L V C || C L Memory 45

In 45 days, I'll be back on campus at my alma-mater at an extra special homecoming as Lebanon Valley College continues celebrating its 150th birthday.  In honor of that countdown, here's memory #45:  being supported by the kids from Hebron.

After all, I was once a kid from Hebron -- the local United Methodist church in nearby Lebanon, and LVC is officially a Methodist college.  During my college years, I served by leading a Sunday night kids' church session, and then as a counselor at a few Winter Retreats.  And the best part was, that as those "kids" grew older, they too reached out to me via old fashioned letter writing (remember, this was the age before e-mail).

It's true that I had a rough family situation once upon a time (after all, I had run away from home as a senior in high school in order to put myself through college) ... and it's ALSO true that what got me through any of the rough times was a tremendous support system of all kinds of people who were cheering me on to success -- including (but not limited to) the letters I got from Mandi F, Sandee J, Debra L and Jen L.

All things considered, I was (and am) a lucky lucky person ...

Random Tune for Tuesday 8/23/16

It almost pains me to throw away something so old (the cassette in the trash can tonight was only released one year after I was released from my momma's privates) ... but that's the way this whole thing works, with me throwing out the cassettes for which I also already have the CD in my music collection.

So in the trash can Eagles 'Desperado' must go.

And it's what I was referring to a month ago as the so-called 'summer of Celine' was ending and I promised that a "group of artists" would be featured next (except I forgot I had a Taylor Dayne album that fit in between alphabetically).

As for which of the oh so classic songs to pick for tonight's tune?  I'm going to skip over all the most well known ones (like Desperado, Saturday Night and the Desperado/Doolin Dalton reprise -- all great choices in and of themselves), and go for the one with a message we all need to hear sometimes:  "Son, don't wade too deep in bitter creek".

AND THERE AIN'T NO CAUSE TO WEEP ... AT BITTER CREEK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R68eQ6rqV0

L V C || C L Memory 46

In 46 days, I'll be back on campus at my alma-mater at an extra special homecoming as Lebanon Valley College continues celebrating its 150th birthday.  In honor of that countdown, here's memory #46:  IN MEMORIAM:  Richard M Wilson.

I've mentioned his name before in this countdown, as he was more than just the external choreographer for our school musicals ... he was also someone who was a big part of the evening that I directed at LVC when it was my turn (see the late 70's in this series for more information).

And ... as I was reminded when I looked through the recent batch of "missing" files, he was someone with whom I kept in regular communication long after our show together.  He made me feel distinguished, because he responded with letters that were typed.  On his *own* stationery!

That's him in the press clipping -- both with the white hair and beard ... and in the picture on his wall with his family from when he was younger.

Random Memorial for Monday 8/22/16

Gone but not forgotten:  the once mighty VCR.

If it hasn't happened already, any day now Sanyo in Japan will stop making them, 'cause, you know, it's no longer the 80's.

Prior to the more mighty DVR and the supermighty "on demand", I was known to juggle three VCRs at once in order to capture all of the television I intended to watch.  And I use the word "intended" purposefully, what with the fact that I still have many VHS tapes in the shed that are still in need of viewing.

Which is all the long way to say that my current DVD/VCR combo player best last a few more years, as it doesn't look like I'll be able to replace it ... technology that let me control my schedule back before that was the thing all the cool kids did, you will be missed.

'TIS TRUE ... 'TIS SOON GONE:
http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/7/21/12244094/japan-stops-vcr-production-funai

OH TECHNOLOGY ... SO FICKLE YOU ARE:
http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/gadgets-electronics/photos/8-technology-revolutions-that-are-now-relics/vhs-and-vcr

LAST CHANCE TO STOCKPILE THE EQUIPMENT!:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Sanyo-FWDV225F-DVD-VCR-Player/44465829

L V C || C L Memory 47

In 47 days, I'll be back on campus at my alma-mater at an extra special homecoming as Lebanon Valley College continues celebrating its 150th birthday.  In honor of that countdown, here's memory #47:  correspondence from roomie Jon M.  (I *told* you that I couldn't tell the story of my LVC memories without mentioning him a bunch of times.)

A few things ... first, notice the time and date stamp as the heading.  It was an "ask" of mine to include that on letters to me, ostensibly so I could keep my files organized.  Come to think of it, now that it's 25 years later and I'm re-opening those same files, I guess I can remove the word "ostensibly" from that comment.

Second, that reference to whether there any bruises on Matthew was a question about my car (I left LVC my junior year only on an 18 speed bike ... but by the time I returned for my senior year, I had a used Ford Escort).  As to why it was named Matthew, I can't say what I used to say back then because I now understand it to be sexist.

Third, those three cheers in the close were for Cher, Fred Couples and the US (because the US Open was about to start).  I first thought that it might have been VS, as in Pearl Jam's album, but that hadn't been released yet.

Finally, please ignore that extra 'h' in Jon's name.  By the time we parted ways and shut down the dorm room, it would be gone.

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 8/21/16

What southern Florida is talking about this week:

India's Independence Day.

Which, admittedly was this *past* Monday, so this post probably would have been better provided *last* Sunday.

And while I'm admitting things, I'll have to cop to the fact that my knowledge about India's freedom from Britain is somewhat limited to knowing the meaning of the word "raj" to play in Words with Friends ... and to whatever I learned from watching two seasons of Indian Summers on PBS before it (sadly) got cancelled.

But hey ... this melting pot down here isn't only for latins and haitians ... we celebrate *everyone*.  Except the event in town wasn't at midnight on the 14th going into the 15th, which, according to the interwebs, was a necessary compromise because Aug 15th of 1947 was an "unfortunate and unholy" date astrologically to the Indians ... but Aug 15th was a "lucky day" to the British Lord who was coordinating all the details.

And now you know ... so tell any Indians you meet to have a happy belated independence day.  Just, down here, make sure they aren't the Miccosukee or the Seminole kind of Indians ... 'cause they're the wrong kind and they only gained independence when they got to run the casinos.

LAST WEEK'S CELEBRATION:
https://www.yelp.com/events/fort-lauderdale-indias-independence-day-celebration

LEARN A LITTLE INDIAN HISTORY:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-12641776

LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT WHY THE CELEBRATION IS AT MIDNIGHT:
http://guruprasad.net/posts/why-midnight-of-15-august-1947-for-indian-independence/

L V C || C L Memory 48

In 48 days, I'll be back on campus at my alma-mater at an extra special homecoming as Lebanon Valley College continues celebrating its 150th birthday.  In honor of that countdown, here's memory #48:  enjoying the political cartoon stylings of classmate Natalie M.

(Natalie is currently an artist out of Philly, and I'm hoping that I can post these two cartoons on the interwebs in this series without any issues.  I do own these copies of La Vie Collegienne, so I'm hoping that helps my legal standing to reproduce them in this manner.)

As you can probably tell from her drawings, LVC wasn't exactly going to appear on any top "party school" lists of that era (who knows what havoc is wreaked in modern times).

Natalie wasn't afraid to tell a little truth back then (and I know from the Facebook that she still holds true to that mantra).  We all were just lucky enough to get to hear it.