Search Results

Charlie, Starting off your birthday greetings by thanking you and Meg for inviting me to last evening's Half Step Band show on the water at Manorhaven Beach Park . There, on the eve of your 78th revolution around the sun, we recalled many adventures together since that first day we met in 1972 (?) as summer fill-in Driver License Examiners giving road tests for the NYS DMV. 78: Entering life's "VINYL YEARS"... Life's a balancing act... Keep a song in our hearts... The Philosopher's Song - Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (03:57) Keep active... Philosophers Football - Monty Python (03:57) Laff a lot... Unemployment Insurance History Of The World - Mel Brooks (02:02) Keep learning... “Grateful Dead and Philosophy” - the Grateful Dead Hour Make time to include folks who appear different from your usual circle of friends... The Beatles: Jeremy, Hillary...PhD! (00:08) In this scene from "Yellow Submarine" Jeremy waxes on...eloquently flaunting his advanced degree... The Headlands (00:50) The philosophy of politics... Summer Reading List for a 78-er 78 Revolutions Around the Sun: A Joni Mitchell Reading List - Longreads S T A Y G R A T E F U L !!! "PHIL"osophy of finishing well... We Bid You Goodnight (encore) - Grateful Dead - 10-16-1989 Meadowlands, NJ set2-10 (03:09) #Charlie #Meg #HalfStep #ManorhavenBeachPark #DMV #MontyPython #philosophy #MelBrooks #GratefulDead #Beatles #YellowSubmarine #JeremyHillaryBoob #WCFields #JoniMitchell #PhilLesh

Welcome WAGGIN'... All the Way to Heaven (A song for dogs and on pet loss) (03:28) Close encounters of the furry kind (Feb. 2023) "I'm a Franciscan!" What I say when people ask my religious affiliation. Owner's Prayer... Lucy saw her dog Sunny’s face in the clouds just hours after she passed away... SOURCE For walking with your memories... In the beginning... Puppy Tries Stairs For First Time With Help From Dad | The Dodo (01:57) And in the end... He Carries His Senior Dog On Morning Walks | The Dodo (00:24) John Prine - "Hey Ah Nothin" (Official Video) (04:43) While our star in this next animated film isn't at all like Lucy, this movie is sure to tickle funny bones... All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) | Official Trailer | MGM Studios (01:43) Sometimes our dogs rescue us...Sometimes we rescue them... Pooch (1932) | Little Rascals Shorts | FULL EPISODE | Our Gang These Rascals inspired this closing song. Yup, even has a dog catcher: Rugrats In Paris The Movie Who Let The Dogs Out Song (Netflix Version) (01:09) #music #humor #Lucy #dog #heaven #JohnPrine #LittleRascals #Rugrats #DogCatcher #GoldenDoodle #SaintFrancisOfAssisi #Beatles #BahaMen

Here's my 4rd attempt at this post and crafting an opening statement... From an historical lens, the Fourth of July is a celebration of one people's success in winning their freedom from the control of another people. For much of my life, this is how I saw it. BUT... As I was introduced to some people with enlarged ways of seeing, I began to appreciate FREEDOM - mine and others - in newer ways...This expanding vision extended beyond politics to the spiritual plains of existence... "G-d" was no longer "confined" to the church of my youth...AND no longer only a "he"...AND was either "everywhere" or "nowhere"...AND was either "in" every thing...or in "no thing"... In the words of the 4 blokes from the country we freed ourselves from, this Higher Power is... "Here, There and Everywhere". .. As is my current custom, I'm using music to try to convey how I'm experiencing my life's adventures filled with twists, turns and learning curves. First up on the ol' Victrola: TOMMY... "I'm free, I'm free And freedom tastes of reality I'm free, I'm free And I'm waiting for you to follow me If I told you what it takes To reach the highest high You'd laugh and say nothing's that simple But you've been told many times before Messiahs pointed to the door... "And no one had the guts to leave the temple!" "and I'm waiting for you to follow me..." The Who - I'm Free - Tommy (1975) (02:38) JOE... "Come on Wall Street, don't be $low, Why man, this is war au-go-go There'$ plenty good money to be made By $upplying the Army with the tool$ of it$ trade, But just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb, They drop it on the Viet Cong. Well, come on generals, let's move fast; Your big chance has come at last. Now you can go out and get those reds 'Cause the only good commie is the one that's dead And you know that peace can only be won When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come." Country Joe & the Fish - VietNam Song - Live Woodstock 1969 - Full HD Video (03:04) RICHIE... "Sometimes I feel Like a motherless child Sometimes I feel Like a motherless child Sometimes I feel Like a motherless child A long Way From my home Yeah, yeah Singing Freedom Freedom Freedom Freedom Freedom Freedom Freedom Freedom Freedom Freedom" Richie Havens - Freedom at Woodstock 1969 (HD) (04:52) JIMI... You got my pride  Hangin' out of my bed  You messing with my life  So I bought my lead  You even messin' with my children  And you're screaming at my wife, baby  Get off of my back  If you wanna get outta here alive  (Freedom) Freedom!  (Give it to me) That's what I want now  (Freedom) Freedom!  (Give it to me) That's what I need now  (Freedom) Freedom!  (Give it to me) To live  (Freedom) Freedom!  (Give it to me) So I can give Jimi Hendrix - Freedom (Live at the Atlanta Pop Festival) (04:07) INTERMISSION... into Mirror... BEFORE we place all the blame on the people in power and the politicians they control, let's examine our own hearts as we look at Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" ... Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror (Official Video) (05:03) RED , WHITE & U. S. BLUES ... ...with a Touch of Grey. .. EARLIER TAKE: A few weeks ago, I imagined this tale to involve some reworded adaptation of the Grateful Dead's "U. S. Blues" song and then using the song's images to explore some of the roots of injustices here in the United States and elsewhere around our globe. "Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore" --Moody Blues "Nights in White Satin" As an American child and young adult, I was given a limited version of the events that took place...Limited, in that I was presented with the history of what had happened and was currently happening through the lenses of people who only saw things through their own limited and often biased vision . These limitations applied especially in fields like politics and spirituality - where people were trying to influence and control other people. "back to back...chicken shack..." Grateful Dead - Opening Sequence / U.S. Blues (Winterland 10/74) (11:00) "SOMETIMES WE GET SHOWN THE LIGHT IN THE STRANGEST OF PLACES IF WE LOOK AT IT RIGHT" Grateful Dead - U.S. Blues (Empire State Building Light Show) (04:40) [video description] You're watching the Empire State Building light up on July 4, 2015 when it was synchronized with the 'U.S. Blues' encore at the 2nd 'Fare Thee Well' 50th Anniversary show at Soldier Field. ESB lighting designer Marc Brickman teamed up with the band to create the vision and technical design of the music-to-light show, which featured an assortment of Grateful Dead imagery in the mast of the building on Independence Day. The feat was then repeated for New Yorkers featuring a “U.S. Blues” soundtrack the next night. UNPACKING THE VINYL... [from David Dodd - my GD SME] "The figure of Uncle Sam has always been a fairly dire one in my experience, looking out from lowered eyebrows, telling us that he wants us for the army. Yikes. This Uncle Sam is more charming, but not altogether benign, being ready to run our lives and steal our wives, despite the fact that he has learned to duck and seems to be hiding out in a rock and roll band. For me, (and as always, I must stress how reluctant I am to even say what a song means to me, for fear that anyone might think it has any authority beyond my own brain…), the song speaks to waning empire." More here David's wisdom reminds me of this Anias Nin quote that Richard Rohr first brought to my attention: U S Blues "Commissars and pinstripe bosses roll the dice Anyway they fall, guess who gets to pay the price? (note 3) Money green, or proletarian gray (note 4) Selling guns instead of food today (note 5)" "So the kids they dance and shake their bones And the politicians throwing stones Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down Ashes, ashes, all fall down" "Shipping powders back and forth Singing black goes south and white comes north (note 6)*** And the whole world full of petty wars Singing I got mine and you got yours" More lyrics & footnotes here "**"Singing black goes south and white comes north" My notes: black=guns and gun powder for governments and revolutionaries friendly to the U.S. economic interests white=cocaine Let's teach our young what's really going on... Grateful Dead - Throwing Stones (Official Music Video) (04:38) #music #freedom #FourthOfJuly #Tommy #TheWho #JoeMcDonald #CountryJoeAndTheFish #Woodstock #RichieHavens #JimiHendrix #MichaelJackson #GratefulDead #AniasNin #RichardRohr #EmpireStateBuilding #DavidDodd

Waking up on the anniversary of the day you came out of Mom's oven...thinking about you…what I know about you…As you know, Mike and I had some more time together as we shared surfing and some partying time… You and I grew up too many years apart…then you went away to school… Your Path... First you were educated by Franciscans then by Ivy Leaguers - so it makes sense that you’d marry a girl who loves animals and you'd choose a career that helps people with money keep most of it… SUMming it up…Doing the math...here’s the BOTTOM line… Why Is Pizza Round? The Box Is Square, And It’s Cut Into Triangles (02:31) Area is...Pi...r... Explaining Pi With Pizza (00:56) And it's HIP to be a SQUARE... Sesame Street: It's Hip to Be a Square (02:00) Pizza Nerds... Post reads: " Gilda Radner and Bill Murray as Lisa Loopner and Todd —two of SNL’s most iconic ‘nerds’ bringing awkward charm to every scene. “Quit it, Pizza Face” Feeling lucky? Send out for pizza and send the Bill to him... Not so lucky? Pizza might send out for you... Spaceballs (1/11) Movie CLIP - Pizza the Hutt (1987) HD (02:16) AI the Hutt... "In a constantly evolving world, amidst the global change in dietary habits and digital and technological innovation, the world of pizza enters the future." [ More at Pizza Nerd Society ] If you're still accepting clients... Seeing that you now live in the same state as the City of Brotherly Love and you have professional credentials, maybe you could give this person some helpful financial advice for her proposal: Pizza Business - Saturday Night Live (04:20) It’s your party…gotta have a birthday cake  HOW TO MAKE A CAKE PIZZA - NERDY NUMMIES (05:01) As an alum, we'll even bring the party to you... ‘Food that welcomes everybody in’: The power of Nomad Pizza - The Daily Princetonian [from the article] It is this relationship-building quality that inspires PUGC , among a wide array of campus organizations, to book and rebook the pizzeria for their gatherings. According to Bedon , Nomad has been hired by nearly every academic department and is a frequent presence at various residential college and welcome events. And some entertainment... I invited some entertainment for your party. FYI - I wasn’t able to get the pizza version of this recurring SNL skit but did locate this sampler: "Who is it?" Landshark - SNL (04:16) Yup! Even hired a comedian... Caution! When you see the name of this website...Don't even think of or speak its first name out loud as part of that "_ _ _ _ _ _ my ass"... response...You'll end up in "arrears"... JokeBudda.com (Princeton jokes) #music #humor #Peter #Mike #pizza #pie #Franciscans #IvyLeague #Princeton #pi #SesameStreet #HueyLewisAndTheNews #GildaRadner #BillMurray #SNL #SaturdayNightLive #Spaceballs #MelBrooks #NomadPizza #Buddha

Holiday Greetings to the Brew Crew… Hello! My name is tOM and one of me is an alcoholic… I’ve prepared this as a way of saying, “THANKS!” for sharing your stories of struggle and recovery with me. 12 Steps Before Christmas PLAYLIST...Put a quarter in Step 1 Backstory On December 13, 2021 I began a series of Facebook posts entitled "The 12 Steps Before Christmas" that featured readings, songs and other stuff related to the road to recovery offered by the Steps. For the readings, I used 14 of Richard Rohr's 2019 Daily Meditations, posting one each day. The songs I found as I went along and put them into the above YouTube playlist. December 13, 2021 Facebook Post 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟮 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗣𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗠𝗔𝗦: 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝟭 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 (𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲) 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻/𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿… I came for my ****** and stayed for my THINKING… ******insert our preferred addiction: drinking, drugging, eating, shopping, lusting, posting… “𝙏𝙝𝙚 12 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮.” --Richard Rohr I consider Richard my sponsor because it was his book – “Breathing Underwater: Spirituality and the 12 Steps" – that was used over 5 years ago to get me into the rooms. At the same time, I read Thomas Keating’s “Divine Therapy and Addiction: Centering Prayer and the Twelve Steps.” Fr. Thomas taught our family the practice of centering prayer – a twice-daily meditation…medication…I continue to draw nourishment from. As I’ve said before, I went to my first meeting as an observer to see what “they” were like…and once there, I realized I was one of “them.” In that basement, I was shown…that while I didn’t have a substance abuse problem…I DID have a thinking problem – the ROOT problem. As George says in Yellow Submarine: "𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬? " Each day til Christmas, I’ll be posting one of Richard’s Daily Meditations (medications) on the Steps. Over the many years I’ve benefitted from his Franciscan worldview, he’s posted many times about the wisdom of these guideposts for living fully. For my posts, I’ll be sharing those he did exactly two years ago. If you like, you can step/read ahead – as each of the following links contain a brief synopsis of each day’s meditations with a link to the full (strength) meditation/medication. Each weekly summary also contains a PRACTICE to help us put into action what we’ve been reading. I just read each week’s practice…and it was like they were created just for where I am NOW…WOW!!! I’m more stoked than ever to do these Steps with whoever walks with me! Twelve-Step Spirituality: Part One: Weekly Summary https://cac.org/twelve-step-spirituality-part-one-weekly.../ Twelve-Step Spirituality: Part Two: Weekly Summary https://cac.org/twelve-step-spirituality-part-two-weekly.../ 𝘾’𝙢𝙤𝙣! 𝙇𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙔𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧… “Full speed ahead Mr. Boatswain, full speed ahead Full speed ahead it is, Sergeant. Cut the cable, drop the cable Aye, Sir, aye Captain, captain” Steppin' Resources Richard Rohr Article Richard Rohr and the 12 Steps: Going out to 'the inner room' (3-minute read) https://www.ncronline.org/.../richard-rohr-and-12-steps... --Some excerpts: "A quarter century ago, Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr gave a series of talks in Cincinnati that linked the wisdom of the Twelve Steps Program to what St. Francis called 'the marrow of the gospel.' 'I was amazed at how obvious and easy a task it was,' he said. We give people 'fast food' religion and addiction therapy, without any deep transformation of the self. 'It is my experience after over 40 years as a priest, that we could say the same about many well-intentioned Christians and clergy. Their religion has never touched them or healed them at an unconscious level where all of the real motivation, hurts, unforgiveness, anger, wounds and illusions are stored., hiding – and often fully operative. They never went to ‘the inner room’ where Jesus invited us…'” "So his book is about deep communion and deep compassion, both in Twelve Step Programs and in Christian life and spirituality, formed in deep pain. Only people who have suffered in some way can save one another, he reminds us. To survive the tidal wave of compulsive behavior and addiction Christians must learn to 'breathe under water' and discover God’s deep love and compassion, the awful grace of God." 12 Steps to Go: Richard Rohr Videos Breathing Underwater: Spirituality of the Twelve Steps (43 minutes) Continuing this series, I offer this 43-minute talk on the subject by Richard Rohr - the person who’s writing introduced me to this much-needed wisdom AND practices. He begins by saying how he was invited to speak about the connections he saw between the Gospel and the 12 Steps. He said it was rather easy… Father Richard Rohr discusses Addiction w Tommy Rosen | Recovery 2.0 (59 minutes) (From the video's description) "Tommy Rosen interviews Father Richard Rohr on the topic of addiction in one of the most popular interviews from the Recovery 2.0 Conference Series. Father Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher. He is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fr. Richard is the author of numerous books including Breathing Under Water (about Addiction) to his latest, The Universal Christ. He is the academic Dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation. The school's mission is to produce compassionate and powerfully learned individuals who will work for positive change in the world based on awareness of our common union with God and all beings." A Helpful and Fun Take on the 12 Steps of Christmas (from a Florida recovery program) The 12 Steps of Christmas in Recovery: Step 12 (with links to the other 11 Steps) --Helpful and fun read (excerpts): "This is what it is all about, really. This is why Christmas is such a beloved and cherished holiday for so many around the world. Without trying to take anything away from the vital role that religious faith plays in it for many, the spirit of Christmas is about sharing peace and love, goodwill toward others, compassion and connection. We have talked about all of this through every step of the 12 Steps of Christmas . That is because love, peace, compassion, connection are all in the spirit of Christmas AND in the spirit of the 12 Steps of recovery. It isn’t hard to draw this relationship because at the core they give us inspiration and hope to build a better life, with fulfilled relationships and meaningful purpose. The truth is too often we forget that these attitudes and practices are not just meant to be done on the holidays. Too many people forget about acceptance, willingness and openness when the sleigh bells have come and gone. Many will make strong resolutions for the New Year, but few will remember to carry these principles on with them. Those who work the 12 Steps in recovery are actually very fortunate to have a program that provides a consistent practice of compassion and growth. The 12 Steps remind us of the importance of self-awareness , reflection, humility and selfless action. They give us an outline for personal development while helping us try to mend damage done in active addiction. So even if you are not in recovery from drugs or alcohol, you can learn a lot about yourself and about your impact on the people who matter most to you. Doing things like taking inventory, addressing your character defects and helping others is really just a path toward spreading the cheer, joy, love and connection that Christmas gives us. This year, try to carry the spirit of Christmas in all things. Try to remind yourself to make every day count; to move away from the attitudes that hold you back and toward the wish list of a sober and fulfilled life." Our Issues Live in Our Tissues: Yoga for Recovery Yoga of 12 Step Recovery (includes "Find a Meeting" link) "Y12SR 'connects the dots' between the ancient wisdom of yoga, the practical tools of 12-step programs, and the latest research on trauma healing and neurobiology. As part of a holistic recovery program, it works in tandem with traditional treatment to address the physical, mental and spiritual disease of addiction." Nassau County Group Several years ago, I benefitted from working with a Nassau County teacher - Frank Bono. Besides stretching me physically and spiritually, I enjoyed his guitar playing...Here's where you can connect with Frank: Point Lookout Yoga and Wellness 48 Lido Blvd. Point Lookout, NY 11569 516-686-9798 pointlookoutyogadesk@gmail.com Sign up at: www.pointlookoutyogaclub.com Day/Time: First and third Sundays of each month from 5:30-7:00 PM Y12SR Space Holder: Frank Bono 516-603-0929 Investment/Donation-based Proof of vaccination required. "Y12SR is a 12-Step-based discussion and yoga practice open to all who desire support in their recovery. The meeting is open to those dealing with their own addictive behavior or have been affected by someone they love who suffers from addiction." Recovery 2.0 - Tommy Rosen --Live and online classes. I cited Tommy's work above in the podcast he did with Richard Rohr. Buddhism and the 12 Steps Kevin Griffin Musician and guide for the dharma steps, Kevin offers online and live classes. A few years ago, I did a workshop and concert with him. His CD - "Laughing Buddha" is a gas! ...Awesome music and lyrics...you'll be tapping your feet...one step at a time...one breath at a time...you'll be laughing...then crying...then rejoicing at the truth that's setting us FREE... Laughing Buddha (from Kevin) “'Laughing Buddha' is a collection of songs with Buddhist themes and World Beat rhythms. Many were written for the Family Program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Others came out of retreat experiences. There is a playful spirit to the music, fun for dancing and singing in the car. Kids love them, and adults will be inspired by them. You can listen to the whole album on Spotify . I played all the guitar, bass, and keyboard parts as well as singing lead and most of the background vocals. Drums are by Russ Lawton from the Trey Anastasio Band, percussion by Vicki Randle, Tonight Show alum and member of Mavis Staple’s band. Here are the lyrics ." Find a Recovery Meeting AA - Everywhere in US NA - Worldwide #music #humor #12Steps #AA #recovery #addiction #RichardRohr #ThomasKeating #Y12SR #KevinGriffin #Recovery2.0 #yoga #Buddhism

On this eve of your 48th circuit around the Sun, I've invited some musical friends to ring in your new year... BUT... Be sure to wait for the clock to sound midnight tonight...See why below these next 4 songs... Eric Clapton - After Midnight | The Lady In The Balcony: Lockdown Sessions (05:00) "In The Midnight Hour" - Wilson Pickett 1965 (02:26) For this next tune, ask Erica to join you as a DUET... Bruce Springsteen, Chaka Khan, John Fogerty & More - "In the Midnight Hour" | Wilson Pickett's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1991 Induction (05:40) Wilson Pickett and Bruce Springsteen Perform "In the Midnight Hour" at Bruce's1999 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (04:46) WHY WAIT??? Look what happened to Doc when he didn't... 48...and I can still rock and roll with you... Another for Erica... Oh, Readers, if you were looking for this story, please get in your car and drive back to the 1st Century... While you might drive an eco-friendly car, some of your music still contains "LED"... Ending my well wishes with some HIGH TEST... Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love (Official Music Video) (04:48) #music #humor #Brian #BrianBarry #Erica #birthday #EricClapton #BruceSpringsteen #ChakaKahn #JohnFogarty #WilsonPickett #BackToTheFuture #Doc #MontyPython #LedZeppelin #LeadedGas

Thanks, Brian, for your post!!! Looking forward to seeing you around town in those places in your post... Gotta get me one of those cool shirts! Next 2 creative images are from Riesterer's Bakery in West Hempstead ... Here's some boogie woogie to help us celebrate your 88... Ladyva - Jumpin' the 88's (03:15) Rocket 88 Ike Turner and Jackie Brenston with Lyrics (02:50) 88 Basie Street - Count Basie (04:46) Route 88 - The LeRoi Brothers (03:26) To LI's Cake Boss from NJ's Music Boss... "Spirit in the Night" is included among these 88's because it takes place on Route 88 on the way to Greasy Lake...AND, it's about a couple of folks out celebrating...dancing in the moonlight...having fingers in the cake... Bruce Springsteen - Spirit In The Night - München (Munich) 2009-07-02 (09:25) How Bruce got his nickname: "The Boss" At that concert in Germany , it was the birthday of one of the longtime E Street Band members: Roy Bittan . Someone passed this message to Bruce for Roy - who's nicknamed "The Professor" because of his wizardry around the synthesizer. Karl, these 2 are for you... #music #humor #KarlRiesterer #BrianBarry #Erica #RiesterersBakery #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse #WestHempstead #88 #Ladyva #IkeTurner #JackieBrenston #CountBasie #TheLeRoiBrothers #BruceSpringsteen #RoyBittan #Germany #

...On May 21, I visited Lawrence's Rock Hall Museum with fellow members of our West Hempstead Historical Society. On returning home, I wanted to learn more about the history of this former mansion-turned-museum. So, join me...As we learn how the family wealth came from the sugar crop harvested by black slaves...who were themselves "harvested" from their homelands... BUT, before we leave our homes or countries and see the harmful social costs of the way sugar's been produced, let's stay here in the US of A and take a look at the harmful environmental impact of sugar growing... Mary Gauthier "Sugar Cane" 2011 (05:02) Behind The Song: Sugar Cane - Mary Gautier Here's a story about a mill in the Louisiana town Mary sings about: Thibodaux. Lafourche Sugars - Changing with the Times 2017 - American Sugar Cane League ROCK HALL - ON THE SURFACE...A MUSEUM Homepage Virtual Tour Why did this chicken cross the road...? ...didn't want to end up as this sweet treat... My photos from our trip... DIGGING DEEPER at Rock Hall... SOURCE: Rock Hall Museum DIGGING DEEPER: SUGAR: THE "WHITE GOLD" THAT FUELED SLAVERY None of this — the extraordinary mass commodification of sugar, its economic might and outsize impact on the American diet and health — was in any way foreordained, or even predictable, when Christopher Columbus made his second voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in 1493, bringing sugar-cane stalks with him from the Spanish Canary Islands . In Europe at that time, refined sugar was a luxury product, the backbreaking toil and dangerous labor required in its manufacture an insuperable barrier to production in anything approaching bulk. It seems reasonable to imagine that it might have remained so if it weren’t for the establishment of an enormous market in enslaved laborers who had no way to opt out of the treacherous work. For thousands of years,  cane was a heavy and unwieldy crop that had to be cut by hand and immediately ground to release the juice inside, lest it spoil within a day or two. Even before harvest time, rows had to be dug, stalks planted and plentiful wood chopped as fuel for boiling the liquid and reducing it to crystals and molasses. From the earliest traces of cane domestication on the Pacific island of New Guinea 10,000 years ago to its island-hopping advance to ancient India in 350 B.C., sugar was locally consumed and very labor-intensive. It remained little more than an exotic spice, medicinal glaze or sweetener for elite palates. It was the introduction of sugar slavery in the New World that changed everything. “The true Age of Sugar had begun — and it was doing more to reshape the world than any ruler, empire or war had ever done,” Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos write in their 2010 book, “Sugar Changed the World.” Over the four centuries that followed Columbus’s arrival, on the mainlands of Central and South America in Mexico, Guyana and Brazil as well as on the sugar islands of the West Indies — Cuba, Barbados and Jamaica , among others — countless indigenous lives were destroyed and nearly 11 million Africans were enslaved, just counting those who survived the Middle Passage. [Read more at the next link] The sugar that saturates the American diet has a barbaric history as the ‘white gold’ that fueled slavery. - NY Times SUGAR: IN ART & MUSIC African American Black Art Sugar Shack Dancing Jook Joint 1920s Juke Joint Dance Party African American Art Print | Vintage Black Dance Hall SOURCE: Etsy “The Sugar Shack” by Ernie Barnes – An Artwork Analysis - by Isabella Meyer Her article notes that Marvin Gaye used Barnes' painting for the cover of his "I Want You" album: Jimmy Gilmer - Sugar Shack - 1963 (2:07) The Life that Sprang from Death: the Music and Dance of Sugar Work Sugar = the Atlantic slave trade. African slavery = sugar. Most of the over 12 million Africans who were shipped across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, Brazil, and South America owed their misery to sugar. Most of the millions of people around the world who were growing accustomed to cheap sugar owed that sweet taste to the African slaves. As Sugar Changed the World shows, this is a grim story of brutal conditions, constant abuse, and early death. But the Africans did not simply work, fight, flee, or die. They also made music and invented dances that were the very pulse of life. Music was woven into ceremonies, bringing African beliefs, beats, and worship across the ocean. Music mourned and defied, celebrated and uplifted. Every land where the Africans worked, where the cane grew, has its own form of beat, its own rhythms, its own songs and dances that can be traced back to sugar – and even to sources in Africa. And that was only the first step in the sugar-music-story. As workers traveled throughout the sugar lands – from Haiti to the Dominican Republic to Cuba ; from the British islands to the Dominican Republic and Haiti – they brought music with them, creating ever new songs and dances blending traditions from each land. [Continue reading at the next link] The Music & Dance of Sugar Work - Crossing Over: The Website of Author Marina Budhos Next track is a testament to Texas prison workers... Bob Dylan, The Band - Ain't No More Cane (Official Audio) (04:00) "HALF THE STORY'S NEVER BEEN TOLD..." Get Up, Stand Up The Wailers and Bob Marley Lyric Video (03:18) FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Sugar and Slavery: The Impact of Plantations in Cuba 2024 (04:07) “Modern Form of Slavery”: Haitians at Dominican Sugar Plantations Work Under Inhumane Conditions - Democracy NOW! (08/30/23) Dominican Republic sugar cane slave ring exposed by priest 2017 (06:04) The Price of Sugar Movie Trailer HQ 2012 (02:19) Unearthing Antigua's slave past - 2016 BBC News The first thing archaeologists sought when they started digging in the now-vacant west yard of Rock Hall was a fireplace for cooking. The manor house had no kitchen, so cooking was done in a separate building. They found that structure's footprint and, within it, evidence of a fireplace common to plantations in Antigua . But that house, adjacent to Rock Hall manor, was larger than expected and more than a kitchen. "This was probably also the place where the slaves lived,'' Matthews said. "We believe they essentially took control of this house, as if saying, 'We work here, we live here, and this is our space.' '' Part of that assertion is based on the discovery of several caches of artifacts -- straight pins, iron nails and lead shot -- placed strategically in and around the house and the entrance to the cellar of the manor. Based on similar findings at other slave-related sites in the South, Matthews believes this may have been an invocation of ancestral spirits to protect the site from harm. "It tells us that they may have been practicing a way of religion,'' Matthews said. "They may have been allowed to do that, or at least no one seems to have stopped it.'' These findings challenge a long-held view. "The thinking was that slavery dehumanized and took everything, including cultural memories,'' Matthews said. The evidence of Rock Hall slaves still engaged in West African religious rituals "suggests that they still thought of themselves as Africans.'' [Read more about this newly emerging perspective on history of owner-slave relations at the next 2 links] At historic homes, unearthing deeper view of slavery - The Free Library An Archaeological View of Slavery and Social Relations at Rock Hall, Lawrence, New York - Long Island History Journal  (1) (1) The  Long Island History Journal , a peer-reviewed academic online publication, is published since 2009 by the Center for Global & Local History at Stony Brook University . It continues the  Long Island Historical Journal  that was founded by Roger Wunderlich in 1988. The LIHJ is especially interested in articles treating the history of Long Island – Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties – in a national and/or global context. The 1619 Project - The New York Times Magazine ***SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times Magazine that began in August 2019, the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative. "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery None but ourselves can free our minds" "Old pirates, yes, they rob I Sold I to the merchant ships..." Bob Marley & The Wailers - Redemption Song (Official Music Video) (03:55) #music #sugar #sugarcane #slavery #racism #SocialInjustice #Africans #RockhallMuseum #WestHempsteadHistoricalSociety #MaryGautier #chickens #CandyCorn #reggae #BobMarley #TheWailers #dance #SugarShack #MarvinGaye #ErnieBarnes #MarinaBudhos #BobDyland #TheBand #Cuba #Haiti #DominicanRepublic #TheFreeLibrary #LongIslandHistoricalJournal #1619Project #TheNewYorkTimes #RogerWunderlich

Bottom Line: Our gals "DEW" the heavy liftin'! We guys just sew the seed and go back to what we were doing ... While, in the "secret space" our women are nourishing the new life ... They are providing 24 hours of intimate relationship ...long before the child's eyes first behold us. So, EILEEN , thank you from the bottom of my heart and soul for enabling me to become a DAD... And, JOHN , I'm forever grateful that you have played and continue to play two key roles in my life: You receive my attempts at love With your love and wisdom , you help me to go a little bit further than I would go on my own... IN A HURRY? While we can't shortcut life...We can shortcut this post. Click here to take in the Rolling Stones' "Time Waits for No One" - It's the latest example of what I call "this is why I post..." THE CHILD IS FATHER OF THE MAN... MY HEART LEAPS UP - William Wordsworth My heart leaps up when I behold A rainbow in the sky: So was it when my life began; So is it now I am a man; So be it when I shall grow old, Or let me die! The Child is father of the Man; And I could wish my days to be Bound each to each by natural piety. ‘The Child Is Father of the Man’: A Short Analysis of William Wordsworth’s ‘My heart leaps up’ - By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) Child Is Father Of The Man - The Beach Boys (02:09) The Beach Boys - Surf's Up (Visualizer) (04:13) Surf's up Aboard a tidal wave Come about hard and join The young and often spring you gave I heard the word Wonderful thing A children's song Child, child, child, child, child A child is the father of the man Child, child, child, child, child A child is the father of the man A children's song Have you listened as they played Their song is love And the children know the way That's why the child is the father to the man Child, child, child, child, child Child, child, child, child, child Na na na na na na na na Child, child, child, child, child That's why the child is the father to the man Child, child, child, child, child   SOURCE THE CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN... Blood, Sweat & Tears — Child is father to the man (Full album) (48:54) CHILDREN, TEACH YOUR PARENTS WELL... "Teach Your Children" And you of tender years (Can you hear and do you care) Can't know the fears (And can you see) That your elders grew by (We must be free) And so please help (To teach your children) Them with your youth (What you believe in) They seek the truth (Make a world) Before they can die (That we can live in) Teach your parents well Their children's hell Will slowly go by And feed them on your dreams The one they pick's The one you'll know by Don't you ever ask them, "Why?" If they told you, you would cry So, just look at them and sigh And know they love you Teach your Children - Crosby, Stills and Nash 1970 (03:13) PARENTS, TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL... "Teach Your Children" You, who are on the road Must have a code That you can live by And so become yourself Because the past is just a goodbye Teach your children well Their father's hell Did slowly go by And feed them on your dreams The one they pick's The one you'll know by Don't you ever ask them, "Why?" If they told you, you would cry So, just look at them and sigh And know they love you Teach Your Children | Playing For Change Band | Live in Brazil (07:04) TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE... Rolling Stones - Time Waits For No One (06:42) THE WHEEL OF TIME...THE WHEEL OF LIFE... "The Wheel" - The Grateful Dead The wheel is turning and you can't slow down You can't let go and you can't hold on You can't go back and you can't stand still If the thunder don't get you, then the lightning will Won't you try just a little bit harder? Couldn't you try just a little bit more? Won't you try just a little bit harder? Couldn't you try just a little bit more? 'Round, 'round, robin run 'round Got to get back to where you belong Little bit harder, just a little bit more A little bit further than you gone before The wheel is turning and you can't slow down You can't let go and you can't hold on You can't go back and you can't stand still If the thunder don't get you, then the lightning will Small wheel turn by the fire and rod Big wheel turn by the grace of God Every time that wheel turn 'round Bound to cover just a little more ground The wheel is turning and you can't slow down You can't let go and you can't hold on You can't go back and you can't stand still If the thunder don't get you, then the lightning will Won't you try just a little bit harder? Couldn't you try just a little bit more? Won't you try just a little bit harder? Couldn't you try just a little bit more? Grateful Dead 7 19 89 The Wheel (04:05) GUYS, One more thought...Don't try to go it ALONE... We get by with some help from our friends ...I'm grateful that at 77, I'm still connected to guys from my 20's... When we allow others to come besides us in good time and bad...We set the stage for becoming... Including this season...Sending this out to Danny and the crew at the Witches Brew Coffee House in West Hempstead, NY... Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield "Season of the Witch" (08:33) Our Forefathers...Previous Father's...Furthur's Day Posts Happy FURTHER'S Day (2023) Next one has lots of fun for kids of all ages... Happy Furthur’s Day from a Grateful Dad (2022) #music #humor #poetry #child #father #man #Eileen #John #WilliamWordsworth #OliverTearle #TheBeachBoys #surf #BloodSweatAndTears #CrosbyStillsAndNash #PlayingForChange #RollingStones #GratefulDead #

"All we are saying is give peace a chance..." In my family's text thread, one of my sisters mentioned that today - June 17 - is the start of a Novena for Peace requested by Mary - Jesus' Mom... So, I began imagining Beatles songs that would convey these intentions of Peace... Plastic Ono Band - Give Peace A Chance (1969) (05:39) The Beatles - Revolution (03:27) Novenas are for 9 days...so... Revolution 9 (2018 Mix) (08:20) Mother Mary comes to me... Who is “mother Mary” in The Beatles song ‘Let It Be’? - Far Out The Beatles - Let It Be (Official Video) (03:55) “Let It Be”: The truth behind Paul McCartney’s heavenly visit from Mother Mary - Aleteia WAR kills fathers and other living things... Paul based this song on an actual event - the World War I ceasefire that occurred in Christmas 1914...( Wikipedia ) Paul McCartney - Pipes Of Peace (04:00) IMAGINE. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) - John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band (with the Flux Fiddlers) HD (03:53) 8 Days a Week...Is not enough to say we care...So, Let's give peace a chance...for 9 days! A Beatles Novena Playlist for Peace (9 songs) Let's SING as We're Marching in the Streets... International Day of Peace: 20 Songs About Peace - The Capitol Theater #music #humor #peace #Beatles #novena #Mary #PlasticOnoBand #JohnLennon #PaulMcCartney #

Nassau County Casino Plan Close to Death 6/5/25 - Casino.org Blakeman acknowledges casino plan unlikely to move forward Sands will develop Nassau Hub in other ways The plan to bring a casino hotel to Nassau County, NY is all but dead at this point as County Executive Bruce Blakeman noted earlier today time is essentially out for the county and Las Vegas Sands to find a suitable replacement to take over the bid. [Click above link to continue to read the brief article] It's possible that there might be renewed interest in the earlier Nassau Hub development plans that didn't include a gambling casino. See this post for details: Previous Nassau Hub Development Plans Our Town and County political leaders continue to try to exercise their will  instead of the will of the people  they serve. SO... Send each of our politicians an email with what YOU want to see done with this important piece of Long Island real estate. Town of Hempstead Officials Supervisor Don Clavin -   donclavin@tohmail.org   Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby -  Dorogoo@hempsteadny.gov   Councilwoman Laura Ryder -  lryder@hempsteadny.gov Nassau County Officials County Executive Bruce Blakeman : Use this form Use this link to find your County Legislator and how to contact her/him.  -- It will also help you determine your legislative district. RELATED POSTS Nassau Hub Development: Pros & "Cons" Sierra Club offers positive uses for Nassau Hub Town of Hempstead: casiNO!!! We won't get fooled again... Keep saying "NO" to a Casino at the Nassau Hub #casino #BruceBlakeman #NassauCounty #LasVegasSands #TownOfHempstead

Our Town and County political leaders continue to try to exercise their will instead of the will of the people they serve. FIRST: Please review this post's comparison between the harms that will come from their support of a gambling casino at the Nassau Hub and the benefits that can develop from choosing to go with plans like that of Long Island's Sierra Club . NEXT: Send each of our politicians an email with what YOU want to see done with this important piece of Long Island real estate. Town of Hempstead Officials Supervisor Don Clavin -   donclavin@tohmail.org   Deputy Supervisor Dorothy Goosby -  Dorogoo@hempsteadny.gov   Councilwoman Laura Ryder -  lryder@hempsteadny.gov Nassau County Officials County Executive Bruce Blakeman : Use this form Use this link to find your County Legislator and how to contact her/him. -- It will also help you determine your legislative district. Say NO! to: "No Slots at The Coliseum!” “Slots & Students Don’t Mix!” “Save Our Suburbs…from Gambling Addiction!”   Say YES!  to:   LIVE        LEARN                   PLAY                            EARN Let a casino grow in Brooklyn…Nassau is choosing to grow trees , degrees , & home keys … "CONS" Dear Say NO to the Casino Supporters: FINAL REMINDER           The Town of Hempstead is still pushing to legalize gambling at the Coliseum property. This would make a "slots only" casino a reality here in Nassau County.  Legalizing gambling at the Nassau Hub seals the fate of this valuable property, and will mean that any future development there will be dominated by gambling.      We need YOU to attend the public hearing TOMORROW - Tuesday, June 10th at 10:30 AM at Village Hall - 1 Washington Street in Hempstead.  We will provide you with a sign to display and, if you are comfortable, please consider speaking at the hearing.      Some talking points:               Rezoning to Allow Gambling is Not Necessary to Revitalize the Hub  - The Hub can become an entertainment center without having gambling. It is wrong to provide blanket approval for gambling.          Location  - The location too close to schools including NCC, Hofstra and Kellenberg Catholic High School - tens of thousands of students.        Crime - In counties with casinos, 9% of the total crime is due to gambling according to the FBI - human trafficking, drug trafficking, DWIs, etc.        Air pollution -  Several disadvantaged communities surrounding the Nassau Hub have been designated by the NYS DEC as already overburdened from the impacts of air pollution.      Traffic - Placing a casino in a densely populated community with no mass transit is unprecedented and dangerous. Our highways are already clogged with too much traffic.      Water - Long Island’s aquifers are already struggling to meet demand and our water bills are going up. Let’s not waste our precious resources on a massive casino operating 24/7 with thousands of visitors daily - this could lead to serious water shortages.         Addiction - We have a growing gambling addiction problem in our country due to existing casinos, lotteries and most recently, the explosion of online betting.  Casinos are directly linked to an increase in problem gambling, which can lead to severe financial distress, mental health issues (including higher suicide rates), and breakdown of families.      Harm to Local Business - Casino will cannibalize local businesses (e.g. locally owned restaurants and downtown shops) as discretionary spending shifts to the massive casino.  A significant portion of casino revenue can come from local residents, effectively siphoning money out of the community and into the pockets of the casino operator.        Nassau County Residents Don't Want a Casino  - Nassau County has shown a consistent resistance to gambling, as evidenced by previous rejections at the Fortunoffs building and Belmont Racetrack. This sentiment remains strong today. The recent public hearing on May 27th revealed that 57% of speakers were opposed to the rezoning, as reported by the Long Island Press. Furthermore, the Newsday/Siena poll indicates that 51% of residents oppose the casino, compared to 44% in favor. These figures demonstrate a clear majority preference that should not be ignored.          Harm to Our Suburban Quality of Life  - Politicians claim they want to Save Our Suburbs - allowing gambling at the Coliseum property directly contradicts this commitment. It risks exposing our community to increased crime, air pollution, worsening gambling addiction among our children, exacerbated traffic issues, added infrastructure and social costs, harm to local businesses and restaurants, and overall degradation of our environment and quality of life PROS Sierra Club offers positive uses for Nassau Hub In place of the Las Vegas Sands proposal to erect a casino at the Nassau Hub, here are 7 outstanding alternative ideas suggested by Harvey Miller of the Long Island Sierra Club :   “We shouldn't just be there to oppose bad ideas but, to work to eliminate other bad proposed ideas, this may be an opportunity to suggest, hopefully in detail, ideas that would benefit the area in ways that most people would totally support." Some ideas:   1. Advanced Medical and Research Campus Expand on the presence of the nearby cancer center  and Hofstra’s medical program. Attract partnerships with Northwell Health, NYU Langone, or Memorial Sloan Kettering  for an advanced treatment and research hub. Benefits : High-skilled jobs Raises tax base Low traffic impact relative to peak venue use Bolsters Hofstra collaboration Enhances public perception and property values   2. Innovation & Education District Create a “Nassau Innovation Village” anchored by: A STEM-focused satellite campus ( Hofstra, Cornell Tech, SUNY ) Tech incubators and biotech startups Small business labs or co-working space Benefits: Clean economic growth Partnership-ready Attracts young talent Politically attractive as future-focused   3. Mixed-Use Civic and Cultural Center Repurpose part of the land into: An outdoor performance space Public parkland and green space A community recreation center  (ice rink, pools, youth spaces) Benefits: Enhances quality of life Draws families and culture seekers Low environmental impact Minimal traffic stress Works well with weekend events   4. Clean Tech and Green Energy Hub Partner with NY State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)  or federal climate initiatives to build: A solar research and deployment center Battery storage innovation space EV research and charging infrastructure lab Benefits: Politically high-value (green jobs, climate funding) Big state and federal grants available Doesn’t burden local services   5. Sports and Health Wellness Complex A high-end multi-sport training complex , combining: Physical therapy Performance science Community fitness access Could be marketed to both public and private athletic programs, plus Hofstra’s  kinesiology department Benefits: Year-round use Revenue from clinics, events, and research Family-friendly, traffic-controlled   6. Digital Media and Film Production Studio Given Long Island’s proximity to NYC but lack of large-scale studio space: Convert the Coliseum into a sound stage and post-production campus Incentivize production companies to move operations here Benefits: High-income, low-disruption industry Adds to cultural prestige Easily regulated in terms of traffic and land use   7. Senior Living + Workforce Housing Hybrid Develop thoughtfully zoned housing for seniors and essential workers  with walkable amenities and medical access Could include community gardens, wellness centers, and green corridors to Hofstra Benefits: Politically appealing (addresses housing + aging population) Predictable, non-peak traffic Increases stable tax base” SOURCE RELATED POSTS Nassau County Casino Plan Close to Death...BUT, Keep applying pressure on our officials so they DO what WE want Sierra Club offers positive uses for Nassau Hub Town of Hempstead: casiNO!!! We won't get fooled again... Keep saying "NO" to a Casino at the Nassau Hub #NassauHub #TownOfHempstead #NassauCounty #casino #LISierraClub #pros #cons