Last night..PBS...celebrated and presented the GERSHWIN lifetime achievement award in song writing.....to .. Sir Paul McCartney,...in the East wing of the White house, before the President and many honored guests...
Back in April I had the opportunity to see Paul Live in concert in Miami....and I wrote a piece about it...and I figure the timing is right to put it up on the Blog...so here it is..... rayray
That verse was taken from the Beatles tune. “Back in the USSR”.
I recently attended the Paul McCartney concert in Miami, part of a 5 stop “America’s” tour which includ Phoenix, LA, Miami, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City.
A new friend of mine and her young daughter, went together to see the show. While on the way I mentioned to JB, the young lady, that the Beatles music took the world by storm in the early 1960’s, when I was about her age, and that their first live performance ever, in the United States, just also happened to be in Miami Beach, live on Television on The ED SULLIVAN show... in 1964 nearly 46 years ago.
Back then, television was in its infancy, to a large degree, and was broadcasted live. Ed Sullivan’s variety show was wildly popular across America. In fact, this was a major way that many American families first began to experience cultural events featuring world famous acts and actors...yet experienced them from the comfort of their own living room. If you had a television, and Ed Sullivan came on, the entire family would gather around it every week. It was a family event each week.
But that night, was very significant, for any Baby Boomer. We remember it, as if it were yesterday. It was as significant an event for us, from an indelible memory standpoint... as much as the horror of the attack on Pearl Harbor for our parents, or the Kennedy Assassination, or September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center, which will forever be etched in our children’s memory.
This event, of course, was peaceful, not violent or shocking.. But... joyous and so memorable for Parent and child...It was unifying...
We wanted to show off the Beatles to our parents, like a child wants to show off a new holiday toy. We embraced the Beatles as ours. And as a statement to our parents of what we wanted as kids...love and peace and music.
We wondered whether our parents could relate to the Beatles and embrace them as we did...especially with their long hair, pointed boots and dressed in all black...The Beatles spoke to us and we listened...just as we wanted our parents to listen to us....I think they did...of course they did...
My mom, I’m sure could sing or hum the tune to “Michelle” or “Eleanor Rigby”...in the snap of a finger.
I thought it was notable, and to my pleasant surprise, while on Stage... Paul, made mention of the Ed Sullivan show and coming home to Miami Beach, in recognition of its significance to them and to America and to every person in that audience that saw it live back then in 1964......we were unified in that moment...their success and our lives were forever intertwined... and I really appreciated that he took a moment before the performance got too far underway, in a sense, to sanctify that moment. It certainly didn’t go unnoticed by this writer.
In those 46 years in between visits to Miami, we have all been through a lot...Cold wars, hot wars, good times, bad times...and through it all... there was the Beatles... of course we lost...John Lennon, to an assassin and George Harrison, to illness.... and Ed Sullivan...the father of the Variety show... and the P. T. Barnum of his time. Paul took time from the show to mention those 3 during the course of the evening. It was a magical evening.
We left that stadium humming “Hey Jude” and I was so grateful to witness his return to Miami Beach, sort of where it all began for all of us........
Attached is a list of songs that I put into my phone that evening. I think I missed a few..
Paul McCartney concert April 3rd, 2010
Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club band
Helter Skelter
Yesterday
Get Back
Lady Madonna
Day Tripper
Hey Jude
Live and let Die
Let it be
Give Peace a Chance
A day in the life
Paperback Writer
Sing the changes
Back in the USSR
Ob-la- di Ob- la- da
Band on the Run
You
Feel the Thunder
Where my love goes
Eleanor Rigby
What the use of worrying
Ho Hey Ho....Ho hey ho...Mrs Vandebuilt
Everybody gonna dance
Here today
Blackbird
Two of us
I’m looking through you
My love does it good
Let Em in
Jimi Hendrix tune
For us to remember.........Ray, Nancy, Jenna-Brooke, Judiann
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
If I were Blind...
How about a little change of pace?...here's a poem I wrote... as the backdrop for my book by the same name....rayray
If I were blind
And couldn’t see
I wonder how the world
Would be
We’d have to lend
A special ear
To every sound
Loud and clear
Every touch
Magnified
Every smell
Categorized
The color green
What does it mean?
We would learn a life
Never seen
Only felt
Only smelt
Only heard
Every word
But the truth, in fact
of being blind
Has little to do
With seeing fine
It’s all about beliefs
You see
That clouds our vision
Dramatically
We have our role
And keep it tight
Never open
No insight
That’s the blindness
Of which I speak
It’s reciprocal
Is what I seek
Clear in purpose
Opened wide
Be forgiving
From inside
Accept that life
Is just about
Breathing in
And breathing out
Enjoy each moment
While it lasts
Because before you know it
It’s in the past.
If I were blind
And couldn’t see
I wonder how the world
Would be
We’d have to lend
A special ear
To every sound
Loud and clear
Every touch
Magnified
Every smell
Categorized
The color green
What does it mean?
We would learn a life
Never seen
Only felt
Only smelt
Only heard
Every word
But the truth, in fact
of being blind
Has little to do
With seeing fine
It’s all about beliefs
You see
That clouds our vision
Dramatically
We have our role
And keep it tight
Never open
No insight
That’s the blindness
Of which I speak
It’s reciprocal
Is what I seek
Clear in purpose
Opened wide
Be forgiving
From inside
Accept that life
Is just about
Breathing in
And breathing out
Enjoy each moment
While it lasts
Because before you know it
It’s in the past.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The unemployment Stimulus package
In the aftermath of the Senate vote...60/40 for the unemployment extension.. I would like to say....Bravo.... to the supporters who withstood...the strong filibuster...no doubt.....that this democratic option was certainly exercised to its fullest extent ....however.... the underlying philosophy... by the opposition still remains troubling to me....
Because it has become a philosophy of confusion...and the solution is found in separating issues... so people can clearly understand...better perhaps....or for worse...but either way...as long as the core facts are made apparent to most Americans....
There is so much confusion....that I thought I would just capture a few thoughts...that came to me yesterday....in an emotional way...and ...I needed to calm down a little....to write effectively...although sometimes just getting the thought out is all that is needed...even.. when things seem so obvious....but I think some of these thoughts are worth mentioning again...
1.Unemployment is a benefit that these workers qualified for. It is not a hand out... nor charity. It is the equivalent of less than minimum wage...
2.Unless you earned it you don’t get it...those collecting the benefit were all good wage earners that lost their jobs.
3.Employers pay Payroll tax...to the State... for this possibility/potentiality... and...That is why it’s there... like insurance for losing a job.. it is not a freebee...it is the cost of having a business in America and hiring employees to help a business grow.. which adds to the good and services that comprise our national economy....this extends to workers compensation costs for when employees are injured on a job. Should we castigate a disabled employee..for collecting on workers comp?
4. Here’s some food for thought.......When you give an hungry person or a family... $300 dollars...what do you think he/she will do with the money?.... if you answered ..eat....then you are right...so the money is not going to buy crack cocaine or speed or alcohol...it is going to go to the essentials that a family needs to survive...
5.So when we re-circulate this $12,000,000,000 (that’s 12 Billion dollars) of funds back to the workers who earned the right to that money...what happens to that money?...if you answered... its spent....you are right again!!!...the money is put back into the economy in the form or all kinds of consumer purchasing....
6. In fact.. if they stopped paying these qualified benefits to those 30,000,000 (thirty million) or so unemployed Americans...the economy would continue to tank even further..
7.This is the perfect example of biting ones own nose to spite one’s face...
8.the Hard-line approach taken by the filibustering Senators...was not only morally misguided...but proved that they did not see the connection at all... to the increase in spending activity...which will stimulate the economy...estimated to be $1.60 of economic growth for every $1.00 dollar of unemployment.....so....on the 12 billion spent.... it adds nearly 20,000,000,000..(nearly 20 billion real spending activity and economic growth into the economy....rayray
Because it has become a philosophy of confusion...and the solution is found in separating issues... so people can clearly understand...better perhaps....or for worse...but either way...as long as the core facts are made apparent to most Americans....
There is so much confusion....that I thought I would just capture a few thoughts...that came to me yesterday....in an emotional way...and ...I needed to calm down a little....to write effectively...although sometimes just getting the thought out is all that is needed...even.. when things seem so obvious....but I think some of these thoughts are worth mentioning again...
1.Unemployment is a benefit that these workers qualified for. It is not a hand out... nor charity. It is the equivalent of less than minimum wage...
2.Unless you earned it you don’t get it...those collecting the benefit were all good wage earners that lost their jobs.
3.Employers pay Payroll tax...to the State... for this possibility/potentiality... and...That is why it’s there... like insurance for losing a job.. it is not a freebee...it is the cost of having a business in America and hiring employees to help a business grow.. which adds to the good and services that comprise our national economy....this extends to workers compensation costs for when employees are injured on a job. Should we castigate a disabled employee..for collecting on workers comp?
4. Here’s some food for thought.......When you give an hungry person or a family... $300 dollars...what do you think he/she will do with the money?.... if you answered ..eat....then you are right...so the money is not going to buy crack cocaine or speed or alcohol...it is going to go to the essentials that a family needs to survive...
5.So when we re-circulate this $12,000,000,000 (that’s 12 Billion dollars) of funds back to the workers who earned the right to that money...what happens to that money?...if you answered... its spent....you are right again!!!...the money is put back into the economy in the form or all kinds of consumer purchasing....
6. In fact.. if they stopped paying these qualified benefits to those 30,000,000 (thirty million) or so unemployed Americans...the economy would continue to tank even further..
7.This is the perfect example of biting ones own nose to spite one’s face...
8.the Hard-line approach taken by the filibustering Senators...was not only morally misguided...but proved that they did not see the connection at all... to the increase in spending activity...which will stimulate the economy...estimated to be $1.60 of economic growth for every $1.00 dollar of unemployment.....so....on the 12 billion spent.... it adds nearly 20,000,000,000..(nearly 20 billion real spending activity and economic growth into the economy....rayray
Monday, July 19, 2010
Election day...... in July?..
You might find it rather odd that I would say that it’s Election Day in July... tomorrow.........
We normally think of that occurring in November... on the 2nd Tuesday. But this year its different...This year Election Day is tomorrow...7/20/10.
This is the day that the Senate is supposed to vote on the Unemployment extension bill...
There will be more eyes focused on the Senate in Our nation’s Capital... in Washington DC...than anywhere else in the country...Tomorrow the Senate is under the looking glass... exposed and vulnerable.
Tomorrow the Senators, who oppose this bill, might as well pack their bags and hit the road.... if this doesn’t pass, maybe not tomorrow, but as soon as their incumbent seat becomes available.
They will be gone...for their failure to have the guts... to face the fact... that they failed the American Worker....and callously...and stubbornly and ..with malice....blamed the American worker for its failure to prioritize the issues that have crippled our country and blamed it on lazy American workers..who are unemployed and desperately need these funds to survive and feed their family...it borders on treason.. in the name of fiscal accounting.....and... its entirely possible that the damage has already been done...
The Republican senators.. who acted as a bloc...to filibuster all attempts to come to a decent solution...mocked the American worker by their inaction....and yet they want to retake their powerful seats and drive this country forward...Are they kidding?
Tomorrow is truth or consequences.....
Truth...because they must recognize that people, the American people come first, not political party...and consequences... are that they will be removed from their esteemed place in the Senate...one by one.
They never conceived that they were playing with fire. That’s how arrogant they have become.....and now on the fortnight of history...they could salvage their situation...or they will get burnt beyond recognition...
I have hope that they have the clarity... to come to their collective senses and for once ...do the right thing and extend the benefits.... and possibly... finally...feel connected to the collective sigh of relief that will emanate from every town... in every city.... by every family... and by every person... who has been under the extreme pressures that comes from a lack of money in this crazy world we live in.....rayray
We normally think of that occurring in November... on the 2nd Tuesday. But this year its different...This year Election Day is tomorrow...7/20/10.
This is the day that the Senate is supposed to vote on the Unemployment extension bill...
There will be more eyes focused on the Senate in Our nation’s Capital... in Washington DC...than anywhere else in the country...Tomorrow the Senate is under the looking glass... exposed and vulnerable.
Tomorrow the Senators, who oppose this bill, might as well pack their bags and hit the road.... if this doesn’t pass, maybe not tomorrow, but as soon as their incumbent seat becomes available.
They will be gone...for their failure to have the guts... to face the fact... that they failed the American Worker....and callously...and stubbornly and ..with malice....blamed the American worker for its failure to prioritize the issues that have crippled our country and blamed it on lazy American workers..who are unemployed and desperately need these funds to survive and feed their family...it borders on treason.. in the name of fiscal accounting.....and... its entirely possible that the damage has already been done...
The Republican senators.. who acted as a bloc...to filibuster all attempts to come to a decent solution...mocked the American worker by their inaction....and yet they want to retake their powerful seats and drive this country forward...Are they kidding?
Tomorrow is truth or consequences.....
Truth...because they must recognize that people, the American people come first, not political party...and consequences... are that they will be removed from their esteemed place in the Senate...one by one.
They never conceived that they were playing with fire. That’s how arrogant they have become.....and now on the fortnight of history...they could salvage their situation...or they will get burnt beyond recognition...
I have hope that they have the clarity... to come to their collective senses and for once ...do the right thing and extend the benefits.... and possibly... finally...feel connected to the collective sigh of relief that will emanate from every town... in every city.... by every family... and by every person... who has been under the extreme pressures that comes from a lack of money in this crazy world we live in.....rayray
Thursday, July 15, 2010
"Can you visualize the problem?
Sometimes numbers can be very deceiving....and particularly hard to understand.... Here’s an example that really hits HOME.
It is estimated that 1,000,000 homes will be foreclosed upon this year...and the scope of that problem is very difficult to understand...so I thought I would put this into a different perspective in order to more clearly visualize what this means...
If the average lot size of a foreclosed home... is 100 ft wide... that equals 100,000,000 feet... (one hundred million feet)
1 mile = 5,280 feet...therefore....if these foreclosed houses were lined up side to side...the length would be approximately 19,000 miles.......
That’s the same as... New York to San Francisco...back and forth
7 times........rayray
It is estimated that 1,000,000 homes will be foreclosed upon this year...and the scope of that problem is very difficult to understand...so I thought I would put this into a different perspective in order to more clearly visualize what this means...
If the average lot size of a foreclosed home... is 100 ft wide... that equals 100,000,000 feet... (one hundred million feet)
1 mile = 5,280 feet...therefore....if these foreclosed houses were lined up side to side...the length would be approximately 19,000 miles.......
That’s the same as... New York to San Francisco...back and forth
7 times........rayray
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
"You're Fired".. George started it...
I just got the news over the internet.....that George Steinbrenner died today...If you’re a Yankee fan...whether you liked him or not, you’ll pay your respects...Probably... Yankee hats will be worn all over the City this week...kind of like... a Jewish shiva....tear the black rim a little......
However, if you’re not a Yankee fan...like from Boston...or...anywhere else...the tenor may not be as respectful...
Most people will remember him as a tyrannical owner...who spent wildly in an effort to win at all salary cost...and then... when he did...he would stick it back in your face...and shuffle the deck before the new season...like clockwork...
So many marquis players and managers have come through his corporate suite...and some... went out ...with the original words uttered.......long before “The Donald” popularized the expression...YOU’RE FIRED!!.....
He was the Original Sports Mafia Boss, who ruled with an iron fist...but always attracted and kept the great players around, and paid them well... of course.....and.... deep down.... he knew how good they were...but would never outwardly let on to that... or that he cared.
That seemed like his M.O. ...so...the great players would want to always prove to the boss.... how good they were....and that’s how he always got the most out of them...and the championships speak for themselves.
Interestingly.... he always wanted the Late Billy Martin around...and with all of Billy's repeated firings.....he seemed to give Billy numerous chances to redeem himself and repent....George was one of Billy’s 12 steps...lol...ultimately Billy died, and in a strange sort of way...he probably missed him...as..we will miss George.
Undoubtedly...we are bound to see another monument in Center field...and....in spite of it all...and any ill feelings we may have.... about his style of management.......he deserves to be there...forever enshrined at Yankee Stadium....rayray
However, if you’re not a Yankee fan...like from Boston...or...anywhere else...the tenor may not be as respectful...
Most people will remember him as a tyrannical owner...who spent wildly in an effort to win at all salary cost...and then... when he did...he would stick it back in your face...and shuffle the deck before the new season...like clockwork...
So many marquis players and managers have come through his corporate suite...and some... went out ...with the original words uttered.......long before “The Donald” popularized the expression...YOU’RE FIRED!!.....
He was the Original Sports Mafia Boss, who ruled with an iron fist...but always attracted and kept the great players around, and paid them well... of course.....and.... deep down.... he knew how good they were...but would never outwardly let on to that... or that he cared.
That seemed like his M.O. ...so...the great players would want to always prove to the boss.... how good they were....and that’s how he always got the most out of them...and the championships speak for themselves.
Interestingly.... he always wanted the Late Billy Martin around...and with all of Billy's repeated firings.....he seemed to give Billy numerous chances to redeem himself and repent....George was one of Billy’s 12 steps...lol...ultimately Billy died, and in a strange sort of way...he probably missed him...as..we will miss George.
Undoubtedly...we are bound to see another monument in Center field...and....in spite of it all...and any ill feelings we may have.... about his style of management.......he deserves to be there...forever enshrined at Yankee Stadium....rayray
Friday, July 9, 2010
Labron decides on Miami..... "Sobe" it......
I do feel a little sense of sympathy for Cleveland this morning...now that Lebron’s die is cast........He was their favorite son....he grew up there....they had him for 7 years professionally...He put the Cavs...on the NBA map... they loved him, enjoyed him, it gave Cleveland and its fan base... something to be real proud of...as the economy of that region has been driving young people out of the Midwest...the hallowed Midwest...Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit etc....these are hard working cities...whose people embody the American spirit...and who helped build the heart of this country...Pity... that they just don’t seem to get the respect nor recognition they deserve... Labron represented that respect they so desperately desire.
So...This was a big blow to them last nite...when he uttered the words...South Beach....we call it Sobe.
The glitter and glitz it represents, runs against the Midwesterners grain..which is why so many Midwestern retirees..opt for the west coast of Florida..in places like Ft. Myers,Sarasota, Tampa, and St Pete... rather than the East coast of Florida... and...this aspect will sting for a long time.
But their upsetness is not because of his decision to make changes...that any 25 year old would make when he decides that its time to leave home...and forge a new life...none of us could blame a young , single, successful, wealthy professional to move on and experience all that life has to offer...
The real hurt is more out of selfishness and loss of hope than anything else...they wished he would cling onto them as they had to him... It was a typical dependency reaction...and now they will have to go through a withdrawal of sorts...just like an addict must experience.. in order to break free of an addiction. perhaps even, the grief steps....
He is only one man in the world, who ultimately, like anyone else, stands alone and makes choices in his own best interest, for the betterment of himself and his family...
The people in Miami are very fickle sports fans and don’t need a hero.
We just love the excitement and having fun.... we already have Shula, and Marino, Wade and the Hurricanes (in the good yrs)...and Miami Beach....
Labron will add a lot of spice to this town...but not define it......and I promise you...that his bachelor’s pad will be second to none...and let’s face it....playing 81 games at home in the Winter wont hurt too much either... btw.....better get your tickets now...they wont last long......rayray
So...This was a big blow to them last nite...when he uttered the words...South Beach....we call it Sobe.
The glitter and glitz it represents, runs against the Midwesterners grain..which is why so many Midwestern retirees..opt for the west coast of Florida..in places like Ft. Myers,Sarasota, Tampa, and St Pete... rather than the East coast of Florida... and...this aspect will sting for a long time.
But their upsetness is not because of his decision to make changes...that any 25 year old would make when he decides that its time to leave home...and forge a new life...none of us could blame a young , single, successful, wealthy professional to move on and experience all that life has to offer...
The real hurt is more out of selfishness and loss of hope than anything else...they wished he would cling onto them as they had to him... It was a typical dependency reaction...and now they will have to go through a withdrawal of sorts...just like an addict must experience.. in order to break free of an addiction. perhaps even, the grief steps....
He is only one man in the world, who ultimately, like anyone else, stands alone and makes choices in his own best interest, for the betterment of himself and his family...
The people in Miami are very fickle sports fans and don’t need a hero.
We just love the excitement and having fun.... we already have Shula, and Marino, Wade and the Hurricanes (in the good yrs)...and Miami Beach....
Labron will add a lot of spice to this town...but not define it......and I promise you...that his bachelor’s pad will be second to none...and let’s face it....playing 81 games at home in the Winter wont hurt too much either... btw.....better get your tickets now...they wont last long......rayray
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Knock Knock...who’s there?...Orange....Orange who?
I am so happy that the Dutch are in the World Cup final game this Sunday vs.Spain... I just love that sea of Orange....
They have popularized an already popular color...and as Americans.... so many things we love are orange...I am still trying to figure out how the Netherlands got associated with Orange...it’s even in their National Anthem....Were they vitamin C deficient?
I am going to google it....(google has become a verb) and get back to you on that.. ok...I’m back on that...
The answer: Orange is the color of the Dutch Royal Family. The lineage of the current dynasty -- the House of Oranje-Nassau -- dates back to Willem van Oranje (William of Orange). But while the color orange has royal roots in the Netherlands, today it symbolizes a broader pride in the country and in being Dutch.
But....here are some of the more popular things we associate with the color orange.... off the top of my head...I’m certain there are more......
A Clockwork Orange....I still don’t understand the movie
The Syracuse Orangemen- great university and b ball and lacrosse teams
Orange Crush...a great popular soda of mine...growing up
Orange Crush...the Great Denver Bronco defense...back when.. And their fans...
O.J. Simpson...sorry...I couldn’t help it...
Pumpkins and Halloween and Candy Corn.....my favorite holiday...
Orange Juice.. Tropicana...expensive ...but great marketing...
The Orange Bowl... stadium....classic games...Miami and Nebraska
Tennessee Volunteers..
The old Tampa Bay Buccaneers...it was a joke...really
Bob’s Barricades.... that s.o.b... must be filthy rich by now
Orange cones...I was a soccer dad....I had a ton of them
Orange sprinkles...very tasty....
Humorette...great ice cream treat...
Florida....full of them... the Sunshine State
Duck a l’orange...expensive..but tasty
Orange beef..great Chinese cuisine..hot as hell
Orange Sunshine...don’t ask mom....please (LSD)
Orange sherbet....and sorbet...oh la la
Some Nasty school zone crossing guards...
Carrots....still hanging with peas...Forest and Jenny
Carrot top....what happened to him?
Redheads....they are really orange heads/carrot tops...still makes my knees weak
Felons jailwear....just an observation....no personal experience..yet
Come to think of it....If you have anything orange in your wardrobe...you are either...someone looking for attention or you are a freak of sorts...or you are rooting for the Dutch on Sunday....enjoy the game
Oh... here’s the first verse..from the Dutch National Anthem. they may want to skip... mentioning Spain on Sunday....lol
William of Nassau, scion
Of a Dutch and ancient line,
I dedicate undying
Faith to this land of mine.
A prince I am, undaunted,
Of Orange, ever free,
To the king of Spain I've granted
A lifelong loyalty (only if they win)
....rayray
They have popularized an already popular color...and as Americans.... so many things we love are orange...I am still trying to figure out how the Netherlands got associated with Orange...it’s even in their National Anthem....Were they vitamin C deficient?
I am going to google it....(google has become a verb) and get back to you on that.. ok...I’m back on that...
The answer: Orange is the color of the Dutch Royal Family. The lineage of the current dynasty -- the House of Oranje-Nassau -- dates back to Willem van Oranje (William of Orange). But while the color orange has royal roots in the Netherlands, today it symbolizes a broader pride in the country and in being Dutch.
But....here are some of the more popular things we associate with the color orange.... off the top of my head...I’m certain there are more......
A Clockwork Orange....I still don’t understand the movie
The Syracuse Orangemen- great university and b ball and lacrosse teams
Orange Crush...a great popular soda of mine...growing up
Orange Crush...the Great Denver Bronco defense...back when.. And their fans...
O.J. Simpson...sorry...I couldn’t help it...
Pumpkins and Halloween and Candy Corn.....my favorite holiday...
Orange Juice.. Tropicana...expensive ...but great marketing...
The Orange Bowl... stadium....classic games...Miami and Nebraska
Tennessee Volunteers..
The old Tampa Bay Buccaneers...it was a joke...really
Bob’s Barricades.... that s.o.b... must be filthy rich by now
Orange cones...I was a soccer dad....I had a ton of them
Orange sprinkles...very tasty....
Humorette...great ice cream treat...
Florida....full of them... the Sunshine State
Duck a l’orange...expensive..but tasty
Orange beef..great Chinese cuisine..hot as hell
Orange Sunshine...don’t ask mom....please (LSD)
Orange sherbet....and sorbet...oh la la
Some Nasty school zone crossing guards...
Carrots....still hanging with peas...Forest and Jenny
Carrot top....what happened to him?
Redheads....they are really orange heads/carrot tops...still makes my knees weak
Felons jailwear....just an observation....no personal experience..yet
Come to think of it....If you have anything orange in your wardrobe...you are either...someone looking for attention or you are a freak of sorts...or you are rooting for the Dutch on Sunday....enjoy the game
Oh... here’s the first verse..from the Dutch National Anthem. they may want to skip... mentioning Spain on Sunday....lol
William of Nassau, scion
Of a Dutch and ancient line,
I dedicate undying
Faith to this land of mine.
A prince I am, undaunted,
Of Orange, ever free,
To the king of Spain I've granted
A lifelong loyalty (only if they win)
....rayray
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Boy..... Talk about getting your wireless crossed....
Even Alexander Graham Bell would probably be stunned...... how crossed.... his wires have gotten.... if he were to reemerge in this 21st century..... and try to make a phone call.
If you kind of scratch your head... and don’t quite understand any of the following terms/technology below..... then... welcome to the Club... of... I hope it works, but I have no idea exactly what has happened.
Skype, wireless router, VOIP, Cable, digital phone, cellular technology, how to use a phone card, satellite communication,
Bandwidth, DSL, texting, sexting, iPod, iPad, Blackberry, instant message, chat function. HD, HDMI, login, logon...... Dr. Evil.... just checking to see if you’re reading.
What started out as 2 cups on a string, has evolved into such an array of communication possibilities, that even Ma Bell would be saying wtf
(What the fuck)
So.....Here’s a quick telecommunications history lesson for Dummies.....Including myself....btw...(by the way)
Once upon a time there was a Telephone company...they put up big brown wood poles with wires suspended from pole to pole and connected the United States.... one town at a time.. The wires carried information.... The Poles got ugly, and the splinters... from those damn things could kill a horse...so they buried the wires...The Telephone company owned the wires they put in the ground. They even crossed the ocean with the wires so the immigrant Americans could phone home.
If you got stuck...you probably called Mable, the operator, and asked for help....she even knew your name...1 ringydingy, 2 ringy dingies...
Then... the TV (television) got invented...and we watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show...we plugged the TV into the electric outlet for power...another set of wires owned by the Electric company... I think they shared the same trenches...but I’m not sure....
About this time... computers were being invented to help us process information at higher speeds...and the military and government were using the computer networks to pass information from computer to computer...this was later known as the Internet...
Then a new set of entrepreneurs wanted to increase the variety of shows that could be produced and make them available for a subscription fee...
This was Cable TV... they needed the same wires...so they leased them from the Telephone Company. Then Fiber optics came along which carried information at a much higher speed...I think the speed is Warp II... into the trenches they go...
So they buried these new wires together in Bands...and now the telephone, cable and electrical company were safely in the flower bed together.
Oh..i forgot Marconi...he was involved with wireless communication.
Are you confused yet...?
So Satellites came into the picture to bounce these wireless signals around the globe.
New telephone companies emerged who could use these wireless devices..to make calls too....so a new gazillion dollar business emerged..
Cellular Telephones... they used those really big towers they put on Uncle Joes Farm....
Let me summarize....telephone> TV> Cable> Internet> wireless Cell phones > computers....
All of the above got connected and interconnected and the company with the most money basically controls the world...
That’s Comcast!!!.
So there you have it.. ..and... wasn’t that easy to understand?
Oh.... pardon me... I have to go....My computer is ringing....rayray
If you kind of scratch your head... and don’t quite understand any of the following terms/technology below..... then... welcome to the Club... of... I hope it works, but I have no idea exactly what has happened.
Skype, wireless router, VOIP, Cable, digital phone, cellular technology, how to use a phone card, satellite communication,
Bandwidth, DSL, texting, sexting, iPod, iPad, Blackberry, instant message, chat function. HD, HDMI, login, logon...... Dr. Evil.... just checking to see if you’re reading.
What started out as 2 cups on a string, has evolved into such an array of communication possibilities, that even Ma Bell would be saying wtf
(What the fuck)
So.....Here’s a quick telecommunications history lesson for Dummies.....Including myself....btw...(by the way)
Once upon a time there was a Telephone company...they put up big brown wood poles with wires suspended from pole to pole and connected the United States.... one town at a time.. The wires carried information.... The Poles got ugly, and the splinters... from those damn things could kill a horse...so they buried the wires...The Telephone company owned the wires they put in the ground. They even crossed the ocean with the wires so the immigrant Americans could phone home.
If you got stuck...you probably called Mable, the operator, and asked for help....she even knew your name...1 ringydingy, 2 ringy dingies...
Then... the TV (television) got invented...and we watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show...we plugged the TV into the electric outlet for power...another set of wires owned by the Electric company... I think they shared the same trenches...but I’m not sure....
About this time... computers were being invented to help us process information at higher speeds...and the military and government were using the computer networks to pass information from computer to computer...this was later known as the Internet...
Then a new set of entrepreneurs wanted to increase the variety of shows that could be produced and make them available for a subscription fee...
This was Cable TV... they needed the same wires...so they leased them from the Telephone Company. Then Fiber optics came along which carried information at a much higher speed...I think the speed is Warp II... into the trenches they go...
So they buried these new wires together in Bands...and now the telephone, cable and electrical company were safely in the flower bed together.
Oh..i forgot Marconi...he was involved with wireless communication.
Are you confused yet...?
So Satellites came into the picture to bounce these wireless signals around the globe.
New telephone companies emerged who could use these wireless devices..to make calls too....so a new gazillion dollar business emerged..
Cellular Telephones... they used those really big towers they put on Uncle Joes Farm....
Let me summarize....telephone> TV> Cable> Internet> wireless Cell phones > computers....
All of the above got connected and interconnected and the company with the most money basically controls the world...
That’s Comcast!!!.
So there you have it.. ..and... wasn’t that easy to understand?
Oh.... pardon me... I have to go....My computer is ringing....rayray
Monday, July 5, 2010
"A Generation lost in Space"
Back in 1971, nearly 40 years ago, Don Mclean, an American song writer, wrote a classic Ballad/song…called... American Pie…I am not sure about other ballads he wrote, but during that summer, it seemed like that was the only song on the Radio….it talked about life in general…and the day "The Music died”…referring to the Tragic plane crash, in 1959, that ended the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper…it stunned a generation… …particularly the generation of young Americans, who grew up in the 50’s rock era, with Dick Clark and the American Bandstand phenomena… which ushered in the 1960’s…
They were rock and roll idols whose influence touched an entire generation …a golden age, an idyllic time… the first generation, of many American families...the children of immigrants, born of soldiers, who first discovered sex, love and music and great enjoyable times…the 1971 song came off the heels of the flower children who had migrated to San Francisco, the heart of the countercultural movement of the 60’s…desperately searching for answers for a new way to live a life…. and was sandwiched between the anti war effort, Watergate, and the fall to disgrace of Richard Nixon and finally…. the end to the Vietnam war...
It was an incredibly turbulent time. After the deaths of JFK, RFK, and MLK, we began to lose sight of these noble ideals … many of which, died on the vine… and were lost on these courageous souls who quietly slipped into mainstream society, to become the future of business, law, trades, politics and occupied all the professions imaginable.... to help them build a family, a future and the hope for a fulfilled life…..who became known as... the baby boomers.
The refrain, below…which….for anyone older than 50, has become indelibly imprinted in their mind…. maybe more so…. than even some Beatles songs….and goes like this…..
"We started singing,
bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin whiskey and rye
And singin, thisll be the day that I die.
thisll be the day that I die".
Interestingly enough….….what has always stuck out for me …were these other words…..
Oh, and there we were.. all in one place,
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
40 years later…many of these 60 million American baby boomers, who embraced this ballad... are today’s parents and grandparents….and these words have become hauntingly real again for many….
We indeed, have again become a generation Lost in space with a distinct feeling that there is no time left to start over……
For many of these souls, life has become greatly unfulfilled, with personal connections to others deeply fractured and very distant, the divorce rate is at an all-time high……the ideals attached to the 60’s have become largely abandoned…and age has crept up and immobilized many people…
Those who have achieved financial success, have learned that the accumulation of wealth alone… has not been the savior of a happy life nor become the monument by which success is measured.….
And... For those who have depleted their assets, or have fallen on tough times…as many are experiencing... as I write this piece..…. the specter of a good retirement has also become a mirage, an illusion…
There is very little trust in our systems and empowerment seems like something we read about in self help book, heard at some corporate meeting…. or was discussed on Oprah…somewhere along the way.
Many of the ideals and beliefs in the things we thought we wanted at the beginning of that golden age, have somehow been lost in our current lives and we just don’t know what to do…there is a empty feeling that we are missing something.. And…. that unfinished business remains… Sadly… some feel incapable of acquiring the skills necessary to make changes and that there life span feels shortened.
The Age of Aquarius, that spiritual awakening, with a nameplate we had hoped to fashion on our breasts, has become a flop, has little meaning, and has been minimized by society in general….as a pipe dream.
Many have grasped at the golden ring on the merry-go-round…and have largely....come up empty handed…..many of the core beliefs have failed us…
The good news is….that the answers to what we seek today are as achievable now…. As the dreams we envisioned then....
A generation lost…simply, means that we have lost our bearings...our GPS system is still there… but it got rusted shut...just like the Tin man… …until Dorothy happened along with the oil can….The tin man had all he needed to succeed….especially...as we have come to learn.... because he had a heart…
Heart… is what we have lost…the heart is our north star….all the guidance we need is within us….Just as the mariners used the stars to navigate to a new world safely…we have to go back to what makes us human…to use our mind but follow our heart...rayray
They were rock and roll idols whose influence touched an entire generation …a golden age, an idyllic time… the first generation, of many American families...the children of immigrants, born of soldiers, who first discovered sex, love and music and great enjoyable times…the 1971 song came off the heels of the flower children who had migrated to San Francisco, the heart of the countercultural movement of the 60’s…desperately searching for answers for a new way to live a life…. and was sandwiched between the anti war effort, Watergate, and the fall to disgrace of Richard Nixon and finally…. the end to the Vietnam war...
It was an incredibly turbulent time. After the deaths of JFK, RFK, and MLK, we began to lose sight of these noble ideals … many of which, died on the vine… and were lost on these courageous souls who quietly slipped into mainstream society, to become the future of business, law, trades, politics and occupied all the professions imaginable.... to help them build a family, a future and the hope for a fulfilled life…..who became known as... the baby boomers.
The refrain, below…which….for anyone older than 50, has become indelibly imprinted in their mind…. maybe more so…. than even some Beatles songs….and goes like this…..
"We started singing,
bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin whiskey and rye
And singin, thisll be the day that I die.
thisll be the day that I die".
Interestingly enough….….what has always stuck out for me …were these other words…..
Oh, and there we were.. all in one place,
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
40 years later…many of these 60 million American baby boomers, who embraced this ballad... are today’s parents and grandparents….and these words have become hauntingly real again for many….
We indeed, have again become a generation Lost in space with a distinct feeling that there is no time left to start over……
For many of these souls, life has become greatly unfulfilled, with personal connections to others deeply fractured and very distant, the divorce rate is at an all-time high……the ideals attached to the 60’s have become largely abandoned…and age has crept up and immobilized many people…
Those who have achieved financial success, have learned that the accumulation of wealth alone… has not been the savior of a happy life nor become the monument by which success is measured.….
And... For those who have depleted their assets, or have fallen on tough times…as many are experiencing... as I write this piece..…. the specter of a good retirement has also become a mirage, an illusion…
There is very little trust in our systems and empowerment seems like something we read about in self help book, heard at some corporate meeting…. or was discussed on Oprah…somewhere along the way.
Many of the ideals and beliefs in the things we thought we wanted at the beginning of that golden age, have somehow been lost in our current lives and we just don’t know what to do…there is a empty feeling that we are missing something.. And…. that unfinished business remains… Sadly… some feel incapable of acquiring the skills necessary to make changes and that there life span feels shortened.
The Age of Aquarius, that spiritual awakening, with a nameplate we had hoped to fashion on our breasts, has become a flop, has little meaning, and has been minimized by society in general….as a pipe dream.
Many have grasped at the golden ring on the merry-go-round…and have largely....come up empty handed…..many of the core beliefs have failed us…
The good news is….that the answers to what we seek today are as achievable now…. As the dreams we envisioned then....
A generation lost…simply, means that we have lost our bearings...our GPS system is still there… but it got rusted shut...just like the Tin man… …until Dorothy happened along with the oil can….The tin man had all he needed to succeed….especially...as we have come to learn.... because he had a heart…
Heart… is what we have lost…the heart is our north star….all the guidance we need is within us….Just as the mariners used the stars to navigate to a new world safely…we have to go back to what makes us human…to use our mind but follow our heart...rayray
Friday, July 2, 2010
Independence Day 2010, or is it "In Depends today"
I remember the Bi-Centennial celebration on July 4th 1976.. as if it were just the other day........I was living in NY/Long Island... There were ships of all nations docked into NY Harbor, fireworks galore, feasts, barbecue’s and there was extreme pride... in what we had accomplished as a Country... in the 200 years since the original 13 colonies, signed their Declaration of Independence, proclaiming that there comes a time in Human history, when you must break the bonds of tyranny....... Establishing the underpinnings...of their own United States of America.... a land of immigrant souls, slaves and Native Americans.
The basic tenets of our newly formed society were to create a place on earth to live a decent life...but with intention of laying foundations for a government... committed... to the common welfare and well being of every American.
Over the course of time however, the common welfare, has become so diluted. The word has been thinned out by judgment...that people in need... have been de-valued, are blamed for their circumstance and labeled as worthless leeches.
Evidence of this... resides in the word we now commonly recognize as “welfare” in our American vocabulary. We have flipped flopped its true meaning to become indicative... of people who are poverty stricken and on the “dole” (an old British word), and dependent on a government handout.
What once was a noble ideal, that there is a greater good... and to have compassion for our brethren...is now the folly of Senators, whose only commitment is to their own greater good...achieve their own political ambitions and feast on their own fortune, while they idly watch their brethren fry.....
I’m sure that over this weekend National holiday... there will be a host of Congressional bbq’s in and around Washington DC... where they will be sipping mint juleps and eating fancy food....
I hope that they can take a moment... as the pass by the BBQ pit.... pause and realize that there are fellow Americans who are hungry and frying out there, just like the wiener they are about to consume....rayray
The basic tenets of our newly formed society were to create a place on earth to live a decent life...but with intention of laying foundations for a government... committed... to the common welfare and well being of every American.
Over the course of time however, the common welfare, has become so diluted. The word has been thinned out by judgment...that people in need... have been de-valued, are blamed for their circumstance and labeled as worthless leeches.
Evidence of this... resides in the word we now commonly recognize as “welfare” in our American vocabulary. We have flipped flopped its true meaning to become indicative... of people who are poverty stricken and on the “dole” (an old British word), and dependent on a government handout.
What once was a noble ideal, that there is a greater good... and to have compassion for our brethren...is now the folly of Senators, whose only commitment is to their own greater good...achieve their own political ambitions and feast on their own fortune, while they idly watch their brethren fry.....
I’m sure that over this weekend National holiday... there will be a host of Congressional bbq’s in and around Washington DC... where they will be sipping mint juleps and eating fancy food....
I hope that they can take a moment... as the pass by the BBQ pit.... pause and realize that there are fellow Americans who are hungry and frying out there, just like the wiener they are about to consume....rayray
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