A little bit of joy for today. Nice and peaceful and shows you not only can a senior be wonderful for young’uns but they can be great for seniors.
Video
A little peace, love…and furry kitten goodness to chill by.
Cats and kittens do the cutest things in video.
Long and Winding Road a Life Journey.
The smallest of rills
Rage on toward the future
And the beat of hearts.
(For my Haiku Challenge this week.)
The Long and Winding Road being the number one hit during my birthday week in 1970 seems appropriate for many reasons, one being I love The Beatles.
But the most appropriate things are how many times I moved as a kid and the twists and turns of my life. The moves were at least 10 but there were possibly more prior to the age of five. I think there was a Carolina in there somewhere.
There are events in my past that kids shouldn’t experience. Decisions as a adult to question. But in the end you don’t want to change anything because it brings you to where you are. Changes are ahead and more winding roads, but copious amounts of sunshine and good vibrations abound.
The last number one hit for the Beatles, The Long and Winding Road was written by Paul McCartney, but as always any song written by either McCartney or John Lennon were credited to the both of them. The album, Let It Be was finished about a year before release, according to an interview with McCartney, then John Lennon called in American producer Phil Spector to tidy up some of the tracks. Long time Beatles producer George Martin had already finished the album, but with Spector coming in, he didn’t get any of the producer credit. He is quoted as saying, “I produced the original, and what you should do is have a credit saying ‘Produced by George Martin, over-produced by Phil Spector.“[1] Martin emphasized the vast difference between the normal Beatles song style as opposed to the over-produced style of Spector.
An aside here. If you watch the John & Yoko Above Us Only Sky documentary, currently on Netflix, which includes a modern day Julian Lennon as well as footage of young Julian at their country home, Tittenhurst Park, covers the making of the album Imagine. I recommend watching as you see inside what was making Lennon tick during that time as well as revealing some of his relationship with McCartney that fans have probably misunderstood. The main reason to watch is to see how Lennon seemed to almost be devoted (not quite the right word) to Spector and jump to work when the producer said time to work. It was very telling of where John Lennon had ended up as someone who depended on Yoko (who was clearly shown not to be the evil divide she was presented to be in the press) and Spector in making decisions. It’s no surprise as his career as a Beatle had been managed in almost every way.
Martin’s words about Spector’s overproducing were seemingly confirmed by McCartney’s vocal displeasure, “The album was finished a year ago, but a few months ago American record producer Phil Spector was called in by Lennon to tidy up some of the tracks. But a few weeks ago, I was sent a re-mixed version of my song ‘The Long and Winding Road’ with harps, horns, and orchestra, and a women’s choir added. No one had asked me what I thought. I couldn’t believe it.” [2] In the Wings version in 1976, (live concert video by clicking the the bold blue text) McCartney used muted horns in place of the strings in the concert tour and album Wings over America.
What’s your Birth Week Song? Click HERE to find out and maybe share in the comments. Does it fit your life at all?
Here, There, and Everywhere: The 100 Best Beatles Songs
1 Lewis, Michael; Spignesi, Stephen J. (2004) Here, There, and Everywhere: The 100 Best Beatles Songs(also known as 100 Best Beatles Songs: A Passionate Fan’s Guide) Black Dog & Leventhal. p. 42 (May 1, 2004) ISBN 1579123694
2 Bell, Robin (2005). The History of British Rock and Roll: The Psychedelic Years 1967 – 1969 Publisher: Robin Bell (June 20, 2017) ASIN: B073HFRT1N
#WednesdayWoofs – Shall we dance?
Do you love dogs and have something to share? Pop a link in the comments and maybe some people will visit and like it. The hashtag isn’t really a thing, just something I put up there. I checked on twitter and there are some spattering of tweets from over time but nothing regular. Share if you like, or not. Up to you. I just loved the video. 🙂
The joyful thaw.
Sometimes I cry, but not because I’m sad.
It’s because when I met you my heart was frozen.
You’re the one who warmed me through and through.
You brought this strange thing called love into my world.
And tears of joy, that come from the melting ice.
Question Marks and Too Many Tears?
?
No, that’s not a question I am asking. That’s the legal name of the lead singer of a 1960s Mexican-American garage band that some call the first punk rock group.
The groups original members were born in Texas of immigrants from Mexico and eventually moved to Saginaw, Michigan. Yes, from one border to the other. Hot to cold. The parents followed the employment trail and what better place than just north of Detroit, auto industry USA.
Why ? and the Mysterians, also written as Question Mark and the Mysterians and Q and the Mysterians? They needed a name and Mysterians came from the Japanese science-fiction film “The Mysterians.”
The song 96 Tears was their number one hit in 1966. It was originally called Too Many Tears, then 69 Tears, but the group thought better considering the time and went with the 96 Tears, which I think sounds smoother with the s sound at the end of 96 and Tears complimenting each other.
Oh, and did I mention ? says he’s from Mars and walked with the dinosaurs?
Too many teardrops for one heart to be crying
Too many teardrops for one heart to carry on
You’re way on top now since you left me
You’re always laughing way down at me
But watch out now, I’m gonna get there
We’ll be together for just a little while
And then I’m gonna put you way down here
And you’ll start crying ninety-six tears
Cry, cry
And when the sun comes up, I’ll be on top
You’ll be right down there, looking up
And I might wave, come up here
But I don’t see you waving now
I’m way down here, wondering how
I’m gonna get you but I know now
I’ll just cry, cry, I’ll just cry
Too many teardrops for one heart to be crying
Too many teardrops for one heart to carry on
You’re gonna cry ninety-six tears
You’re gonna cry ninety-six tears
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cry now
You’re gonna cry, cry, cry, cry
Ninety-six tears
Come on and let me hear you cry, now
Ninety-six tears, woo
I wanna hear you cry
Night and day, yeah, all night long
Uh, ninety-six tears, cry, cry, cry
Come on, baby, let me hear you cry now, all night long
Uh, ninety-six tears, yeah, come on now
Uh, ninety-six tears
Us or Them? Who polices Hate Speech?
“Nadine Strossen, the former president of the ACLU, argues that censorship does more harm than good—especially when it comes to social media platforms. In an interview filmed at the 2018 Aspen Ideas Festival in June, Strossen explains that hate speech is not a recognized legal concept in the United States. “That said,” she continues, “speech that conveys a hateful message—along with speech that conveys any message—may, in a particular context, be punished if it directly causes specific imminent, serious harm.” Strossen goes on to demarcate the difference between free speech and hate speech. Ultimately, she makes a case for leaving the conversation about hate speech to citizens rather than government entities or privately-owned social media platforms.”
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost- A video presentation.
“Most readers consider “The Road Not Taken” to be a paean to triumphant self-assertion (“I took the one less traveled by”), but the literal meaning of the poem’s own lines seems completely at odds with this interpretation. The poem’s speaker tells us he “shall be telling,” at some point in the future, of how he took the road less traveled by, yet he has already admitted that the two paths “equally lay / In leaves” and “the passing there / Had worn them really about the same.” So the road he will later call less traveled is actually the road equally traveled. The two roads are interchangeable.
According to this reading, then, the speaker will be claiming “ages and ages hence” that his decision made “all the difference” only because this is the kind of claim we make when we want to comfort or blame ourselves by assuming that our current position is the product of our own choices (as opposed to what was chosen for us or allotted to us by chance). The poem isn’t a salute to can-do individualism; it’s a commentary on the self-deception we practice when constructing the story of our own lives. “The Road Not Taken” may be, as the critic Frank Lentricchia memorably put it, “the best example in all of American poetry of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” But we could go further: It may be the best example in all of American culture of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” From the article The Most Misread Poem in America by David Orr in the Paris Review.
Smile Today!
Have a great day and pass a smile on.
Bridge Poem by Kate Rushin.
The Bridge Poem about race and society by Kate Rushin read with the video image of Galloping Gertie. You can read about the making of the video and the project inspiring it, which is a short film by Oscar nominated documentary film maker Lucy Walker by clicking the following link. https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/561125/bridge-poem-rushin/
Double Trouble or Take a Knee and the Buck stops here.
A quite day one moment and then you check Twitter and BOOM! I’m not complaining. Sometimes the fastest way to find out something is by seeing it trend on Twitter. I just happened to look at the right time. So what two things could I be talking about?
A Fox News reporter being doused with water? No, and that was childish and rude behavior that could have escalated in to a legal outcome if the lady had wanted it to.
Was it the #CAVSvsCELTICS game with one moment showing the King traveling enough to walk the length of the Great Wall of China and the next moment being praised that he could play pro-football in the NFL for his leaping and catching ability? No, although that is entertaining.
So what are the two things I’m interested in?
The first is a new rule set by the NFL that if players kneel during the National Anthem, the team will be penalized 15 yards. Now some are saying this is a racist move since the primary participants in this action are black. Here’s the way I look at it. Those guys are being paid a lot of money to go to work. This isn’t them paying for a ticket and sitting in the stands during the National Anthem. The players platform is not on the field or the sidelines. You can disagree if you like. but that’s my opinion.
Now for the truly important.issue of the day I can honestly say, well actually that’s the only way I do say anything on here, that I am sickened but what I watched. Being a Southern white man some of you might find it odd that I am what might be called a Liberal leaning Republican or what I have decided to call a no party voter. This is different from being an Independent because even that moniker has a certain platform attached to it. I’ve decide that after three decades of being a Republican that I just can’t take it any longer. I am not an issue voter across the board and will vote whoever is closest to what I am. Yes, that is what Trump has driven me to realize so that’s one thing I can thank him for in regards to his being President.
So what is the important issue? A Rookie professional basketball player, or first year player, named Sterling Brown, a young black man, was arrested in January between 2 and 3 AM in Milwaukee where his team the Milwaukee Bucks is based. Admittedly he did the awful thing of parking illegally in the middle of the night to take up the spaces from the rush of the crowd that was dying to get in to the Walgreen’s drug store. I watched all 30 minutes of the body cam video the police finally released. I saw a young man who was not antagonistic, not arrogant, not aggressive, not resistant, not disrespectful, basically I saw the ideal young man waiting to get a parking ticket that he deserved. Then what did I see?
At least 7-8 police vehicles arrived, Sterling Brown was surrounded, and after quietly waiting and speaking with the other officers, and repeatedly reaching in to his pocket to turn of his car alarm that was being activated by a rather short officer. Another officer yells for him to take his hands out of his pockets and Brown says he has something in his hand, in other words it’s taking him a second to follow the order, which was an odd order since he was doing exactly as he had been doing the entire time. Then he is tackled to the ground by numerous police officers and then while he is on the ground, defenseless, he his tased, and then handcuffed. The video is 30 minutes long. The arresting officer toward the end of the video said he was sorry he didn’t recognize Brown’s famous name, and continued in a sarcastic tone and stated that everything was being recorded, as if the recording would support his view of things.
You know, there are some videos that can be interpreted in different ways, but this one? Wow! This was so bad that the mayor of Milwaukee expressed how serious his concerns were as did the Chief of Police. All concerned are basically hoping that the citizens of Milwaukee will not take any violent protest action. Brown stated that he will be handling this. He’s going to be filing a civil rights suit against the department. Looking at his mugshot it looks bad, as though he is on some drug, and that is what a lot of racist will say, but he’s not. Just think about it, it was already late, then he gets tackled, tased, arrested, and basically put through the ringer. Of course as soon as he arrived at the police precinct and they realized who he was and just what they were going to be facing, they dropped everything, even the idea of the ticket.
And what has happened to the officers involved? They have been disciplined. Disciplined? Firing should be what happened. Not only did they do wrong, but they also lied in their reports about what happened. Thank goodness for the body cam video as well as the security video from the cameras in the parking lot.
You may be able to tell I am a bit fired up over this. I cannot stand it when stupid people do stupid things like this. I just don’t understand it. I really don’t. You see, I like people of all colors. In fact I love them. A lot of my favorite entertainers are something other than white. And as far as my celebrity crushes I can maybe think of one or two that are white. It just doesn’t matter to me. Yes, I am aware there are people of different colors out there and that they are treated differently by a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean I am that way or that I have to understand why they act that way. I never will understand it.
Even after all Sterling Brown went through, he apparently went home, got some sleep, and then that night played in his game just like a responsible young man should. The reporters saw the bruises and cuts on his body during the game.
Pink Lemonade – James Bay
Loving this one.
Romantical country songs.
Enjoy. 🙂
Dark Times
Dark Times by The Weeknd featuring Ed Sheeran.
Written by The Weeknd (Real name Abel Makkonen Tesfaye from Canada), Jason “DaHeala” Quenneville (A Canadian Songwriter and Producer), and Ed Sheeran (From England).
Sheeran is one of my favorite artists. I enjoy the poetic style of the song.
Waking up, half past five
Blood on pillow and one bruised eye
Drunk too much, you know what I’m like
But you should’ve seen the other guy
This ain’t the right time for you to fall in love with me
Baby I’m just being honest
And I know my lies could not make you believe
We’re running in circles that’s why
In my dark times I’ll be going back to the street
Promising everything I do not mean
In my dark time, baby this is all I could be
And only my mother can love me for me
In my dark times, in my dark times
Light one up, let me bum a smoke
Still coming down, dripping throat
I got another man’s blood on my clothes
But it ain’t his fault, it’s the life I chose
This ain’t the right time for you to fall in love with me
But baby I’m just being honest
And I know my lies could never make you believe
Running in circles, that’s why
In my dark times I’ll be going back to these streets
Promising everything I do not mean
In my dark times, baby this is all I could be
Only my mother could love me for me
In my dark times, in my dark times
In my dark times I’ve still got some problems I know
Driving too fast but just moving too slow
And I’ve got something I’ve been trying to let go
Pulling me back every time
In my dark times taking it back to the street
Making those promises that I could not keep
In my dark times, baby this is all I could be
Only my mother could love me for me
In my dark times taking it down to the street
Making those promises that I would never keep
In my dark time this is all I could be
Only my mother could’ve loved me for me
In my dark times, in my dark time
In my dark times
Humor on Thursdays. Cause we NEED IT!!!
A little fun for today. Why? BECAUSE WE NEED IT!!! We’ve blogged too much already!!! LAUGH A LITTLE!!!!
And now here is your laugh for today. Enjoy.
Free Your Mind by @FTThum
First this week is Florence T of Meanings and Musings with Free Your Mind. @FTThum Remember to click through and support her post by clicking LIKE on the original.
RonovanWritesHaiku Challenge 78with prompt word – Vast, Clear
Canvas, vast empty
Ready for writing life’s verse,
Clear this confused mind.
– FlorenceT
© 2016 FlorenceT Copyright reserved. The author asserts her moral and legal rights over this work.
Blooms Animated Sculpture
A nice something to start your day with. Nice, peaceful music to go with it as well. Enjoy. (Warning, the pieces spin under a strobe light to give the animated effects. Might cause dizziness or a bit of a headache if you are prone to those kinds of things.)
https://vimeo.com/116582567
Billy Joel and Jimmy Fallon-Doo Wop it. Wop it Good!
Something to entertain you while I put together the Haiku Review.
ronovanwrites 