What's New?
(by Bob Haggart and Johnny Burke)

"What's new?
How is the world treating you?
You haven't changed a bit
Lovely as ever, I must admit"

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The death of Michael Jackson, reminded me of the songs of my era. The above is one – beautiful hauntingly sad melody - as sung by the late, great Frank Sinatra, who also had quite a following. And that made me remember I have not checked in on the blogs for a long time. I admit being unfaithful, having been seduced by Face Book – where dozens of my wife’s Indonesian relatives hang out – when do these kids study? Anyway it is a fun place to catch up on what is going on with folks. Whereas the blogs require some thought or maybe the need to vent, which I have not had lately – we don’t have "W" to kick around anymore. Well, I got what I wanted, and Obama got a pot full of trouble and I plan to be patient now and see how it allwill turn out.



Lately I have been into music more – joined the "One More Time Marching Band" (actually we spend more time playing from our chairs, and that is hard enough if you have not done it for a while). I went back to clarinet, which I do like better than the sax, but it is harder to play I think. So have been getting together with Mike, an 86 year old Airborne vet who fought and was wounded in Italy in WWII, an ex college wrestling coach, who loves the old big band ballads and, incidentally, is still a pretty good clarinetist, who gives me incentive - being 10 years younger and thinking I could not do it anymore (shame). We meet once a week and play duets on the old ballads, of which the above is one. In those days, they had beautiful music and words to match. I did look up some of Michael Jackson’s lyrics and some are pretty good too (example, Ben) but at the time I could never hear the lyrics well enough to understand them. What was wrong with Nat King Cole’s style of perfect enunciation, produced so the words came through? Ed McMahan also died and the last of the acceptable Late Night programs ended when Jay left. Rather than being subjected to Conan (nothing against the Irish, but they maybe are better singers ), Dina and I have been watching Johnnie Carson tapes at 11:30.



Oh well, it says in Ecclesiastes: “Don’t say the old days were better” – and that was thousands of years ago – so, it must just be a symptom of old age, not of the age per se.



Well, the TV today is all still Michael Jackson (many of my idols did also died of alcohol or drugs – lately played a Mulligan tape – both he and Chet Baker eventually went the way, Chet first). So we will get over it and Iran will be back on the news.





And



“I understand. Adieu!
Pardon my asking what's new
Of course you couldn't know
I haven't changed, I still love you so”

On the Love part I agree with Haggart and Burke (and Jackson and Lennon) “what the world needs now”. Paul (Saint, Not Sir) also says it: “But now faith, hope, and love, remain - these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Peace! Y

Seeker