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Category: Uncategorized

Granddad Babysits a Cranky Zoe – not!

So yesterday I babysat my five month old granddaughter Zoe. I watched her from 12:30 until my son Peter got home around 5 o’clock. When I first got to their apartment, my daughter-in-law Melissa was holding, said Zoe was a cranky baby, who wouldn’t nap! So I thought I was going to be in for a tough afternoon with a cranky baby!! After Missy left I laid Zoe down on her playmate and much to my surprise she did not  fuss and cry. Instead she laid there and played very nicely!! Read More

The Promise of a Pencil – Adam Braun

Adam Braun author of The Promise of a Pencil

The Promise of a Pencil:How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change                                   Adam  Braun

A pencil a simple writing instrument that many of us couldn’t wait to leave behind and move on to the mighty pen! But as Adam Braun visited many countries while he attended the Semester at Sea program, he asked children what they would want most, if they could have anything in the world. What he discovered was that many children wanted simple things like: to dance, or a book, one wanted a pencil, just a plain old ordinary No. 2 pencil! What Adam realized was that every pencil holds a promise to many of the world’s poorest children, that the simple pencil  was a symbol, a portal to creativity, curiosity and possibility! So for the rest of the semester Adam handed out pencils to children where ever he went. Read More

Immigration Act of 1917 – (February 5, 1917)

Immigration Act of 1917 (aka the Asiatic Barred Zone Act)

We all know that one of the main issues that has plagued the last several Congresses has been illegal immigration. The furor mostly surrounds the flow  of immigrants across the Mexican border into the US. The immigrants are not only from Mexico, but other countries of Central America. In spite of what we think, America has not always had open arms to all LEGAL immigrants either!  The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 barred Chinese from entering the US, and The Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907 was made with Japan to regulate Japanese immigration to the US. Today is the 98th anniversary of the passing an immigration act, that closed the doors to legal immigration to a large part of Asia……from Wikipedia….. Read More

Voyager: Cailyn's voyage through our Solar System!

Cailyn Lloyd

Voyager – Cailyn (Lloyd) – Released January 2015

 
Several weeks ago, I took a trip through space courtesy of the music of John Serrie and his album Day Star. Over the last week I have traveled through our own solar system tracing the travels of the Voyager ship, via the music of Cailyn (Lloyd)and her latest release apply titled Voyager. 
Cailyn is a guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She began her music career at an early age, starting with piano and quickly moving on to violin and bass. By her teens she was living in London, England and playing in blues and prog-rock bands Cailyn eventually returned to the states, still studying and playing guitar, bass and keyboards. Not satisfied with that she added drums to her repertoire. Oh, and she took some time off to raise a family!! Around 2004, Cailyn returned to music full-time, initially touring with the Alimony Blues Band as a guitarist and then with the power-rock band IX Lives playing guitar, bass and keyboards.
Since 2008, when she released her first EP, Cailyn has released three full-length albums,True Lies and Other Fairy Tales, a classic rock album recorded with WAMI award-winning vocalist Dani Daly , “Four Pieces”, an album composed of a fusion of progressive rock and classical music, that features three standards from the classical repertoire and one original composition, all performed on modern instruments, and her current release Voyager.
I really, really liked Voyager from the opening track “Voyager”, but then I got to the fourth track :”Jupiter” and I thought I know this song, and I feel in love with the album!. Seems that Cailyn and I share a mutual love of Gustav Holst‘s “The Planets” and for years she has dreamed about creating a progressive rock adaptation of the work. Finally, well let’s let Cailyn talk about what happened……, Read More

Imbolc – Let's Celebrate the Arrival of Spring!!

Imbolc – Gaelic Festival Marking the Arrival of Spring (February 1 – 3)

Back in 1968, Phil Ochs wrote these words about the Vietnam War, in what may be his most popular song “The War is Over” ……

Silent soldiers on a silver screen
Framed in fantasies and dragged in dream
Unpaid actors of the mystery
The mad director knows that freedom will not make you free
And what’s this got to do with me Read More

Norwegian Sven Magnus Carlsen retains his World Chess Championship! Go Norway!!

Magnus_Carlsen2So this week I discovered another Norwegian writer Jorgen Brekke, who I really like, and another blues artist Magnus Berg whose music will find a home in my music library! Then today I read that the reigning World Chess Champion Norwegian Magnus Carlsen retained his title by defeating challenger Viswanathan Anand. Carlsen won after the completion of the 11th game of the 12 scheduled games. The match ended on November 23rd with Carlsen winning three games, losing one and drawing seven. So who is this Magnus Carlsen….. from Wikipedia Read More

Dad watches proudly as Elizabeth runs her first 10K!! Yes, our Elizabeth!!

Cross-posted from EKKarn’s Explorations

A month or so ago our daughter Elizabeth surprised her mother and I, when she told us that on November 8th we had to go with her to Trenton, where she would be running a 10K!  It surprised us because she has never been athletic. She enjoys and follows sports, but never played any, or even showed any inclination to do so. When she had to run the mile in gym in high school, she mostly walked! Her brother Andrew ran cross-country as  did I, and I also continue to run, but not Elizabeth. This running surprise comes after we were surprised at her graduation party for receiving her Master’s Degree from the University of Delaware, At the party,  we were told by her friend, that Elizabeth is awesome when she works out with weights at the gym. Our Elizabeth??? Read More

Can Progressives Win the Hearts and Minds of Average Americans and Change the World?? I Hope!!

Can Bernie Sanders lead the way?

Can Bernie Sanders lead the way?

This afternoon I visited Truthdig, the first post  I saw was the following, expressing similar thoughts to those that I wrote about this morning!!

This Democratic Party Is Going Nowhere. Can Progressives Take it Over and Change the World?

Tuesday’s crushing defeat of the centrist Clinton/Obama Democratic Party provides an opening for the American left. The next few years are not going to be pretty, but they could be the beginning of something beautiful. Read More