Renee Marquiss - Realtor

Even the webmistress needs a good pimp every once in a while! If anyone is interested in buyer or selling in the Sarasota/Manatee (FL) area, please give me a call at 941.807.5950 or email at renee@xenavallonerealty.com or visit my website at www.buyandsellrealestate.com. Even if you are not local, I can refer a qualified Realtor to you in all 50 states!

The Wacky Parrot

Our site specializes in tropical products from all over the country and of course you will always find a great selection of Parrot items. We hope you enjoy your visit to The Wacky Parrot.com and come back often to visit us. Please contact us and let us know your wishes and thoughts,
Love Wacky!

John Reno

Who is John Reno, you might ask? John is a singer/songwriter from Fairhope, Alabama. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, John knew at an early age that music was his passion. John is not your typical acoustic guitar playing singer songwriter. John’s musical style can be defined as trop rock – a mixture of rock-n-roll and country music with an island theme, and lyrics depicting a laid back lifestyle. John not only defines this musical genre – he lives it! After getting a degree in accounting from Loyola University and doing a stint as an accountant in Boston, one day John never returned to work after lunch. At lunch, he bought a guitar and by the end of the week, John Reno was born. Within a short time, John Reno was playing at the local clubs and at colleges in the Providence/Boston area. Being a Louisiana boy, and longing for “short-pant” weather, John returned to the Gulf coast area. John settled in Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope is the perfect town in the perfect location. Located on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay and only two and one half hours from New Orleans, John is at home! He has, however, done his share of traveling. John has performed from Maine to Mexico and was one of the feature performers on an around the world cruise. Currently, John is touring to promote his new CD – Magic Chair. John is accompanied on this CD by many talented musicians. Magic Chair is the audio definition of trop rock. John’s Band, the Half-Fast Creekers, consist of a unique combination of instruments and personalities. Dennis Gray, a retired young salt, is the tuba player. (Yes, the band does have a tuba!). Kurt Schneider, a semi-retired architect, plays harmonica and percussion, and Chip Collins, hits the bongo, conga, drums and percussion. John Reno and the Half-Fast Creekers have a diversified song list. In addition to performing the songs written by John, the band’s repertoire has been described as Hoagy Carmichael meets Toby Keith in Margaritaville. Magic Chair is John’s fourth CD. Magic Chair contains ten tracks that flow nicely from one song to another and demonstrates the magic tone of John’s voice. Each song tells its own story. One song, Heartaches and Hangovers, was co-written by football legend, Kenny “Snake” Stabler. The title track, Magic Chair, puts you right there. This is a song that everyone who listens to it will identify with. Always having a sense of humor, John has included a cover of a song he considers a classic, I Lobster but Never Flounder. To showcase his sense of style, Magic Chair also features an instrumental piece, Mortise and Tenon, as well as a haunting rendition of Drunken Sailor. John spent ten years touring colleges and universities performing a Caribbean inspired show called “Pirates, Parrots and Margaritas.” This show featured a combination of Jimmy Buffett’s greatest hits along with island Caribbean classics. During this time, John was nominated by Campus Activities Today Magazine as “Best Solo Performer”, “Best Unsigned Artist” and “One of America’s Hottest Acts.”In addition to the island music, John also performs songs that show his “other side.” These songs are a masterful blend of musical satire and humor and songs that are just plan funny. These are songs that poke fun at the human condition and highlight John’spersonality. Other John Reno compilations include: John Reno and The Half-Fast Creekers: A Bona Fide Social Club; John Reno – Calypso Joe and John Reno: Total Renovation. John also has a single on the trop rock compilation called Thongs in the Key of Life. John’s CD’s are available on CDBABY.com or by visiting John’s website: JohnReno.com.

Sunny Jim White

Sunny Jim has been performing across the country and in the Caribbean and Canada since 1976. He performed his song "Blame It On the Rum" in Paramount Pictures "The Firm" and has scored two full length videos, "The Video Fish Book" and "The Ocean Aquarium". His song, "Jamaica Me Crazy" appeared in a scene in the underground cult favorite movie "Dexter Dickie" in 2000.

Sunny Jim has been a headline act at the national Parrothead (Jimmy Buffett fan clubs) convention, held every year in Key West, Florida, since 1988. Since it's inception in 2003, Sunny Jim has been the host of the Six String Music Singer/Songwriter Festival in New Orleans, La. Sponsored by Margaritaville, New Orleans and Tropical Isle on Bourbon Street, Six String is a weekend long event featuring nationally known singer/songwriters in the troprock vein, with special guests Keith Sykes, Thom Sheppard, and others.

He has also hosted the hugely popular Blue Heaven Songwriter Show in Key West Florida since 1998, held at the Blue Heaven Restaurant and featuring the finest in TropRock singer/songwriters. Sunny Jim has shared the stage with such notable national acts as:Kieth Sykes,Peter Mayer,Del Shannon, Wolfman Jack, The Drifters, The Coasters, Nadira Shakoor, Bill Wharton "The Sauce Boss", Marty Balin, Will Kimbrough, Doyle Grisham, Michael Utley, Robert Greenidge, Fingers Taylor, TC Mitchell, Amy Lee, Jim Mayer & Tina Gullickson.

Nadirah Shakoor

The recipient of a Grammy Nomination an MTV Video Award, the 2005 Artist for a Better World Humanitarian Award, and the 2006 Spirit of Youth Award, Nadirah is a seasoned professional who has performed for thousands at such mega concert events as Lalapalooza, Womad and Woodstock II. In more intimate venues her voice and stage presence have been described as no less than captivating. A songwriter as well, Nadirahs song Purpose to Be was featured in the film At First Sight starring Val Kilmer, another, Break Away was featured in the film Dark Places. She collaborated with Speech and other producers on her debut CD Soul Power [Toshiba-EMI Japan], and penned all the songs on her two independently released CDs "Nadirah Songs", which can be purchased at (http://cdbaby.com/cd/nadirah), and "Obsessed with Peace", (http://cdbaby.com/cd/nadirah2). Many people remember Nadirah Shakoor as the lead female vocalist of the ground breaking hip hop group Arrested Development which she joined in 1992 and remained with until the group disbanded in 1995. Others know her as the featured female vocalist in Jimmy Buffetts' Coral Reefer Band. Nadirahs career did not start there however. Raised in Los Angeles California she was one of the areas premiere session singers. Her credits include albums by Quincy Jones, Madonna, Angela Bofill, Phillip Bailey, Speech, Jody Watley, Jermaine Jackson, Ralph MacDonald, and Jimmy Buffett, just to name a few. On October 14, 2008 released her 4th CD Jimmy Buffett fans (known as Parrot Heads) have eagerly awaited "Nod to the Storyteller" a CD honoring Mr Buffett, her employer for the last 14 years. Nadirah is covering several Buffett songs, most of them chosen by the Parrot Heads themselves. In addition the CD contains 2 Nadirah originals, 1 Eric Clapton song, 2 Mac McAnally songs and one by Art Neville. Also notable are 2 duets with Buffett and a guest appearance by the great slide guitarist Sonny Landreth and his band. Nadirah collaborates with her long time friend, world renowned producer, Osunlade, in the House Music genre. Their songs Tree of Life, Pride, U Touched My Soul and Just A Breath Away are quickly becoming House classics. Several labels, DJs, and Producers have added them to compilations and the licenses are still pouring in. Their latest offering, Love Song, is a testament to uncompromising artists everywhere. Accompanying Nadirah live is her phenomenal band, "Outside Art", 5 very talented musicians. Outside Art's sound is one reminiscent of Old School Soul flavored by hot dance beats and African rhythms. With socially and spiritually conscious lyrics, Nadirah firmly believes that Artists can and must use their talent to help change the world.

Hugo Duarte

Like good Cuban food, Hugo’s music is a combination of a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a whole lot of down-to-earth ingredients that come together in an adventure of the senses. You can’t really describe it; you just have to try it in order to understand and appreciate the flavors and subtleties of whatever it is that you've just been presented.” Such are the elements of this remarkably talented Singer/songwriter/storyteller. Duarte blends of a bit of Country, a pinch of Bluegrass, a handful of Southern rock, a cup or two of Blues, a dash of Island music, occasionally sprinkled with some American history, or tales of the sea, to form an eclectic style that doesn’t fit into the traditional definitions of the Rock and Roll world, the Tropic/Island sound, Blues, Country or any other particular genre. Born of Cuban, Chinese, and Scotts-Irish ancestry, Duarte’s music is as diverse as his origins. His early childhood years were spent in Tigerville, South Carolina, an extremely small community in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was there he came to understand the basics of life in that close-knit, rural community where life was simple, where everyone’s parents parented everyone else’s kids, and music and song were an integral part of everyday life. Somewhere along the line, Hugo’s family moved to North Carolina where Duarte’s musical influences drifted away from the native Bluegrass and traditional country music that had been so much a part of his life and began to take a new direction. He began to focus on the Allman Brothers, the Marshall Tucker Band, Poco, the Eagles, Billy Joel, Elton John, Pure Prairie League, the Outlaws, Loggins and Messina, and many others. And that focus didn’t stop there. It also included Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Led Zeppelin, Glen Miller, John Phillip Sousa, Aaron Copeland, and other equally divergent styles.

You can also visit Hugo here: http://www.hillbillybeach.com/

Nikki Sprott - Travel Goddess with AAA

Want to get out of town? Going to a phlocking and need travel arrangements?

Contact Nikki Sprott at nikki_sprott@csaa.com

2009 Buffett Tour Dates

Well the 2009 Buffett tour dates are starting to come out. I wouldn't even want to try keep up with all of the tour date rumors/actual dates - Buffettnews.com is definitely THE source for those.

Not sure I particularly like the name of this years tour "Summerzcool 2009 Tour" LOL Is this a new single? Does it translate to "Summer School" or Summer is Cool?"

Chime in and tell me what you think - post a comment (hint hint).

Medical Transcription Service

Exact Scribe offers an easy-to-use web-based tool for managing your dictation and transcription workflow. Our web-based technology solution is the first web-based system that puts you in complete control of your process, from managing your voice files, viewing, printing, faxing, and completing your documents. Providers are able to e-sign their documents with just a click of a button! See for yourself why our platform is being called the easiest to use and most integrated system in the industry.Technology aside, we believe that a personal touch provides the best customer service and we are excited to provide these services to each and every client. Unlike large MTSOs, we take pride in small business service and support. All of our US-based transcriptionists have experience and great tools to provide you with the best service possible.

32nd "Ocassional" Pasadena Doo Dah Parade

So - any parrotheads reading this blog (are there any parrotheads reading this blog????) going to join in this parade?

Per this article - there are a group of parrotheads registered for it!!