New Rock Anthem

As a youngster, I discovered Jimi Hendrix's version of the Star Spangled Banner. He needed something to play at Woodstock, unfortunately, when he arrived, the concert was almost over and most of the crowd had left. So he broke into an impromptu electric guitar version of the Star Spangled Banner. I came of age with the Heavy Metal wailing of guitars, so this easily became my, along with many of my contemporaries, favorite rendition of our national anthem. I was just introduced to this second version by "Big Sis" (not a description, a term of endearment). She also introduced me to Jimi's version at the age of 9. Both give me goosebumps, and as Big Sis used to say when I was a wee lad "Dude, I shed a tear".. I am also including one of my other favorite patriotic songs by  the original "Ray-Ray", Ray Charles.

Jimi




Madison Rising



Ray Charles, America

Punish the Over Achievers

This kid has won the summer reading contest five years in a row and the librarian wants him to stop entering so other kids can win. How about some other kid reads more than him?  Why don't we ban athletes that win more than one gold medal so others can win?

This reminds me of the 5th grade. In the mid-western state I lived in at the time, we had to read 15 books during the school year, three from each of 5 categories. I read 72 books because I didn't have a TV and lived with my Grandmother 3 miles from anywhere. Unfortunately, they were all from, History, Fiction and Sports (most of the books were Science Fiction and Westerns because my father had a huge paperback collection). I don't remember what the other two categories were, but I wasn't allowed to go to recess until I read six books from the missing categories (three from each). No other kid in my class read more than 20 books, but I was punished for not reading the "right kind" of books instead of being commended for reading 72 books. 

http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/20/worlds-worst-librarian-wants-nine-year-old-kid-to-stop-winning-reading-contests/

Make Mine Freedom

Here is a cartoon I remember from my childhood, It was produced by Harding college in 1948, the beginning of the Cold War. It is basically propaganda telling us how much better Capitalism is than Communism. Even propaganda can be truthful. Unfortunately, young Americans didn't get exposed to this type of propaganda. They have been subjected to Left wing drivel most of their lives from the "Captain Planet" cartoon to most of their teachers in school to all of their Professors in College/University. They have been led to believe that Corporations  are evil and either want to destroy the environment or don't care as long as they make a profit. The only solution is for the Govt. to control all of these bad greedy Corpratists.

Enjoy this blast from the past..