for your queries!

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And finally THE TOUR

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 7:30pm
Sing Out for Single Payer Road Show! Featuring Anne Feeney
Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church
416 W.-- North Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
phone: 412.877.6480
PRICE: ???
http://www.annefeeney.com

Sunday, September 20th, 2009 @ 8pm
A feature spot with Roy Zimmerman and Anne Feeney
Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church
416 W North Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
phone: 412.877.6480
PRICE: $10.00
http://www.annefeeney.com

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 @ 8pm
with Paul Benoit
Palace of Wonders
1210 H St. NE
Washington, DC 20002
phone: 202.398.SHOW (7469)
PRICE: $10.00
http://www.palaceofwonders.com/home.html

Saturday, October 17th, 2009 @ 8pm
At the home of Jim and Sheila Brand
Last Chance Cafe
music@thelastchancecafe.net
Suburban Philly (Jenkintown), PA 19046
phone: 215.663.8267
PRICE: $15.00
http://www.thelastchancecafe.net

WE NEED DATES HERE!
I have irons in the fire in Fredrick, MD, Roanoke, VA, Charlottesville, VA, Winston-Salem NC, and Johnson City, TN

CAN YOU HELP??

Saturday, October 24th, 2009 @ 9pm
email baldchandler@yahoo.com for deets
Underground Show
Ashville, NC

Sunday, October 25th, 2009 @ 8pm
with Paul Benoit
Eddie's Attic
515-B North McDonough St. (upstairs)
Decatur, GA 30030
phone: 404.377.4976
PRICE: $10.00
http://www.eddiesattic.com/

WE NEED A DATE BETWEEN ATLANTA AND MIAMI HERE!

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 @ 8pm
with Paul Benoit
Luna Star Cafe
775 Northeast 125th Street
North Miami, FL 33161
phone: 305.799.7123
http://www.lunastarcafe.com/index.htm

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 @ 8pm
Venue TBA
South Tampa House Concert
Tampa, FL
Contact Gloria gshello@tampabay.rr.com for deets

Thursday, October 29th, 2009 @ 9pm
House Concert
email jcourter25@cox.net for deets

Looking for something between Gainesville and New Orleans here

Sunday, November 1st, 2009 @ 8pm
Chris and Paul with Jessica Radcliffe
Fair Grinds Coffeehouse
3133 Ponce de Leon
New Orleans, LA 70119
phone: 504.913.9072
http://www.fairgrinds.com
info@fairgrinds.com

Monday, November 2nd
tentative
Studio 250
Covington, LA

Tuesday, November 3rd
tentative House Concert
Dallas TX

Looking for something in east Texas here

Thursday, November 4th
Tentative House Concert in San Marcos TX

Friday, November 6th
MC and featured act
Project Chumbo First Friday
Ruta Maya
3601S Congress (behind x-pose)
Austin, TX
http://www.rutamaya.net

Saturday, November 7th
House Concert in Austin TX
for deets: Emily, graves_em@yahoo.com

Sunday, November 8th
Dan Electros Guitar Bar
1031 E 24th St
Houston, TX
http://danelectrosguitarbar.com