The year has just barely started so we still have time to shape it. Here is a collage containing words of wisdom (and useful links!) that may be useful (be sure to pass them on!):
Getting Your Life Straight
Music and Emotion
(X=Ex-wife; Y=why?) Generations X,Y, Z and the Others
10 Ways To Live In The Present
Why You Should Have Messy Desk
How to Be a Nonconformist
Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)
You’re only as old as you think!
Hang Out with Positive People
12 Happy Thoughts for Troubled Times
Funniest Bus Stop Pictures
Be The Person You Want To Be
Let Your Heart Dictate What Your Conscience is Telling You!
Beauty is only Skin Deep
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool about it. (W. C. Fields quote)
7 Tips for Preserving a Marriage 20+ Years
Never give up. Never lose hope. Always have faith, it allows you to cope.
How to Make a Positive Impact on the Lives of Others
Philip at the New York Theatre Workshop in New York City Photo: Mitsu Yasukawa/February 13. 1998
Philip Seymour Hoffman, my favorite character actor and an Academy Award winner for his 2005 portrayal of the American author Truman Capote in the biopic “Capote”, was just found dead of an apparent drug overdose (killer batch of White Heroin) in his New York City apartment yesterday. He was only 46.His death has been making the headlines and journalists have sprung to life drawing inspiration from his drug addiction and the fact that he had been battling it for over 20 years. He declared in his CBS “60 Minutes” interview in 2006 when asked which drugs he used: “Anything I could get my hands on. I liked it all.” He told the British newspaper the Guardian in 2011: “I had no interest in drinking in moderation. And I still don’t. Just because all that time’s passed doesn’t mean maybe it was just a phase. That’s, you know, who I am.”
A beloved American, Pete Seeger, is no longer with us and I thought I would devote my first post of 2014 to this great American. He embodied what it was to be a true American and as a Harvard dropout, a onetime communist (with a small ‘c’ he liked to add) and a Christian (with a capital ‘C’), his songs symbolized the American conscience and the anti-capitalism movement of the Vietnam war era. His music embraced the ideals and spirit of post-WWII America and many people say he sparked the Folk Music Revival which reached its culmination in the 1960’s. Songs like “We Shall Overcome” and “This Land is Your Land” became demonstration songs which inspired the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement of the 60’s.
He wrote his song “Where Have All The Flowers Gone?” in 1955 after reading a novel by Mikhail Sholokhov entitled And Quiet Flows The Don (1934) which included the words to a traditional Cossacks folk song “Tovchu, tovchu mak”. He was inspired by these words at a time when the USA was living in the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and was beginning to become involved in conflicts all over the world spreading its hegemony. As a communist (with a little ‘c’ he liked to say), he was very outspoken and used the 1st amendment of the US constitution assuring “Freedom of Speech” a pass card to make his voice heard. He inspired not only engaged singers (Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Peter (Yarrow), Paul (Stookey), and Mary (Travers) to name just a few) but also social activists all around the world. In 2010 Britain’s current affairs and politics tabloid New Statesman listed it as one of the “Top 20 Political Songs” of all time. Here he is in Germany singing it:
In the following video clip taken from a tribute concert organized for Harold Leventhal a great folk music manager (he was instrumental in getting Joan Baez’s and Woody Guthrie’s music to the public), Pete Seeger joins the legendary folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary in their rendition of his signature song. The late Mary Travers expresses how important this song had become for the American psyche crossing all generations and unifying them in a common spirit of social equality.
In “The Hammer Song” which he wrote more 60 years ago with his good friend Lee Hays of the Weavers, he laid out his road map for social activism and the progressive political movement in the world.
If I had a hammer
I’d hammer in the morning
I’d hammer in the evening
All over this land/ I’d hammer out danger
I’d hammer out a warning
I’d hammer out love between my brothers and my sisters
All over this land.
Popularized by Peter, Paul and Mary in the 1960s, the song expresses more than any other the heart of Seeger: his musicality, his activism, his optimism and his lifelong belief that songs could and should be used to build a sense of community to make the world a better place. He used to say: “I’d really rather put songs on people’s lips than in their ears,”
Seeger’s past was filled with chance encounters which shaped the singer/activist he was to become. An brilliant student, he half-heartedly enrolled at Harvard University to please his parents but later dropped out in 1938 after discovering “folk” music at an Appalachian song and dance festival in Asheville, N.C., with his father. It was a revelation. He discovered “Aunt” Samantha Bumgarner, who was “picking a banjo and singing old ballads and having so much fun,” he would later reminisce. The first string instrument he laid hands on was an old-fashioned five-string banjo. In an interview he explained what attracted him to this down home “hillbilly” fiddle: “I liked the rhythms and I liked the melodies, time-tested by generations of singers.” And more than anything he liked the words. “Compared to the trivialities of most popular songs, the words of these songs had all the meat of human life in them,” Seeger said. “They sang of heroes, outlaws, murderers, fools. They weren’t afraid of being tragic instead of just sentimental…. Above all, they seemed frank, straightforward, honest.” Later on March 3, 1940 he would meet Woody Guthrie, a singer/activist who was defending the rights of the migrant workers in California after reading about them in John Steinbeck’s novel (published in 1039) “The Grapes of Wrath”. Many music historians trace the roots of the American folk song revival back to that chance meeting.
Because of his love for social causes, Seeger edited and adapted songs “from half-remembered hymns and renewable folk tunes, Bible verses and poets’ words, traditional songs that need a little tinkering.” Pete was one of the few who divulged his sources so willingly and honestly probably with the desire to give more credence and depth to the songs he was singing. He founded the folk quartet The Weavers in November 1948 with Ronnie Gilbert, Lee Hays and Fred Hellerman. They sang mostly traditional American folk songs such as “On Top of Old Smokey”, “Follow the Drinking Gourd”, “Kisses Sweeter than Wine”, “The Wreck of the John B” (aka “Sloop John B”), “Rock Island Line“, “The Midnight Special”, “Pay Me My Money Down”, and “Darling Corey“. As a first effort to get closer to the people, The Weavers encouraged sing-alongs in their concerts, and Seeger would sometimes shout out the lyrics in advance of each line so that everyone could sing the words (“lining out style”).
Pete by Pete
Pete’s Stories
As a student he joined the Communist Party but left in disgust after discovering Stalinism. Later he would not apologize for his earlier idealism stating in 1993: “I’d like to see a world without millionaires.” Because of his communist and socialist leanings, the US was late in commemorating Seeger’s accomplishments. In 1994 Pete was awarded the National Medal of Arts and honored at the mecca of the American arts the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. At the age of 85 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and won a Grammy Award for his album “Pete” which was a compilation of folk songs which culminated his singing career.His last project called The Storm King: Stories, Narratives, Poems: Spoken Word Set to a World of Music was to gather 40 world class musicians and to record his voice recounting snippets of his life and other stories. One reviewer said that his CD brought chills up her spine and recommended everyone owning a copy…young or old. During his life he recorded numerous albums and records and authored a series of instructional songbooks used I’m sure by a lot of budding folk singers and rangers who make people sing during campfire programs in American national parks.
After enduring so many challenges in his life, people would ask him if he ever lost hope. He would reply: “I say ‘the hell with it’ every night around 9:30 then get up the next morning. Besides, if you sing for children, you can’t really say there’s no hope.”
Here he is with Bruce Springsteen singing “This Land Is Your Land” to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama. Bruce explained later what he felt upon meeting Pete Seeger: “I felt the connection almost intuitively, and that certain things needed to be carried on; I wanted to continue doing things that Pete had passed down and put his hand on. He had a real sense of the musician as historical entity—of being a link in the thread of people who sing in others’ voices and carry the tradition forward— and of the songwriter, in the daily history of the place he lived, that songs were tools, and, without sounding too pretentious, righteous implements when connected to historical consciousness.”
Here is the PBS series American Masters entitled The Power of Song which I would like to share with you. It was recorded in 2008 and tells the story of the musical journey of Pete Seeger. I hope you take the watch it and travel a few miles with Pete so that his legacy may live on through your appreciation of what he achieved.
Spirit of St. Louis at the National Air and Space Museum Washington, D.C
The holiday season is off to a good start with the latest flash mob making the rounds on the internet. It happened at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. this past weekend. The US Air Force band staged a musical happening which surprised and amazed visitors. Let’s see if you get caught up in the holiday spirit with a ‘Joy To The World’:
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Tata Madiba Mandela 1918-2013
William Ernest Henley
With the passing of Nelson Mandela or “Madiba”, the familiar name most used by South Africans ( “Madiba” is derived from the clan that Mandela belonged to. It was taken from the name of an 18th century Transkei chief) , I am reminded of William Ernest Henley’s poem ‘Invictus’ which he first published in 1875 in a book entitled Life and Death. ‘Invictus’ is latin for “unconquered or undefeated”. It was a poem that inspired and brought strength to Madiba while he was in prison on Robben Island in South Africa for 27 years. He wrote it on a scrap of paper and every time he was feeling like giving up and giving into his sadness and despair, he would read it.It inspired him to not let hate and revenge eat up his heart and soul and showed him that forgiving was more uplifting than revenge.
Invictus was also the title of a 2009 Clint Eastwood film starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. It tells the story of the South African rugby team whom Mandela inspires to win the World Championship by sharing his love the poem Invictus.
I thought it would be fitting to print this poem again upon the passing of this noble giant who inspired so many as had done Martin Luther King before him. This poem also later served Mandela well when he became leader of South Africa. He was not only able to break the shackles of apartheid to become his country’s first native African president but he was also able to break the barriers of class and protocol to become the most beloved leader of his African nation. Mandela was also known as ‘Tata’ (in the language of Mandela’s Xhosa tribe, the word simply means “father”) and South Africa’s media would frequently use it to speak about their benevolent leader. He made people forget his race which was probably his biggest victory of all. He wanted everyone to be considered the same in order to form a better union where all could benefit for the common good. Here is a moving scene in the movie Invictus in which Morgan Freeman reads part of the poem:
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
This poem has also been translated in many languages including French. Here is a beautiful rendition:
Dans les ténèbres qui m’enserrent
Noires comme un puits où l’on se noie
Je rends grâce aux dieux, quels qu’ils soient
Pour mon âme invincible et fière.Dans de cruelles circonstances
Je n’ai ni gémi ni pleuré
Meurtri par cette existence
Je suis debout, bien que blessé.En ce lieu de colère et de pleurs
Se profile l’ombre de la Mort
Je ne sais ce que me réserve le sort
Mais je suis, et je resterai sans peur.Aussi étroit soit le chemin
Nombreux, les châtiments infâmes
Je suis le maître de mon destin
Je suis le capitaine de mon âme.William Ernest Henley (1843-1903)
And then there’s the little known song by Kent O’Shea (music and lyrics) and Anton Ressel (lyrics) inspired by Nelson Mandela. Lyrics: Kent O’Shea & Anton Ressel. Composer: Kent O’Shea. Produced by Richard Black – published by Ricoshay Music. In this YouTube video we see his life retraced:
And Madiba’s wish…the World in Union. As many of us are about to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth who became the beloved leader of the Christian world, it should inspire us even more to live out Madiba’s legacy and live the world as one! Here are 2 renditions of this beautiful song…the first from the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup in Australia with Harry Adkins leading, accompanied by David Bruce and Alex Leon all of the Sydney Children’s Choir. And the 2nd rendition is with various artists. Very moving indeed!
“There are two times in a man’s life when he should not speculate: when he can’t afford it, and when he can.” Mark Twain
Maurice Denuziere, French Author and Journalist Le Monde and France Soir
L’important, en période de soldes, c’est acheter. On ne choisit pas la marchandise, on choisit le prix sans toujours faire les comparaisons, desquelles il ressort souvent que le bon marché coûte cher !.
Et pourtant elle tourne...:Chroniques de Maurice Denuzière
On your mark…get set…go!
A Scene from Walmart which some people are dubbing “Brawlmart”
Looks like Cyber Monday has beaten Black Friday! More and more consumers (55% vs. 39% in 2012) are saying that they prefer to take advantage of the “virtual sales” than fight the crowds (literally…!)on Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving!As you know if you’ve kept up with my Blog, Black Friday is the kick off of the Christmas Shopping season when retailers pass from the “red” (deficits) to “black” (surplus). In the US it is the day after Thanksgiving which most non-retail employees have free. This of course increases the number of shoppers in the stores and this explains why Black Friday has been the busiest shopping day of the year for the past decade.
According to sources the name originated in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where it describes the heavy, dense traffic occurring after Thanksgiving. People use this day to get out and digest their Thanksgiving dinner…And what better pastime than shopping and admiring the Christmas decorations! To draw even more people in, stores traditionally offer big discounts and sales that day which just adds to the chaos. Many discount chains in the US such as Target, Kohls, Best Buy and especially Walmart take advantage of Thanksgiving and “Black Friday” to open their doors late Thanksgiving day (between 6 pm and midnight) or very early the day after Thanksgiving…sometimes as early as 4 am in the morning! Now that’s serious shopping! People can shop until they drop! But to avoid scenes like in this picture, more and more people are preferring to shop online.
The National Retail Federation estimates that sales in November and December will increase 3.9% this year to $602 billion, only a slight bump up from last year’s actual 3.5% increase. Retailers typically have at least 20% of their sales during the holiday season and American Express Corporation are expecting more people to shop online this Cyber Monday than visit Brick and Mortar stores on Black Friday which is bad news for stores who don’t have a strong online presence. So…click away with your mice! (Just make sure you don’t overspend!)
Bertil Hult running with the Olympic torch in China 2008
Thailand Ranks Low
How good is your English? Once again poor ESL (English as a Second Language) students who can’t speak English very well are being blamed for holding their companies back and by association their countries.
Le résultat net comptable (“Bottom Line” in familiar English) (poste HN et DI respectivement des imprimés DGI n°2052 et n°2051 ) mesure les ressources nettes (après prise en compte de la dépréciation du capital) restant à l’entreprise à l’issue de l’exercice : bénéfice ou perte. Il correspond, au sens comptable, à la différence entre les produits et les charges de l’exercice. Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques
EF Education First has just come out with a new ranking of countries which link their ability to speak English with their country’s economic wealth or bottom line (a line in an accounting sheet which shows a net income or a loss). As many of you know, EF, with over 4o0 schools, is a famous private language school with over 400 schools spread out over 50 countries worldwide. It is a Swedish entreprise, headquartered in Lucerne, Switzerland, which was founded by Bertil Hult. Hult suffered from dyslexia as a child and because of this couldn’t learn in the traditional manner at school. As English was a mandatory and important subject, he soon discovered during one of his trips to England with his high school class that cultural immersion was the best way to learn it. That’s how he got the idea to start his own school which combined classroom instruction with cultural immersion.
One of the first schools of its kind, EF quickly spread and now employs over 34,000 people many of whom do research in language learning and linguistics. Through a unique marketing strategy using their free online tests, they started publishing in 2011 an EF English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) which ranks countries by their English language skills. They have just come out with their third ranking which classifies countries according to the same criteria. They found that in almost every one of the 60 countries and territories surveyed, there was a direct correlation between English proficiency and per capita income. They also found that people who spoke English well earned 30 to 50% higher salaries. Now that’s a real incentive to study English!
Where does your country rank? Do you agree with EF’s findings?
According to the Family Violence Prevention Fund, “growing up in a violent home may be a terrifying and traumatic experience that can affect every aspect of a child’s life, growth and development. . . . children who have been exposed to family violence suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as bed-wetting or nightmares, and were at greater risk than their peers of having allergies, asthma, gastrointestinal problems, headaches and flu.”
Journée Internationale pour l’élimination de la violence à l’égard des femmes : L’Union interparlementaire engage les gouvernements, les parlements et les organisations non gouvernementales à organiser des activités pour sensibiliser l’opinion publique au problème de la violence contre les femmes, notamment à l’occasion de la Journée internationale pour l’élimination de la violence à l’égard des femmes, célébrée le 25 novembre de chaque année. Résolution de l’UIP, 114ème Assemblée, 12 mai 2006,paragraphe 6
Since 1999, the United Nations has set aside November 25 as a day to draw attention to global efforts to combat against violence against women. Most countries in the Western World have decided to honor this day by publishing articles and statistics in national newspapers. Some sobering statistics:
nearly half of all women in the world are victims of spousal abuse
more than 1 million female babies in China are killed at birth
a woman is raped every 6 minutes in the United States
one of every 7 women in the United Kingdom are raped by a male acquaitance
every month in France 6 women will lose their lives due to domestic violence
and the list goes on….
Calling attention to these facts is the best way to combat them. Refusing to accept that half of the world population is subservient and unequal by joining a feminist organization is another way. NOW (the American National Organization for Women) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. It has 500,000 members and 550 chapters or offices in all 50 states in addition to the District of Columbia. It was founded in 1966 at the cusp of the women’s liberation movement in order to bring about equality for all women in the workplace, schools, the justice system, at home and in all other sectors of society where women can and should play a vital role as an equal member of society. NOW also tries to bring about an end to all forms of violence against women, to eliminate racism, provide birth control and secure reproductive rights, sexism and homophobia with the aim of creating a more just and equal society for all. I invite all of my readers to watch the following United Nations video published on YouTube November 22, 2013. All I can say is…Yes We Can!!
And this is the United Nations pledge that we can all adhere to in order to achieve these goals:
DALLAS – Tous les drapeaux seront en berneaux États-Unis vendredi pour célébrer la mémoire de John F. Kennedy, assassiné il y a 50 ans et toujours au Panthéon des présidents américains. Pour “pleurer la perte d’un extraordinaire serviteur de l’Etat, visionnaire et sage idéaliste”, les drapeaux des bâtiments officiels devaient être baissés à mi-mât, a annoncé jeudi le président Barack Obama en proclamant la journée du 22 novembre “Jour du Souvenir du président John F. Kennedy”.
50 years already…I was 11 years old when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It was one of those moments that mark you forever. A loss of innocence…It was still the morning and it was sunny and hot outside as it always was in Southern California in November. I was sitting in my 6th grade classroom listening to our teacher explain a math problem. As it was Friday, my friends and I were all looking forward to the weekend when we would be able to go to the beach and hang out. Suddenly the principal of our elementary school opened the door and signaled us to be silent. He walked up to our teacher taking him by the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. We could see the shoulders of our beloved teacher sag slightly indicating to us that something was terribly wrong. He turned around and announced the news that would take away our innocence forever…”children…President John F. Kennedy has been shot. Class is dismissed.” We didn’t know how to react. We all sat there motionless. And the teacher had to repeat…”Class is dismissed. You can go home now.” We slowly got up and while walking out the door in single file, we bombarded the teacher with questions but all he could say was “we don’t know how serious his injuries are but we know he’s been taken to the Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. We gathered our belongings and lunch boxes and walked outside in a state of shock. The warm and sunny weather seemed out of step with the emotions that were beginning to build up in us. All of us parted ways and walked sullenly home. It was if time had stopped. When I got home, my mother greeted me at the door and we turned on the TV. Surely our favorite CBS news anchorman Walter Cronkite would be announcing that he was going to be alright and that we would be able to return to our normal lives in time to enjoy our weekend. It wasn’t to be so. About an hour later we learned that President Kennedy had died.
We just couldn’t believe this was happening. But it was and for the next 4 days our TV would remain on allowing us to take part in the horror, disbelief and grief that our nation was enduring. On Sunday afternoon we watched while a horse-drawn caisson bore the flag-covered casket of JFK down the White House drive and then along Pennsylvania Avenue past the soldiers bearing the flags of the 50 States and thousands of onlookers who were shedding the tears of a nation. Seeing the riderless horse Black Jack prance behind this procession brought it even closer to home as the enormity and depth of this tragedy finally sank in. The following video captures some of the images, the sound of the drums, the clip clopping of the horses and the music which haunts me still:
And the world paid tribute:
And today his passing is remembered for the first time in Dallas, Texas:
Now every November 22 while we lower our flags to half mast, we will commemorate that day during which America lost its innocence and childlike optimism….
L’humour est une déclaration de dignité, une affirmation de la supériorité de l’homme sur ce qui lui arrive.Romain Gary
What better way to commemorate our veterans this year than to laugh with them…especially with those who have survived the most atrocious injuries. One of them in particular has set himself apart by doing stand up comedy.American Iraqi war veteran Bobby Henline had a choice to make: either crawl into a hole, hide his disfigurements and feel sorry for himself for the rest of his life or stand up and be counted in order to bring dignity to himself and others who came through recent wars alive but changed forever physically and mentally. Remembering how lucky he was to make it out compared to guys who unfortunately didn’t he says: “Any one of those guys would love to trade with me…and have a little bit of a difficult life. They would be ALIVE….”
On his 4th tour in Iraq, Bobby’s HUMVEE ran over an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). He was the only soldier who survived…if you can call it that. He suffered burns over 40% of his body, the bones in his face were fractured and his left hand had to be amputated. After 2 weeks in a coma, he slowly emerged a changed man: “You get used to getting stared at and looking at yourself in the mirror. It becomes you. But there are days I don’t want to be stared at…Still, I feel sexy. Once you’re cooked, you’re hooked.”
With the gang
To cope with the pain, he started cracking jokes and making fun of himself: “I had a good time in Iraq, but that last tour was a real blast. It took me four tours to realize my lucky number is 3.” By making people laugh, he realized that it let down their guard and their natural revulsion and after a while a normal exchange could occur. People no longer saw the pitiful war veteran, but the real Bobby who was hidden beneath. His laughter was communicative and he began to sense that his jokes were helping others to keep their spirits up. Finally his therapist convinced him to use his special talent and take a stab at stand-up comedy. In 2009 he overcame his timidity and he jumped onstage at a Comedy Club during an “open-mike” night calling himself “The Well-Done Comic” (Based on a joke from his act: “We’re in a restaurant and my wife orders a steak, and I tell the waiter, ‘She wants it well-done. Like her man...'”) It was a flop but the audience warmed to him and he discovered that he could finally talk freely and unabashedly about the experience that had changed his life. “On the Fourth of July I always go to a fireworks stand. I run up real excited and ask them, ‘Can you give me the same stuff as last year? It was great!'” Not only does the laughter help him with his own recovery, but it engages people in a way that leaves him on the same level as his audience…an avenue of expression and awareness through laughter: “The comedy is not only healing for me, but at the same time it’s getting awareness out there.”
Palm Beach International Film Festival 2013
When he came out on stage at the Palm Beach International Film Festival where he went to support a documentary he participated in called “Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor”, he exclaimed…“You should see the other guy…!” The documentary depicts the lives of 5 veterans who use standup comedy to help in their healing process. They were supported in this endeavor with help from comics such as Bob Saget, Lewis Black, B.J. Novak and Zach Galifianakis. Here’s the trailer:
Once he has the audience, he continues with his self-mockery: “The skin on my scalp burned off, so the doctors replaced it with my stomach. When I eat too much, I get headaches…!”
It is a rare person indeed who can at the same time put you in stitches and make you a better person. Laughter is not only nature’s best medicine, but the best avenue of hope for the world.
Deb's Quick Picks Blog 