BLUE MONDAY - FATS DOMINO

Friday night with Fats Domino singing "Blue Monday".  Ponder that mindbender, as you listen and enjoy. I missed the Fats post last week altogether. Sorry about that.

PRESIDING BISHOP KATHARINE ON THE ENTHRONEMENT OF JUSTIN WELBY

From Episcopal News Service.

FEAST OF ST PATRICK

St. Benin's Church, Kilbennan, County Galway, Ireland

---

Detail of stained glass window depicting St. Patrick.

May God shield me;
may God fill me;
may God keep me;
may God watch me;
may God bring me this night
to the nearness of His love.

From Patrick's Compline. 


Image from Wikipedia. 

UPDATE: Padre Mickey has a wonderful post on St Patrick:

I think the celebration of St. Patrick's Day has more to do with the pride of those of Irish heritage in the land of their ancestors than with the actual St. Patrick; leprechauns and green beer and getting plastered have nothing to do with the saint, and such celebrations do not take place in Ireland. Today we are going to remember Patrick as a missionary and bishop, and as the man who helped spread Christianity throughout Ireland.   

Of course, Padre Mickey is correct.   Read the entire post.

I'M A FOOL TO CARE - FATS DOMINO

Friday night with Fats Domino.

QUICK WAY TO GET SNOW OFF THE ROOF

TIRED,TIRED, TIRED

Today I feel as though I've been trying with my bare hands to hold President Obama and Democrats in the Senate and the House accountable to implement the policies which led me to vote for them in the first place - policies which will bring a measure of fairness and equality to the citizens of the United States.  I know I'm not alone and that many others are fighting, too, but I'm tired and about ready to give up.  Among the politicians who know what is right, few have either the courage or the will to do the right thing.

I'm tired of the Democrats' appeasement of Republican politicians who apparently care only about rich donors who fill their campaign chests.  Keep in mind that all in the Congress are well-cared for with their yearly automatic raises that they don't even have to vote on, and their generous benefits and pensions.  I'm tired of Democrats who feel the need to express politically-correct concern about the deficit at this time, when they know what the people of the country want and need are jobs and money to pay their bills and buy the goods and services that are produced here, which would help the economy recover.  A strong economic recovery would, in itself, help reduce the deficit.  Why don't elected officials in the Democratic Party stop talking about the deficit and stay on message about creating jobs, jobs, jobs and a return to a robust economic recovery?  Our infrastructure is falling apart.  Why is it a good thing for the wealthiest country in the world to have a collapsing infrastructure?  Put people to work repairing and rebuilding.

Why is the stock market booming, reaching record heights, when so many in the country are suffering?  Watch the video below, which has gone viral.  The graphs are shocking, and, for me, depressing as they demonstrate the ever-widening income gap between the poor and middle class and the richest people in the country, the inequality that few politicians in the country are willing to address with realistic policies that will improve conditions for a large majority of the people.
Tired...

ULTIMATE ANTI-GAY MARRIAGE AD

Says it all. What can pro-gay marriage people be thinking?

Thanks to Paul (A.) for the link.

CUSTOMER SERVICE IN JAPAN

A little startling at first, but truly excellent customer service.

"CAT VS DOG - A TRICK CONTEST"

What a delightful video.  I'd say Kaiser, the cat, wins because cats are much harder to train.  Border Collies are intelligent and eager to learn.

I love the Bengal cat, which are rarities around here.  I've never seen one.  Of course, I love Nana, the Border Collie, too.

The owner and trainer of Kaiser and Nana says, "I do all of my animal training using positive reinforcement and clicker training."

SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE GROWS

The video ad shows a surprising combination of supporters of gay marriage.  Throughout the country, support for same-sex marriage is increasingly seen as a matter of equality.

UPDATE: From ABC on Laura Bush:

The former first lady’s office told the Dallas Morning News that Bush had not given her consent to be part of the ad, and had asked that she be removed from it.

AIN'T THAT A SHAME - FATS DOMINO

Friday night Fats on Saturday afternoon. Sorry, I forgot.

LATE WITH THIS ONE...

...but it's wonderfully funny. Thanks to Paul (A.)

ELEPHANT REVIVAL - "WHAT IS TIME"

Maybe give you a smile?

WALKING TO NEW ORLEANS - FATS DOMINO

Friday night with Fats Domino.

NOT JUST AN ISSUE, ARCHBISHOP JUSTIN

There you have it. Same-sex marriage is not a particularly controversial issue for the vast majority of the members of the Anglican Communion; their minds are on other things.  Thus the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of England must speak against the passage of the bill making its way through Parliament which legalizes same-sex civil marriage in Britain.  I guess there's a kind of logic there, but I can't quite make it out.  Of course, the Church of England is the established church, which complicates the matter in ways I don't fully understand, but I don't see why the opinions of all the members of the churches in the Anglican Communion should affect legislation on civil marriage in Britain.

What about LGTB persons in England?  What does the Primate of All England offer in the way of pastoral care to same-sex couples who are members of the church and would like to be joined in a civil marriage ceremony?  Little in the way of empathy or compassion thus far.  An awareness that marriage equality is not simply an issue, but that the lives of real people will be affected by the legislation seems to be missing from the archbishop's commentary.  Let's hope the path is uphill from here.

Note: The interview took place before the vote in favor of the equal marriage bill in the House of Commons.  

GOING TO THE RIVER - FATS DOMINO

Friday night with Fats Domino.

By David's request.  Check out the expression on Fats' face in the photo of him smoothing his hair.  Love it.

ELEPHANT REVIVAL - "BAREFOOT FRIEND"

From their album, "Break in the Clouds."

ELEPHANT REVIVAL - "NOSTALGIA"

Elephant Revival, was brought to my attention a couple of weeks ago, and I thought their sound was terrific, so I ordered their album, "Break in the Clouds." The song in the video, performed at the Americana Music Festival and filmed by Music Fog, is, as yet, unreleased.

I HEAR YOU KNOCKING - FATS DOMINO

Friday night with Fats Domino.

Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino Jr. (born February 26, 1928) is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Domino is French Creole and Creole was his first language. Domino was delivered at home by his midwife grandmother. Like most families in the Lower Ninth Ward, Domino's family were new arrivals from Vacherie, Louisiana.  His father was a well known violinist, and Domino was inspired to play himself. He eventually learned from his uncle, jazz guitarist Harrison Verrett.  Fats released five gold (million-copy-selling) records before 1955.  Domino also had 35 Top 40 American hits and has a music style based on traditional R&B ensembles of bass, piano, electric guitar, drums, and saxophone.

ERIC BOGLE - 'IF WISHES WERE FISHES'

I wish I was home again, at home in my heart again,
It's been a long time since my heart talked to me;
Wasting my precious days, wishing my life away,
If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets in the sea.

I wish I was young again, my songs still to be sung again,
The sweet tunes of my life have gone sour and off key;
Writing my tired old rhymes, trying to turn back time,
If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets in the sea.

Chorus:
If wishes were fishes, I know where I'd be,
Casting my net in the dark rolling sea;
And if my net's empty when it comes back to shore,
I'll throw it away and go fishing no more.

I wish I could care again, reach out and share again,
Mend what's been broken and let it run free;
The older I get it seems, more wishing takes the place of dreams,
If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets in the sea.

I like the old guys still singing, like Eric and Leonard, and still singing so well. Maybe it's because I'm old.