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RUFFY Introducing these Pennsylvania change makers who have fashioned their careers around building bridges of connection… Ruffian Tittmann is the daughter of my younger brother Peter and his wife Allys. She’s used her creativity in the Pennsylvania outdoor parks making them more accessible... Kyle Dunleavy , partner to Ruffy, and operates a business manufacturing steel drum instruments for individuals and groups like educational institutions and bands. FYI - Post's title is a takeoff on the book and film "Drums Along the Mohawk." Wissahickon Lenape tribe origins: "The valley, avenue and creek all take their name from “wisameckham,” meaning “catfish stream.” - Philadelphia Magazine Building Bridges... Ruffy has overseen the re-building of foot bridges in parks, helping the community and those she in the organization...go further. [from the article linked below] Seeing a project through was one of the greatest things for me,” said Ruffian. “Whether it was the Forbidden Drive collapses and seeing those restored, the parkwide signage project, various trail projects, the ultimate was the [Lida Way] bridge. It was amazing. That day, December 10, standing on it [at the ribbon cutting], I don’t know that I’ve had a such a great feeling of satisfaction ever professionally. A bike ride leads to a career path... [from the article linked below] It’s special to know that Ruffian’s fantastic journey at FOW was as serendipitous as a longer-than-usual bike ride on an unfamiliar path, where she stumbled upon the park that would be the backdrop for her life for the next 18 years. “I had been living over in the art museum area, and Kyle and I took a bike ride one day up Kelly Drive and onto the bike trail and somehow ended up in the woods,” said Ruffian. “When we made it to Lincoln Drive, it had felt like maybe we had ridden much further than we thought to be because all of a sudden you couldn’t see the city anymore, and there are all these trees.” She recalled finding her way to the Wissahickon when she stumbled upon the job posting for development director that year. A woman who helped lead others into the woods... [from the article linked below] We are thankful for our female leaders every month, and this Women’s History Month , we’re proud to recognize Ruffian and to have had her as a collaborator, leader, and role model at FOW all these years." FOW Staff Celebrates Ruffian Tittmann’s Lasting Legacy [from the linked article below] In 2006, Ruffian Tittmann was working as the director of membership and annual giving at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) when she went on a "longer than expected" bike ride up Kelly Drive. She came across the Wissahickon Valley Park . Thus, when she saw a job listing for a development director at Friends of the Wissahickon (FOW) that same year, Tittmann had to apply. Her love for the park she happened upon in 2006 would go on to define the next 19 years of her life. "I don't want to get choked up, but I could go on," said Tittmann in an interview with the Local. "It's been almost 20 years…it's been a dream job for sure." Now, after working at FOW for almost two decades (the last five of which were as executive director), Tittmann is ready for a new adventure.  FOW director departs after transformative tenure Live chat with Friends of Wissahickon's Ruffian Tittmann (34:25) KYLE Website Facebook Kyle's world of music also contains "bridges"... [from the linked article below] Music, in its countless forms and genres, is a universal language that speaks to our emotions. It’s an art form that’s meticulously crafted, with each piece serving a specific role in the overall composition. A song is much like a story, with its verses, chorus, intro, and outro each playing a part in shaping the narrative. One such integral piece of this musical puzzle is the ‘bridge’. The bridge in music, often overlooked but undeniably significant, serves as a crucial link within a song. It’s a breath of fresh air that adds contrast and complexity to a composition, taking the listener on a detour before bringing them back to familiar territory. SOURCE KUDOS: DRUM ROLL PLEASE... Here's look at this Grammy winner Kyle has built for: [from the article linked below][ A member of the acclaimed ensemble Sō Percussion since 2006, Josh has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Lincoln Center Festival, Stanford Lively Arts, and dozens of other venues in the United States. In that time, Sō Percussion has toured Russia, Spain, Australia, Italy, Germany, and Scotland. He has had the opportunity to work closely with Steve Reich, Steve Mackey, Paul Lansky, David Lang, Matmos, Dan Deacon , and many others. (His) parallel interests led Josh to break ground in the use of the steel drums in contemporary classical music. To date, he has commissioned over a dozen pieces for steel drums from composers such as Stuart Saunders Smith, Roger Zahab, Dan Trueman, and Paul Lansky . In 2010, Steven Mackey’s quartet  It Is Time  – commissioned for Sō Percussion by Carnegie Hall and Chamber Music America – featured Josh on a new microtonal lead pan in its Carnegie Hall premiere, receiving rave reviews in the New York Times .  He’s also had the honor to drill the Brooklyn Steel Orchestra (New York) and Skiffle Bunch Steel Orchestra (Trinidad) for conferences in steel pan and the Panorama competition during carnival in Trinidad and Tobago. Josh Quillen - SoPercussion Kyle and Josh "pan-handling" together on drums and stage in 2014... Hotel California - a steelpan music version (07:23) This next article was linked with the above video. [from the article linked below] There is very little that When Steel Talks can say about NYU Steel that we haven’t already said over the years since its inception in 2007 - except maybe, mission accomplished. Born out of the vision of NYU percussion department chairman Professor Jonathan Haas  and realized under the directorship of Josh Quillen , NYU Steel   has begun to achieve its full potential. After all, steelpan music performance studies is mandatory for all New York University percussion majors at the respected Music and Performing Arts Professions Program in Percussion Studies. Couple that with the fact that NYU is located in the backyard of some of the largest and best steel orchestras outside of Trinidad and Tobago, the originator of the steelpan family of instruments. When Steel Talks Let's listen... NYU Steel with CrossFire Steel Orchestra performs "Leh Go" (14:46) How an Impossible Steel Drum Gets Built - The New Yorker --"Kyle Dunleavy required two years, a back-yard bonfire, and many hot-tub soaks (to soothe his aching deltoids) to hammer out an instrument with an unprecedented range of notes.) If the infamous "Subscription Wall" blocks access, I've included the text at the end of this post. A.K.A. Published in the print edition of T he New Yorker's December 20, 2021, issue, with the headline “Hot Tub Drum Machine.” Included this cool down-home image... Look at this next beauty...Imagine at 40' version in a spotlight hanging over a stage at a rock concert experience... “There’s a Grateful Dead song for every occasion”- so says friend Steve Bermont Franklin's Tower by The Grateful Dead (Steel Pan Cover) (04:04) From this "GRATE" music maker's description of his piece. Check out his site...lots of rockin' covers...Here's his comments for this video: 109 views  Jul 11, 2024 I saw "Franklin's Tower" performed by Dead and Company in 2021 in Philly. A rainbow appeared over the whole stadium when they played it. Needless to say it was amazing and it's been a staple in my repertoire ever since. For booking information please visit my website at: https://mikedettra.com/ Grateful Dead - France (Studio Version) (04:01) Jerry played steel drums on friend of the devil... In "DRUMS" at around 52:00 Jerry puts down his guitar, picks up sticks...and after a few minutes, picks up a steel drum and joins regular drummers Mickey and Billy in keepin' and sharin' the beat...That's Jerry on right side with stick in the the air... Grateful Dead - Live at Duke University (Full Concert, Set 2) April 12 1978 ************************************************************************** How an Impossible Steel Drum Gets Built Five years ago, Josh Quillen, a member of Sō Percussion, a Brooklyn-based music ensemble, spoke with a maker and tuner of steel drums named Kyle Dunleavy about building a potentially unworkable design. Musical steel drums, also called pans, are fashioned from industrial barrels of the type used for storing crude oil or hazardous waste. Pans come in a variety of different voices—bass, tenor bass, cello, guitar, double second, double tenor, and tenor. “I wanted a pair of double seconds that would have at least three octaves of notes on them,” Quillen said recently. “The drums would be fully chromatic, with all the sharps and flats, and would go down to the C below middle C.” No drums like them, with such a plenitude of notes, were then in existence. “That would require about a square foot of extra room on the drums, so Kyle would have to rearrange all of the notes to get them to fit. I was asking him to climb Mt. Everest.”   Dunleavy, who works out of his garage in the Philadelphia suburbs, began the project in 2017 and spent two years seeming to get nowhere. Then, suddenly, Quillen received a call saying that the drums were ready. On a rainy night near Christmas, 2019, Quillen, a soft-spoken man with a robust beard, Moscot eyeglasses, and a laid-back gravitas, knocked on Dunleavy’s garage door. He was accompanied by Kendall K. Williams, a doctoral student in music composition at Princeton. The door rattled upward, revealing Dunleavy—tall, restless, with light-blue eyes and tendony hands. “Let’s see those bad boys,” Quillen said. Dunleavy’s garage was outfitted with a workbench, a tool chest, an air compressor, a stand-alone hot tub, and an array of empty steel industrial barrels stacked on their ends. On a stand inside a tuning chamber—a small room lined with sound-muffling carpet—sat Quillen’s finished drums. Each was twenty-eight inches across and plated entirely in chrome. Their shining heads were concave, like pasta bowls. Inside, the drums’ notes were bubbles of different sizes and shapes swelling outward. The metal gleamed with irregularities. Steel drummers claim that no two pans sound exactly alike. Bottom of Form Dunleavy took up a pair of mallets and struck the largest bubble. A resonant moong  filled the chamber. “ That  is the low C,” he said. He handed the mallets to Quillen. Quillen tested the low C, moong, moong , then struck a smaller bubble and got a higher note— mung . “That’s middle C,” he said. Then he sharply hit a small bubble and a tiny bubble— ming, ping! —high C and C-sharp an octave higher. “My goodness, you got four C’s onto these drums. It’s kind of massive.” Quillen floated the mallets over many notes— mung ping-pong in loon and moon sang on a dumb tomb . “There’s a warmth and darkness in this sound,” he said as he malleted around. “They sound like an organ,” Williams added. Dunleavy said that he’d spent two years imagining different layouts of notes, trying to hear them in his mind. It was a complex problem, because every note on a steel drum interacts with its neighbors. Finally, he rolled a new eighty-five-gallon barrel into his tuning chamber and spent several hours beating the bottom with a short-handled sledgehammer. “I was sinking the pan down, just going for depth and looking for a shape,” he said. “Then I started smoothing the pan with smaller hammers. That’s when I started hearing the notes.” But, he went on, “the notes weren’t alive yet.” Using a power tool called a metal nibbler, he nibbled the barrel down to the drumhead, which he placed in a back-yard bonfire until it turned iridescent blue. After the drum cooled, Dunleavy said, he refined the notes, hitting the steel with an assortment of small hammers while he watched waveforms pulse on the display screen of a strobe tuner. He flipped the drum over frequently, hitting the bubbles alternately from the top and from the bottom: “ ‘I’m gonna get that note,’ you say to yourself.” Once in a while, Dunleavy climbed into the hot tub and soaked his aching deltoids. (“The hot tub is my secret weapon,” he explained.) It took him two weeks of obsessive hammering and regular hot-tub dips to bring thirty-eight chromatic notes to life from the bottoms of two hazmat barrels. In the chamber, Quillen ran the mallets over the drums in a blur, releasing linns of notes. “What comes to mind is a teardrop sound,” he said as he played. “The note is really bright at first, and then there’s a decay, a spreading out and a softening. The sound is dark, but there’s a point to it. I always liked the sound of the harp.” He played sweeping, harplike arpeggios. He improvised until a melody formed. The notes—sweet, complex, loamy in timbre, and fully alive—seemed to take on the quality of a human voice, and it was singing “What a Wonderful World.” Weeks afterward, COVID  arrived. Sō Percussion stopped doing in-person concerts. It wasn’t until last weekend, when a pan musician named Marc Brooks played them at a Sō Percussion concert at Carnegie Hall, that a live audience finally heard Dunleavy’s impossible drums. ♦ #music #humor #bridges #RuffianTittmann #KyleDunleavy #Pennsylvania #parks #SteelDrums #FriendsOfWissahickon #JohnMuir #SoPercussion #Grammy #JoshQuillen #HotelCalifornia #TheEagles #GratefulDead #MikeDettra #SteveBermont #Brooklyn #NYUSteel #CrossfireSteelOrchestra #JerryGarcia #MickeyHart #BillKreutzmann

INTRO Peter, Thank you for including me in your upcoming April 16 Multicultural Solidarity Friendship Circles Zoom gathering invitation in which you said: "I am planning to repeat a circle I led in late March dealing with how we relate to feelings about our being subjected to untruths that we're bombarded with in the public space." I was going to decline with these comments I previously sent… “I choose not to spend my energy resources in these dark waters of controversy.” … But then I saw your use of “media” in new ways. See, by choice, I don’t spend time on news outlets or social media sites...BUT, I do listen to a lot of music and watch movies every evening with my wife Eileen . So, as I was drafting my declination to your invitation, I saw that school textbooks, songs and films are part of “media” … so, I’ll be joining you and others on April 16 at 7:00 pm... “Just what the truth is, I can’t say anymore...” --From the Moody Blues “Nights in White Satin” ... Until we meet on 4/16, here are some things for us to consider if we’re asked… ”which side are you on boys?” BEFORE WE GET INTO "US & THEM"... LET'S START WITH THE PERSON IN THE MIRROR... Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror (Official Video) (05:03) We are only able to see as far as we've awakened... HOW WELL DO WE SEE? Contemplative Seeing - the Center for Action and Contemplation "Spirituality is about seeing—seeing things in their wholeness, which can only be done through the lens of our own wholeness. That is the key! It’s about taking responsibility for our way of relating to things rather than aiming for any kind of perfect results or necessary requirements. Once you see skillfully, the rest follows. You don’t need to push the river, because you are already in it. The One Life is living itself within us, and we learn how to say yes to that one shared life, which includes both the good and the bad sides of everything. This Divine Life is so large, deep, and spacious that it even includes its seeming opposite, death. This one, great life does not end, it merely changes." Continues here. Effects of Our Biases " We grow up believing that what we see and hear are true   representations of reality, when in fact, any information from any of your senses is processed in the brain through layers and screens of biases and personal beliefs—no matter how hard you try to be objective." "I Saw It with My Own Eyes." But Did You Really? - Psychology Today "Studies continue to show that eyewitness testimony can be completely unreliable." "HOORAY FOR OUR SIDE" Bob Dylan and Joan Baez at 1963vNewport Folk Festival Bob Dylan & Joan Baez - With God On Our Side (Live At Newport Folk Festival - 1963) - 4K Restoration (04:29) In this next cover of the classic, I like that some young musicians are “picking” up on what their parents’ generation passed along… For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield Cover (03:10) - Josh Turner Guitar "US" & "THEM" "Forward", he cried from the rear And the front rank died The general sat and the lines on the map Moved from side to side Black and blue And who knows which is which And who is who Down and out It can't be helped But there's a lot of it about With, without And who'll deny It's what the fighting's all about "The Pink Floyd song “Us And Them” is a deeply thought-provoking and introspective track that delves into the complexities of human nature, war, societal divisions, and the blurred lines between good and evil. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a world filled with ordinary men caught in the chaos of war and conflict. While the overarching theme of the song is the inherent duality and commonality among people, there are several standout lyrics that help develop various thought-provoking themes within the song." Continue reading at next link: Meaning of Us And Them by Pink Floyd - Plato's Mirror Pink Floyd - Us And Them (50th Anniversary Competition Winner's Video) (05:16) INFAMOUS COVERUPS BIKO: Another infamous attempt to withhold the truth This song tells the story of South Africa's anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko's death at the hands of his captors - a story they never willingly released. The song's background is included here. And here Peter Gabriel - Biko (06:39) 40 years after his song's initial release, Peter Gabriel joined with musicians from Playing for Change to again tell new generations the truth that had earlier been suppressed by South Africa's racist government. From the site of the crime: South Africa - Playing for Change sheds light on the truth... Biko | Peter Gabriel | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (06:27) BIKO September '77 Port Elizabeth weather's fine It was business as usual In police room 619 Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja The man is dead The man is dead When I try to sleep at night I can only dream in red The outside world is black and white With only one colour dead Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja The man is dead The man is dead You can blow out a candle But you can't blow out a fire Once the flames begin to catch The wind will blow it higher Oh Biko, Biko, because Biko Yihla Moja, Yihla Moja The man is dead The man is dead   And the eyes of the world are watching now, watching now "EVERYBODY HAS ENOUGH OF WHAT THEY NEED..." "Feed the babies Who don't have enough to eat Shoe the children With no shoes on their feet House the people Livin' in the street Oh, oh, there's a solution" "Fly Like an Eagle" - Steve Miller This new version in collaboration with Playing for Change premiered on February 20, 2025, World Day of Social Justice . Read the inspirational backstory here on Steve's band's Homepage. Fly Like an Eagle ft. Steve Miller | Song Around The World | Playing For Change (04:43) PARODY: EFFECTIVE USE OF HUMOR TO SHED LIGHT ON THE TRUTH Here's the TRUTH we were never taught in Catholic elementary and high schools: "Initially a tribunal would open at a location and an edict of grace would be published calling upon those who are conscious of heresy to confess; after a period of grace, the tribunal officers could make accusations. Those accused of heresy were sentenced at an auto de fe, Act of Faith. Clergyman would sit at the proceedings and would deliver the punishments. Punishments included confinement to dungeons, physical abuse and torture. Those who reconciled with the church were still punished and many had their property confiscated, as well as were banished from public life. Those who never confessed were burned at the stake without strangulation; those who did confess were strangled first. During the 16th and 17th centuries, attendance at auto de fe reached as high as the attendance at bullfights." "In 1481 the Inquisition started in Spain and ultimately surpassed the medieval Inquisition, in both scope and intensity. Conversos (Secret Jews) and New Christians were targeted because of their close relations to the Jewish community, many of whom were Jews in all but their name. Fear of Jewish influence led Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to write a petition to the Pope asking permission to start an Inquisition in Spain. In 1483 Tomas de Torquemada became the inquisitor-general for most of Spain, he set tribunals in many cities. Also heading the Inquisition in Spain were two Dominican monks, Miguel de Morillo and Juan de San Martin." Source: Next link. Christian-Jewish Relations: The Inquisition "Will you convert?" "No! No! No! No! History of the World - Part One - The Spanish Inquisition - by Mel Brooks (08:38) "Last time I hada coda fish, it tasta like Permalube..." Keep listening to hear the penance he assigns to these polluting perpetrators... Oil Execs Come Clean | Father Guido Sarducci | Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (01:18) SCIENCE FICTION: ANOTHER WAY TO REVEAL THE TRUTH... Gene Roddenberry: Visionary Creator That Boldly Went Where No One Had Been Before " Roddenberry also addressed many societal issues in his storytelling. While he couldn't always directly confront contemporary social problems due to the television censors, he cleverly used science fiction scenarios and alien cultures to explore issues such as racism, war, and inequality." Continue reading here. "Living Witness" - is an episode on Star Trek Voyager's 4th season that depicts one race's efforts to present a revisionist version of what really happened. It took 700 years before the truth came to light. This and other Star Trek episodes are on Amazon Prime . WARNING: PLOT GIVEAWAY The Best of Star Trek: Voyager: Living Witness - The Dave Cullen Show (08:32) #music #humor #MulticulturalSolidarityFriendshipCircles #PeterBronson #untruths #lies #WithheldInformation #media #film #textbooks #songs #MoodyBlues #MichaelJackson #mirror #AnaisNin #CenterForActionAndContemplation #RichardRohr #contemplation #LeonardoDaVinci #bias #BobDylan #JoanBaez #BuffaloSpringfield #JohnTurnerGuitar #PinkFloyd #SteveBiko #SouthAfrica #apartheid #PeterGabriel #PlayingForChange #SteveMiller #WorldDayOfSocialJustice #parody #MelBrooks #HistoryOfTheWorldPartOne #SpanishInquisition #ScienceFiction #StarTrek #GeneRoddenberry #StarTrekVoyager #DaveCullenShow #FatherGuidoSardicci #DonNovello #SmothersBrothers

Duff, I'm skipping Hallmark , Dayspring and others with well-managed forests to share my heartfelt feelings "here...there...and everywhere..." Snoopy...Chivalry is still alive There's a link at the end to a YouTube playlist of all songs... It's been "Easy to love you..." Two signs that I was led to this song and this particular video: --seeing this blond-headed child with bassist Phil Lesh reminds me of our own son John --the music was composed by Brent Mydland who plays keyboards like John Phil Lesh with child Brent Mydland tickling the ivories Grateful Dead - Easy to Love You (05:48) Several of these lyrics hold special meaning for our relationship...then and now... Easy To Love You Lyrics By: John Barlow Music By: Brent Mydland Good, good morning, so good to see you You weren't just a dream of mine Real as a raven, real as thunder Real as the sun shining But still so very hard to find I can't imagine what's behind those sleepy eyes Little stranger, don't try to hide now You look so young and you're afraid There is no danger but from the devil And he may want you but I'm in his way You don't know how easy it is You don't know how easy it is to love you And come the moonrise, when the dew falls Don't be the sun that fades away Don't leave me darkness, she is no lover She hides the day ou don't know how easy it is You don't know how easy it is to love you "Two hearts beating in just one mind..." Another T & E connection...the song was penned in 1988 - same year you carried the "fruit of your womb and our love" - JOHN - into our lives and the lives of all the people he's touched... I selected this playful version because it reminded me of one of our favorite times together: Our evenings at the bijou . This version also reminds me of the recent UK caper flicks we've been enjoying with some of our favorite "dirty rotten scoundrels"...including Michael Caine, Sean Connery and other blokes. UK scoundrels Phil Collins - Two Hearts (Official Music Video) (04:15) -- "Two Hearts" was produced by Phil Collins and Lamont Dozier for the 1988 film "Buster" , along with "A Groovy Kind Of Love" . "Through the eyes of an angel..." [Verse 1: Miten] Moonlight's streaming Through this temple door I'm seein' myself like I Never did before Seein' myself [Refrain: Miten & Deva Premal] Through the eyes of an angel Through the eyes of an angel [Verse 2: Miten & (Deva Premal)] (Oṃ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ) Twilight on mighty candle (Tat savitur vareṇyaṃ) Puts smoke in the air (Bhargo devasya dhīmahi) Somewhere in the distance I could hear the Gayatri Mudra (Dhiyo yo naḥ prachodayāt) Yes, and I know love Is the only prayer (prayer, prayer) [Refrain: Miten & Deva Premal] Through the eyes of an angel Through the blessed one Through the eyes of an angel [Post-refrain: Miten] Here I stand, naked in the morning sun Blessing the earth I stand upon Watching the holy river run Completing the things I left undone [Bridge: Miten & (Deva Premal)] And I fly (Ah) [Verse 3: Miten] There's a pilgrim Beneath the ancient banyan tree Is that somebody else Or is it me? Somebody Livin' a mystery We're all livin' the mystery Livin' the mystery (The mystery, the mystery, the mystery) [Refrain: Miten & Deva Premal] Through the eyes of an angel Through the blessed one Through the eyes of an angel [Post-refrain: Miten] And here we stand, naked in the morning sun Blessing the earth we stand upon Watching the holy river run Completing the things we left undone And I turn to the face the man I have become [Conclusion: Miten & (Deva Premal)] And I fly (Ah) Fly (Ah) Fly (Ah) (Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah) Oh, love is the only prayer (Ah) Deva and Miten Miten with Deva Premal - Through the Eyes of an Angel (04:55) AFTER HOURS... Paul and Linda McCartney Eileen, Here's my pledge: Paul and Linda McCartney The Beatles Here, There and Everywhere (02:41) The previous version was "made for kids" so I couldn't add it to my playlist for this post. So here's another beautifully edited video. I selected this frame because of your Dad's accordion days. : ))))) Paul and accordion The Beatles - Paul McCartney - Here, There and Everywhere (Live) (02:29) Sangah Noona at the piano Here, There And Everywhere (The Beatles) Piano Cover by Sangah Noona 2021 (03:07) One of the things we enjoy about our evenings in our basement theater-room is traveling to other parts of the world. So, I'm ending my love letter in the city of L'amour: Paris...It was filmed at the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre, Paris. Another T&E connection are the clowns and the jugglers...As you know, when given an opportunity to comment on our April 2 wedding date, I like to say, "We got married on April 2nd because only FOOLS would get hitched on April1st." Truth is, April 2, 1978 was a Sunday and the catering hall was cheaper than on a Saturday night. U2 - Two Hearts Beat As One (Official Music Video) (04:00) Remember when you were my blonde surfer girl... ...Well "hear" are some memories with this group's great harmonies... The Beach Boys- Why Do Fools Fall in Love (02:08) Their first song expresses my invitation to you... THE BEACH BOYS-COME GO WITH ME/WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE-LIVE-MELBOURNE-31/8/12 (05:55) I still DEW PLAYLIST #music #humor #Eileen #tOM #wedding #anniversary #GratefulDead #BrentMydland #JohnBarlow #JohnTittmann #PhilLesh #PhilCollins #fools #DevaPremal #Miten #Manose #Beatles #PaulMcCartney #accordion #FrandDuffy #SangahNoona #BeachBoys

MY INSPIRATION: I'm a BIG fan of the whole line of Califia Farms' delicious plant-based food offerings. So, pour some of your favorite "plant medicine" and join me as we travel from Brooklyn to San Diego to see artists at work... Considering the Califia Farms Cold Brew image that follows, why not pour yourself a "Cup o' Joe" ...until you can get to your local Whole Foods or other stores that carry their line (locator) . Who was Califia? Many people regard California as a land of golden opportunity, where people go to make dreams come true in the fields of entertainment, technology, agriculture, and industry. However, many Californians would probably be surprised to know that their home state is named after a strong and self-sufficient Black queen named Calafia (sometimes spelled Califia) who ruled over a golden island in Muslim mythology. Another post follows about this mythical woman of power... Queen Califia The State of California Was Originally Named After a Black Queen Named Calafia - Blackhistory.com Women at work Mallory Heyer Califia Farms  commisioned Brooklyn graphic designer and illustrator Mallory Heyer  to create the following 40' by 60' wall art/ad in San Francisco . Mallory Heyer Califia Farms Cold Brew wall mural Califia Farms wall mural Queen Califia Mural in San Francisco (02:04) In the above video, Mallory credits this musical artist for some of her inspiration for the mural. Sofi Tukker SOFI TUKKER - Drinkee (Official Video) (03:11) Niki de Saint Phalle If you’re looking for an interesting destination without a crowd - a short drive north of San Diego , you can find a magical, enchanted space, just waiting to be discovered and explored. Queen Califia's Magical Circle  is the only American sculpture garden and the last major international project created by French artist, Niki de Saint Phalle . Niki de Saint Phalle Queen Califia's Magical Circle adventure park Queen Califia's Magical Circle adventure park Destination San Diego: Queen Califia’s Magical Circle (02:24) Second Cups... Jimi Hendrix coffee mug Jimi on meeting Queen Califia... Jimi Hendrix Foxey Lady The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Foxey Lady (Miami Pop 1968) (04:28) Ginger...on taking first sips of Califia's Cold Brew... Ginger Baker Cream - Strange Brew (1967) (02:24) Artist at Work sign Jack Etchells Jack Etchells Jimi Hendrix art 'HENERGY' jimi hendrix coffee painting - Jack Etchells(02:59) -- timelapse of my coffee painting of jimi hendrix . i wanted to create a piece that accurately represents the energy surrounding music and musicians such as hendrix. coffee flows through you like music, giving you energy and life when you need it. Check out his Instagram page #music #humor #coffee #CalifiaFarms #QueenCalifia #California #MalloryHeyer #SofiTukker #NikiDeSaintPhalle #JackEtchells #Brooklyn #SanFrancisco #SanDiego #JimiHendrix #Cream #GingerBaker

Readers & Passersby: GET YOUR FREE TICKETS!!! -Expressing gratitude for a new “fan” about to be born to parents who are second generation “followers of Jerry”… TODAY, Eileen and I will be participating in a shower of birth blessings...  Our longtime friends' ( Meg and Charlie ) youngest daughter ( Mitzi ) and her man ( Chuck ) are having a baby,,,,who'll be tutored in the "KINDER" ways of this "Grate" group of music makers... Somehow, Eileen "grokked" their music appreciation from the shower invitation and went to the online "jungle" (Amazon) and found some cool gifts... RULES OF THE ROAD... Deadhead rules of the road "A" is for "alligator"..."B" is for "bear"..."C" is for "China Cat"... One of Eileen's gift inspirations is this read-aloud gem. Considering your grandparents once operated a bookstore, the gift of a book seems fitting. The ABC's of the Grateful Dead The ABCs of the Grateful Dead ...and here's one I just ordered this morning...Better "Grate" than never... Lullaby renditions of the Grateful Dead Lullaby Renditions of Grateful Dead Where do babies come from? I searched for “Grateful Dead and stork” and landed here: Merrie Melodies cartoon Daffy Duck stork Merrie Melodies cartoon Daffy Duck stork Stork Daffy Duck cartoon Stork Naked - (1955, Restored) BABY JAY, This is what your grandparents and the rest of us from that generation grew up with…might explain why things are the way they are…🤔 Biology/History Lesson...on the birds and the bees... Saturday Night Live "NEVERMIND!!!" Saturday Night Live Weekend Update: Emily Litella on Television Violins - SNL Grateful Dead in the garden “M” is for monkey... This cool band of kids from the music capital of Austin Texas is sure to please...Check out more of their offerings... Monkey and Engineer Grateful Dead 'Monkey and the Engineer' by the Barton Hills Choir (02:41) Barton Hills Choir covering the Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead's 'Ripple' by The Barton Hills Choir - #DeadCoversProject YouTube (03:59) Tom and Monkey Engineer and Brian Barry Monkey and Engineer at Half Step show at Malverne LIRR station Baby gets on the bus and heads for school... Grateful Dead on the school bus On the bus...or off the bus... Back to the Garden... Parking lot shirts are the best Creating a Grateful Dead-icated Garden - gardenrant.com Child, Don't let others steal your ORIGINAL face...the ONE you had before your parents were born... Illusion of separation CAC The Illusion of Separation - Center for Action and Contemplation Original face My Original Face Before My Parents Were Born: The Tryst with Koans AFTER-HOURS CLUB BABY JAY , When you get a little older, your grand/Grate parents have a treat for you: A ride on their horse-sized dog named "LOLA" ...And be sure to ask them about an earlier canine named "TRUCK" ...and how he was given that moniker... Charlie Brown Snoopy Lucy are KIND Facebook group for Grateful Dead Mommas Grateful Dead Mommas - Facebook group Rockabye Baby Grateful Dead Rockabye Baby Grateful Dead Rockabye Baby Grateful Dead Casey Jones - Lullaby Renditions of Grateful Dead - Rockabye Baby! (00:59) AFTER-POST ADDITIONS TO YOUR PLAYROOM My friend Kevin from Tennessee sent me this today...unaware (or cosmically grokking that I did this earlier post)... Friend sharing the Grateful Dead with a friend Friend of Jerry sharing her love with another friend... #music #humor #baby #Mitzi #Chuck #Meg #Charlie #Eileen #Truck #Lola #GratefulDead #shower #MerrieMelodies #SNL #SaturdayNightLive #DaffyDuck #BartonHillsChoir #Facebook #CharlieBrown #Lucy #Snoopy #CAC #CenterForActionAndContemplation #ZenBuddhism #koan #RockabyeBaby #lullabies #HalfStep #LIRR #Malverne

Some musings on a conversation with longtime friends that I was with today at the Old Westbury Diner on Glen Cove Road...Some of the gang suggested going to Witches Brew Coffee House but they're closed on Mondays and Tuesdays...  1. Fidel Castro tricking the Russians by lying about oil fields near Cuba so the Ruskies would invest in Cuba...Slick, huh? Meanwhile, in America … 2. Andy’s “survival” wisdom… One of our group - a martial artist - asked each of us about what we thought was the most important thing in our lives...After considering our replies, he offered these "AIR" and "WATER"... …So, sometime in the future…on a planet near you… Spaceballs - Perri Air (00:30) One of our gang was in sales...so...let's learn from a Master in this field... Spaceballs (6/11) Movie CLIP - Merchandising! Merchandising! (1987) HD (02:00) Here’s a recent example of merchandising…and proof that... "It seems to have started as a joke. Two friends decided to fill a small plastic bag with air from a hillside in Canada, and put it on eBay to sell for 99c. It did, and then the next one sold for more than €100. It started as a joke even before that, though. In 1987 Mel Brooks directed and starred in a Star Wars satire called Spaceballs. Brooks' President Skroob rules an evil planet that's running out of air. Mere seconds after reassuring a journalist by phone that there's no air crisis, Brooks rummages in a drawer and pulls out a can of Perri-Air and proceeds to take blissful breaths from the canister. A daft joke, but surely dafter still that people are actually paying through the nose to do exactly this. Those two friends with the plastic bag of Canadian air were Moses Lam and Troy Paquette, who went on to set up a company called Vitality, which will now sell you cans of fresh, clean, Canadian air." (More at the next link) Canned air is no laughing matter - irishtimes.com You can choose from where your air comes: Banff , an area of Canada, near Calgary, famed for its forests, mountains, and lakes; or from the Lake Louise area of Banff. Their mention of "Banff" reminded me an early comedy skit that I thought was from the Monty Python crew. In it, the person trying to pronounce "Banff" kept stuttering and repeating the f-f-f-f-f... Alas, I couldn't f-f-f-f-f-find it...But my searching led me to other places in the woods... Be advised that despite "Canada" in its title, this next video has absolutely NOTHING to do with "Canada"...Ahh...but it's filled with references to some of the hobbies and professions of my breakfast buddies - among these are cycling and law enforcement... Monty Python, Season 1, Episode 1 - 3 Whither Canada? (09:56) We’re already in Canada, so be sure to obey ALL of the laws and regulations…OR… Canadian Bacon - Pulled Over Scene (02:40) For a moment, let's practice some cultural compassion and consider the visitor trying to learn a new language... This morning on my way out, I stopped to chat with the young man clearing the tables. I had noticed how he had understood AND REPLIED APPROPRIATELY to the humor in a remark one of my friends made to him a few minutes earlier, "The check is on the table and so is the money..." See, he was obviously from another country and I was impressed that he was able to get the subtlety in the humorous remark my friend had made. He told me he appreciated that I stopped to tell him this... OKAY, Let's follow Eddie Murphy and " trade places" with visitors to our country who are trying to learn OUR language… Learning English pronunciation is fun (03:48) Most of my breakfast mates are of Italian extraction…so, when in Rome… Italian Girl Explaining How to Pronounce "Mozzarella" - Funny Video! (00:08) Be quick with a joke…or to light up a smoke…...How 'bout BOTH at the same time? One of our crew was in the bookbinding business (that's different from "bookmaking" which was also practiced near Aqueduct Racetrack where most of us grew up. He told us how a certain precious metal was applied to the edges of special books… Where was this ore found? Let's travel together south of the border and find out... Rainy Daze - That Acapulco Gold (02:25) Cheech & Chong have also sung about the merits of that gold... Since we were eating in a diner…Here’s our selection from their jukebox: This next image repeats whenever the song tells us that he’s holding a hamburger. In actuality, it bares an eerie resemblance to the gold leaf used in our previous bookbinding story… Martian Boogie (06:22) Closing “number”… Back in the daze when some of today’s crew was going to Grateful Dead events, it was an extra special night when the New Riders of the Purple Sage opened for them…and sometimes also joined them in a closing number or two…or… New Riders of the Purple Sage - "Henry"....Live @ Turkey Trot! (05:14) PREVIOUS POSTS ABOUT EATERIES Diners: Long Island "Greecey" Spoons to Stockbridge, Mass "Churches" Here's one of MANY on my favorite neighborhood watering hole... THE WICKEDly good WITCH OF THE WEST hempstead #music #humor #food #diner #friends #SteveMartin #MontyPython #sales #MartialArts #FidelCastro #Cuba #oil #Russians #NASA #Mars #MelBrooks #Spaceballs #Banff #Canada #ThomasDiner #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse #gold #Acapulco

SECOND BREAKFAST Had a hankering this morning for challah French toast. Invited a friend to join me at an historic 80-year old diner that’s located directly across Old Country Road from where Avis Rent a Car had its first world headquarters. It remained there until they were bought by Cendant Corp who merged us with Budget AND relocated us to Parsippany NJ. That original site is now a mall that includes a corner Shake Shack . In December, I posted about that transformation. They are famous for serving your order in a metal skillet: Their interior reminds me of diners from my youth…places we frequented after all the bars closed. Back then, on “one more Saturday nights” , I’d occasionally tell our waitress that they should get copies of local church bulletins and give them to us kids so we could show them to our parents as proof of attendance. 😘 On some of those "nights in white satin," we’d see if their countertop juke boxes had this annoying song: THEY'RE COMING TO TAKE ME AWAY HA HAAA! ~ NAPOLEON XIV ~1966 (02:06) For even more insanity, we’d play its “B” side:  where the song played backwards.  Like all good New York diners, Thomas’s  serves breakfast ALL DAY. Because I added sides of an English muffin and challah, I couldn’t finish today’s eggs ‘n home fries main course. So I had the leftovers for dinner… a second 🍳 breakfast …and for tomorrow’s holiday, added something GREEN …See, I'm half Irish (my Mom was a Burns ) and me mate Eileen is a pure-blood: Dad was a Duffy and Mom was a McGrane . “Only in America land of opportunity…” In New York many food establishments such as Thomas’s are owned by people of Greek descent. And while Arlo Guthrie tells us that with the exception of his song's namesake... “...you can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant” ... ...that freedom of choice DOES NOT exist here: The Olympia Restaurant: Cheeseburger, Chips and Pepsi - SNL (04:56) My CAReer path...Shake, Rattle & Roll... After-hours Club (songs from the song lyrics mentioned in this post) Grateful Dead One More Saturday Night Live 1986-1988 (06:27) "Just what the truth is I can't say any more..." - HOW True then...and NOW... The Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin (04:57) While I like the intention of this next one.... Sadly, it's NOT the experience of many in our United States... Brooks and Dunn - Only in America (Live at Farm Aid 2003) (05:46) Finding this background story is a main reason I write... These folks originally from Long Island ended up in the Berkshires like Eileen's brother and his family. They tell us the song's origins and visit the sites in Arlo's song. It contains the Guthrie Center that does charity work like having a FREE musical instrument lending library for children...Lots of area migrants' children are helped here. ALICE'S RESTAURANT - Real Locations of Arlo Guthrie's Song (24:16) Here's Arlo LIVE... Arlo Guthrie/Alice's Restaurant (18:33) Alice's Restaurant Official Trailer #1 - Arlo Guthrie Movie (1969) HD (03:36) #music #humor #ThomasDiner #AvisRentACar #Cendant #Budget #breakfast #SecondBreakfast #ShakeShop #LOTR #LordOfTheRings #NapoleonXIV #SNL #SaturdayNightLive #ArloGuthrie #AlicesRestaurant #Berkshires #Stockbridge

Today, I will be going to the Baha’i Center in Valley Stream where I’ll be joining with fellow “Dancers of Universal Peace" to use our feet to choose peace over war.  My daily soundtrack was already forming as I woke up thinking about Lennon’s “Across the Universe”…followed by “all we are saying is GIVE PEACE A CHANCE ”… Got up out of bed…dragged a comb across my head…went downstairs... ...and kept following my Muse the way John described how he was “given” the inspiration for “Across the Universe”… Here’s where I was led… Across The Universe; The Beatles Some are called to offer their lives in the service of peace by remaining “behind the lines” (on their prayer cushions) and simply “being”…peacemakers. Others are called to be “boots on the ground“…get off their meditation cushions and take it to the streets… “Give Peace A Chance” • John Lennon Memorial @ Strawberry Fields • 12/8/19 POWER TO THE PEOPLE. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (official music video HD) The Beatles - Revolution John Lennon Park in Cuba DANCING TODAY from 3-5 Dances of Universal Peace Baha’i Center 11 W. Jamaica Avenue  Valley Stream, NY POSTS ABOUT THE DANCES--Local & Worldwide WANTED: Musicians & Participants to enJOY Dances of Universal Peac e Dances of Universal Peace OUR OMNI-Verse...Ommmmmm: #music #peace #DancesOfUniversalPeace #JohnLennon #Beatles #Bahai

WHY? To show our disapproval of organizations that are yielding to political pressure to discontinue programs that encourage DIVERSITY , EQUITY and INCLUSION ( DEI ). A further explanation of these terms follows. HOW? On Feb. 28 - By NOT MAKING ANY PURCHASES online or in-person. Included in this initial boycott are big box retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, & McDonald’s and others that are yielding to political pressure and scaling back or eliminating their corporate DEI efforts. REMEMBER: Because imperfect people develop and implement programs...they can be misused. DEI policies are among these. That said, they also have done and continue to do much good to give people, especially those at the margins of our society, access to skills and services that help them perform better... Bottom line: Examine each program and fix what's broken . PREPARE IN ADVANCE: MAKE NECESSARY PURCHASE$ BEFORE OR AFTER FEB. 28 FLYER Here’s a flyer that outlines why this day has been organized. A friend’s daughter sent it to her. CURRENT ARTICLES ON THIS ISSUE Retailers’ Risk From DEI Policies Grows After Target And Starbucks Are Hit With Lawsuits - Forbes Feb. 22, 2025 Apple Shareholders Uphold DEI Programs, Reject Conservative Think Tank's Proposal Amid Political Challenges - Hoodline (San Jose) Feb. 26, 2025 February 28 Economic Boycott: What A One-Day Spending Freeze Means For Retailers - yahoo!finance  Feb. 18, 2025 DEI HISTORY Definition: Diversity , equity , and inclusion ( DEI ) programs—meant to address historical and systemic disparities based on race, gender, age, ability, and sexual orientation in the workplace—became a controversial cornerstone for both the government and private sector in the 21st century. Source: Britannica Key Points from the above link (go to main article for additional links): In a 2025 interview with  Encyclopædia Britannica  Melinda Briana Epler, CEO of Empovia, a workplace training company, and author of  How to Be an Ally: Actions You Can Take for a Stronger, Happier Workplace , captured the essence of DEI in a metaphor. Diversity is bringing people of different identities and backgrounds to the table. Inclusion is encouraging them to speak at the table.…Equity is making sure whether that table is right for everybody and, if not, rebuilding the table so everyone can thrive. Thurgood Marshall, the first Black justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, made the argument in a 1987 speech that the U.S. Constitution itself laid the framework for programs that would address a founding government that he described as “defective from the start.” “We the People.” When the Founding Fathers used this phrase in 1787, they did not have in mind the majority of America’s citizens.…On a matter so basic as the right to vote, for example, Negro slaves were excluded, although they were counted for representational purposes—at three-fifths each. Women did not gain the right to vote for over a hundred and thirty years MONTGOMERY, AL 1955-56 BUS BOYCOTT The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a civil rights protest during which African Americans refused to ride city buses in Montgomery, Alabama, to protest segregated seating. The boycott took place from December 5, 1955, to December 20, 1956, and is regarded as the first large-scale U.S. demonstration against segregation. Four days before the boycott began, Rosa Parks , an African American woman, was arrested and fined for refusing to yield her bus seat to a white man. The U.S. Supreme Court ultimately ordered Montgomery to integrate its bus system, and one of the leaders of the boycott, a young pastor named Martin Luther King Jr. , emerged as a prominent leader of the American civil rights movement . SOURCE: history.com BOYCOTT TUNES: "Cha Ching" In all my posts I include music. Following these next images is a song whose sound effects can be enjoyed by both the boycotters and the boycotted. This second group can play it on Blackout Day whenever they need their daily fix of "Cha Ching": These first three images depict the people who are trying to get their share of the pie so they can take care of their families. These next images depict some of those at the top layers who are profiting from their labors: Pink Floyd - Money (Official Music Video) (04:43) "Once I built a railroad, I made it run Made it race against time Once I built a railroad, now it's done Brother, can you spare a dime? Once I built a tower up to the sun Brick and rivet and lime Once I built a tower, now it's done Brother, can you spare a dime?" Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? - Bing Crosby (03:19) As the next article describes, due to political pressure in 1932 this song was almost banned from the Broadway play "Americana." Fortunately, the producers held their ground and it played on. Here's the Playbill from that era: “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” — The Anthem of the Great Depression - Virginia Commonwealth University JUST DESSERTS FOR BLACKOUT DAY Blackout Cake: I might order one of these sweet treats in advance from our famous local bakery: Reisterer’s . One of many ways they give back to our community is by hosting the monthly meetings of our West Hempstead Historical Society. Image source "AISLE" be participating...Will you join me? People on the Margins in Images and Songs First Century Immigrants - No room at the inn "Far, We've been traveling far Without a home But not without a star Free, Only want to be free We huddle close Hang on to a dream On the boats and on the planes They're coming to America Never looking back again, They're coming to America" Coming to America - Neil Diamond (05:20) "In 'The Immigrant,' he [Neil Sedaka] speaks out on one of the most controversial issues in all of American history and champions a vision of the country that prizes compassion and diversity." More here... " "The Immigrant" - Neil Sedaka Harbors open their arms to the young searching foreigner Come to live in the light of the beacon of liberty Plains and open skies billboards would advertise Was it anything like that when you arrived Dream boats carried the future to the heart of America People were waiting in line for a place by the river It was a time when strangers were welcome here Music would play they tell me the days were sweet and clear It was a sweeter tune and there was so much room That people could come from everywhere Now he arrives with his hopes and his heart set on miracles Come to marry his fortune with a hand full of promises To find they've closed the door they don't want him anymore There isn't any more to go around Turning away he remembers he once heard a legend That spoke of a mystical magical land called America There was a time when strangers were welcome here Music would play they tell me the days were sweet and clear It was a sweeter tune and there was so much room That people could come from everywhere There was a time when strangers were welcome here Music would play they tell me the days were sweet and clear It was a sweeter tune and there was so much room That people could come from everywhere" Immigrant Song - Neil Sedaka (03:47) Neil Sedaka’s 1975 song revived for anti-immigrant era - The Conversation (2018) #music #humor #BlackoutDay #DEI #diversity #equity #inclusion #Britannica #Amazon #Walmart #BestBuy #McDonalds #ReisterersBakery #WestHempsteadHistoricalSociety #PinkFloyd #NeilSedaka #NeilDiamond #immigrants #Jesus #BingCrosby #MontgomeryALBusBoycot #BusBoycott

HIGHLIGHTS We are invited to mirror the Earth resting before her Spring awakening so we can better connect with the world's physical & spiritual hunger... Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) Sending some Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) vibrations from New Orleans and around the globe… Iko Iko feat. Dr. John, members of Grateful Dead + more | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (04:07) For strict observers, 5 hours til the midnight hour…last chance…before Lent begins… We are also in the Muslim season of Ramadan . Regardless of our spiritual choices, remember those who have less, not because of a religious practice, but because of their basic lack of food, shelter and health care… Ramadan We are also in the Muslim season of Ramadan . Regardless of our spiritual choices, remember those who have less, not because of a religious practice, but because of their basic lack of food, shelter and health care… A simple illustrated guide to Ramadan, answers to 10 common questions - Aljazeera (March 4, 2025) Baha'i Karen , one of our Baha'i friends replied to my Fat Tuesday text: "That's why at Sunday's party for children,  we asked participating families to bring canned and dry goods for the INN ." That's the Mary Brennan IN N in Hempstead, NY. These next excerpts (link follows) are from a 2019 Baha'i article on how fasting helps us develop compassion for those suffering from hunger. It's Part 3 in a series. "Unfortunately, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 815 million people of the 7.6 billion on the planet suffered from chronic undernourishment in 2016. In simpler terms, they went hungry, and their hunger threatened their survival. Almost half (45%) of the world’s childhood deaths happen as a result of hunger." "The world currently produces enough food to feed everyone on it, but the main causes of hunger—poverty and war—keep that food out of the mouths that most desperately need it." "Everyone understands that poverty leads to hunger—but few understand that hunger also causes poverty. If you’re chronically hungry it inevitably results in poor health, small body size, low levels of energy and reductions in mental functioning. Hunger can generate even greater poverty by reducing a person’s ability to work and learn, which leads to the vicious cycle of more hunger." "Perhaps that ongoing human misery explains why so many Faiths and spiritual practices recommend fasting, so we can remind ourselves—especially those of us sufficiently privileged to have enough to eat every day—what it means to go hungry." "A financier with colossal wealth should not exist whilst near him is a poor man in dire necessity. When we see poverty allowed to reach a condition of starvation it is a sure sign that somewhere we shall find tyranny. Men must bestir themselves in this matter, and no longer delay in altering conditions which bring the misery of grinding poverty to a very large number of the people. The rich must give of their abundance, they must soften their hearts and cultivate a compassionate intelligence, taking thought for those sad ones who are suffering from lack of the very necessities of life." – Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks , p. 153. What Does it Mean to Go Hungry? The Baha’i Fast and Empathy Ash Wednesday: continuing the beat…while slowing it down... "Dust In The Wind" - Kansas I close my eyes Only for a moment, and the moment's gone All my dreams Pass before my eyes, a curiosity Dust in the wind All they are is dust in the wind Same old song Just a drop of water in an endless sea All we do Crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see Dust in the wind All we are is dust in the wind Now don't hang on Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky It slips away And all your money won't another minute buy Dust in the wind All we are is dust in the wind (All we are is dust in the wind) Dust in the wind (Everything is dust in the wind) Everything is dust in the wind (In the wind) Dust in the Wind - Kansas (05:00) " Fly Like An Eagle" - Steve Miller Band Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future I want to fly like an eagle To the sea Fly like an eagle Let my spirit carry me I want to fly like an eagle Till I'm free Oh, Lord, through the revolution Feed the babies Who don't have enough to eat Shoe the children With no shoes on their feet House the people Livin' in the street Oh, oh, there's a solution I want to fly like an eagle To the sea Fly like an eagle Let my spirit carry me I want to fly like an eagle Till I'm free Fly through the revolution Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future I want to fly like an eagle To the sea Fly like an eagle Let my spirit carry me I want to fly like an eagle Till I'm free Fly through the revolution Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' Into the future Fly Like an Eagle ft. Steve Miller | Song Around The World | Playing For Change (04:44) #music #humor #MardiGras #NewOrleans #PlayingForChange #Lent #Muslim #Ramadan #fasting #Isaiah #James #Bahai #MaryBrennanInn #Kansas #SteveMillerBand #RickYancey

On a Saturday in April 2023, after my monthly Men2Men circle, I felt an invitation to take a walk in the woods... TRAIL GUIDE TO THIS POST Walker/Reader: This second of three posts records the Cosmic Walk, as created by the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Brentwood, PLUS my inspirations & observations as I walked this sacred path...See links at end of this post to the other two . Please start with the first post so you'll get an understanding of how the original Cosmic Walk came to be, including how vast is the scope of the time represented on these stone markers ... Also, let me know if you'd like a companion to walk with you. Text me: 516-850-2493 One of these inspirations - to add meditative practice times (pauses to "listen to the music") as we walk - was given to me in the early morning hours, as I got up to use the bathroom. Let's Begin... First, We Need a New Story... ...we're evolving from the old story... It is all a question of story; we are in trouble just now because we do not have a good story. We are in between stories. The old story, the account of how the world came to be and how we fit into it, is no longer effective. Yet we have not yet learned the new story. Our traditional story of the Universe sustained us for a long period of time. It shaped our emotional attitudes, provided us with life purpose and energized action. It consecrated suffering and integrated knowledge. We awoke in the morning and knew where we were. We could answer the questions of our children. We could identify crime, punish transgressors. Everything was taken care of because the story was there. It did not necessarily make people good, nor did it take away the pains and stupidities of life or make for unfailing warmth in human associations. It did provide a context in which life could function in a meaningful manner.                                                              ~ Thomas Berry [ Source: Brentwood Sisters' walking companion guide - 6 pages with images Click to download PDF file ] [from the next link] " Appropriate for  Earth Day , during the Season of Creation and other services focusing on the vastness of creation. The Cosmic Walk ,  an inter-active ritual with actions and readings, invites participants into the story of the universe. Moving between ‘stations’ along a long rope laid out in a spiral, participants are introduced to 21 major events in the history of the universe and our earth.  ‘Cosmic’ music completes the scene.  This simple meditative exercise can be held in a large room or outside. The Cosmic Walk is a way of bringing our knowledge of the 14 billion-year Universe process from our heads to our hearts .-- Mary Ellen Curtin, CSJ, Still Point House of Prayer, New York, USA Sister Miriam MacGillis of New Jersey USA, who created the original Cosmic Walk , based her text on the works of Thomas Berry (environmentalist and priest) and Brian Swimme (founder of the Center for the Story of the Universe ). The text has subsequently been modified and facilitated by many people around the world. The complete version (with ready-to-print downloads) used at Kirkland United Church of Christ in Washington, USA, is included..." NOTE: Link includes other resources. Cosmic Walk, an interactive ritual Thomas Berry With the mathematician, Brian Swimme, he wrote The Universe Story, which arose from a decade of collaboration. This work was deeply inspired by the thought of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. From 1975-1987 he was President of the American Teilhard Association. On the Sacred Path through Time and Space... ' The surrounding woods... Making this modern scientific addition possible to the sacred trust of the Sisters land ethic... MEDITATION PAUSE...Head-to- heart time... "Oh, my soul, you come and you go through the paths of time and space..." Snatam Kaur - Kabir's Song (07:17) Back on the Path... These pines are not barren... Let us PREY before we eat... Reminders on our paths...added by a previous cosmic walker... Let's Pause Here in the Woods for another Meditation Break... ...head-to- heart space... "There is a space That exists with us And around us Where angels sing On rays of light On rays of light And love pours forth Love pours forth Love pours forth From the heart of the universe" "Heart Of The Universe" - Peter Kater & Snatam Kaur (09:25) --I've had the good fortune to enjoy both of these musical artists in live performances... Across The Universe - The Beatles (03:47) ...Refreshed...We're Back on the Trail... "Sit down and patch my bones and get back Truckin' soon......" --Truckin' - Grateful Dead For a look at our musical homo sapien ancestors, see the " Soundtracks for walking off the beaten path..." at the end of this journey (post). Let's Pause Again...to Encounter the Universal Christ...another "New" Story... "E pluribus unum" [From the video's transcript] If "Jesus has only existed within the last two thousand years that leaves thirteen point six billion years uninhabited by God. If you think that God only entered the universe as some Christians seem to do with the birth of Jesus... the Christ preceded Jesus by thirteen billion years. Now I hope you see the implications of that this creates a basis for what I'd call a natural religion and a universal religion that this isn't tribal anymore ...this isn't ethnic...this isn't bound to one historical story that happened in Israel. I'm not throwing out Jesus because I think he brings the universal message to an individual focus that we can fall in love with and relate to and love and we need that. So, what we've got when we make the act of faith that we believe in Jesus Christ, we're actually making two acts of faith: -- to believe in Jesus - is the personal relational devotional fall-in-love level --with God Christ is the universal all-inclusive no exceptions of everything that exists . That's a good combination if you can hold them in creative balance and that's what I hope to do in the book..." Richard Rohr introduces his new book THE UNIVERSAL CHRIST (05:02) From early explorers to space travelers, "Discovery" was/is a popular name for their craft.. In this next capture...Do you notice the alien "dropped" from space ? While the original stones end...we are invited to continue our personal paths...Alone and with companions...As we write new inscriptions on the blank stones we'll encounter... These lead from our backyard out into the larger world... The mind is a blank slate tabula rasa at birth John Locke (03:50) "In a clearing stands a boxer..." "With companions..." ...Communities...Groups...Council circles... "Let us reason together..." HIS tory gets updated...by an earlier walker... to include HER story ... Other Sacred Paths to Explore... You can hike over to Cosmic Walk-3 to continue our exploration of the Sisters' sacred lands...OR, stay awhile and listen to the music that follows... A Favorite Tune to Take into the Woods... While learning about the various ways the Cosmic Walk has been adapted, I found mention of a particular artist and tune that walkers have taken with them...The next link and the excerpt that follows provides the background. The Cosmic Walk as a Labyrinth...Earthbeat (an NCR project) --[from the article] " It is a simple ritual that can be performed in a large room or outdoors. A spiral representing the entire almost 14 billion years of the cosmic and evolutionary journey is laid out on the floor or ground." The article says the next song often accompanies the walkers. Amazon includes this: "The Fairy Ring is Mike Rowland's first album and one of the most famous recordings in the relaxation/meditative genre. In the early 1980s Mike had a very unusual experience; while strolling through a large forest near Stanstead in Mid-England he suddenly heard an almost unworldly wonderful music coming from somewhere. This occurrence made a great impression on him. Back at home, Mike played the music he had heard as best as he could in front of a microphone attached to a simple tape recorder. That is how The Fairy Ring originally came into being. The music was so strong that hundreds of thousands of copies were sold without any advertising or promotional activities, simply due to what the music had to say, plain and unadorned." SOURCE I selected this excerpt from his longer work (4 songs, 44 minutes) because of the uploader's creative imagery - in places evocative of the Sisters' lands.... "Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun..." Schoten - Mike Rowland - The Fairy Ring (07:47) Why Homo Sapiens Make Music Homo Sapiens Musicus, or Why Humans Make Music Music-inspired Theories about where Homo Sapiens First Came on Stage... Some claim homo erectus had its beginnings in Chicago . .. ...when the first amplifier wire emerged from the soil and rocks... Beginnings - Chicago - 1969 - Full Version (08:00) Others claim the British Isles were the birthplace of homo sapiens... As we listen, note the prophetic wisdom about what was coming next... "I think I'm sophisticated 'Cause I'm living my life like a good homo sapien" " I'll be your Tarzan, you'll be my Jane I'll keep you warm and you'll keep me sane And we'll sit in the trees and eat bananas all day Just like an ape man" "I think I'm so educated and I'm so civilized 'Cause I'm a strict vegetarian But with the over-population and inflation and starvation And the crazy politicians I don't feel safe in this world no more I don't want to die in a nuclear war I want to sail away to a distant shore and make like an ape man " --Apeman - The Kinks After feeling so frustrated in this crazy world, our young homo sapien seeks refuge in a nearby zoo... ...where he meets his Prime Mate and they go running off together... Apeman - The Kinks (04:12) And still others that Hollywood was where he came down from the trees and made his first "stand"...on a Bandstand... Hollywood Argyles "Alley Oop" (03:44) BOTTOM LINE...WE Gotta Move from Head to Heart ... Steve Forbert - "Good Planets Are Hard To Find-Lyrics (03:17) Other Cosmic Walk Posts Cosmic Walk-1...discovering a path to the origins of our universe in Brentwood, Long Island Let's travel together thru time & space to the origins of our universe...along a Cosmic Walk in Brentwood... Cosmic Walk-3...discovering other sacred paths in Brentwood, Long Island Let's continue our journeys thru the sacred lands of the Sisters in Brentwood with a visit to a labyrinth, solar array & organic farm... #music #humor #Men2Men #SistersOfSaintJoseph #Brentwood #CosmicWalk #UniversalChrist #RichardRohr #SnatumKaur #PeterKater #JohnLennon #ThomasBerry #BrianSwimme #labyrinth #SolarArray #woods #path #LandEthic #Jesus #Darwin #RachelCarson #TheraFarm #GratefulDead #HomoSapiens #Discovery #JohnLocke #TabulaRasa #MikeRowland #Chicago #SteveForbert #TheKinks #TheHollywoodArgyles #DickClark #AmericanBandstand

On a Saturday in April 2023, after my monthly Men2Men circle, I felt an invitation to take a walk into the woods... TRAIL GUIDE TO THIS POST Genesis Farm - in the beginning... Cosmic Timeline as a calendar Preparation Guide for a first walk Cosmic Walk thru Brentwood's sacred land Sisters of St. Joseph Land Ethic Statement Other paths to explore on these sacred grounds... Labyrinth Solar Array Thera Farm Walker/Reader: I find it significant that I've reconnected with the Sisters that educated me in elementary school in the parish of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre in Richmond Hill, Queens. NOW, they and others are telling us a NEW VERSION of this creation STORY...An evolving STORY...newer than the original one I was given in my younger years... This recalls Dylan's introspective words from "My Back Pages" that describe our constant evolution: "I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now" And these from "I'm Alright, Ma, I'm Only Bleeding" : "That he not busy being born is busy dying" This first of 3 posts on this subject (links to others at end) records how the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Brentwood adapted Genesis Farm's Dominican Sister Miriam MacGillis' 1980's Cosmic Walk vision on their Brentwood, LI sacred land. With the exceptions of my opening remarks and these 2 opening sections that help us appreciate what we're about to see, t his post features only expressions from the Brentwood land. GENESIS FARM... In the beginning... "Exploring the sacred unity of life, humanity and Earth within a single, unfolding Universe." May their vision and work inspire us all to keep learning...better ways to care for our planet and one another. Sister Miriam's initial vision that's since been implemented around our planet. "The Cosmic Walk may be the most venerable ritualistic expression of the Epic of Evolution. It was created in the mid-1980's by Sr. Miriam Therese MacGillis of Genesis Farm in New Jersey, who was inspired by the 'New Story,' as then told by Thomas Berry." [ SOURCE - PDF download ] Genesis Farm Website - each page is a 1-2 minute read. "About Us" "History" Nov./Dec. 2024 scope: Earth Literacy [from the above link] On another note, this past August, Genesis Farm piloted a new program exploring the "fundamental elements of a new cosmology”. It was created because it was requested and organized by young adults living within this bioregion. It was designed as "an introduction or a refresher" on the basics of Earth Literacy , which has guided our educational mission since our founding in 1980. The basics of Earth Literacy , as offered here, were rooted in the works of cultural historian, Thomas Berry , mathematical cosmologist, Brian Swimme , Albert Einstein and the scientific evolutionary story of the Universe. Walker/Reader: We'll visit these and other evolutionary pioneers in the other posts in this series. AND, text me (516-850-2493) if you'd like a companion as you walk these sacred grounds... COSMIC TIMELINE AS A CALENDAR New Version of the Cosmic Timeline Story: Watch this 2 1/2 min. video as Neil DeGrasse Tyson helps us appreciate the scale of the events recorded on the stones we'll soon meet as we travel together along the 13.8 billion years marked out on the Sisters' Cosmic Walk. Cosmic Calendar (the work of Carl Sagan) (02:45) Other 'cosmic walk" posts will feature my observations, inspirations and music...as I walk...and continue to walk... life's sacred paths...from byways to highways... PREPARATION GUIDE FOR YOUR FIRST WALK The following guide has been created to help us prepare to step back into time. COSMIC WALK...thru Brentwood's sacred land The surrounding woods... Making possible this modern addition to the land ethic/sacred trust of the Sisters... Pines NOT barren... Reminders on our paths...possibly added by a previous cosmic walker... While the original stones end here...our path continues... As the Preparation guide at the beginning suggested, this is a suitable place to pause and reflect... HIS tory gets updated...by an earlier walker... HER story... SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH LAND ETHIC STATEMENT Please take time to reflect on the heartfelt intentions and principles in the video message: From Facebook, this self-advancing slide show with audio track presents what motivates the Sisters to teach us to care for our common home... Land Ethic Statement - Sisters of Saint Joseph (06:11) SOURCE (previous 3 images) A booklet to accompany us as we walk the sacred paths of time and space... Cosmic Walk Booklet - Sisters of Saint Joseph (PDF download) Other paths to explore on these sacred grounds... Go to "Cosmic Walk-3" link at the end to continue the journey... Walking soundtracks... Please meander over to the Cosmic Walk-2 post for some tunes to accompany us on our journey... Other Cosmic Walk posts Cosmic Walk-2 "O my soul, you come and you go through the paths of time and space" --Let's go to the Brent Woods where we'll experience a BIGGER story than just HIStory & HERstory...   Cosmic Walk-3...discovering other sacred paths in Brentwood, Long Island --Let's continue our journeys thru the sacred lands of the Sisters in Brentwood with a visit to a labyrinth, solar array & organic farm... #music #Men2Men #SistersOfSaintJoseph #Brentwood #CosmicWalk #SrMiriamMacGillis #GenesisFarm #CosmicCalendar #CarlSagan #ThomasBerry #BrianSwimme #AlbertEinstein #EarthLiteracy #labyrinth #SolarArray #woods #path #LandEthicStatement #Jesus #Darwin #RachelCarson #SisterKarenBurke #TheraFarm #TeddyBolkas #organic