MILB: "Pleasant Valley Sunday"

I'm going to come right out and say that Micky Dolenz has one of the best voices from the 1960s.  Go on, roast me.  Tell me that they were a make-believe band with people that didn't even play their own instruments, or write their own songs for the first two records.  Call them the Pre-Fab 4, and how they were nothing compared to The Byrds, or Peter, Paul and Mary or CSNY.  I'll agree with all of those things, and then tell you to listen to this song.  Micky Dolenz had one of the best voices of the 1960s.

Not only that, but The Monkees were a group that introduced a lot of great song-writers to the world.  Harry Nilsson, Neil Diamond, Carole King and Gerry Goffin all wrote for the group.  Goffin and King wrote this song, which I feel is an amazing song which would be a hit at any time.

I think that "Pleasant Valley Sunday" is one of the greatest indictments of consumer culture ever written.  Better than anything done by Rage Against the Machine, or any other socially conscious band in the 90s, this song is acerbic with a pop beat.

Let's start with the music first.  The opening guitar riff, from the 12-string Mike plays?  Fantastic beginning, and then moves immediately into the lyrics.  The melody is peppy, the transitions to the chorus are basic but not boring.  The break in the middle is also a basic invention of pop songs in the 60s, but the return to the guitar riff really kicks it up.  Then comes the Ta's, followed by the chorus, key change chorus and then the fade out ending.  The producers just keep layering the music over and over until the listener can't actually hear the original song any more.  It may seem like a simple song writing (verse-chorus-verse-chorus-break-verse-chorus-chorus) but in reality the sum of all the parts make it so much more.  The musicianship is great, and even without the lyrics you could tell this would be a hit.

Now, onto the lyrics and Mr. Dolenz' absurdly good vocals.  To understand this song, know that a lot of city dwellers after WWII decided to move from the cities to the suburbs so that they could raise their kids in the fresh air with a white picket fence.  All the houses looked exactly the same, and every weekend morning the air would be abuzz with the sounds of fathers, or their children, out mowing their lawn and doing yard work.  It was the way of the world.  Children would ride their bikes all over with their friends, and there would be at least one family operating the grill for the afternoon.  Maybe they had a pool that the kids would swim in, but possibly just a sprinkler on the lawn.

The song accurately describes what it is like to live in those places.  The woman who is very proud of her horticulture skills, and the guy that has a TV in every room of his house that likes to brag about what he has.  "Status Symbol Land" is a great name for the burbs.  Whether it's cars, or how big your house is, or where you go to school, competition is very much a way of life in the burbs.  One of the greatest parts of this song is the break.  The lyrics are just devastating:

"Creature Comfort goals/They only numb my soul/and make it hard for me to see/My thoughts all seem to stray/to places far away/I need a change of scenery."

Pretty darn evocative, and a damning of the consumption society we lived in then, and now.  It's a rejection of keeping up with the Joneses.  Then the last line of the song, "Here in Status symbol land!"  Great line, and one I've always appreciated.

I'm pretty sure that the place referred to in the story was in New York or New Jersey, due to the fact that both King and Goffin were from New York.  King was born in Manhattan and grew up in Brooklyn while Goffin was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Queens.  So I'd say Westchester County or maybe Long Island.  Of course that's just speculation on my part.  I do understand the song though, because I know when I was growing up in Florida, I really wanted to live in a big city.  Nothing against my home town, but I just felt like I wanted more excitement.  Even Orlando seemed like a much bigger deal than where I was living, and all Orlando was at the time was basically Disney.  This is mostly a song about feeling stuck where you are, and thinking there has to be more to life.

Micky's voice, by the way, is sublime on this song.  He was really the front man for the group, not Davy.  When I think of Monkee songs, I usually think of the ones that have him singing lead.  (Daydream Believer of course being an obvious exception.)  "(I'm not your) Stepping Stone", "Last Train to Clarksville" and "Mary, Mary" being just three more songs I love.  I think he definitely deserves a mention on great voices of the 60s, and hopefully one day he'll get his due.

Calvinist Work-ethic

Last Monday night, I slept horribly.  I mean, tragically bad.

Of course the next day I had a bad day at work, and felt wretched the entire time.  (It also didn't help we had some major issues to deal with at work that day.)  I just figured I needed more rest and then I'd be back to being ok.  So Tuesday night I went to sleep very early (7pm) and woke up feeling refreshed, but also still a little weird.  Sure enough, Thursday I woke up, made the kids breakfast, and realized there was no way I was going to be able to go to work.  I just couldn't do it.  So I went back to bed.  Thus began my 4 days of being ill.  Thursday I slept and then canceled any plans for major work to be done at the house on the weekend, including cancelling our hotel reservations.  By Friday, fever was still going, and I was having dreams where the pillows were conspiring against me.  (You know those weird fever dreams you have?  Those can be soooo much fun.)  Saturday I stayed mostly in bed but decided to shave and rest as I was feeling a bit better and had no fever.  Sunday I was feeling better so we went out to have breakfast and did grocery shopping, which was in dire need.  Still felt a bit weak when I got home so I took it easy the rest of the day.  Today is the day before my wedding anniversary, which is a holiday, so I previously had taken the day off from work.  So, why am I now sitting in my office wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks and typing on my computer at lunch instead of sitting at home, relaxing on my day off and waiting for tomorrow to celebrate one of the most important events of my entire life with the woman I love?  I think it's Calvinism that brings me here.

You see, growing up Baptist in the deep south, you get to know Calvinism pretty well.  Usually it's not talked about all that much, but it's inside you, and part of your DNA.  Since Calvinism believed in pre-destination, it was thought you could see who was going to heaven by looking at their lives.  Hard work and being modest were thought to be signs of someone who was one of the chosen to go into heaven.  So began the work of not complaining and keeping your head down and frowning on the glory-hunters.  You just do your job, and get benefit from the fact that your hard work is probably being appreciated in the after-life.

Well, it's still in my DNA.  I may not go to church as much as I used to, and I definitely don't agree with some religious institutions anymore, but I still have the Calvinist work ethic.  Always have, always will.  I've found that it takes the form of a little voice inside my head, like a conscience.  My own personal Jimny Cricket if you will.  I realized it quite strongly when I lived in London.

There I was, one day, laying in bed feeling like a ton of bricks had hit me.  (No it wasn't a hangover.  Not this time, at least.)  I'd already called into the office to say I wasn't coming in.  Then, this little voice went off inside my head.

"Why don't you take a shower.  It'll make you feel better..."

You're right, little voice.  It would make me feel better.

After the shower, the little voice said:  "I bet you'd feel better if you shaved.  I mean you've got three day's growth of a beard on your face right now.  Shave and you'll probably feel better."

Well, ok. I can kind of see that.  You do kind of look haggard after a few days growth of beard, so why not?  It'll probably be ok.

After the shave, the little voice said: "Now that you're showered and shaved, why don't you get dressed and go to work.  I mean, you're almost ready to go anyways."

You know what?  I actually did.  Still didn't feel well, but still went to work.  It's also why I'm here.  In my crazy (and I KNOW it's crazy) mind, I think "I shouldn't take off today, because I had two days off last week."  How messed up is that?!?  It wasn't a vacation, it was me being sick!  But in my head, I couldn't miss 3 days in a row.  And really it all comes down to not wanting to let the side down.  I am working hard today to ensure that everyone that depends on me gets a chance to see me before the holiday.

It's not a bad life really.  Hard work has gotten me a lot of things in my life.  A job that I'm pretty good at, a lovely and supportive wife and two great kids.  I get to live all over the world, and it's amazing.

One other thing: My wife is a saint.  How she's put up with me for the last 9 years is beyond me.  I loves you!

A Rough Beginning

Sometimes even the Management Counselor has a difficult time adjusting to a new place.  It doesn't help when you have a bunch of stuff go wrong all at once.  It is especially upsetting when it impacts your family.  So, this hasn't been the smoothest of transitions.  Let's count the things that have gone wrong:

1) The flea situation was a bigger issue that we thought, and we had to have the house fumigated twice to get rid of all of them.

2) Lovely English Lass was still sick for another month, and then we found out she had gotten another parasite.  (She's informed me that since she had one at our last post, and one here, that the third one is her last strike.  Duly noted.)

3) The pool pump went out on the pool, so now we have a stagnant water facility in our backyard, waiting on someone to fix it.

4) The heater didn't work when the family first arrived, in the midst of winter, so that needed to be fixed.

5) Now that Spring is here, and with days in the upper 80s and nights in the upper 70s, the A/C stopped working.  It's either a power issue, or a freezing issue.  We're not sure.

6) Last week our two water tanks sprang leaks.  At the same time.  In the attic.  Got all over photos and stuff we had stored there.  These now need to be replaced.  Only problem is that the door is 3cm too small, and the new tanks won't fit so we have to widen the door.

7) Yesterday the dishwasher suddenly decided to stop latching, so now we can't use it.

8) After washing dishes in the sink because the dishwasher wasn't working, water suddenly appeared all over the floor.

9) After a heavy rain we discovered a leak in the roof.

10) After another heavy rain we also discovered a bunch of dead flying termites in the attic.

As you can see, for 2 months of me being here, it's been a bit crazy.  We're thinking that maybe the house doesn't want us there.  I've told LEL that if she comes and finds written in blood, "GET OUT" we are so gone.

There have been some lovely things here in Argentina, but a lot of what colors a place is your home.  So, it hasn't been the best.  But, I'm determined to make the best of it.  Plus the kids seem pretty happy.  Hopefully we get all this fixed soon, and then we'll have a place we can truly call home.

My first month (or a little less) in Argentina

Let me tell you, people, it's been a crazy summer in our family.  First we had about 2 months from getting orders to shipping out.  Then we moved to DC, where I had to take the Spanish language class at FSI.  After not improving my Spanish like the teachers thought I should, they decided to extend me.  Lovely English Lass and the kids went to Florida to spend time with the grandparents and cousins, and I had to stay in Crystal City to try and get the proper score so I wouldn't have to be in DC longer.  That didn't happen, and LEL and the kids had to come to Argentina without me for a month.  It was the longest month of my life.

My fantastic and lovely wife came to a country not knowing much in the way of how to communicate, and not only got everyone settled, but she got the internet hooked up, and the kids started at school and in therapies as well.  Amazing is a word that is overused, in my opinion.  It should really be used for things that really blow you away.  This was amazing.  She got things moving, and kept the kids going while I tried to remember the preterite form of to be able to in Spanish.  (It's Pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudieron in case you were wondering.)

Finally the Department decided I was better off in Argentina than in DC, and sent me on my way.  So, on August 28, I arrived in Buenos Aires.  The house was great, save a flea infestation, and it was great to be with the kids and LEL again.

My initial impressions of Buenos Aires are good, but also a bit of the scooby-doo perplexed look.  (Head turned to the side, with a quizzical look on my face, in case you were wondering.)  Burger King delivers here, but they stop at 4 pm, and begin again at 8.  In some stores, when you reach 1000 pesos, they make you pay right then, take your stuff to another line, and go through that line.  If you want to use a credit card, you have to register your id number.  They don't have sour cream here.  The grocery stores have produce, but everyone tells you to go to the green grocer for that, along with meat at a butcher shop.  (I approve of this, by the way.)  Traffic is insane, and the government doesn't issue the driver's licenses, the Automobile Club of Argentina does.  The people here seem very nice, although the neighbor looks askance at our front lawn whenever I see him.  (I think their cat is getting in our yard too, which I really don't like.)

Crazy Little Man seems to like it here, but also misses his friends in South Africa.  However, he's been a bit impish, as he tells people he speaks fluent Spanish.  (In fact he told his teachers that the reason he was so good in Spanish was because we lived in Spain for 10 years.  We haven't.)  Lovely Little Girl is much like Alice in Wonderland.  She likes it here, from what we can tell, and just enjoys life in general.  LEL has been ill, but hopefully that'll be over with soon.

We finally got our stuff, so the house, which had been tidy, is a bit of a mess right now.  Still, we're glad to have our things now, and soon everything will be put away and life will return to a sense of normal.  We're just trying to get by right now.  In case you haven't been reading the news, the political and economic situation here in BA has been a bit interesting.  Not going to talk about that right now, as it's not something really to discuss.  If you want to see how it is, just go online and search for news from Buenos Aires.

Anyways, that's what's happening here.  I'll be blogging regularly as we get settled.  Thanks again for reading kind people.

A small interlude to my studying...

I'm still studying spanish right now, but wanted to write something else to get the creative juices flowing so that I could study better.  So, I present to you a (possibly blasphemous to some people) discussion I had with the Almighty recently.

"Jay!" He exclaimed when I called.  "How you been my friend?"

Wait, I said, aren't you supposed to be all knowing? Shouldn't you already know how I'm doing?

"Well yes, but protocol suggests that I should ask how you're doing, correct?  I'm just playing by societal rules.  Anyways, what's up? Your dime, your time."

Actually, I said, I just wanted to see how you were doing.  Just judging by what's going on round here lately, it seems you've been busy.  Everything ok?

"You know, thanks for asking. Almost no one ever asks that.  I appreciate it. I kind of took off the month of June so I could watch the World Cup, and then all heck broke loose."

Whoa, I said.  You watched the World Cup? I thought it was a little quiet during June.  So you do follow sports!  So do you influence the outcome of the game like a lot of people think?

"Please! I just like watching the games.  If I did influence he games, don't you think teams with religious names would win more? Southampton would have won the BPL by now, and San Diego would've won the World Series.  By the way, can you tell them to bring back the logo with the friar playing baseball?  I loved that one."

I'll get on that, sir, after I finish Spanish class.  Any help on that? I'd love to get down to BA as soon as possible.  I really miss my family you know, and post really needs me. Can you help me out?

"You ever hear the phrase that God helps those that help themselves?"

Yeah, but that's not in the Bible.

"I know, but in this case it does qualify as good advice, my friend.  I know you miss them, and I'm sure they miss you too, but you've just got to take care of business man. May I suggest eating well, exercising, and listening to some righteous tunes to keep you motivated? Maybe 'Hero' by Foo Fighters, or 'Oye como va' by Santana? You know, for the Spanish."

I hear you.  I just feel a gut punch when I talk to them.  I'll continue to study.  Anything you want me to pass on to everyone else?

"Yeah, a couple of things.  1) what part of thou shall not kill did you not hear?  Please stop.  2) take care of the poor.  They really don't want to be poor, and life can be hard when you struggle. Keep that in mind. 3) please stop judging people.  Not your job people, that's mine.  Just love each other."

Can do Sir.

"Before we go, you doing ok otherwise?"

Well, does it bother you that I don't go to church more often?

"Wouldn't mind seeing you there more often, but I understand.  Hey, going to church and saying you're religious is about the same as going to a car showroom and saying you're a Ferrari. If you don't act like it, you aren't."

Good point sir.

"It usually is when I make it.  Vaya con Dios, my friend. That's Spanish you know."

I know.

MILB: "Elenore" by The Turtles

I'm still in the midst of Spanish classes, but I needed a break so I thought I'd write a quick blog post.

Last year, we took a trip to the UK to visit LELs family. One of the movies on the plane was "The Boat That Rocked", or as it was known in the US, "Pirate Radio". I really liked the movie, and Philip Seymour Hoffman was awesome in it.  In the movie, there is a wedding scene with one of the main characters whose bride was named Elenore.  They sang this song for the happy couple.  I really liked it a lot, and so I bout it.

The Turtles are best known in the US for their big hit, "Happy Together" which might be the best song from a stalkers point of view ever, with the exception of course of The Police's "Every Breath you Take".  Still, a good band from the 1960s and this is a great song.

Basically, this song is about a guy telling his girlfriend, Elenorewhat he likes about her.  It is both sweet and a little shocking at the same time.  For example, the chorus is "Elenore, gee I think you're swell, and you really do me well."  The mixture of the sweet and possibly profane in the same sentence is well done.  How many times are you going to hear the word gee in a song?  I also love the next line too, which is, "You're my pride and joy, ecetera."  Not many groups would be brave enough to put ecetera in a song.  But they do.

The music has a sound that definitely harks back to the 1960s, and has a great piano and background singing.  I kind of feel like they're part of a group of bands like The Kinks and Small Faces, that made British music.

Probably my favorite part is right before the last huge chorus, someone in the back yells, "One more time!"  It fits awesomely with it, and makes me want to hear the whole thing again, and to be honest I probably do listen to it at least twice in a row.  It just makes me happy, and I'm su you'll like it too.

American

On the 4th of July, it's good to be reminded that if you are a citizen of this country, then you are an American. There is too much vitriol these days aimed about who is an American and who isn't. Listen, we were founded by a bunch of people from all over with different ideas on how the country should be run but they all agreed that they were all Americans. It doesn't mean we can all go around questioning people's patriotism, does it?

So, not to be jingoistic about it, but to celebrate this long weekend, I give you things Americans should be proud of:

1) Jazz, the Blues, Rock and Roll and hip hop: any culture in the world would give anything to have invented one of these musical art forms, but America fostered all of them.  That's pretty awesome.
2) 100% of all people that walked on the moon were American.  Yeah, we had some help from nazis building the rocket, but still, those were US citizens on the moon.  Impressive.
3)  Two brothers from Ohio that owned a bicycle shop built the first ever airplane.  Couldn't make that up if you tried.
4) The potato chip (or crisp) was invented in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Gotta shout that one.
5) we also invented the chocolate chip cookie.
6) the 1955 Chevy, the 1966 Ford Mustang, the Pontiac GTO, and the 1932 Ford Coupe.
7) Batman.
8) The movies of the 1970s.
9) Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, John Kennedy's Inaugural Address, Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech.
10) Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers, Mickey Mantle and the New York Yankees.
11) The courageous story of the dive bombers at The Battle of Midway.  If you don't know the history, look it up.

Here's some other stuff to do as well if you needed it.

Go to a room with your music player, pour yourself a tall glass of your favorite drink, be it alcoholic or not. Now turn off all the lights and get it pitch black in the room, and then turn on, quite loudly but not too loud, Nina Simone singing the full 9 minute version of "Sinnerman".  After that song play "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck.  If you don't have some sort of religious experience, then you may not be human.

Go read Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird."  Listen to Jimi Hendrix play "Voodoo Child."  Read the history of Lewis and Clark, who not only mapped the Louisiana Purchase, but spent a lot of the time categorizing plants and animals while doing it.  Think about New Orleans, which is still one of the coolest cities to live in and visit, even after what happened with the hurricane.  Ponder driving Route 66, which even people from other countries want to do.  Think that somehow Hawaii, Alaska and Iowa are part of the same country.

I'm not saying that my country is the best in the world.  Hey, we do some. Weird stuff here that even I don't understand,  but our country has done some great stuff as well that we should be proud of without being too bellicose, and we shouldn't rest on past experiences either.  We should use these things to build for the future.

If you are n American, then this is yours as well.  Cherish it, and don't denigrate your fellow citizen.  After all, it's his/her history as well...

A brief update

So you may have been wondering how we've been doing. Well I gotta say it's been nuts, that's how it's been.

LEL and the kids are having an interesting since I've been in language class.  We're in Crystal City which has become much more walkable and interesting since I left here in 2000.  Much more stuff and a great playground for the kids right next to the library, which is a godsend.  Still, CLM has definitely been crazy, and LLG is still a little unsettled by the sirens tht go by.  (We're staying near a fire station so that's all the time.)

I, on the other hand, am just trying to get myself back into the swing of things in regards to Spanish. I'm doing quite well, but still won't be able to take the test when I want to do so.  I think I could pass it, but they aren't so sure.  So I try to Improve every day.  Who knows, maybe this week they'll come back and say they're ready for me, and I can get out of here sooner.  As it stands, LEL and the kids will be going before me to BA, which isn't optimal.  If you're into praying, please keep us in them.  I can use any help I get.

An ending and a new beginning

I'm sitting in the badge office at Main State right now. I had a free morning so I thought I'd write quickly about the last week. 

Our last week in South Africa went very quickly. CLM had a going away party on Memorial Day and LLG had two different going away parties. Her teacher said she had changed her life. It was pretty cool to be sure.

My staff had a going away party for me and gave me a SA rugby jersey with my name on it, which was very touching. On Friday we had a going away party for everyone leaving post, so it was nice to see everyone one last time.  The next day we had quite a huge task of getting packed and then taking the longest commercial flight in the world.

After the flight, we received a compliment on how well behaved our children were during the flight.  That made us very proud. The flight to dc was uneventful.

Monday I started class and LEL and the kids are exploring Crystal City where we're staying. It's been crazy and jet lag is still hurting all of us. Still, it'll be an eventful month and we'll see what happens next.

The Mad Rush to the Finish

Lovely English Lass once told me that life when you work overseas moves quickly, and when you're stationed in DC it seems to drag on forever.  This is so true, you know?  I can't believe that it has been almost 3 years since we arrived in Johannesburg, and yet there are 7 work days between me and my PCS to go to Buenos Aires.

There is so much still left to do.  We need to pack what we're taking with us to the States, which involves packing summer clothes.  But when we arrive in Buenos Aires, it'll still be winter, so we'll need to pack them too, since it'll take so long for our stuff to arrive.  We're limited in how much we're allowed to take baggage-wise, so that's going to be a pain as well.  So we're just going to have to find a way to get all this together.

Plus we've got one week before the packers come to move us out.  They descend on us like locusts, packing everything into boxes and ensuring that we'll probably not find anything until probably 2 years into our 3 year tour in Argentina.  They've scheduled us for two days.  That means goodbye nice big bed, and comfy chair and bean bag, and TV and DVDs and everything else.  It also means probably eating out for the last 4 days of being in the house, since we won't want to buy anything that can spoil.

We're also still not exactly sure when we'll arrive in Buenos Aires.  A lot of that depends on me.  I've still got to get the requisite score for Spanish before they'll let me go.  Then I'm Congressionally mandated to take 4 work weeks of home leave to ensure I remember what country I work for while overseas.  (Seriously, that's the truth.)

There is a lot about South Africa that I will miss.  Nice restaurants that have play areas for kids with people that actually watch them; Game reserves with animals that I never thought I'd see in person in the wild; Cape Town of course; surprisingly Durban as well; the loveliness of Clarins in the Drakensburg Mountains; and of course the people and our friends that we've made here.

I won't miss the constant state of alert you have to be on when you live here though.  I also won't miss the taxis and the way they drive, or the random rudeness of certain people.

When it comes to the end of a tour in the Foreign Service, there is a tendency to look back and see what you've done, to wax philosophical if you will. I'm very proud of the work I've done here in South Africa.  My kids are thriving now, and are ready for a new school.  My lovely wife is probably much happier now that she's no longer the Community Liaison Officer, and is looking forward to the new adventure.  Me?  I'm just happy that I've got a loving family, great friends, and new excitement on the horizon.  South Africa will always have a place in our hearts (and on our walls due to the amazing amount of art we've gotten here), and a place we'll always remember fondly.

In the words of a song from when I was in College, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."  Here's to a new beginning.

MILB: The Music of Phineas and Ferb

I know I know.  Not something that everyone knows anything about, so why write it?  Because the people who write the songs for a Phineas and Ferb cartoon are geniuses.  Seriously, the music for this cartoon could sometimes be played on the radio and no one would know the difference.

Here are a few examples that will show you what I mean:

Max Modem and the Mainframes - "Alien Heart" - Phineas and Ferb's dad tries to re-make himself into a 1980s one-hit wonder.  Turns out their mom was a one-hit wonder, and has been asked to be a part of a 1980s nostalgia concert.  So the boys create Max Modem, and they perform this song:

Now tell me that couldn't have actually been a song in the 1980s?  I'd listen to that song right now!

Love Handel - "You Snuck Your Way Right Into My Heart" - Turns out that Phineas and Ferbs parents' first date was at the last Love Handle concert, and their huge hit was this solid hair ballad.  (Sounds like something from the late Eighties early nineties.)  The boys decided to reunite the band for their parents' anniversary.  This was the song that they played.  Best lyric has to be, "Like a Ninja of love, rappelling down from above..."

Tiny Cowboy - "I'm Talking About Meatloaf" - Candace, their sister, is obsessed with Tiny Cowboy.  She sees them at a meatloaf festival (with guest star Jamie Oliver) at which the band wins with their meatloaf.  The song they sing at the end is fantastic.  It's obvious the band are modeled after Oasis (especially "Definitely Maybe" or "What's the Story" Oasis) and the song is perfect.

Baljeet and Buford - "Frenemies" - This is Lovely English Lass' favorite of the songs, I think.  While entertaining people at a retirement home, the bully of the show and the brain get together to put on a great floor show.  For goodness sake, the chorus has the line, "He's like my least favorite brother!"  Oh yeah, this is all bookended by the Mongol army showing up in present times and battling potato gremlins.  Just watch the clip.

There are so many examples, but I just thought I'd put in a few here.  Whoever you are that writes these songs, I thank you.  I mean, my son and I watch the show all the time, and it just makes me smile when I hear many of these songs.  Good job!

If you don't have a kid, you should still try to watch it.  It's intelligent and quite funny all together.

Hablo espanol

So here's a fair point for you to know: I've spent quite a lot of my life learning Spanish.

Yes, it made sense in Florida to be study Spanish, and I did major in Latin American Studies in College so I was required to take 6 semesters of Spanish.  By now I should be fluent.  However, things aren't always so great like that.

You see, while I understand Spanish quite well, and can read it fairly well, I have a hard time expressing myself via Spanish.  It's an issue, I know.  The main reason this is coming up now is that I'm required to have a 3/3 in Spanish prior to my arrival in Buenos Aires.  They want to give me more Spanish so that I can conduct business in Argentina without the need of an interpreter.  (I am being sent to do business with the Argentine government, so I should speak the language.)

(For those of you not understanding the numbers, I'll give a brief explanation.  The ability one has to speak a foreign language is based off a 5-point scale for both reading and speaking.  0 means no knowledge.  1 means a person can carry off small conversations or understanding of an article.  2 means that the person can do basic conversations, and can get by on day to day life.  3 is business level, meaning that one can conduct basic business in the language.  4 means that you have an advanced knowledge of the language, and you can basically pass as native.  5 is a native speaker of the language.  To make it even more difficult to understand, there are also +'s that can be added.  Meaning you've not quite made it to the higher level, but you're better than the lower level.  Also, at FSI, no one gets a 5.  To get a 5 you have to understand the language from like the 16th century.  I had a friend that was born and raised in Finland, and still only got a 4+.)

As recently as 2001, when there was someone in my position who didn't QUITE have the language score they needed to get to post, the person would just ask for a language waiver, usually have it approved, and off they'd go to post.  No muss, no fuss.  However, an OIG report stated that there were too many waivers being granted and that it was hurting US diplomacy efforts abroad sending our people out unprepared.  While I applaud this, there is also an issue of not giving people the time needed to get the language needed for the position.  Very few position vacancies allow for language training, and in fact long-term language training is thought to be a killer in your career.  (It isn't really, but people think that, so of course it has to be fact.)

Well, I'm now having to take the Spanish language test for the Foreign Service Institute for the third time.  The first time was when I entered the Foreign Service back in 1999.  I hadn't spoken Spanish at all for 2 years, and got a 1/1.  (Basically, I knew a little, but not enough.)  In 2009, when we were originally supposed to go to Bolivia, I was given Spanish language for a month, and after curtailing from Bolivia and taking a job in Main State, I tested again.  I went from a 1/1 to a 2/3.  Now I need a 3/3 to get to Argentina, and I'm probably at a 2+/3 for my Spanish.

So tomorrow I will sit down in front of a video conference and take my test.  It should take about an hour. We'll see how I do, and then that'll allow me to plan for training and home leave and then when we'll arrive in Buenos Aires.  Who knows how I'll do (especially since I have a touch of laryngitis at the moment that does give me a great low voice) but I'm sure I'll be fine. I've been practicing for about 3 months, so hopefully I'll get the 2+.  If that happens, we'll be out of Johannesburg in about a month.  It's a bit unsettling not knowing exactly when you're going, especially for the kids.

Anyways, wish me luck for tomorrow!

My Inner Lester Bangs: "Turn you on" by Mi Casa

My son, Crazy Little Man, has become obsessed with a local band recently.  Mi Casa has a song he likes called, "Jika."  He sings along with it when it comes on the radio, and I found myself actually liking the group too.

The story of Mi Casa isn't one of a band that's been together for years and suddenly finding success with a great song.  No, they met in 2011 at a lounge and started playing together and then hit it huge.  This actually qualifies as an overnight success.  Their first hit was in late 2011, and they've already released two albums.  One of the things I like about this group is that they seem to know they've caught the luck, and they're very down to earth.  I like that.  The members of the group are Dr. Duda, who produces, Mo-T plays the trumpet, and JSomething is the vocalist and guitarist.  (JSomething's real name is Joao, which I guess is how he has been introduced for a long time in South Africa.  He was born in Portugal and moved here when he was 7.)  Their new album is called Su Casa, and the very first song on the album is "Turn You On."

The music of Mi Casa can be classified as chilled out dance music with a Jazz element to it.  You can definitely groove to it, but it can also be on in the background at a dinner party and you'd be fine with it.  "Turn You On" has that smoothness to it that gives a little bit of the 1990s vibe to it.  JSomething's voice is very evocative, and definitely should be used in a slow-motion scene in a movie where a man and woman are doing the making eyes over dinner, interspersed with scenes of them kissing and doing adult things back at the house.

This song is a jam, to be sure.  After the chorus, a longing cry of "IIIIIIII, just want to turn you on," followed by the echo of background singers, there is a sax and trumpet play that reminds me of Goldfish's music lately, and of 1930s-1940s jazz.

I have to say one of the things I dig about this group is that they aren't trying to be someone else.  They are themselves, all the way to using the South African colloquialism, "now now."  "Now Now" doesn't really have a meaning attached to it.  It means sometime from now until later.  "Just now" however, doesn't really mean anything.  It's something you say to someone to get them off your back, "I'll do it just now."  They also dedicate one of the songs on the album to "Tata Madiba" or Nelson Mandela to you and I.  Doesn't get any more South African than that, unless it came with a braai and biltong.

Anyways, this song just has a groove to it that you'll really enjoy.  South African music is starting to make it big in the world, and I think these guys definitely have a shot at being something in the future.  Not to brag, but I do have a track record of calling it when bands might hit big.  Give Mi Casa a shot.  If you like it, you might find yourself playing it one night while drinking a nice red wine from South Africa, wondering when the next rugby match is on.

April Fools Falls Flat

Gather around, my friends, and I'll tell you the story of how I screwed up an April Fools Day joke so badly, I had to play along with it for a few years so that people didn't think I was an a-hole.

Picture it: Washington, DC, April 1, 1999.  I'm working as the Office Manager/Personal Assistant for a lawyer at 1900 Pennsylvania Avenue.  Pay sucked, but my life wasn't so bad.  I had good friends and I'd just found out that I was going to be joining the Foreign Service in September.  So, I thought it'd be a great April Fool's Day prank to send an email to everyone telling them that I was quitting my job, and moving back to Florida until September.  I said I was sad and didn't feel like working any longer for the lawyer (which was kind of true) and that I was just packing it in and I'd be back in September.

One thing you may know about me is that I have some bouts of melancholy that hit me at times.  So much so that my friends from college nicknamed me "Melancholy Jay."  They spoke of him as if he was a separate person (and he kind of was), and when they would see me getting down would try to perk me back up.  So the idea of me getting down wasn't unheard of, and it could have been seen as something I would do.

What I didn't realize is that this panicked a whole lot of my friends.  I got a call at work from one of my friends, Brian I think, and I told him it was an April Fool's joke.  He took it well.  The rest?  Not so much.  Vinnie called and I got totally yelled out for a passive aggressive/ look at me attitude that wasn't cool.  People loved me and were worried about me and then I go and pull a thing like this?  Shortly after apologizing, Dawg called and also read me the riot act.  Needless to say, I had to email everyone back thanking them for their support and that I wasn't going to go back to Florida.  I didn't, however, correctly state it was all a joke.  Vinnie told me that if I did it was going to totally piss off everyone off and I might lose some friends over it.  So, I kept my mouth shut and didn't start correcting everyone until a few months later when it was something we could laugh about.

However, I didn't get to everyone to tell them, and there was at least one person who didn't find out until 2 years later when I let it slip during a conversation.  Two years later she still punched me in the arm for being a doofus.

So I've learned my lesson: April Fool's jokes need to either be physical humor (saran wrapping the entrance to someones office, for example) or so over the top that people don't believe it.

However, it was very nice back then knowing so many people loved and cared about me.  That's probably when I realized "Melancholy Jay" probably needed to disappear.  I don't think he's re-appeared since.

Happy Birthday (FINALLY!) to my Little Man

This has perhaps been the LOOONNNGGGEESSST month in my Crazy Little Man's life.  I swear he has done nothing but talk about his birthday since March began.  We even had a rule: No more talking about your birthday before Daddy's birthday, or before we go on Safari.  Once that was taken care of, he could then talk again about his birthday.

And boy did he!  While I was in Gabarone, apparently all he did was talk about his birthday, and how he was going to be 5, and what that meant to everyone.  It was nuts, and my wife was perpetually in search of the tylenol (paracetamol) to end the agony.

Today is the day, though!  Happy birthday Little Man!  This year is going to be huge for you.  We're going to move (another topic he brings up with alarming frequency) and start big boy school.  That's a lot for a little 5 year old.  He's 5, and will now have lived on 4 continents.  Crazy, no?

His party is tomorrow morning, and then on Sunday we're taking him to see the Lego Movie.  He's very excited about both.  Hopefully the rain stays away for the party, and he has a good time.  Needless to say, we've farmed out the party to a  venue, and they do a very good job with parties, so we're not worried.

Yesterday we went to his school to bring cupcakes and have him sing.  It was extremely cute.  They also gave him a book with nice things about him.  He'll definitely miss being at that school, but I think he's excited about going to South America.

So here's to you, CLM.  Hope you have a great day, and roll on this weekend, eh?

Acknowledge Work Done Well

We are in the twin seasons of EER and Awards here at Mission South Africa.  It's the chance to rate someone on the work they've done, but also to reward them for work that is done well.  You'd think this was an easy concept to get, but it's something that many managers have trouble with in the Foreign Service.  The job of a Manager is to motivate his staff, especially in these times when wages are flat and the work has increased due to staffing issues.  While it is nice to have a good EER, you should also reward your people by publicly showing them that you appreciate the work they have done.

Here's something for all Manager's to remember about recognizing your staff.  It may be the thing that keeps them from looking for other work:

1) Do not delay recognition.  If someone is doing a good job, recognize them NOW, not with the promise of a larger award later.  Later may not come, and this leaves the person dejected and does the opposite of motivate them.  If they are doing a good job, recognize it.

2) Make sure everyone that worked on a job gets the recognition.  If you leave someone out, this can cause resentment.  Ensure that everyone that played a part in the award gets recognized for their part.

3) Try not to recognize the same people over and over.  Focus on people who are doing their job well, and have gone the extra mile who ordinarily don't get awards.  While you can give the water-walkers an award, make sure that you also recognize the unsung heroes.

4) They've worked hard for you, spend some time on the award nomination.  This is a major problem.  Since I'm a Management Officer, one of my jobs is serving on the awards committee.  I can't tell you how many times I've read an award for Meritorious Honor (One of the highest we can give out) that is only 3 sentences long, including the names.  If the people deserve the award, then spend the time justifying it.

5) Deflect Criticism for Awards Given.  Many times at awards ceremonies, you'll hear murmurs at the sound of people's names.  If you hear someone saying that one of your people didn't deserve an award, set them straight.  Be nice about it, but set them straight about the work your staff did and why it was deserved.  Believe me, it'll get around that you did this, and your staff will respect you more because of it.

These aren't hard and fast rules, but guidelines on how to recognize good work.  Sometimes it's the only thing keeping someone from deciding that they can do better somewhere else.

Waiting for the Good Times to Roll

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

I've always loved that phrase.  It reminds me of Mardi Gras, and being a 14 year old tuba player marching in the Mardi Gras parade with my High School band.  (I think my voice may have changed during that trip.  There were things going on in the streets of New Orleans that I can't unsee.)

Anyways, letting the good times roll isn't something we've been able to do here in Johannesburg recently.  With bid season fully upon us, and me without a job, I've just been waiting and waiting.  Now, if this was just me, I'd be fine.  I'd wait it out and then find a job that fell through and BOOM!  I'd have a place to go.  If it was just me and Lovely English Lass, we'd be fine.  But with the kids, and especially with their Special Needs, this has just been gruelling.  You have no idea on how difficult it can be to have your kids ask you, "Daddy, where are we going to live next year?" and you have no clue how to answer it.  It can cause some anxiety, and that's never good for anyone in my family.  (I speak from experience.)

The point being is that sometimes even though you think you might be the right person for a job, you just don't get it.  It happened to me quite a few times these past few months.  I'd bid on a job I thought I was perfect for, and then watch it go to someone else.  There were DCM jobs I wanted, but never got.  It got to the point where it looked like we were heading back to DC.  Now, I have no issue with that, but I didn't join the foreign service to spend every other tour in Washington.  I love Washington, but I wanted to be overseas doing the work I was trained to do.

Plus, all of this was happening during the Mandela funeral and then my R&R to the UK, so I was very busy along with this anxiety.  I needed an outlet, so I started on our treadmill again.  Let me just say that it really helped me a lot.  I'd put on weight again (as I've said, the food here is awesome) and I just needed to get working on getting me healthy.  So, I took it one day at a time.  I'd work on finding jobs open, and then try my best to get one.

Then a lifeline appeared.  A very dear friend told me he was having to break his handshake.  It was a place I'd bid on previously, and apparently had ranked me pretty high previously.  I contacted my Career Development Officer (CDO) and he gave me the people I Needed to talk to about the job.  I sent everything to the Charge d'Affairs ( this is a fancy French phrase for someone who acts as the Ambassador when there isn't an Ambassador) and to the Management Officer, and I waited.  This was on a Friday.  The next Tuesday I got an email asking me if I was available for an interview on Thursday.  WAS I!  If he wanted to talk to me at 3 am my time I would have done it.

The interview went extremely well, and the Charge and I got along pretty decently.  Nice talk, but I was wary since I'd had good interviews previously, so I didn't say anything.  I asked how long a decision would take, and was told 2 weeks.  The next morning, I sent a very nice thank you note to the Charge for the interview, and thanked him for his time.  I explained I was very interested in the position, and that I hoped I'd be able to work with him.  He responded with a nice note back, and I waited.

That evening, after taking the kids to swim class, we stopped to get milk at the store.  While in the store, my Black Berry buzzed, but I didn't check it because we were trying to get things quickly and the kids out of the store.  When I stopped at a stop light 5 minutes later, I pulled out the BB, and checked my messages.  There it was: The offer for a handshake.  I can't tell you how good it felt.

So, this summer (Northern Hemisphere) we shall leave South Africa, head to the US for about 2 months, and then head to our next posting for 3 years.  I'm very much looking forward to it, and hopefully our friends and family will come visit us in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  It's a big mission, and it's more than I'd hoped for two months ago.

A very quick thanks to my family for putting up with my insanity, and to my friends who've been supportive either in word or by writing endless references for me.  Also thanks to my friend who when he broke his handshake immediately thought of me.  I hope you and your family are ok, and thanks again.   I owe you big.

The main thing I can take from my travails is that it all works out for a reason, doesn't it?  There were places where people said we'd be fine, but then when we got turned down something came up at that post where we wouldn't have been able to stay.  A school started going downhill, or there was a lot of turmoil.  The thing I take from this is just keep trying, and you end up where you need to be.

MILB: Diss Tracks

The Diss track has long been associated with Rap music.  Someone feels disrespected, and so they cut a track to let out their frustrations.  However, this is not solely the province of Rap or R&B.  There have been some great rock diss tracks (Or at least lines of a tack) that are just classic.  Music is supposed to give you a reaction, good or bad.  A good diss track can completely disarm someone, and render anything else they have to say useless.  Now, here are my top 5 diss tracks:

5) "South Bronx" by Boogie Down Productions - KRS-One rips into MC Shan and other for what he perceived to be their claim that hip hop was created in Queens instead of in the South Bronx in his song "The Bridge".  In fact, coupled with "The Bridge is Over" this song pretty much killed MC Shan's career.  It's simplistic, but makes the point that KRS-One was not going to have anyone doubt where hip hop was created.

Best Line: "Party People in the Place to be, KRS-One attack/You got dropped off MCA because the rhymes you wrote was WHACK!"

4) "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd - Fantastic song, usually accompanied by "Roll Tide Roll" during the chorus, and beloved by Alabamans everywhere.  This song was written pretty much in response to Neil Young's "Southern Men".  It's a rocking song, that everyone sings to, even in a bar in Istanbul as I found out one night.  It's very popular, but it is a diss song.  I can probably count how many times I've heard "Southern Men" on the radio, but can't fathom how many times I've heard this song.  Heck, I've even done it in Karaoke.

Best Line: "Well I heard Mr. Young Sing about her/ Well I heard ole Neil put her down/Well, I hope Neil Young will remember/ Southern Men don't need him around anyhow."

3) "Dre Day" by Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg -  Dr. Dre left Ruthless Records and NWA to form Death Row Records with Suge Knight.  One of the big hits off his first solo album, "The Chronic" was "Dre Day".  (The full title is something else, and I won't write it.)  Anyways, during this musical diss masterpiece, Dre takes a shot at Eazy E, Jerry Heller (head of Ruthless Records) and Luther "Luke" Campbell.  The video is interesting, to say the least, and really adds to the mockery.  This is a no-holds barred song that just destroys each of these guys.  Luke never really recovered on a national scale.  Eazy E died a few years later, and Dr. Dre is now a Rap empressario.

Best Line: "Used to be my homie, used to be my ace/Now I want to slap the taste out ya mouth"

2) "How do you Sleep?" by John Lennon - Probably one of the most vicious attacks on a former friend in rock music history.  The breakup of The Beatles was very much like a divorce.  The fact that George Harrison plays on the track is significant, because Paul was the one that brought him into the band in the first place.  During the recording, apparently Ringo stopped in and was extremely upset about the song.  The lyrics attack Paul, and his music and how he only had one song that John thought was any good.  It's extremely visceral and yet also still a great song.  John definitely had hurt feelings about a track on Paul's album titled "Too Many People."  John later felt so bad about it he said it was not just aimed at Paul, but also himself.

Best Line: "The Only Thing You Done was Yesterday/And since you've gone you're just another day."

1) "Hit 'em Up" by 2Pac  - This song has it all: An attack on an entire record company; a claim of sleeping with another man's wife; claiming that a former friend is biting your style of rapping and clothes; a somewhat out of nowhere attack on a rapper and mentioning a life-threatening disease he has; a catchy beat with the "take money" insert; and accusation that Notorious B.I.G knew who shot him 5 times; and finally a finale that actually sounds as if 2Pac is going to come through your speakers and kill you and everyone you know and love.  Seriously, this is everything you want in a track if you want to hurt someone's soul.  There is nothing on here that would remotely make you think he was every going to quash any type of beef he had with BIG, or Bad Boy Records for that matter.  

Best Line: "Biggie remember when I used to let you sleep on the couch/ and beg the (expletive) to let you sleep in the house/ now it's all about Versace, you copied my style/ 5 shots couldn't drop me I took it and smiled."

Saying something worth hearing

Friday February 7th and Tuesday February 11th will be days I remember for the rest of my life.  This is because I got to go out on a Public Diplomacy mission to speak to two high schools about things I'm passionate about.

Since February is Black History Month, the Embassy was looking for speakers to go out and talk about either famous events in Black History, or about how African-American culture has influenced American Culture.  Last year one of the people spoke about the African-American roots of Rock music.  Of course, since I like to hear myself talk and appear to be pretty good at Public Speaking, I volunteered.  I gave them two topics that I am pretty familiar with: The Integration of Little Rock's Central High School, and the Origins of Hip-Hop and its influence on American Culture.  I figured I might get a bite from one of those topics, but never imagined I'd get a chance to present both.

My first presentation was at a High School in Thembisa, located between Johannesburg and Pretoria.  It was a nice school, and they appeared to have been sponsored by Coca-Cola, since a brick bottle of the drink was part of one of the buildings.  The school was very highly thought of, and had been producing great results in graduation rates.  It was located in a township, and the kids came from around the area.  The Principal was very pleased to have us there, and he also was very proud of his school.  I was taken to a classroom with about 30 students aged 17-18.  The topic was "The Origins of Hip-Hop and its influence on American Culture."  I started the PowerPoint slide show, and after the title slide, I had typed this at the top:

"What's this almost middle-aged white guy doing talking about Hip-Hop?"

I then turned to the class and asked who in the room actually thought that?  About half raised their hands.  I then said, "It's ok.  You're not going to hurt my feelings.  Who thought it?"  The rest of the hands went up, and everyone laughed.  That's when I started talking about the history of hip-hop, my love of the music, and how I'd tried to get my hair to look like Kid from Kid n Play.

It was a great talk, and I had tunes for them to listen to, and we discussed how every bit of hip-hop came from a small area in New York called the South Bronx.  No one would have thought that anything coming out of the South Bronx would influence culture, but it did.  I reminded them that no one in the 1950s would have thought that two Nobel Peace Prize winners would have come out of Orlando, Soweto.  They agreed, and some came to tell me they really enjoyed my discussion.

My second presentation was about the Little Rock 9.  I went to a school in Soweto that had recently begun to receive attention for how well it was run, and the kids were graduating at a higher rate than the other schools in the area.  When I came, I was greeted by the teacher, and he assured me this was going to be special.  He took me to their auditorium, and there I saw a mass of seats set up.  I'd expected 30-40 people, but instead I found out later I was speaking to 203 15-18 year old students.  The room had no air conditioner, and it had a tin roof.  It was VERY HOT.  But, since the students were wearing sweaters (their uniform) I kept my jacket on in solidarity.  I explained to the students why I was there, and why I was speaking about these 9 brave teenagers who helped kick-start the civil rights movement.  I told them about how my father went to that school in 1961.  How my great-grandmother lived a block and a half from the school, and that she'd told me when I was much younger that she'd brought lemonade to the 101st airborne because, in her words, "They looked very hot standing there."  Not sure if it was true or not, but knowing my grandma, it wouldn't surprise me.

I also talked to them about what these 9 did after they left school, and how many had moved back to Little Rock later in life, even though they'd been through a lot.  I told them that these 9 teenagers were the same age as they were, and that they'd become a symbol used throughout the 1960s civil rights movement.  I explained that it didn't matter how old you were, that if there was something right, that you should stand for it.  The teacher jumped in with a hearty yes and then added, "Something else he mentioned was that this was all non-violent.  That's a problem we're having right now in our communities: our protests have turned violent.  When that happens, no one remembers what the protest was, just that violence occurred."  He had a point.  Many of the students had taken notes, and some had questions afterwards.  After I gave the school some resources about African American history, the came up to talk some more.  Some wanted to take a picture with me, which I thought was awesome.  Some wanted to ask more questions.  (One of the questions was: "Did the Little Rock 9 have to pay school fees?"  Interesting question actually, since everyone there did have to pay fees, even though this was a public school.)  Most just came to thank me.

I've always wondered what I could have done as a PD officer.  I like my job, don't get me wrong, but seeing all those people listening to me, and maybe taking what I said to heart, really made me happy.  I'll keep doing this when I get a chance, but I'll always remember those two days.

And sometimes they let me speak!

Being a Management Officer is sometimes a two-sided sword.  Not only do people assume you're the help, but they also can't believe you know anything except how to run logistics or take abuse.  (Joke!)  Sadly this is something that we get all too often.  When I was applying for Deputy Chief of Mission jobs recently, the very first question asked every single time was, "So what do you think you know about Policy?"  Hey, it's a great question, and one that should be answered.  But looking at my CV, even though I haven't done a job in Policy, you might want to look at my education.  I did graduate from THE George Washington University with a BA in International Affairs, with a focus on International Politics and Latin America.  Just because I'm not in school any more doesn't mean I still don't find those things interesting, you know.  Heck, I wonder if they ask Political and Economic officers what they know about Management work, seeing as how I probably manage more people today than they have in their entire career.

Still, being a Management Officer is sometimes hard, because you get type-cast.  Here's a hint folks: If a Management Officer says he can do something other than Management, take him at his word. Management Officers are usually very results oriented and logical.  If there is an opportunity to do something outside of the Management Cone, they will do a cost benefit analysis in their heads.  They will weigh the pros and cons, and also play out the likelihood of success, and if it is yes, then they move forward.  That's one of the reasons why Management Officers stay in Management.  There is a tangible result in their jobs, which can be quantified.

Anyways, I say this because the Public Diplomacy Section just came out and asked for volunteers to speak at local High Schools on topics for Black History Month.  Since I am a theatre person myself (I killed as Lord Capulet in our High School's version of "Romeo and Juliette" and in the skits we did in College), and also quite a decent public speaker, I volunteered.  They don't give you a topic, you have to bring it yourself.  Now, I could have gone with numerous thoughts, but went with two topics that I'm fairly conversant with.

The first topic is "The integration of Little Rock's Central High School in 1957."  I know this one pretty well, for numerous reasons.  One of them is that I wrote a long essay on Brown v. Board of Education for International Baccalaureate.  Believe me, when you write 15,000 words on a topic, it tends to stick with you.  The second is that I was born in Arkansas, and this is something you just know about.  It's taught, and it's a part of history.  The third is that my family lived through that time.  And by lived through it my Great-Grandmother lived a block from Central High when this was going on, and two of my uncles were in the National Guard at that time.  Plus, my dad went there in 1961, so it was still fresh.  Needless to say, I will have trouble staying within my time limit parameters.

The second topic will definitely be fun, but I'm sure will raise some eyebrows when I walk through the door.  "The origins of Hip-Hop and its influence on American Society."  Yeah, the 37 year old white dude is going to talk about Rap, where it came from, and how it influenced American Society.  There are Foreign Service Officers here that want to go listen to this one.  I think it'll be awesome.  I'll have a slide show, and some music, and we'll have a great time.  Plus, it'll allow me to talk about something I know about that doesn't get discussed all the time.

The Hip-Hop talk happens next Friday, February 7, and the Central High school talk happens on February 11th.  I'll see if I can have them videoed, and I'll put them online.  I will definitely give you guys an idea on how it went, though.

Seriously though, if I'm the first person to introduce Afrika Bambaataa or Eric B and Rakim to these kids, that will be payment enough for me.

MILB: "Why'd you only call me when you're high?" by the Arctic Monkeys

The Arctic Monkeys came out in about 2006 from Sheffield.  As you may or may not know, Lovely English Lass is from there as well, so I found them very interesting.  Their first album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not was very good, with "I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor" being the big hit, but "When The Sun Goes Down" was a better song.  Still, it had some fantastic songs, won the Mercury Prize, and they definitely sounded like they were from Yorkshire.  Heck, one of the songs was called "Mardy Bum" which is a complete Yorkshire-ism.  (Find your favorite Yorkshireman and ask him for a translation.  And then buy him a bottle of Henderson's Relish.  You'll be his best friend forever.  Take that Labour MP!)

Anyways, they've released some good albums since them, but in 2013 they released AM.  AM is without a doubt their Sgt. Pepper's.  This thing is just good.  Alex Turner decided to do his hair up like a 50s greaser and sound a little like John Lennon, but it works.  The music is fantastic and the lyrics are great.

"Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" is the third released off the album, and I'm not sure why it wasn't the first.  This is an AMAZING song, and really puts you into the singer's head.  I know it reminded me of a few of my friends when we were all younger and had more hair and could stay out later than we should.

The song is about a guy who's gone out for a night of drinking, looked up and it's closing time.  He then starts calling and texting this girl he knows.  This is obviously something he does a lot: The dreaded drunk dial.  The girl doesn't answer his calls, and when he texts her, she replies with the title of the song.  Heck, I knew lots of guys that did that when I was in College and especially in London.  It's kind of a thing where you don't want to be alone.  A very sad thing to be sure, but it's one that many people today understand.

Anyways, the video for it really fits the song.  Now, lyrics are only as good as the melody that goes with it.  The melody for this song is absolutely fantastic.  It's rock, but not quite.  The song moves with a stutter and bass, sounding almost like a drunk walking.  It really puts you in the 3 am time, and makes you completely feel like you're watching this guy stumble along and try to text a girl to get her to see him.  (From "How I Met Your Mother": Nothing good ever comes after 2 am.  They're right, you know.)  Anyways, you get the feeling of a cold winter's night in Sheffield (Or any major city) and the darkness of a drunk trying to find a way either home or to someones house.  It really gets you there.  Mix it in with the lyrics, and you've got a song that should be on everyone's play list.

Do yourself a favor: listen to the song.  I guarantee you'll find it at least interesting.  It may even make you want to listen to the whole album, which is a good thing.  And it may make you discover a new band, and for that you'll thank me.

MILB: "Rockin in the Free World" by Neil Young with Pearl Jam

In 1993, I got to see one of the coolest performances of a song on television.  At the MTV Video Music Awards, Pearl Jam and Neil Young came on stage and played, "Rockin in the Free World" off Young's 1989 album, Freedom.  What happened was one of the coolest things you'll see on TV.

From the stories of what happened, Pearl Jam was asked to close the show.  They'd played "Rockin" at their MTv Unplugged show the year before, and thought it would be make a great closer.  Apparently they asked Young to play with them, and while they heard yes, they weren't sure he was coming until he walked in and plugged in.

Now the song is a great song, and an indictment of the then George H.W. Bush administration.  (It implicitly references President Bush 41's call for "a thousand points of light" and a "kindler gentler nation.")  It also talks about the issues of the ozone layer and taking care of the environment.  So, it was a head of its time.  Still, even if you take away the political message, this song definitely has a huge amount of rock to it.  The opening lick alone is enough to get the adrenaline going, and the guitar solo in the middle is fantastic.

Well then, let's talk about the actual performance.

This was during the time Pearl Jam was one of the biggest bands in the world.  Their rotating drummer problem landed with Dave Abbruzzese, who does a decent job of playing this song.  (Matt Cameron would have been awesome, but he was still with Soundgarden at that time, so no dice.)  Anyways, song starts off, with Neil doing his thing.   Gets right into the song, playing his guitar like only he can.  Meanwhile Eddie Vedder's just sitting their with his hair in his face bobbing his head up and down.  I can't tell you how awesome that looked in 1993.  Eddie Vedder was one of the coolest guys around back then, mainly because he didn't talk much, and when he did you had real trouble understanding what the hell he was saying.  Still, with Mike McCready, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament in the band, they had some real power going on.  The song, moves on with pace, and Eddie does a great job with his part.  Then, the guitar solos start.  Watching them jam together you know they're just enjoying themselves.  Heck, no one else could have been at that show and they probably would have done the same stuff during the solo.  Then, towards the end, it gets raucous.  They start smashing guitars, and Eddie takes his mic stand and starts smashing the stage with it.  As a 17 year old growing up in Florida, I really and truly wanted to be in that audience.

Pearl Jam and Neil Young remain pretty darn close to this day.  He pops up on occasion to perform with them, they recorded an album together, 1995's Mirror Ball, and  Eddie inducted Neil Young into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame.  I think Young's activism may have rubbed off, as shortly after this, Pearl Jam took on Ticketmaster, which was a stupid move to do when you're the biggest band in the world.  But they did.  They came out the other side, and have celebrated playing together for more than 20 years.  I've never seen Pearl Jam in concert, but I have friends that have seen them numerous times.  (I did buy one of the bootleg CDs they sold of their concerts off their website back in the early 2000s.  It was in Washington, DC, a show in which a couple of my friends went to see.)  Still, when I think of this song, it takes me back to 1993.  I was young, and had no idea what I was headed into.  Do me a favor: go home, dig out your baggy shorts or jeans, put on a flannel, and pump this song loud.  It'll definitely put you in the right sort of mind.

Trip to England and Return

Sorry to have been MIA for a bit, but this has been an insane month, so I'm just now getting time to sit down and corral my thoughts.

About a month ago today, we landed in London, and then caught a plane to Manchester.  We were headed to Blackpool, where Lovely English Lass' mother and father, Ma and Pa Lass, own a hotel.  It was much colder than in SA, but we were happy to be there and looking forward to the adventure.

After getting the rental car, and driving from Manchester to Blackpool, with a stop at a services for the bathroom and a Starbucks (Which they don't have in SA) we sat down to rest at the hotel.

For a confession, I have to say that I very much feel at home in the UK.  When I moved to London it was the only place outside the US where I said I could definitely live.  (And then I went to Bruges, and said the same thing, but I digress...)

After a few days in Blackpool, we then drove to Bath to see family friend Bec and her lovely daughter Em who live in Bath in Southern England.  Bath is a city where LEL has decided that when we leave the nomadic lifestyle we currently enjoy, we'll probably settle there.  It's a lovely city, with great charm.  Not only does it have all the convenience of a big city, but has still kept its independent stores and vibe to it.  What a great place, and we loved our two days there.  It was nice to see Bec and Em, and to tour the Roman Baths, which we hadn't done yet, and just to see this very cool place.  While there I had a job interview via phone, which I still haven't heard about, but it was a great time.

We then returned to Blackpool for Christmas, and got to see LEL's older brother and his family, which was nice.  Crazy Little Man got to run around with his cousin, K, and Lovely Little Girl was happy talking to the guests of the hotel.  We also go to go to a place called Botany Bay, which is just about one of the strangest but awesome experiences you'll have at a shopping place.  It's located in an old Cotton Mill, and is very eclectic.  It's located near Wigan, so if you're in the area stop by.

Between Christmas and New Years we went to Edinburgh in Scotland.  None of us had ever been to Scotland, so this was a real treat.  Driving there was even better as we drove next to the River Tweed, and through many little villages.  Beautiful country, and I'll post pictures sometime soon.

I really liked Edinburgh.  However, the weather the first night was horrid. Cold and windy, we couldn't hardly do anything at the Christmas Market, so we had dinner and returned back to the hotel.  The next day was nicer, so after breakfast, we did the hop on hop off tour, which is really a great way to see a city.  We did the whole tour first, which didn't take that long, and then got off where we wanted to.  Stopped near Greyfriars Bobby's statue.  We also found a haberdashery, and LEL bought a very nice bonnet that made her look like a Bronte Heroine.  I bought a pair of cufflinks made from watch parts.  Later we bought the kids some tams (LLG's is Pink, natch, and CLM has Blue and Green.)  We also went to the Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, which the kids loved and we quite enjoyed as well.

We then returned to Blackpool for New Years.  Pa Lass' band was playing at the hotel for New Years, and everyone had a great time.  We then spent the next two days playing with our other nephew, Jumpy, and our niece, Gray.  Jumpy wasn't feeling well, but still seemed quite a lovely little guy.  Gray loved running around with CLM and LLG, and everyone was getting along.

Then, all too soon, it was time to fly back to SA.  Return the rental to Manchester, get a flight to London (eat at Wagamama's in Terminal 5, which I loved) and then catch a flight back to SA.  It's been very busy since we got back, and everyone has returned from holidays, so Jozi is once again a teeming metropolis.

There's a lot I didn't get to talk about, but it's time for work again, so off to the day job.  Hopefully this new year is a good one with exciting times, and a good onward for me and the family.