On March 4-5, Michael McDonald will perform at the Blue Note in New York to celebrate the release of his new album, ‘Soul Speak‘. It’ll be a wonderful day for Michael, but will it be for the ‘Blue Note’?

The ‘Blue Note’ just blogged about Michael’s David Letterman performance which includes an ‘embedded’ YouTube video of the gig. There’s a ton of irony in this: Will technologically incompetent lawyers representing Michael threaten the venue with a “cease and desist” letter laced with false accusations like I received last July?

What the ‘Blue Note’ has done here is no different than several videos I’ve posted to my own site which were ‘embedded’ from YouTube. Unfortunately, I was chastised and chewed up as being the perp who uploaded the videos in question that I ‘embedded’ to my site (There’s a huge difference between ‘linking’ videos and ‘uploading’ them).

The hypocrisy — and ignorance — of an industry that is littered with far too many egos and often bemoans accountability to the very people which make the industry what it is (without ‘fans’, there’s no livelihood for the industry) is more than obvious here.

Chances are, the ‘Blue Note’ won’t be chastised for embedding this video, as they are a paid gig for McD.

To date, I still haven’t received an explanation on the mixup, how I was chosen and how my e-mail address was even known. The last thing in the world I’d do to a friend is cheat him of his rights or harm his brand, product or service by distributing unauthorized works w/o permission (and, no, ‘embedding’ is not ‘distributing’).

Personally, I believe an apology from Vector Management and Michael’s lawyer is long overdue — Michael needn’t be the janitor cleaning up the actions of others (and I did mention this incident to him, and of course, he apologized — But, again, it’s not his doing), for our friendship has been nothing but inspiring over an almost 10 year period.

My only desire is that those representing him should take better precautions to avoid the possibility of alienating those who are friends and supporters of Michael. The music industry continues to demonstrate that they are not in the business of listening — Just dictating (and bullying).

Don’t forget to pick up Michael’s new album, ‘Soul Speak,’ on March 4th:

Smooth Jazz, 94.7 ‘The Wave’, is debuting Michael McDonald’s forthcoming album, ‘Soul Speak,’ at 7 PM Pacific today. Michael will be hosting a segment which will include commentary by himself and a preview of the entire album! Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to hear the latest offering by one of the most recognizable voices in music today!

Listen to ‘The Wave’ LIVE online

Pre-order ‘Soul Speak‘ at Amazon

I am pleased to unveil my official design for DataPortability’s logo design competition. DataPortability recently received a “cease and desist” letter from RedHat accusing the organization of improper use of their Fedora Project logo.

The least I could do was create a logo I believed identified with DataPortability’s mission of openness with regard to user data across various platforms.

And, so, here are several designs I’ve submitted to the competition:

Who said you had to grow up? You don’t! If there’s any part of us as adults that shouldn’t change, it should be our ability to imagine and dream. Get lost in a moment of daydreaming. Go off into an imaginary world of thought. Get lost in the kid within. Do you recall your childhood? Do you recall some of the most bizarre moments? Here are some things I did as a child:

• I created my very first computer from paper. I always knew I wanted a computer, so I made it. It had a keyboard, screen and more. I taped it to my wall and I imagined it was the real thing.
• I made cities using existing toys along with paper-based cars and buildings.

There really wasn’t a limit to my imagination — And there’s no such thing as a stupid idea. As human beings, we can push the envelope of life by tapping into our inner child to unleash the impossible in our lives — and those of others.

Is there something you really love? Are you really passionate about it? Are you often teased by others because they don’t ‘get it’? I got that a lot (and more) as a child and as an adult today. A lot of people will never be able to connect with your inner ideas and thoughts. However, what matters more than anything is that you don’t lose sight of your imagination or dream. It’s okay to be discouraged, but never discount your ability to imagine and dream.

So, since you’re reading this, I have an assignment for you: Find a quiet place, draw a blank stare and search deep within for a vivid thought. Once you find it (and you will), just drift into a space of nothingness, while continuing to remain subconciously aware of the thought (part of your imagination or dream). Then, break the spell and try it all over again. Repeat this several times throughout the week and see if you’re not inspired by something new and great.

Here’s the bottom line: Our imagination and dreams are priceless. Our brightest moments lie within the inspiration that can be realized by embracing our ability to dream and imagine.

Lose your mind. Be the biggest kid ever.

Volvo just announced the unveiling of their new premium XC60 crossover SUV. Now, see the XC60 in action: