Monday, September 25, 2023

A00021 - Thom Bell, R.I.P.

 



Two of my Amherst friends, one black and one white, wrote to me about the passing of Thom Bell

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/23/arts/music/thom-bell-dead.html

I am glad that they did because Thom Bell wrote the songs which comprise a large segment of the soundtrack of my life.  Below is a list of the songs that he wrote or produced.  Please read the list and weep a little for our loss.  However, in weeping you can also smile remembering those songs and the times that they played in one's life.  Here are some of my favorites




Thank you, Thom Bell.  Thank you very, very much.

Peace, 

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
December 24, 2022


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Saturday, September 23, 2023

2023: Alphabetical and Numerical Listings (1-20)

 Alphabetical Listings


Art Laboe, R. I. P. A00017

Book of the Month for December 2022: Cloud Empires: John Perry Barlow A00020

Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas in August A00014

In Celebration of Coltrane: The Real Ambassadors and the Monterey Jazz Festival of 1962 A00016

Irene Cara, R. I. P. A00019

James Caan, Amherst College Memories and the Theme from Brian's Song A00013

Jim Seals and Summer Breeze A00010

Jim Seals' Diamond Girl A00011

La Vida Es Sueno A00006

Mary Ellin Barrett, R.I.P. A00015

Meditations on Rumi: The Music of Shujaat Khan A00002

Meklit Hadero A00004

Native American Indian Heritage Month A00018

Sidney Poitier, R.I.P. A00005

Songs for Native American Heritage Month A00001

Summer of Soul: Oh Happy Day! and Precious Lord, Take My Hand A00008

The Golden Time of Day A00009

The Nearness of You A00007

Tio Feco y El Rey A00003

Unborn Child A00012


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Numerical Listings 


A00001 Songs for Native American Heritage

A00002 Meditations on Rumi: The Music of Shujaat

A00003 Tio Feco y El Rey

A00004 Meklit Hadero

A00005 Sidney Poitier, R.I.P.

A00006 La Vida Es Sueno

A00007 The Nearness of You

A00008 Summer of Soul: Oh Happy Day! and Precious Lord, Take My Hand

A00009 The Golden Time of Day

A00010 Jim Seals and Summer Breeze

A00011 Jim Seals' Diamond Girl

A00012 Unborn Child

A00013 James Caan, Amherst College Memories and the Theme from Brian's Song

A00014 Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas in August

A00015 Mary Ellin Barrett, R.I.P.

A00016 In Celebration of Coltrane: The Real Ambassadors and the Monterey Jazz Festival of 1962

A00017 Art Laboe, R. I. P.

A00018 Native American Indian Heritage Month

A00019 Irene Cara, R. I. P.

A00020 Book of the Month for December 2022: Cloud Empires: John Perry Barlow

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A00020 - Book of the Month for December 2022: Cloud Empires: John Perry Barlow

 


"Cybervisionaries like John Barrow had imagined that the Internet would give rise to social order beyond the reach of governments and powerful corporations. Yet by the late 2000s, it was clear that the Internet was giving rise to corporations that, if anything, were even more powerful than before." Cloud Empires, pgs. 132-133.

In reading Cloud Empires, I find that the libertarian seeds sown by those like John Perry Barlow in the 1990s has sadly produced rather monstrous corporations that seem to diminish humanity.  So far, I have read the foundational stories for Ebay, Silk Road, Upwork, Uber, Amazon, and Bitcoin.  In the beginning, these technological corporate innovations were often designed to minimize the role of government.  However, over time, the innovations often became monsters themselves.  I suppose with a title like Cloud Empires, one has to assume that the word "Empires" is an apt description of these new corporate entities and that, as with most empires, over time, they become autocratic corporations in their own right.    

Nevertheless, in reading the book, I am grateful for being introduced to the founders of these Cloud Empires.  Names such as Pierre Omidyar, Ross Ulbricht, Odysseas Tsatalos, Stratis Karamaniakis, Travis Kalanick, Garrett Camp, Jeff Bezos, and Satochi Nakamoto should be remembered as being instrumental in creating our brave new world.  However, none of the ones profiled so far comes close to visionary John Perry Barlow.  I invite you all to learn more about him  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Perry_Barlow

and better yet to listen to some of the lyrics that he wrote as a chief composer for The Grateful Dead


Also, just for nostalgia, here is a live performance of the aforementioned song from 1993, when the legendary Jerry Garcia was still alive and strumming along

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HpIASgwvPc

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California 
December 15, 2022
-----Original Message-----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com
To: 
Sent: Wed, Dec 7, 2022 5:39 am
Subject: Book of the Month for December 2022: Cloud Empires: Notes from Chapter 2: "Reciprocity: The Golden Rule in Cyberspace"



Notes from Chapter 2 of Cloud Empires:  Chapter 2 is entitled "Reciprocity: The Golden Rule in Cyberspace"

"Therefore, live with self-restraint and pay your best attention to dharma, and treat others as you treat yourself."  Mahabharata Shanti-Parva 167:9

Cloud Empires, page 15

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"In February 1996, (John Perry) Barlow's virtual statemanship reached new heights as he published a text titled "A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace":

Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind.  On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone.,  You are not welcome among us.  You have no sovereignty where we gather.

We have no elected government, nor are we likely to have one, so I address you with no greater authority than that with which liberty itself always speaks.  I declare the global social space we are building to be naturally independent of the tyrannies you seek to impose on us.  You have no moral right to rule us nor do you possess any methods of enforcement we have true reason to fear ...

You have not engaged in our great and gathering conversation, nor did you create the wealth in our marketplace.  You do not know our culture, our ethics, or the unwritten codes that already provide our society more order than could be obtained by any of your impositions ...

We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace.  May it be more humane and fair than the world your governments have made before."

Cloud Empires, page 19

88888

"Barlow wanted to establish a "home of Mind" in cyberspace that would be independent of the impositions of territorial states.  But while the mind was dreaming big dreams, its body was withering.  Netizens exchanged millions of messages, but very few exchanged goods or services.  University employees with secure jobs could afford to expound libertarian doctrines on the 'net, and some of the most vocal cyberspace activists were financially independent technology entrepreneurs.  But most people had to take care of their material needs somehow.  As long as that was not possible on the Internet, it was meaningless to speak of it as a domain on a par with territorial status.  A nation that's all politics and no economy is just a mutual hallucination."

Cloud Empires, page 33


88888

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins




-----Original Message-----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com
To: 
Sent: Tue, Nov 29, 2022 5:45 am
Subject: Book of the Month for December 2022: Cloud Empires: How Digital Platforms Are Overtaking the State and How We Can Regain Control


Yesterday was my birthday.  One my Victorville cousins informed me that I had received some 13 Happy Birthday greetings on my Facebook page and asked if I wanted to see them.  Given my disdain for the social media in general and the dire warnings set forth in The Social Dilemma about involvement with social media, I expressed reluctance.  This reluctance was bolstered by a report I later saw while watching France 24. The report was about the latest fines imposed on Meta, Facebook's parent company, by European regulators

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/irish-regulators-fine-meta-265m-euros-in-latest-privacy-case/

The European regulators appear to be more strict or vigilant than American regulators which gives one pause to wonder just what has happened here in this country which has gone undetected or undisclosed.


I do not know much about technology and social media, but perhaps, it is time that I learned a bit more.  Accordingly, I will be reading 

Cloud Empires: How Digital Platforms Are Overtaking The State and How We Can Regain Control by Vili Lehdonvirta

as my Book of the Month for December 2022. You are welcome to read it too.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins

-----Original Message-----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com
To: 
Sent: Wed, Nov 16, 2022 12:11 am
Subject: Must See TV for November 2022: The Social Dilemma




I recently attended a conference named Techonomy 22 which was held in nearby Sonoma, California, from November 13 to November 15.  Techonomy 22 is the successor event to the Techonomy events sponsored by Techonomy Media


It is my understanding that Techonomy 22 was the first Techonomy conference to be held in the last three years due to COVID.

The principal moderator of Techonomy 22 was David Kirkpatrick, a classmate of mine from Amherst College.  David did a masterful job of interviewing some of the most prominent individuals in not only the fields of technology but also in the fields of medicine and climate change.  The wonders and marvels discussed at the conference were at times overwhelming, especially for a person, like me, who is technology averse.  Nevertheless, even as a Luddite, I came away with a deeper appreciation of the Tech Universe with all of its potential, and its peril.  Over the next few months, I hope to elaborate and report on some of the things I learned both at the conference and away from the conference.  Today, I begin with some of the things I learned away from the conference. 

By coincidence, on November 6, a week before the Techonomy conference began, Sixty Minutes aired a segment entitled "Angry in America" 


In this segment, it is made clear that social media has played a large part in stoking the Anger in America by purposely dividing us and by serving as platforms for disinformation.  I noted the names of two of the prominent individuals interviewed for the segment, Tristan Harris and Jonathan Haidt, and looked them up on Wikipedia;



In reading these bios, I noted that both individuals appear in a Netlix documentary entitled The Social Dilemma.


On Saturday, November 12, the day before Techonomy 22 began, I watched The Social Dilemma  It was my worst nightmare.  The nightmare was compounded when I returned home from the conference yesterday only to find these two alarming articles in the air:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/technology/google-privacy-settlement.html

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fbi-extremely-concerned-tiktok-operating-171955671.html?guccounter=1

only to be followed by a further reading of this


Based upon all this, I find that my conscience compels me to name the Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, as the Must See TV for November 2022.  I also recommend we all consider the recommendations contained therein.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
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Friday, September 22, 2023

A00019 - Irene Cara, R. I. P.

  

I noted with great sadness the passing of Irene Cara over the weekend

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/26/arts/music/irene-cara-dead.html?

While most will note Irene Cara's Oscar winning song "Fame" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2jh7N7Fldk

and her Grammy awards, I am most grateful for her appearance as Sparkle Williams in the 1976 movie "Sparkle".  This role  enchanted me so much that when I met a young church going woman the next year who looked like Sparkle I decided to marry her.  We were married for 25 years and had four children all because I heeded this advice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPzMdUH4dQU

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
November 29, 2022

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A00018 - Native American Indian Heritage Month


November is Native American Indian Heritage Month.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_Indian_Heritage_Month

However, in today's United States, I suppose even that can be the subject of dispute.

https://www.theroot.com/trump-gives-national-american-indian-heritage-month-an-1839635926

Nevertheless, I will be observing the month and I shall begin by sharing below some of the Native News stories that caught my eye this past year.

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A00017 - Art Laboe, R. I. P.

 Southern California lost another great radio personality.  On the heels of losing the great Vin Scully in August


https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/sports/baseball/vin-scully-dead.html

we are now mourning the loss of the great Art Laboe


For those who grew up in Southern California, or those who have traveled up and down Interstate 5 at night, it was hard not to have listened to Art Laboe and to be hooked by this Oldie but Goodie playing the oldies but goodies of a musical lifetime.  The following California Report broadcast on Art Laboe at 93 highlights the allure of the man and his show. 

https://www.kqed.org/news/11723524/at-93-this-california-dj-is-still-connecting-loved-ones-on-the-air

What is a bit harder to highlight are the memories of listening to Art Laboe while driving through the desert on a moonlit Summer night.  

He will be missed ... but he will continue to live in our memories.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
October 22, 2022



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Wednesday, September 20, 2023

A00016 - In Celebration of Coltrane: The Real Ambassadors and the Monterey Jazz Festival of 1962

Today is Coltrane's birthday.  I am a late comer to jazz and do not have an extensive historical connection to the genre.  However, it just "happened" that I was listening to The California Report Maqazine this afternoon


https://www.npr.org/podcasts/564733126/the-california-report-magazine

Today's report was about the The Real Ambassadors musical prepared for the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1962.  This report had an emotional effect on me.  Perhaps it will for you and others as well.

Take care, my friends, and continue to live in Celebration of 'Trane.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
September 23, 2022
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A00015 - Mary Ellin Barrett, R.I.P.


In another "coincidence" that appears to be part of life, in the aftermath of my "Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas in August", I read last week about the passing of Mary Ellin Barrett, the daughter of Irving Berlin.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/05/arts/music/mary-ellin-barrett-dead.html

I have found that more often than naught, a person's talents can be used for purposes which that person never fully anticipated or understood.  I have also found that more often than naught, those purposes are for the good.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California 
August 30, 2022

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Sent: Sun, Aug 7, 2022 4:01 am
Subject: Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas in August



On Tuesday, August 2, 2022, during my pilgrimage to see the reliquary of Saint Bernadette at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, I made a number of purchases at the Cathedral gift shop.  One of the purchases is the book entitled The Song of Bernadette  by Franz Werfel.  This 1941 novel became the basis for the 1943 Academy Award winning film of the same name.  On the back cover of the book is a brief explanation of the book and an introduction to the author.  The cover states, 

"This classic story, recounting the miraculous apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, is one of the greatest historical novels of simple and triumphant religious faith published in the twentieth century.

"Franz Werfel, the Jewish author, was a highly respected literary figure in Vienna and an outspoken critic of Hitler when the Nazis occupied Austria in 1938.  He escaped to France and found solace and help in the town of Lourdes, where he learned about Bernadette and the 1858 apparitions.  When the Nazis invaded France and began deporting Jews to death camps, he was forced to flee again.  As he narrowly escaped, he promised God that if he made it safely to America he would "sing the song" of Bernadette.  He kept his promise, and his novel became an international best seller and an Academy Award winning movie."


The next day, after returning home to Fairfield, I started playing a song written by Jennifer Warnes and Leonard Cohen, the legendary Canadian Jewish poet and songwriter, while they were on tour in the South of France near Lourdes.  The song is entitled "Song of Bernadette" and it is a beautiful song for the contemplation of life.



Seeing the connection of Werfel and Cohen, two Jews, to the creation of the stories around the beloved Bernadette led me to finally getting around to a PBS program that I taped way back in December 2021,  The program is entitled "Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas" and it details the rather extensive list of Christmas songs which were created by Jews, some of which are the best loved Christmas songs.


Not only the best selling song of all-time which was written by a Jew, Irving Berlin, who lost a child on Christmas and would spend the day remembering her at her gravesite


but also the sentimental song written by the Jew, Mel Torme, and sung by a black man, Nat King Cole, which became a much listened to staple in the still largely segregated America. 


Indeed, some of the Christmas songs had some important metaphorical meanings. For instance, I never realized that Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer was actually a musical metaphor for the Jewish immigrant experience in America and that Rudolph's distinctive red nose was a reference to the need for acceptance of Jews who have large distinctive noses.   


But most importantly, there are some songs that were written to achieve a form of world healing 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun_olam

as is indicative of the song "Do You Hear What I Hear?"


which was written by a woman who was a neighbor of John F. Kennedy and who hoped that it would serve as a message of hope in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.


Given all the turmoil in the country, the war in Ukraine, and the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, I hope I am not faulted too greatly in Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas now.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
The Soul of S.O.U.L.
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A00014 - Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas in August

 


On Tuesday, August 2, 2022, during my pilgrimage to see the reliquary of Saint Bernadette at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, I made a number of purchases at the Cathedral gift shop.  One of the purchases is the book entitled The Song of Bernadette  by Franz Werfel.  This 1941 novel became the basis for the 1943 Academy Award winning film of the same name.  On the back cover of the book is a brief explanation of the book and an introduction to the author.  The cover states, 

"This classic story, recounting the miraculous apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France, is one of the greatest historical novels of simple and triumphant religious faith published in the twentieth century.

"Franz Werfel, the Jewish author, was a highly respected literary figure in Vienna and an outspoken critic of Hitler when the Nazis occupied Austria in 1938.  He escaped to France and found solace and help in the town of Lourdes, where he learned about Bernadette and the 1858 apparitions.  When the Nazis invaded France and began deporting Jews to death camps, he was forced to flee again.  As he narrowly escaped, he promised God that if he made it safely to America he would "sing the song" of Bernadette.  He kept his promise, and his novel became an international best seller and an Academy Award winning movie."


The next day, after returning home to Fairfield, I started playing a song written by Jennifer Warnes and Leonard Cohen, the legendary Canadian Jewish poet and songwriter, while they were on tour in the South of France near Lourdes.  The song is entitled "Song of Bernadette" and it is a beautiful song for the contemplation of life.



Seeing the connection of Werfel and Cohen, two Jews, to the creation of the stories around the beloved Bernadette led me to finally getting around to a PBS program that I taped way back in December 2021,  The program is entitled "Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas" and it details the rather extensive list of Christmas songs which were created by Jews, some of which are the best loved Christmas songs.


Not only the best selling song of all-time which was written by a Jew, Irving Berlin, who lost a child on Christmas and would spend the day remembering her at her gravesite


but also the sentimental song written by the Jew, Mel Torme, and sung by a black man, Nat King Cole, which became a much listened to staple in the still largely segregated America. 


Indeed, some of the Christmas songs had some important metaphorical meanings. For instance, I never realized that Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer was actually a musical metaphor for the Jewish immigrant experience in America and that Rudolph's distinctive red nose was a reference to the need for acceptance of Jews who have large distinctive noses.   


But most importantly, there are some songs that were written to achieve a form of world healing 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikkun_olam

as is indicative of the song "Do You Hear What I Hear?"


which was written by a woman who was a neighbor of John F. Kennedy and who hoped that it would serve as a message of hope in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.


Given all the turmoil in the country, the war in Ukraine, and the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, I hope I am not faulted too greatly in Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas now.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
The Soul of S.O.U.L.


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Location: 4VVFGHMQ+PP

Tuesday, September 19, 2023

A00013 - James Caan, Amherst College Memories and the Theme from Brian's Song

 



Yesteday, I heard about the passing of James Caan

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/07/movies/james-caan-dead.html

For most folks, James Caan's most memorable role was as Sonny Corleone in the first Godfather movie.

However, for me, the James Caan role that brought me and a roomful of Amherst College football fans to tears was his portrayal of Brian Piccolo in the classic "Brian's Song" 


Back in 1971, the basement of Pratt Dormitory had one of the few television sets on campus.  Many of the freshmen and some of the upperclassmen regularly convened in Pratt to watch Monday Night Football.  After one of the games, the Movie of the Week aired "Brian's Song", the tearful story of the friendship between a black superstar football player, Gale Sayers, and the inspirational white role player, Brian Piccolo.  The movie is arguably the greatest made for TV movie ever made.


The movie also produced a theme song that for many years thereafter would stop me in my tracks and cause me to ponder the meaning of friendship and brotherly love.  Perhaps, if we listen to it again we can all ponder the meaning of friendship and brotherly love once again.



Peace,

Everett Jenkins
Fairfield, California
July 8, 2022
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A00012 - Unborn Child

  

Last week, in reminiscing about the musical career of Seals and Croft, I happened to read the Wikipedia article about the group


In the article there is this statement 
"The controversial Unborn Child followed in 1974. Written shortly after Roe v. Wade, Seals & Crofts expressed their anti-abortion position in the title song, which created a huge dilemma for radio stations. Some stations banned it while others added it to rotation. The album still went gold despite the controversy and the lack of a Top 40 hit."

In reading more about the album,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unborn_Child

and the effect it had on the career of Seals and Croft


I began to reflect on the issue with a bit more focus.  What I found was a problematic issue.  On the one hand reproductive rights has been a generational staple that has received a great deal of support over the last forty years. 


 On the other hand, the statistical numbers associated with abortion in America over the last forty years can be disturbing


Within the next two weeks, the Supreme Court will render a decision that will likely impact the availability of abortion throughout the land.  Being part of the 61 percent, I will be concerned about the limitations that are likely to be upheld.  However, as an amateur historian, I must admit that I do wonder how future generations will view the last forty years and how they will judge the generation that did not do more to make the world safer and more supportive for the mother of the unborn child.  If that had been done, perhaps the numbers of unborn children would be lower. and, if that is done now, perhaps the numbers of the future unborn children will be less.

Perhaps....

Peace,

Everett Jenkins
Fairfield, California
June 14, 2022

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