Just Like You

Cat’s In The Cradle
Comment(s):
Every father’s prayer:  “Dear Lord, Help my children be better than me.“
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On This Day In:
2019	None Absolutely Certain
	Destroying The Republic
2018	Maps For Those Difficult Times
2017	A True American Hero
	Or Desserts
2016	What #AmnestyDon Is Really Afraid Of
2015	What Are You Doing?
2014	The Ideal Man
2013	Daring Ripples
2012	Evermore
2011	Unpredictable Opportunity
2010	Giants Fall In Game 2 (1 to 6) – Leave PA With 1-1 Split !!

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R.I.P.: Eddie Van Halen

Dance The Night Away
Comment(s):
To be honest, I was not a “big” Van Halen (group) fan.  I do own their “Greatest Hits” CD and “1984” album and I did really like a number of their songs (particularly this one and “Jump“).  Having said that, I was a fan of Eddie Van Halen.  I thought he had some great riffs and he always seemed to bring a sense of joy to their videos.
I heard (today) Eddie passed away after a multi-year struggle with throat cancer.  The world is better for his having been a part of it.  The music world is a little less tonight for his loss.
Hendrix, Prince and (now) Eddie Van Halen…  Heaven must be jammin’ & screamin’ tonight!  I bet Glen Campbell and Roy Clark are fingerin’ in a few licks with them, too!
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On This Day In:
2019	Two Peace
2018	The Sensation Of Human Intimacy
2017	One Night In A Thousand Years
2016	A Considerable Amount Of Work
2015	Panzer Soldier
2014	Babies (I)
2013	Patriotic == Tell The Truth
2012	30 Days To Go
2011	Altering The Course

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Register And Vote

If I have learned one thing in this life, it is that God will not tie my shoes without me.
—   Doug Boyd
[Vote like YOUR life depends on it.  With 200,000 more predicted COVID-19 deaths by the end of the year – YOUR life may BE dependent on it!!
My thoughts about re-opening “the economy” and K-12 schools:
America has less than 5% of the world’s population, but it has over 20% of the world’s COVID deaths.  Over 20 million workers were laid off in this year’s shelter-in-place.  There are estimates of 130 to 150 million workers in the United States.  This was when “all” / most of the country was supposed to be on a “shelter-in-place” order and the economy was “shut-down“.  This means over 80% of the workers were STILL employed / working.  Let’s be generous and say 75% of ALL the remaining workers were able to work from home.  That means we still had over 25 million people working outside of their homes and exposed to others.  That was “considered” a FULL shutdown…  It is simply NOT possible to have a FULL shutdown of a modern economy.  In the U.S., over 20 million are employed in health care alone.  Granted a fair number of those may be in administrative roles and not actually care providers.
Again:  We did NOT and have not been able to shutdown the economy and we will never be able to.  The only way to get to 2022AD with the minimum number of deaths is strict adherence to:  1)  Wear a MASK;  2) Wash your hands frequently;  3)  Practice social distancing when out in public (a minimum of 6-8 feet apart);  4) Avoid large gatherings (more than 10 people);  5)  re: #4 – particularly when the gathering is planned to be indoors;  6) and take the vaccine as soon as it is “reliably” certified by the CDC.  (This means after Trump has been removed from office.)
A couple of years ago I opined that youth exposure to internet pornography was the “greatest / worst” social experiment of our time.  My opinion has changed…  We are, as a nation, committing to sending millions of OUR children under the age of 12 years old back to school where they will almost certainly be exposed to COVID.  It is being stated the young are the least susceptible to fatal exposure and, therefore the “risk” is their spreading COVID to others (parents / adults).  This is not entirely true.  We have no idea what the long term effects of COVID exposure are to children or if prolonged or repeated exposure will have any effects later in their lives.  And we can’t know either of these things for multiple years.  We are not just risking the current economy.  We are risking the health and future of OUR children.
I know there is a lot going on now-a-days.  I just wish someone (journalist / broadcaster / doctor) was taking a lead in raising this concern.  I feel like a voice in the wilderness…
And now I will climb down from my soapbox.  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2019	Love And Leave
2018	Smiling If Not Laughing
2017	Chilled And Smooth
2016	But Sometimes You Have To Stand In Front
2015	The Key Shift
2014	Remember ISIS / ISIL?
2013	What Have You Done Lately?
2012	B8
2011	I’m Definitely Not In Control

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Walkin’ In The Rain With The One I Love

Alabama Rain
Favorite Line(s):
Drive in movies,
Friday nights
Drinkin’ beer and laughin’
Somehow things were always right
I just don’t know what happened
But now and then I find myself
Thinkin’ of the days
When we were walkin’ in
The Alabama Rain
Comment(s):
Long before I ever saw “Forrest Gump“, I used to listen to this song and day dream about walking down a tree-lined / branch-covered path on a hot, humid afternoon holding my wife’s / girl friend’s hand; a sudden down-pour would drench us to the bone, but even after it stopped, the heat / humidity would still leave the walk home comfortable.  Wet, but comfortable.  I’ve never visited Alabama, but that’s how I’ve always thought of it.  Maybe, someday I’ll get a chance to find out…   LoL!  I suppose if anybody from Alabama reads this they’ll tell me I’m crazy and it’s not like my imagination at all.
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On This Day In:
2019	Silly Pooh Bear
	Dominoes Or Jenga?
2018	Very Few
2017	Or The Candidate Who…
2016	The Happiest People
2015	Jumping Into The Dark
2014	I Would Be Sillier
2013	It Keeps Happening Anyway
2012	Take Time
2011	A Mother’s Lesson
2010	3rd Pair – Shoe Review (DOA and Final)

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Finally Enjoying The View

I Can See Clearly Now
Favorite Line(s):
I think I can make it now
The pain is gone
All of the bad feelings
Have disappeared
Here is that rainbow
I’ve been praying for
It’s gonna be a bright
(bright) bright (bright)
Sunshinin’ day
Comment(s):  Sometimes I wonder if the people we say to: “This song will always remind me of you,” think of us when they hear “that” song.  My guess is: no, but it would nice if it was yes.
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On This Day In:
2019	Living Free
2018	Relative Imagination
2017	Thank You, Senator McCain (So Far Anyway)
2016	What About Friends?
2015	It Tastes Good To Me
2014	Others’ Footsteps
	The Not-So-Modern Samurai
2013	Doin’
2012	A Lover
2011	What Have We Found Here
	Words

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Watching #45 Hold A Rally

Smiling Faces Sometimes
Comments:  Do I REALLY need to explain the title of this post and it’s relationship to this song?
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On This Day In:
2019	I Think Reading Books Is A Good Place To Start
2018	And Pay In Full
2017	If Only
2016	Equal Justice
2015	Not Enough
2014	Are You Even Listening?
2013	Namaste
2012	Looking Up
2011	Et Tu Brute?

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Stand Up, Shout Out

I’m Coming Out
Comment(s):  This was my wife’s favorite song while she was in San Francisco (the spring we met) in 1984.  I gave her the “Diana” LP as a going away present when she left to go back to the U.K.  We still have the LP in our vinyl collection.  (LoL)  It’s seen a few miles in its day!
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On This Day In:
2019	Birthday Gifts For Our Daughter
	Feeling Age
2018	Seeking To Make A Difference
2017	Happy BD, Bec!
2016	BD Quotes
2015	Princess
2014	Optional
2013	Happy Birthday, Rebecca
2012	Be Not Old
	2012 National League Western Division Champions!!!
2011	What Kind Of Work Do You Do?
2010	Another Loser… And Come November

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It’ll Start Getting Cooler. You Just Watch.

Eve Of Destruction
Favorite Line(s):
Yeah, my blood’s so mad, feels like coagulatin’,
I’m sittin’ here, just contemplatin’,
I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation,
Handful of Senators don’t pass legislation,
And marches alone can’t bring integration,
When human respect is disintegratin’,
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin’,
And you tell me over and over and over again my friend,
Ah, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.
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On This Day In:
2019	Future Tools
	Three Swedish Girls
2018	Four Loves
	Favorite Westerns
2017	Faith In Science
2016	What The World Calls
2015	Say What?
2014	Start Today
2013	Fly!!
2012	Greater Love
2011	Before

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Born And Sold Fairy Tales

Ghetto Child
Favorite Line(s):
A child’s reality
Is paid for by his folks
Fancy fairy tales
Are born and sold by those
Who can well afford
Time to make believe
Childhood dreams can still
Come true
Uh, huh- huh- huh
Comment(s):
I had to laugh when preparing this post because I always thought / “heard” these lines differently…   I thought / remembered them as:
A child’s reality
Is paid for by his folks
Passing fairy tales
They’re bought and sold by those
Who can well afford
Time to make believe
Childhood hopes and dreams
Can still
Come true
Uh, huh- huh- huh
[And, as an aside, I practically wore the groves out of this album (“Spinners“) and the “Mighty Love” album.  The Spinners and Hall & Oates were my two favorite groups for a couple of years back in the 1970’s.  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2019	Fostering Debate
2018	The Births Of Spring
2017	Drug Epidemic In America
2016	Word Up, Chuck!
2015	Sometimes I Wonder About Things
2014	Still Racing
2013	Anew
2012	Make Both
2011	Are You Happy Yet?

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A Secret Chord

Halleluyah
Comment(s):  Haunting.  Just haunting…
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On This Day In:
2019	A Big “IF”
2018	Silence Presence
2017	Feeling Small Standing In Front Of My Shelves
2016	Show Willing
2015	If He Only Knew…
2014	Dared To Love
2013	Strong Kung-Fu
2012	Two Tribes
2011	Made Any Assumptions Lately?

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That Way

I Want It That Way
Comment(s):  1990’s,  Boy Bands, Earworm song,  ‘Nuff Said…
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On This Day In:
2019	Lead To Action
2018	Listen And See
2017	The Big Illusion
2016	What Are You Thinking About?
2015	What The Framers Chose
2014	Lost Anything Lately?
	A Life Of Science
2013	Serve The World
2012	Acquaintance, n.
2011	On Why His Father Was A Great Teacher
	A Baker’s Dozen

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Two For The Post

Please, Mr. Postman
Return To Sender
[Please tell your representatives (Senate and House) to support the United States Postal Service.   The USPS works for us!  And do so without trying to profit off of us…  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2019	Promises, Promises
2018	You Mean There IS Something Else?
2017	Be Good
2016	Raise Yourself
2015	A Kids Movie Rip-Off
2014	Ready, Action!
2013	Responding To Challenges
2012	Abnormal, adj.
2011	Large Families
	On The Brink

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My 2 Cents

Like almost all Marvel movie fans, I sadly read about the recent death of Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played T’Challa (the Black Panther) in the Avenger movies and in the recent (2018) stand-alone movie.  I have read that as a measure of respect for Boseman, the role should be abandoned and / or perhaps taken up by the character of his in-film sibling: Shuri.  While I am confident Letitia Wright, the actress playing Shuri, could step into this type of role and do a great job, there is the “little” matter of ascension to the role is performed via challenge and ritual combat.  Does anyone seriously think Shuri could defeat M’Baku in hand-to-hand combat – particularly without the Panther “power” from the orchid?
I would like to suggest a different path.  I would like to see Aldis Hodge take up the mantle of T’Challa / Panther and just “pretend” he’s the same actor.  Just as we’ve been substituting actors for “James Bond” and “Peter Parker / Spiderman”, we just use a different actor.  To be clear, I mean no disrespect to Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa – I thought he was brilliant – I just don’t want something from real life to take away from us a character we’re already invested in and who has so much more room for cinematic growth.
My reasons for suggesting Hodge are simple and practical:  1) we already know he can act;  2) he has the strong, athletic build for the role (he’s 6ft 1in and has already played roles of multiple athletes); and, 3)  he’s a good age (currently 33 years old), so he could be in the role for at least 10 years (three movies: two Panthers and one Avengers).  Many of the other actors are already beginning to age out of their roles and will also need to be “replaced”.   Of course, this is just my two cents worth…
If the decision is made not to replace the Black Panther or to modify the role for a female (Shuri), then I would like to see at least one prequel / backstory of one or more of the Panthers who preceded T’Challa or his father (T’Chaka).
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On This Day In:
2019	The Opening Step
	Day 17/18: That Didn’t Take Long
2018	I’ll Trade You…
2017	Luv Me Some Meat Loaf
2016	Unless Your Name Is #AmnestyDon
2015	A Tentative First Step
2014	Making People
2013	On Reading Books
2012	On America
2011	Shiver, Me Timbers!
2010	Fiduciary Breakdown

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You Do It

The Way You Do The Things You Do
Comment(s):  Even in a poor quality video, The Temptations look good!!
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On This Day In:
2019	The Opening Step
	Day 17/18: That Didn’t Take Long
2018	I’ll Trade You…
2017	Luv Me Some Meat Loaf
2016	Unless Your Name Is #AmnestyDon
2015	A Tentative First Step
2014	Making People
2013	On Reading Books
2012	On America
2011	Shiver, Me Timbers!
2010	Fiduciary Breakdown

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Slow Dancin’

Let’s Get It On
Comments:  Some memories last a lifetime…  Just sayin’…  (I am sipping on an evening bourbon and letting the music take me back.)
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On This Day In:
2019	A Lifestyle
	Day 16: Cheat Day
2018	The Children Are Our Future
2017	And Three
2016	Nine Parts Mystery
2015	Little Or No Common Ground
2014	Just Between Me
2013	Beyond The Strings
2012	Saving The Union
2011	Still And Too Often

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