June 27th, 2019
“Aloha kakahiaka!” “Good Morning !!!” to you all in Hawaiian.
Last Saturday, my baby brother would have been 64 years old. It seems that many of my favorite people were born in 1955. I never even considered that I might live longer than Pat. And frankly, it pisses me off! He was such sweet boy and man! He had none of the warts and spiky parts his older brother brought to bear so often and so quickly. My brother Pat was what we used to call a “ slow burn” meaning it took him a good long while to get angry but when he did .. oh boy .. stand back. When he got past it he would forgive with all his heart. He was committed to his beliefs even when they conflicted with his big brother’s and other’s. He had the courage of his convictions and the grace to love others when he devoutly believed that they were wrong. How can can you argue or stay angry with someone like that for any time at all?? He was about the sweetest man I have ever known. I hope that I might grow up to be half as kind and caring as my baby brother achieved before he was 20 years old and demonstrated his entire life! Rest in Peace Pat.
This week I learned some stuff:
• June 27th is NATIONAL CREAM TEA DAY!! Every year on the last Friday in June, British tradition comes alive on National Cream Tea Day. Around the world, tea enjoys enduring traditions and legendary stories.
Website Update:
• Last week for our New Vocabulary Quiz.
• A new UJT Music Trivia Quiz!!!!
• I made some new and different dishes this week. Have you ever had Shawarma?? Well, now I have and guess what? I liked it! We had a Cold Noodle, Citrusy Cabbage and Options (we chose the vegetarian option). We also had a Grilled Squid Salad. I liked it but I don’t have the whole squid grilling magic decoder ring yet – it was tasty but tougher than I had envisioned. I will keep working on it. But you could try your hand at it too.
Writing, Ceramics and Painting Update:
• You get kind of spoiled living here in San Diego. Lately, I developed the habit of leaving all my watercolor paints, etc outside under the umbrella where I paint most often. I was lulled into state of complacency which in my experience is often followed by a period of calamity as in this case. Watercolor paintings and materials do not appreciate the fineness of a late spring shower. Oh well. I will be returning to my habit of packing up every day again.
• Grandpa Stories is still not re-published.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• I am not sure how many are aware but they are watching you! There are information sites that are collecting information about you and selling it to their paid members. Its perfectly legal. They only use publicly available information. That is to say information about you that you have provided over the years to lots of people and companies. They just collect it and make it available for their members. All of us can find out what they have on us and we can opt out of their system simply by requesting it. I found out about it when I started using the Life Lock ID theft prevention services. Here is the link to the opt out page of these personal information sites. I mention all this because I have lived long enough to go from being the only McCann Family is the Greater Miami Phone Directory to be just one of the 99 James McCanns who live in California. We are just multiplying like Irish Catholics!!! I am sure these represents a serious threat to our nations Scotch Whiskey reserves!
Music Update:
I have created a very nice collection of songs that I think celebrate life in a grand way! I re-learned my digital turntable and associate software! Weehaa!!
Go to this week’s UJT Radio program.
• Big Brother and the Holding Company — Piece of My Heart — From the Vinyl!!! I got this record a couple of weeks ago on a visit with The Lad’s Dad and The Lad up in Carlsbad. I was trying to remember. This copy of Cheep Thrills is my fourth copy since 1968 when I bought my first copy. If my memory is correct, this copy cost me almost exactly four times as much as the first copy. Big Brother broke up in late 1968 but I did see Janis and her Kosmic Blues Band perform that in late1969. On October 4, 1970 while recording her new album,”Pearl” Janis died alone in her hotel room. I was in bootcamp when I heard the new and marched to the mess hall for breakfast that following morning with tears in my eyes. I am pretty sure I was not the only sad sailor that morning.
• Bob Seger — Wait for Me — This one comes from his 2006 release, “Face the Promise”. Its just good old Bob Seger music that we all grew up with.
• Matchbox Twenty — If I Fall — This is a deep cut from their masterpiece album, “Exile on Mainstream”.
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — Everybody I Love You — Smiling out from our past, this one comes from from “Dejavu” released in 1970.
• Tommy Emmanuel — Old Town — Recently, I saw one of those bogus “Top 150 Guitar Players” beauty contest lists. It’s just tragic how little these folks seem to actually know about guitar playing. So many well deserving players like Tommy, Mark Knoffler, Joe Bonamassa, Carl Verhey and so many others were not on the list.
• Sarah Jarosz — Run Away — This lady is just real special. This one comes from her “Follow Me Down” album released in 2011.
• Sarah McLachlan – I Will Remember You – Another beautiful song sung beautifully from her Best of album released in 2008 – but it was originally released in 1993 on her “Fumbling Towards Ecstasy” album.
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!