“That’s one of the great things about music.

You can sing a song to 85,000 people and they’ll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons.

—Dave Grohl <Foo Fighters>

Well.

I’m not sure I have ever seen a better explanation on why we love music.

Well.

On occasion I get asked to write opinion papers for published editorialists seeking outside thoughts to shape their own writing.

I typically get asked to wait to share those thoughts until they have been published. I say this because what I am going to share doesn’t seem timely at all … but … what the heck.

Thinking is thinking.

Ideas are ideas.

And discussing affairs and issues around the world never goes out of style.

That said.

You get to see thoughts I have shared that have appeared in some form or fashion in a variety of well-respected publications.

The authors are smarter than I … tend to be better writers than I … are kind enough to let me share thoughts in my own style and manner … and humble me by actually using some of the tripe I dish out.

These tend to be less polished and more disjointed because … well … they are. I typically allot myself a maximum of 2 hours to crank out a relatively well formed opinion <albeit I tend to invest some more time> and then get it out and off my computer.

Here is what you are going to get:

–              American foreign policy Syria and stuff:

  https://brucemctague.com/american-foreign-policy-syria-and-stuff

–              Ukraine and foreign policy:

https://brucemctague.com/ukraine-and-foreign-policy

–              Healthcare.gov and project management: 

https://brucemctague.com/healthcare-gov-and-project-management

Enjoy.

All my life

I sought

an angel.

And he appeared

in order to say:

“I am no angel !” – All My Life <Regina Deieva>

Poetry.

I imagine being a poet is not easy.

Not easy because most of us every day schlubs cannot appreciate, let alone tolerate, an entire volume of poetry.

They are lucky if we schlubs can find a single poem we can like … and remember.

But more likely they end up having to be satisfied if some words they have written … even if I be but a line or two … capture not only our attention … but our minds and imagination and feelings.

And we remember those few words … and on occasion … use them.

In fact.

Whenever I want to write about poetry I remember the West Wing episode with Laura Dern as the poet laureate … she said:

“You think I think that an artist’s job is to speak the truth. An artist’s job is to captivate you for however long we’ve asked for your attention. If we stumble into truth, we got lucky, and I don’t get to decide what truth is.”

<Tabitha Fortis as poet laureate>

I think we sometimes stumble upon some truth a poet has written.

Or maybe we stumble upon a scrap of a dream.

That is … if we got lucky.

I say that … because I just got lucky.

I came across a poem called ‘To whom it may Concern’ by a poet named Regina Derieva.

Consisting as I do of scraps of dreams,
of lands I’ve never seen, of underpinnings,
of air and salt, of elemental things
unmeddled with by endings or beginnings, 

Regina  Derieva was a Russian poet and writer who published around thirty books of poetry, essays, and prose. She passed away December 11, 2013.

“She knows that the hurt truth in us points to a dimension where, for example, victory is cleansed of battle.  Her strict, economical poems never waver from that orientation.”  – Les Murray

I couldn’t stop reading her work when I found it.

It’s not that all of her work is fascinating <because sometimes she gets a little literal with regard to politics and government> but I can almost guarantee that every single pome I found had at least one line that made me stop … look at the words … and envy the fact she was able to put them together in the way that she did to say what she wanted to say.

“Fetters have become a way of living.”

Derieva remembers that ‘as a child I didn’t cry.’

And I share that because it seems like many of her poems are gorgeously woven together an odd, but interesting, mix of some harsh reality and sharp insightful glimpses of hope and dreams.

Her words are sometimes uncompromising.

Sea of hills, sea of blood and sea
of the crooked roads, oceans of stones.
If one escapes both live and dead
one has to live without all roots. 

But … it was “consisting as I do of scraps of dreams’ is spectacular.

Don’t we all?

Don’t we all consist of scraps of dreams?

A patchwork of hope for little things to be better.

We don’t really need the big things in Life. Just some of the little things to be a little better.

In a world where it seems like we are consistently forced to choose one thing.

What is the one thing you really want to do.

What is the one thing you are good at.

If you could only accomplish one thing what would it be.

What is one word to describe you.

One.

One after another we are seemingly being demanded to consist of … well … one.

Well.

I don’t know about you but I consist of scraps of a number of dreams.

I don’t dream of one thing.

I don’t hope for one thing <and … no … you cannot claim ‘happiness’ as the one … because if you are honest with yourself happiness is created from a quilt of varying threads of things done in the past, things being done … and things yet to be done>.

I don’t think I am that different on this topic from many people.

I tend to believe most people consist of scraps of dreams … not dream.

Our lives are a constant work in progress … unfortunately <or fortunately> unmeddled with by endings or beginnings as we gather up the scraps of dreams hoping one scrap gets a little closer to reality then … and maybe picking up another scrap next week hoping that one gets a little closer.

I don’t think it’s bad we don’t choose just one dream. And maybe it is better to have a lot of scraps pf dreams … than just one larger bigger scrap <almost whole … but maybe not quite>.

Why?

Most of us are not simple. And by that we are not just one thing. We are this … and that … an maybe a little of that other thing … and of course we are just a tad of this …. we are a mixture.

A mixture of this & that.

And that is what makes us interesting.

And maybe that is why we consist of scraps of dreams. It makes Life more interesting.

Consisting as I do of scraps of dreams … of things I have yet to do … of places I have yet to see … of thoughts I have yet to think … well … I like that person.

I like that thought.

—–

Here is ‘TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN’:

Consisting as I do of scraps of dreams,
of lands I’ve never seen, of underpinnings,
of air and salt, of elemental things
unmeddled with by endings or beginnings, 

of clay and iron, and of ocean wave
and shingle crowds of feet have trod upon,
of faith and hope, stood at the wall, to brave
the rifles, turning into heavenly stone, 

of quiet and simplicity, bestowed
upon us by a woman among women,
of emptiness that stretches like a road
into a vastness where things lose their meaning, 

of whisperings, of looking long at that
which goes among us by the name of God,
at death, which never was, and now is not,
at life, of which so little can be had. 

Merry Christmas <or happy holidays> to everyone.

Today I feature my holiday greetings in the form of advertising.

I do it because there is a spectacular thoughtful insightful holiday commercial on television this season.

It is Apple ‘misunderstood”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImlmVqH_5HM

<ad done by agency TBWA>

The obvious story?
A teenage boy surprises his family with a thoughtful holiday gift … a home video.

Sheer genius.  Delightful storytelling at its best.

It shows the true spirit of the holidays without being too obvious.

Now.

There are some less obvious things which truly make it spectacular.

–          Insight <part 1>.

Perception: Kids are attached to their phones and are losing their social skills.

Reality: Teens get it <they are just teens>.

Look.

They are just teens for gods sake.  This is not the age group known for showing depth and emotion … with or without technology.

Now.

Here is what Apple faced with regard to developing this commercial … kind of a strong emotional attitude among a widespread group of people with regard to this insight perception:

<pulled from a blog which skewers Apple and the ad>

Even if this young man — who is quite sullen — really is spending every single moment on his phone recording his family’s activities, he’s still not partaking in them. He’s experiencing the holidays at an anthropological remove. He’s a skulking auteur, keeping the world at retina display’s length. He’s not letting anything come between him and his iPhone, not even the memories he cares enough about to record.

And while the big reveal at the end is absurd — how many SMYs will be secretly recording home movies next week? — the family’s reaction is even more annoying. The tears don’t seem to come from looking at what a wonderful weekend they all just had together. It’s a palpable ease of tension, a living-room-sized mylar balloon that pops with a gust of calm. That boy is not a monster, they exult, he’s just been creeping.

The reason they are surprised and relieved, of course, is that most young men and young women — and tweens and olds and anyone, really, with access to a smartphone — act exactly like Sullen Male Youth. All the time.

<note: what a frickin’ Grinch>

Ok.

I understand that many people, especially parents of teens, certainly get frustrated at the amount of time and energy that goes into electronics, smartphones and tablet devices.

But.

As with most things <and innovations > in Life … there is trade off and balance.

To the curmudgeonly Grinch writer of the above I would simply suggests that the teen was watching the whole time … not disconnected but documenting <of which some older folk seem to have difficulty discerning between>.

But the true insight resides within the teen.

Everybody recognizes or perhaps has been that ‘uncomfortable in groups’, participation hesitant  teen … who still loves the grandparents and the family … but just feels awkward with public displays of affection.

They are too old to make the snowman and … well … too young to make the snowman.

The teen in the commercial embodies what adults tend to believe … they just find it difficult to see on occasion … that their kids do love you and don’t tell you … and how they often appear to be only sulking … yet they are listening and paying attention to everything.

The teen in the commercial embodies the fact that now and then they will surprise you by revealing their appearance of antisocial lack of engagement is just a more internalized, complicated acceptance of family.

The teen in the commercial actually suggests to us older folk that maybe technology permits them a way to communicate that we never had. Because the thing is when we were teenagers maybe it was a Walkman or headphones with loud music <our parents never understood>. My generation faced tremendous public fretting that we weren’t paying attention despite the fact we absolutely were <we just didn’t have some technology to show what we did not want to say>.

The teen in the commercial reminds us that simply because you don’t participate in trimming the tree or not making snow angels or helping make a snowman doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t care about your family or you’re being lost to a world of alienated isolation.

–          Insight <part 2>

Perception <or attitude>:

Technology intrudes into our lives.

Technology isolates people and doesn’t bring them together.

Reality: technology actually permits a level of togetherness never seen before <in fact … one could argue it makes togetherness to ‘un-private’>.

In fact … I found this comment even on an Apple site discussing the commercial -”This is a marketing lie! Technology makes us less personal and avoid relationships!”

What a frickin’ Grinch.

And.

What a load of crock.

The commercial is spectacular in the emphasis is on how the product will enhance your life without being intrusive.

Intrusion into life , with anything, is a tricky balance. A balance between being creepy and being thoughtful behind the scenes glimpses of humanity.  The wonder of technology is the wonderful ability to see people when they are being … well … themselves. The societal filters come down and lo and behold … you receive a special gift through technology – the unfettered character and soul of someone.

Does that mean there are no warts? Of course not.

Technology permits us to see the perfect imperfections in Life and people.

Embarrassing sometimes?  Sure.

But I will remind everyone that the most beautiful smile anyone can ever see is the one given when someone doesn’t know anyone is looking. It is a special smile. And technology, on its best days and moments, give us a glimpse of that smile.

–          Use of music.

First.

The song. Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Not the most upbeat Christmas song of all time … but provides the opportunity to tap into it and CREATE energy rather than use a song to generate the energy. Brilliant choice.

Second.

The way the song is used.  Fills the sound bed with no vocals … then stops …then vocals.

This makes the commercial split into two halves … the family’s experience together and then the teen’s experience <the music stops in a semi-dramatic fashion as the teen switches off the television while everyone is gathered around it and projects his own film onto the TV>.

Third.

Emotion.

Chan Marshall <Cat Power> offers a rendition of a song that Judy Garland & Frank Sinatra have made classic over the years … “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. As noted earlier … its not the most upbeat Christmas song in the world as it is … but if you want to really tug at someone’s soul … you think very very carefully of who you want to sing it … Cat Power is perfect.

Her voice and pacing on the song brings an emotional nuance which would make the Grinch sentimental.

–          Casting

I will begin with what was called earlier by the Grinch blogger … the sullen kid.

He was perfectly cast. He kind of reminded me of the high school kid <Ephram> in Everwood. Kind of dark in his silence which is only the typical façade of a teen.

Underneath? Yes. There is a human <yes parents … lurking within your sullen teen resides a human awaiting to arise>.

But the family is also perfectly cast. This wasn’t some Hallmark Hollywood family. This was you and I and normal looking folk. There were the wacky relatives and the nerdy relatives and … well … family being family.

Where no one is truly that odd because they are family.

The actors & actresses were brilliantly chosen. Someone with a good eye figured this out … down to the wardrobe and fixtures in the home.

Ok.

That’s all the technical stuff which I believe make this spectacular.

If interested … here is the 2 minute home video Apple produced to support the advertisement in the online world.

2 minute home video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEGLhdaFBSE

To close.

I am going to end with some additional thoughts on why this ad is so frickin’ good.

Here is a business advertising truth: advertising at Christmas time is difficult for a business.

Difficult in that even when you truly want to show a thoughtful regard for the holiday season … and you are smart and do something in a relevant way to your business so it isn’t some vapid ‘trying to be well meaning’ act on the part of the business … people will come out of the woodwork to … well … put some hate on ya.

People will always be cynical about advertising in general … and particularly so at holidays.

But … shit … they are a frickin’ business for god’s sake so my number one rule when it comes to holiday advertising is that if you cannot create and say something that is relevant to your business <what you sell> then don’t do it..

This means that while holiday advertising should have an intent that is always emotional or attitudinal it HAS to be relevant to the business they sell.

It doesn’t have to be overt … but it should be tied in some way.

If not … then … well … you are simply doing a pro bono <or some meaningless image puffery> advertisement … which no one will understand why you are doing so at Christmastime unless you simply want to suck up to everyone at Christmas.

Therefore … in apple’s case … of course it’s about … “I want people to think Apple is a loving community rather than a business.”

But intent and actions should always be measured alike.

Of course they are trying to sell a product.

It’s portraying how Apple products <iPhone 5s and AirPlay I think> can enhance everyday lives.

But the commercial is smart & thoughtful & insightful.

They actually figured out how to address a common deep perception in a nice subtle way.

But as far as commercials go … it’s tasteful, touching, well shot, and subtle.

So good for them.

And as far as commercials go … it’s a nice reminder of what Christmas is all about.

So good for them.

Christmas.

A family Christmas is rarely as perfect as we imagine.

And in fact many people do not have families to spend time with at Christmas … but that shouldn’t stop everyone from taking advantage of the opportunity Christmas provides each and everyone one of us … a time to gather around a tree or your tv or maybe just your front porch … and sit around with your thoughts and memories and, if you are fortunate, people who care … and enjoy the fact that Christmas is time for some thoughtful reflection as well as some thoughtful joy for what you have.

On that note … I wish everyone some good thoughtful reflection and a Merry Christmas. And if you just aren’t feeling the ‘magic’ this holiday season? Well. Let me remind you why you should never lose the joy of childhood:

https://brucemctague.com/merry-christmas-to-everyone

Merry Christmas

Ok.

This is about one of the most beautiful love songs I have ever heard.

I had actually forgotten about this song … until Pandora <which has a nasty habit of playing the same songs based on your songlist designation over and over … and over> included it.

It is an older song but it was a cover version being played and I had to get up and see who was singing.

It was a guy <John Grant> in a band called The Czars doing a cover of “For Emily, Whenever I may find Her” which is a song written by Paul Simon <I had forgotten it is a song on Simon & Garfunkel’s album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme> but actually sung by Art Garfunkel.

In my research on the song itself I found Paul Simon said that the song is not about an imaginary girl Emily, but about a belief.

Well. Listen to the song and if you don’t ‘believe’ afterwards … you have no heart.

The original song was actually the B-side <when we actually had single records to buy> of “A Hazy Shade of Winter” but since then the song has been covered by numerous artists including The Czars <which is the version I heard on Pandora>.

What makes this particular version so spectacular … and it is spectacular … is that the lead singer’s voice <this John Grant> is nothing like Art Garfunkel’s therefore it gives a completely different feeling despite the fact they remain <I believe> with the original arrangement.

Czars For Emily: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSAUGkdTnjQ

Ok.

Having just stumbled across the Czars I’m kind of stunned at the lack of more mainstream awareness of The Czars and their singer John Grant.

The Czars was an alternative rock band, formed in 1994 in Denver by John Grant and Chris Pearson. They released six studio albums, one EP, and three singles in the duration of their career. After the release of Goodbye in 2004, five of the six members of The Czars left the band over the span of nine months which pretty much killed the band.

Here is another song of theirs:

Paint the Moon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgx3cpk6E94

Ok.

Back to ‘For Emily.’

I have only known one Emily in my life. A wonderful young courageous woman who kept an amazingly positive attitude despite fighting cancer.

Have to tell you … if I had loved her I could have only dreamed of being able to write such a beautifully sparse simple ode to love for her.

And here is Art Garfunkel <live> singing the song so everyone can remember how amazing Art Garfunkel’s voice was <because we always only seem to remember Paul Simon>:

Garfunkel For Emily: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7aUNZQVpQ

It is such a simple song.

And it is simply beautiful.

It’s nice to be reminded in this sometimes overproduced overaffected music world that simplicity still has its place.

Here are the lyrics Paul Simon wrote to this fabulous song:

Lyrics to “For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her”:

What a dream last night

dressed in orgundy

clothed in crinaline

of smoky burgundy

softer than the rain

I wandered empty streets down

past the shop displays

I heard cathedral bells

drifting down the alleyways, as I walked on

and when you ran to me your,

cheeks flushed with the night

we walked through frozen fields

of juniper and lamplight

I held your hand

And when I awoke

and saw you warm and near

I kissed your honey hair

with my grateful tears

oh I love you girl, I love you

——

Lastly.

John Grant.

He is no Paul Simon as a writer but, whew, what a voice and delivery.

I couldn’t resist because I just found this guy.

Here is John Grant on Jools Holland with “I wanna go to Marz” which is <I believe> actually a song about dying and going to heaven. The song lyrics are quirkily odd … but … oh boy … the chorus. This chorus/refrain is awesome:

Wanna Go to Marz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYqhGAumx9o

That’s it.

I am a music guy.

I love music.

And I love it when I find something new … that is old.

Hope you enjoyed.

“One flies with one’s own wings.”

Ālīs volat propriīs is the Latin phrase most accurately translated as “one flies with one’s own wings” or “it flies with its own wings.”

Well.

I am becoming more convinced that if one wants to adopt a good motto it is best to start with a classical language <like Latin>.

I find it interesting how often I find a Latin phrase which exotically seems to capture a big thought in a seemingly simple way.

Latin is quickly becoming an extinct if not simply an endangered language.

Excepting the fact that there are so many timeless latin phrases. Without them, and their thought provoking motto-esque feel, the language may have fallen into obscurity already.

Anyway.

Ālīs volat propriīs. One flies with one’s own wings.

Brings to mind a number of thoughts.

Independence.

Being able to always depend on oneself.

Do things your own way <and the ability to suffer the consequences>.

Control.

Control one’s own life. Masters of our own destiny.

Courage.

Flying takes a leap of faith. And it doesn’t always go smoothly and sometimes it hurts.

Self-reliance <and achievement>.

Empowered to reach for the sky <one’s potential>.

Freedom.

Flying implies new places, new experiences, new lessons, new learning.

Ālīs volat propriīs. I love this phrase.

Whew. Having your own wings to fly.

We cannot control everything.

Sometimes bad things happen but what we can control is how we let it affect us.

We get to choose our attitude.

We get to choose how to fly with our own wings.

This doesn’t mean we always do what we want whenever we want.

It simply means you are free to be yourself.

You have your own wings.

You know how to fly <or can learn … oh … yes … everyone can fly …>.

You may not know exactly where you want to go but with wings maybe you can find it.

To me this little Latin phrase embraces independence of spirit and attitude. And isn’t that really what matters?

Anyway.

I am not sure it’s sad that no one learns Latin anymore because, frankly, it’s just not that useful.

Well.

Let me take that back.

Maybe if Latin phrases that capture big thoughts like one flies with ‘one’s own wings’ capture our attention and interest and build attitudes which positively impact our lives?

We should seek to learn them.

Well.

This is about the movie Meatballs.

Just for you young folk … this is an older movie with Bill Murray as he stepped away from Saturday Night Live <yes … he was on SNL> into a movie career.

And this movie is one of the great summer camp movies of all time.

It is about a low-end summer camp with an awesome lineup of misfit counselors and nerdy kids. And while it is a comedy … of course it has a moral.

Kids should have hope.

Comedy and hope.

I am not sure it gets better than that.

Anyway.

The movie is silly, simplistic and simply funny around a fun plot. Bill Murray is at his sarcastic off the cuff comedic best but it is toward the end when Murray’s character rallies the camp kids with the infamous “it just doesn’t matter” speech <while banging some firewood against the floor> ahead of a big competition with a wealthier rival camp that may be ‘the moment’ in the movie.

His best line?

“even if we play so far over our heads that our noses bleed for a week to ten days …”

Just doesn’t Matter Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9mf3Bypyk8

The other great thing about this movie is its soundtrack.

It is one of the first movies I can remember that really wove music into the storyline and message.

There are points where the music lyrics actually carry the dialogue to the scene.

My favorite?

Moondust by some guy named Terry Black.

One of those obscure songs that you only hear once or twice … but because it is used perfectly in a movie <perfect scene & situation> you actually remember it.

The Meatballs soundtrack is not on cd … but every time I watch this movie <yes … I have friends who think I’m crazy because I will re-watch it> … no matter how many times I hear this song … it has never become old to me.  It is a beautiful sparse song.

Moondust <Terry Black>: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0OhD-C94UQ

As a bonus.

The movie <and soundtrack> also shared Mary MacGregor ‘good friend’ with us. Another sparse simple song with a pretty nice message:

Good Friend <Mary MacGregor>: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq_malyxMg0

There you go.

Meatballs & Moondust.

Well.

In an odd quirk to weather patterns we actually had some snow flurries early yesterday morning <very odd for this time of the year if not any winter>.

The snow flurries made me think of my two favorite border collies of all time <two favorite dogs of all time>.

Ginger <the world’s greatest dog> and Tigger <the world’s second greatest dog>.

I chuckled a little because I know why I thought of them … because I was with both of them <at separate times> when they saw snow for the first time.

Ginger was a female border collie.

Probably the smartest sweetest hyperactive dog I have ever known.

She went bounding out into the snow immediately thinking the falling snow were things to catch and play with. She ran around non stop trying to catch one snowflake after another in her mouth. I am not really sure she even knew there was snow on the ground with her relentless focus on the falling snow.

Tigger was a male border collie. The falling snow meant nothing to him. All he saw was a white blanket on the ground which he was 100% positive was hiding something he needed to uncover. He ran around using his nose as a snowplow until the snow started covering his head and eyes. Would stop. Shake it off. Look around to make sure he hadn’t lost me. And then started all over.

And just to show he may not have been the sharpest border collie knife in the drawer … I could throw snowballs all day long and he would chase them and catch them and bring them back to me to throw again … only to find when he went to drop it for me there was nothing there.

I still laugh over all of this.

Good memories.

Great dogs.

Plus.

Both having grown up in warm weather … the first cold weather would almost make them exponentially hyper <if anyone ever wants to know what that is like for a border collie just watch a Tasmanian Devil cartoon> … for about 20 minutes.

Yup.

Juts a short period.

Then all of a sudden they would realize “hey … I am cold … and I don’t like this.”

<border collies are so smart you actually hear them tell you this>

And both of them would go running to the door of the house looking to go back in for warmth.

I was always slightly amazed that they would choose warmth over activity <until they got back into the house when they would immediately start looking for something to do>.

Anyway.

The snow flurries were just that … just flurries. No snow on the ground. All that was left was a couple of good memories and a good chuckle or two.

Whew.

And don’t get me started on piles of raked leaves and what border collies do to them.

It is amazing what good friends good pets are. It is also amazing proof that anyone, and any pet, can be an architect of Life.

“… the turkey was “a little vain and silly.”

–

Ben Franklin

Happy Thanksgiving.

No matter how you may look over your past year … inevitably you find things to give thanks for.

But I am going to look into the “way-back” machine to find what to be thankful for this year.Like maybe 1776 or so.

If cooler heads had not prevailed early in the beginnings of the creation of the good ole US of A … we may be eating eagles for thanksgiving.

Why?

Because if it had been up to Benjamin Franklin the turkey would have been the national bird instead of the bald eagle.

Which would have then <of course> made a turkey a protected species <therefore uneatable because unkillable> and … well … I imagine we would be eating eagles on thanksgiving <okay … maybe not … but it made for a fun thought>.

So.

This Thanksgiving I would like to give my thanks to whomever we should thank for getting Ben to focus on something other than turkeys as a national bird.

In case you didn’t know about this the National Wildlife website was kind enough to have actually written something about this in 2007 so I will share their words:

Nations often adopt animals as symbols: England has its lion, India its peacock. On the afternoon of July 4, 1776, just after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress appointed a committee made up of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin to select a design for an official national seal.

The three patriots had different ideas and none of them included the bald eagle. They finally agreed on a drawing of the woman Liberty holding a shield to represent the states. But the members of Congress weren’t inspired by the design and they consulted with William Barton, a Philadelphia artist who produced a new design that included a golden eagle.

Because the golden eagle also flew over European nations, however, the federal lawmakers specified that the bird in the seal should be an American bald eagle. On June 20, 1782, they approved the design that we recognize today.

At the time, the new nation was still at war with England, and the fierce-looking bird seemed to be an appropriate emblem. But from the start, the eagle was a controversial choice. Franklin scowled at it. “For my part,” he declared, “I wish the eagle had not been chosen as the representative of this country. He is a bird of bad moral character; he does not get his living honestly. You may have seen him perched in some dead tree where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the labor of the fishing hawk and, when that diligent bird has at length taken a fish and is bearing it to his nest for his young ones, the bald eagle pursues him and takes the fish. With all this injustice, he is never in good case.”

Some people have since questioned whether the eagle would have been chosen to adorn the seal had the nation not been at war. A year after the Treaty of Paris ended the conflict with Great Britain, Franklin argued that the turkey would have been a more appropriate symbol. “A much more respectable bird and a true native of America,” he pointed out. Franklin conceded that the turkey was “a little vain and silly,” but maintained that it was nevertheless a “bird of courage” that “would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on.”

In addition.

In a letter to his daughter Franklin was not particularly nice with regard to our bald eagle:

Franklin’s Letter to His Daughter (excerpt)

“With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country…

By the way.

Three other types of birds were suggested in the preliminary United States Great Seal designs:

–          a rooster

–          a dove

–          a phoenix in flames

Also. An imperial two-headed eagle <not unlike the pre-soviet Russia emblem> was in the initial discussion..

Oh.

Speaking of birds with honors <and … no … I am not speaking of giving the honorable proverbial ‘bird’ to someone> … what’s up with state birds?

Why the heck do we have state birds?

And its kind of screwed up because they aren’t even really state birds … because states actually share state birds.

<… heck … every state has an official state bird, state flower, state tree, state flower … bla bla bla … what the hell is the point of this? A state has a lot of different birds, trees, flowers so why pick one to be “official”? … oops … sorry … I digressed …>

Anyway.

Apparently the cardinal is the most popular bird. It is the official state bird in 7 states <Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia … I think> followed by the western meadowlark in 6 states and the mockingbird in 5 states. This also makes me ponder the thought that if say maybe the cardinal reached a majority of states as a state bird … would it then be voting out the bald eagle and become the national bird?

Just so you now.

Just in case you are wondering.

Every state officially flips the bird.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Give someone a bird today.

“What’s missing from pop music is danger.” – Prince

Ok.

This is a self indulgent quasi musical-quasi biographical thought I have been meaning to write for some time … it is also kind of my nod to an influential 50something.

A 50something who while being curmudgeonly in his older years … was also curmudgeonly when young … as well as he has reinvented himself and his music several times … never losing what was at his core <danger> … and remains relevant today as he was back in 1980.

This is about Prince.

To me Prince is a musical genius and an incredibly talented guitar player and musician. It’s hard to argue that Prince is one of the most talented and versatile musicians to ever set foot in a recording studio <even if you have not acquired a taste for his music>.  Since 1978 he has over 30 albums and had dozens of hit singles and even had a few movies.

“No child is bad from the beginning, they just imitate their atmosphere.” – Prince, Sexuality

and Prince as a live act? <which I have been fortunate enough to see him twice> Stupendously memorable.

Just go back and watch the movie Purple Rain again <and grit your teeth to get thru the horrendous acting> to see and listen to the music.

Prince and the Revolution are spectacular.

Computer Blues may be one of the most overlooked songs of all time.

Let’s go Crazy is an almost perfect song beginning to end.

And Darling Nikki remains one of the rarest of rare good “fuck you” songs of all time. Good enough that it pissed off Tipper Gore so much she formed the Parents Music Resource Center which – unfortunately – began the whole “parental advisory” stickers on explicit albums <thanks Prince>.

And then there was Sign O the Times album. Two words … ‘Oh my’.

Created from remnants of three abandoned albums <Crystal Ball, Dream Factory and the untitled “Camille project”> Sign O The Times is a wonderfully crafted album. Some call it his masterpiece.

It has a little of everything for everyone … funk, pop, rock, blues and soul.

            “In this life, things are much harder than in the afterworld. In this life, you’re on your own.” – Prince, Let’s Go Crazy

          “Everybody gets high, everybody gets low, these are the days when anything goes.” – Prince song <Sheryl Crow, Every Day Is A Winding Road>

His band, The Revolution, was also a crazy – sometimes under appreciated – good band <Wendy and Lisa going off and doing some really good stuff on their own>.

Morris Day and the Time may truly be the the hidden gem associated with Prince  <seen in Purple Rain>. A good band in their own right … they also were  spectacular live.

Live <I was fortunate enough to see The Time as well as Prince> their choreography <which you can see some of in the movie> in combination with their music was a funk non stop musical party. Band members Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam went on to be one of the best producer teams ever <they produced Janet Jackson’s first albums and you can see them in her Control video> and Jesse Johnson went solo.

Well.

All this brings back some memories.

So you can skip this part if you would like because I am going to digress. So bear with me … give me a moment and let me reminisce.

It begins in Tampa Florida in the early mid 1980’s. The Time song The Bird was a mainstay at my favorite bar at the time <and I met a future girlfriend dancing on the bar to Jungle Love one night>.

That place was called The Yucatan Liquor Stand.

Some people say that music is the soundtrack of life … so Prince and The Time was a part of my 20something soundtrack.

And that time certainly centered around that place called the Yucatan Liquor Stand.

And a best friend who we did so many things together that my parents, separated from my life by distance and my typical non communicative self, had to ask if we were gay.

<please note: which was an incredibly funny but incredibly uncomfortable phone conversation to have with parents … I will come back to this later>.

And a really special young lady who, for over 3 years of my life, played a significant role.

Yucatan Liquor Stand was THE Tampa bar/dance club at that time. My best friend and I probably went at least one night every weekend for almost 2 years.

Oh … and ‘her’ … the special young lady.

Yucatan is where I first saw her as she was dancing on the bar. She was  a waitress working her way through college. As the waitresses typically did every time Morris Day & the Time ‘Jungle Love’ came on the speakers … she was there on the bar … and it was one of those ‘boy, I need to meet her’ moments. And when I did … The Time’s role? I am fairly sure our first dance together was to Jungle Love.

Uhm <picture head hanging with some embarrassment here>.

While there is no photo proof I am fairly sure I was on the bar dancing several times afterwards <doing the Fresh Prince Swerve I am sure>.

<different story and different post>.

Anyway.

Thanks to The Time that dance led to hearing my first real ‘I love you’ <not a puppy love one> several years later … over a phone as I stood in the Columbus Ohio airport on a Halloween night.

That dance led to a Christmas trip that began with a Christmas Eve plane trip with diamond earrings in my bag. Led to a return flight having learned that love between two people isn’t always enough <timing matters>. Led to a scar, that remains today on my hand, from where I had gouged a significant portion from my hand on the corner of a highchair as I desperately dove to keep Tyler, her infant rambunctious son, from falling <note: being a manly man … with all its insecurities … I hid the gouge the entire visit because I feared disappointing her after she permitted me responsibility for her child as she slept late and I almost failed miserably … but I am fairly sure her mother knew>. Led, lastly, to learning that it could be worse than leaving love behind … as I, in my own misery, flew on a puddle jumper small plane home with a 300+ pound Texan, wearing a 10 gallon hat, across the aisle from me who was flying home from gambling in Atlantic City over Christmas … all by himself.

Anyway. Back to Tampa.

This was also the time of my best friend, who abhorred Prince’s music, who put up with the music … focusing more on his overall love of MTV <when the station actually played music videos> … and nights at the Yucatan <although I am not sure he ever danced> playing pool upstairs and talking with women.

But most importantly … this was two guys in a time of our indestructible 20’s.

I remember as we sat together in lawn chairs with coolers of beer watching the sea water rise closer and closer to the top of the sea wall at our apartment complex as the largest hurricane in a decade made its appearance <please note that we were smart enough to get up once the water began creeping over the sea wall>.

He was the guy who listened to me babble on about the Yucatan waitress.

He was the inseparable sports and drinking buddy. He had an unfailing schedule of taping Miami Vice <which was on Friday nights>, driving to Yucatan <which we clearly remembered> and driving home <which was not as clear in memory … fuzzy at times> and being up and playing some sport and starting all over the next morning.

Which leads me back to the ‘are you gay?” parents question.

Because I must have mumbled about enough about he & I doing shit over the phone with life updates to my parents that on one hungover Sunday morning they brought me wide awake with the question … “hey, it’s okay with us … but … well … you talk about you guys so much … well … are you gay? … hey … it’s okay with us … we have gay friends.” Insert silence here.

<between the silence shock factor and the smothered immediate loud laugh … I knew I had a story I could tell for the rest of my life>.

Anyway.

The shit he and I did and the fact we lived to tell others about it is a testament to the indestructibility of the 20’s.

Whew.

Ok. I am back to Prince.

Sorry. I digressed. Prince can do that to anyone I imagine.

I guess I write this because music IS the soundtrack of our lives. We can all remember moments and songs and singers and the role it all played in the moments of our lives.

In this case it was Prince and his music. Was Prince’s music integral to my life? Certainly not.

But.

His 50^th birthday made me think about times and moments I hadn’t remembered for quite some time.

And you know what?

If Prince <or The Time> does that for other people as well … that is a really nice legacy to leave behind.

Anyway <another personal story>.

I also remember visiting First Avenue, the Prince club most known from the movie Purple Rain, when in Minneapolis on a business trip <only to see Prince … the littlest waifish guy I have ever seen … slide through the crowd flanked by two trucks in the guise of human bodies>.

And watching him play?

Despite Prince’s reputation for being incredibly sexual and raunchy on stage … the dude could play an amazing guitar and he wrote some intricate wonderful songs.

He was also a darn good <if not slightly controlling> producer for other artists like his former bandmate Morris Day’s new band The Time, Vanity, Apollonia, The Family, and Sheila E.

<another personal note: I have a good editor friend Charly who worked with him at his Minneapolis Paisley Studios and told me Prince was a detail nutso freak in the studio … but an amazingly talented editor, producer & writer>

In the end … I always thought Prince was at his best with The Revolution:

Prince on lead vocals, guitar, and piano

Wendy Melvoin on guitar and vocals

Brown Mark on bass guitar and vocals

Lisa Coleman on keyboards, piano and vocals

Matt “Doctor” Fink on keyboards and vocals

Bobby Z. on drums

And the Time?

By 1981, he had built The Time out of a Minneapolis funk band, “Flyte Time” which featured Jellybean Johnson on drums, Jimmy Jam and Monte Moir on keyboards, and Terry Lewis on bass.

To this base group were added Jesse Johnson on guitar and a lead singer and childhood friend named Morris Day as well as Jerome Benton who was a promoter drawn from another local band called “Enterprise” <Jerome was awesome as Day’s personal comic foil>.

The Time:

Morris Day – Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals

Jesse Johnson – Guitar, Backing Vocals

Monte Moir – Keyboard, Backing Vocals

Jimmy Jam – Keyboard, Backing Vocals

Terry Lewis – Bass, Backing Vocals

Jerome Benton – Backing Vocals, Percussion

Jellybean Johnson – Drums, Guitar, Backing Vocals

<THAT was a band, my friends, all doing quite well on their own>

Anyway.

Let me end with My top 5 favorite Prince songs <by the way … this was difficult … he has a bunch of very very good songs>.

Note that I would normally have lots of youtube or vevo videos here … but Prince has gone after YouTube for allowing users to post his copyrighted videos up without his permission and video material of how work is difficult to come by.

–          “Computer Blue” http://www.jukebo.com/prince/music-clip,computer-blue,x088xv.html

The chord shift <I think> at about the 2;00 mark is brilliant. This is a crazy good song.

–          “Money don’t Matter”

Good luck trying to find ‘Money don’t Matter’ anywhere on the internet … but it is a fabulous song.

–          “Let’s go Crazy”

Probably the most iconic rock pop song Prince ever did. It is non stop musical joy. The guitar riff will last for eternity in music legend.

–          Pop Life

In 1985, Prince followed up the massive success of the Purple Rain album and film with Around The World In A Day, a psychedelic pop record that only someone as weird as Prince could make.  Despite its many nods to psychedelia, one of ATWIAD’s best songs was “Pop Life,” a song that addresses social issues like the dangers of drugs.

The layered piano riffs, some swirling strings mixed with some sarcastic lyrics like “… what’s that underneath your hair? … is there anybody living there?“ make this a top 5 Prince song.

–          “Nothing Compares 2 U”  <done by Sinead O’Connor in 1990>

Prince has written many female vocalists’ songs including Chaka Khan, Sheila E. (“The Glamorous Life”), Vanity (“Nasty Girl”), Apollonia (“Sex Shooter”), and The Bangles (“Manic Monday”).

But no other singer ever managed to take a Prince song and so fully make it her own as Sinead O’Connor did with “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Originally written for side project The Family, the song was all but ignored until O’Connor tore through the opening salvo (“It’s been seven hours and 15 days since you took your love away”) against producer Nellee Hooper’s spare piano-and-drum backdrop. The result is unforgettable.

I struggle to think Prince could have ever performed this song better than Sinead but if I could ask him to try … this would be the song I would put in front of him.

Please note.

I almost included When Doves Cry which was the last song written for Purple Rain and is a musical masterpiece. The opening guitar riff grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until the sparsely arranged song comes to an end.

And Raspberry Beret remains my personal favorite Prince song of all time … but it is not a particularly spectacularly written song so I aimed for the better written songs.

Happy 50something Prince.

Great memories.

Great music.