Welcome to 99ers.net

…and it all started with a song!

One of our fellow 99ers has established a website to encourage an end to
polarization as we head to the November, 2012 elections. Its intent, in his
words, “is to try to offer places on the Internet to go so that reasonable
citizens within the wide middle of the political landscape can seek information
to be informed voters at this critical juncture. General commentaries will be
included from time to time as well.”

Charles Ecker, a long-time resident of Los Angeles, one of the hardest hit areas
during this and past recessions, says he was inspired to do this based, not only on
his political observations, but because of his straight down-the-line song featured
on 99ers.net  - Bushwacked (Bewildered, Beat-up Bad and Broke.)

“I felt it is time to help think things out leading to the next elections with not
only the apolitical music I composed, but the apolitical Internet site I have constructed.
I felt that it was time to ‘replace anger and rage with research, reflection and
individual decision-making.”  And that is the slogan for Solidify Main Street.  But
he adds this website is not for “… those at the extremes of the political spectrum;
there minds are already made up.”

Charlie is volunteering his time to develop and maintain this website and brings
with him an extensive background both as a corporate communications strategist and
writer, as well as a music composer.  “Most of all,” he says, ” I am a proud
American, having served four years active duty in the Air Force and going into ten
years as a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, joining in response to 9-11.”
I encourage you to check it out as our country could use some level-headed,
clear-thinking voters to support focused leadership to bring us out of
the current economic calamity.

(Click the Big “Solidify Main Street” hyperlink just Below to pay Charlie a visit.)

Solidify Main Street

http://solidifymainstreet.blogspot.com/

Pass it on to others as Charlie, a former national news service writer, in New
York, has done a lot of legwork to help anyone standing in the middle of the
political plain sort things out when it comes to candidates and issues!  And check
out the song too — I think it’s right on the money when it comes to speaking for
all of those who are on-the-ropes or sympathize with their plight.  With a recent
poll showing one of five Americans experiencing financial instability, the  “Bushwacked
song” speaks to more and more of us each day.  You can purchase it for less than a
dollar through Charlies  new blog  by clicking the big link above this paragraph.

UPDATE>>>>>>>UPDATE<<<<<<<UPDATE

Good Job C. R Ecker Band! They won the November Starliner’s Radio Network competition in Western Europe among five performing artists with 48% of the vote.  That puts them into a field of approximately 20 for Artist of the Year (top two from ten months) and the contest will start in April. Stay tuned for notice on April Vote

UPDATE>>>>>>>UPDATE<<<<<<<UPDATE

Some of our regular readers will remember a past post that featured a song by C.R. Ecker called “BushWacked Bewildered Beat-Up Bad and Broke” 

Here’s the link to the post if you’d like to revisit it – (Click Here).

Well turns out C.R. is in the running to win Artist of the Year in Western Europe as he’s confided to me via email:

“…way in the lead in the semi-finals for Artist of the Year in Western Europe in a Starliners Radio Network competition.  Leading with 63% of the vote with four days left…”

Let’s put “one of our own” over the top!

Go to The Starliners Radio Network by (Clicking Here)

Once you’re on the site click the “Indie Awards” Box then click the ” Voting Artist of the Month” box and select the “C.R. Ecker Band” to cast your vote!

This just in…

“Hello Dan,

Elaine Quijano with CBS News here. Thanks very much for your help in posting my request a few weeks ago. We were able to find a person to interview and our story is scheduled to air tomorrow at 6:30pm ET on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley.”

Now you know has much as I do!

I really do want this site to be an outlet for individuals lost in the unemployment nightmare that would otherwise not have audience or as an outlet to offer an additional channel to expand reach. The politics is part of it of course, but it is a coarse instrument, bent on agenda. If you want to tell “your story” you’re welcome here. This from C. R Ecker….

Back in the 1930s, Al Jolson sang “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” which summed up
best how pathetic it was then to be skilled, and not wanted or needed during the
Great Depression.  I felt the same way in 1991 when there were way too many downs
than ups in my life.  My full-time and long-time corporate communications
career ended with me carrying a box in a one way direction out of my upscale office
because the California real estate market had crashed. At the time, real estate was
my specialty at a PR agency I worked at in Los Angeles as the Vice President.

So at the same time, I was building up a collection of songs, mostly country, with
an eye toward launching a band.  The production costs were considerable getting
ready, but I was professionally successful and music was my personal passion. Then
no more job, and the funds needed to actually launch The C.R. Ecker Band were too
much to handle.

So the last song we recorded was “Bushwacked (Bewildered, Beat-up Bad and Broke).”
At the time, publishers would not touch it, saying no one would want to hear a song
about bad news.  We were all living in Los Angeles, a place described by the Los
Angeles Times as being in a “pocket depression” back then. I suppose the publishers
were right.

Times just were not bad enough.  Until now.

So BBBuB&B, as I call it, sat in a box all these years, until early 2011.  With my
career never rebounding to any great degree and the two boating retail stores I
signed on with in desparation going out of business during the past ten years, I
took stock of my life only a few years before “traditional retirement” and asked
myself: ” What do I have of any value?”

I turned to my music collection. I opened the box and with the new Internet/digital
technologies, taught myself how to convert the music to computer files, read two
books cover-to-cover on how the music business works today, and got on my horse.
Double checked all my copyright papers, renewing songwriter association
registrations, did what was necessary to re-claim about seven songs that had been
picked up by pubishers 20+ years ago and never worked, and then published all of my
36 songs under my name.

That means what I sell, after distribution costs, taxes and donations to two
charities — The Wounded Warrior Project and D.E.L.T.A Animal Rescue, goes to
getting my vastly underemployed wife and her unemployed husband out of the
frantic search to stablize and put some control in our lives being in our early 60s.

So BBBuB&B is the lead song of the album of the same name, ten songs in all,
available through most all the digital music download services, world-wide.  Only
negative so far is way too many people thought at the time it was launched August 1
that it was written as a knock on George W. Bush.  I explained that away easily
noting the year I wrote and recorded the song, even having the copyright
registration with the 1991 copyright date available.

This song, what I call an “Anthem of American Angst,” is for those who find
themselves on-the-ropes and trying to find their way out of the mess created by
other people in political and financial power, without pointing fingers.  That is
not the point of the song.  One person who listened to BBBuB&B said it made him feel
this was a song written by someone who knew what it was like to be flat on his back
but who wasn’t going to be held down.  Quoting another, “The ‘Bushwacked song’ takes the edge off my situation, at least for a little while, each time I play it.  Can’t ask for morethan that. It’s my own personal rally song!”‘

So that got me thinking how I can help take the edge off a little more.  At the
urging of one of my sisters, I bought a $35 dollar software program and added lyrics
and some little characters traced back 40 years when I did some cartooning in a
couple of Air Force base newspapers during the late 60s and early 70s.

The price was right and maybe I am not accomplished like a Charles Schultz, but the
words and pictures blended together nicely.  Maybe a little cute but absolutely not
demeaning. Did a second one for another song, then a third.  (Maybe I’m on to
something.)

I am the first to say BBBuB&B is not entertainment, by any stretch of the
imagnation.  There are many fun and upbeat songs in the album, written back when I
really had a sense of humor, but the lead/album title single isn’t one of them.

So I hope you appreciate that song and the video, both in recognition to those of
you, my peers, who maybe could use a little “pick-me-up.”  The song costs a buck on
download and the video is free.  Price is right to have some company during a very
bad time for you, my wife, and me.

I ask if you like BBBuB&B and the songs that appear on the album, let your friends
know, as advertising is something I cannot afford.

C.R. Ecker

(Editor Note — In the entertainment business, the first person to claim a name gets
it. So while the man whose band bears his name is known in his community and among
family by a different first name, he deferred using it to a promising new-age
pianist whose music was put out to the public first.  And in an interesting move,
C.R. Ecker encourages all to go to  – http://thecreckerband.com to hear all the songs
at no cost rather than listening to audio snippets on the download services prior
to potential purchase.  He has also figured out merchandise design and has a
“Bushwacked general store” link in his blog.    A portion of that income goes to
the charities he has outlined as well.)