March 10th, 2022
“God morgen”, or “Good Morning!” in Norwegian. I would also like to wish my good friend DD, “Lykke till” which is “Good Luck” in the same language. Enjoy your trip!
Did everyone watch the ROKU Original Series, “The Fix” last week?? I really enjoyed Samual Jacksons, “just the facts mam” presentation. I hope you did too. Good!I wonder what we could do with the estimated $51 Billion we spend loosing the “war” on drugs each year??? Healthcare? Education? Lower Taxes?? Now, say something! Technology has made it pretty easy to send an email to your Senators and Representatives. Just do it!
This week one of the UJT faithful shared a wonderful thing with me. I say thing because I am not really sure how describe it – a movement. an organization, perhaps a optimistic belief or religion? But it is another way to amplify those things things that are available to us based up our common humanity. Playing for Change proposes we use music to bring us together even in the darkest of times. Playing for Change was orginated twenty years ago by Mark Johnson and Whitney Ann Kroenke. They created a mobile video and audio recording studio that captured deconstructed performances by musicians around the world. They assemble them into videos which are streamed. Their memberships, Playing for Change Band concerts, streaming and merchandizing have funded a lot of music and education around the world. Check it out and maybe make a donation and tell your friends. We may disagree about a great many tings but everyone I know loves music and wants a better, safer, happier world to leave to their children. Today the Playing for Change Foundation support s 15 musical programs in 11 countries just trying to build the One Love that can change our world. I checked them out. A little over 60% of donations make it to their programs, which is not bad when you consider these are a bunch of musicians! When you join, you get access to all this wonderful content ..deconstructed explanations of how the music videos are created and of course, some really fine music made by virtual collaboration – This one is When the Levee Breaks featuring John Paul Jones playing with Stephan Perkins. Derek Trucks. Susan Tedeschi and a bunch of other people from all over thew world. So fine!! Watching the Peace Train collaboration video made me cry.Do what you can.
This week I learned some stuff:
• The Sunflower is the national symbol of Ukraine. I did not know that. I have always loved sunflowers. The way they dominate the skyline of every garden. They always remind me of hope and determination. My huge stained glass project started out as daisies but I think I am going to convert it to Sunflowers.
• March 10th is the 69th day of 2022. Just 299 days till Christmas! Today in 1496 After establishing city of Santo Domingo, Christopher Columbus departs for Spain, leaving his brother in command; Today in 1876, the first successful test of a telephone is made by Alexander Graham Bell; On this day in 1945, the U.S. Army Air Force firebombs Tokyo, and the resulting conflagration kills more than 100,000 people, mostly civilians; In 1969 on this day, James Earl Ray pleads guilty to assassinating Martin Luther King Jr. He later unsuccessfully attempts to recant; Today in 1970, Captain Ernest Medina is charged by the U.S. military with My Lai war crimes; Today in 1977, astronomers discover the rings of Uranus.; Today in 2006, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrives at Mars; In 1940 on this day, Chuck Norris, American actor, producer, and martial artist was born: Born today in 1947,Tom Scholz, American inventor, engineer and rock musician(guitarist for Boston); Osama bin Laden, Saudi Arabian terrorist, founded al-Qaeda, was born today in 1957; Sharon Stone, American actress and produce was born today in 1958; Harriet Tubman, American nurse and activist passed away today in 1913; Andy Gibb, Australian singer-songwriter and actor away today in 1988; Lloyd Bridges, American actor and director passed away in 1998; And finally, Frank Sherwood Rowland, American chemist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate died today in 2012.
Website Update:
This week:
• A new Vocabulary Quiz!!! Yeah! (Please forgive my oversight in omitting one of the answers in the key last time.)
• Last week for our Musical Trivia Quiz
• I didn’t add any new recipes this week.
• The Home Page quote tis week is from John Lennon, ” A dream you dream alone is just a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”
Writing, Ceramics, Stained Glass and Painting Update:
• I am painting again! But not as often as I should.
• I have paper edited 3 more chapters of Grandpa Stories. Progress towards being republished. Paper editing might be just a little fun as I relive the stories! Maybe it just sucks a little less.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• “Black is Beautiful!” I remember being confused by the aouth Florida crackers being so disdainful of the phrase. To be fair, I am not sure why? I wasn’t very found of the term “negro”. I guess negro reminded me too much of “albino” only in reverse. The weird thing is I always thought that the “Black is Beautiful” slogan was an Americanism but it is not. It comes to us from a truely great young leader of the Anti Apartheid movement in South Africa. A man by the name of Steve Biko. who was beaten to death by state security officers in 1977. I first heard Biko in a song by Peter Gabriel. I had no idea what it was about. I just like the song.
• It’s embarrassing! I am a helpless and hopeless romantic. When I watch wonderfully written and acted movies or TV shows depicting true love or brave sacrifice or even moving patriotism, I am moved to tears. The same thing happens when I attend concerts where the audience knows all the words and sings along with the band. My latest eye floods have occurred watching and listening to the video collaborations by Playing for Change. I repeat. It’s embarrassing.
• Our battery backup system has been installed and is awaiting inspection before we start running our whole house on solar changed batteries.
Music Update:
Once again, yours truly takes you on another meander through the dusty cobwebs of my music library. This week I have a lovely mix of new and old that I hope you will enjoy.
This week’s UJT Radio Program:
• Snowy White – Journey Pt. 1 & 2 — Another one from Snowy. I really like this guy’s style. This one is from his 2009 release, The Best of Snowy White.
• Savoy Brown — Sitting An’ Thinking — This short sweet little ditty comes from the boys’ “Looking In” album released in 1970.
• The Lumineers — Submarines — This is a fun song from their first album, “The Lumineers” released in 2012. It was featured about a year ago on UJT Radio and I figured it was time.
• Jackson Browne – Tender is the Night – A classic from way back in 1983 from, “Lawyers in Love”. This just a great piece of songwriting!!
• Tom Waits – The Heart of Saturday Night — This is the title cut from his 1974 release. Tom is an acquired taste but tasty he is. If you don’t like Tom’s music you probably need more wine or Scotch or something..”… the magic of the melancholy tear in your eye…. Looking for the heart of Saturday Night”
• Extreme – Hole Hearted – Here is another great tune from the boys. This one comes from their 1990 release, “Extreme II: Pornograffitti”. This one is mostly acoustic with Nuno Benttencourt doing his creative thing..a well written song.
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; Always remember… The best is yet to come! As always, thank you for being my friend!