father knows best

yesterday wasn't as innocent as we think back on it.
it was though more innocent than it is today
hollywood has always known how to produce sweet deceptions
like reality tv today
isn't and wasn't real
this was not the way it was
this was tv land
the streets where beaver, bud and opie played
candy coated perfectionary
served up every night and right on time
a time when a father always knew best
my father wasn't perfect
didn't always know best
but did the best that he could
i want to be like that
i want to be the best for my family
i want to love like that tv father loved his tv children
even better
like my father loved me

real men know...

Everyone smoked back in the day - teachers, barbers, babysitters, policemen, preachers, housewives, firemen, doctors, lawyers, athletes, and movie stars. Everyone smoked. Even the President enjoyed a good fag. Butts were everywhere. Our world was one large smoking section. Everywhere was our ashtray. There was no ado about second hand smoke. No one knew that it could really kill until that Yul Brynner commercial. "Now that I'm gone, I tell you, don't smoke, whatever you do, just don't smoke." Then our favorite cigarette smoking star John Wayne made his farewell address. The smoke seemed to clear for a while. The airwaves cleared of dancing cartoons hawking smokes. No more manly men riding the range smoking manly cigarettes like real men should. Smoking was glamorous - smoking was kool.


This post is brought to you by the American Tobacco Company. The Surgeon General says that cigarettes cause cancer - but we would like to remind you of the wonderfully refreshing clean, clear, crisp taste a cigarette offers.

WELL!!

Jack Benny was a household name when I was a kid. Jack went from vaudeville to radio to television. He even made some movies in between. I remember him for his television show that aired in the 50's and 60's.

Jack actually started out as a violinist - and was quite good. The Marx Brothers at one time wanted to use Jack to play violin for their act. Minnie Marx really adored Jack and wanted to take him on the road with her sons. Unfortunately Benny's parents didn't want their 17 year old son traveling in a vaudeville act. It was during that time that Zeppo Marx befriended Jack. They became life long friends.

Jack really wanted a career as musician - but fate wouldn't have it that way. While entertaining during WWII, he was booed by the troops. To keep from surrendering the stage - he put aside his violin and ad-libed a comedy routine. He found his calling - Jack was a natural. He once said that he never really pursued his career - he was fortunate that every fortune just happened to him.

After a long successful career - he told Johnny Carson that "if God came to me and said, 'Jack, starting tomorrow I will make you one of the world's great violinists, but no more will you ever be able to tell a joke', I really believe that I would accept that."

Jack had incredible comic timing and still to this day fun to watch. I love the whole cast of the old television show. I've got a collection of his shows on DVD - and I've been enjoying them this past week. This isn't the funniest episode of his show, but it's great to see Bing Crosby and George Burns in this episode.

Some of these episodes are can be viewed on YouTube. If you happened to watch a few more - look for Mel Blanc. You'll remember Mel as the voice of all those classic Warner Brother cartoon characters. Mel was a regular on the Jack Benny Show. Good stuff!

the passionate one

Keith Green (1953-1982) was John the Baptist with a piano. He was the passionate one. He was the most influential artist to come out of the Jesus Movement, not just because of his songs, but because of his life. Keith was probably the most well-known of the Jesus Music artists (I really don't like the term Contemporary Christian Music). While many artist were trying to make it big in the CCM industry, Keith was giving his albums away for The Kingdom. Keith was a voice in the wilderness - Keith wasn't pursuing a status of stardom - Keith was singing to increase population of heaven. To me, Keith Green represents what Jesus Music was all about - not what it became.

Make my life a prayer to You,

I want to do what you want me to,

No empty words and no white lies,

No token prayers, no compromise,

I want to shine the light you gave,

Through Your Son, you sent to save us,

From ourselves and our despair,

It comforts me to know you're really there.

---

Oh, I want to thank you now, for being patient with me,

Oh, it's so hard to see, when my eyes are on me,

I guess I'll have to trust and just believe what you say,

Oh, you're coming again, coming to take me away,

---

I want to die, and let you give,

Your life to me, so I might live,

And share the hope you gave to me,

The love that set me free,

I want to tell the world out there,

You're not some fable or fairy tail,

That I made up inside my head,

You're God, The Son, you've risen from the dead.

---

Oh, I want to thank you now,

For being patient with me,

Oh, it's so hard to see,

When my eyes are on me,

I guess I'll have to trust,

and just believe what you say,

Oh, you're coming again,

Coming to take me away.

---

I want to die, and let you give,

Your life to me, so I might give,

And share the hope you gave to me,

I want to share the love that set me free.

-Keith Green-

artist's artist

Mark Heard (1951-1992) was the probably the most creative and prolific of all the artists to come out of the Jesus Movement. Born in Macon, Georgia - Mark became an artist's artist. He played many styles, and wrote so many incredible songs.  He produced 16 albums in his short lifetime.   As the Jesus Movement came and went - CCM seemed to offer so little in the field of unique.  Mark Heard is one of the exceptions. There is little on YouTube of his work - at least - not enough quality recordings to do his music justice.

HE WILL LISTEN TO YOU - Mark Heard

When the weight of this world crashes down on you
God will listen to you
When the sky turns black and your thoughts turn blue
He will listen to you

He will listen to you
Always listen to you
He understands how His children feel
He will listen to you

When the river of tears cannot be contained
He will listen to you
Like a drowning man in the pouring rain
God will listen to you

He will listen to you
Always listen to you
He understands how His children feel
He will listen to you

When the light explodes in a world gone wrong
He will listen to you
When your heart beats strong with a grateful song
God will listen to you

He will listen to you
Always listen to you
He understands how His children feel
He will listen to you

from "Eye of the Storm"