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(from The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyon)
". . . Now I saw in my Dream, that just as they had ended this talk, they drew near to a very Miry Slow that was in the midst of the Plain, and they being heedless, did both fall suddenly into the bogg. The name of the Slow was Dispond. Here therefore they wallowed for a time, being grievously bedaubed with the dirt; And Christian, because of the burden that was on his back, began to sink in the Mire.

Pli. Then said Pliable, Ah, Neighbour Christian, where are you now?

Chr. Truly, said Christian, I do not know.

Pli. At that Pliable began to be offended; and angerly, said to his Fellow, Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? if we have such ill speed at our first setting out, What may we expect, 'twixt this and our Journeys end? May I get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave Country alone for me. And with that he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the Mire, on that side of the Slow which was next to his own House: So away he went, and Christian saw him no more.

Wherefore Christian was left to tumble in the Slough of Despond alone; but still he endeavored to struggle to that side of the slough that was farthest from his own house, and next to the wicket-gate; the which he did, but could not get out because of the burden that was upon his back: but I beheld in my dream, that a man came to him, whose name was Help, and asked him what he did there. . . "


Slough of Despond
by John P. Graboski
Performed by Oho June 1, 2013
at at The 2nd Annual 5th Street Music Festival Block Party Thingy





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Digression. . .

. . . from human progress. . .

It would appear that this once well-intentioned and possibly practical organization has strayed far from its original intent and has become a proponent of arms manufacturering much to the detriment of the society it was founded to serve.  

Army and Navy Journal editor William Conant Church and General George Wood Wingate chartered the NRA in New York state in 1871. Its first president was Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, who had worked as a Rhode Island gunsmith, and Wingate was the original secretary of the organization.

Union Army records for the Civil War indicate that its troops fired about 1,000 rifle shots for each Confederate soldier hit, causing General Burnside to lament his recruits: "Out of ten soldiers who are perfect in drill and the manual of arms, only one knows the purpose of the sights on his gun or can hit the broad side of a barn." The generals attributed this to the use of volley tactics, devised for earlier, less accurate smoothbore muskets.  After observing European marksmanship training, General Wingate was convinced that U.S. forces were in need of better training.

Recognizing a need for better training, Wingate traveled to Europe and observed European armies' marksmanship training programs. With plans provided by Wingate, the New York Legislature funded the construction of a modern range at Creedmore, Long Island, for long-range shooting competitions. Wingate then wrote a marksmanship manual.


The publicity generated by a long-range shooting match to determine an Anglo-American championship in 1874 helped to establish breech-loading firearms (manufactured by match sponsors Remington Arms and Sharps Rifle Manufacturing Company) as suitable for military marksmanship training, and promoted the NRA to national prominence.

The organization has since metamorphosed into a highly financed and politically powerful group of extremists who value profits of gun sales (under the guise of protecting the U.S. Constitution) over that of human life and stop at nothing to ensure our spineless representatives are well compensated to be on board.

Witness below. . .


(from NBCNews.com)
". . . "Expanding background checks, at gun shows or elsewhere, will not reduce violent crime or keep our kids safe in their schools," top NRA lobbyist Chris Cox wrote in a letter sent to senators Wednesday night. "Given the importance of these issues, votes on all anti-gun amendments or proposals will be considered in NRA's future candidate evaluations. "The NRA rates lawmakers based on how they vote on the group's priorities. The letter grades are highly influential and carry particular weight in rural states with a strong gun culture. . . ."

I promptly wrote to my representatives in Congress and pleaded (paraphrasing), '. . . I wonder how your NRA evaluations look.  I hope they look very BAD. . . '

(thanks to source Wikipedia.com)

What do YOU think?
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html


My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
can be downloaded digitally at:

(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
your browser:  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rayjozwiak3)



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

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Memories. . .

You've seen the articles and email about the 'good ole days' like:

". . . I remember the simple days of growing up in the 50's and 60's.
Remember cars without seatbelts?
Remember riding a bike without helmets?
Getting excited to see the milk-man
bringing fresh milk to the back porch?
Sitting on the front porch and knowing our neighbors!
Praying in school?
Being spanked by our parents! ( yeah it was ALLOWED! )
Getting "licks" in school. ( the great board of education! and it worked!)
Being a ONE car Family! you know the one dad used to go to work in!
The smell of sheets on the bed from being hung on a clothes line!
When we used empty food cans with string to talk to our friends ( before we even knew what cells phones were!)
Oh the simple days.....

And...with all our progress...
don't you wish...just once...
we could slip back in time and savor the innocence,
the respect, the slower pace...
and share it with the children of today? . . ."

I'm not one to get lost in the past and certainly believe MOST of what I have today is better that what I had in the past, especially technology and my own maturity.  

But. . . "Budoir Photo Packages" and "Pole Dancing Lessons" give one pause regarding the progress we've made as a society.

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You can NOW download your
very own copy of Ray Jozwiak's
newest release:
AMBIENCE & WINE

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Slough. . .

. . . coughs as he ploughs the dough?? (Dr. Seuss)
No. . . it's OHO. . .

(from John Bunyan's allegory The Pilgrim's Progress and courtesy of wikipedia.com)
'This miry Slough is such a place as cannot be mended; it is the descent whither the scum and filth that attends conviction for sin doth continually run, and therefore is it called the Slough of Despond: for still as the sinner is awakened about his lost condition, there ariseth in his soul many fears, and doubts, and discouraging apprehensions, which all of them get together, and settle in this place; and this is the reason of the badness of this ground.'

Slough of Despond  
© Copyright - OHO Music, BMI



What do YOU think?
http://www.rayjozwiak.com/guestbook.html

You can NOW download your
very own copy of Ray Jozwiak's
newest release:
AMBIENCE & WINE

Please visit
http://www.rayjozwiak.com

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Since only hundreds of millions. . .

. . . will probably see this, (I think it was J. Paul Getty who once said, ". . . a million here, a million there, and pretty soon you're talking big money. . . ") I don't think anyone will mind if you listen to the progress we're making on the performance of a song entitled SMILE (All Rights Reserved by Michael Mitchell) by Michael Mitchell on the collaborative, music-networking website Indabamusic.com, which I mentioned in my blog of 2/9/11.

SMILE at IndabaMusic

It's like going into the studio but it's a 'virtual' studio and participants can be located anywhere around the world. And you add your contribution on your own time.

(did I say "probably see this"? I meant to say "probably not")

hear my music at www.rayjozwiak.com