Thursday, December 31, 2015

Some call this "Spock Thoughts" - Happy New Year

I'm not an overly religious man.  
Spiritual, yes.  
But not religious...
This poem; Desiderata, has had an impact on me over the past decade tough.  And recently it's been on my mind quite a bit.  Some read it as religious.  I don't.  I just think it's good, fundamental thinking.  

“Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. 
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. 
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. 
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. 
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. 
Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. 
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. 
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. 
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. 
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. 
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. 

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.


 - Max Ehrmann,
1927


Friday, December 4, 2015

Feels like a century ago... But it was only 1994...


I remember this guy...  
He had just bought a Prince bootleg no one else had heard, I'm sure...  
And when done listening to that was blasting Gn'R (or something) while planning a movie that never got made...  
He worked at a real coffee shop, and hung out with guys with funny names like Tricky Rock, Mighty J.Slim, Rich Warren, Sten, and women who were probably too good to been seen in public with a dork like me....
 Go ahead...  Laugh.  It's OK. I did too when I saw the hair!

It's that time of year when we need a smile, a laugh.  
The video, shared below, was one I posted to Facebook and YouTube earlier this week, and shared in a mass message to some friends and family.
It's a little (very little) piece of history.  But it's a big piece of history for me.  
My brother was so much to me.
Not just a brother, but a best friend, a collaborator, and more.  Had he lived longer he would have been a part of Elmwood Productions without a doubt, and I can only imagine what he would have cooked up.

Anyway...
It's the "holiday" season.
Let's Do Good Things.
 Let's be good people.  And let's share positive thoughts and keep smiling.
We live in such a wild world now, Hell, we lived in on in 1994 when this was first filmed...
This wild world needs a smile.  Needs a "hug".
Let's do that.  Embrace each other.  Show love regardless of religion, skin color, age, gender, whatever...
Let's just be in love, with each other.  


Support the MDA
mda.org
In 1994 local television station WFSB was still airing the annual MDA Labor Day Telethon. Late that summer they sent a small crew to my parents home to do a piece on my brother, Michael, who had passed away just after the 1993 telethon. 
This is a transfer of that piece from a VHS tape provided to my family after it aired. 
My aunt also gave me a copy of the tape recently, which prompted me to transfer it to digital, and share it.
I don't own it, or the music. Just want to share this small piece of my family history.



So that's it...
Til 2016, Jon's Java is on vacation!
See you in the new year!