On any given Saturday afternoon, while living in Germany, there was only one place I could be found - the roller skating rink. I started skating when I was about 4 and remained active at it through age 19.
It was about 1967 and as we went out for our first skate, the dj announced a new song from America and played this one. Everyone just stopped and listened. It was a weird song, there really was nothing like it we had heard before. Admittedly, most of our music to skate to was by British groups, but still this song was beyond odd. And we loved it!
I think the dj got sick of all of the requests for a replay! Yeah, it instantly went to number one, once all of us were home and calling the radio station at Kaiserslautern!
Mind you, none of us had a clue what the song was about, but the music was intriguing and for some reason made the girls all want to dance. Yeah, well, okay ... :)
And this unknown, to us in NATO-landia, group from Boise, Idaho became the new king of rock...
Roll the clock ahead by seven years and I was to get to know Mark Lindsay very well. He lived quite close to me and on Thursday nights I could hang with him and talk "old time" rock and roll. First you have to understand that what was behind "Kicks" had badly damaged him, as it had Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, so he was struggling. And I admired the man for not giving up and his daughter (?) for caring for him. Been four decades ago now and I wished I had kept a journal of our talks, he was a cool guy and through him learned too much about the music industry and the personalities involved.
Paul Revere, I was to finally meet in the 1980's at the Raider's first reunion performance. The group had lost its bass, taken over by Paul's son and of course Mark, whom was replaced by an almost photo replacement for Mark! I had to actually touch his face to see what had been done to make him look so Mark-ish! Wow! Anyway, the kid did a great job as Mark and imitating something between Mark and David Lee Roth - and did he ever JUMP! er KICK! It was quite the contrast - a Mark whom was age perfect of yesterday, surrounded by greying and wrinkled Raiders still rocking up a storm. Well, except for Paul's son whom was twenty-ish.
So, it was an awesome birthday present and I still have my 8 by 10 of Paul Revere safely stored away. And ever so often I dust off my Paul Revere Anthology and listen to their entire recording history from Boise to Lewiston, to the world stage.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Thanksgiving
I have always been a big fan of Thanksgiving. Of course, "always" had to start when my family moved to America. Our was first Thanksgiving was in Sumter, South Carolina and the base commander had invited us to his house for a southern style feast. I remember the candied yams, cornbread stuffing and blond daughter the most. Yeah, she was shallower than the pan the stuffing rested in. It was a great meal and I learned early on to avoid blonds.
My grandmother lived most of her life in America but since both her parents were foreign, there were no family traditions surrounding this holiday. "As long as there was mashed potatoes, who needs turkey?", would have been her motto. At her table, salmon was the normal fall meal, always with mashed potatoes.
A few years ago, I did an extensive study on the entire Thanksgiving question and was rather surprised to find that nothing is carried forward from that first commemoration...
You could not have picked a worse place to land a ship - it was swampland and there was quite simply nothing there! No game, few fish in the bay and everyone was sickly - and that was just for starters. As the winter wore on, more and more began dying from starvation. The ship stores were exhausted, the three men whom had rifles would be away for days in the hunt for anything. And more died, froze to death or fell overboard and drowned.
When spring came, there were survivors, not many; two out of three were now dead. And they knew that with spring they could plant and prayed more game could be found. So, they held a celebration - a solemn occasion to thank God for having made it this far.
They feasted, not upon turkey with all the fixin's, but upon 5 kernels of buckwheat per person. Their normal daily ration was only three kernels of this grain! And they thanked God they had that much.
It takes events like this, for each of us in our lives, to remember that whatever we have in this life is from God and we need to thank Him and rejoice for that abundance - no matter how little it is in appearance.
Of course, we know that later the indians found this little group of starving people and brought them food, taught them how to farm, how to find the local plants they knew nothing of and build homes. Were it not for these indians, there never would have been the celebration of the fall harvest, with all of its bounty, Abraham Lincoln called upon America to remember and observe.
Of course, with the arrival of the second ship - our now established British religious protestors/Dutch survivors were to be overcome by racism, bigotry, superstition and take out these new policies on these same indians whom had saved the first group's lives. The rest is just history - betrayals, murders, without end, on both sides.
So having learned this, I have across the almost 20 years of having children, started each Thanksgiving meal with five buckwheat kernels on each plate. To teach my children the difference between thankfulness and bounty. To remember a time when faith and thankfulness had real meaning. And, to share with new friends whom would dine with us the story of long ago.
Each year the first purchase of the holiday season is a new bag of buckwheat grouts. Yeah a pound of buckwheat is quite a few kernels. Conversely, I actually like making buckwheat cereal for breakfast once or twice a year....
So, as we descend into the madness of this holiday - take a moment and pause to reflect upon how this tradition really started and what it really represented. And maybe pick up some kernels at the local health store to share around the table tomorrow.
My grandmother lived most of her life in America but since both her parents were foreign, there were no family traditions surrounding this holiday. "As long as there was mashed potatoes, who needs turkey?", would have been her motto. At her table, salmon was the normal fall meal, always with mashed potatoes.
A few years ago, I did an extensive study on the entire Thanksgiving question and was rather surprised to find that nothing is carried forward from that first commemoration...
You could not have picked a worse place to land a ship - it was swampland and there was quite simply nothing there! No game, few fish in the bay and everyone was sickly - and that was just for starters. As the winter wore on, more and more began dying from starvation. The ship stores were exhausted, the three men whom had rifles would be away for days in the hunt for anything. And more died, froze to death or fell overboard and drowned.
When spring came, there were survivors, not many; two out of three were now dead. And they knew that with spring they could plant and prayed more game could be found. So, they held a celebration - a solemn occasion to thank God for having made it this far.
They feasted, not upon turkey with all the fixin's, but upon 5 kernels of buckwheat per person. Their normal daily ration was only three kernels of this grain! And they thanked God they had that much.
It takes events like this, for each of us in our lives, to remember that whatever we have in this life is from God and we need to thank Him and rejoice for that abundance - no matter how little it is in appearance.
Of course, we know that later the indians found this little group of starving people and brought them food, taught them how to farm, how to find the local plants they knew nothing of and build homes. Were it not for these indians, there never would have been the celebration of the fall harvest, with all of its bounty, Abraham Lincoln called upon America to remember and observe.
Of course, with the arrival of the second ship - our now established British religious protestors/Dutch survivors were to be overcome by racism, bigotry, superstition and take out these new policies on these same indians whom had saved the first group's lives. The rest is just history - betrayals, murders, without end, on both sides.
So having learned this, I have across the almost 20 years of having children, started each Thanksgiving meal with five buckwheat kernels on each plate. To teach my children the difference between thankfulness and bounty. To remember a time when faith and thankfulness had real meaning. And, to share with new friends whom would dine with us the story of long ago.
Each year the first purchase of the holiday season is a new bag of buckwheat grouts. Yeah a pound of buckwheat is quite a few kernels. Conversely, I actually like making buckwheat cereal for breakfast once or twice a year....
So, as we descend into the madness of this holiday - take a moment and pause to reflect upon how this tradition really started and what it really represented. And maybe pick up some kernels at the local health store to share around the table tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
The Worst Poser Ever
I went to the local gun show over the weekend to see about selling off some more of my Euro collectables. I never could have foreseen whom would be in my table island group - a piece of pseudo military trash. I really hate posers - they take away from those whom actually do risk their lives - wanting their sympathy and the praise due them.
He is obnoxious, he is loud, he tells the same graphically rude tales over and over and over and over ... without end. He claims to be a Gulf War vet, tosses around Gulf War trivia without end - unfortunately one of my extremely good friends was there for two tours. So, I know the tales from a tank commander's perspective and as a member of the General Staff. I know his friends, I know their tales - and - this man's tales are salacious, unlike any vet I have ever known out of an institution. Interesting.
Knife Maker, once a youth and now a man, I have known well for the last few years and his upcoming bride for the past year. Both were there with me. They wanted to silence him permanently. Dutchman was there - he had to leave because he wanted to crush the guy's windpipe, quietly, quickly, efficiently. Dutchman was idled years ago in a sword fight - right hand and right knee, he can not grip nor run any longer. And as I sat and watched, his right thumb was straining, fighting to cock with his hand into a very dangerous gesture. I chased him out to go shopping - burgers, ammo, whatever I needed, anything to separate him from the poser.
So, just as I did with my father, I started analyzing the stories, the comments and cross checking him with what I know from those on the ground. And it got interesting.
Yeah, he probably was military during the Gulf War, only problem he was more than likely in Okinawa. He was on an aircraft carrier. He was at best a Seaman, a pinon. Powerless, faceless, valueless. And he wanted recognition. He learned the stories and the salacious facts that thrilled him - stuff that no one there would have said to the innocent and then laughed.
Towards the end of the show, he was talking with some women, "You know what fire control is under combat conditions?" and laughed his idiot laugh.
In a voice only he would hear I said, "Yeah, two shots placed as close as possible, as rapidly as possible."
His laugh froze and I called upon all of my resources to draw upon that hidden real personality and he looked into the deadest eyes I am sure he has never seen. Without exaggerating, he almost peed his pants and he ran for the bathroom! Knife Maker's fiancee looked at me and started to say something and then checked herself and whispered, "Thank you."
He is obnoxious, he is loud, he tells the same graphically rude tales over and over and over and over ... without end. He claims to be a Gulf War vet, tosses around Gulf War trivia without end - unfortunately one of my extremely good friends was there for two tours. So, I know the tales from a tank commander's perspective and as a member of the General Staff. I know his friends, I know their tales - and - this man's tales are salacious, unlike any vet I have ever known out of an institution. Interesting.
Knife Maker, once a youth and now a man, I have known well for the last few years and his upcoming bride for the past year. Both were there with me. They wanted to silence him permanently. Dutchman was there - he had to leave because he wanted to crush the guy's windpipe, quietly, quickly, efficiently. Dutchman was idled years ago in a sword fight - right hand and right knee, he can not grip nor run any longer. And as I sat and watched, his right thumb was straining, fighting to cock with his hand into a very dangerous gesture. I chased him out to go shopping - burgers, ammo, whatever I needed, anything to separate him from the poser.
So, just as I did with my father, I started analyzing the stories, the comments and cross checking him with what I know from those on the ground. And it got interesting.
Yeah, he probably was military during the Gulf War, only problem he was more than likely in Okinawa. He was on an aircraft carrier. He was at best a Seaman, a pinon. Powerless, faceless, valueless. And he wanted recognition. He learned the stories and the salacious facts that thrilled him - stuff that no one there would have said to the innocent and then laughed.
Towards the end of the show, he was talking with some women, "You know what fire control is under combat conditions?" and laughed his idiot laugh.
In a voice only he would hear I said, "Yeah, two shots placed as close as possible, as rapidly as possible."
His laugh froze and I called upon all of my resources to draw upon that hidden real personality and he looked into the deadest eyes I am sure he has never seen. Without exaggerating, he almost peed his pants and he ran for the bathroom! Knife Maker's fiancee looked at me and started to say something and then checked herself and whispered, "Thank you."
Monday, November 25, 2013
Thor: The Dark World
Short: Hysterical movie I laughed for hours over some of the sequences - yes they were meant to be funny, quite a bit of sci-fi violence, with added elements of dark humor I seemed to be the only one to catch in the theater. Good flick.
Long: A better movie than the first one and I thought that one was pretty good, however everyone was relaxed this time and had fun with the genre and movie direction. When you hit the funny part, well it is darn hard to forget that comedy which is why I am still laughing.
Loki comes into his own and does a great job, in many ways actually the best part of the film. Thor is type cast to saying "No" a great deal or grunting - and just how tiny is our damsel in distress? It is reminiscent of John Wayne having to walk in a trench or the damsel on a boardwalk so they could have both their faces in the same frame! Over all Loki was by far the best.
Plot is typical, everybody wants to rule the world, to quote Jung. No surprise there, utter failure is no surprise either. However should you stay through the credits - your brain will be tweaked when you realize that all is as it seems that you just watched! Some future movie has a great deal to explain to make up for the mind games stuffed in the credits!
So I did it! Not a single spoiler's alert!
Yeah, I will probably end of owning it, it is quirky enough to watch a few times over ...
Long: A better movie than the first one and I thought that one was pretty good, however everyone was relaxed this time and had fun with the genre and movie direction. When you hit the funny part, well it is darn hard to forget that comedy which is why I am still laughing.
Loki comes into his own and does a great job, in many ways actually the best part of the film. Thor is type cast to saying "No" a great deal or grunting - and just how tiny is our damsel in distress? It is reminiscent of John Wayne having to walk in a trench or the damsel on a boardwalk so they could have both their faces in the same frame! Over all Loki was by far the best.
Plot is typical, everybody wants to rule the world, to quote Jung. No surprise there, utter failure is no surprise either. However should you stay through the credits - your brain will be tweaked when you realize that all is as it seems that you just watched! Some future movie has a great deal to explain to make up for the mind games stuffed in the credits!
So I did it! Not a single spoiler's alert!
Yeah, I will probably end of owning it, it is quirky enough to watch a few times over ...
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Musical Saturday Morning
One of my friends sent me this video and I was enthralled. I had not heard the piece in decades and how it was done was almost magical. Not bad for a an almost 200 year old tune!
It was in seventh grade when I was subjected to Music Theory and History, a class I almost failed for I lack any sense of rhythm or ability to translate scratches on a musical bar sheet into finger positions - AT ALL! I was a first in Germany! The teacher had a nervous breakdown as he could not conceive of someone with No ability in music! However, because of my art abilities I was used for coping all of the sheet music for the class - yeah, pre-xerox machine days. So, I passed the class because I drew the most perfect treble cleft he had ever seen. Yeah, Mr. Eliot, you are still remembered with great stress and fear!
I liked the music, in fact I felt it was probably the greatest piece I have ever heard. And we are talking music, not the words.
Written between 1822 and 1824, based upon earlier works he had done, Ludwig Von Beethoven, plagiarized himself in creating the conclusion of his 9th Symphony. Its first performance was in a beer hall because the local church would not allow what it considered secular music to be practiced in the local cathedral. The response was overwhelming and the Viennese Opera was petitioned for the rights to rehearse there and for performance. The crowds went crazy!
This piece of music was then given the words from Friedrich Schiller's, Ode To Freedom. Yeah, what we know as the Ode To Joy of Man's Desire was really about Freedom - and that was the only word change (one word in German, a bunch in English!) when it went into the music. Schiller was terrified of his writings becoming a political rallying cry and so stripped the idea of freedom from the Ode.
And, Schiller hated the result.
It truly is one of Beethoven's master works. Sit back and enjoy the most novel approach used with this tune, I have ever seen ...
And Mr. Eliot, if you are still alive, are you amazed at how much I have remembered almost 45 years after your class?
It was in seventh grade when I was subjected to Music Theory and History, a class I almost failed for I lack any sense of rhythm or ability to translate scratches on a musical bar sheet into finger positions - AT ALL! I was a first in Germany! The teacher had a nervous breakdown as he could not conceive of someone with No ability in music! However, because of my art abilities I was used for coping all of the sheet music for the class - yeah, pre-xerox machine days. So, I passed the class because I drew the most perfect treble cleft he had ever seen. Yeah, Mr. Eliot, you are still remembered with great stress and fear!
I liked the music, in fact I felt it was probably the greatest piece I have ever heard. And we are talking music, not the words.
Written between 1822 and 1824, based upon earlier works he had done, Ludwig Von Beethoven, plagiarized himself in creating the conclusion of his 9th Symphony. Its first performance was in a beer hall because the local church would not allow what it considered secular music to be practiced in the local cathedral. The response was overwhelming and the Viennese Opera was petitioned for the rights to rehearse there and for performance. The crowds went crazy!
This piece of music was then given the words from Friedrich Schiller's, Ode To Freedom. Yeah, what we know as the Ode To Joy of Man's Desire was really about Freedom - and that was the only word change (one word in German, a bunch in English!) when it went into the music. Schiller was terrified of his writings becoming a political rallying cry and so stripped the idea of freedom from the Ode.
And, Schiller hated the result.
It truly is one of Beethoven's master works. Sit back and enjoy the most novel approach used with this tune, I have ever seen ...
And Mr. Eliot, if you are still alive, are you amazed at how much I have remembered almost 45 years after your class?
Friday, November 22, 2013
What The Heck?
What the heck is going on here?
As you might remember, several weeks ago I was treated to inquisition involving a long time friend of mine and his misbehaviors with the females of that church. It took me a few weeks to get past the idea that I would willing execute him for what he has done. Today, Thursday, guess what I got treated to - another inquisition!
This time, the guy was the youth pastor of my old church, at least up until three years ago, and his behaviors apparently spanned numerous churches and about 20 years!
Yeah, no one bothered to check any of his references before he was hired - he had been fired from every church he had worked for - for the same problem - inability to control himself around teenage girls! Good Lord! What has become of the church when it is too hard to check references?!?!?!?!? And too hard to let the truth be known, much less charges filed against him! Yeah, he appears to be getting away with his latest disaster as well. Grrrrrrrrrr!
I am just sickened that we can place no trust that a job search committee will return qualified candidates, we can not trust the testimony of the answers given in interviews, no one is checking references when hiring those whom will be responsible for the care of the children and the church through more destroyed lives - looses even more the right to bear Jesus' name!
We do not need a revival in this sick Western theology poisoned church - we need a full blown REVOLUTION!
Out with the seminars creating these disasters!
Out with Elderships unable to make God-ly decisions!
Out with Pastors whom can not stand up for God!
Out with Youth Workers dedicated to satisfying their carnal natures!
Out with those whom destroy others through gossip!
The whole lot of you suck!
Get out of my church!
And yeah, that is exactly how I feel on this whole subject! There is no room in God's Kingdom for these losers - and oh by the way - Jesus flat out said this at least four times I can think of! It is the doctrine of demons which allow this culture to even exist in the Church, drive men to their baser natures, destroy the lives of the innocent and reduce Jesus' life and sacrifice to a nice story but of no real relevance!
Sorry, you will get what you deserve you sham of a church! Your ministry is over. God has left you. Why do you even keep the lights on?
Now how to cause real change ... ? Another denomination? Or can a church be sued for claiming to be Christian when they no longer represent anything Christian?
I really feel pity for the likes of Hutt, Zwingli, Huss and Luther - fairly straight on men whom began a movement to bring people to God and it has grown into a forum for pedophilia ...
Where are our Christian leadership? And if their absence is indicative of something, I worry for the immediate future of Christianity.
As you might remember, several weeks ago I was treated to inquisition involving a long time friend of mine and his misbehaviors with the females of that church. It took me a few weeks to get past the idea that I would willing execute him for what he has done. Today, Thursday, guess what I got treated to - another inquisition!
This time, the guy was the youth pastor of my old church, at least up until three years ago, and his behaviors apparently spanned numerous churches and about 20 years!
Yeah, no one bothered to check any of his references before he was hired - he had been fired from every church he had worked for - for the same problem - inability to control himself around teenage girls! Good Lord! What has become of the church when it is too hard to check references?!?!?!?!? And too hard to let the truth be known, much less charges filed against him! Yeah, he appears to be getting away with his latest disaster as well. Grrrrrrrrrr!
I am just sickened that we can place no trust that a job search committee will return qualified candidates, we can not trust the testimony of the answers given in interviews, no one is checking references when hiring those whom will be responsible for the care of the children and the church through more destroyed lives - looses even more the right to bear Jesus' name!
We do not need a revival in this sick Western theology poisoned church - we need a full blown REVOLUTION!
Out with the seminars creating these disasters!
Out with Elderships unable to make God-ly decisions!
Out with Pastors whom can not stand up for God!
Out with Youth Workers dedicated to satisfying their carnal natures!
Out with those whom destroy others through gossip!
The whole lot of you suck!
Get out of my church!
And yeah, that is exactly how I feel on this whole subject! There is no room in God's Kingdom for these losers - and oh by the way - Jesus flat out said this at least four times I can think of! It is the doctrine of demons which allow this culture to even exist in the Church, drive men to their baser natures, destroy the lives of the innocent and reduce Jesus' life and sacrifice to a nice story but of no real relevance!
Sorry, you will get what you deserve you sham of a church! Your ministry is over. God has left you. Why do you even keep the lights on?
Now how to cause real change ... ? Another denomination? Or can a church be sued for claiming to be Christian when they no longer represent anything Christian?
I really feel pity for the likes of Hutt, Zwingli, Huss and Luther - fairly straight on men whom began a movement to bring people to God and it has grown into a forum for pedophilia ...
Where are our Christian leadership? And if their absence is indicative of something, I worry for the immediate future of Christianity.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Almost Human
Youngest daughter wanted to watch the premier episode of a new science fiction TV show, Almost Human, and I thought, what the heck and watched it with her.
I liked Sunday's episode. No idea where the series is going to go, but since it is TV is it only a matter of time before it turns into a soap opera...
Monday -
So, it was a two part premier, the second one being tonight. It had about 10 minutes of story sort of like Bones or NCIS in content and the rest was just an excuse to have a lingerie fashion show, while discussing the sex trade of the future.
Really? That is the best their writers could come up with? Surely they had months if not a year to work through the premier episodes and "they" went with a bunch of model wanna-be's in underwear?
Really?
Given that start off, I predict this show will be wildly successful, winning all kinds of awards.
And one more reason Kris does not watch much more than the weather forecasts.
Sigh.
I liked Sunday's episode. No idea where the series is going to go, but since it is TV is it only a matter of time before it turns into a soap opera...
Monday -
So, it was a two part premier, the second one being tonight. It had about 10 minutes of story sort of like Bones or NCIS in content and the rest was just an excuse to have a lingerie fashion show, while discussing the sex trade of the future.
Really? That is the best their writers could come up with? Surely they had months if not a year to work through the premier episodes and "they" went with a bunch of model wanna-be's in underwear?
Really?
Given that start off, I predict this show will be wildly successful, winning all kinds of awards.
And one more reason Kris does not watch much more than the weather forecasts.
Sigh.
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