FACEBOOK PAGE POLICY AND WHY I WRITE, PERHAPS NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME, EXPANDED VERSION

The dichotomy of FB, so frustrating at times, yet through FB one can find so many talented artists creative and fun people from all over the world if you look for the good; lately I seem finally better at finding the good.

Not sure how long it will last but i now have a record 72 persons on my page; and it's been at least a week since someone quit me or had to leave. smile emoticon Getting better at articulating my purpose here. I have a lot of time and there's are more self-destructive ways i could and have spent my time. I like to write I like to take photos I post way way way too much. I love Diana Ross, most music other than opera or country, cabaret and jazz especially, in drag or not, i especially like to plug those creative artists without celebrity status or film or recording contracts, community based artists. I am perhaps way too passionate about social justice issues and politics. I used to like to debate or argue but i no longer find pleasure in that. Everyone has enough stress unless you like being challenged your FB should not cause stress. I have learned the hard way by suffering the effects of my occasionally volcanic temperament rudely displayed on others' pages.
After way too many years of being edited by my former government employer, I especially value that this page is mine all mine my rules; talk about a control freak this space is what I have control over. If you ignore a post, I can deduce you felt anywhere from indifferent to disgust or anywhere in between. I like to see likes so if you like something like it. I really don't want to read on MY page what YOU don't like. In return, I will not express negativity on your page.
As well, I will not object to negative posts on your page. So please don't object to my occasional or frequent rants on my page. Feel free to bash Diana Ross or Hillary Clinton on your page without a peep from me. And don't be surprised to find ranting on my page from the serious to the trivial. I am not trying to tell you how to manage your page; but only I decide how to manage mine.
A few things that are sure to make me go volcanic will be criticisms of Diana or Hillary on MY page alone. I am also beyond these petty celebrity fan feuds; someone likes this one not that. And it's way past time folks stopped dishing Florence, Mary, or Diana - they were young, life happens they didn't hate each other neither should we. Nothing wrong with preferring one over another, they are all different and so are we. Not to say there wasn't tension from time to time or still to this day but that's for them to work out. And yes I'll confess to my share of dishing, but then it is MY page.
Finally, I have been musing about the opposite - someone's on your page, or you are on theirs - and you're just not into it anymore, you can't stand to see one more post on Diana or Hillary or I think your page is boring. I still like to have people because what they do is fascinating or worthwhile or important and i like to maintain awareness even if I don't post or like something.
But I am thinking of creating something that says, I like you but I don't like your FB page and i have way too many news feeds. Here's my email if you want to stay in touch. No hard feelings, no leaving in a huff, etc. I am not trying to have the most people; I would like to have people who wish to be here and find something of value, interest, or humor.
So remember when i said i like to write? See how long this is? Well for the newbies i will post a link to my blog and you'll really see what too much is.
But as i like long form more than short form, I am really trying to transition to the blog and post links on my FB page to new blog posts. First i need to fix or replace my computer but i can do that soon. My C drive shrunk, no one knows why. I cannot view any videos you post or listen to music you post. But I have all my stuff on an external drive so I can access that just fine. Little trouble accessing the internet. I will make one more attempt now that I am about to have completed resolving some financial issues for which I needed internet access but once that is done I am getting professional assistance to erase and restore my drives to factory settings then reinstall programs.
Eventually I hope to have a state of the art fully loaded laptop so I can create post and write from anywhere inside or outside my house or gardens instead of cooped up in this hot stuffy home office. So from the most important to the most trivial i can conclude this and get some air before I return refreshed and less sticky.

 And thank you all for being here. Each of you is here because I find you interesting. I hope i don't disappoint you.

REFLECTIONS AND MUSINGS ON MUSICAL FAVORITES AND MY CURRENT PLAYLIST

A lifelong passionate lover of music - you can credit Mom's affinity for every Italian male vocalist growing up - rare is an album, or CD, that I would play i order. An exception is Thelma Houston's "Sunshower" (1976) written by Jimmy Webb prior to her taking the disco world to storm.  Marvin Gaye, including but not limited to "What's Going On" comes to mind as well and I am sure there are others that fail to come to mind at this very moment. 

Needless to say, in the LP area I would make cassette tapes from albums in my preferred order and with varying artists suiting my whims of the moment.  The CD era allowed the same but soon I wasn't bothering with cassettes, disappointed at the technical quality and a 5 CD changer allowing me to set a program of songs from 5 CDs at a time and I can't remember the maximum number of songs allowed. 

And now after years of copying more, but still not all, of my collection onto my computer, there seems to be no limit for the length of a playlist.  I have playlists, mostly Diana Ross, approaching 40 hours.  Lately I have been creating playlists of recordings I feel like hearing for a period of time, then changing based upon mood or boredom.  For example, I recently made playlists of my favorite Billie Holiday recordings, my collection of live Billie Holiday recordings.  Due to their prolific output and my obsessed collection, the most challenging have been Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson.  I recently got a Dinah playlist down to manageable length.  It's not that I listen to either often, but I find both mesmerizing and addictive.

My favorite playlists are those of female recording artists many of them jazz oriented.  I even recently tackled Judy Garland and Peggy Lee now that I think of it.  And a recent re-release of a Frank Sinatra recording had me studying his output and learning his career chronologically.

My recent addiction to writing more than reading has led me from a thought to post my current, 24 hour playlist, to this lengthy background introduction.  You should have realized by now you can skip it and go to the list.  I like many but not all genres and this one in particular resulted from an effort to include many genres and then to select the section I felt like listening to at any particular time.  In reality I just let it run and restart my computer every 24 hours. 

Some of the above is to explain the absence of certain artists, namely Dinah, as well as the absence of so many favorite jazz vocalists too numerous to mention, absent from my list but not my collection, Anita O'Day, Carmen McRae, Cassandra Wilson - my favorite current live and recording vocalist - Diana Krall, Ella, Esther, 2 Ettas, Karrin Allyson - another current fav, Ledisi outstanding live yet to reach her recording potential, SARAH VAUGHN perhaps THE greatest vocalist ever, a few peeking at my file has brought to mind.

Special mention to JACKIE RYAN, AND SWEET BABY J'AI, the best unknown recording artists working today, google each of them and buy their CDs; you won't regret it.

Most recently, due to release of expanded editions I was making lots of Diana playlists and then spent time making some fabulous girl group era songlists.  Which reminds me I have a You Tube page with many playlists, I'll link it here.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8MRbvv3f_9VK1wnqwKk4Kg

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8MRbvv3f_9VK1wnqwKk4Kg/playlists

But all that is my overwrought way of saying that absence from this list doesn't mean I don't have it or haven't listened to it lately.

Another reason for posting is this could be my most diverse playlist ever, formerly limited each to a particular genre, artist, or theme, this one has some of almost everything.  And there is a core at the beginning that was based on my memorial playlist for Beau, my canine companion of close to 17 years, departed April 1, whose removal of the catheter holding his final injection caused the Vet to remark "He just wrote the book" reminding me of the iconic Dinah song and starting my playlist the final version of which I have yet to publish. 

My to do list, includes that, research on 2 songwriters I was conducting at the time, an organized photo album of Beau and my recent gardening accomplishments.  Rather than list almost 400 songs I am listing the recording artists. Well if i keep commenting on each one this will take forever.

Art Pepper (only recently got out my fav straight ahead jazz collection from the '50s

Teri Thornton - masterful vocalist, rediscovered after Beau, she returned late in life to recording,

                       winning a prestigious Thelonius Monk award - am i mixed up - she won
                     a presitigious award at a vocal competition, then succumbed to a fatal illness

Thelma Jones (more when i publish my songwriting research Beau inspired

Nancy Wilson - favs from throughout her stellar career (so that means a lot)

Frank Sinatra - from wonderful recent compilation Ultimate Sinatra covers early and mid career and a live concert recorded in December 1961 in Sydney Australia.  I just googled to verify the date and found many editions including a 4 CD edition spanning his career and the Australian edition a 2 CD package which is the one I have which includes the concert.'

Billie Holiday! the exclamation mark because I noticed several songs recorded (separately of course) by Frank and Billie, in fact i think i have a playlist with just these 2, this list includes the songs each recorded back to back and my favorite live Holiday recordings.

Betwixt and between my frequent dilemmas over the order, initially i had electronic remixes of Billie Holiday (understandably considered blasphemous by purists) but i moved them somewhere.

Blackbird by Sylvester remained either cuz it fit or i failed to move it later, then

The Supremes - the list i postedon FB  yesterday of my favs mostly in chron order

Diana Ross - well I asked but NO ONE requested my current list

GeeJayDeluxe and GJ2K1 remixes of Diana, some Supremes, some mashups, since i discovered him every one of my many Diana lists includes his work from his remixes of Promise, Symphony, For Once, Mr. Sandman I proudly segue to

Billie Holiday blasphemous electronic remixes by varied mixers followed by some old favs from the dancing days

I Can't Get No Sleep - India

I Like MW Shanice

Beautiful People - Barbara Tucker

Only Love Can Break Your Heart - Saint Etienne

Blackalicious - Make You Feel That Way and Day One

Sounds of Blackness - Optimistic

SYLVESTER - he lives on you tube, in my collection, in the recent musical "Mighty Real"

Dolores Peterson electronic On My Mind

Leelah James

Chelo

Prince - some of his recent recordings ingenious and topical

Madonna - love her latest

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Lopez

Mary J. Blige - love some of her recent release

Angie Martinez

Ricky Martin, some old favs, mostly latest release just nominated for several Latin Grammys

Enrique Iglesias - old and new, i can't help it

Romeo Santos - love his voice and his new gay friendly release promoting acceptance

Prince Royce - my favorite of the newbies

I AM ME

Go deep in circles
To find it in me
Rain falls around to my beginnings
So many riddles of my identity
I know all the answers of who I'm supposed to be

I am me
Good or bad
I am myself
I'm no carbon copy of no one else
Right or wrong
I will stand up like a tree
Happy or sad
Good or bad
I am me
I am me

Following a move
Set up by some others
I would lose myself
And become another
Should I fail
And come to my ruin
Or if I succeed
It would be, be my doing

I'm me
Good or bad
I am myself
I'm no carbon copy of no one else
Right or wrong
I will stand up like a tree
Happy or sad
Good or bad
I am me
I am me

Different images
So many people see
Not knowing themselves
They are unique
To copy may be flattery
I understand
I can be a better me
Than anyone else

I am me
Good or bad
I am myself
I'm no carbon copy of no one else
Right or wrong
I will stand up like a tree
Happy or sad
Good or bad
I am me
I am me

I am me

written by  Diana Ross/Freddie Gorman/Janie Bradford for
Silk Electric, 1982, and appearing on Voice of Love, 1996

TRANSGENDER BENEFITS/MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR EPILEPTIC TEENS

What do these issues have in common?  Nothing really.  But like I said before I am a reading addict and my FB page is getting full of posts of political issues across the country my FB readers may or may not be interested in.  For example, reading the Lexington, KY daily paper to follow the latest unconstitutional antics of the Rowan County clerk confusing her religious beliefs with her legally required duties and I find an article on a contestant on the Voice from Harlan who was the subject of a post from a FB friend I had ignored.  More relevant, my fascination with the antics of the DEM AG in PA I think fills the patience quota for FB readers on out of state politics but leads me to NJ.com where I find, in addition to Christie's foolishness and Menendez' criminality 2 unrelated but fascinating to me articles I will post in full below. 

In the first one, the Mayor of Jersey City who has all but announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Governor next year has decided the city should offer health benefits for transgender employees.  That is remarkable in and of itself but more so that a candidate for statewide office would obviously determine such a stance would not be a detriment to his candidacy and perhaps be a benefit.

The other story was featured on The View, a program I have tried but barely watch as I find CNN more interesting.  I can barely remember to change the channel to watch Wendy Williams an hour later who is a lot more fun.  This family enrolled their epileptic teenage daughter in a school for disabled children with a policy to dispense prescribed medication to students while at school.  Having met all the requirements of the statewide medical marijuana law and with the mother registered as a caregiver and dispenser under the law, rather than sneaking the med into their child's lunch as others do they registered with the school but were denied all requests for alternative provision of this medication that has allowed their child relief from her symptoms and the ability to communicate for the first time.  It's tragic the the obstacles still presented based on fear and myth rather than facts. 

Fulop: government can change minds on transgender issues

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop

Mayor Steve Fulop announced on Sept. 22, 2015 that the city will expand health-care options for transgender workers. Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal (Jersey Journal file photo)

Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal By Terrence T. McDonald | The Jersey Journal
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on September 22, 2015 at 4:11 PM

JERSEY CITY — Mayor Steve Fulop made an argument for government as an agent of social change today when he announced the city would expand health-care options for transgender workers.
Fulop, who said the transgender civil-rights movement "far, far predates Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox" — two of the community's most high-profile members — said the city's action isn't just about changing its health-care policies but about "changing minds as well."
"For most of history the fight for transgender rights has been a lonely one, and it's also been one in which government has been on the sidelines at best and even sometimes on the wrong side," he said. "That's something that must change today and Jersey City wants to be an example of that."
The mayor, who is expected to join a long list of Democrats running for governor in 2017, called transgender-focused medical care "as essential as heart bypass or cholesterol medication."
The city is the first in the state to offer medical benefits catered to transgender individuals, according to LGBT advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
Andrea Bowen, outgoing head of Garden State Equality, and a transgender woman herself, said she hopes more cities follow Jersey City's lead. That could result in an increase in the number of doctors with knowledge of transgender medical care, she said.
"It's revolutionary, what's going on right now," she said today.

---

OPINION: Why Jersey City will provide transgender-related health care

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More and more cities nationwide are offering their transgender workers expanded healthcare options, including gender affirmation surgery, also known as gender reassignment surgery. Jersey City joins Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
In 2012, only five of the 136 cities whose policies were reviewed by HRC for its annual Municipal Equality Index offered that kind of health care, while in 2014, 42 out of 353 cities did, according to Xavier Persad, HRC's legislative counsel.
Persad said offering these types of benefits is a low-cost way for cities to become more competitive when recruiting top officials and sends a message about equality.
"Cities have realized the value of treating their employees fairly," he said.
Today, Fulop said the changes will cost the city $100,000 to $500,000 more annually.
"Of course there is a cost," he said. "The most important thing about it, though, is the message and hopefully that this becomes common practice far beyond the borders of Jersey City."
Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.

  

*   *    *    *    *   

N.J. family in medical marijuana dispute with school appears on 'The View'

Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Susan K. Livio | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on September 21, 2015 at 2:30 PM, updated September 22, 2015 at 2:08 AM

TRENTON — The parents of a 16-year-old girl with epilepsy who have sued her New Jersey school district to allow her to consume medical marijuana oil on school grounds took their battle to daytime television Monday by appearing on ABC's "The View."
In a live interview, Lora and Roger Barbour of Maple Shade explained to co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Paula Faris how their homemade cannabis oil has succeeded in controlling their daughter Genny's seizures and even improved her speech.
Lora Barbour wept as she recalled the day in April when Genny walked up to her father and said, "I love you." It wasn't just the feelings behind the words that moved them, but their oldest daughter's ability to speak more than one word at a time. "It brought us to tears," Roger Barbour said.

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RELATED: N.J. lawmakers send bill to Christie allowing students to use medical marijuana in school

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The Barbours' appearance comes a week after their latest legal loss. State Administrative Law Judge John S. Kennedy denied an emergency motion seeking permission for Lora Barbour to come to The Larc School in Bellmawr every day at lunchtime to give her daughter her midday dose of oil, mixed with a soft drink. "There are no doctor's reports from (Genny Barbour's) treating physician that would establish that her lunchtime dose of marijuana is medically necessary," according to the opinion by Kennedy, who has twice ruled against the family's request this year to have the school nurse administer the dose. The judge said the Maple Shade district and the Larc school were obligated to adhere to state drug-free school laws.
"The judge got it wrong," Roger Barbour said, arguing that the state medical marijuana provides "exceptions if you have a license." His wife is Genny's registered caregiver who is legally protected from arrest from possession edible marijuana.
"It's a handicap school, and they give medicine to all of these children," Lora Barbour said. Compared to the pharmaceuticals and their potentially dangerous side effects, marijuana "is safer than any of these drugs."
The Barbours have sent Genny to school half-days since April to ensure she receives the oil four times a day as her doctor has recommended. Her seizures occur about every five days now, instead of several times a day before she started on cannabis oil, they have said.
"We even asked if we could sneak it in her lunch," Lora Barbour told the TV show hosts. "That's what most parents do."
"We went in really naïve to the school...we filled out your medication policy form. They said no," Roger Barbour said. "We are trying to advance this through the courts."
Roger Barbour, an attorney, is appealing the case in state and federal court on the grounds that his daughter is being denied her education because of her illness.
A bill passed in June by the state legislature and awaiting action by Gov. Chris Christie would require school districts to set policy allowing children who are registered with the state medical marijuana program to allow for its edible use on school grounds.
Goldberg said The View reached out to the governor's office and was told, "The governor does not comment on pending legislation. Yeah," she said in a sarcastic tone eliciting laughter from the audience.
Yale University School of Medicine Professor Sheryl Ryan, sitting in the audience next to Genny and her 13-year-old sister Marlee, said cannabis oil in this case "seems like a reasonable use." But the American Academy of Pediatrics has generally opposed medical marijuana, saying there is no science to support it.
What about the families who resorted to medical marijuana as a "desperate measure? There is your science," Goldberg replied.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey on Monday joined the Barbours public fight to press the governor to sign the edible marijuana at school bill. Referencing Christie's statement during the Republican debate last week in which he said he supported medical marijuana, the ACLU-NJ tweeted:

Good @ChrisChristie is talking the talk. Now let Genny have her meds and stay in school. http://t.co/pxDHY7ra2f pic.twitter.com/Uv05nos5Op

— ACLU of New Jersey (@ACLUNJ) September 21, 2015

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

© 2015 NJ.com. All rights reserved.

GRANDMA WAS RIGHT!

GRANDMA WAS RIGHT

OH WHAT A CRAZY MIXED UP WORLD! 

A brainless out of touch bimbo - and I don't use those terms lightly - Kardashian hosts a party that includes an intense mid-week MIDNIGHT fireworks display in the water off Marina Del Rey terrorizing dogs - one went into cardiac arrest - and people for miles around - not far from LAX - if they can tackle a hoverboard riding rapper why won't they do the same to a terror causing Kardashian? Rather than paying a fine for her illegal terrorizing stunt she ought to be required to show up daily at 6 a.m to shovel shit clean up and help out at dog shelters for months - and not some pristine shelter on the wealthy west side but in the dungiest shelters around - and be filmed doing so. 

Finally a Federal US Appeals Court - of course the 9th Circuit - rules for the first time that law enforcement officers can be held PERSONALLY liable for deliberately withholding exculpatory evidence that proved the innocence of someone who has just spent the last 27 years in prison. 

The sociopath prep school rapist trying to have it both ways - denying rape or even consensual sex, yet bragging about it to his friends! He got kicked out of divinity school after the indictment - seems to me fit all the prerequisites of ministry these days - at least the anti-same sex marriage, anti divorce anti abortion pro secret sex life type.

As for Grandma - she said there is good and bad in every person and social group - and to look for the good. Today there is a lot of bad. And in the current social media no longer can any group hide behind a pretense that their group is all good. From the most blatantly advertised male prostitution ring to the perhaps mentally ill crazed gay black man assassinating the young and innocent. NYT and ABC confirming what my "gaydar" sensed from the first images released this morning. As well, and I don't know if it can be found - it's still too hot here for me to look, I don't know if I can complete this much less a personal note I will have to postpone till later - one brief interview on CNN with someone I thought was a station manager or perhaps supervisor - not the eloquent moving white bearded gentleman being interviewed all day - this guy looked black and also seemed gay to me - and very real. And he contradicted the assertions of incidents the killer deemed to be examples of discriminatory treatment. Most horrifying of all is his claim of retribution for those killed in the church in Charleston - whose very survivors have spoken out for forgiveness reconciliation and healing from the very moment after and ever onward. With a little long ago experience with therapy and meds, this amateur armchair psychologist diagnoses a socially isolated overweight gay black man with social acceptance and self esteem issues who rather than seeking social support and counseling was, according to his father, becoming addicted to "energy" pills if not steroids which seems to explain the angry behavior and paranoia. This station didn't fire him after the first incident, they tried to help, counseled him, warned him, and referred him to employee assistance programs to no avail. You can't force someone to help himself. 

The killer referenced filing a claim with EEOC, which EEOC is not allowed to disclose or deny.  If he did file a claim with EEOC, it would have investigated his claim, then either pursued it, provided him a right to sue letter, which means the EEOC did not find it met its standards to pursue but he could file a lawsuit in court directly or through an attorney if he could afford and identify one willing to file the lawsuit, or denied his claim.  Since he made no further mention of the EEOC case, it is likely that one of the latter two scenarios occurred.  Even when a right to sue letter is issued, it is difficult to find an attorney even if one could afford one and even more difficult to prevail.    

And still - here's the annoying part to some of you - I realize just because no one has quit my page in the last 3 days doesn't mean I haven't annoyed anyone lately - the NRA and Bernie Sanders assert that gun and ammunition makers, sellers, and distributors are no more responsible for gun violence than hardware stores are for selling hammers. Yet somehow whether it's simple guns and bullets or advance automatic weaponry with magazines and engraved bullets - the use of guns result in a lot more damage and death than hammers do.

WORDS ARE PEOPLE'S DREAMS

WORDS ARE PEOPLE'S DREAMS

 

It's been awhile.  I've been warming up on Facebook as I approach some posts, close to where I left off, when I planned to return and post mostly here again, rather than FB.  Looking for one special photo to memorialize Beau got me going through pre-computer, pre-house photos around 1998-2007  as I picked up when i got the computer and my old photo albums go through around 2000.  FB post describes the envelope of mementos collected by Dad, and apparently my first book, illustrated, undated.  Without the photos and lettering it does not have the same impact looking at it nor the geometrical design.  But I will reprint to memorialize here, circa 8th grade?

Words are people's DREAMS  by Brock Evans

There was a time when I was young, 

not caring about anything but having fun.

All I cared about was playing, 

not worrying about my grades or school.

Rolling about on the majestic hills was most fun,
not thinking just playing.  

I didn't care when my dog bit my brother,

But boy did it hurt when I slammed the car door on my finger.

But I still had fun.

As I sit here thinking back, I realize how I relished my youth.

But time has taken its course, and here I sit  grown out of my youth,

like a butterfly broken out of its shell.

I shall still have fun, but in a different way.

ONCE UPON A GRAPEFRUIT

I am a grapefruit.  Like most ordinary grapefruit, I am sour like a lemon.  Some people don't like me because of my taste, though they are attracted by my beautiful yellow skin, which is as bright as the sun.  As you know, I am tanned all my life by father sun until my fateful day.  I am round like mother earth and, I am pleased to say, am juicier than my enemy, the orange and have more seeds than that foe of mine, the apple.  I am bigger than both the applie and the orange and, in my opinion, taste much, much better than any other fruit in the whole world.  

DID YOU EVER HAVE TO MAKE UP YOUR MIND?

the above was one page, the letters in the shape of a question mark, surrounded by question marks in different colors.  from a favorite song of the era.

last page, perhaps taken from the book "Profiles in Courage", which I remember reading.:

"The stories of past courage can define that ingredient.  They can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration.  But they cannot supply courage itself.  For this each man must look into his own soul." JFK

So now for my present day interjections.  I don't remember being so carefree, and perhaps the notion of looking back at my youth at perhaps the age of 11 more or less alludes to that, but one feels so "old" or at least much "older" in that phase from middle school to high school.  I am pretty sure this is pre-high school.  I was thinking already when I return to the blog post-Beau reminisces, I was going to write about my first memories, which are of politics, fairness and equity, I thought of calling "Born This Way", serious from the beginning, my first protests during kindergarten being against God, Jesus Christ, and/or the Catholic Church, then my parents.  You'll just have to wait for more.  Then I was going to detail my political history and support of specific candidates.  

I still hate to make up my mind and choose.  

I googled "Once Upon A Grapefruit" to see if I copied it from somewhere but nothing came up.  I don't particularly remember liking grapefruit but maybe the theme was part of the assignment.  Interesting how a grapefruit tree is the most noteable feature in my back yard, in the exact center, the largest and most prolific tree.  I get more grapefruits than any other.  

And I found again a draft i thought i lost that I also found part of on google +, which starts with Beau but ends up with results of my search for the writer of 2 particular songs that I caught my attention at the time, that were already familiar to me but I was hearing in a new way.  And each author had the most interesting history I can't wait to share it.  Until then,  I have more searching to do and more personal history to explore.

DINAH WASHINGTON DOES THAT TO YOU

More accurately, DINAH WASHINGTON WILL DO THAT TO YOU, but it woudln't fit in the centered bold italic headline letter in one line so I compromised for now.  As that's at least the third title I've thought of for my thoughts in the last hour since taking a break conducting music research and correcting music files on the computer.  More correcting actually.  I just had to take another break as the title of the Faye Carol [Faye Carol website or Faye Carol wiki bio] CD song I selected was not correct and neither were any of the titles.  I really hate that.  And its' not her, happens on others as well.  Stop the presses - the website is active and looks fresh and she looks fresh and even better than my memory of seeing her on Sunday afternoons at a small piano bar cabaret in the Castro with lover #1.  Sometimes we could walk less than a block and see Sylvester blowing down the house at another bar.  But that's not what I am writing about, but I am going to have to further research Faye Carol imminently.  

By the way there's a poem coming, but you have to either read this first unless you are too busy or demanding.  

Started today with a wonderful hike in beautiful weather.  We can now hike both sides of the Arroyo Seco with less caution as the homeless tent encampment between the freeway and the Arroyo has vanished in the months since I last hiked with Beau and Haley together.  I never did take Haley alone and leave Beau at home as I contemplated.  This is now our week anniversary of the new 3X/week excluding weekends and holidays hikes I plan with Haley.  According to the neighbor tensions and rivalry (over who knows what -  sex partners, drugs, alcohol, noise, food and favors) I had noted before as the population and tents increased until someone burned down another tent and  the authorities which I noted had started checking had their justification to clear them all out.  

Since I predicted the day's news I decided  to work on Beau's playlist.  One thing lead to another.  Trying out songs, than other versions of those songs, then songs they reminded me of, then searching for songs I knew were stored but not showing up in searches.  And correcting what I found.  And ripping my extensive Dinah Washington CD collection onto the computer (the external drive actually) when I was shocked to discover that I did not have ANY version of "I Could Write A Book" stored much less Dinah's iconic and my favorite version.  The context is in the "A Surreal Day in the Life" post but as I've become more immune to morbidity and enjoy? not really relish - something about I like to tell the story and it gets briefer and thus more morbid with each telling.  As the (sensitive yet spike haired not quite youthful gotta be dyke) vet remarked that Beau should be asleep by now after infecting half the fluids, Beau yanked out the needle, licked some of the drops that flew through the air, and  gave me one of his let's go have fun looks.  The dry witted vet remarked "Beau just wrote the book" as he became the first dog in the known history of that facility to do so.  Thus, of course the reason this song HAS to be on his playlist and I have neglected adding it all week.  And there being no reason not to, I copied all the Dinah, which was most of her, not already copied.  I didn't bother looking at the vinyl collection to discern the differences or absences in either collection.  And yes the ONLY reason I just wrote that sentence was to brag about my vinyl collection as well.

So the positive outlook is that I did not spend the day reading media sites on the net nor watching TV all day.  However, neither did I do anything on my list, starting with completing the computer reinstallation which will enable be to start doing everything else on the list much easier.  But, and you can thank Faye Carol for the following succinctness that just may save me paragraphs of writing around the "bush" and you the reading thereof, for as she now timely sings "ANOTHER TORCH SONG MUST BE SUNG" introducing her incredible version of "You Let Me Down" I was thinking the poem is kind of like a "torch poem".  Who knows if I am inventing a new literary genre, or it has been done, or experts consider no difference between a "torch" poem or song.  Literally, please let me know.  

I need to let you all know right now there will be no Faye Carol song on Beau's playlist; an incorrect song title led to listen to a particular song and after having to correct each title I decided it's great background for writing this because it's not Beau's playlist which would be distracting.

There's one more song I thought of this morning but I forgot it already.  As well as whether there was anything else I wanted to say before Faye timely and generously gave me the succinct segue.  Other than I noted starting yesterday and more today a deeper and different feeling.  And analyzed it as being natural and logical according to nature.  The absence of Beau's misery left me feeling almost euphoric knowing of the absence of his pain, my pride at resolving it and knowledge of doing it timely.  I don't want to mislead,  it increased  gradually each day.  "Only" the last 2 days were the worst and  the basis that convinced me to act.  As well I noted that coincided with my certainty of Haley's taking note of Beau's pain, looking from him to me, and lying with him.  So months of dreading, weeks of fearing, days of knowing it was time.  And wonderful  intimate hours massaging and holding nightly.

So now that I think more of the good times before all that I realize it would only be natural to think more of the years of joy and fulfillment than the days of misery.  And while I have found some songs to add and I am still comparing versions before I finalize, I already realized that many would be more like parody, some would be close, but none would be exact as expected.  So I tried to write my own, and revised and worked on it till tiring of it and being unable to think any longer of the specific revision and adjustments it still needs.  

Some of the others I have written I feel are done, and one or two I feel need more work that I haven't wanted to spend time on; for now I would put this one in the latter category.  Finally, i just remembered I wanted to mention my personal delight and amusement thinking I have written a torch poem and that really lightened me up.  Oh -  and anyone unsure of what is meant by a genre of "torch songs" google or research it, it's too basic for me to ever explain.  You know it or you don't but if you don't you can learn. 

After this poem, I may add all the poli stuff from my FB page which I think I could edit into several articulate essays on the distinct subjects discussed therein.  And below that I can paste and finish the essays and fascinating research I had drafted and almost completed that discussed my thoughts experience and research that all inspired in the period BBD (before Beau died).  I had found some interesting histories of songs and writers.  As interesting as today's find of song I abandoned for the playlist but have copied and pasted to keep of a song Stephen Sondheim wrote for a musical made for TV and broadcast in late 1966.  Maybe I'll write about that next, and withhold the details thinking what a perfect subject for a blog contest that would be.

MEMORIES OF JOY

Now that I find
as nature goes
memories of pain
fade like afterglow

A few last days of misery
start to fade and dim
replaced with thoughts
of so many years
Filled with happiness and joy

Memory of easing his pain now starting to vanish
amid mindful longing for that last peaceful week
and by thoughts of Holding him close
embracing enveloping inhaling infusing
his essence and feel and fur and touch

So now the sadness sets in and deeper it goes
as I start to remember so many years
filled with days of adventure and drama
worry and woe
but mostly of joy and happiness so


for Beau

April 3, 2015