"I Don't Need No..." (One More Time...)

Steenkin' New Year's Resolutions...

Happy New Year to all of you...

I can't believe that 

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 

2014

is gone.

Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'...

Into the future...

What is it about the past that we each remember so?

Are the memories of good and wonderful things?

... or do we remain haunted by what went amiss?

... things that just didn't turn out the way we wanted?

Is there some form of 'Pre-destination' 

that we follow through Life???

Or, are our Lives and our ultimate ends/destinations 

more determined by Karma??

Are the events that we experience directly related

to how we have lived our lives and treated others?

Is there really a difference between the two?

I wonder why I selected 'Calvin and Hobbes'cartoons for a post that asks rather serious questions?

What makes a good cartoon be a 'good cartoon?'

I always have enjoyed the messages from comic strips like 'Calvin and Hobbes,' or 'The Far Side'...  Some of the creators of such strips have such a wonderful insight into the  psyches of our souls, it seems. They seem to capture those fleeting moments and thoughts that we have all experienced...

A counselor that I was seeing after the death of my Dad and during my divorce suggested that I hide a great deal of hurt and pain behind humor... I do suppose that there is a great deal of truth to such a statement.

I fear that my direction has been determined

by the method indicated in the cartoon above...

... that I have just let things happen and I've drifted along with the flow.

Like clouds in the sky...

Like a limb in the river...

Like a fart in a whirl wind...

In 2015, I would like to be more direct in what I desire for the rest of my Life.

I will be more pro-active.

I need to get out and see my friends...

I will take some of my own  advice that I talked about at the 

commencement address I gave in December, 2012...

__________

2014 was a great deal like the beginning of the 'Tale of Two Cities'...

"It was the best of times... it was the worst of times..."

My friend, Scooter died...

I made a trip out West to scatter his ashes as per his request.

I didn't have a choice... he was my friend.

In April of 2014, I received the 

College of Business 'Bell South' Award for being the 

Outstanding Professor in the College of Business.

In November of 2014, I was told by the same people that 

congratulated me for receiving the teaching award... 

that I was no longer needed.

In the next few months, I will decide what

changes I am going to allow to happen in my life career-wise.

I did NOT like...

I did NOT appreciate...

the manner in which this was handled by the administration.

Having said that, I am going to be pro-active on when I leave.

It is possible that I could be teaching at

a different university in the Fall...

I would be open to that.

I have had health issues.

It's not like I haven't seen them coming,

I hadn't felt well for some time.

I've had conflicting diagnoses... 

I have finally crossed paths with a doctor with whom 

I have great confidence.  We will see what progresses.

There are going to be some great changes in my Life over the next 12 months.

In so many ways...

In so many areas...

So...

What are your goals, desires, aims for

the upcoming

2015?

I love these guys...

Happy New Year!!!

~shoes~

"Christmas..."

Repost from Last Christmas...

We, Three Kings Of Orient Are...

I think my favorite Christmas Story is that of the Christmas Star and the Three Wise Men...  at least that's what we called them back then... today we know them as the Magi...

According to the Gospel of Matthew, The Three Wise Men found the Baby Jesus by following A Star...  whch later became known as the Star of Bethlehem...

History makes allowances for many names for the Magi, but Western Christianity recognizes them as being Balthazar, from Arabia, Melchior, from Persia, and Gaspar, from India.

Each of the Magi brought a gift for the Baby Jesus... Gold, frankincense, and myrrh...
Myrrh was the most ominous of the gifts... Myrrh was an embalming lotion and was symbolic of Death.

Luke 2:10-14

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

By no stretch of the imagination do I profess to be a very religious person, but this Bible passage, for some reason, gives me great hope...

Merry Christmas to All...

And to All a Good Night!!!

~shoes~

"Jim And Tom..."

Christmas, 1956

It was at this time that I was attending kindergarten at Immanuel Baptist... my little brother, Tom, wasn't 'old' enough to go to kindergarten, but he so wanted to go.  The ladies who ran the school said it was ok for him to come with me.

The ladies who ran this kindergarten were Mrs. Elsie Drane and Mrs. Eckles.   I thought they were the two sweetest ladies ever.

Our class was to be a part of the Christmas Parade that year...

Tom was so ill that week... that day. I can't remember if it was Dr. Wiggins who made the house call that day, or if it was Dr. Ringold... but he told Mom that Tom would be ok... just to 'bundle him up'...  We were told to 'smile and wave'... Tom was feeling so ill.

Due to being part of a very dysfunctional family, I don't have too many photos of my early Life...  but the one above is one of the most precious that I have. When I think of Christmas, this is the image of myself and my brother that comes to mind.

"Silent Night..."

Christmases are special... they should be special.  The most wonderful Christmases were when I was a little boy... the second most wonderful were when my children were little...

It's a great deal like the jungle bell in 'The Polar Express'...

The bell would stop ringing when one no longer believed...

I had a time when I didn't hear the bell... but I have continued to hear it ring even after my little ones grew up into young adults.  My Mom and Dad worked hard to make Christmas a magical time for us... I think I owe it to my parents to not let those emotions and feelings go away...

Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad...

Merry Christmas to all of my friends...

~shoes~

"John Hiatt..."

I may have to admit to having a 'man crush'...

Not that there is  any thing wrong with that...

I have admitted to being a frustrated musician...

Odds are that I have been a frustrated professor...

a frustrated Father...

a frustrated husband...

but I belabor that.

I think there has been a sense of frustration to Hiatt's career...

He has been a most successful song writer, yet he has never achieved great notoriety for his own performances.  He has only received moderate acclaim for his recordings.  Where he has excelled has been in writing songs.  He is a word smith, and I think a great treasure.  Many of his songs have been covered/recorded by artists who are more known for their performance work.

I got to see John Hiatt perform up close this past recently... what a fabulous show... just him, a guitar, and a small crowd... no backing band.  It seemed to take him a while to kick in, but when he did, he really took off.

I have a new favorite John Hiatt song...

'Train To Birmingham'

This is a new song on a recent release, I believe... I read where he said it was his wife's favorite song... and she wanted him to record it for her.  The thing is... he said it was one of the first songs he ever wrote.  It seems that song writing has a long long incubation/reward system. 

What a great song...

He is renown for making these great faces when he performs.

He leaves nothing... he puts it all out there...

He mentioned a song that he wrote back in the early 80s... and how 30-something years later, two fellows recorded it. 

'Riding With The King'

This song was recorded by Eric Clapton and B.B. King... so much for the idea of being an 'over-night success'...

There are many songs of his that battle for the position of my 'favorite' John Hiatt song.  I mentioned 'Train To Birmingham' above... but here's another one...

'Tennessee Plates'

'Well this ain't no hotel I'm writing you from...

It's the Tennessee prison up at Brushy Mountain...

Where yours sincerely is doin' five-to-eight...

Stampin' out my time makin' Tennessee plates...'

At least I have the  incentive now to learn some new songs... I figure I can't go wrong learning some of his... Hell, I might be able to sing his stuff...

If he comes to a place near you... go see him... and tell him that ~shoes~ sent you...

~shoes~

"The Word For Today Is...

"Empath"...

Are you familiar with this word?

This usage??

As used in science fiction, it is a noun used to define "a person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental of emotional state of another individual.

The usage to which I am referring is that of the word on which it is based... 'empathy'... which means that one has the ability to identify with or understand the feelings, emotions, or difficulties of another person.

An 'empath' is a person who is "gifted"... (or maybe not...) in sensing and sharing the pain, hurt, grief that others endure... almost as if through osmosis... it permeates another...

I can remember once upon a time thinking about becoming a counselor... a grief counselor... and it dawned on me one day that I couldn't do that kind of work... I would end up being in the same shape as the person I would be trying to help.

A friend of mine who is a counselor that works with returning servicemen and women recently had to go through treatments himself... because he had taken on so much of the pain and hurt that his patients/clients had experienced.

Here    is one interesting article I found on the topic... of course, this one claims to identify 30 traits of an 'empath'... personally, that sounds like 'overkill' to me...

I've always been good at 'helping others' with their problems... I've been told that I always know "the right things to say"... or that I know "the right things to do."  I do think this happens because I can so sense their hurt and pain.  

This past week, I had a long telephone conversation with a good friend and  colleague who is in the process of losing his Mother...  When he would speak of watching her slowly slipping away, I could so relate... I experienced this when my Mom died... but what is there about some of us who are able to channel these emotions... feel these same feelings that others experience?

It is tiring... very draining...

"You either are an empath or you aren’t.  It’s not a trait that is learned.  You are always open, so to speak, to process other people’s feelings and energy, which means that you really feel, and in many cases take on the emotions of others."

It's as if it's waiting for us to come along... and soak it up.

It's not like we need something else to worry about...

A Decision Tree For Worriers...

(It really simplifies the Hell out of things...)

"Empaths are often quiet achievers. They can take a while to handle a compliment for they’re more inclined to point out another’s positive attributes."

I think I am this way... I have great difficulty talking about my achievements, yet, I can quick to celebrate the successes of others.  It's easier for me to do.  Maybe, just maybe, my inability to talk about myself has hindered my success.  Maybe I should have been a larger bag of wind... a bunch of hot air.

Maybe I worry too much...

"Being in public places can be overwhelming: Places like shopping malls, supermarkets or stadiums where there are lots of people around can fill the empath with turbulently vexed emotions that are coming from others."

I know that I love to shop... go into stores or places where there are large groups of people... but after entering such places, I do get this sense of being 'overwhelmed' by some power. I never thought about it being the mass of personalities that could be at play.

This article really explains a great deal about who I am... who I have been... and maybe explains some of the problems I have experienced through out my Life...

I am going to have to read more about this... 

Hmmm...

Do any of you share any of these traits?

~shoes~

"Shoes' Blues..."

Once upon a time... 

in my younger days...

I wanted to be a disc jockey...

A WHAT?!?!?!?!

I didn't stutter...

or whatever the typing/blogging equivalent of stuttering would be.

Maybe it would be like your keys on the keyboard got stuck...

and it looked something like...

"S-S-S-s-o-o-o-o t-t-h-i-i-s-i-s-s-s m-o-r-n-i-n-gigning..."

I think you get the drift...

Anyhoo...

Disc jockeys were called that because in order to play music "on air," they had to actually handle the vinyl discs on which music was recorded...

There were LPs...

'LP' stood for 'long play'... and your turntable had to be able to be adjusted to a speed of 33 1/3 revolutions per minute (rpm).  

There were 45s...

... not to be confused with this kind of 45...

(not THIS kind of 45...)

45s were referred to as such because the turntable speed had to be set to 45 rpm.

...and if you played 45s, you had to have these...

These are adapters... sometimes, your record player came with a small spindle that fit the LP just right... but you obviously couldn't play the 45s with the larger center without the adapter. It just snapped inside the record.

There were even EPs (extended play)... these recordings would have a couple of songs on each side, but not enough for the record to qualify as an LP...

So... this was long before Sony Walkmans, iPods, and iPhones, etc... where we could store tons of music onto a microchip, and then call it up by clicking on a link or an icon...

Anyway, if I were a disc jockey, these are the songs I would play for you today...

Why these three?  Well, they are blues songs... and the common thread that the videos have is that they are 'performance' videos... where they either appear to be playing the song (the first two videos), or they ARE playing the song (the last video).

The first song is 'Roll With It'...

This was recorded by Steve Winwood, who originally was a 17 year old singer with a band by the name of 'The Spencer Davis Group' way back in  the day.

I like the honky~tonk kind of feel that is portrayed in this video... it looks hot... sweltering... and music that is so funky you can smell it.  I love watching people dance in these videos... oh, and the bass players... they are always fun to watch.



I also love this Tracy Chapman video, 'Give Me One Reason'... I could watch that guy that is standing off to the right dance for the entire video!!!   This has been the only Tracy Chapman song that I have REALLY liked...   

Of all of these videos, this next one is possibly my mostest favoritest...  I think it was back in the mid - 90s, the Stones did a tour where they included a bunch of small club dates... and a great CD came from it...

'Stripped'

The Rolling Stones

This is an update version of an early single, 'The Spider and the Fly,'  that they had recorded back in the 60s...



There are several things I like about this video...  one, Chuck Leavell is in it... I first became aware of Chuck Leavell back in the 70s when he became a member of the re-organized Allman Brothers Band.  Duane Allman and Berry Oakley had been killed in separate motorcycle accidents... in the re-organization, Leavell and Lamar Williams (bass guitar) joined the band. If my memory is correct, after this version of the ABB dissolved, Leavell and Williams went on to start a band called 'Sea Level'...

Leavell is an official unofficial member of the Stones now... 

Another thing I like about this video would be the two guitars that Ron Woods and Keith Richards are playing... AUGH... I love guitars...

The third thing... and the neatest... is that in the original version of the song, the gal he meets at the bar 'looks about thirty...'  When this version was recorded, they changed the lyrics to keep pace with their advanced age... and the gal at the bar 'looked about fifty...'

HAH!!!

I love music so... 

~shoes~

"It Was The Best Of Times..."

"It Was The Worst Of Times..."

'The Scream'

Edvard Munch

1893

Or...

"What doesn't kill us just makes us stronger..."

I'm sure that there are shit loads of other comments designed to lessen the pain... the hurt... the angst... of whatever it is that is bothering us at any point in time..

'Inner Strength'

Down through the years, I have written about the times that I have felt my position at Alluvial Flood Plain State University was in peril... always seemed to be something that was amiss around here, that left me thinking that I was going out with the next load of trash...

... and I haven't felt well... for quite a while...

Last week, on Tuesday... I was told by my division chair that I needed to be free for a meeting the next day... I asked with whom... and I was told it would include  the dean, the provost, and him.

... anyway...

I arrive at the meeting... they are smiling... shaking hands with me...

It's good to see you... why aren't you wearing your red shoes today???

I told that sawed off bastard him that I didn't expect this meeting to be good news for me... that I didn't think I was going to like the outcome.

They proceeded to tell me...

...that I am no longer needed.  As is par for a university setting, I will receive a terminal contract for one more year... and after that year, I am gone.

but...

... the way I feel at this time, I imagine this is my last year.

I will let them do... decide what to do with the remaining students in the program.


There was...

No 'thank you for twenty-six years of service to the university...'

No 'we are sorry this is happening to you...'

Over the past six years, I have received the College of Business Outstanding Professor Award twice, and the University Outstanding Professor Award.

... and then this.

My feelings are hurt because of the manner in which this was handled.  I would never do someone like this.

My greatest fear is that I would be told that I was losing my job that morning... and that later that afternoon, my doctor would tell me that I was dying...

I have a medical issue that is going to require some attention... and in itself may require that I come back for that one remaining year just for insurance.

I will know more on this topic soon...

Blah.....

~shoes~

"Get Back, Loretta..."

If you know me, you are aware that I have always been a huge fan of this band...

They have been the sound track of my Life... and I have made my kids listen exposed my kids to their music...

Back in February, the 50th anniversary of their initial appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was celebrated...  The fact that their music is still relevant and sounds good today is amazing.

They had gone separate ways by the time I got to where I could possibly have seen them in concert... but my memory is that they had stopped touring in 1966.... their very last concert on tour was August 29, 1966... just a bit over two years after making it big.

The Beatles

Candlestick Park

San Francisco

August 29, 1966

Anyway...  50 years and eight months after they initially came to the United States, I got to see and hear Paul McCartney perform this past weekend (10/11/14) in New Orleans...  The performance was amazing...

... but as the evening progressed... there was something that became noticeable...

Paul talked a great deal about George Harrison...

George

... and he played this...

Something

He spoke so dearly of George... several times... whatever rifts had developed, they must have healed...  prior to the beginning of the concert, there were many different photos shown... quite a few of them were of George.

He also spoke of John Lennon...

John

Paul played a song that he claimed to have written after John's death... and I can't remember the name of it... but he also played this song of John's...

Being For The Benefit Of Mister Kite

I think that he and John were in the process of healing their split as well... but I didn't sense/feel the same kind of warmth that Paul expressed towards George...

What was missing... and didn't happen...

was any mention of this guy...

Ringo

Zilch...

Nada...

Nothing...

I found an interesting quote that Ringo made a few years ago about the relationship between he and Paul... 

He said...

"We are as close as we want to be. We’re the only two remaining Beatles, although he likes to think he’s the only one."

Ringo seems to be fine with it all...

But... 

it seems he could have acknowledged him somehow...

Anyway... 

My favorite song of the night was this one...

For a few hours...

I was young again...

~shoes~