The visit of Pope Francis 2015...

Pope Francis holds his hand out over masses of people

So far the papal visit & Pope Francis' tour have been a very refreshing & yes, so far, a joyous experience for me, a non religious person. To watch & listen as he makes his way around Washington, speaking with the people & to the people in an intelligent & supremely caring manner.

Pope Francis Skips Lunch With Politicians To Be With Homeless In Washington, D.C.

Let's be honest here - this is not just a man of God, this is a man of the people...a man of the ages. A man who truly loves the people he sees, who truly holds compassion & caring for all of them, above everything else! He does not just lend lip service or the church dogma with each stop, but shows he wants the best for all people...& he is calling for the best from all of us as well!

He doesn't have to be a man of God...a man of faith, for me to listen to him. He had me with intelligent dialogue.

All I have to know is how important his messages are to the masses & how important his station is on a global level. Perhaps in his loving & humble way, he will achieve the things we all need to have happen! And many who feel as he does, want to have happen.  Will those in high places, those who hold important positions listen to him? Take to heart what he is saying? 

Or will they again tell him to 'butt out' when he doesn't come in line with their agenda like he's already been told pre to this visit? The line they've been 'preaching' in God's name is being contradicted by his speeches & sermons...so how do they deal with this? Or will they bother? It seems to me that the people they speak to don't really care what the church says, or what the bible & Jesus said. They only care about what their 'party' says...those politicians wishing to hold on to support with the use of religion & discredit each other by using the same.

We are all the same in Francis' eyes. All equal. And all too often that is not what is seen in this country. Oh, we can deny that, but actions speak so much louder than words & Christians themselves might want to take a closer look in the mirror, as well as at their actions & stop hiding behind God's name.

In his soft spoken way, Pope Francis asked us to not trample peoples equality...women's as well as everyone else. He reminds people, politicians specifically that the country is founded on immigrants & some, like himself achieve greatness if allowed to prosper without being shut out, sent away or persecuted. He also reminded us that 'all' religions should enjoy freedom of worship, not just the one you follow. And if you choose to follow none, that's fine too...you aren't a heathen nor should you be hated or called some of the names that I have been called.

Some of us follow a God, some of us follow a philosophy. But as long as we care about one another, for one another & hold out a helping hand to the needy, to those who are crushed under events that have taken place in their lives, leaving them with little to nothing, we will be doing what he wishes. He reminds people that nowhere in their bible does it say 'you earned that money so you get to keep it all & forsake those in need'. In fact, your Jesus taught quite the opposite...

Other good men...as well as women, have preceded this man & after the spin put on their words by politicians & those who wish to minimize them, we are left with not a lot of what they tried to teach us actually getting accomplished. Do we stand a chance that this good man has reached the right people where heretofore no one else seems to have?

I guess we stay tuned now & do whatever we can to promote his words.

The Low Anthem...

Well, here we go with another rash of concerts for fall. I guess the word rash seems as though it's an uncomfortable thing but believe me, nothing is further from the truth. Music is my life and being able to see live music performed by favorite people is a kiss to the heart.

The Low Anthem, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Ben Miller, Jeff Prystowsky, Jocie Adams and sometimes Mat Davidson have been a favorite of mine ever since discovering them on cd Baby's website a few years ago. I bought the first album and quickly snapped up the others as they were released. With any album, there are favorite songs but with this group, I find it hard to actually choose. People have asked me and I can usually only narrow it down to five or six after a lot of hemming and hawing.

They are a unique and extremely talented trio [sometimes quartet] who between them all play 34 instruments. Almost all vintage or antique. It has been said that they have in their possession, more antique instruments than the museum in Providence Rhode Island where they hail from.
And each of them is able to play almost all of the 34! I got to see this first hand last Wednesday night, Sept 14 when we attended their concert at the World Cafe LIVE in Philly.

The evening opened with guest artist William Elliot Whitmore, a singer/songwriter I'd never heard of before. But he didn't disappoint and was the perfect choice to open for a band like The Low Anthem. William played banjo, guitar and bass drum. Yes, you read that right - bass drum! It had a wonderful effect with what he did and we enjoyed him a lot!



Then with virtually no real break at all, Low Anthem entered the stage. They began their program by announcing they would do the songs in chronological order which got a laugh from the audience but really ended up working well for those recording their favorite songs.



I could fill this post with video I took of the evening but I think it would be better if you went to see them yourself if they come to your corner of the world. Philly was the first concert of the tour and they will work themselves cross country to California before going on hiatus to work on new things at home in Rhode Island. You will not be disappointed and since this tour will be their last, you won't get another chance if you pass on this one.

To Ben, Jeff, Jocie & Mat, plus past member Dan Lefkowitz, - thank you for three incredible albums that filled so many of my days, plus an evening I will never forget.

Eric Clapton in the 'Burgh...

A lifelong dream of mine came true last Thursday night, February 25th when we battled to stay ahead of one of the worst blizzards of the year and get from Philly to Pittsburgh ahead of the storm. The goal was to see my guitar idol Eric Clapton who was going to be appearing at the dear old Igloo (Mellon Arena). Having missed the chance to see him a number of times already, I was very nervous it would happen again as they talked of record breaking snowfall the day before the concert.

Could we make the 300 plus mile trip before the storm hit? Well, we were about to find out because we were not going to be deprived of another opportunity to see him.
And see the Igloo for the last time too, because that wonderful old arena, the oldest in the NHL, was slated to also be torn down within the month.

So we left the Mustang in our garage, knowing better than to take it on a snowy trip and sliding off the road. Instead we hopped into my 15 year old Escort GT knowing that if we had any chance at all of making it to Pittsburgh, my Pokey was going to be the one to get us there.


~Pokey resting on Laurel Highlands

We arrived in the Burgh and had time to spare...the weather still holding strong in that fair city.

After getting settled and having something to eat it was off to the Igloo like we had done so many times while living there and going to so many Penguins games. It was so bittersweet being back, knowing I was going to see Eric for the first time in my life - and seeing the Igloo for my last time.

Roger Daltrey was appearing with Eric and opened the show with some of his older Who stuff but much of his stuff was new to the audience. He did many covers of other artists and endeared himself immediately with the crowd. Opening his portion with I Can See For Miles and The Real Me, he also did a Taj Mahal cover of Freedom Ride. Levon Helm's song, Gimme A Stone was perhaps the favorite of the Daltrey set -

Finally, the moment everyone had come for. Eric strolled out on stage without any fanfare whatsoever, looking like a college professor dressed for a weekend visit to the market. He wore jeans, a plain blue button-down shirt and sneakers, his hair long, his manner quiet and unassuming.

When he played the opening chords of "Goin' Down Slow" he was suddenly transformed — as was I and the rest of the audience — through his brief 15-song, 90-minute set. The brevity of the show didn't matter. Like other singular artists — think Pavarotti, Baryshnikov or DeNiro — Clapton's talent defies description, and astounds even as it takes place before one's eyes. He seems almost lackadaisical in his approach to his craft, but the genius that emerges as his hands fly up and down the length of his guitar is astounding.

Four songs into the evening Clapton played "Old Love," an atmospheric, sweetly melancholic tune that featured one of his indescribable guitar solos. You start to think nothing would top this ... until the next song, a rousing version of "I Shot the Sheriff" which featured yet another breathtaking guitar solo. So went the entire evening. Even the obligatory acoustic run of songs, which featured "Driftin' Blues," "Nobody Knows When You're Down and Out," "Running on Faith" and "I've Got a Rock 'n' Roll Heart," transcended the usual limitations of such forays.

Instead of seeming indulgent, Clapton transformed the whole arena into an intimate club. The lighting - the general feeling given off - his quiet rapport with his listeners, made everyone feel that he was playing for them...only them. Everyone had "their" Clapton song and he accommodated most by giving them that. How do you top that?

Well, we are talking Eric Clapton here right? It's easy. He trotted out "Badge" from his tenure with Cream, and even though a keyboardist added some odd-sounding accompaniment (much to Clapton's amusement) the grandness of this magisterial song shone through. With another stunning solo unleashed, of course.

Clapton followed with sparkling versions of "Little Queen of Spades," "Before You Accuse Me," "Wonderful Tonight" and "Cocaine," the audience response increasing with each selection. And that was it! Suddenly it was over, save for a truncated, almost carnival-like version of "Crossroads" that ended the evening much, much too soon.

I wish I could have captured more video of this concert but to be honest, I was so wrapped up in what I was experiencing, I simply forgot to turn the Flip on when I maybe could have. However, I did get a few and will leave you with one....



So I had finally achieved the thing I've waited my entire life for. And now I want to do it again!

A new president, a new precedent...

How can I possibly find something new to say after these last few days? It's virtually impossible now that everyone has had a chance to put their spin on events of the last days, so maybe just a few of my own words on how I feel about everything. And how we all finally got here in one piece.

I had written a blog some months back saying I was disappointed in Oprah Winfrey for putting her support behind Barack Obama. That post was gravely misunderstood and I immediately regretted not being clearer in what I was trying to say. I had been questioning how quickly Oprah backed Obama after so many years of saying we needed female representation in Washington and women should vote for a woman given the opportunity.

The opportunity arose and Oprah didn't do what she'd been asking of others because the woman candidate, Hillary Clinton had an opponent who was an African American man. Oprah dropped everything she'd been advocating over the years and put her support behind him. For one reason - he was black.
I felt she was setting a terrible example for others, especially in lieu of what she'd been preaching to her hordes and because the very last reason a person should vote for an individual is because of his or her color.

I eventually changed my thinking on the issue because I realized that it was just as bad for her to be asking someone to vote for a woman based solely on that one fact as well. We hopefully choose people for what they stand for, what they can bring to bear and how well we think they will do in a position of leadership. Not gender - not skin color, but ability, integrity and honestly.

However, I do not want to rehash that old post. It's past - it's done for whatever reasons Oprah gives for it now. She's a happy woman. I'm a happy woman.

I am thrilled that Barack Obama is our 44th president of the United States.
It's not that I think Hillary would have been a bad president - I backed her initially and I don't doubt her capability if she'd stayed in and gone on to be president. After all, she would have Bills experience as president to draw on as well as his wealth of knowledge from those years.

But I love what has happened now! I love that history was made. I love that I stood for over two hours in the teeming rain to help make it happen. I love that we have dared to take the first tiny step over racial lines and thumb our noses at racism and recognize a person who is ideal for our times. The world looked on and rejoiced along with us. Did we regain our respect around the world? I would say we did quite a bit. The world too, recognized what we were trying to achieve and now it's up to us to prove this wasn't just a single fluke, a blip or lapse from the same ol' inbred politics of the past. It looks like America may have finally grown up at last. No more bogeymen under the bed. No more running scared because a candidate says we'll all die if we don't get him into office post haste.

And the YouTube propaganda couldn't put dent in the glacial move to make this happen. Fear mongering, while still rattling some, didn't work this time. People wanted change and they weren't buying into the threats "we're all gonna die". Or that Obama was the Antichrist. Or that he was the number one evil incarnate because he happened to have the middle name Hussein.

When I see things such as this being said, I have a better understanding of how we ended up having eight years of George W. Bush. Stupidity prevails no matter how hard we try to educate. One example: using names as a measure of good or evil. Well then, it's certainly good we didn't end up with John McCain. For all those fearful prophets reading doom into the name Hussein, let me give you bigger things we could have worried about! John!!! Yes, John McCain. You want stupid logic? Here's a bunch! According to this thought pattern a man named John would have certainly brought our nation to utter ruin. I mean just look at history, it's all right there. There was John Wayne Gacey. And John Wilkes Booth, John Gotti, John Dillinger, John George Haigh known as the 'Acid Bath Murderer' in the UK.

Oh yes, and let's not forget John Hinckley Jr. and John Schrank who attempted to kill Teddy Roosevelt. All just evil Johns. Can you see how dumb that line of thinking really is? Yet there were people wringing their hands and sending out email warnings about this 'omen' - this sign of all that is bad.
Furthermore, why not think about a great man like the late King Hussein instead? How did a name, Hussein, become a bad word? Who stole this name and corrupted it to mean radical Muslim terrorist? Utter nonsense, sorry.

A name doesn't make a man. A man makes a name for himself! I expect that our new president will make a fine name for himself if given the chance and that includes help from us, the people who will benefit the most from supporting him now. He has what he's coined as 'the audacity of hope'. I do too. I know that together, we can make this nation great once more.

Yes, we can.

And so after all of this, we can't always be somber - a little levity is in order - if you're Irish anyway - like Barack Obama. What, you say? Oh yes! He's as Irish as Paddy's tam - just give a listen - O'Click here.

The words of a child...

I know what those who know me are going to be saying right now. 'Oh oh, the Tree Hugger is at it again'. Well yes, they're right. She is. As I drag my little soapbox over to stand on, I want to share this powerful video with you.




Can you watch and listen to her words and not feel a little shame, sadness or some guilt? Unless you are guiltless of any of the things she talks about, then you should be ashamed and sad...and feeling guilty.

We talk about making a better world for our children, and their children after them - but we wait for someone else to do that for us. We're too busy buying and disposing of the things we're tired of - last years 'had to have' items are now this years donation or trash.
And our lawns and properties...make them beautiful on the surface, as we kill what's underneath. Poisoning the earth and the waters - and our animals - and our children!

Others try to make a difference - to change attitudes and try and compel us to care for Mother Earth as we sit idly by clucking our tongues and saying how awful things are getting but never making any effort to change them ourselves.

What will it take to make a difference? Will it be the heartfelt words of just one single child? I wish I had more faith in mankind to believe it will because I don't think the words of even a million children would make a difference. But like anything in this life, we can live in the hope that one thing may just sink in before it's too late for all of us. Will it be this girls plea that makes that happen?

If you need inspiration...

I don't think we can look at our cut finger or stubbed toes and whine after watching what others cope with so beautifully every day of their lives, do you?