Dream Weaver

Let the holiday parties begin! Tonight we visited my cousin and her family in the Catskills. Being the first night of Hanukkah, we lit the first candle of the menorah... there was also a performance from a wind-up toy named Latke Larry... good times! But the best part of the night was hearing my aunt tell of how my father used to rush home on the weekends to watch my mother sing on a local TV talent show called Teenage Barn (sort of an early precursor to shows like American Idol). This was before my parents started dating, and the age difference between them was a little more defined (I think my father was in college... mother was still in high school). Apparently my Dad would ask my aunt if she thought the age difference was too much... they eventually started dating just before or during my mother's own college years... kind of sweet.

On the topic of music and memories, I notice that today was the 32nd anniversary of the day that John Lennon was killed. He was actually about my current age when he died... so sad to lose such a creative genius so young. At the time, I was just ten years old and found myself quite intrigued by all the news stories I was hearing, with TV footage of candlelit vigils, and non-stop tributes on the radio... that was what hooked me on the Beatles' music, and there was no turning back... I loved it. I tried to find all the music I could, "borrowing" my mother's old Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road albums, and reading all about the creative music and career of the Fab Four... it even influenced my own artwork and writing at the time. John Lennon was definitely one of the quirkier members of the group, and I definitely responded to his defiant yet heartfelt energy:



Becoming immersed in the Beatles' work at that age definitely influenced the type of music I would gravitate towards in the years to come (you may notice a strong, British thread). A few years back my other favorite band, A-ha, contributed a cover of one of Lennon's post-Beatles songs to a tribute album called Make Some Noise: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur. It was the kind of humanitarian project that Lennon would have been proud of, and I thought A-ha, who were also most definitely influenced by the Beatles, did a fab job on the late artist's psychedelic #9 Dream:



So tomorrow (the 9th) I'm getting my script and musical choices together for another scheduled recording session in the WEXT studios. This time it will be to finally get my 
A-ha tribute show on the air... something that has been in the works for the last couple years, but it's good timing to coincide with this, the 30th anniversary of the band's founding. I hope it can finally come together... right now... over me(!)


Related Link:

www.amnestyusa.org

We Can Be Heroes

Alright, I've been talking a lot about superheroes this week... but there are many individuals out there who save the day in real life! Here is a list of a few heroic organizations that I have admired and, in some cases, volunteered for over the years, along with links to learn more about their outstanding work:

Me and my hero (and Spidey). 
Photo ©JClowe Experience Archives. All rights reserved.

1. American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org

Dedicated to helping persons who face cancer. Supports research, patient services, early detection, treatment and education. 

2. American Red Cross: www.redcross.org

Helps prepare communities for emergencies and keep people safe every day.

3. Amnesty International: www.amnestyusa.org

A global movement of people fighting injustice and promoting human rights.

4. Big Brothers Big Sisters: www.bbbs.org

A donor and volunteer-supported youth mentoring organization.

5. Greenpeace: www.greenpeace.org

Utilizes peaceful direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

7. Humane Society: www.humanesociety.org

Works to protect animals through advocacy, awareness, rescue and emergency response, investigation of cruelty, and by providing care through sanctuaries and wildlife rehabilitation centers, emergency shelters and clinics.

8. Make-A-Wish Foundation: www.wish.org

Enriches the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work.

9. Meals On Wheels: www.mowaa.org

Provides home-delivered meals services to people in need.

10. Peace Action: www.peace-action.org

Encourages practical, positive alternatives for peace.

...please share information on any other worthwhile organizations that I may have overlooked!