Circus Lover

Mitt Romney took a lot of heat during the presidential campaign about being rich and insensitive.

There seems to be at least one instance where his humanity came peeking through.

As a child, Mitt was always totally mesmerized by the circus and in particular by the clowns, who were more often than not “little people.”

He was devastated to find out that most of them retired from the circus penniless and lived in poverty since there was no pension plan available in the circus and most had not paid into social security.

He decided to take matters into his own hands and built an entire community in South Florida to accommodate the Little People. Everything in the condo’s was built to scale for a person 3 feet tall. All the sinks and cupboards were accessible to a little person. He had specially designed refrigerators and stoves put in, as well as miniature washing machines and dryers. Every modern convenience that can be found in a conventional house is in there, except at a scale comfortable to a person 3 feet tall.

The only problem was that the proposed residents did not have enough income to pay the rent. That is where the brief moment of Mitt’s sensitivity came to the surface. He generously announced that the residents could live there the rest of their lives and never have to pay a dime in rent. This was his way of thanking them for the countless hours of entertainment they had provided for him as a child.

In a gesture to immortalize his beloved wife, Mitt decided to call the new complex “Ann Romney’s Stay Free Mini Pads.”

 

 

 

The Cats Will Know

Cesare PAVESE

 

Again the rain will fall
on the sweet pavements,
a light rain
like a breath or a footstep.
Again the breeze and the dawn
will blossom lightly
beneath your footstep
as you reenter.
Among flowers and sills
the cats will know it.

There will be other days.
There will be other voices.
You will smile alone.
The cats will know it.
You will hear antique words,
tired and empty words
like the disused costumes
from yesterday's festivals.

You too will make gestures.
You will respond with words—
face of Spring,
you too will make gestures.

The cats will know it,
face of Spring;
and the light rain,
the hyacinth-color dawn,
that tears the heart of one
who no longer longs for you,
they are the sad smile
you smile alone.
There will be other days,
other voices and awakenings.
We will suffer at dawn,
face of Spring.

Written for his lover, the American actress Constance Dowling

Creative Challenge- Sway

As she slowly walked away I was mesmerized by the oscillations

It put my heart into unstoppable paroxysms of fluctuations

I found myself in the midst of nearly uncontrollable weeping

As she marched steadily onward with her skirts sweeping

 

Little did I realize she had the power of complete dominion

Under her influence I found myself  just a total minion

I know I will miss forever the feverish warmth of her lips

As I watch for the last time the hypnotizing  sway of her hips.

 

© Tim D. Culey -2013-

How do you measure the Soul of A Man?

Blind Willie Johnson cared about 'The Soul of a Man,' others dug the music

By John Kessler

Blind Willie Johnson

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  The Blues Time Machine

Blind Willie Johnson was a bluesman and a preacher. His lyrics were spiritual, and his music was blues.
Though he only made 30 recordings, his work is a lasting part of the blues legacy. Early players like Son House and Fred McDowell played his tunes, and his influence reached people like Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin. In 1930 he recorded “The Soul of a Man” accompanied by his wife, Willie B. Harris.

Interesting note: Blind Willie Johnson’s song “Dark Was The Night” is one of 31 musical pieces on a golden record onboard the spacecraft Voyager 1. Launched in 1977, it is the farthest man-made object from Earth.

David Jacobs-Strain is a younger blues player who has done his homework on early blues. His 2004 recording of “The Soul of a Man” honors the integrity of the tune while adding atmospheric touches that take it into the new century.
Two years later in 2006 , Irma Thomas recorded “The Soul of A Man” with minimal accompaniment. Appearing on her CD "After the Rain," which came out following Hurricane Katrina. In Thomas' version, the song took on further poignancy.

That same year Eric Burdon, who led the Animals in the 60s, came out with a blues oriented album that included a version of “The Soul of a Man." He performs it live in this clip:



Here are the complete versions of “The Soul of a Man”:

Blind Willie Johnson “The Soul of a Man” 1930

Listen

 

David Jacobs-Strain “The Soul of a Man” 2004

Listen

 

Irma Thomas “The Soul of a Man” 2006

 

Listen

 

Eric Burdon “The Soul of a Man” 2006

“The Blues Time Machine” is a weekly feature tracking one great blues song through time. The series is hosted by John Kessler, from KPLU’s “All Blues,”  airs on KPLU 88.5 on Fridays at 12:10 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. PST and is provided as a live stream.

Vacation Photos

I just returned from a 7 day cruise to the Western Caribbeans including George Town, Cayman Islands BWI, Montego Bay, Jamaica and Cozumel Mexico where there was plenty of sun, sand, surf, snorkeling and rum punch.
The day I returned home to Little Rock (12/25) we had a blizzard and lost all power. It wasn't fully restored until Jan 2nd. Used up a lot of firewood and rediscovered all those things taking up room and gathering dust on my shelves (they are called "books") and learned to read by candlelight and by flashlight.
In some ways it was sort of a welcome change with no TV, no computer, no phone and not even a radio.
The surprising thing is how quickly I adapted, which reinforces my decision that whatever electronic toys I have in my possession now I can live without and consequently will not be "upgrading" every year or so. When they finally die, or the technology no longer exists to fix them I will not replace them.
I took some photos on the trip including this one which I took on a bus in Montego Bay. In some ways it really speaks to the topic of "adapting."