Pizza Pizza . . .

I worked in an office for a freight forwarder for thirteen years.  It was my first real, full-time job after graduation from college.  I didn't always like everything about that job.  I made many attempts to leave this job for a better one.  Success on that front was elusive for thirteen years though, but was finally achieved. When I finally left, management expressed their disappointment, offered their 'desire' to keep me in their employ and in the end, wished me the best as we parted on good terms.  And as a last and magnanimous gesture and a fond farewell, they expressed their appreciation of my years of service in celebration with a 'pizza lunch.'  Yes, a 'pizza lunch'.

Well, it certainly could have been worse.  Then for that matter, it could have been better too.  It was in accordance with their general approach to good employees;  in short, it wasn't much.

But, in my situation with this firm, no one lost a life and no one's health was in jeopardy. . . unlike
CHEVRON. . .

(from http://www.npr.org/2014/03/25/293875192/chevron-pizza-scandal-leaves-small-town-divided and http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chevrons-pizza-coupons-no-scandal-bobtown-pennsylvania-locals-say/)
 . . . Chevron responded to an explosion of one of its natural gas wells by giving nearby residents coupons for free pizza. The explosion killed a young worker. None of the patrons has voiced outrage, he said, and residents laughed about how people who have never set foot in Bobtown claim to speak for its citizens.

Many critics of fracking seek stricter regulations or bans to protect air and water from pollution, while supporters speak of the economic benefits for an energy-hungry nation. Each side claims the high moral ground.

About 12,000 people have signed an online petition demanding Chevron apologize, according to petition organizer Karen Feridun.  Chevron says they work to be a good partner in communities, that it has been "overwhelmed by the support" from residents and that it appreciates their understanding. . .

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

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)

'2014' available April 8, 2014 at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak
Pre-order your copy of "2014" at the iTunes Store NOW

My latest solo 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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Unbe-f*&#ing-lievable . . .

 

 I'm not one of those folks who lives in or harbors a burning desire to return to the past. As a matter of fact, my high school years (with several exceptions- having an awesome 10th grade biology teacher, my best friend Joe, a Public Speaking teacher that I think truly 'understood' me, a journalism teacher who appreciated my rebellious nature, and being 'assigned' to sit between two of the school's most popular girls in English class by Miss Simon [they were actually very nice, funny and genuine] my high school years were pretty much typical.  And they were also abbreviated as I waived my senior year and entered college one year early (earning my HS Diploma after passing college-level English) leaving me with only two actual high-school years attended.  In those days, 'junior' high encompassed grades 7, 8 and 9 while high school consisted of grades 10, 11 and 12.  Very different now.

But my most memorable years were those immediately after high school, for it was at that time that I saw the 'real' world, actually pursued a future course of my choosing and met some of the greatest and most memorable personalities, several with whom I have recently been able to reunite. In fact, we have been meeting on a regular basis, much to my pleasure and (I hope) to theirs as well.

Who'd a thought it???   Forty years since I first met them and when we get together, it's like I haven't seen them since last week.  It's magical and I am most fortunate not only to have had them as friends initially, but to have been able to rekindle that friendship at this older and wiser stage in our my life.

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

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)

'2014' available April 8, 2014 at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak
Pre-order your copy of "2014" at the iTunes Store NOW

My latest solo 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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The Ditty. . .

 . . . Tour.

OHO- The Ditty Tour

Thursday, March 27, 2014
Live Lixx at Sixx @ Live Lixx
49th St, Ocean City, MD 21842 (United States) -
    Set: 6:00 PM
All Ages
   
Thursday, March 27, 2014
OHO @ Johnny's Pizza & Pub
5601 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842 (United States) -
410-524-7499     Set: 8:00 PM
All Ages
    Tickets: na

Friday, March 28, 2014
Youth Ministry Outreach @ ocean city convention center
4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842 (United States) -
1-800-OC-OCEAN     Set: 7:00 PM
All Ages
   
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Youth Ministry Outreach @ ocean city convention center
4001 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842 (United States) -
1-800-OC-OCEAN     Set: 9:00 PM
All Ages
   
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Band Fest - Pop Up Art Gallery 2014 (by invitation only) @ Heritage Parville Gardens
Harford Road at Taylor Avenue, Baltimore, MD (United States) -
410-254-2272     Set: 7:00 PM
All Ages



Ocean City Ditty
written by John P. Graboski
performed by OHO- Jay Graboski, David Reeve and Ray Jozwiak
Get your very own right now at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/oho4 





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

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)

'2014' available April 8, 2014 at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak
Pre-order your copy of "2014" at the iTunes Store NOW

My latest solo 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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Not So Blue . . .

. . . Monday. . .

Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano
Opens the Monday Night Songwriters' Showcase
at Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery
Monday
March 24, 2013
@ 7:15PM

Monday Night Songwriters' Showcase (now in its ninth year!) is held on Monday evenings in beautiful downtown Frederick, MD, except during December (when we are closed after the first Monday). The program starts at 7:15 pm with a piano prelude, followed by three or four songwriters doing three songs each (lots of variety) and featured songwriter does a 45 -60 minute set.   Come and support LIVE MUSIC!

(take the elevator on the right to the 2nd floor)
124 North Market Street Frederick, MD 21701
Telephone: 301-631-0089 Fax: 301-631-1874
http://www.brewers-alley.com/



Exactly
©2013 Raymond M. Jozwiak
from '2014'
available April 8, 2014 at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak




Ray Jozwiak's '2014' will be available April 8th through digital distribution at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak

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

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)

'2014' available April 8, 2014 at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak
Pre-order your copy of "2014" at the iTunes Store NOW

My latest solo 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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Rest. . .

 

. . . in peace Fred


(from the website of the Westboro Baptist Church)

"Numbers

·         6801 - soldiers that God has killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
·         52,335 - pickets conducted by WBC.
·         922 - cities that have been visited by WBC.
·         1186 - weeks that WBC has held daily pickets on the mean streets of doomed america.
·         138 - people whom God has cast into hell since you loaded this page.
·         218,400,000+ - gallons of oil that God poured in the Gulf.
·         $17.52 trillion+ - national debt of doomed america.
·         8 - people that God saved in the flood.
·         16,000,000,000 - people that God killed in the flood.
·         144,000 - Jews that will be saved in these last days.
·         0 - nanoseconds of sleep that WBC members lose over your opinions and feeeeellllliiiiiings."

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

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)

'2014' available April 8, 2014 at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak
Pre-order your copy of "2014" at the iTunes Store NOW

My latest solo 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

Tweet

NOT . . .

. . . because of skin color, not because he wasn't 'tough' enough with Putin, not because of the ACA (well, maybe that one too- but not for the popularly held conservative reasons), not because he uses a teleprompter, not because he spoke to elementary schoolers standing on a 'my ABCs' carpet. . .

NO. . . but this president concerns me because. . .


(from http://rt.com/usa/obama-ndaa-detention-president-288/)
". . . President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 . . . giving his stamp of approval to a Pentagon spending bill that will keep Guantanamo Bay open and make indefinite detention for US citizens as likely as ever.

The president inked his name to the 2013 NDAA . . . to little fanfare, and accompanied his signature with a statement condemning a fair number of provisions contained in a bill that he nevertheless endorsed.

The NDAA, an otherwise mundane annual bill that lays out the use of funds for the Department of Defense, has come under attack during the Obama administration for the introduction of a provision last year that allows the military to detain United States citizens indefinitely without charge or trial for mere suspicions of ties to terrorism. Under the 2012 NDAA’s Sec. 1021, Pres. Obama agreed to give the military the power to arrest and hold Americans without the writ of habeas corpus, although he promised with that year’s signing statement that his administration would not abuse that privilege.

In response to the controversial indefinite detention provision from last year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) introduced an amendment in December 2012 that would have forbid the government from using military force to indefinitely detain Americans without trial under the 2013 NDAA. Although that provision, dubbed the “Feinstein Amendment,” passed the Senate unanimously, a select panel of lawmakers led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Michigan) stripped it from the final version of the NDAA two week later before it could clear Congress. In exchange, Congress added a provision, Sec. 1029, that claims to ensure that “any person inside the United States” is allowed their constitutional rights, including habeas corpus, but supporters of the Feinstein Amendment say that the swapped wording does nothing to erase the indefinite detention provision from the previous year. . ."

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

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)

'2014' available April 8, 2014 at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak
Pre-order your copy of "2014" at the iTunes Store NOW

My latest solo 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

Tweet

Friends . . .

NO, not the television show. . .


Many have sung of the great value of friends. I now realize how differently I value friends from a more mature perspective than I did as a child but I'm not really sure I can say with accuracy that I valued them any less as a child.  I only valued them differently without the wisdom these many years have bestowed upon me.

Of course, as you well know, this has everything to do with music. Many websites list their 'top friendship songs' which vary but contain many common titles.  So here's a list, based upon several sites but compiled by me of some of them:

You've Got To Have Friends by Buzzy Linhart and Mark 'Moogy' Klingman
You've Got A Friend In Me by Randy Newman
You've Got A Friends by Carole King
A Little Help From My Friends by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Stand By Me by Ben E. King
Lean On Me by Bill Withers
You're My Best Friend by John Deacon (Queen)
Waiting On A Friend by Mick Jagger

Well.  I gotta' run.  Gonna meet some friends. . .

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

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)

'2014' available April 8, 2014 at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/RayJozwiak
Pre-order your copy of "2014" at the iTunes Store NOW

My latest solo 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

Tweet