This Thanksgiving I am Thankful For YOU

 A little Fanfare for you.

Thank you, gentle reader.

Thank you for the problems you fix, for the work you do, and for the art you create.

Thank you for wiping dry a child's tear to let them know they'll be okay.

Thank you for for every time you said, "I can do better." before sitting off to achieve your goal.

Thank you for not assuming someone else will take care of it.

Thank you for setting a good example, even when no one was looking.

Thank you for taking care of yourself.

Thank you for not letting your mind go to waste.

Thank you for dreaming about going to the stars.

Thank you for treating strangers like friends.

Thank you for knowing the power of words.

Thank you for giving hugs.

Thank you for asking, "What if?"

Thank you for all the times your deeds and ideas picked me up and kept me fighting.

Thank you.

We can be heroes, just for one day.

Goodbye, Stan. EXCELSIOR!

Well fuck.....

Stan wasn’t alone in encouraging generations of readers to walk the Heroes‘ Path but he was the face of it for many. He balanced power with responsibility. Showed us that while strength comes in many subtle forms it doesn’t make the wielder any more perfect than you or I. He knew humor healed. He was one of several gifted creators that made the heroic seem within our grasp if we only reach out our hand.

Goodbye, Stan. Be at peace.

Stan and Joan a long time ago.

Stan putting talent to the war effort,

Why does a smile seem so natural for this man?

Oh yes. This is real.

 A bit of history about the iconic pic.

Excelsior, Stan.

The Stranglers meet the Mystery Men

Ever stumble upon a song only to remember it from your youth? Then by rediscovering the song you truly discover the band for the first time? Then by the discovering the band you open a vista of existence that was invisible yet always there?

No?

Oh, well never mind then....




To hell with that I'm going to continue. This happened to me this week thanks to the recommended feed of YouTube. I know the site's algorithms can sometimes act...hmmm... how do I say this....off balanced? Irrational? Under the influence of seriously potent subscription drugs? If you frequent the site you know of what I speak. But this time! This time it did good.

Behold! The Stranglers' "Golden Brown" circa 1981.

The band The Stranglers have been around since 1974. I was five when they formed. That was the year Mohammad Ali fought George "The Grill" Foreman. Stephen King's "Carrie" was published. The Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world. Alanis Morissette was born. Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and Zardoz came to the silver screen while Kolchak: The Night Stalker and The Planet of the Apes threw weirdness at us from our television screens. And they are still around today albeit with the normal trials and tribulations accompanying their age. Pretty damn amazing.

While delving into the band I discovered a popular release titled "No More Heroes." That sounded familiar. Do you recognize it?

Perhaps this?

That's the Violent Femmes covering The Stranglers. How cool is that!

This is the kind of thing I am talking about. Random chance nudges a domino and suddenly you're riding a wave to the delightfully unexpected. I want more of that in my life.

Do you?

I hope so.

Be well, gentle reader.

-Sam