June 21st, 2018
“ सु-प्रभात (su-prabhāt)” Wishing you a fine “Good Morning” spoken in an Indo-Aryan language spoken mainly in the Indian state of Maharashtra!
Last weekend we had another Father’s Day. Beyond the Hallmark moment of it all, it always makes me think about my dad. I think about my dad a lot actually. To be brutally honest, I think about him more now than when he was alive. We have quiet conversations when I become frightened of my own mortality or worthiness. He is still there for me. This year I am also remembering another father that will be missed sorely, my brother Pat. Happy Father’s Day Dad and Bro! I also want to thank my kids for making me the proudest dad ever!!!
The Great American Read is still running. I did better at remembering to vote this week. I think that is because I am remembering the books as I consider my vote. I connect with how I felt the first time I read, “Catch 22” or remembering my image of Holden Caulfield from “Catcher in the Rye”. Don’t forget to vote!!
WoooHooo!!! My tomato plant in a pot is taller than me and very robust. Lots of flowers so we are going to have lots of tomatoes, I hope. So far so good… no bugs in either my pallet garden or tomato. I really am enjoying the lettuce and herbs we have harvested so far. My spring onions are getting pretty big too. Not sure my watermelon is getting enough light on the lowest part of the pallet.
This week I learned some stuff:
• Today is MAKE MUSIC DAY On June 21 the world comes alive with music! Make Music Day, also known as Fête De La Musique, attracts professionals, amateurs and those who just love to listen to all kinds of music. So make some music y’all !!
• My baby brother would have been 63 years old tomorrow. I am still learning how to live in a world without Pat. Which as many of you know, is a bit surprising given that he and I were not as close as some brothers in the last years of his life. I am grateful that we did get a chance to catch up and reconnect in the months and weeks before he passed. We were on kind of a roller coaster ride at the end. He passed much faster than anyone expected. I think of him often.
Website Update:
• New Vocabulary Quiz!!!
• Last week for New “UJT Music Trivia Quiz” !!!
Writing, Ceramics and Painting Update:
• I attended my pastel class for the first time in awhile. I am not sure but I am just not feeling it with pastels these days. Well to be truthful I feel a little artistically out of sorts period. None of my art projects are making much progress these days.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• I used to be this free flowing, shoot from the hip and wing it kind of guy in my youth. No one could ever predict exactly what kind of remark I would make in any given situation. I hope, if forced to guess, they would predict something helpful and/or funny would spew forth from me as I had almost no control of myself for most of my life. My commentary could be lethal if called for but that was thankfully seldom and not my starting point. The point is that the only predictable McCann routine or regimen was that that there was no reliable prediction of what I might say or do. Since my interactions on a mission oriented or business context have curtailed since my retirement, I have become this creature of habit. I have my daily, weekly and even annual routines that I work very hard to maintain. I become ill at ease when they are interrupted or change beyond my control. I still seem to do a lot of stuff and I am enjoying the ride still but I think that I may have changed to isle seat instead of the window. I wonder why?
• The Singapore Summit happened without any missiles launched. After the fact, I realized that my concerns were unwarranted. Neither of these losers, have any intention of doing anything they might say to each other and have no compulsion to pretend very much. They both can claim victory in that they met without bloodshed. I am still feeling a little nauseous but that is almost automatic every time SCOTUS is mentioned by name in any context. 944 days of shame remain. What really concerns me is the celebration of this “accomplishment” by SCROTUS by the apparent morons that infest our country at the moment. Their praise is so effluent so as to appear paid for as it probably was by the grateful 1%ers enjoying their tax break windfalls. And so it goes…
• I was given a lovely birthday gift by Tippy … tickets to Mesmeric by James Woods and his entourage. This was a very beautiful presentation of music and graphics in the IMAX format. The breathtaking imagery is the loudest instrument in the band with its deafening colors, movement and images over head. The only thing less than perfect about the show was what I thought was overblown narrative drivel about human life on a multidimensional existence. Please don’t mistake me, Wood’s narration had many wise and salient points but they were diluted by returning to the multidimensional humanity theme. If it comes to your town, buy tickets early because almost all the shows sell out pretty fast. If you would like to explore this alternative visual, audio and spiritual perspective, please visit his site.
Music Update:
As always, I try to make something in the UJT Radio mix work for everyone.
Go to this week’s UJT Radio program.
• Tony Joe White — Willie and Laura Mae Jones — Here is another song by this soulful while boy from Louisiana. This one was a deep cut of his first album, “Black and White” released in 1969.
• James Hood — Afterlife — This is a cut of the Mesmeric double CD that we got at the show. The key element is this really interesting instrument developed in Bern Switzerland around 2000. The Hang has this steel drum sort of sound that sort of reverberates inside you so to speak. I know how that sounds but this stuff really is relaxing.
• Taylor Swift — This Love — This is just a fine ass example of fine song writing and playing. She has such a sweet voice. Released on her 2014 release entitled, “1989”, Taylor Swift is a wonderful addition to my musical library.
• Jude Cole — Time for Letting Go — This one kind of reminds me of John Mayer’s “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room”. Its that horrible anticipation of ending something that you believed would go on for ever. This one is from his 1990 release, “ A View from 3rd Street”
• The Allman Brothers — Ramblin’ Man — This one was a hit from their 1973 album “Brothers and Sisters”. It was written and sung by Dickie Betts. Les Dudek played where Duane stood and provided the guitar harmonies on this one.
• The Subdudes — Morning Glory — This one comes from their 2004 release, “Miracle Mule”. I am pretty sure you all are well aware of soulful music, well these boys fit right in. You can all most see the dust rising from the porch floor as the tap their feet in time.
• Jimmy Buffett — A Pirate Looks at Forty — Kind of a theme song for this old reprobate. I always had this feeling that I just was born in the wrong century somehow. This one comes to us from his 1974 release, “A1A”.
• Supertramp — Bloody Well Right — This classic comes to us from their 1974 release, “Crime of the Century”. This song was special to me from the very first time I heard it. I found these guys on the same day I found 10cc’s “Rubber Bullets”…. What a day!
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; And always remember … The best is yet to come!
As always, thank you for being my friend!
James
Under the Jacaranda Tree URL: http://www.jfmccann.com