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Glenn, On this anniversary of your arrival into our circuit…our CURRENT wish for you is a day filled with high VOLTAGE and low RESISTANCE...Let it flow.... ...lotsa good humor: “Glad to see my Buddhist friends join and chant in the protests Everyone knows the more Ohms- the greater the resistance.” “Why did Mr. Ohm marry Mrs. Ohm? Because he couldn't resistor...” More here Leavin' hOHM... Seeing that band reference in the upper left of the above meme...led here... ACDC Songs: Angus Young Plays Happy Birthday! (00:36) And my "led"...LED here: Happy Birthday Zeppelin Style (01:06) And may your home be filled with celebratory symbols like ribbons and BOSE and sweet treats to eat... And good vibes: Jazzy Happy Birthday on Saxophone (01:36) So enjoy your day and may your current flow unimpeded... Dave Mason - Let It Go, Let It Flow (1978) (Live - Cal Jam 2) Let It Flow - Elvin Bishop (03:52) PostScript... After drafting most of your greeting card....Somehow...I found myself at a link to an upcoming concert at Jones Beach on Aug. 8 featuring Dave and the Beach Boys. STOKED! Ticket info here #music #humor #Glenn #birthday #saxaphone #electrical #engineer #BOSE #ohms #ACDC #ElvinBishop #DaveMason #jazz #JonesBeach #BeachBoys

In the 1980s, Gillespie led the United Nations Orchestra. (Wikipedia) While the faith is not as well known as more widely practiced religions, there are many notable Baha'i celebrities, actors, thinkers, and artists. The religion teaches a sense of unity and acknowledges that all historic religious beliefs move towards the same goal. Therefore, it attracts people from all backgrounds, faiths, and cultures. Singers, actors, actresses, and even historic figures have been known to practice the faith! Some famous Baha'i were actually raised since childhood in the faith, and it's had a large effect on their work. Rainn Wilson, for example, credits a lot of his comedic sensibilities to his Baha'i upbringing. Other celebrities converted to the faith later in life, often after some soul searching. Famed jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie, for instance, converted when he found the religion fit his personal belief systems. To learn about more Baha'i celebs, browse the list below [in the next link]. More on Dizzy and other famous artists who practiced Baha'i. NEW YORK — Dizzy Gillespie is remembered not only for his genius as a trumpeter who broke new ground in jazz but also for his long-standing dedication to the teachings of Baha’u’llah. Reflecting on the life and accomplishments of this iconic figure 100 years after his birth would be incomplete without reflecting on the Baha’i belief that seemed most to inspire and drive his work—that all human beings are part of one family. “Dizzy represented an organic breakthrough in music,” asserts jazz pianist Mike Longo about Dizzy Gillespie, his late collaborator and friend. “His music is from such a deep place,” Longo says, scanning the walls of his apartment on Riverside Drive on Manhattan’s upper west side. Framed photographs capture the decades of a musical partnership that ranged from playing sold-out concerts in major venues to private practice sessions at Gillespie’s home in Englewood on the other side of the Hudson River. More here Dizzy Gillespie's Cold War Jazz Diplomacy (2016) - NPR Official diplomacy is one time-tested way to ease tensions between countries. But as John Birks Gillespie proved two generations ago, American jazz and "cultural outreach" can go a long way, too. Fifty years ago, in the midst of the Cold War, the U.S. government dispatched a high-level emissary to ease tensions during a nuclear crisis: a jazz trumpeter known to most of the world as Dizzy. Gillespie and his band went overseas in the name of cultural diplomacy. Last week, the University of Southern California marked the anniversary of this historic tour with a special concert. USC has just inaugurated a Master's program in cultural diplomacy, emphasizing person-to-person outreach by artists and entertainers. USC Professor Nicholas Cull explains that in the post-Sept. 11 era, cultural diplomacy is more important than ever. "America woke up to the need to communicate effectively with the rest of the world," he says. Cull says even nations hostile to the United States can relate to popular U.S. artists. The U.S. Department of State realized this in 1956 when Gillespie and his band were asked to tour the world. Gillespie made a point during his tour of playing with local bands, and the experience made an impact with both the Americans and the locals. "It was a mutually transforming experience, and that's one of the things that was so exciting about those tours," Cull says. "And maybe it's something that's missing today." Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (D-NY), who represented New York City's Harlem, was the catalyst behind the 1956 Gillespie tour. His son, Adam Clayton Powell III, is now a professor at USC. He says the power of music — especially jazz, a music genre that originated in America — can communicate what words cannot. "Really interesting music attracts people, and then they hang around for a discussion of the politics," Powell says. "They may hate our policies, but they love our music." Here’s the rest of this NPR article: NPR article link Dizzy Gillespie's 1964 presidential campaign The jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie campaigned as an independent write-in candidate during the 1964 United States presidential campaign He promised that if he were elected, the White House would be renamed the Blues House, and he would have a cabinet composed of Duke Ellington (Secretary of State), Miles Davis (Director of the CIA), Max Roach (Secretary of Defense), Charles Mingus (Secretary of Peace), Ray Charles (Librarian of Congress), Louis Armstrong (Secretary of Agriculture), Mary Lou Williams (Ambassador to the Vatican), Thelonious Monk (Travelling Ambassador) and Malcolm X (Attorney General).[3][4] He said his running mate would be Phyllis Diller. Gillespie pledged to provide housing and hospital care for all those who needed it and to withdraw American troops from the Vietnam War.[5] Gillespie said that his campaign was not just a publicity stunt but was intended "to take advantage of the votes and publicity I'd receive and to promote change".[6] Full article with links here. NOW FOR HIS SOUND... Dizzy Gillespie. Live - A Night in Tunisia (12:20) Ella Fitzgerald - A Night in Tunisia 1961 (04:08) In 1961, the great Ella Fitzgerald performed the song with new lyrics evoking a night in the Tunisian desert: “The moon is the same moon above you Aglow with its cool evening light But shining at night, in Tunisia Never does it shine so bright “The stars are aglow in the heavens But only the wise understand That shining at night in Tunisia They guide you through the desert sand “Words fail, to tell a tale Too exotic to be told Each night's a deeper night In a world, ages old “The cares of the day seem to vanish The ending of day brings release Each wonderful night in Tunisia Where the nights are filled with peace “Each wonderful night in Tunisia” Dizzy Gillespie and B.B. King sing and play together BABY I'M HARD OF HEARING MAMA (08:25) Dizzy Gillespie & Louis Armstrong - Umbrella Man (03:00) Dizzy Gillespie & The UN Orchestra - Live At The Royal Festival Hall 1989 (full concert) (1:30:03) More Musical Peacemakers... As the Beatles sing, “All we are saying is give peace a chance…” 10 Great Moments in Music Diplomacy Feb 12, 2015 Music is a powerful mechanism for self-expression, social activism and public diplomacy. Talented musicians around the world have produced and performed seminal works of art that have both facilitated cross-cultural understanding and promoted a message of peace. Below is CPD’s curated list of some of the most notable examples of music diplomacy from the past century in chronological order. We welcome your picks in the comments section. --University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy Playing for Change: "Peace through Music" Playing for Change: Peace through Music #music #Bahai #DizzyGillespie #UnitedNations #UniversitySouthernCalifornia #EllaFitzgerald #PlayingForChange #diplomacy #AdamClaytonPowellJr #BBKing #LouisArmstrong

You don't need no ticket...just get onboard...the peace train... Here's a link to the June 7-9 2024 events. 2023 post: To get us all in the right frame of mind to WAGE PEACE, I offer these songs. If you just want the rally details, click here. "Peace Train" featuring Yusuf / Cat Stevens | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (04:09) Viewer discretion advised: Great music...small-minded theology...loaded with exclusionary messages... Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart - People Get Ready (04:40) Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America Long Island Gun Sense Rally - June 2 @ 6 PM at Merrick LIRR Station Here's the scoop from a recent email I got from the rally organizers. On the anniversary of the Uvalde School Shooting, the Bellmore-Merrick Democratic Club asks you to Take a Moment to Mark your Calendar JUNE 2, 2023 NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE AWARENESS DAY Wear Orange On January 21, 2013, Hadiya Pendleton, a high school student from the south side of Chicago, marched in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. One week later, Hadiya was shot and killed on a playground in Chicago. Soon after this tragedy, Hadiya’s childhood friends decided to commemorate her life by wearing orange, the color hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others. `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH OF CHILDREN AND TEENS IN THE U.S. IS GUNS! Not drugs, not car accidents, not cancer! Join us on JUNE 2, 2023 @ 6:00 P.M. Merrick LIRR Train Station Merrick Ave. north of Sunrise Hwy Rally to Demand D'Esposito Pass Universal Background Checks and Ban Assault Weapons! Next Bellmore-Merrick Democratic Club Meeting Presents: MOMS DEMAND ACTION To Discuss Gun Violence in America June 22, 2023 @ 7 P.M. Merrick Golf Course Clubhouse 2550 Clubhouse Road Merrick, NY 11566 For more information, Email claudiaborecky@gmail.com SINGING SONGS & CARRYING SIGNS: LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE AT THE RALLY Let's recruit some musicians and lyricists to lead us in song by modifying some words for our purpose. Yes, and how many times must people look up Before they can see the sky? Yes, and how many ears must some people have Before they can hear children cry? Yes, and how many deaths will it take till they know That too many children have died? --Blowin' in the Wind - Bob Dylan There's something happening here But what it is ain't exactly clear There's a man with a gun over there Telling me I got to beware I think it's time we stop Children, what's that sound? Everybody look - what's going down? --For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield SHINE: Parkland, FL students sing moving tribute to shooting victims - 2018 (03:31) "You may have brought the dark but we will shine the light" WEAR ORANGE CAMPAIGN Wear Orange website MOMS DEMAND ACTION Moms Demand Action Website NONVIOLENCE RESOURCES-1: CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE/PACE E BENE Now a young 75, I’ve studied nonviolence relatively recently. My likely introduction to this way of life was from a Richard Rohr daily meditation that focused on Campaign Nonviolence - a work of the Pace e Bene organization. As a believer that music can bring people together, I liked that they had musicians on their team from Nonviolent Austin. This recent photo from their Facebook page shows the scope of their work : Day 1 Songs of Peace - Nonviolent Austin & Campaign Nonviolence (24:10) The video has segmented links. Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” starts at 03:58. FEATURING: Willie Nelson and his sons Lukas and Micah Nelson; Eliza Gilkyson; David Pulkingham This is part of Nonviolent Austin, member of the Nonviolent Cities Project, which is hosting a nine-day online concert during the Campaign Nonviolence Action Week Sept. 19-27, 2020. Three music acts will be featured daily, each performing a ten-minute segment including a couple of songs along with introductions about the connections of their music to peacemaking and justice. In addition, from noon to 1:00 p.m. each of those nine days, Nonviolent Austin will be present in a peace vigil (with Campaign Nonviolence banner and signs) at 11th and Congress, in front of the Texas State Capitol. NONVIOLENCE RESOURCES-2: BUILDING BRIDGES OF BROOKHAVEN More recently, I did a study of non-violence with a LI group - Building Bridges of Brookhaven. We used the Michael N. Nagler book: “The Nonviolence Handbook - A Guide for Practical Action.” NONVIOLENCE RESOURCES-3: CENTER FOR ACTION AND CONTEMPLATION One more resource - I just received Richard Rohr’s Center for Action and Contemplation‘s (CAC) latest issue of “Oneing” - that focuses on “Nonviolence.” The list of contributors includes some of our shared world’s elder statespersons AND PRACTITIONERS of nonviolence. NONVIOLENCE RESOURCES-4: RECENT BLOG POSTS NY's Congressman Anthony D-Esposito supports the proposal to create a NATIONAL GUN for America...An assault rifle! See post for who's a co-sponsor. Are you seeing RED as I am? a National Gun? AR(-15) you freakin' nuts? Frightening images from this post... In February for “Random Acts of Kindness Day” (Feb. 17), I wrote these two additional blog posts. Of course, they featured great music. RAK-47's not AK-47's: Let's give peace a chance... Random Acts of Kindness Day Feb. 17: Ain't no time to hate... See you at the station on June 2 @ 6 PM…and get on board... tOM #music #YusufCatStevens #PlayingForChange #JeffBeck #RodStewart #MomsDemandAction #WearOrange #BellmoreMerrickDemocraticClub #ClaudiaBorecky #HadiyaPendleton #AnthonyDEsposito #CampaignNonviolence #PaceEBene #NonviolentAustin #RichardRohr #CenterForActionAndContemplation #BuildingBridgesOfBrookhaven #MichaelNNagler #Oneing #Nonviolence #RandomActsOfKindnessDay #StonemanDouglasHighSchool

Quick draft...more info coming. See 2023 event post - link at the end. Wear Orange National Website Long Island & NYC Rally Locations (check back to see if others are added) Find other sites link LI Sponsoring Group: Life After Loss A.N.D.R.E. 2023 Event Post June 2: END Gun Violence: 6 PM Rally at Merrick LIRR Station Post's music includes: "Peace Train" featuring Yusuf / Cat Stevens | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (04:09) #music #WearOrange #GunViolence #LifeAfterLossANDRE #YusufCatStevens

Julie, Sending you color-filled greetings from the sidewalks of West Hempstead... I was just out walking around town and heard some children talking in the distance. One of them mentioned "rainbow." I crossed over to their side of the street and came upon a bunch of youngsters expressing their artistic talents on their driveway. And, there was not one but several rainbows and ice cream cones. But the cherry on top...was your name - JULIA - among these beautiful and tasty images. I asked them if I could take a few pictures to send to my sister in Charlotte who wasn't feeling well. As I was leaving, the oldest girl asked me to let them know how you liked them. I admire her compassion. UPDATED 5/19/24 Yesterday, as I was walking up to Witches Brew Coffee House for my "afternoon delight"...I heard someone call my name. Looking up (I noticed I was late...LATTE)...I saw 4 elementary-aged children across the street trying to get me attention. I was feeling somewhat uncomfortable about trying to remember who they were and how did they know me...My fears were relieved when one said that they were the kids who drew the rainbows on the sidewalk that caused my to go over and check out their artwork. The very photos in this post. "How's she doing?" asked the oldest. I hadn't seen them since...so I told them of Julie's passing. They seemed genuinely concerned. Once again, I admired her compassion. As we chatted for a while, one girl told me that she and her other siblings had moved away to live with their Mom. Apparently, the parents are no longer living together...Even these youngsters experience pain... The Rolling Stones - She's A Rainbow (Official Lyric Video) (04:12) A nearby house displayed this shrine of Mary. The family frequently changes the arrangement. I'm including this because of your middle name... This and the rainbows reminded me of the description of Mary as "a woman clothed with the sun..." Sunlight contains all the colors of the rainbow. Applying this to Mary, I found these: My Irish Muse led me to this pub...Since you've visited this homeland of our Mom's relatives, I think you'll enjoy it... The High Kings - Chasing Rainbows (02:42) I thought you'd like this beach version... Rita Lee (Bossa'n Beatles) - Let it be (04:31) Elvis Presley - Pocketful of Rainbows (1960) Complete Original movie scene (04:40) Thought you'd like this sweet version... Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows - Lesley Gore (01:48) Sesame Street: I Love My Family Song with Julia's Family (02:37) And that's what I learned at my camp... The Unicorn Song And this version from the homeland of tales and tails...Why, it's a new NIV translation... Naturally IRISH Version... The Unicorn Song - Irish Rovers (03:15) ...and that song brought this classic tail/tale to mind...See if we can spot any of our ancestors...: ))) Man Gave Names to All the Animals - Bob Dylan (04:31) JULIA Julia - John Lennon (03:01) 22 Songs with your name #music #Julie #Julia #Beatles #JohnLennon #HighKings #SesameStreet #IrishRovers #BobDylan #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse

It’s 3:26 AM...I awoke thinking about what to say…later today...about your life Starting light-hearted: https://youtu.be/jENRuFJIBHk https://youtu.be/EwuL3Up_mpg "Ice cream castles in the air..." Thinking about your love and mine of this frozen delight...I heard the above words playing from Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now"... ...and imagined, as others have, how these would look... Here's Hasbro's version of ice cream castles: https://youtu.be/wvBo-1QfIyg UPDATED: 5/19/24 Adding a wonderful video our brother Mike created for the first anniversary of Julie's passing... As well as a tasty photo of the Haagen-Daz coffee ice cream coffee float I'm enjoying as I update this post. Earlier, I went up the corner to Witches Brew Coffee House for my daily cup and took along a fresh carton of the ice cream. I began by telling them that Julie's anniversary was the reason for me to ask them to whip up something that wasn't on their menu. They got right into it and even added lots of fresh whipped cream to top off their handiwork. As a sing of my appreciation, I left the remainder to satisfy their own sweet-tooth pleasures... Julie, We Love You (08:39)... --created by our brother Mike On now to questions... Life AFTER death??? 🤔 In the days before today, much of my musing on this matter have been about what happens after death. And, because of what I’ve interpreted from spiritual traditions - my original one and subsequent ones - ideas about “what’s next” seem now to be mostly wishful thinking. As Dusty sings it: “Wishin’ and hopin’…” Bakery: these range from lighter than air angel food to Devil’s food eaten with a pitchfork Housing: again, depending on whether we looked forward or dreaded the last trumpet…our final dwelling ranged from mighty mansions to squatters shacks Beyond this imagining, that Paul of Tarsus, John Lennon, Dante Alligeri and others have prosaically pondered… Like Jimi Hendrix, I take comfort in experiences…specifically, of those fellow human beings who have “crossed on over to the other side”…and come back…to tell us of what they saw. These near-death-EXPERIENCERS are almost unanimous is describing wonder-filled and loving presence… And a “relatively” new one for me comes from science and Uncle Albert Einstein’s theory that says we are all made up of energy and Furthur more…this energy cannot be created or destroyed. Seems like when this energy leaves its present home in our bodies…it goes somewhere else…🤔 Hopeful… Enough already about “what’s next”… Life BEFORE death...😘 I’ll start with a conversation I had yesterday when Eileen and I stopped in Mebane, North Carolina to refuel our bodies and our truck. After enjoying the remains of my leftover pulled pork from Tuesday night’s Mason-Dixon Line Cafe, I went into a DD for a caffeine infusion. There, I was greeted with a warm, “How y’all doin’?” from a young server wearing a very faded T shirt containing an image of a skeleton sitting in lotus posture. This caused a big smile pose to form on my face. After placing my order, and seeing I was deep into America’s Bible Belt, I started preaching….”Let’s talk about Jerry…” I figured that in the words of a popular song, I might not pass this way again…so, I better be sure she was “saved”…and started my GD-101 presentation. “I see your skeleton…do you know what band uses that imagery?” Because I’m kind and always trying to prepare for my own finals…I helped her by showing her my dancing bears mask that I keep on a belt clip for emergencies like this. BTW - it also helps in other emergencies -like when I’m surrounded by bears… What followed was some fun bantering…so I’ll fast forward to comments she offered after I told her about Julie…and the reason for our trip… In so many words, she said that all that really matters is how we treated those around us…I was overjoyed at the wisdom she already had at such a young age and told her so…It’s about people like her that it’s said: “And a little child shall lead us…” As I now see it, this DD employee also had a DD...Doctor of Divinity...degree! Musical Interlude Buddy Guy - Skin Deep https://youtu.be/OtU9xCbVY6I Preparing for our FINALS...😇 🌈 🥰 I continued this young dispenser of wisdom and coffee's musical Deaducation with a popular selection from the Grateful Dead Bible’s instructions for LIVING well. These come from the Book of John, also known as “Uncle John’s Band.” “Well, the first days are the hardest days Don't you worry anymore 'Cause when life looks like Easy Street There is danger at your door Think this through with me Let me know your mind Woah, oh, what I want to know Is are you kind?” A related backstory… Somehow I recently found myself in a Reddit thread of Deadheads that were having fun bantering about this question that had been posed to this group: “What do you call it when an oldtimer starts reading the Bible?” On the day I entered this chat, I saw this funny answer: “Cramming” Taking the bait, I offered some reflections that I had posted in other places at other times…that for time’s sake basically involved the previous lines from Uncle John’s Band. As I now see it, IF….IF…There really is an entrance exam to “what’s next”…we’ve already been given the final Jeopardy question…An example of Mercy…mercy…mercy… And the final Jeopardy category and question is… What will we be asked at those Pearly Gates? Or, for a younger crowd…After you’ve climbed the Stairway to Heaven and you’re asked - “What’s the password?” Or...for an older crowd...(Cousin Margie, thanks for this inspiration 😂) Just remember what Jerry and the Band have immortalized in the song…and type: “KINDNESS” Uh…Remember up "there" it must be in UPPERCASE…but have no fear…in case you forget...up "there" you can only use UPPERCASE 😂 Julie, what was your LIFE like...? ❤️ 😇 😘 🥰 Julie, your kindness and care for Dad and Mom and later for your husband Ed…these are all recorded in the Book of Life… So, "God" spelled backwards… Found along this morning's trail... https://stuffedxanimal.blogspot.com/2020/11/matthew-gray-gubler-stuffed-animals.html?m=1 Closing with a Cinderella story... https://youtu.be/fYVYQkcd6Hlw Peace... tOM Other posts about Julie https://www.asoulinwonder.com/post/julie-family-a-box-of-rain-will-ease-the-pain-and-love-will-see-us-thru https://www.asoulinwonder.com/post/julie-help-is-on-the-way https://www.asoulinwonder.com/post/julie-sending-you-rainbows #music #humor #Julie #Disney #FrankieValli #FourSeasons #BuddyGuy #GratefulDead #JerryGarcia #MasonDixonLineCafe #MatthewGrayGubler #Cinderella #PlayingForChange #LedZeppelin #JoniMitchell #icecream #HaagenDaz #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse #Michael

I woke up singing, "Mother Mary comes to me speaking words of wisdom... 'LET IT BE'" This imagery continued as I chose a tee shirt to wear. Likely reasons for these choices: For some months now, I've been in a place where I'm being invited to let go of old, habitual patterns of thinking and behaving...and, as a result, have been experiencing a lot of ANXIETY...Music has provided some therapeutic relief... After my morning centering prayer sit, I checked my phone for messages and began with a Baha'i friend Jeanette's weekly Sunday blessings text: Each week, some part of these messages speaks to me. For starters, today's calls my attention to the fact that someone else is thinking of me...I'm not one of the "lonely people" we hear about in "Eleanor Rigby." NEXT, I woke up AND didn't fall out of bed AND still had some hair so I could drag a comb across my head... "God"...my personal understanding of and, more importantly, EXPERIENCE of what this oft-used word means has been undergoing significant transformation. To convey a sense of the Great Mystery, I choose to use a convention I first learned from my Jewish sisters and brothers - I place a hyphen "-" between the "G" and the "d"...G-d... Considering it's Mother's Day... ...one of these changes is my growing appreciation of G-d's femininity... "Worshiping at home" - I am thankful that I can worship anywhere because...my "church" has feet: This one's for all my inked friends: And the rest of today's message from Jeanette is about being thankful... More here: 10 Grateful Dead Quotes to Inspire You to Be Thankful for What You Have - The Capitol Theater HERS & HYMNS In keeping with our theme, I wanted to find a version of their song sung by a woman and my intention was rewarded with this great cover... Vazquez Sounds - Let It Be (Cover) (05:02) FIRST READING Discovering God as Mother | America Magazine [From the opening to this article] My feet shuffle across the floor as I reluctantly lumber toward my prayer chair. A new day has dawned, but I am not motivated to do my morning devotions. I collapse in my seat and look doubtfully at my journal, Bible and prayer book. “God, I don’t want to do any of this today. I just want to curl up here and rest a bit.” I tense for the old guilt-laden demand that “this is what a good Christian does in the morning.” It never comes. Instead, I sense God’s arms wrapping around me. I hear a gentle invitation to lay down my weary head. In my mind’s eye, I imagine God patting my hair like a mother comforts an overwrought child. [Continue reading at the above link] These red-letter words reminded me of some song lyrics I had heard before BUT led me instead to a DYLAN tune that I had not previously heard. I believe that I was led here through the musical inspiration of Norman Dee (photo below) - a master flutist who played for us at last evening's Community ArtShare event at the Baha'i Center in Valley Stream, NY. As part of his musical presentation, he shared with us a lot of the pieces' historical and classical references. In our discussion after Norman's musical offerings, I had incorrectly cited the authorship of this quote to another wonderful mystical poet RUMI. A READING FROM THE PROPHET BOB... With these power-filled words, Bob helps us see how music can support us...cradle us...especially needed "in times of trouble..." "'neath the strength of strings..." Bob Dylan - Lay Down Your Weary Tune (1963) Lay down your weary tune, lay down Lay down the song you strum And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings No voice can hope to hum Struck by the sounds before the sun I knew the night had gone The morning breeze like a bugle blew Against the drum of dawn Lay down your weary tune, lay down Lay down the song you strum And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings No voice can hope to hum The ocean wild like an organ played The seaweed wove its strands The crashing waves like cymbals clashed Against the rocks and the sand Lay down your weary tune, lay down Lay down the song you strum And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings No voice can hope to hum I stood unwound beneath the skies And clouds unbound by laws The crying rain like a trumpet sang And asked for no applause Lay down your weary tune, lay down Lay down the song you strum And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings No voice can hope to hum The last of leaves fell from the trees And clung to a new love's breast The branches bare like a banjo moan To the winds that listen the best I gazed down in the river's mirror And watched its winding strum The water smooth ran like a hymn And like a harp did hum Lay down your weary tune, lay down Lay down the song you strum And rest yourself 'neath the strength of strings No voice can hope to hum #music #humor #MothersDay #Beatles #Bahai #Jeanette #NormanDee #BobDylan #VasquezSounds #Hafiz #DavidSteindlRast #SylviaPlath #GratefulDead #CapitolTheatre

I'm giving a shout out to one of our family's favorite FOOD FAMILIES - the Garza Family - the folks who cooked up SIETE FOODS based in Austin, TX. I featured images of some of their tasty offerings in my recent post for Cinco de Mayo. There's a link at the end. My love affair with Mexican foods began during my first surfing safari to Southern California in the summer of 1969. While enjoying the waves, we ventured south into Tijuana ("TJ" as the locals call it) and then further down Mexico's Baja Peninsula. In Tijuana, this gringo made the mistake of thinking the red sauce on the table was ketchup. My mouth burned for days. Muy caliente! Where we live on Long Island, NY, our stores carry some of the delicious Siete products...and because of cooking up this celebratory post, I'm gonna start looking for others I found today while visiting their website's "storefront." "Life's short...so eat dessert FIRST!" So said Nanny my Irish grandmother ("Julia Burns"). I wholeheartedly agree with her and will begin by showing you some of my Siete favorites. I've enjoyed the first three and keep them in stock...and will be going on safari to find the fourth: "Fresa con Crema"... When the chips are down (like when we're hungry), grab some Siete! Some of our favorites are featured below. FYI - The Churro's also belong in with the desserts. Here's an easy way to remember how to spell "desert" & "dessert"... "Dessert" has 2 s's because we always want SECONDS! "Cinco de Siete": Supermercado (supermarket) Here are places you'll find more Siete (their site includes a store locator): Facebook MEET THE FAMILY: Siete Family Foods: The Garza Family (00:16) Siete Family Foods Website "Juntos es mejor!" Uno...Dos...Tres...Quatro...Conco...Seis...SIETE!!! Música I don't speak Spanish but here's one of my favorite musicians doing his English version of "Juntos es mejor"!!! Fans love to sing along with Jack... More admiring fans... Jack Johnson ao vivo altas horas - Better Together (03:47) I'm a young 76 and still love animations, cartoons and the like... Jack Johnson Better Together animated with lyrics Jack Johnson Better Together ( Mejor Juntos) (03:28) Letra Traducida Better Together de Jack Johnson (03:27) Here's One for our Shared World...where it's also "Juntos es Mejor"! Jack teamed up with the amazing musicians from Playing for Change (PFC) and sends his good vibrations all around our shared planet... FYI - PFC's mission statement is "Peace through Music" and they foster the arts by building schools for children in under-served parts of our world community... Learn more about PFC here. Here's their Mexican website. Fittingly, Jack's community-building song begins with a children's group... ...and includes them in other scenes... Better Together feat. Jack Johnson | Song Around The World | Playing For Change (04:18) Cinco de Mayo Post Cinco de Mayo is DEAD…and WEIR Grateful!!! #music #humor #Siete #food #MexicanAmerican #Austin #Tijuana #children #JackJohnson #PlayingForChange #CincoDeMayo

This is the "Other One" I had initially planned to post...See link at bottom for my post about Mexican holidays that celebrate their struggles for independence and posts addressing the harm done to local peoples by colonial empires... Desayuno (breakfast) Had all these typical foods ("Comidas típicas) in stock. Foods from the seas and tropical spaces It's OK to play with our food...: ))) Cena (dinner) Música Dead & Company Played on a Beach in Mexico and Here’s What Everyone Wore - GQ Style A piece about Dead & Company's February 2018 "Playing in the Sand" "fashion show"... See article link above for more gear pics... Mordechai Rubinstein—a.k.a. Mister Mort—hit the beach in Mexico’s Riviera Maya to find the most legendary Grateful Dead gear in the world. Here are my fan pics: Being a former Bus owner, this one rises to the top: And while not among Mort's images, there is surfing in Cancun, Mexico...In 1969, my friends and I spent 6 weeks surfing in Southern California. One time we hightailed it for a few days to Mexico's Baja peninsula to enjoy some waves. Mort's pics continue: Brotherly love and Gratefulness... The song lyrics on this one remind us of our personal GRATEness: Take 2: Parents and other caregivers: It's never TOO EARLY to tell our children their GRATEfulness... Eyes of the World - Grateful Dead Before the song starts, a fan rushes onstage to present the band with a gift: Grateful Dead - Eyes Of The World (Winterland 10/19/74) (Official Live Video) (07:12) This is a cue to share some of my plates. Got this one at a West Hempstead Street Fair: This's from my 1965 VW Bus that took me to Callie 3X and lots of other places... And this baby graced her while I was living in Callie. That's the cover of my Mom's book of poetry "The God of the Universe Dances in Trees"...Some of them might have been inspired when she and Dad asked to accompany me when I relocated to California during the summer of 1973... Oh...She did get one about her surfer son published in Surfer Magazine... Playing in the Sand The event's name is a musical pun on the Dead's classic "Playing in the Band"...It can be found below in the FANZONE... Dead & Company - Playing in the Sand 2022 (01:09) And this "bud's for you folks that think history is a dead subject: Here's the full first "Playing in the Sand" show from Mexico Feb. 15, 2018. Dead & Company: Playing in the Sand 2/15/18 (3:24:52) FANZONE... Here's a younger version of Bobby...44 years younger... Grateful Dead - Playing In The Band (San Francisco, CA October 1974) (06:32) --this jam could be extended on some enchanted evenings to 20 minutes or more... More Mexico-themed Music... Here's a two-fer featuring Mexico: Grateful Dead - Me & My Uncle / Mexicali Blues - 12/31/1981 - Oakland Auditorium (Official) (07:40) New Riders of the Purple Sage In my early years of following, NRPS would open for the Dead...Truly magical evenings and daze... "Steal yer pedal"...My favorite part of the trip...Buddy Cage on pedal steel guitar... The New Riders of the Purple Sage - Henry - 10/31/1975 - Capitol Theatre (Official) (04:24) Halloween Night!!! The Cap in Port Chester, NY was a fan and Band favorite...and music is still going on there - check out their "SHOW UPDATES" page at the link below. The theatre includes Garcia's bar. Check out the link below for more photos. In partnership with the family of Jerry Garcia, The Capitol Theatre christened its "lobby bar" as Garcia’s in honor of the late Grateful Dead guitarist and singer, who counted the Port Chester, N.Y., rock palace among his favorite venues in the country. In recent years, Garcia's has become a whole lot more—a venue of its own! In addition to showcasing local and regional artists, Garcia's hosts nationally touring acts to satisfy the most diverse musical palettes. From Wednesday DeadCenters to R&B, funk, bluegrass, pych-rock, jazz, and rock 'n' roll, live music lives here at Westchester's only rock club. Source: Garcia's at the Capitol Theatre Related Posts Cinco de Mayo & Mexican Independence Day: 2 steps to ousting the French & Spanish COLONIZERS With G-d on our Side: The Doctrine of Discovery, unHoly Roman Empire & other matters... #music #humor #food #comida #Siete #Amys #Cocojune #Season #DeadAndCompany #PlayingInTheSand #TheCapitolTheatre #Garcias #NewRidersOfThePurpleSage #Baja #LicensePlates #Mom #Dad #VWBus

This post has been prepared for tomorrow's Men2Men circle at the Brentwood campus of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. We meet there on the second Saturday of the month from 8-9:30 AM. For info or to register, text me. Sat. Circle Time: Let's begin with questions...instead of answers... As we begin this morning's explorations into the Presence of G-d, feel free to imagine G-d as not only MALE...And fear not...it's in the book...Genesis 1:27...See "G-d is Beyond Gender" at the end of this post. Also, I much appreciate the help of two particular women in the production of these reflections: my wife Eileen and a woman identified below as "D" - who's serving as my spiritual director... Let's ask ourselves: WHAT's relationship between knowledge of G-d and experience of G-d? WHERE do I experience the Presence of G-d...As I currently understand G-d?? HOW do I experience G-d...in my head...in another place...? If I experience G-d...HOW does this make me FEEL? If I do not experience G-d, HOW does this make me feel? WHAT keeps me from experiencing the Presence of G-d? What can I do to GROW my experience of the Presence of G-d? "Taking" the Presence with Us... April 09 This tale began on April 9th, when I offered to present at this coming Saturday's Men2Men Circle in Brentwood. Here's what I sent to Michael our facilitator in response to a call for a presenter: "Michael, I'll always be on standby...because it provides me yet another opportunity to sit and ask...'what shall I offer the men?' 'What are you saying to me?' 'How am I doing at listening AND responding?'" April 10 On April 10th, Michael replied and accepted my offer. April 11 Late afternoon on Thursday, I had my regularly scheduled spiritual direction session with D (pseudonym). I had previously offered to serve as an intern for one of the people in their final year of the Spiritual Direction Program offered by the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Brentwood - the same place that hosts or men's group. D and I began meeting together on Feb. 15 and will conclude the internship on Apr. 23. Among the chief responsibilities of a spiritual director in to help the person they are directing discover that what they are seeking - is already WITHIN THEM... For me...this involves TRUST...and then letting of trying to control the process... As we met that evening, I introduced my questions about prayer...trust... April 12 10:11 AM When I awoke this morning, I was greeted by a friend - J's (pseudonym) text: "Today's Richard Rohr Daily Meditation hits the nail on the head. I feel that I am standing on the shore of a new and unexplored territory. This reading is key to that journey, I suspect." I proceeded to take in the words of the meditation...s...l...o...w...l...y...and then went about my day...trying to remain aware of what I'd read...and when I forgot the Presence...I returned to it...gently...no self-recrimination...simply starting over... April 12 11:04 AM "D, Thank you for stoking around in my embers of faith… …this fire-stoking work continues this morning. A friend - J - texted me to check today’s Daily Meditation from Richard Rohr. In light of our evening’s focus, his timing is significant. Here are some of the opening words of the DM: 'Prayer is not primarily saying words or thinking thoughts. It’s an encounter and a life stance. It’s a way of living in the Presence, with awareness of the Presence, and even enjoying the Presence. Fully contemplative people are more than aware of Divine Presence; they TRUST, allow, and delight in it.'” ...and I included a link to the full meditation (it's also below) along with this favorite passage: She replied: "That's so relevant; there's that Trust word again--so simple yet so complex. Your faith is much more than embers; those previous embers are sparking into flame with each of your encounters with others." April 12 6:30 PM When I returned home from my afternoon at the East Meadow Public Library enjoying friend Keith Crocker's screening of the Monterey Pop Festival film, I texted J: "J, First, thanks for listening to the still small voice...I read your text minutes after you sent it. Then started reading it...slowly... It continued the conversation at last evening's spiritual direction session... ...and I've been practicing trying to remain aware of Presence throughout this day... Please keep me and this practice in your Presence times - as this has become what I'll be sharing at tomorrow's Men2Men circle in Brentwood...🙏 tOM" Encountering Presence Except for the main link to Richard's Daily Meditation, I've removed the others...and added my own emphases. A True Encounter - Center for Action and Contemplation True encounter with Christ liberates something in us, a power we did not know we had, a hope, a capacity for life, a resilience, an ability to bounce back when we thought we were completely defeated, a capacity to grow and change, a power of creative transformation.—Thomas Merton, He Is Risen Father Richard teaches that the essence of contemplative prayer is presence and love: Prayer is not primarily saying words or thinking thoughts. It’s an encounter and a life stance. It’s a way of living in the Presence, with awareness of the Presence, and even enjoying the Presence. Fully contemplative people are more than aware of Divine Presence; they trust, allow, and delight in it. The contemplative secret is learning to live in the now, which is not as empty as it might appear to be or that we fear it may be. Try to realize that everything is right here, right now and God is in this moment in a non-blaming way. When we’re able to experience that, taste and enjoy it, we don’t need to hold on to it. Because most of our moments are not tasted or in the Presence, we are never full. We create artificial fullness and want to hang on to that. But there’s nothing to hold on to when we begin to taste the fullness of now. God is either in this now  or God isn’t at all. If the now has never been sufficient, we’ll always be grasping. Here is a litmus test: if we’re pushing ourselves and others around, we haven’t yet found the secret of happiness. This moment is as full of the Divine Presence as it can be. The present moment has no competition; it’s not judged in comparison to any other. It has never happened before and will not happen again. But when I’m in competition, I’m not in love. I can’t get to love because I’m looking for a new way to dominate. The way we know this mind is not  the truth is that God does not deal with us like this. Mystics, those who really pray, know this. Those who enter deeply into the great mystery do not experience a God who compares, differentiates, and judges. They experience an all-embracing receptor, a receiver who recognizes the divine image in each and every individual. For Jesus, prayer seems to be a matter of waiting in love. Returning to love. Trusting that love is the deepest stream of reality. That’s why prayer isn’t primarily words; it’s primarily an attitude, a stance. That’s why Paul could say, “Pray always; pray unceasingly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If we read that as requiring words, it’s surely impossible. We’ve got lots of other things to do. We can pray unceasingly, however, if we find the stream and know how to wade in its waters. The stream will flow through us; all we have to do is keep choosing to stay there. Reference: Adapted from Richard Rohr, Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer, rev. ed. (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1999, 2003), 31, 60–61, 65–66, 81. Image credit: Jenna Keiper, Untitled (detail), Washington, 2020, photo, used with permission. Click here to enlarge image. Within our deep and tender inside spaces there is a bright light to tend and care for. Musical Presence... Psalm 139: 7-12 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139 Reading - "Lord You Have Searched Me..." (03:56) This is the Air I Breath_Michael W. Smith Lyrics (06:34) "Presence Of The Lord" --Eric Clapton/Blind Faith I have finally found a way to live just like I never could before I know that I don't have much to give, but I can open any door Everybody knows the secret, everybody knows the score Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I have finally found a way to live in the colour of the Lord I have finally found a place to live just like I never could before And I know I don't have much to give, but soon I'll open any door Everybody knows the secret, everybody knows the score I have finally found a place to live, oh, in the presence of the Lord In the presence of the Lord Mi I have finally found a way to live, just like I never could before And I know I don't have much to give, but I can open any door Everybody knows the secret, I said everybody knows the score I have finally found a way to live in the colour of the Lord In the colour of the Lord Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood - Presence of the Lord (06:03) Centering Prayer: A daily practice for practicing the Presence of G-d Eileen, John and I were introduced to the Centering Prayer form of contemplative prayer more than 30 years ago by Fr. Thomas Keating and others... The Method Monday, February 13, 2017 Guest writer Cynthia Bourgeault continues exploring the contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. For nearly thirty years now, the following four guidelines have successfully introduced tens of thousands of people worldwide to Centering Prayer: Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within. When engaged with your thoughts [including body sensations, feelings, images, and reflections], return ever so gently to the sacred word. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes. [1-see link below] Father Thomas Keating suggests praying for twenty minutes twice a day. So are we really saying that in Centering Prayer you meditate by simply letting go of one thought after another? That can certainly be our subjective experience of the practice, and this is exactly the frustration expressed by an early practitioner. In one of the very earliest training workshops led by Keating himself, a nun tried out her first twenty-minute taste of Centering Prayer and then lamented, “Oh, Father Thomas, I’m such a failure at this prayer. In twenty minutes I’ve had ten thousand thoughts!” “How lovely,” responded Keating, without missing a beat. “Ten thousand opportunities to return to God.” [Continue reading here] [from this meditation] I must invite us all to reclaim and honor female wisdom, which is often qualitatively different from male wisdom. I hope this perspective can invite you to trust your own experiences with the divine feminine as well. For many, it is an utterly new opening, since they always falsely assumed that God is somehow masculine. G-d is Beyond Gender - Center for Action and Contemplation Presence Prompts We cannot attain the presence of God. We're already totally in the presence of God. What's missing is awareness. David Brenner We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito. C. S. Lewis We rarely think of the air we breathe, yet it is in us and around us all the time. In similar fashion, the presence of God penetrates us, is all around us, is always embracing us. Thomas Keating If the presence of God is in the church, the church will draw the world in. If the presence of God is not in the church, the world will draw the church out. Charles Grandison Finney MORE HERE Finding Presence In One Another's Presence... Men, Join me for Road Trippin' with some helpful companions... (Jan. 2024) Relationships: Working, Praying & Playing TOGETHER (Sept. 2023) #music #SpiritualDirection #trust #Michael #SistersOfStJoseph #Brentwood #RichardRohr #CAC #CenterForActionAndContemplation #EricClapton #SteveWinwood #MichaelWSmith #ThomasKeating #CenteringPrayer #CynthiaBourgeault #Eileen #D #J

When I got up this morning, I had only intended to whip up a lighthearted post featuring Mexican food and Grateful Dead songs. That changed when I got home after 6 PM from today's events. First, as is my daily custom, I sat in silence for 20 minutes in my centering prayer practice. When I sat down to post...My thoughts were turned to "what is this celebration about?" Those who are familiar with my writings know that I have used my platform to highlight injustices of various types. One of these is the evils that have been done to native peoples by conquering nations. These oppressors are usually called COLONIZERS...and they often justify their actions by claiming they are taking over these lands... IN THE NAME OF THEIR G-D... I've previously posted about this and have included a few links at the end. Cinco de Mayo [See article link below for all links and videos pertaining to this article. The added emphases below are mine.] Also known as: Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla Cinco de Mayo, holiday celebrated in parts of Mexico and the United States in honour of a military victory in 1862 over the French forces of Napoleon III. When in 1861 Mexico declared a temporary moratorium on the repayment of foreign debts, English, Spanish, and French troops invaded the country. By April 1862 the English and Spanish had withdrawn, but the French, with the support of wealthy landowners, remained in an attempt to establish a monarchy under Maximilian of Austria and to curb U.S. power in North America. On May 5, 1862, a poorly equipped mestizo and Zapotec force under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated French troops at the Battle of Puebla, southeast of Mexico City; about 1,000 French troops were killed. Although the fighting continued and the French were not driven out for another five years, the victory at Puebla became a symbol of Mexican resistance to foreign domination. The city, which was later renamed Puebla de Zaragoza, is the site of a museum devoted to the battle, and the battlefield itself is maintained as a park. The day is celebrated in the state of Puebla with parades, speeches, and reenactments of the 1862 battle, though it is not much noticed in most of the rest of the country. In the mid-20th-century United States, the celebration of Cinco de Mayo became among Mexican immigrants a way of encouraging pride in their Mexican heritage. Critics observed that enthusiasm for the holiday celebration did not take off with a broader demographic until it was explicitly linked with the promotion of Mexican alcoholic beverages and that many U.S. festivities tended to both perpetuate negative stereotypes of Mexicans and promote excessive drinking. Cinco de Mayo is not to be confused with Mexican Independence Day, which falls on September 16. The latter holiday was established in 1810, some 50 years before the Battle of Puebla occurred. Source: Britannica.com Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla [See article link below for all links and videos pertaining to this article. The added emphases below are mine.] Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (born May 8, 1753, Corralejo, near Guanajuato, Mexico—died July 30, 1811, Chihuahua) was a Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary leader who is called the father of Mexican independence. Hidalgo was the second child born to Cristóbal Hidalgo and his wife. He studied at a Jesuit secondary school, received a bachelor’s degree in theology and philosophy in 1773 from San Nicolás College (now Michoacán University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo) in Valladolid (now Morelia), and was ordained a priest in 1778. He had an uneventful early career, but in 1803 Hidalgo assumed his recently deceased elder brother’s duties as parish priest in Dolores (now Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato state). His interest in the economic advancement of his parishioners—for example, through the introduction of newer methods of agriculture—and his political convictions regarding the oppression of the people by the Spanish authorities caused the latter to regard him with suspicion. In 1808 Spain was invaded by French troops, and Napoleon I forced the abdication of King Ferdinand VII in favour of the French emperor’s brother Joseph Bonaparte. Though Spanish officials in Mexico were loath to oppose the new king, many Mexicans formed secret societies—some supporting Ferdinand, others advocating independence from Spain. Hidalgo belonged to a pro-independence group in San Miguel (now San Miguel de Allende), near Dolores. When the plot was betrayed to the Spanish, several members were arrested. Warned to flee, Hidalgo decided instead to act promptly. On September 16, 1810, he rang the church bell in Dolores to call his parishioners to an announcement of revolution against the Spanish. His speech was not only an encouragement to revolt but a cry for racial equality and the redistribution of land. It became known as the Grito de Dolores (“Cry of Dolores”). What he began in San Miguel as a movement for independence became a social and economic war of the masses against the upper classes. Joined by thousands of Indians and mestizos, Hidalgo marched forth from Dolores under the banner of Our Lady of Guadalupe. With his followers he captured the city of Guanajuato and other major cities west of Mexico City. Soon Hidalgo was at the gates of the capital, but he hesitated, and the opportunity was lost. His followers melted away. Royalists as well as other elements in Mexico were frightened by the prospect of social upheaval and supported the suppression of the rebellion. After his defeat at Calderón Bridge, outside Guadalajara, on January 17, 1811, Hidalgo fled north, hoping to escape into the United States. He was caught, expelled from the priesthood, and executed by firing squad as a rebel. Though his accomplishments were not lasting ones, Hidalgo’s name became the symbol of the independence movement for most Mexicans. September 16, the anniversary of the Grito de Dolores, is now celebrated as Mexico’s Independence Day. Source: Britannica.com Related Posts Cinco de Mayo is DEAD…and WEIR Grateful!!! With G-d on our Side: The Doctrine of Discovery, unHoly Roman Empire & other matters... #CincoDeMayo #Mexico #IndependenceDay #colonizer #BattleOfPuebla #GeneralIgnacioZaragoza #DoctrineOfDiscovery #MexicanIndependenceDay #MiguelHidalgoyCostilla #CatholicPriest #Spain #France #GritoDeDolores #OurLadyOfGuadalupe

Readers: Please allow me to introduce myself (Oops, Rolling Stones intro...)...Please allow me to introduce my musical nephew - Mike Duffy. Technically, he's Eileen's nephew via her brother Jim and his wife Debby. In this post, I'll be showcasing his musicianship talents. His day job is teaching English in Pittsfield High School. He also includes theater performances in his bio. Mike: Thanks so much for sharing your Pittsfield TV show gig and bringing your music right to my front door! First, your strong voice and confidence amplifies the effects of your moving and mindful lyrics about LIFE... Next, your themes of open roads and open hearts invited me to reflect on similar journeys I've taken...and am still taking... Thanks for providing a portal to THEN from NOW... (See "moron" this theme further down in the bowels of this ship) "We have nothing left to lose...and everything to gain..." --from "DRIVE" - Mike Duffy ...echoes of LOTR, the first moonwalk and every new adventure we begin... And you really endeared me to your new "tracks" with your inclusion of another popular country/folk music image: RAILROADS...and not just in your lyrics but also in your wedding invitations and on the jacket for your "ALL EARS" number. All Aboard! All Ears (04:05) Seeing these great photos of Mike and Briana makes me wanna go listen to "Love Train" by the O'Jay's. Mike, You are a true storyteller who draws us closer to meet you and those with whom you share your life. Finally, as a teacher, you are leading by example as you continually express gratitude to those who helped you with this latest project...a project that includes one of your own students! Mike on Pittsfield Community Television April 10, 2024 OKAY, here's the show - featuring all originals...Link follows these images... ...listening to his muse for inspiration... ...then crying out with deep passion... Listeners: Here's the link to Mike's recent "Key of" gig on WTBR Pittsfield Community Television (31:53) Be sure to watch the video! Mike Duffy Music Facebook Page Mike Duffy Music - Facebook Mike Duffy on Spotify Mike's Spotify link Mike Duffy on Boomplay All the lyrics are in the link. Mike's "The Dancing Pint" on Boomplay Mike Duffy on DistroKid Mike on DistroKid P.C. (Post Crypt - like "post script") - After the show is over... As I listened to the lyrics of "Drive" and heard phrases like "Skeletons in closets" and "stamp your feet until them bones rattle to the floor..."...I was wondering if you might be a closet Deadhead. Hmmm??? Found this "Dancing Pint" glass featuring our beloved BEARS: SOURCE Here's a dancing pint for your DUFFY side: And this from our refrigerator art gallery: EXTRA CREDIT Lord of the Rings - Return of the King - What are we waiting for? (00:08) Spaceballs (5/11) Movie CLIP - We're in Now Now (1987) HD A masterful storyteller himself, Mel Brooks takes advantage of his media platform using humor to bring our attention to examples of injustices... Blazing Saddles- Work Song (04:54) Mike Duffy for "PRECEDENT!" (Adapted this from your opening monologue) #music #humor #MikeDuffy #Briana #PittsfieldCommunityTelevision #Spotify #Facebook #FolkMusic #LOTR #roads #hearts #railroads #GratefulDead #skeletons #MelBrooks #Spaceballs #BlazingSaddles #injustices #Boomplay #DistroKid