This is a sequel to a blog I ran last year entitled “80 from the ’80’s,” here. This time it’s “70 from the ’70’s” — 70 albums from the 1970’s that still sound great today. It’s not intended as a “best of” list; rather, a more personal take on a great decade of music, including some albums and genres that don’t always make these kinds of lists (no offense, Led Zeppelin IV).
This time, I’m stoked to include picks from several guest contributors. They include Continue reading 70 from the ’70’s
That’s me (bottom) and my older brother, Jeff, playing “pirates” on the back porch of the house we grew up in in rural Northwest Ohio. If I had to guess, I’d say it was around 1974 — the same year Jimmy Buffett released one of his most enduring songs, “A Pirate Looks at Forty.”
Mother, mother ocean, I’ve heard you call
‘Wanted to sail upon your waters
Since I was three feet tall
You’ve seen it all, you’ve seen it all
I should acknowledge up front that I was never really a pirate at heart — even Continue reading A Pirate Looks at Fifty
What if I told you I met somebody once who personally knew James Polk? Or Dred Scott? Or John Keats? Impossible, right? I mean, it’s 2016. These men were all born in the 1700’s.
And yet . . . Continue reading A Handshake for the Generations
As everyone now knows, last Friday, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision effectively prohibiting states from denying same sex partners the right to marry. It was the culmination of a long series of legal battles, and a key moment in a much longer civil rights struggle dating back several decades. Since the decision was released, the world of social media has predictably erupted – with reactions ranging from celebratory cries of joy and support, to angry shouts of derision and disgust. I’ve watched as people I know, or once knew, weighed in on both sides of the issue–from actions as simple as changing their facebook profile pictures the colors of the rainbow, to posting dire, end-of-the world prophecies. Until now, I’ve mostly kept quiet. Continue reading On Rainbows And Shadows
