pianogonzology: character

Showing posts with label character. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Highs . . .

tallest-buildings-in-the-world/?slide=9

. . . and lows . . .

Just look at the morning paper
And tell me what you see.
Is something very wrong
Or maybe my eyes deceive me?
Somewhere in the local section;
A buried paragraph;
Someone who had the time to care
And the character to act.

The higher the highs,
The lower the lows,
The older I get
That's the way that it goes.
The more that I think that I want
The less that I need,
Because I realize how precious
And how short
This time with you may be.

When you're young and your biggest worry's
What game you want to play.
Such innocence is just surpassed
By the naivete.
Take good with the worst
And better.
You know they're not the same.
Youth somehow brings them all together.
Different they are
But subtle the shades
.
Youth really
Is only wasted,
If never
You've tasted
All the bitter
As well as sweet.

I hope you don't misunderstand me
Or what I want to say.
It's nothing revolutionary.
Ignorance won't make this go away.
Nobody likes a busybody.
Nobody knows it all.
There's one thing I can tell you certain,
Take none for granted
Short or the tall.

Highs & Lows
©2014 Raymond M. Jozwiak
from the album 2014

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Sunday, April 21, 2019

Character . . .

(from Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson by Gordon S. Wood)

". . . He was skeptical about the character of his fellow Americans as well. Even before he knew of the outbreak of the French Revolution, he had worked out a chilling assessment of the moral fiber of his own countrymen, one that prepared him to see the worst of people everywhere. . . Right from the beginning of his own American Revolution, Adams had deep misgivings about whether his fellow citizens had the proper moral character needed to sustain their republican governments. "The only foundation of a free Constitution," he said on the eve of America's declaring independence, "is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People, in a greater Measure, than they have it now, They may change their Rulers, and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting Liberty. . . "

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(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
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Sunday, January 13, 2019

Questions . . .

. . . I would like to ask

. . . So many people
I no longer see
nor (with whom I) interact

Like, "Didn't we have fun?"
and "What happened to our youth?"
Like, "Why did you punch me?",
and "Do you still punch people?"
Like, "Did you continue in music?'
and "What are you singing now?"
Like, "Where did you two meet?"
and "Any regrets on not continuing your education?"
Like, "Have you considered all the facts?"
and "Do you know that changing your view is not a character flaw?
Like, "Did you consider the details of her personal life?"

. . . and "Did you realize the human being is the most valuable?"

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(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Get your copy of OHO's Where Words Do Not Reach now!
Watch The Ocean City Ditty Video on YouTube
Also, be sure to visit: www.rayjozwiak.com and www.ohomusic.com

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Saturday, December 29, 2018

Even More . . .

. . . hours

An idea is conceived
Amid so much 'who knows what'
Whether forced
Or just flowing
Bringing contentment

Then building upon
That initial idea
With a flourish
Or lyrical twist
That you hear
Gives a character to it
And promotes growth
Not unlike raising a child
Or meeting the love
Of your life

The Hours
In progress with Jay Graboski and Dave Kelly

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(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Get your copy of OHO's Where Words Do Not Reach now!
Watch The Ocean City Ditty Video on YouTube
Also, be sure to visit: www.rayjozwiak.com and www.ohomusic.com

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Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Management . . .

(from The First Tycoon; The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J. Stiles)
“. . . a superior who lacks real ability -or character-draws only scorn. In a quasi-military (or, more properly, quasi-naval) culture such as that of the merchant marine, a commander need not be sweet-tempered to be admired; rather he had to be skilled, knowledgeable, fair, and preferably tough. . . "

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Sunday, July 29, 2018

Two. . .

. . . and a half years . . .

Seems to me, that for the two-plus years that the orange man has been the center of national attention, that our press (which, by the way we actually DO need to remain active and free) should have learned ways to better convey to the American public the character of this individual. At this writing, some outlets have improved in some ways; but how could they not, considering how ridiculous some of his antics have become. My advice is, that when a statement is issued, (for example . . . "he blamed US policy -- not Putin -- for the dismal state of relations between the two countries. . ."[from https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/16/politics/donald-trump-putin-helsinki-summit/index.html])
for which an opportunity is not provided the press for questions, a note be made. The outrageous statement should then be questioned in the very next press conference, be it with a spokesperson or 45 himself. If (and this will most certainly be the case) a clear, logical answer is not provided, the question should be asked (not necessarily during the same press conference) each time the press has an opportunity to ask questions. When the spokespeople or 45 lose patience with hearing the same question and have still not provided a REAL answer, the reporter(s) must clearly and unequivocally explain that a proper answer has not, to date, been provided and that the American people demand as much.

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Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Selfishness . . .

Selfishness sometimes seems
My strongest character trait
Service to the 'master'
Leaves all other duties in the dust

Up To Here
©2018 Raymond M. Jozwiak

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Thursday, May 10, 2018

Mister . . .

No posture, pretense, gloss or sheen
Or board or false restrictions
Sincerity, consideration
And ability to listen

Leading and accomplishing
What was to be fulfilled
With kindness and humanity
Helped character to build

Wanna Be
©2018 Raymond M. Jozwiak

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Friday, October 28, 2016

Bravery . . .

brav·er·y
ˈbrāv(ə)rē/Submit
noun
courageous behavior or character.
synonyms: courage, valor, intrepidity, nerve, daring, fearlessness, audacity, boldness, dauntlessness, stoutheartedness, heroism

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature,
nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits
in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.
– Helen Keller

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Get your copy of OHO's Where Words Do Not Reach now!
The Ocean City Ditty Video is now on YouTube
Also, be sure to visit: www.rayjozwiak.com and www.ohomusic.com

Thursday, October 13, 2016

What More . . .

Do you really need to know about Trump? Isn't his lack of character, knowledge, common sense, discretion, diplomacy, empathy, class, tact. . .

. . . ENOUGH!!!

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Highs . . .

. . . and lows . . .

Just look at the morning paper

And tell me what you see

Is something very wrong

Or maybe my eyes deceive me

Somewhere in the local section

A buried paragraph

Someone who had the time to care

And the character to act

The higher the highs

The lower the lows

The older I get

That's the way that it goes

The more that I think that I want

The less that I need

Because I realize how precious

And how short

This time with you may be

When you're young and your biggest worry's

What game you want to play

Such innocence is just surpassed

By the naivete

Take good with the worst

And better

You know they're not the same

Youth somehow brings them all together

Different they are

But subtle the shades

The higher the highs

The lower the lows

The older I get

That's the way that it goes

The more that I think that I want

The less that I need

Because I realize how precious

And how short

This time with you may be

Youth really

Is only wasted

If never

You've tasted

All the bitter

As well as sweet

I hope you don't misunderstand me

Or what I want to say

It's nothing revolutionary

Ignorance won't make this go away

Nobody likes a busybody

Nobody knows it all

There's one thing I can tell you certain

Take none for granted

Short or the tall

The higher the highs

The lower the lows

The older I get

That's the way that it goes

The more that I think that I want

The less that I need

Because I realize how precious

And how short

This time with you may be

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

Monday, September 12, 2016

HIghs . . .

. . . and lows . . .

Just look at the morning paper

And tell me what you see

Is something very wrong

Or maybe my eyes deceive me

Somewhere in the local section

A buried paragraph

Someone who had the time to care

And the character to act

The higher the highs

The lower the lows

The older I get

That's the way that it goes

The more that I think that I want

The less that I need

Because I realize how precious

And how short

This time with you may be

When you're young and your biggest worry's

What game you want to play

Such innocence is just surpassed

By the naivete

Take good with the worst

And better

You know they're not the same

Youth somehow brings them all together

Different they are

But subtle the shades

The higher the highs

The lower the lows

The older I get

That's the way that it goes

The more that I think that I want

The less that I need

Because I realize how precious

And how short

This time with you may be

Youth really

Is only wasted

If never

You've tasted

All the bitter

As well as sweet

I hope you don't misunderstand me

Or what I want to say

It's nothing revolutionary

Ignorance won't make this go away

Nobody likes a busybody

Nobody knows it all

There's one thing I can tell you certain

Take none for granted

Short or the tall

The higher the highs

The lower the lows

The older I get

That's the way that it goes

The more that I think that I want

The less that I need

Because I realize how precious

And how short

This time with you may be

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

Monday, August 29, 2016

Character . . .

. . . can be found anywhere . . .

(from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wooden)
". . . In the 1948–1949 season, John Wooden was hired as the fourth basketball coach in UCLA history. . . Wooden signed a three-year contract for $6,000 in the first year. . . Officials from the University of Minnesota contacted Wooden immediately after he accepted the position at UCLA, but he declined their offer because he had already given his word to UCLA. . . When Mel Taube left Purdue in 1950, Wooden's inclination was to return and finally accept the head coaching job there. He was ultimately dissuaded when UCLA officials reminded him that it was he who had insisted upon a three-year commitment during negotiations in 1948. Wooden felt that leaving UCLA prior to the expiration of his contract would be tantamount to breaking his word. . . "

What do you think?
Tell me at
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http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, No Frills, is now available at - No Frills

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Songs . . .

. . . without music . . .

(from http://www.frederickgorilla.com/the-art-of-listening)
“Rod,” as he prefers to be called, is quite the colorful character, blending, as he does, a Salisbury, England, upbringing with 18 years of Americanization. But if it weren’t for this pond hopper’s passion for music, the Songwriter Showcase that’s been running at Brewer’s Alley for seven years, (where you can hear live, original music . . . every Monday night) might not have occurred.

And what could be more inspiring on a Monday evening than experiencing original works of performing art with an intimate local audience, in a setting that—with its raftered ceilings and paneled walls—whispers of culture and enchantment? Nothing else comes to mind, except to say that this night of cultural enrichment is also free—though, tips, of course, are suggested for the featured musicians.

What do you think?
Tell me at
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html or at
http://www.ohomusic.com

OHO's "Ocean City Ditty," the CD single is now available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4
(and, if you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak. Please Visit http://www.ohomusic.com

My latest solo offering, Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak, featuring original, instrumental piano music is now available at - Just More Music by Ray Jozwiak

(To Access all Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano music you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser: http://http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak)

Also, be sure to visit:
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

Monday, August 17, 2015

Thomas Mann . . .

(from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Mann)
". . .Thomas Mann's works were first translated into English by H. T. Lowe-Porter beginning in 1924. Mann was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1929, principally in recognition of his popular achievement with the epic Buddenbrooks (1901), The Magic Mountain (Der Zauberberg, 1924) and his numerous short stories. (Due to the personal taste of an influential committee member, only Buddenbrooks was cited at any great length.) Based on Mann's own family, Buddenbrooks relates the decline of a merchant family in Lübeck over the course of three generations. The Magic Mountain (Der Zauberberg, 1924) follows an engineering student who, planning to visit his tubercular cousin at a Swiss sanatorium for only three weeks, finds his departure from the sanatorium delayed. During that time, he confronts medicine and the way it looks at the body and encounters a variety of characters, who play out ideological conflicts and discontents of contemporary European civilization. The tetralogy Joseph and His Brothers is an epic novel written over a period of sixteen years, which is one of the largest and most significant works in Mann's oeuvre. Later, other novels included Lotte in Weimar (1939), in which Mann returned to the world of Goethe's novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774); Doktor Faustus (1947), the story of composer Adrian Leverkühn and the corruption of German culture in the years before and during World War II and Confessions of Felix Krull (Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull, 1954), which was unfinished at Mann's death. . . In 1930, Mann gave a public address in Berlin titled "An Appeal to Reason", in which he strongly denounced National Socialism and encouraged resistance by the working class. This was followed by numerous essays and lectures in which he attacked the Nazis. At the same time, he expressed increasing sympathy for socialist ideas. In 1933 when the Nazis came to power, Mann and his wife were on holiday in Switzerland. Due to his strident denunciations of Nazi policies, his son Klaus advised him not to return. But Thomas Mann's books, in contrast to those of his brother Heinrich and his son Klaus, were not among those burnt publicly by Hitler's regime in May 1933, possibly since he had been the Nobel laureate in literature for 1929. Finally in 1936 the Nazi government officially revoked his German citizenship. . ."