History . . .

. . . well, what else can you call it.

It's my history anyway.


I have this ability, which in my view really isn't THAT special, to recognize people from my past.  And since as I get older that period of time continues to grow larger, that number likewise continues to grow, quite possibly making it increasingly difficult to maintain this ability.

But anyway, I had an opportunity to practice this (mostly) wonderful talent recently when I encountered my tenth-grade biology teacher in the grocery store.  And although we had a most pleasant conversation, there are some things, as happens in many conversations, that I did not say at the time but which occurred to me later making me wish that I had said them at the time.  So I thought I would say them here.

This particular teacher was a breath of fresh air in some otherwise unspectacular high school years.  She was young, not unattractive, energetic, enthusiastic, articulate, funny and unmistakably dedicated.  I was an impressionable, un-academic, socially awkward, decidedly uncool, dweebie, acne-faced adolescent young male biding my time in a school that offered me very little in the way of intellectual stimulation or social opportunities.  She taught biology, one of the few subjects that held some appeal for me, being a lover of reptiles and amphibians. But she taught biology, as I'm sure she could have any other course, with pizazz and finesse resulting in one early-morning class to which I actually looked forward favorably.

One component of this biology class, which now upon reflection I realize, was instrumental in shaping my academic future and later life.  It was a  project we undertook of a multi-media presentation within the topic which required team work, writing, selection of visual material and accompanying narration and audio.  I, with the encouragement of this teacher, was selected to be the narrator, which in truth was mostly because I was one of a small few who could read more than one sentence without stumbling.  But this distinction helped shape the direction I soon decided to take toward a career (or at least the pursuit of such a career) in media.  This decision (which by the way I have never regretted due to the many pleasant years and good friends which resulted) at which I arrived was the result of the (rare for me, at the time) confidence I felt because of this science project and with the help of this wonderful teacher. 

So not only is this petite, unassuming figure not difficult for me to discern in a crowd because of her smiling, wise and pleasant face, she is one of a select few persons from my past who helped instill something in me that I have never lost and which has become an integral part of my makeup as a happy, responsible, functioning adult.  Thank you Miss Wells.

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Bah . . .

. . . ancient  humbug!


Saturnalia was a public holiday celebrated around December 25 in the family home long before the common era and the cult of Saturn survived in Mediterranean locale such as the province of Constantine, somewhere in present day Algeria until the third century CE. The Saturnalia celebrations were annual events well into a century after Constantine's, the first 'Christian' Emperor's reign.  During its popularity, the length of the celebration ranged from two to seven days. 

The earliest known reference to December 25th commemorating the birth of Christ is in the Roman Philocalian calendar of 354 CE. The same day also appears in the Philocalian calendar as a Roman civil holiday honoring the cult of sol invicta, originating in Syria and relating to the cult of Mithras.

Buying gifts to celebrate Christmas is steeped in tradition, dating to the 1820s when newspapers began to advertise items for Christmas presents.

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For Sure? . . .

(from http://www.nbcnews.com/health/we-all-speak-valley-girls-now-2D11722245)
We are always asking questions, even when we're not. A new study suggests that "uptalk," phrasing your statements with a rise in pitch at the end, isn't just something young women do: it seems to be expanding to other demographics, including young men.

In Southern California, anyway, young people tend to uptalk no matter their gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status, suggests a small new study presented last week at the Acoustical Society of America’s annual meeting.

. . . Uptalk serves several purposes in the speech of SoCal speakers. . . Here's an everyday example: When the barista at Starbucks asks for the customer's name, an uptalker almost sounds like he or she is guessing at the answer (Mike? Isabelle?), "even though we know that this person is not actually questioning his or her name,” the authors write.

Ritchart and Arvanti rounded up 23 UCSD undergrads – 12 women, 11 men, all “native speakers of SoCal English." Their backgrounds varied widely: most self-identified as middle-class, but six said they were upper-class, and four said they were lower-class. Eight of them were bilingual. But despite their differences, they all used uptalk, the authors say.

It’s easy to dismiss uptalk as the airhead’s language quirk, but it can be a useful way of speaking: Ritchart and Arvanti identified an interesting way uptalk is used – to “hold the floor,” or to let the listener know they’re not done talking. The uptalk sort of acts as a verbal comma, explains Arvanti, who notes that their study is not the first to find this usage. For example, in the map experiment, the speaker might say something like, “OK, so, go toward Warren?” before continuing on with his instructions (“And then do you see Valley Mall?”). Ritchart and Arvanti found that 45 percent of “floor holding” instances used uptalk, and 16 percent of simple statements did, too.

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A Blast . . .

. . . from the past (circa 1997 and featuring Spencer Jozwiak, formerly of Angel Fallen and Left Stronger)

Taking in my daily sustenance
Down at my local Scottish restaurant
When I noticed that my entree was
More than I bargained for
Look what I got
The manager said there was compensation
Coming my way
But not today

Don't call us
Don't call us
Don't call us
We'll call you

Auntie Lynn said it would be a sin
To waste my precious vocal expertise
So I took me to audition down
At the prestigious theater called the Ritz
Producer man was nice as he could be
He said I was fine
But not this time

Don't call us
Don't call us
Don't call us
We'll call you

Seems I've been hearing
The same thing since
I don't know when
Some with a little less
Confidence might just give in
I'm no one's fool
Unless I want to be
Life can be cruel
Won't someone please
Just call me

At the end of what had seemed to be
A perfect evening
Just what did I do
Could it be something I said
Or didn't follow-through
I wish I knew
We danced and dined
I even kissed your hand
Under a twinkling sky
I said goodbye
When you cried

Don't call us
Don't call us
Don't call us
We'll call you


We'll Call You
©1997 Raymond M. Jozwiak





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Unstable . . .

. . . Boehner . . .

Do ya' think? . . .



(from http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/12/11/21863224-boehner-lashes-out-at-conservative-groups-on-budget-deal?lite)
Republican leaders defended a modest budget deal that would maintain government operations through 2015 amid conservative opposition that could scuttle the legislation in the House.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, lashed out at conservative advocacy groups that have encouraged GOP lawmakers to oppose a budget framework unveiled last night by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

"They're using our members and they're using the American people for their own goals," an animated Boehner told reporters at the Capitol. "This is ridiculous."

Republican House Speaker John Boehner delivers a message to advocacy groups opposing the bipartisan budget framework agreement that was reached this week.

Ryan and Murray, the top budget officials in their respective chambers, announced an agreement that would set baseline spending levels for the 2014 and 2015 fiscal years. The agreement calls for spending levels slightly above the cap established by the automatic spending cuts known as the "sequester" through a combination of reforms, cuts and new, non-tax revenue.

Conservative groups had been girding themselves against the deal before its details were finalized, mostly because the spending levels exceed sequester levels. The Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity and Heritage Action -- each of them well-financed conservative advocacy groups that hold some sway over Republican primary voters -- have begun lobbying furiously against the modest government funding agreement.

"By having a budget agreement that does not raise taxes, that does reduce the deficit and produces some certainty and prevents government shutdowns -- we think is a good agreement," Ryan, the architect of the budget agreement, said after a closed-door meeting with fellow Republicans.
Of the package's prospects for passage, the 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee added: "We feel very good at where we are with our members."

Chuck Todd reports on the budget deal presented by Rep. Paul Ryan and Sen. Patty Murray.

The Republican leadership's struggle to manage its restive conservative flank is a familiar storyline to any observer of Congress over the past three years.

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Cash . . .

(from http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/legal-and-management/5820021/lost-johnny-cash-album-out-next-spring)
There's new never-before-heard music coming from Johnny Cash. Cash's estate is releasing "Out Among the Stars," an album he recorded with Billy Sherrill in the early 1980s that was never released by Columbia Records, then disappeared when the company dropped Cash in 1986. Turns out Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, stashed the tapes - along with just about everything else that came into their possession. . .

. . . Columbia paired him with Sherrill, a producer and Country Music Hall of Fame member who was then the president of CBS Records Nashville. One of the main architects of country music's so-called countrypolitan sound, Sherrill helped push the genre toward pop sounds and conventions - and away from Cash's more independent-minded ways.

The pairing came at a time when Cash was at a low ebb in his popularity. The music on "Out Among the Stars" is taken from 1981 and `84 sessions, at a time when country music was going through great change.

It was clear record company executives didn't think much of the outcome. They put out a few more Cash albums after the recordings were made, but never used the music from those sessions before dropping him. Sherrill backed Cash with a band that consisted of fellow Country Hall of Fame member Hargus "Pig" Robbins and a young friend of Cash's named Marty Stuart. . .

. . . [It] was recorded during some of the most difficult years of Cash's life. He felt like he'd lost his legacy and he was still dealing with the fallout from personal problems including infidelity and drug addiction.

He soon met producer Rick Rubin, though, and wrote a coda to his career that gave his life something of a mythic quality.

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Working . . .

. . . at our passion. . .

. . . MUSIC!!. . .


The Ditty is progressing nicely, thank you.  And working with the fine gentlemen of OHO continues to be technically, creatively and personally enriching for me.  Jay, David (and Bill of The Bratt Studio) possess the focus of a mother eagle on its prey and exhibited rare and precious mettle in the task at hand . . . nurturing The Ocean City Ditty (by Jay Graboski) to a snappy and rocking maturity.
Coming along well, don't you think? . . .


O - C - E - A - N   C - I - T-Y   
O - C - E - A - N   C - I - T-Y
On your mark get set
Disconnect that internet
Every girl and boy
Breathing in the joy
Not a care at last
Sit outside and bask
In rays of summer's bliss 

Crabs and fish and shells
Feel your tension spell
Fries and pizza pie
Smiles won't be denied
Everything is cool
in 2 1 8 4 2
Feel the sparkle in your eyes

Catch a wave and ride
Cars and motorbikes
Bikini babes in the sand
Vibin' to rockin' bands
Ocean City

From Memorial to Labor Day
We beckon you to play
To a boardwalk beat
Miles and miles of beach
Your memories to take
Currents dance and sway
leave your footprints in the sand

Fireworks at night
Give your love a kiss
Sail and fish the sea
Here life is a beach
in Ocean City

Now is the time that's right
For you only live once
Time does drag when it's all work and no fun
The ocean gateway calls you
Sport your shorts and shades
It's so divine to dine at life's buffet
It's almost heaven and
There's so much more we can say

Catch a wave and ride
Cool cars and motorbikes
Bikinis on the sand
Dance to rockin' bands
Ocean City


Ocean City Ditty
written by John P. Graboski






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My latest release, Black & White Then Back,
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