Before There Were Hippies There Were Beatniks

                     There are still some hippies walking around today; older but wiser now, and we still walk in the truth rather than blindly accepting what the establishment tells us to believe in.

                  Before the hippies there lived a generation of young people in who gave birth to non- conformity; they were called Beatniks. They dressed in black, wore berets and sandals for the most part, and called coffee houses in their meeting place.

                A generation that made a difference in the world of the day. Today we only get hints of the current generation's concerns and awareness about global warming and going green.
They are quiet; nothing like the generations before them. Maybe a generation will visit again, perhaps once they come up for air and look away from their weapons of mass distraction. Until then, we shall remember the beatniks and hippies as cultures that not only wanted change-but created it.

Drake

Damien---'The Meatball Dog'

Dogs are a gift from God and they come into our lives to bestow upon us the gift of unconditional love. Sometimes they are sent to a young boy so he will always have that snap shot memory of his first dog. This gift was bestowed upon us by our beloved family dog Damien. When we say all dogs go to heaven, sometimes I wonder if we really believe that or understand it's true meaning. I for one really believe that dogs do go to heaven and we are the recipients of the love and heartfelt memories they leave behind. After all, isn't what we leave behind what life's all about anyhow?

I make reference to Damien as "the meatball dog' simply because every Sunday he would be first in line to test my meatballs to make sure they were good enough to be scarfed down by humans. I am quite sure that he had some Italian blood flowing through his precious veins, his heart filled with the love only he could leave behind, filling our hearts with the memories of him that each of us can cherish each and every day.

Let us not forget this great champion of love and dedication for he has taught us one of life's greatest lessons, unconditional love is the only reason we live, and sometimes in life it takes the memories of a loving dog to allow us to share our love with others. The gift of memories are all we have to leave behind when we get the call. He had the heart of a lion, the soul of an angel. He was family.

We don't always get the chance to say good bye to our loved ones before we go, even though we know we must and should. As humans we actually get to use our voices to speak to those we leave behind and tell them how much we love them. Mighty Damian could not speak or bark the words of love, but at the moments before he left us he was alone with his master, and got to send his eternal love for him to live in his heart forever. With his last glimpse of his man love, he closed his eyes and took his final breath.

God bless you Damien, thank you for your gift to us of your unconditional love for us, you will live in our hearts forever. If there is a heaven and they have meatballs there, I am sure Damien will be first in line.

For some of you who haven't heard this before, dog is God spelled backwards, not to be taken lightly.
Let us never forget, the love for a dog and his love for us is a piece of the fabric that holds America together.

Good bye Damien, sleep in heavenly peace.

Freedom--An American Foundation

The current feeling in America which transcends down through our history has always been about our cherished freedom. This desire to protect that freedom at all costs continues to live as a strong philosophy and way of life in America as the norm. That strong desire still is alive and well  in the hearts of most Americans.
This freedom from oppression which brought the many from across the ocean years ago is what is the fiber that brought about the Declaration of Independence. For this prized freedom many Americans paid with their blood sweat and tears, many with their lives.

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Yet, in the name of freedom, wars have been and still are being fought, laws have been broken and individual rights of citizens have been violated. In doing these things we risk limiting the results of freedom for doing what we do 'in the name of freedom'.

When in America we can no longer see her wrongdoing, freedom begins to evaporate. In order to preserve our freedom we need not sacrifice the freedom of others . When we dilute the 'right to choose' with  limiting the real truth, we begin to weaken our belief in the freedom we so desperately want to preserve.

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We need to replace selfish pride and a grandiose living with a desire for the truth, and send out an mighty call to healing. This partnership of truth and liberty must be forthright in order for freedom of the many to remain for future generations.

We must be strong in our pursuit of freedom for it is at the core of what makes a great nation, but also be alert to the fact we must also nurture strong alliances with other countries. Only through this balance with other nations can our freedoms be preserved.

America's greatness must not only be remembered by her history, but by her future.

"Meet Me in St Louis"----Simple Virtues For Today's World View

In America today we seem to be searching for meaning in our lives but we somehow just don't know where to begin. Well, a great way to begin is to watch the American classic film "Meet Me in St.Louis", featuring an all star cast including the legendary iconic American actress Judy Garland, along with Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Tom Drake, and featuring what could be considered  a perfect supporting cast. The cinematography in this movie will leave you breathless. This film will make you long for the "good old days" when life in America wasn't perfect, but a whole lot simpler;
a life that too many people in America feel has been taken away with the winds of time. Nothing could be farther from the truth.The winds are shifting back to a quieter time driven by the need to understand that American history is more than just dates and events. First we must take a step back, begin to find out who we are and what is most important in life, and then we will be equipped to move forward to save our most precious traditional values.

The setting is the St Louis Exposition 1904 and details the endearing story of a family in a time long past that comes together and realizes that there's no place like your hometown. When the patriarch of the family decides to keep his family values enamored by not accepting a great promotion from his law firm to move to New York City, the chain of events that leads him to make this decision will fill your heart with pure joy.

This comedy, drama, musical delivers a perfect view into American life when simple virtues were paramount and life had true meaning, the meaning we seem to be searching for today. All of the wonderful events taking place in this classic, must see movie, leads the entire family down the road to realize that home is really where the heart is and a true heart is where a true home lives. Family relationships are really what this film is all about and includes brilliant lasting examples of flirtation, shyness, courtship and good old puppy love.

Now is a good time in American life to clear your calender of events, call up a bunch of people you love, and pop the popcorn lovers popcorn. Indulge yourself in a time long ago in America when deep family values were what set us apart as a nation, beckoning others from around the world to join our family and make us stronger.

Follow the music in this embraceable intoxicating movie to discover among other things, that when boy meets girl, love is just around the corner.