Everything And Nothing

8 Things About Matt

I tagged Matt Penning in my 8 Things About Me post - and he posted it in my comments instead of his blog...so I guess it's a kind of E&N Interviews entry (if you don't think about it too much).

1. I'm the last of eight children born to my parents. 20 years between my oldest sibling brother and moi. Mom was 36 when she gave birth to her 3rd child, and 44 when the 8th came along - me.
2. I play guitar, mostly variations on a few chords, at church almost every Sunday. If I wasn't playin' and singin' I'm not sure there'd be enough to keep me coming!
3. I love mangos and gala apples, and bing cherries, and grapes, and well, you get the idea.
4. I'm a heavy brake user. I speed up and follow too close sometimes, then slow down too fast. Drives my Karen and Chris nuts.
5. I prefer staying up and working into the wee hours to getting up early. Takes me too long to get the brain cells all fired up.
6. At one point, I was a few years away from becoming a Catholic priest. I know, I know, I eventually got religion and married my bride. 29 years this October. She's the most delightful yet frustrating person I know, besides me.
7. I have always known that I fit into the universe, but finding that fit has and continues to vex me.
8. There's nothing like listening to music that thrills me to the core, at loud volume levels. Drives my Karen nuts and has provided me with a nice ringing tinitis. =)

The New and Complete Frost Poem

Roger wrote:

Hi---I enjoyed your partial rendition of the newly discovered poem by Robert Frost.  Available no where else on the Web to my knowledge.  Are you seeking the missing stanzas and will you post them if you are and find them?  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I replied:

Hi, Roger. That rendition was supplied by a reader, Garth, who has his own blog at http://bicycle-diaries.blogspot.com. I'll let Garth know that you are interested if he finds out more. If he sends any more info my way, I'll be sure to post it on my blog also.

Garth was kind enough to reply:

I finally found the whole poem and posted in the same entry as the rendition. Check out the comments as well - one anonymous got a bit testy about my thoughts on restrictive copyrights. 

Frost mystery solved.

Neal Here is here

Is Neal Guye your real name?

No. I started my internet career with a firm commitment to use my real name, a kind of macho/hard realism reaction to handles like "likeitorlickit69" and "Beelzebub666". But I ended up being Neal F. Guye, completely by accident. Now I have real life friends who only know me as Neal.

I started playing a card game called "Netrunner", which is set in the near future. It's based around the "cyberpunk" idea that corporations will be more important than governments, that everyone will have computers and robot parts added to themselves, and that our good virtues will be diminished by these changes. The archetype novel is "Neuromancer" by William Gibson.

In this game, there's a card called "The Fall Guy". If you're about to lose the game, you can discard The Fall Guy instead, and you don't lose. The card has a grim picture of a man in a tie, holding up his arms, with electronic crosshairs positioned over his forehead. There's a quote on the card which says, "The thing I like about you, Neal, is that you trust me."

I started writing a weekly column about the game, which can still be found at http://nealhere.com. All the other writers were using names like "Black Widow" and "Pile Driver". I wanted something funny and humble (see above) and so I decided it to be The Fall Guy. I only knew his name was Neal, so I added the "F. Guye" onto the end.

I called my column "Neal's Last Words", because the phrase "he's the last word on ..." has a very different meaning than "his last words were ...", and I thought that was funny, too. Anyway, I got some notoriety from that column, and the name stuck. I was sitting next to a couple of guys at a tournament at Seattle, and one of them said, "I heard that Neal was coming." That's when I knew it was easier to join them than fight them.

I told them that Neal was a jerk - perhaps a little mean but it was good fun at the time.

What is your MySpace address? What will you do different on your MySpace site than your Web site?

My MySpace address is http://music.myspace.com/nealssongs, because some other person already used "nealhere", which is a bummer. I don't have it nearly ready for visitors yet, so anyone who reads this and wants to visit should definitely go to http://nealhere.com.

I am *only* using MySpace because of the traffic. I recently read an unintentionally funny article which proved that MySpace doesn't have 100,000,000 active users. After some study, it seems that MySpace has *only* 40,000,000 active users. Ha ha ha! Anyway, I can't ignore that kind of exposure, no matter how much I dislike MySpace. The web design is horrible, the level of conversation is horrible, but there's just so many, many people there.

Who's Johnny Quazar?

Johnny Quazar is my cousin. You might remember the Quazar corporation which made televisions before they went out of business. My cousin was a big name in the Netrunner card game, and he took the handle as a humble joke, for the same reasons I took Neal F. Guye.

He owns a web hosting company, which can be reached at http://bitblaster.com , and he has an interesting blog at http://rwxii.com . He's also started a podcast, which can be heard at http://rwxii.com/rrr/ . He commutes more than hour to work, so he records the podcast on his drive.

Who's Rob?

He's Johnny Quazar.

Where do you turn for your creative inspiration?

The truth is sad - I write songs when things are going badly. I've made some conscious efforts to avoid that, with some success, but in a very real sense, "Rock and roll is just howling at the moon" as Kansas recorded so many years ago.

Losing someone you love, or someone you wanted to love, is a very powerful experience, despite being so awful. Music is a powerful experience as well - so I guess they go together.

I've written a fair amount of songs which are not so depressing. Sometimes I'm inspired by spiritual experiences, sometimes by chance meetings, often by women. Robin Williams has a great line in the film "Dead Poets' Society". "Why do we write poetry? To woo women!" And that's a big part of the truth.

Do you write all your own lyrics?

I do. I enjoy the instrumental part very much, but if I'm honest with myself, the lyrics are my first love and a bigger strength for me. I've been blessed to have some lifetime friends who are very skilled musicians, so the instrumental part is sometimes a collaboration. And I've gone for help when I'm lyrically stuck - but not very often.

I really admire lyricists like Steve Earle, Richard Thompson, Lyle Lovett, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Ronnie James Dio (scary but wow!), Mark Knopfler, "Fish" of Marillion, Roger Waters and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Geoff Tate of Queensryche, Roger Miller and Keith Green. I like stories, and I try to surround myself with the finest lyrics, so I don't lose my standards and end up writing "La la la I love ya la la la yeah yeah".

Do you play to an audience much?

Almost never. I do enjoy it, but I enjoy the writing and recording process even more. I'm lucky that I don't support myself through my music. That gives me the freedom to write what I want to write. I would be willing to travel, though, if any of your readers want to book me. I can promise a very unique experience, definitely not "just another show". My email is mailto:neal@nealhere.com .

I have been impressed by how your voice sounds so different in different songs. Is that >something you've worked on or it did it just come to you naturally?

I've done some acting in my community theaters. Singing a song is like being in a play for me. Sometimest the character is just like the real me - that makes it easy. Other times, the character is very different, and I have to take on a whole different personality to make it work. I used to love doing funny voices when I was a child (and I still do, which says something about my growth), and I was on the speech team back in high school, where funny voices were an asset.

In a song like "What the Poet Said," I overdubbed the voice of Buzzard, and I tried to make it sound as much like his real voice as I could. Other times, I just try to use volume and tone. I've had a little training in singing, which might be hard to believe, but simply moving the sound to the back of the throat, or up into the nose, says a whole lot about the feelings we're expressing. If your lover is whispering in your ear, he better not be talking through his nose - he'll end up sleeping on the couch. But if a lawyer uses that same husky voice in court, he's going to lose his job. He has to speak clearly, and probably much more of a nasal sound.

It's something desperately missing from most of the new music I hear today. People are literally screaming at the top of their lungs about how beautiful flowers are. The only vocal changes are added afterword - making someone sound like they're on a very cheap radio, or something similar. I like those electronic effects on a voice, but the prime communication of singing is a *human* one. It can't be replaced by any amount of electronic gear.

A teacher of mine once told me that singing is just "speaking on pitch", and I never forgot that. I don't meet strangers by screaming at the top of my lungs, "I AM NEAL, NICE TO MEET YOU!". But a lot of artists do that now.

Is music your full-time job?

No. I have degrees in Physics and Education, and I've done a variety of different jobs. A large variety. I've been very blessed. I'm actually thinking about going to some kind of Christian seminary, but the life of a pastor might not be my calling. Still pondering my options at age 39, which is a little odd.

My last "straight" job was a temporary one, teaching physics at our local community college.

Judging from titles alone, without listening at all, my favorite title is "I've Been Bad." How important do you think titles are to songs?

They used to be a lot more important than they currently are. Songs today have titles like "Forever in Shadow" and "wut u meen 2 me". They don't draw anyone in. You have to tease people a little with the title. Give them a sense that there's something more there which is well worth hearing. "Ur My 1" doesn't do that for me.

I read an interview once with an artist who took lessons from Paul Simon. He wrote something like, "I'm learning to write songs." Paul Simon corrected him, "Fill in the blanks! How about, 'I'm sitting at the piano with Paul Simon in New York City'?" And that's the key, getting the details which make it all come alive.

Some great titles are, "Al Bowley's in Heaven", "Baker Street", "Tom Ames' Prayer", "My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died", "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?", "All You Zombies", things like that (You can find all those on your favorite file-sharing network).They definitely make me want to hear what the artist is hinting at.

If you were to write a song named "Everything and Nothing," what would it be about?

Well, it's interesting that you ask! I just spent some time listening to a lot of MySpace artists, and wrote a semi-angry and not-too-polished (yet) song about how everything sounds the same. Perhaps I'm changing your title to "Everything *is* Nothing". Do you want to read it? You do? Great!

-------------------------------------------------------------
You All Gave Up
© 2006 Neal F. Guye

Clear Channel stole your radio
You didn't even call the cops
Nashville stole your steel guitar
and Yani took your double-stops

Your record contract is a joke
You paid for everything
A couple guys in narrow ties
Are stealing every word you sing

What have you got against a song with real soul?
Your latest tune is karaoke of your second-latest tune

And what have you got against the tuba?

You all gave up on thinking before you sing
You all gave up on wondering if you're saying anything
You all gave up on making something no one's ever heard
You all gave up on freedom for the mooing of the herd

Save me from musical repetition
Save me from recycled sonic waste
Save me from anti-personal art perdition
Take me to the heart of someone who has a face

And what have you got against the cabasa?
And what have you got against the vibra-slap?
And why do you war against your unique self?

You all gave up on being something special
You all gave up on trying to contribute something new
You all gave up on working to carve out an unknown trail
And now you've killed your sense of what is real and what is true

Take me to the face of someone who has a heart
--------------------------------------------------------------

It's a little angrier than I want it to be, but hopefully I can tone it down and get my message out.

What songs or songwriters do you feel most shaped who you are today? What would I have found in your cassette case carrier in high school? (I can assume this since we are near the same age!) What's in the iPod now?

I listed a lot of them above, but I left out a few, as well. One of them is Rik Emmett, the main writer in the 80's band "Triumph". I later had some email exchanges with him which were very disappointing, but he hugely influenced my ideas of what a great song is. I'm also indebted to Rush, the Modern Jazz Quartet, even Louis Armstrong. I was lucky to grow up in a home where a lot of traditional church music was being played live. I don't think my songs sound like traditional church music, but that music has a complexity and depth which I totally respect. The people who wrote that music were feeling it with every fiber of their being. Even if the listener totally rejects the viewpoint, they can't reject the sincerity and soul.

In high school, I was listening to all the artists I listed above, plus some Camel (with Phil Collins), Genesis, Yes, a lot of progressive rock. I also liked ballads, and any song with great lyrics. I didn't buy my first LP until I was about 15 years old, so I got a very late start on popular music. And I never had a cassette carrier.

For me, music was really something I *did* more than I collected. I wrote my first song when I was 13, and I never really stopped. I'm forever in debt to my mother, who endured hours of piano noise as I tried to figure out how it all fits together.

Are you single?

I'm not married, but I have a very serious girlfriend who means the world to me. At my age, never divorced, marriage is a bit scary, but there's a good chance we'll tie the knot in the next few years.

What is your favorite color?

Purple. I drive a purple Trans Am, which is probably a cultural faux pas on many, many levels. But I love purple. My sunglasses have purple lenses. I own a lot of purple shirts.

What is your favorite junk food?

I've been diabetic since I was five years old, so I honestly don't eat enough junk food to really qualify. I have a weakness for peanut butter cookies. I really like peanut butter. I really like Heath candy bars, too.

If you went to the crossroads, whose talent would you like to steal?

I'd be able to play guitar like Richard Thompson, write lyrics like Steve Earle, and play piano like Elton John. Too bad I only have one soul to trade in! Crossroads with Ralph Macchio is a movie which everyone should see, The Karate Kid never got close to the quality of that movie, before or after.

What did you want to be when you were little?

A computer programmer. I had a bowl haircut and black plastic glasses. Luckily I didn't get what I wanted! I have done some professional programming, but it's not my real "career". My brother is a doctor of computer science, and he was born to do his job. I am a little envious of people who have obviously found their place in life. My father was a surgeon and he was the same way, doing exactly what he was meant to do.

Would you rather be smarter or sexier?

I would rather be more meek. That's my biggest shortcoming, and I would give anything to beat it. If I must choose between the two options you give, I would be smarter. I like being sexy, but I think it would give me more trouble than pleasure, in the long run. The short run could be pretty awesome, though! Ha ha ha.

If you wrote a song about your hair, what would it be called?

"Do You Wanna Be Hitler or Jesus?" Hopefully self-explanatory, in light of the question.

What's your idea of romantic music?

It has to tease me - I'm probably too intellectual in that preference. For women, the simple sound of the singer's voice is the main ingredient, which is why Barry White can curl their toes, even though he's not really saying anything. Women are much more stimulated by sounds than men. So for me, the words have to be suggestive and clever and *hint* at a world of delight.

What's the strangest thing I'd find in your refrigerator right now?

Bachelors' refrigerators aren't very interesting, unless you're interested in shelves that need to be wiped down. I've got some Garlic Jack cheese in there, that's some good stuff!

Women would be surprised that you find this attractive...

Breasts. HA HA HA! Just kidding. For me, it's a "natural" woman. I much prefer a flat chest to a rubber one. I much prefer no makeup to heavy makeup. I think there are many women who lack confidence in the natural beauty God gave them. They do crazy, expensive, time-consuming things which only cover up the *real* woman - and most real woman are very attractive.

Having said that, I do appreciate some shaving and hair-washing and the basics of Western civilization.

Who's the sexiest woman of all times?

I guess it would have to be either Helen of Troy, or Cleopatra. Huge, epic wars were fought over their affections. That's a kind of "practical" answer. I do find Thora Birch just about irresistible, and my girlfriend looks a lot like her - if that tells you anything.

(By the way, "I've Been Bad" was still my favorite song.) ;)

Glad you like it! I set out with a very specific idea of that song, and it came out just as I imagined. That's a very satisfying time in life - when I have a concept and I turn it into a reality.

If you want to sing it karaoke-style, I can send you the instrumental version and you can record yourself over the top. Great gift for any lovers in your life!

If you would like to be interviewed for E&N Interviews, just let me know at shawn.lea@gmail.com.

E&N Interviews: Isaac Dover

One night, after deciding to investigate a new energy drink he heard advertised on the radio, Isaac Dover landed at www.screamingenergy.com - he then landed on my blog through a link to the interview I did with Jason. He saw my offer to interview anyone who was interested and took me up on it. This is why I love the Web. (And if you remember, that's exactly how Jason ended up being interviewed too. And Kevin Bacon even enters the picture because Isaac has been compared to him before - the degrees of separation are eerie, I tell ya.)

I see that you, like most of us, are trying to balance a business life with pursuing your personal creative interests too. Do you have any secrets to share with the rest of us about balancing?

Isaac: Though not really a secret, I strongly suggest coffee… asinine amounts of coffee or a hell of a lot of energy drinks… and don’t be afraid to stay up late every now and then (or every night!)… life in a state of creative arrest is hardly living… some interests/hobbies require much more time than others – compare woodworking and crossword puzzles… I find my passions are deserving of my time, and my instruments are treated with personalities… like a cat, they require attention… oh, and I’ve yet to start a family, which obviously relieves pressures of time…

Do you feel your passion for photography is in a similar vein to your passion for music? Does it come from the same place or is it kind of separate in your mind? (I LOVE your picture of the guitar by the way.)

Isaac: the part I love most about my creative interests is that someone will always be there to appreciate the results… since neither music or photography are my main source of income, I’m not under pressure to produce to the desire of others… the results of part-time artists such as myself are just as valid and exciting as any “professional” artist (is there really such a thing?)… so I don’t really feel that my music or photography are in vein at all… currency comes in more forms than just paper and credit, sometimes it’s a “hey, I really like that!”… I’ve given away a few albums, drawings, and photographs as gifts and they were very much appreciated…

You talk about playing a wide variety of instruments. Were you innately musically talented or was it a learned skill?

Isaac: I’d probably feel that it’s part innate and learned… first, of course, the interest was strong enough to want to learn in the first place… that was followed by hours of practice, and I still have to practice… I’ve attended a total of one hour of guitar lessons, and it took me two weeks to unlearn what the tutor “taught” me… though he is a far superior guitarist, I felt what he offered was very vanilla and musically uncomfortable to me… not to knock vanilla of course, I love the stuff!

I see you turned 30 this year. Was it a time for reflection or just another damn birthday?

Isaac: We’ll see about reflecting while standing in the doorway to jump from an airplane… my friends chipped in to buy a skydiving trip, and it scares the hell out of me… I’ve realized some things have changed, such as my growing beer belly, but I feel that things are changing for the better…

I read your bit about drummers with a smile on my face. I had a friend once who had a thing for drummers...all of them bad news. Are there other generalities you can share with us girls about other members of a band?

Isaac: I’ve never met a harp (harmonica to those not in the know) player that was unfriendly… the knock on drummers is certainly not true of all drummers… nor are all bass players drunken fools who never get the girl (or guy)…

Judging on titles alone, without reading any backstory beforehand, I like the song title "cheap mexican guitar" best. How important do you think titles are in communicating the zeitgest of your song?

Isaac: Honestly, I don’t feel it’s important at all… the titles of my songs are not created after hours of serious thought, but are instead just lines from the song itself… so, in a way it’s reflective and therefore must reflect something about the song…

How is Songs for Headphones coming along?

Isaac: oh boy, why must you ask… right now, my studio is packed up for the move to the new place and I hope to get back into it very soon… tons of ideas are coming to me, but I can’t seem to get them to tape soon enough… add in my frustration and critical review of my work, it’s coming slower than I’d hoped… but hey, there aren’t many retailers out there screaming to know when the album can hit their shelves, so I can move along at a pace that keeps me happy… however, the new sound will be more appealing to a larger audience (I hope)… expect keys, percussion, etc. – the “whole band sound”…

If you were to write a song named Everything and Nothing (the name of my blog), what would it be about?

Isaac: I’d have to say winning the lottery :)…

My God, you're good! I just listened to "Crazy Little Bird." You kind of remind me of Marc Broussard in some way. Are there others that you are compared to?

Isaac: unfortunately, I was compared to Kevin bacon as well… but, also bob Dylan in the same review!... go figure… i don’t think there are any musicians out there that go without being compared to someone better known… we all have some influences, and some just happen to be common… with basic acoustic work, it’s very common to be compared to any one of the other hundreds of acoustic artists…

You say on your blog that people watch too much TV. I definitely agree. (But I admittedly spend way too much time online.) So, when you do watch TV, what do you watch?

Isaac: I have had the same rabbit ears for a few years now… here (north Atlanta), I can receive a couple of channels – fox 5 and tbs… during the one night every two weeks that I turn that thing on, I find myself watching sitcom reruns like Seinfeld and everybody loves Raymond… that kramer is one crazy dude.

Are you playing all the parts on the distractions tracks or are there others playing?

Isaac: This is a very common question… it’s amusing to see people’s reaction when they learn that I played all of the parts… they can’t understand how I do it all at the same time… of course, it’s tracked using several takes for each part… it’s interesting to learn how little most music lovers really know about the process of constructing an album… even live albums will involve some production after the performance, and some even are a hybrid live-tracked production…

I read Julia Simon's review and I must admit I was confused. I don't get what she's trying to say. Is it just that I'm 36 and helplessly unhip to what you cool kids are doing today or was it just a bit strange? (I mean does everyone playing a harmonica get compared to Blues Traveler or is it just me?)

Isaac: If only I could be compared to john popper… he is an incredible harp player… I often make a joke about strapping cymbals between my knees and being a one man band – imagine how amusing that would be!... and no, you’re not unhip at all… because if you are, then I am as well… and I am one cool dude :)…

Christopher Cross once said that MTV put a huge dent in the songwriting craft. Do you agree? On some level don't people have to be basically attractive to make it in this day and age? Is that fair?

Isaac: I agree to some point… I hear a lot of absolute garbage on the airwaves now and ask myself, how in the world did these clowns get airplay?!... but then I have to step back and realize that I’m not the only music lover out there, so there’s a market for practically everyone… however, I’m pretty sure that being model-esque really helps get in with the mtv crowd… I mean, look at Bush… if that Gavin wasn’t so damned good looking, would anyone really have cared about them? :)…

Who are your favorite songwriters?

Isaac: I actually posed this question to one of my friends during a night out… and we decided that it’s very difficult to answer… however, I’ll share that I was pretty confident that one of my favorites is Dwight Yoakam… that guy can fall in love and have his heart broken at will… another is Gary Louris, who, with the jayhawks, has great songwriting down to a science… then there’s jeff tweedy with wilco… the album yankee hotel foxtrot is incredible… and the afghan whigs, and lyle Lovett, ryan adams, Robert Johnson, Johnny cash… damnit, you got me started!!...

How do you feel about singing other people's songs? Are you on the look for the perfect song or your perfect song?

Isaac: I love songs in general… it’s obvious to me that I’m not the best songwriter in the world, or how else would I be influenced?... I’m more interested in being moved at some level by the song, whether musically or lyrically… I absolutely love some of my songs, but they are certainly not perfect… though, when I hear “anodyne” by uncle tupelo, I get chills and still feel the cool air from fall evenings in south Georgia… that’s the type of thing I want to feel when I hear a song…

I play lots of covers, so others’ songs are certainly very welcome… most outings require that you play a lot of covers… drunk people would rather hear a song they can sing with, rather than some unknown guy crooning something about a crazy little bird…

Neil Diamond said that songwriting was the hardest part of what he did and performing was the easiest part. Do you agree?

Isaac: Oh yes… it’s incredibly difficult to construct a song… no matter the velocity of ideas, the hardest part is retaining and arranging them into some flowing form that is melodic and pleasing… add in the instrument arrangement, and things become even more difficult… sadly, a lot of writers try to hide behind the music, which is, in my opinion, not what “songwriting” is…

Who do you think is the greatest songwriter of the 20th century?

Isaac: You really can’t expect me to answer that!... my head will explode!... honestly, there are far too many options to consider… I’ve already mentioned my favorites, which is very subjective… but to suggest that I would even know how to rate the best is impossible… but I’ll throw out Robert Johnson, John Lennon/Paul McCartney, Hank Williams, and Bono… though not necessarily my favorites, I think they are incredibly influential songwriters who are talented and well-deserving of their success…

Einstein once said that if he weren't a physicist, he's most likely be a musician. I see you use him as an icon for thinking on your site. Any connections there?

Isaac: wow, I didn’t know that about him… I can’t think of any connection except that he is smart, and I wish I wasn’t so dumber…

So do the singer/songwriters really always get the girl(s)?

Isaac: no… and damn you for reminding me of all of my strikeouts! :)…

Do you write a song separately or always while playing?

Isaac: most all of my songs were written with guitar in hand… though a couple evolved from keys… but the most difficult part for me is handling lyrics… I’m not much of a poet, so the music serves as encouragement to sing… though, I do often make up silly songs to get a laugh which doesn’t require instruments at all… just a couple of friends who’ve had too many beers…

James Taylor said all singer/songwriters have an element of alienation to them. Do you agree?

Isaac: yes, no doubt… I love to be alone more than most people… it’s time for me to investigate my thoughts and wonder how to communicate them… some people journal their thoughts or lives with a pen, others use paint, musicians use their own playing talents… no one can seriously reflect without time alone, and I would say that artists in general enjoy isolation to do just that…

Did you ever find a band? Are you playing with anyone now?

Isaac: At the moment, I’m gearing up to start a duo… I’ve found a great talent from new york and am really looking forward to the outings again…

(By the way, after listening to all the songs, I can't decide if my favorite is Crazy Little Bird or Remember Me. You are crazy talented...I'm so glad you did not let your ability go to waste.)

Isaac: thank you very much!... and thanks for your time as well…

Best wishes,
Isaac

Listen to Isaac's first album online here.

Will you be next? If you have an urge to be interviewed, whether you have a blog or a site or, hell, you've just never been interviewed before and would like to cross it off some imaginary list in your head, e-mail me at shawn.lea@gmail.com. (I promise the answer will be yes.)

E&N Interviews: Marenna Lindberg

I first wrote about Marenna's orgasmic diet in December. I was intrigued by the diet itself, but even more intrigued by the tenacity of Lindberg in tackling an area where most of us mere mortals fear to tread - scientific research. In effect, she became a citizen scientist to prove her theory. So, whether you believe a diet can make you multi-orgasmic or not, it's still a hell of a story. And here's an interview with its author, Marenna Lindberg.

Do you consider this a "diet" in the most used sense of the word, like Atkins or South Beach? In other words, is weight loss a part of the plan at all or is it more like eating for optimal sexual performance, regardless of how much you weigh?

It has nothing to do with weight loss, although of course you could lose weight on the diet (and some women have). I haven't. It only has to do with optimal sexual performance.

Is the resistance advice absolutely necessary? Could you get similar results by extensive kegeling?

Kegeling does not work very well. A couple women who did hundreds of Kegels a day were astonished to find out how weak their muscles were using resistance. I frequently use the analogy of weightlifting. The PC muscles are muscles, like your biceps are muscles. Invalids can build up their biceps simply by flexing their arms, but to really put on muscle you need resistance. That's why I recommend using a resistance device. I prefer the Gyneflex device because it's more comfortable and easier to clean, but the Kegelmaster 2000 will work too. However many women have gone on my diet and not done the exercises. The diet alone will improve libido but it will not improve vaginal orgasmic ability. I strongly recommend the exercises.

Have you found all of the funding for your study yet? How's that going?

I was close to having funding until the day after the magazine hit the stands, and then suddenly they were not interested. I am working with someone at the NIH for potential sponsors.

Is there a book in the works about the diet?

Yes, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully a publisher will be interested.

Do you own the domain name www.orgasmicdiet.com or did someone else snatch it up? (pun intended) If you do own it, why is the domain not active now? It looks like material was up at one time but has been taken down.

Yes, I own it and had the website up with a forum, but I found that women took me more seriously if I went to them instead of expecting them to come to me. So I am active on a number of female sexuality boards, where women post questions. The essentials of the diet are not that long to post.

Are there any foods that make you orgasmic on their own?

I believe optimal sexual function is dependent on high dopamine levels balanced with moderate serotonin, robust free testosterone, good circulation and strong PC muscle tone. No one food is going to do all that, and that is why my diet is a bit complicated, to hit all of those things in a synergistic way. That said, the closest thing to an orgasmic food is high-dose fish oil, which is why my initial study is only examining that one variable. To replicate the amounts, a woman could eat a sizable salmon steak (not smoked) from the ocean rather than farm-raised (farm-raised has much less omega-3 fatty acids). However it wouldn't be healthy to do this all the time, as the polluted oceans cause seafood to become contaminated. Fish oil is safer because the contaminants like mercury are filtered out during processing.

What would you think would be the most likely culprit if someone followed your diet but did not notice any of the effects?

There have been some women who have not responded, and I certainly would like to know why. I think the most likely cause is low total testosterone. The diet helps improve free testosterone by lowering sex-hormone-binding globulin, but it needs a pretty good level of total testosterone to start off. The diet does help somewhat with that, but some women with endocrine problems might need to see a doctor for hormone replacement therapy, if blood tests show low total testosterone. The diet works very well in tandem with testosterone supplementation.

You contend that your new orgasmic state broke up your marriage. How would you advise other women to prepare for the change, if it does occur?

I think that having different libido levels can cause stress in a marriage, whether it is the man or woman who has a high sex drive. I now know how to slow down the effect, whether by drinking coffee or eating high-carbohydrate meals. Also a woman can let her muscle tone lapse. For me it was more after so many years being made to feel deficient because it took me too long to orgasm, to then be told I was a freak for orgasming too quickly was more than I could bear. And there were other problems with the marriage too.

How would just taking testosterone supplements compare to your plan?

Testosterone supplementation on its own does not work very well. Intrinsa failed clinical trials. The problem with TRT is that after an initial period the body compensates by raising sex-hormone-binding globulin. So although the total T gets a big boost, the free T (which controls libido) remains the same. My diet keeps SHBG to a healthy minimum.

Also even with high free T, other things are necessary for high libido in women. T treatment does not address neurotransmitter levels. I believe high dopamine is even more critical for female sexual response than high free T.

Has the Elle magazine article given the diet much more attention?

Hard to say. My e-mail address is out there, including your blog, but I'd say only about fifty women have e-mailed me about it so far, and now there's a new issue of Elle on the newstands. And it did kill my funding. On the other hand, as I said I am active in lots of places online, and the Elle article did give me more credibility, I guess, because more women are trying the diet in those places, and that's the important thing. I am very evangelistic; I think all women should at least know about it. And Jay Leno made a joke about the diet on the Tonight Show, which was fun.

I've seen you say in several places that your new orgasmic state scares the hell out of some men? Have you traded one problem in relationships for another?

Yes, I suppose I have. Also I am not emotionally ready to date; my divorce was final just this past summer. As I said above, though, there are ways to modify the diet if women find that the orgasmic state is a problem, mellow it out.

I've seen a lot written about your orgasmic diet for women, but not much for men? How does the diet differ for each of the sexes?

Men don't need the extra iron or calcium. Also they can get away with caffeine and other stimulants because they naturally have higher dopamine levels than women. PC muscle exercise can be done by draping a towel over an erection and doing "lifts," or, if men are open to it, they can try using the Aneros device.

I've seen posts of yours on message boards that say that having regular sex for you isn't very satisfying sometimes because you cannot find a man who can feel orgasms as deeply. Can you explain a little more about that?

That has to do with your next question.

What are intense heart chakra orgasms?

I have had some sort of tantric awakening, I think because of the sheer number of vaginal orgasms I have been having daily over the past several years. It's kind of hard to explain the sensations, but I miss the corresponding tantric ability in men. Heart chakra orgasms are a feeling of tantric energy being released from the center of the chest, and cause feelings of strong emotion along with intense sexual pleasure. Which is why I need to get back in my groove; that sort of thing doesn't mesh very well in a non-intimate sexual situation.

I've also seen written by you that the dark chocolate does not have the same effect on men. Why do you think so?

I think because men have naturally higher dopamine levels.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to interview you.

My pleasure, thank you for mentioning my diet on your blog.

Will you be next? If you have an urge to be interviewed, whether you have a blog or a site or, hell, you've just never been interviewed before and would like to cross it off some imaginary list in your head, e-mail me at shawn.lea@gmail.com. (I promise the answer will be yes.)

E&N Interviews: ScreamingEnergy.com

Jason of Screaming Energy ran across my site while searching for other review sites. (He found my Serious Snacking entry.) He dropped me a note to say hello and invited me to peruse his energy drink review site, www.screamingenergy.com. Here's what they say about the site when you first visit: "Angie and Jason (collectively "we") analyze energy products they procure in their travels. We know as well as anyone that making a $2 commitment to a new beverage can be daunting. Having consumed scores of different sodas, tonics, teas, and gels; experienced their affects, and enjoyed or loathed their tastes, we feel our assistance can make your purchasing experience a pleasant one. We hope you find our energy drink reviews helpful, and return frequently to see the new products we add."

I, of course, had more questions and asked Jason if he would like to be my second interview for E&N Interviews. I'm not a big energy drink fan, but I'm always curious about people who care deeply enough about something to start these comprehensive review sites.

Why energy drinks? Have you both always been big fans?

I started drinking "energizing" sodas many years ago. I got into coffee by the pot when my friend worked at Barney's Coffee and Tea Company. As my caffeine appetite grew, I tried other beverages, mostly Jolt and Josta. As I started working as a software developer in 2000, I began drinking 2 to 3 180s (I don't believe they make this any more)/day. I switched to Soba Adrenaline Rush for almost a year until I discovered the 16oz. value, of Monster. Moving right into now, where I think Rip-it is poised to be my next continuous drink of choice.

When we decided to make the site, we had each probably drank over 100 different drinks each, and it had almost become a sport already to find new ones. At one point, we hit a batch of about 15 different sodas in a row that were all very bad (starting with Nature's Nitro 2 Go). We felt almost swindled out of nearly $30, and wanted to make the public aware of some of the good and the bad.

Why Jason and Angie? Who are you both? How did you come to do this Web site together?

Angie and I have been dating for years, and will likely get married soon. We are sometimes about as opposite as night and day. Like the famous movie review duo Siskel and Ebert, we'd hoped that offering two points of view would help the consumer.

If you could only drink one energy drink for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Only one drink, price aside, Full Throttle. Only one drink with a budget in mind, Rip-it Energy Citrus Sugar Free. Angie would rather have Diet Rockstar than food.

Which can - or packaging - for an energy drink do you like best?

The panther energy drink logo looks eerily like our logo, and that's neat. As for best, I have to break it down. The most humorous is definitely the "Big Dawg" can, it's certainly for mature audiences. If we're giving away design awards, ...Lost would certainly be a top contender, likely followed by Jugular, and unfortunately Nature's Nitro 2 Go (horrible drink, great "going-out-of-business" style can).

What's one thing about energy drinks you don't think the layperson would know, but they should?

If you are health conscious, I feel a really good energy soda should be more of a dietary supplement. Drinks like Monster Lo-Carb, and Chaser 5-hour Energy are not only caffeinated, but also have a solid lineup of B and other vitamins, and aren't anchored by 100+ calories or 25+ carbs to deliver energy. If you aren't concerned about your drink replacing your centrum silver, and are strictly looking for a caffeine fix, there are a number of low price products, like Rip-it, Red Celeste, and other that are frequently on sale, to fill that void. Don't get caught up on name and waste a lot of money. If you find yourself stuck in an energy drink rut, certainly research and adventure past the Red Bulls and Monsters of the world.

Next up: Marenna Lindberg, who created the orgasmic diet, has agreed to an e-mail interview. After that, I have no further line-ups. If you have an urge to be interviewed, whether you have a blog or a site or, hell, you've just never been interviewed before and would like to cross it off some imaginary list in your head, e-mail me at shawn.lea@gmail.com. (I promise the answer will be yes.)

Skin Deep: An Interview with Dr. Ted Grossbart

Like most things that happen on this blog, this new category was not well thought out. Dr. Ted Grossbart saw that I posted on psychodermatology and suggested some more links that might be of interest to me. I checked the links out, found them interesting but had more questions (about the information and Dr. Grossbart). I asked if he would be up for an interview, not thinking he would say yes. But he did. So here I am, with a new category for my blog and a line-up of interviews waiting for you now. (Ironically, in my original e-mail to Dr. Grossbart asking for an interview, I explained that I was just a blogger interested in his topic, not a reporter from the New York Times. What I didn't realize was that he had been interviewed by the New York Times! Talk about performance anxiety.)

Dr. Grossbart is the author of Skin Deep: A Mind/Body Program for Healthy Skin. He is an assistant clinical proffesor of psychology in the Psychiatry Department at Harvard Medical School and a senior supervisor at Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital. He specializes in the areas of psychological treatment of skin problems using relaxation, imaging, hypnosis and psychotherapy. Originally from Detroit, he now resides in Boston.

1. What do you see as the one thing that someone who knows nothing about psychodermatology would find interesting about the field?

The coolest thing about the field is that at this point most people are pretty clear about the point that stress makes things worse in a lot of ways with the mind-body connection. But what most don't realize is that it can work for you too, not just against you. People who are more vulnerable to the negative side, are also pretty vulnerable to the positive side too. (Take this quiz to find out how important emotional factors are in your skin condition.)

2. Have you ever considered starting a blog covering psychodermatology issues?

I consider myself an early adopter. I had a Web site up before most in the field did. And I'm looking into blogging but haven't really decided yet.

3. Have you had a lot of phone consultations? How would that work? Wouldn't you need to see someone's skin to help them?

I am having more and more phone consultations. I have consulted with patients as far away as India, France, Vietnam, Mozambique  and Canada. But there are no physical examinations at all. I'm not a dermatologist. Generally, phone consultations are weekly and last for 45 minutes. It has been surprisingly effective - and several patients eventually come through Boston at some point and also have a face-to-face session. Some patients prefer the phone and some prefer in-person visits. It's just another option.

4. I see stress mentioned a lot in psychodermatology materials. What specific effects does stress, in general, have on our skin?

Stress brings many physiological changes to the body: changes in blood flow, moisture level, the ability to heal, resistance to allergens and immune system functioning.

5. Because we are so psychologically connected to our skin, how do medical professionals separate the physical manifestations of a disease from the psychological ones? Do you actually go through a form of psychotherapy while a patient to weed out the mental from the physical?

It's very rare that there's a pure case of one or the other, physical problems versus psychological ones. They are most likely in tandem. The skin problem is usually both medical and psychological.

6. Most all I've read has said that you were a kind of pioneer in this field. Did people think you were a bit nuts at the beginning? I know psychodermatology has gotten a bit more mainstream recently but 25 years ago it would have been quite a strange concept. Did colleagues support your research?

Twenty five years ago is just like today. There are more enlightened professionals who are very tuned in to new research and findings - and there's always a group that is quite skeptical. I was actually encouraged by dermatologists to explore more about the field of psychodermatology. In fact, it was a patient who incessantly itched and scratched for years who led me to study more about the psychological aspects of dermatology.

7. Is your book, Skin Deep, geared more towards a layperson or a medical professional?

It was written for both. But it is written in plain English and would be understandable for a layperson. The book not only describes what I do in the office in Boston, but also gives readers some things they can do on their own. So there's also a self-care manual. aspect to it. (Read excerpts from the book here.)

8. How do you keep your own stress in check, with a private practice and a teaching gig, in other words?

Private practice is not as stressful as other medical ventures, so I'm lucky in that regard. I enjoy sailing and do it as often as possible. I also exercise often and try to sleep and eat well.

Some people are naturally more resistant to bad stress. But it's not all negative. We need a certain amount of stress. We need to think about an optimal level of stress rather than just trying to get rid of it altogether. If you put someone in a sealed room with nothing around them, they are not going to have any outside stressors, but they are not going to be happy either.