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7/2/2004
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Chedly Sahab-Ettaba
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Neehao from China! I'm sorry that I can't be there, I'm currently doing 2 shows a night in Shanghai. I will be with you guys in spirit! Please have a great time and be excellent to each other. Thanks John for all your hard work you have put into this reunion and to the rest of the committee.
If it was a weekday I could take a flight to the US for a few days as long as I'm back by Friday evening, but my shows are sold out on the weekends here till mid August. You might be surprised to know that I do Comedy Magic and have a group called "The Magic Circus" which will tour Europe, South East Asia, and next year we're playing Las Vegas. Stay in touch and if you get a chance, check out the show. We've toured with a lot of big shows, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Sinead, Boy George, U2, etc. Lately we're sort of doing retro 80's bands.
Peace,
Chedly
A.K.A. Dr. Penguin
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7/21/2004
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Chedly Saheb-Ettaba
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I’m sorry I couldn’t attend the event. I did however dedicate my shows last weekend to the Edison High School Class of 74. I made a little speech about reunions, and how we are all just visiting this planet for a short time so we should make the most of it. My best moment in the show was when I did the Peter Mattaino Card Trick. I talked about my old friend from Edison and how we used to hang out together, and how I remember him. This trick is very cool, and a bit twisted, but has quite a spectacular ending. It received a standing ovation twice on Saturday night! (Peter, were you in the room?) The applause ran over 2 minutes which is almost scary in my business. (It delays the show)
Anyway, I’m happy to see the reunion was so successful. John you are an amazing person, I wish I had a manager like you! Good luck to you all.
BTW I’ve just been asked to do several shows for the Formula 1 event here in Shanghai for Ferrari and Fosters Beer. Anyone visiting Shanghai in Sept, around the 23rd to 26th, get in touch. I have access to the best seats in town!
Peace Chedly (aka Dr. Penguin)
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7/22/2004
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Chedly Sahab-Ettaba
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Neehao from Shanghai again. I was looking through the alumni pages and couldn’t find a couple of people. I wonder if anyone knows what ever happened to Lyle Gibson? His older brother Mike was lead guitarist for Merle Haggard, they were from Arkansas, and he grew up on US army bases around the world till his father retired and moved to Huntington Beach. Lyle started at Edison in his sophomore year, and had aspired to become a writer. I always wondered if he became one? The other person I couldn’t locate is Mark King, a full blooded Apache Indian, who played wicked acid guitar, and lived 2 blocks from Edison. Don Peebles/Knowles, but I think he was class of 73? Last I heard he was working for Greenpeace but that was back in the 70’s. And does anyone know what happened to Mr. Hoyland exactly? Thanks.
Keep on truckin……
Peace, Chedly (aka Dr. Penguin)
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10/24/2004
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Chedly Sahb-Ettaba
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Now the board is getting interesting! Reminds me of….History Class at Edison (Hey John?) when I argued against the war in Vietnam, and protested and went to rallies etc etc. I have to say, we are making the same and even worse mistakes all over again. Why don’t people learn from history? Invading Iraq was one of the worst decisions ever made. The USA has created a whole new type of terrorist! A whole new enemy! The insane thing is this time around we weren’t even asked to go in! The Iraqi people never had any qualms with the US, in fact we had a pretty strong PR rating there, but now we have created a whole new generation of disenchanted people. Going after Sadam was one thing, but occupying a country, well that’s another. And using Bin Laden as an excuse is shameful and not a real reason, it just doesn’t make sense. Bin Laden had no support in Iraq, on the contrary he loathed the place and they loathed him. I’m afraid that will all change now. From an Iraqi point of view, the US has invaded their home and fighting against an invader is looked at as heroism. That’s true in any land, I don’t care where you live. If Canada invaded the US how would you feel? Nothing good can come from any of this, if anything many US lives are lost for what? Oil! That’s what it comes down to. If you are willing to lose your sons, daughters, husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers to keep rich people in power, well then fine. I for one don’t think it’s a valid reason. 9/11 was horrible, and the irony is there was really nobody to go after, as the culprits all died in the attack. I think the USA had more sympathy world wide and support for actions taken against terrorists when that was our goal. Going after the Al Queda in Afghanistan was a strong move and had strong world wide support. Even Pakistan! But invading Iraq? This is a whole new situation. Where does it stop? Do we need to invade Iran next, Pakistan? Saudi Arabia? We are turning into colonialists! I think GW is a criminal and responsible for the shameful loss of many American lives. But that’s just my opinion. Yes John, Michael Moore is a friend of mine, and he has something very valid to say! Do the research folks, no weapons of mass destruction, and all we have is an old washed up tyrant living behind bars, in trade for how many lives?
PEACE! Chedly aka Dr. Penguin
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10/28/2004
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Chedly Sahab-Ettaba
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I feel for you Bette, and anyone else who has relatives and loved ones serving in Iraq. I still have to say we are making a horrible mistake! This, on top of so many others. You may or may not recall, both myself and my sister were born in Morocco, Tangier to be exact. My father was born there but was a Tunisian citizen. My mother is American, all the way back to the Mayflower (2 signatures on the Declaration of Independence). It was an interesting time in Morocco, my father worked for a peaceful revolution along with Mohamed 5 who had been exiled by the French. Together, with a strong unified group of intellectuals they achieved a peaceful take over and declared Morocco a democracy. The irony of the situation was they used the USA as a model, and my father helped to write and translate the Bill of Rights into Arabic. Mohamed 5 gave women equal rights and the vote. My father built schools all over the country and trained teachers. They didn’t believe in having a military, after all, the USA, and all the big powers had plenty of armies. The French were not happy with this new development, (Loss of income from phosphates etc) and the Deuxieme Beureu (French CIA) convinced the Americans that the new Bill of Rights was in fact a communist manifesto. I kid you not! The US has had the worst overseas policies for years and were so easy to manipulate. The word “communist” was like a red button, use it and they would react. Together the USA and France destroyed the new democracy, Mohamed 5 and his entire cabinet including my father were all dead within a two week period. It was a perfect clandestine operation (peace activists are easy targets) and the French brought into power Hassan 2, who was trained and educated in France and was a total despot. He took away women’s rights and closed down the schools where he could, took away the right to vote from everybody and supported the French interests. (He jailed the remaining intellectuals). I actually met the US Ambassador who was present during that period. He apologized to me for the misunderstanding and mistakes made by the US consulate back in 1960. I couldn’t believe it!
I have lived through several conflicts in many countries. I have always supported the USA because I support the constitution and the premise our country was founded on. But I feel that we have been robbed of our rights and that we have a very dangerous leader who is a throwback to Nixon’s administration and policies. In fact Nixon was a better leader, at least he went to China opening dialogue and he did stop the war! Moores film is his point of view. He is using sensationalism and other film tools to present his views. That’s show business. The Republicans have put their biased infomercials degrading Kerry’s war military record, which I find insulting to all decorated veterans. At least Moore cares enough to make a film. The more people we kill, the more hatred we create. You kill a father or a mother and you leave behind children that will grow up to hate the killer. It’s inevitable. I would say that is the root of the whole Palastinian and Israeli conflict. Goes back to the end of WW2, and the British and alies didn’t know what to do with the homeless Jews, so they decided Palestine would be perfect. They forgot to ask the people who lived there already, and this turned into a conflict of Biblical proportions. (Ok that’s a very simple way of putting it, but it’s pretty much what happened in a nutshell.) Both sides believe they are right. I don’t believe it will ever be resolved, too many have died over the past 60 years and new generations are full of hatred on both sides. The western powers meddled into affairs that they should never have. We need puppets to serve our collective interests. The list is long, Noriega, Shah of Iran, Hassan 2, etc. History should teach us not to repeat mistakes, but I am beginning to lose faith in humanity. I worry that the human race is doomed for extinction. It seems we are working hard to achieve that goal. If Bush wins, I may end up retiring in New Zealand or Australia Remember those bumper stickers back in the 70’s “America Love it or leave it!” I hated that line, the irony is I’m leaving it!
Peace Chedly
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11/4/2004
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Chedly Sahab-Ettaba
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If only more Americans would have clicked and done some research! It’s going to be a hard 4 years! I can only say I am deeply saddened by the outcome of the election and I have grave suspicions of what will become of our Nation and our civil liberties. Bin Laden is winning, we are losing.
Peace Chedly
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4/3/2006
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Chedly Sahab-Ettaba
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Hello Chedly here:
Wow blast from the past! Rhino! I remember getting busted by a dog catcher because my dog outsmarted him, he knew where my dog lived and I became my dog's alibi, he arrested me because I wouldn't let him take my dog. I missed the court date (not taking it seriously) and got picked up by the cops for the dog catching offense when I was going somewhere with Rhino (Gordon Deppe) LOL. Trying to remember the name of the guy with the Road Runner? Remember listening to the Stones and cruising down PCH, checking the action…… Some years later I'd be doing the same thing only in other countries…Cruising down the highway from Bangkok to Phuket listening to the Cars, or from Katmandu to Pokhara, listening to the Undertones, or from Darjeeling to Sikim listening to Blondie, Bali it was Michael Jackson, PNG it was Soft Cell, Iran it was Pink Floyd…etc etc. I always identify an era or place with music, how about you! Edison High School break time, behind the oil wells, Black Sabbath…..I wish I could remember the names of the guys in the band I was in, we did Crosby Steels Nash and Young, Purple Haze, inagotadavida, and Iron Man, I played drums, I don't think we ever made any money, I know we played some parties but can't remember where. I used to improvise on the drums, never played anything the same twice, except for Honky Tonk Woman, which was the first song I learned on drums! Been trading school stories with my friend Adam Clayton about early musical attempts, he was thrown out of his first band because he couldn't play! (He started the band!) Everyone thought Neil McCormick would make it big time, Neil ended up becoming a music critic in London (He was the one who threw Adam out of their band) and Adam went on to become a very successful bass player. Makes me wonder what ever happened to all the bands in HB? Mark King, full blooded Apache, with a Jimi Hendrix fixation, he was unbelievable on electric guitar, like live LSD on the frets freaky stuff, Bill White, heavy metal drummer, beat the crap out of his drums! These guys I remember but heard nada since, except that Bill was touring somewhere with some heavy rock bands in the early 80's. I wish I could remember the names of the guys I played with. Any help out there?
A little up-date from Shanghai. I'm still working here doing 2 shows a night at La Maison till the end of April. Spring is here, and there is a big buzz in town. People are smiling, wearing less clothing and milling about in the streets.
We've been putting together a Magic Circus tour with old friends, kind of a re-union of past members "the going back in time" tour.
Shangrilla-Tibet-Xian and if we can make it, Nepal as destination (John Miller are you coming?). This time we are filming the event as a documentary. Kind of a highlight for all the good artists who have given their time in the past for children in remote places. It will be the tour to top them all.
The Rolling Stones are doing their first ever concert in China this Sat night in Shanghai, looking forward to a great night. This will be my first Sat night off in over a year! Then I'm off to Vietnam for a show in Saigon, later Beijing and back to Shanghai. Joining a rock tour for 3 weeks in Australia later this year. Bunch of friends doing the big stadium thing. Always good to absorb all that crowd energy.
Happy springtime, Ciao Chedly
Dr. Penguin
Just Visiting This Planet
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10/23/2006
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Chedly Sahab-Ettab
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Hi there. John I went to the web site to check on your pics of Nepal, My Mac doesn't seem to be able to open the pics, it does arrive at the page though?
I just returned from a very bizarre adventure Directing a production in Southern China, which involved millions of dollars and what can only be described as well planned fraud! The Chinese are masters at this and it should have come as no surprise, but I am still reeling over the shamelessness of Chinese business! I was asked to produce a show in record time, told that I would have carte blanche all the resources, materials, and team etc. So I wrote the script, and contacted some of the best people in the business, and flew them in only to find that every move would be thwarted by internal cheating and lying. The whole thing was like a reenactment of Mel Brooks "The Producers". The Chinese company that hired me were in fact go-betweens for the major client, OCT the largest real estate and entertainment company in China. What I didn't know was that I was already the second team to be brought in. They had no intention of ever opening the show, and just wanted huge expenses to charge to OCT. I brought in the best designers for lights and sound, and purchased 2 and half million dollars on High End DL2's for lighting effects, even more on 144 moving lights, plus installed a full sonic surround sound system over a million, it was all surreal. What I didn't know, (and frankly didn't care) was the price to the client was doubled. But that's business in China, and none of mine. But the clincher was they told the client the costumes and props were being made in America (In fact they were being made in China) and when it came time for us to meet the cast, they didn't have any! They had never expected us to actually finish our job! We had to help them find cast, which we did at great cost and urgency, but they still managed to cancel the opening giving as an excuse the marketing wasn't ready. Giving themselves more time to cheat the client till Chinese New year!
Anyway now I'm back in Shanghai and my birthday is tomorrow and I'm wondering what to do to celebrate, and low and behold I get an email from Adam Clayton inviting my son and I to join him and his band U2, on their Australian tour starting in 2 weeks! Since I don't have any pressing work at the moment, I figure why not! It will be fun to be entourage, you get all the perks, without the hassles! This is a purely selfish motive for my birthday, but I have done tons of charity, I reckon it's time I do something for myself! I'll keep a visual record and post it on the web.
Meanwhile good luck on your climb, sounds like something you know you have to do. I think my next gig will be directing a film called Pigskin, to be shot in China and the US. My cousin just won an award at Sundance for his last film, "The Bookstore", and he is currently participating in a Sundance lab translating his new script to English from Arabic and French (Tunisians as well as Moroccans speak a mixture of Arabic, French and Berber called Maghrebi) I will assist him with his next film, not sure what I'l do, since he's the director, I'm handy with gaffer tape though.
I will return to doing my Magic-Comedy shows at some point, but it's nice taking a break. I've been doing it so long, and for 7 days a week, I'm enjoying doing nothing, just fixing up my new apartment, going out to dinner with friends, and casting dancers and artists for a small project i'm producing for a friend. I enjoy casting the dancers, it's definitely a perk.
Oh by the way, my sister Leila recently became a medical doctor! She went back to school and studied hard, being the oldest in her class couldn't have been easy either, and she passed her exams and the state exams etc and she is now a practicing doctor! Mindblowing! So you see, life is just beginning at 50!
Love and peace-Chedly
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11/12/2006
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Chedly Sahab-Ettaba
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Well, all I can say is the show was awesome! Adam Clayton invited me to see his band U2 perform in Sydney for my birthday, so here I am. Yesterday I picked up my ticket package yesterday at the Hyatt Hotel, and later took the free train to the Olympic Stadium with thousands and thousands of U2 fans. Once arrived, I met up with Ella (Chinese Australian, she worked with me on my last project as assistant director) followed the instructions for the Hospitality guests which took us on a sort of treasure hunt, circling the stadium and going up and down spiraling staircases. I bumped into other Hospitality Guests who were likewise occupied, until we all finally wound up at the right spot on the pitch next to the back stage entrance. At 7 PM were led into a room with thick drapes and open bars set up. It was warm in the room and kept getting warmer. Soon it was packed and everyone was wondering what was next. I met a guy who's cousin is married to Edge and his friend Danny. We escaped the heat back at the entrance, and then my phone rang, it was Suzie Varney, Adams Personal assistant. She asked where I was, I told her I was at the entrance to the room, she said stay there, I'm coming to get you. Soon Suzie appeared and introduced herself, and led us to a room which is a backstage food and drinks room for the band. There were 3 people in the room who were eating huge lobster tails. We took a seat, then Adam came in wearing a red shirt with a Chinese collar, and a gold sun blazened on the right top side. We hugged and he said how thankful he was for my taking care of him and Susie Smith in Shanghai. I said it was my pleasure, and thanked him for inviting me to the show. I explained why Ali couldn't come, and he understood, I gave him a few updates on life and he told me his latest home news and finally I let him go. Next we went to the stadium green, to the podium in front of the Mixing board and light consul, best view in the stadium! What a night! The show was awesome, and I was blown away by the video and lighting. These guys are ahead of everybody! I made friends with Kate Blanchet (The movie star) and we watched the show together. Bono later dedicated a song to her. She already left though, heading to the after show party! It's been a very long night, with the after show party and drinking in a cafe at 5 AM. But I'm really glad I came!
Well thats it for now, Im still here and still have the music in my head!
Take care-Ciao Chedly
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11/14/2006
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Chedly Sahab-Ettaba
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Hi, this is Chedly. Sending a pic taken 10 minutes before the U2 show. Adam Clayton is the guy on the left. I recieved an email from a CM, who is CM?
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8/26/2009
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Chedly Saheb-Ettaba
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Hi. Seemed like the postings weren't working for a year or so? I was working at the Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing, doing shows every day, dyed my hair bright green, wore a bright green tuxedo and wrote observations about what I saw and experienced there. Sent them to the Alumni but nada. Was a pretty wild experience.
I plan on visiting the States this October. It's been a long time since I've been back. Thought I'd pay John Miller a visit. I will take my kids to meet and see U2 perform in Dallas. I have a charity fund raiser gig there as well, and then join some friends who are performing in Guadalajara Mexico, "Space Tribe". Should be fun. I'd like to see some other old friends, has anybody heard or seen Mark King? He was a wicked electric guitarist back in the day, heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix. I've looked for him and Lyle Gibson, who also went to Edison but not a trace.
Hope you all are enjoying the summer!
Cheers Chedly
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