Role Models

I've had several role models in my life.  The most significant have been from my family.  But there have also been 2 fictional characters who've contributed to my ideas of who and how I should be.

Family first.  My mom Betty was the kindest soul I ever met.  She accepted unquestioningly, and criticized gently.  My sister Pat exemplifies Winston Churchill's definition of courage - grace under pressure.  My Aunt Martha was sharp as a tack, had an acerbic wit, and used her gifts with humor.

In fiction, my two role models are each professional women who haven't forgotten how to care.  Each appeared in a successful film - Annette Benning's character of Sydney Ellen Wade in The American President, and the unnamed editor of a small-town newspaper in Field of Dreams.

I think all these women would understand and accept wholeheartedly my affection for and appreciation of J. Thadeus Toad.

Two Birthdays

How many of us can claim to have two birthdays?  My dad did; he loved to tell this story:

I was such a big strong baby that the midwife had a hell of a time delivering me.  It was so bad that she went out afterwards and got drunk, and didn't record the birth for three days.

So, every September 7th and September 10th, wish the Munch Happy Birthday ... :-)

Blues Power

Artists like John Fogarty and Michael McDonald can express righteous anger and at the same time offer hope.  Songs like Fortunate Son and Taking It to the Streets use the power of their lyrics to accomplish the former, and the vitality of their cadence to bring about the latter.

Righteous Anger

Rock and R&B have an extraordinary ability to convey strong feelings, including anger.  That being the case, these genres have been part of many protest movements.

Ergo the list below: my nominations for the top ten protest songs of all time.  They're listed in ascending order, from #10 to #1.

1. What About Me  (Quicksilver Messenger Service)
2. I'd Like to Save the World  (10 Years After)
3. Run Through the Jungle  (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
4. Revolution  (The Beatles)
5. Give Peace a Chance  (The Beatles)
6. A Change is Going to Come  (Sam Cooke)
7. Turn the Page  (Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band)
8. Taking It to the Streets  (The Doobie Brothers)
9. Fortunate Son  (Creedence Clearwater Revivial)
10. I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die  (Country Joe and the Fish)

That last is, in this schmoochkie's opinion, the absolute definitive, quintessential, superlative, and all that stuff protest song of all times.  Incredibly effective ...

Toad and Mellenkamp

J Thadeus would have approved of these lyrics by John Mellenkamp (among our favorites of his):

You may drive around in your town
Ina brand new shiny car
Your face in the wind your haircut's in
And your friends think you're bizarre
You may find a cushy job and I hope that you go far
...
Forget all about that macho shit
And learn how to play guitar!