God, the Pledge and Special Interest

School has obviously started... How do I know? The Pledge and God belong in school posts have started back up on social media.

My reply to those posts:

 1) The Pledge does belong in school, but only if it is recited in the original before it was changed by government vis a vis special interest groups to include a religious connotation. I've blogged about this subject before so I wont rehash but I'll simply repeat: The words "Under God" were added in 1954 by an act of congress to appease a religious special interest group. That is fact folks, look it up.

 The original "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." *was* in fact written in 1892 by a Baptist minister (Francis Bellamy) but specifically written to be a quick oath to patriotism and purposely written without socialist and religious suggestions so it could be recited by "every" citizen regardless of their faith, social standing or political beliefs.

So having children recite the Pledge in school? Yes, that should happen; as long as it's the original and not the altered version that can alienate certain students by forcing them to proclaim allegiance to a God that they may not have been raised to worship. Which leads me to my second reply...

2) People are posting that God (and I can only assume they mean a Christian god) belongs in ours schools. I'm sorry to disappoint you all, and I mean no offense to anyone's faith, but NO religion belongs in a tax supported house of learning.

 It is written in our very first Amendment of the Constitution that no governmental structure may impede, inhibit or make law regarding religious practice. Matter of fact, it goes on to state that government has no rights to force or prohibit the free exercise thereof which means people are allowed to worship which, if any at all, religious faith or god they so choose in their own life.

 By claiming that God (and again, I assume people are referring to a christian god) should be taught in a house of learning (school) that is funded by tax payers, you are essentially taking away someones right to Freedom of Religion.

 Religious education should be taught in the home, in the church or a private, religious sponsored house of learning. If you wish your child to be taught religion in school, may I suggest, the third option. That way, you know you are getting what you wish as well as not forcing your beliefs on someone who may not share or wish to share in them.

 To force anyone to worship or to force an institution to teach someone an undesired form of worship is tantamount to subjugation; and that is why we have a Bill of Rights in the first place folks. Leaving God out of the schools is not going to change your child's beliefs, in fact it could enhance it by allowing them to experience and learn more of what can be taught in schools without a religious net that the teacher may or may not have passion in.

Bottom Line: Let Teachers do what they have passion for by allowing them to teach your children the Three R's and leave the forth R (Religion) instruction to your Pastor, or more so to you, the parent.

If You...

own, operate or host a show or station on any terrestrial, satellite or online radio station please note:

Only the Young
Wheel in the Sky
Faithfully
Any Way You Want It
Ask the Lonely
Who's Crying Now
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
Lights
Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'
Open Arms
Girl Can't Help It
Send Her My Love
When You Love a Woman
I'll Be Alright Without You
After the Fall
Chain Reaction
Message of Love
Somethin' to Hide
Line of Fire
Anytime
Stone in Love
Patiently
Good Morning Girl
The Eyes of a Woman
Be Good to Yourself
Still They Ride
Baby I'm a Leavin' You
Mother, Father
Just the Same Way
Escape
The Party's Over (Hopelessly in Love)
When I Think Of You
Suzanne
Walks Like A Lady
Feeling That Way...

are just a few of the other hits by Journey that are not Don't Stop Believin' that deserve some air play on occasion...... Just Sayin!

Away...

Today is tomorrow and tomorrow is another day...

And a blade of grass is a mountain to an ant

Gibberish and folklore lead us blindly to the future...

While the past and all its lessons gleam steadily in the fading horizon

That's all I've got

Is there no more?

Happy Birthday Dad

This is my Dad. He would have been 83 yesterday. He moved on 5 1/2 years ago and he has been missed every day since. He loved movies, old sci-fi, horror, comedies and westerns. He loved the outdoors. He was an avid hunter but in my lifetime the only thing he shot while hunting was pictures from his blind. Most importantly, he loved his family.

I have trouble writing about him. Maybe to use a television crime drama cliche “I’m too close to the situation” to do so (he would have liked that joke) properly but I’m here it goes….

There are many types of people who change the world. Some are decorated visionaries, some are patron saints, then there are those like my Dad; the ones who touch people’s lives without them even realizing it.

He didn’t set out to do it; he didn’t call out for platitudes, he just did. At his funeral, there where people from 30, 40, 50 years past that showed up. People the family didn’t know or had long since forgotten about that showed up just to show respect and relate what my father meant to them. Sure that happens at all funerals but if you would have seen my Dad on the street, you’d of never guessed he touched so many lives and that’s how he preferred it.

I used to toy with him on the phone (yes, back when we used them to talk on) because he never said good bye, probably because he loathed talking on it but I’d always repeatedly day Bye over and over until he’s do his Dad giggle and say curtly “bye” and hang up!

LOL I love that man…. My Dad, My Hero, My Idol. When what it is that’s me is all said and done, there is only one thing I long to see. Not heaven, not a re-birth, not even a Bond girl in a bed on a yacht out in the middle of the ocean saying “Oooo Dan” (another joke he’d like) but my Dad, standing there waiting to greet me for the next chapter of my existence.

Happy Birthday Dad!

5 Albums That...

I’m not one that believes that music can in any way change your life. Sure it can inspire you, lift you up, be your soundtrack if you will but ultimately it is you, and your choices that make you who you are…
That being said; here are five albums (in no particular order) that helped to hone my musical taste… I’d say after seeing them, you’ll know why I am such a big progressive music buff. Enjoy!

1) Queen - The Game. The very first album I owned. Meaning the very first that was mine and only mine; not borrowed from my brothers or sisters collection.

Most people say it was Another One Bites The Dust that made them get this album, but me? It was Play The Game. That song was and still is my favorite Queen song of all time. Such a great sound to it…. Very Progressive (not that I knew what that even meant when I was 11) I loved the whole album and being 11 and seeing my mother sneer when I played Don’t Try Suicide made me love it even more! :P

2) Duran Duran - Rio. The first time I heard Hungry Like the Wolf, I was hooked. From that point on, I couldn’t get enough of this band. And if you’re a child of the 80’s you’ll know how hard it was to being a guy and an outward fan of this band back then. I took a lot of shit!

Some of you are probably thinking “But they’re not a Progressive Band?” Well, technically, no, they are classified (by themselves) as New Romantic and by others as New Wave, but I can make an argument that Duran Duran is on the outer edge of Progressive Music. For example, their songs have complex musical structure, layered vocals, songs written as a group, guitar/keyboard centered with more than just a cookie cutter rhythm section and the lyrics are very story-like or poetic.
Bottom line, Duran Duran has been in my top 5 list of favorite bands since 1982 and will always be and get this 1980’s high school guys…. I’m not gay! :P

3) The Beatles - Revolver. Most people say Sgt Pepper, Abbey Road or The White Album but for me it was Revolver. The first time I heard Tomorrow Never Knows, I was hooked and big time! Some say it heralded in the Psychedelic era of music and who can argue with that? It may just have, but for me, when I list my favorite Beatle albums it is always Revolver then Sgt Pepper then of all things Magical Mystery Tour; but that’s a story for another day.

From beginning to end, Revolver is one masterpiece of an album. And to me, perhaps The Beatles most influential album on music. Sure they changed the face of music but it was this album that changed how music was written, produced and to be honest, listened to. Not to mention we got to hear Ringo sing! ;)

4) Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon. Yes (worry not, they are coming lol) most people pick either Dark Side or The Wall as their Floyd album of choice and I am no different. Although, I could, just as easily have gone with Wish You Were Here, it’s that close. Most people that know me know that my second favorite band is Pink Floyd and Dark Side is what sucked me in.

I think of all my favorites, my love for progressive music and my real passion for well produced music all stems from this one album. You won’t find one better, even 40 years later (no offense Mutt Lange) The bar was set so high making this album that even future Floyd albums have had trouble keeping up. But this album (and Close to the Edge by Yes) flipped a switch in my head to finely produced music that continues to this day and I thank Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons, Peter James and Chris Thomas for making me the high standard music production prick I am to this day ;)

5) Yes - 90125 (Big shocker I bet) Although this wasn’t my first Yes album (I had Classic Yes on cassette) and although I was a fan before it came out, this album blew my skull….. Seriously, my skull now is from a cadaver. From the moment I heard Owner of a Lonely Heart until this morning when I was listening to Magnification, Yes has been a daily part of my life. I don’t know if I even know why I love the band so much, I just do…

Actually I can explain and this album is the perfect way to do it. This is the epitome of Progressive music: Group Written, Well Produced, Catchy Hooks, Musically Structured, Lyrically Appealing and most importantly a master work of all instruments involved. Think of it as this: A symphony is all woodwind, brass and rhythm sections working as a unified group to produce a beautiful audio experience for the listener… That is what Yes, the album 90125 and progressive music is! Well with guitars, keyboards, drums and vocals but you get my point! I could go on but well, you know.

I have no big closer to this post. I hope some of these albums and groups are some your favorites as well. Thank you and I hope we passed the audition….

Birthday Party's

I'm not a big partier.... Wasn't in school, haven't been as an adult. Sure I'll go to a small bar/pub and hang out on occasion, sing some karaoke or whatever, but if the place is so packed I can't move or even hear myself speak, it most certainly isn't a place for me. I like my personal space to be... well personal and unencumbered.

Party contention number two: I've never been a birthday person. If someone is, that's great; I'm very happy for them... Happy Birthday! But to be a person, a 30 something person mind you, that expects you to attend their birthday party when you are nothing more than a passing acquaintance to said person, that gets belligerently angry because you do not attend is a little dramatic for my liking.
Look, I am a very outgoing personality but I need time to assess and assimilate the crowd I'm around before I truly become my true self. Call it initial shyness, call it social anxiety or whatever you wish; I am a mentally controlled individual that doesn't just hop in to a situation unprepared. I must feel comfortable and in control of my faculties before I ingratiate myself to others. If I don't feel comfortable, then I shut down. Some people reading this may remember a situation where that happened. It wasn't pleasant.

I guess what I'm saying (in long form) is: This is who I am. How can you be angry because I, a person you barely know, doesn't attend your silly little excuse to get hammered...err birthday party?

Bottom line, this is why we are only acquaintances and not friends. I appreciate the invitation but I am just not comfortable around you and your style. It doesn't fit me. If I was, you would know it and I'd probably be there. Enjoy your party and worry not that I didn't attend. I don't even matter in the grand scheme of things that is you. If that makes me the bad guy, then that is okay, but it is what it is... Not to mention my nerdiness in slipping assimilation in to this rant.

Resistance is Futile!

An Open Letter to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame....

Dear Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,


 I don't know what it takes to get included in to your exclusive club but I can only imagine that there has to be some kind of politics involved in the decision making..... What I mean by that is; I really don't get how your selection process works. Does your selection committee you just pick their favorites? or is there a rational way they go about choosing who gets in to your hall?

 I am going to guess there is a list of qualifications that go in to choosing each years selections and I am going to make a small list of what I think that list may, in part, be included and in comparison, I'll show why the band Yes (my favorite group) has been overlooked by your committee for far too many years.

 In the end perhaps you can tell me why it is that this band is not displayed in the halls of your institution along with all of rocks other trailblazers?

1) Influence on Rock: Along with Pink Floyd (who is in) Yes was one of the early (if not one of the first two) groups of what is known as Progressive Music. They paved the way for bands like ELP and Rush in the early years to groups like Muse and Porcupine Tree today to create music that is structured and not merely just three cords and a catchy beat to be heard and loved by millions of fans. Not only were they one of the early stalwarts of Progressive Music but are one of the only groups that evolved with the times to stay relevant in a given era's musical style, particularly in the 60's, 70's and 80's which brings me to point number two.

2) Record Sales: In the forty plus years Yes has been a recording act they have sold close to 50 million albums world wide and for the sake of this argument (since you are located in the United States) lets us use U.S. chart figures: From 1971 to 2011, eleven albums charted within the the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 200 album chart with seven of those albums reaching Top 10 status for lengthy amounts of time. All eleven albums,save for the latest one, Fly From Here (2011) achieving Gold &/or Platinum status from the RIAA (Recording industry association of America)

 Not only has Yes had commercial album success but singles as well. In the U.S. alone, they have had five Billboard Top 40 hits including the song Owner of a Lonely Heart which reached #1 in January of 1984.

3) Fan Base: On the road for much of its 40 plus years, Yes has garnered a massive following. The numbers it still sees at its shows today proves that to be true. People of all ages flock to see them; I, myself have seen them 13 times since 1984 and I am in the minority with major Yes fans. They travel well. Rarely will you attend a show where there are many empty seats and never do you leave thinking the band is just going through the motions on stage. There is a true connection between the band and their fans. The proof of that can be seen if a former band member tours solo or with another group, the Yes faithful will almost always be at that show to show their support.

4) Legacy: Rare will you find a more widespread legacy than Yes. Throughout rock over the past 40 years you will undoubtedly find the Yes footprint on many of, not only rock, but all of music's floors. From Alan White (Yes drummer and member of the Plastic Ono Band) to the bands Asia (Steve Howe of Yes ) and The Buggles (Goeff Downes and Trevor Horn of Yes) to Rick Wakeman's (former Yes keyboardist) revolutionary rock opera shows in the 70s, Vangelis of Chariots of Fire fame (studio work with Jon Anderson) and the numerous Hollywood blockbuster soundtracks written and recorded by former Yes member Trevor Rabin, the Yes legacy is all over and can not be denied. Bands such as Toto, Led Zeppelin, Styx and many more have sought out and worked with current and former members of Yes because they know how musically strong the members of this band are.

  So there you have it in a nutshell. How can a band with such accomplishments, following and influence on rock music not be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is beyond me. Perhaps you, the members of the selection committee can tell me what your rational is and what must a band of such commercial success, ingenuity and fan base do to enter your halls? I'm writing this as a letter to you, the hall of fame and as a blog to the masses to which I include my name and personal e-mail address. That is how serious I take this subject. I await your reply

Sincerely,

Dan Stehle
Lifelong Yes fan
tosol.dan@gmail.com