I know that it is unlikely that you speak/read Japanese. I once spoke a little, and what remains are pieces of a once useful skill, breaking the surface of my consciousness, evoked by context. “Shizuka” pronounced the way it appears, means quiet-silence. I once saw a solitary male folk singer in a below street…
It is early. There is no sunrise yet. Wondering what to write. Yesterday I began reading an essay by Jean Baurdrillard. The essay is entitled Radical Thought. Here is a short paragraph: The belief in truth is part of the elementary forms of religious life. It is a weakness of understanding, of common-sense. At…
I am mesmerized by this song. I have listened many time to the Eurythmics Ultimate Collection CD. Love is a Stranger “knocks me out” every time that I hear Annie Lennox deliver the lyric with such a cold clear voice, like a rifle shot of a sniper, – “one shot, one kill.” I am…
Sundown by Gordon Lightfoot. A few years ago I was lucky to be present at a live performance by Gordon Lightfoot at the Genesee Theater in Waukegan. The Genesee is a magnificent old theater, restored, perfect sight lines from any place in the house. The atmosphere is apt for music performance, particularly folk, or…
I have always liked this song, the simple piano intro, and the powerful voice of Elvis telling a universal human story. Durable relationships are hard. Both parties are challenged to go “all in,” to show the hand each is holding. This must be done if the relationship has a chance of enduring. We typically…
The time has come, push the pile of chips forward, to the middle of the table. Time to go “all in,” risking everything to gain a point. I like this song by Huey Lewis for several reasons. I have been fortunate to see Huey Lewis perform live. He is a prolific song writer. His…
What is required for greatness? Infrequently I ask the question silently, to myself in solitude. I’ve never answered out loud. But I know. Greatness is the achievement of a few lines of prose, a poem or two, a lyric or a tune of such quality that one recognizes “for this I was born.” I…
You will like this Tom Petty video. Into the Great Wide Open was the title song on the album by the same name released in 1991. It is a story song, the lyric “tells itself.” The music video for the single, directed by Julien Temple, starred Johnny Depp as the protagonist, Eddie Rebel, as…
The word surfaces to consciousness, something that seldom comes. It means “silence” in Japanese. I’ve not thought of that word for many years. Saturday morning early, — viewing the frost covered ground in the backyard. Nothing is moving. The frost is the remains of winter’s grasp upon the ground. There is little traffic…
Monday, the weather has turned, the ice melts, the brown earth appears. There is hope. Life returns. Living in the Midwest, one learns to take winter seriously. Severe, single digit cold is an effective teacher. Therefore, in the Midwest we celebrate the first hint of spring. Over the weekend I completed planting preparation for…
