Ramble On

 I ain't tellin' no lie

Mine's a tale that can't be told
My freedom I hold dear
How years ago in days of old
When magic filled the air
'T was in the darkest depths of Mordor
I met a girl so fair
But Gollum, and the evil one
Crept up and slipped away with her
Her, her, yeah
Ain't nothing I can do, no

- Led Zeppelin's reference to Tolkien

https://youtu.be/_h9MxNn8P7w?is=tSGwnJg8l3XPNuj1

She's Not There

Nobody told me about her

What could I do?
Well, nobody told me about her
Though they all knew

Well, it's too late to say you're sorry
How would I know, why should I care?
Please, don't bother trying to find her
She's not there

Well, let me tell you about the way she looked
The way she acted, the color of her hair
Her voice is soft and cool, her eyes are clear and bright
But she's not there

- Santana

https://youtu.be/k0R4-N4pXXg?is=waLH00agnYaN3S2_

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Though I've tried before to tell her
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart
Every time that I come near her
I just lose my nerve as I've done from the start

Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on

- The Police

Doctor My Eyes

 Doctor, my eyes have seen the years

And the slow parade of fears, without crying
Now I want to understand
I have done all that I could
To see the evil and the good without hidin'
You must help me if you can

Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what is wrong
Was I unwise
To leave them open for so long?

- Jackson Browne

https://youtu.be/LtRFw_QDbIo?is=_4nEcVoJiEarddMn

Heard after Dollar General pet food run

I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss
Well a few of the verses, well they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been quite kind
While I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on

 

So excuse me forgetting
But these things I do
You see I've forgotten, if they're green or they're blue
Anyway the thing is, what I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

 

And you can tell everybody
This is your song
It may be quite simple, but now that it's done
I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in the words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

- Elton John

Fifty Years Ago July 4, 1976

Cold beer and waiting for 4th of July fireworks, 

July 4, 1976.

The entire ship's complement of about 300 men had our liberty cancelled.  Instead of cold beer, brats. and fireworks, we had an emergency underway from Yokosuka harbor.  

We steamed into the Sea of Japan and near typhoon level winds with CIA or Defense Department "spys" on board.  Our mission was to monitor the Soviet Fleet which had entered the Sea of Japan between Japan and Korea 

The waves violent as at times the ship's propellor on our over 400 foot vessel would come out of water.  The whole ship would shake and rattle loudly.  

Most of the crew was sea sick.  Thanks to dramamine I was not.  Everything that could move had to be tied down. A pencil or small object left out would be a flying menace.  Those of us who could eat had to stand up with arms around a stanchion and our food trays.  All chairs on the mess decks  had been secured.

I video taped the Soviet ships and perhaps somewhere that tape exists 

Waves were 15-20 feet or more.  One had to be on the second level of the ship to avoid being washed overboard if venturing outside.

The Diary of a Young Girl

"Monday, December 7, 1942

Dearest Kitty,

Hanukkah and St Nicholas Day nearly coincided this year; they were only one day apart.  We didn't make too much a fuss with Hanukkah, merely exchanging a few small gifts and lighting the candles. Since candles are in short supply, we lit them for only ten minutes, but as long as we sing the song, that doesn't matter."

- Anne Frank

From the Secret Annex

The Priest and the Comedian

From the Daily Show.

The Priest whose congregation hosted a gun buy back interviewed by my favorite female comedian:

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/EIZlXwN9E6A

Roxanne

"My sole purpose on this earth

is to love Roxanne."

- Cyrano de Bergerac

"Roxanne,

 you don't have to put on the red light.

Those days are over.

You don't have to sell your body to the night "

- The Police

https://youtu.be/3T1c7GkzRQQ?is=MjAH0UeywyNKoIRz

My letter to editor today's paper

 Faith and sports share big stage

Editor,

Thank you to The HP for the article titled “World Cup squads showcase faith and unity amid deep social divisions at home” (June 19). In this World Cup year, I appreciate coverage of soccer as billions of people worldwide are engaged with the athletes and their national teams. It is fun to see the obvious passion of fans for their home teams whether those teams are from Africa, Asia, Europe, Australasia or the Americas.

In America, we have freedom of religion, and I find it important that some of the most prominent athletes in the world freely share, or not share for personal reasons, their religious practices. I also find it somewhat coincidental that the Christian Revised Common Lectionary on June 21 would have us reading the Genesis story of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. While I cannot pretend to be an expert on the Quran, it is my understanding that our religious traditions agree the two half-brothers were important in the development of three of the world’s major religions.

The article did not mention the Korean or Japanese players who likely grew up in a Buddhist tradition. And while India and Nepal, majority Hindu nations, are not represented as countries in the World Cup, there are players of South Asian background representing other countries on the pitch.

Perhaps only the Olympics can compare to the World Cup in terms of fan passion for sport. May these two great international competitions continue to bring us together and showcase our ethnic and religious diversity in athletic accomplishment.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...” And neither does FIFA.

Robert Burgess Stevensville