November 2015

A Thanksgiving Day Story

November 4, 2015 by Michael Copeland Leave a Comment

Once upon a time there lived a ruggedly handsome writer man (me) who loved Thanksgiving. He (I) loved everything about the holiday including the food, gathering with family, the food, watching football, the food, time off from work, more food, the lead into the Christmas/Hanukkah season, dessert, the holiday television specials and, did I mention the food? Our hero (me again) realized that Thanksgiving is not just a time to give thanks, rejoice and eat, but that’s a heck of a good place to start. He/me even enjoyed the history of the holiday. There’s a lot people don’t know much about this marvelous holiday, other than what they learned in elementary school. As a pretend investigative journalist, the following is a brief narrative on the history of my favorite holiday.

The first Thanksgiving Day has been tracked back to the year 1621,when the Pilgrims and Native Americans got together for a raging block party, following the Puritan settler’s first harvest in the New World. This feast lasted three days and was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims (as accounted by attendee Edward Winslow). I think my high school math teacher may actually have attended as well. The location of the inaugural event was the Plymouth Plantation located somewhere near Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. It was reported to be a crisp autumn day with light winds off the Atlantic (so says www.weatherhistory.com).

Wikipedia doesn’t state that the day started out with a scaled-down version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, but I did some research. Apparently, retired plow-horses pulled flat-bed wagons serving as the first floats of the modern era. The blow-up balloon characters (Snoopy, Garfield and the Minions) were just raincoats sewn together which explains the lack of detail and clarity. None of this is probably true, but it makes for a good story—and Wikipedia doesn’t know everything.

Rumor has it the Pilgrims and Indians played a little touch football before dinner on that lovely fall day. Although technically the game of football and footballs themselves had not yet been invented, so when it was reported that they threw the old pigskin around it was an actual dead pig. This obviously explains why the game was originally called Pig Ball. The pilgrims requested to be called the Patriots and the Native American Indians, while technically having red skin, objected to the team name Redskins due to the derogatory term and the political incorrectness of the lame mascot. The warriors and chiefs instead chose Dolphins as their team name because they liked dolphins. The Patriots supposedly won by a field goal, probably because they cheated. Look it up at www.pigballhistory.com

Immediately following the game, players from the two teams enjoyed a few libations such as Ale and firewater, while scarfing down a fine selection of appetizers including chips and dip, raccoon pizza rolls, possum kabobs and a nice cheese platter consisting of smoked Gouda, Brie, Havarti and of course, goat cheese.

The dinner itself was legendary. Delicacies included roast turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, roasted and sweet potatoes and breads. Local vegetables that likely appeared on the table included; onions, corn, squash, various beans, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots and perhaps peas. Seafood dishes might have included lobster, bass, clams, oysters and mussels. The dessert menu assuredly had pumpkin and apple pies, custard, Jello and roasted gourds with a little milk, honey and spices. I love me a good gourd and I found a variety of delectable recipes at www.gourdrecipies.com

There was the obvious post meal nap for most of the men in attendance as the women folk did the dishes and attended to the children. As the night wound down, the pilgrims and Indian families likely watched a humorous puppet show or listened to some melodic banjo and harmonica tunes. I like banjo and harmonica music as much as the next guy—just check out my iTunes account at www.hillbillyturns.com – but living in the modern day, my favorite post food coma activity is watching a good movie. A few movies worth watching on Thanksgiving Day night include While You Were Sleeping (with Sandra Bullock), The Proposal (with Sandra Bullock) and Miss Congeniality (with Benjamin Bratt and Sandra Bullock). You really can’t go wrong with any movie staring Sandy B.

After the inaugural meal, this tradition of holding an annual harvest festival didn’t firmly take root until the late 1660s. It has been celebrated as a Federal Holiday every year since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” That undoubtedly seemed a little wordy and too religious so somewhere along the line it was taken down to simply a day of “Giving Thanks.” In a recent interview, Donald Trump said that it was his idea. The actual “day and date” that we celebrate on has also been somewhat floating, usually taking place sometime in the late October to mid-November time frame. It wasn’t until 1941 that President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress proclaiming the fourth Thursday of November the official day. This likely coincided with school kids needing a few days off so their tiny brains didn’t explode between Halloween and Christmas.

By the time you read this article, you’ll undoubtedly be planning your Thanksgiving Day menu and decorating the house with cornucopias and belt buckle hats. It should be stated that this ruggedly handsome writer and his family don’t have any plans and are available to join in a lucky reader’s family festivities. We usually go out of town to visit friends during the long holiday weekend, but because of previously scheduled commitments we will be around. What could be more fun than sharing your holiday fun with a guy who loves everything Thanksgiving? It would make a great new chapter in the Thanksgiving Day story.

Ten Years Ago We Lived in Another World

November 4, 2015 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

If we can count on one thing to always remain constant… it is… change! Whether we’re talking about politics, the environment, culture or technology, the longer you’re alive the more you realize that nothing stays the same for very long.

Since we are celebrating our tenth anniversary here at ALIVE Magazine, we thought it might be fun to take a stroll down memory lane a bit and recall what was happening just ten years ago…

So, let’s begin by taking a look at your iPhone in 2005—oh wait, the “smartphone” won’t be invented for another two and half years—when Apple would introduce the first generation iPhone on June 9, 2007. No, if you were into cutting edge technology in 2005 you were probably carrying a Motorola RAZR (because it was one of the first phones to have a built-in megapixel camera). And if you weren’t riding the crest of the tech wave, you were probably carrying one of the other top-selling “flip phones” made by Nokia or Sony, as Apple was only in the planning stages of its hand-held device hegemony.

If you were the savvy business person in 2005 looking for the latest tech leg up on your competition, you certainly had laptop running Windows XP and a Blackberry personal digital assistant (PDA), although if you wanted internet access you needed a place to connect by Ethernet or DSL because WiFi was, pretty-much, brand-new technology that existed just about… nowhere. And even if you could plug in, the connections were so slow it was really a chore to be avoided if possible.

Transferring and saving data changed in 2005 with the invention of a new device called a “flash drive,” replacing the floppy for good and making the cd something mainly used only for music. And speaking of music, while Apple did come up with the iPod way back in 2001, it wasn’t until 2004-2005 that the device started to really catch on because up until then it was only Mac compatible and flash memory wasn’t part of iPod technology yet.

Hybrid vehicles had been around for a while already in 2005 but were still pretty much a novelty, as the world was first introduced to the Airbus 380, the XBox 360, and the F-22 Raptor that same year.

In 2005, Google had only moved out of a garage some seven years earlier and would not surpass Yahoo as the “search” leader until the following year, 2006. Its webmail service, Gmail, was still in beta status, available by “invitation” only. Invites to the program were so coveted they sold on ebay for upwards of $150. Regular “Joes” (the general public) could not use Gmail until February 7, 2007. Also thanks to Google, the task of finding your way around had the hope of becoming easier in 2005 because that’s the year they introduced Google Earth global mapping.

Text messaging (texting) existed but only in what could best be described as in a primitive form, and it certainly wasn’t the ubiquitous means of communication it is today. And no one was “streaming” anything on their tablets yet because Youtube had just been invented (February 2005) and tablets wouldn’t exist for another five years with introduction of the iPad on April 3, 2010.

And what was your social media profile like in 2005? Believe it or not, Myspace was still the most visited social networking site in the world that year. It wasn’t until April 2008 that Facebook (launched in 2004) became Ruler of the social media universe. And Twitter wouldn’t exist for another year until its launch in 2006.

Of course there was a lot more happening in 2005 besides changes in technology. Hurricane Katrina struck the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama leaving a path of devastation and a death toll upwards of 1,800, becoming one of the worst disasters in U.S. history.

President George W. Bush started his second term, British Prime Minister Tony Blair began his third, Lance Armstrong won a record seventh straight Tours de France, and Steve Fossett broke a world record with the first non-stop, non-refueled, solo flight around the world in the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer. Oh yes, and the New England Patriots won 24-21 over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.

The world lost some amazing people in 2005, including Pope John Paul II, Rosa Parks, Arthur Miller and Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist. We also said goodbye to Johnny Carson, Peter Jennings, Ann Bancroft, Richard Pryor, Luther Vandross, Sandra Dee, Eugene McCarthy, Bob Denver (Gilligan), and James Doohan (Scotty), among others.

It was a year of some landmark legal battles, too. Michael Jackson was found not guilty of child molestation charges; the United States Supreme Court ruled that medicinal marijuana users can be prosecuted for violating federal drug laws, and the courts ordered a feeding tube removed from Terri Schiavo, ending her life after a contentious, eight year legal battle between her husband and her parents.Saddam Hussein was tried and convicted in Baghdad for crimes against humanity.

On the lighter side, Star Wars: Episode III –Revenge of the Sith premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, but Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the 4th film based on the books by J. K. Rowling went on to become the most successful film of the year, earning almost 900 million. Other popular films that year included War of the Worlds, Batman Begins, Hitch, Crash, Brokeback Mountain, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Madagascar.

So there you have it—a little snapshot of life way, way back in 2005. Hey, this was so much fun, let’s do it again in 2025!

I Really Miss It

November 4, 2015 by Edwin Cohen, Ph. D. Leave a Comment

I confess: I miss ethnic humor. Not the mean-spirited kind that condemns, ridicules, or demeans an entire nationality, religion, or other ethnic group. Have we, as a nation become so sensitive that we cannot see that there are idiosyncrasies and unique qualities in most ethnic groups? Granted, that as people become more adapted to our mainstream society, we tend to take on the norms of the larger society.

Over the years much of ethnic humor has been directed at immigrants to America. After all, immigrants often wear different, which means “strange,” clothing, eat unusual foods, and speak strange languages, sometimes with funny dialects–at least “funny” to our standard American speech patterns. I remember a story from World War II about an orthodox rabbi from New York who goes into the South to conduct High Holy Day services. When he gets off the train, people stare in wonder at his all black clothing including a top coat, despite the heat of Indian summer. They look with wonder at his long, unkempt beard and funny large, black hat. In exasperation he finally shouts at the crowd, “Vat’s de metter, ain’t you never seen a Yenkee?”

Of course, ethnic humor can be vicious and hurtful also. When an entire group receives an identity of stupidity or of being violent, those who are not stupid or violent suffer the consequences. Often such meanness can be traced to the differences the group displays. When my son was in high school, his math teacher who had a name with thirty-two consonants and ended with “ski,” would begin each class period with a “Polish” joke. David would tell the joke to me when he got home from school. Some were funny; some not so funny; and some totally unfunny. All implied, however, that Polish people are less intelligent and less sophisticated than others, a charge we can readily see applies to some people in every group. (Do you, dear reader, have any idea how difficult it is for me not to quote one of those jokes now?)

Today many of the “Polish” jokes are now directed at blonds. Recently an attractive blond woman with glasses that seemed to channel Reese Witherspoon in “Legally Blond” was a three day champion on a show called “Jeopardy!,” which has never been accused of featuring dummies.

(All right, just one): A philosophy student decides to go for a swim, but does not know how and almost drowns before being rescued by others. The student then takes a vow: “I will never go into the water again until I learn how to swim.” A Polish Joke? A blond joke? Neither!

The story is adapted from the “Tales of Chelm,” a collection of “fool” stories from Eastern European Jewish folk literature which can be traced to another such collection from Schildburg, Germany, dating to the Sixteenth Century. Incidentally, both Chelm, Poland and Schildburg are actual places. The English tell “Scotsman” stories and the French tell “Belgian” jokes; somewhere someone probably tells “dumb American” jokes.

Often our humor can resonate with people who are not from and do not fully comprehend our backgrounds. Bill Cosby, without his later indiscretions, told of life in Black America, as did Billy Crystal speaking of Jewish America. Both used humor that came directly from the family experience. Whether or not we understand Black or Jewish life, probably most of us have had a pretentious uncle or slightly cuckoo aunt so that we can relate to those situations.

When Cyrano de Bergerac gets teased because of his large nose, he lists about twenty comments the person could have said, but then he says, “I say these things lightly enough myself about myself, but I allow no one else to utter them.” Cyrano speaks for many people from a variety of communities, the most obvious being the Black community’s use of the “N” word in conversation and in stand-up comedy. Use of the word is forbidden, however, outside of that community.

While in graduate school, some organization had a social convocation of graduate students from a variety of disciplines. There were about fifty of us and two or three others and I told some jokes and stories to the group. I told the story of an Irish Catholic priest who hates the British with a passion. (The story is quite long and relies on an Irish brogue, so I will not relate it here.) Some people laughed out loud at the story; some smiled; some chuckled; and some didn’t give a damn. One man, however, scowled and showed his displeasure prominently.

By coincidence we later went to the hors d’ouevres table at the same time where, with scowl intact, he asked me, “Do you think that is right?” Puzzled, I asked him, “Do I think what is right?” He then asked if I thought it proper for someone who is Jewish to tell a story about a Catholic priest. I than asked a question I knew he could not answer, “Do you know who told me that story?” He shook his head, and I quietly said, “Father Pat.” Father Pat was a priest working on a Ph. D. so he could serve the church in public relations. The scowl disappeared; he repeated “Father Pat? Then he broke into peals of laughter saying, “That is the funniest story I have ever heard.“ Because a priest told me the story it suddenly became, if I may, Kosher for me to tell it. (I lied, but I hadn’t the heart to tell him that I heard the story about ten years prior at party for struggling actors in Hollywood, and it was told by Ernest Hemingway’s nephew.)

Some stories simply are funnier than others. Reaction can range from boredom to smile to chuckle to laugh-out-loud to hysteria. Few get to the hysteria stage. Some depend on which ethnic group is being slandered or teased. I once heard a story of dying Jewish man who smells the strudel his wife is cooking in the next room. He tells his son that his dying wish it have one last piece of “Mama’s strudel.” The son goes to get the strudel but comes back empty-handed saying, “Mama says the strudel is for after the funeral.” It was a laugh-out-louder. A few days later I heard a disk jockey on the radio tell the same story only with a Swede named Ole. Totally ho-hum!

My own philosophy is that anything can be the subject of humor, but good taste and common sense need to enter the picture someplace. Certainly religious fanaticism and terrorism are not funny, yet Jeff Dunham has become a rich man with Ahmed the Dead Suicide Bomber who decided to practice his craft before his mission. Some of you may be familiar with “Silence! I kill you!” Death, of course, is not funny, but I personally know of at least ten stories involving St. Peter and the Pearly Gates to Heaven.

Ethic humor can be funny or not; it can be in good or bad taste. After all not all fine art is the Mona Lisa or Guernica; not all symphonies are Beethoven’s Ninth or Brahms First; not all novels are The Grapes of Wrath or BY ANY OTHER NAME (by Edwin Cohen; available at amazon.com, Barnes & Nobel, and Ingram Books)

Hey you get commercials on television, radio, in the movies, why not here? Help a guy make a buck—you’ll enjoy the book—I hope!

The Baby in the Mirror

November 4, 2015 by Edwin Cohen, Ph. D. Leave a Comment

Beyond the usual blessings, our family had a great deal to celebrate on that Thanksgiving Day. Both of our children and their families, as well as my wife and I, had moved into new and nicer homes, with my wife and I settling into a new condominium in a Retirement Community a few miles east of San Francisco. In addition to generally good health, fulfilling jobs, and happy times, our daughter had given birth in July to a delightful, healthy baby girl, Alexandra or Ally. Just one month before the holiday, in October, our daughter-in-law and son also welcomed a new child into the family, a wonderful boy named Martin or Marty. Thanksgiving Day brought happiness and sincere thanks from all of us as we gathered with a few friends at our daughter’s and son-in-law’s home.

In addition to the family and old friends our son-in-law invited a co-worker from India who had been in the United States about two months and was enjoying his first celebration of an American holiday. The joyous occasion went well. We all had eaten at least enough, and probably too much, at the sumptuous dinner to which everyone had contributed.

After dinner four month old Ally, who suffered from a mild case of colic, cried incessantly from the pain in her young tummy. I, as grandfather, took it upon myself to comfort her by carrying her around the house, softly singing to her, rocking her in my arms, and doing anything I could think of to ease her discomfort. Taking her into the bathroom, I held her while she stood on the counter and admired the image of a baby that she saw in the large mirror. Too young to realize that the image was her own, she reached out to touch the “other” baby and, smiling, quieted down and stopped crying. We stood in front of the mirror for some time, then, again I cradled her in my arms and carried her into the living room.

When we left the bathroom and entered the living room, my son David asked, “Whatcha been doing, Dad?” Innocently I answered, “Ally and I have been looking at the baby in the mirror.” He answered back with just a touch of disrespect and sarcasm, “Dad, there is no baby in the mirror.”

With that simple statement and with no other signal of any sort between us, we immediately conjured the ghosts of Abbott and Costello and went into a routine that stopped the others from their chores so they could watch the “entertainment.”

Acting the part of the domineering father, I called on my not inconsiderable acting talent and stated rather haughtily, “David, I just saw the baby in the mirror,” to which he replied, more superciliously than before, “Dad, I am telling you, there is no baby in the mirror.”

With mock anger and frustration, our voices got louder and were and more strident as we continued our performance; “David, don’t contradict me. I saw the baby in the mirror with my own eyes.”

By now those who knew us well had stopped cleaning the table, doing dishes, or fixing “care” packages with left over turkey and fixin’s. Some shook their heads and mumbled, saying things like, “Here they go,” or “They’re at it again,”–all that is except the poor young man from India. With his eyes almost popping from his head, one could almost hear him thinking, “What kind of American holiday is this where a seventy year old father and forty year old son might come to blows about whether there is a baby in a mirror?” He was convinced that he was about to be a witness to fight, or even murder. As our exchange got more “heated,” he surreptitiously and slowly inched from the wall opposite the door toward what he must have assumed was only path of escape from the mayhem about to happen.

David and I continued our charade. After I insisted that there was a baby in the mirror, I announced that I would go back into the bathroom to check one more time. Carrying Ally with me, I emerged from the bathroom proudly proclaiming, “All right!! I saw the baby in the mirror—again.”

Unperturbed, David simply restated his position, “There is no baby in the mirror.” Almost shouting, I insisted that he go and look for himself, which he did, emerging from the bathroom, shrugging, and reiterating, “I’m sorry, Dad, but there is no baby in the mirror.”

My pretended anger rising, I almost screamed, “Damn it, David, I saw the baby in the mirror.” He merely shook his head in response, implying that the old man was losing it, or had lost it. By this time all the onlookers in the know were having fun and laughing with our routine. Everyone, that is, except the chap from India. More convinced than ever that blood was about to be shed, he stood awestruck and frozen by the front door.

David by this time had sat again in the chair facing the room with the controversial mirror. Sensing that it was about time to end the charade, I said to him, “Look, we have got to settle this once and for all. I am going to look in the mirror one more time.” With that I added, “You hold Ally while I look.” I handed him his niece—my granddaughter. I returned to the bathroom mirror, alone this time. When I came out I appeared totally shaken and contrite saying, “I can’t believe it. There is no baby in the mirror, but I am certain that I saw . . .” Here I let my voice trail out and apologized to my son. David, showing no mercy to his disbelieving father, simply said, “I told you so.” We then began to discuss football as if nothing had ever happened with babies and mirrors. Nothing had, of course.

With that family and friends smiled, chuckled, or laughed out loud, giving the two actors a smattering of applause, and all returned to their chores. Everyone except, of course, the visitor from India. He continued to stand by the door, unsure of what had just transpired. Although there was nothing to indicate it, we could not help but wonder if his return to India a few months later had been motivated, at least in part, by the strange doings at the Thanksgiving holiday at his colleague’s home: All that idiotic fuss and bother about “a baby in a mirror.”

Music of Faith

November 4, 2015 by Lawrence E. Anderson Leave a Comment

For a few thousand years, music of faith has been sung and listened to and is still today, a significant part of worship. Sacred music has a profound effect on people all over the world. It has the power to enlighten, elevate one’s belief and to inspire one’s feeling of reverence. Today, even after many generations of the faithful have passed, music of faith is still a vital part of most church services.

Ironically, Michael Graziano, professor of Neuroscience at Princeton University, who apparently is a self-proclaimed atheist, said, “Something that goes beyond cultural impact unites music and religion. When listening to certain pieces of (sacred) music I feel a reverence creeping over me; an awe that has a spiritual quality.”

Due to the enormity of this topic, my comments here are limited to Christian music traditions.

Medieval Period
Musicologists can trace the beginnings of our Christian music to early Greek songs and Jewish chants and liturgy. Church music originally came from an oral tradition that was passed down from person to person.
Early church music was not notated or written down until the 10th or 11th Century. This was a very early form of notation – not like the notation we have today. The early chants were monophonic in nature, meaning one voice or one music line.

Pope Gregory I was credited with the founding and promulgation of the chant used in the Roman Catholic Church. He also established music schools in the church, hence the term, Gregorian chant has been used for centuries to describe the early chants. However, some historians have disputed the claim that Pope Gregory invented Gregorian chant.

As early as the 9th century, polyphony (that is, two or more combined melodic lines) first began. This laid the foundation for the future development of the traditions of western music. During this time, instrumental music was not as important as vocal music.

This early music, or chants, accompanied the Holy Mass and other rituals. The mass celebrated parts of the Eucharistic liturgy. The sections of the mass are Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Benedictus and the Agnus Dei. The Requiem Mass or Mass for the Dead, was a modified version of the mass.

In this Medieval period, the Motet, a polyphonic choral composition, came into being and had a sacred text, usually in Latin and unaccompanied.

It was prevalent in the 13th through the 15th Centuries. It later had both sacred and secular texts and was the sacred counterpart to the popular secular madrigal.

The Reformation
After Martin Luther (1483-1546) led the Protestant Reformation in the early 16th Century, new forms of music led to the development of new church music. This was primarily in Germany, in the Lutheran Church and England, in the Anglican Church. Luther’s influence championed an event of great importance – the Protestant Chorale. This was an important development comparable to the Gregorian chant.

The chorale had a lasting influence on the Cantata that was the main type of German church music in the Baroque Period. This grew into the Oratorio and Passion by the great composers, Bach and Handel.
After 1750 great church music was not as present as before but the Oratorio continued uninterrupted. It became more prominent in the concert hall rather than the church. The Messiah by G. F. Handel is probably the most famous example of the Oratorio. Other large compositions of importance are the Requiem masses of Mozart, Brahms, Berlioz and Verdi, to name a few.

Hymns
Historically, Saint Paul mentioned hymns in his letters as early as A.D. 64. There was a plethora of hymn writing and singing favored by Martin Luther during the Reformation.

In England, Charles Wesley’s hymns, spread Methodist theology and were sung in many protestant churches, not just in Methodist churches. In 1779, Amazing Grace was written by Englishman John Newton. In 1972 the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards recording of Amazing Grace, featuring bagpipes, became a hit in both England and the United States.

Carl Boberg, wrote the words of How Great Thou Art, to the music of a Swedish folk melody. Later, Stuart Hine expanded the words and made his own arrangement. It has become one of the most popular hymns in the entire hymn repertory.

Holy, Holy, Holy, was written in 1826 by Reginald Heber. In 1529 Martian Luther wrote, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God and Isaac Watts wrote O God Our Help In Ages Past in 1719. These are just a few of the many great popular hymns of the Christian church, past and present.

Carols
Carols are a genre of music generally associated with the Christmas season. They are festive songs of joy and praise. Carols are usually religious in nature and used both in church and for secular occasions. Some carols date to the 13th Century and others trace their heritage to the early Middle-Ages. One can hear carols continuously throughout the Christmas season.

Spirituals
African American spirituals and gospel songs emerged from slavery times with elements from their native lands. ”When we sing gospel music, we are basically singing our prayers to God,” said Nancy Groeneveld, minister of worship & arts at Community Presbyterian Church in Danville, California. Spirituals and gospel songs are prevalent in religious settings as well as non-religious occasions.

Contemporary Music
Modern worship music is the predominating music in many Christian churches today. It is characterized by a range of styles influenced by popular forms of music. Historians have found that some churches began using contemporary songs in the 1960’s and they became very popular in the 1970’s.

The “Praise Band” has all but replaced the organ in contemporary church services. “The message in the music is positive…that God is there, not only in the good times but in the midst of our pain and struggles.” said Groeneveld.

The modern Praise Band consists of keyboard, lead guitar, secondary guitar, bass and drums. Sometimes strings, woodwinds and brass instruments are added. Also the hymnals have basically disappeared and often words to songs are projected on large screens. This practice has virtually eliminated part singing from church music.

The word of God, through music, has been spread by various musical styles throughout the ages. The richness of the past heritage and the legacy of Christian people have been immortalized by the inspiration and creativity of contemporary composers. The music of faith is here to stay.

Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net
Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.

How Sweet It Is

November 4, 2015 by Peggy Fallon Leave a Comment

The holidays are officially upon us. Instead of panicking over what lies ahead, I prefer to embrace Thanksgiving and everything it stands for. This is a time to celebrate family and friends, and give thanks for the many blessings that come our way.

It is also the perfect opportunity to thank the people who grow the food we eat throughout year, by purchasing the majority of the holiday meal’s ingredients directly from the farmers’ market. Veggies, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, lettuce and other greens, artisan bread for stuffing, California olive oil—it’s all there.

If you are fortunate enough to be a guest instead of a host on November 26, the farmers’ market is still a valuable resource. Eschew crowded supermarket aisles and shop in the open air for fresh flowers, wreaths, and a multitude of other tasteful gifts to bring your host. Who wouldn’t enjoy a basket of decorative gourds or edible winter squash? It’s certainly a more creative offering than that tired ol’ bottle of wine.

When planning the Thanksgiving menu it’s easy to get carried away, trying every new recipe that graces the cover of a magazine. Over the years I’ve learned that it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel every year. Thanksgiving is not the Culinary Olympics, and nobody is comfortable when the host is harried. Breathe deeply, and enjoy the company. Simple is best…especially when that simple food tastes terrific.

Sweet potatoes are a staple of the American holiday table, though our annual consumption is very small compared to the rest of the world. They are never going to win any beauty contests, but it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them.

I grew up in an era when sweet potatoes came out of a can. (This is one childhood memory best left forgotten.) Fortunately times have changed. Although we easily find fresh ones almost year ‘round, their peak season is now through the end of the year.

Unlike most veggies that taste their best when freshly picked or dug-from-the-earth, sweet potatoes require some curing time to toughen their skins and convert their natural starch to the sugary sweetness consumers expect. This task is taken care of by the growers, before they ever reach the market.

This month’s recipe is easy and inexpensive, and ends up tasting terrific. If you want to gild the lily, I’ve also included a few variations below. And even if you have been assigned the potluck task of bringing sweet potatoes to someone else’s home for dinner, have no fear. The entire dish can be prepared and baked one day in advance, so you won’t have to impose upon your host for an hour + of oven space… which, on Thanksgiving, is the most valuable real estate in town.

Spirited Sweet Potatoes
3 pounds large red-skinned sweet potatoes (yam variety), peeled and halved crosswise
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus extra for greasing the baking dish
1/4 cup water
Fine sea salt
4 to 5 tablespoons bourbon, to taste

1. Place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Cut each potato half lengthwise into quarters.

2. Place a steamer-rack insidea Dutch oven or other large saucepan and add enough water to reach the bottom of the rack without touching. Place the quartered potato halves on top of the rack, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool, uncovered.

3. Generously grease a shallow 3-quart baking dish. When the potatoes are cool, arrange them in an even layer in the baking dish and seasonwith salt.

4. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and the syrup begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon, to taste. Drizzle the syrup evenly over the potatoes and bake, basting occasionally, until the syrup has thickened and glazed the potatoes, about 1 1/4 hours. Serves 8.

Note: If prepared in advance, let the baked casserole cool to room temperature; then cover and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, reheat, loosely covered, in the oven or microwave.

Tips for Sweet Success
–Sweet potatoes are part of the morning glory family; which explains their beautiful vines.

–The edible roots with light tan skins are commonly called sweet potatoes. When cooked, their flesh is somewhat dry and fluffy, similar to a russet potato. Those with reddish skins and moist orange flesh belong to the yam variety of sweet potatoes, but are usually sold simply as “yams.” Look for colorful names like Beauregard, Jewel, and Garnet. Here’s how the confusion began: In the 1930s, Southern growers began to erroneously market red-skinned sweet potatoes as “yams” in order to distinguish them from the paler, drier, less sweet variety. (True yams are from a different botanical group altogether and are seldom seen outside of Latin markets the U.S.)

–Buy sweet potatoes of similar size so they cook evenly. Look for firm potatoes that feel heavy for their size.

–Sweet potatoes should also have smooth skins with no soft spots. (Surface bruises that have sealed over with a white-ish patch are not a problem, but do avoid potatoes with any with black patches.) Sweet potatoes at the farmers’ market have come directly from the grower’s climate-controlled curing facility, so they are handled minimally and are usually in much better condition than those shipped to supermarkets.

–Sweet Potato Arithmetic: 1 pound generally equals about 5 small; 3 medium; or 1 1/2 to 2 large sweet potatoes.

–Sweet Potatoes are a good source of fiber as well as Vitamins A, B6, C; and beta carotene, iron, potassium, and magnesium.

–Store uncooked, unwashed sweet potatoes in a dry place that is both cool and dark. Do not refrigerate.
For this particular recipe:

–Look for sweet potatoes on the large-ish side; ones that will hold their shape during cooking without turning into baby food. (The added bonus of using the big guys is you won’t have to peel as many!)
–To spice things up, add a generous pinch of ground cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, or coriander to the syrup.

–Feeling “meh” about bourbon? Dark rum and brandy work equally well. Or explore your inner Janis Joplin and add a healthy glug of Southern Comfort.

–If you are not feeling very spirited, omit the booze altogether and flavor the syrup with the juice of 1 orange and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

–For those inclined to go a little nutty, add a sprinkling of coarsely chopped California walnuts over the top before baking.

–Save the marshmallows for hot chocolate in the morning. They don’t belong on top of sweet potatoes. Ever.

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at s1-800-949-FARM, or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com. This market is made possible through the generous support of the Town of Danville. Please show your appreciation by patronizing the many fine shops and restaurants located in downtown Danville. Buy fresh. Buy local. Live well!

Ten Years Later…

November 4, 2015 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

So, here we are, with you once again, just ten short years after the first issue of ALIVE became a reality in November, 2005. Since then you’ve probably changed some; so have we. If you’ve been with us since the beginning, let’s see if you can recall some of the changes to ALIVE over the years…

Do you remember when ALIVE was simply folded in the middle and bound by two metal staples (called “saddle stitch” in the printing world)? We dropped the staples and moved to our current “perfect bound” style as of our Summer Issue, in June 2006.

How about the width of ALIVE? Do you remember when it was like Time or Newsweek, and only eight and a half inches wide? In July 2007 we added another half inch, becoming the current 9 x 11 we are today.

Can you recall when our cover had the words “East Bay” in small print on either side of the “I” in ALIVE? That stayed with us until the March 2008 issue.

While there have been a number of changes to ALIVE, what hasn’t changed is our mission, and how we intend to continue serving you, our readers. Have we stayed true to what I said in my first “Publisher’s Message?” Here is the main part of my message from that first issue. You be the judge…

What you hold in your hands is the collaborative effort of a number of people whose desire it is to provide you with a magazine that is informative, and hopefully, fun to read. We hope you’ll find the information in this first issue useful, and the stories entertaining.

I’ve been asked many times why we chose the name ALIVE. After many days of considering several dozen ideas, we settled on ALIVE because we thought it best captured the vision of what we hope to express in the months to come. It’s our hope that in reading ALIVE you’ll feel, perhaps, just a little more that way… alive!

We wanted to create a lifestyle magazine that would be in touch with reality; stylish yet still grounded in our community. Our focus is on home, health, family, culture, and community. We know that’s a pretty wide net to cast, but for anyone to be truly ALIVE, we know you’d agree that all of these need to be considered.

Things that are alive, by their nature, change and grow. That is what we hope to do with this magazine. On that point, we are very much a work in progress, and always will be, so please excuse our inevitable foibles. That does not mean we are not trying for perfection, it just means that we know we shall never achieve it.

Part of our effort in trying to make this magazine a pleasure for you to read is our commitment never to take ourselves too seriously; we never want to become just another fluff magazine with an attitude. (And we certainly don’t want to make you yawn, either!)

We hope to inspire, and to be inspired by our readers, so we encourage your comments and suggestions. Please, don’t be shy in contacting us.

We also hope that you’ll enjoy this first issue of ALIVE… and by reading it, you’ll feel more so.

A lot has changed in the world these past ten years—some good, and some not so good—but what comes to mind most to us is how much we appreciate you, our loyal readers, for making ALIVE a part of your world, each and every month.

The “Secret” Key to a Healthy, Long Life

November 4, 2015 by Leslie R DeLaney MD Leave a Comment

The best advice is usually information that has been touted for centuries. It seems as if every month new medical recommendations are broadcasted regarding what supplements to take, which antioxidant foods to eat, and which vaccinations to have or not have.

Throughout history, health issues have been of foremost concern and thoughts on best practices have been shared by physicians and other intelligentsia. Benjamin Franklin is a good example of an impactful non-physician health advocate. Everyone knows his quotes: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” and “An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure” and “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Mr. Franklin was a great supporter of the individual taking an active role in maintaining their own health.

The key to having a healthy, long life is relatively straight forward—take care of yourself. Eat healthy foods, get good sleep and exercise. The most important of all three is exercise. In fact, if one focuses only on exercise, the other two will be incorporated into one’s lifestyle automatically. Studies have shown that regular exercise improves sleep habits and motivates people to make smarter diet choices.

The average life expectancy of Americans is increasing; however, a lower quality of life is prevalent due to chronic illnesses. It’s not hard to find 85 year olds in the community. Some octogenarians are living very active lives, while others are quite sedentary with debilitating, chronic pain.

The common denominator amongst the healthy people is almost universally that their activity level has remained significantly elevated throughout their lives, compared to their age-range peers. Many chronic pain problems can be prevented or minimized by making lifestyle changes earlier in life.

We should all plan for good physical health in the same way that we plan for our financial health. We put money aside for financial security in the form of retirement plans, investments, savings accounts, etc. The same planning and discipline should be applied to our physical health by maintaining a regular exercise program. The best example is people who are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s and above remaining active—swimming, running, biking and walking. Most of them aren’t athletes who have been exercising for years; it is something that they now choose to do in order to improve their chances of a healthy and active older age. They are making it a priority to fund their “health bank.”

It’s never too late to start investing in your physical health and strengthening your body. The really good news is that even small bursts of exercise can improve your health. Studies have shown that people who live in two story homes have better cardiovascular health and live longer than those who don’t. The energy it takes to climb a flight of stairs exercises the heart enough to keep it fit, if done on a regular basis.

A good fitness plan doesn’t have to be a burden and should be something that you actually look forward to. Start with small goals and build on them. If you don’t currently have an exercise routine, start with 15-20 minutes a day, twice a week, doing something you enjoy. It can be as simple as taking a walk, but be sure to quicken the pace or include hills. Maximum benefit occurs when you increase your heart rate or your breathing rate. Work towards a long term goal of exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week. If you can find a friend to exercise with or share your milestones with, you’ll be even more motivated to succeed.

Dr. DeLaney is the founder and medical director of Balanced Pain Management, located at 114 La Casa Via, Suite 210, in Walnut Creek, California 94598. She is board certified in both Chronic Pain Management and Anesthesiology and has published multiple papers on chronic pain management. She continues to give lectures at local and national medical meetings on Pain Management. She is a member of the California Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Pain Association, the American Academy of Pain Management, the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain. For more information, visit her website at delaneymd.com or call 925-988-9333.

Do You Have a Master Wealth Plan?

November 4, 2015 by Kelly Trevethan Leave a Comment

Kathy and John realized their long planned retirement days would have to be postponed. Two events caught them by surprise: Their substantial portfolio had lost nearly one third of its value and Kathy’s mother, who watched her wealth disappear in the financial meltdown, suffered a debilitating stroke, which required 24-hour care. Like many people, Kathy and John never had a master wealth plan.
Just as successful institutions make every financial decision based on a specific master plan that outlines their focus on what they can control and what may impact their financial security, every person should have a master wealth plan as well.

Your master plan is the product of an honest conversation about where you are today and where you are going. It’s a living document that lays out assumptions about your future and helps you focus on the factors that you can control today. Equally important, your plan assumptions are continuously reassessed over time.

Your master plan demonstrates the impact and consequences of every decision and helps you make the appropriate trade-offs based on what you value most. It helps you prepare for and adjust to foreseen and unforeseen events in your life and in the financial markets.

A master wealth plan has four steps:

1. Identify your financial life goals.
Oftentimes, couples don’t know each other’s goals or they don’t have the same goals. Through candid discussions, couples begin to align their goals as they understand each other’s objectives. A private wealth counselor works to help the couple identify and clarify their goals and aspirations, which is the foundation of the master plan.

2. Understand the five financial control factors.
There are five aspects of your financial life, which you can control and which become the basis for your master plan assumptions. These assumptions may change as you pursue your lifestyle and long-term goals. The control factors are:

• Spending – lifestyle level you wish to maintain
• Savings – money dedicated for investment
• Timing – when you want the event to occur
• Risk – the level of volatility in your investment portfolio
• Legacy – assets you want to transfer to heirs or maintain as a safety net

3. Measure the probability of success.
To measure the likelihood of your plan’s success, a private wealth counselor will use advanced scenario analysis software that considers thousands of simulations of “financial lifetimes” with inputs of actual and hypothetical historical market performance. These scenarios include optimistic and pessimistic circumstances that have never occurred in the markets’ history, which demonstrates your plan’s ability to withstand the unexpected.

4. Make adjustments along the way.
Your plan is a living document that should be consistently updated to ensure its effectiveness over time. Unexpected changes can influence financial situations and decisions. These include changes in the tax code, a sudden rise in inflation, an inheritance or unforeseen illness, all of which require a review of your master wealth plan and adjustment of your control factors.

Don’t let the volatile financial market or life’s events catch you by surprise. By having a master wealth plan, you ensure that your goals, which you’ve worked hard to achieve, will occur as planned.

Kelly Trevethan CIMA is a Managing Director at United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC, a private wealth counseling firm with more than 80 offices around the country. He can be reached at (415) 418-2101 or at kelly.trevethan@unitedcp.com.

Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal, and investors should carefully consider their own investment objectives and never rely on any single chart, graph or marketing piece to make decisions. The information contained in this piece is intended for information only, is not a recommendation to buy or sell any securities, and should not be considered investment advice.

Taking Chance

November 4, 2015 by Carolyn Hastings Leave a Comment

I consider myself a Patriot (yes, capital P). I don’t usually cry at movies. I didn’t even cry during Beaches or Terms of Endearment. Now I know that probably comes off a little hard core, but before you judge me, I want you to know that I always cry during the Star Spangled Banner or when the American Flag in front of a marching band goes by.

Taking Chance is a truly amazing movie. It doesn’t scream at you, it quietly gets under your skin. The films power comes from a simple word – Reverence. Yeah, I guess that one would have to be capitalized as well. Taking Chance tells a true story, adapting Marine Colonel Mike Strobl’s personal journal of his assignment escorting the remains of Lance Corporal Chance Phelps, killed in Iraq in 2004, to Phelps’ family in Dubois, Wyoming. Mike, who served in Desert Storm is now sitting behind a desk stateside and feels guilty for not requesting combat duty in Iraq. Living comfortably at home with his wife and children had been the choice. He often wakes in middle of the night and checks the KIA list. One night while Mike is perusing the list he sees a name listed from his home town. He volunteers to be Phelps’ escort home. It changes his life.

Director and Screenwriter, Ross Katz has done a brilliant job telling the story of one man’s coming home in death and another’s coming to life. It’s a delicate balancing act, keeping focus on both the mourning of Phelps and Mike’s personal journey, neither overshadowing the other.

Kevin Bacon, who plays Col. Strobl, is incredible. He does so much with just his facial expressions. Lean and chiseled, Bacon is the consummate Marine. Slow, deliberate and did I mention Reverent with his actions, Mike’s devotion lends the story great intensity, and his struggles lend it great honesty. This is probably Bacon’s best.

The film also shows how we honor our fallen heroes, a chore revealed in great detail. It is all very informative. From the time Lance Corporal Chance Phelps leaves the battlefield, packed in ice, to his arrival at Dover in the States, it’s an amazing journey. His body is cared for. His belongings are cared for. A new uniform was created especially for him even though it was a closed casket. No detail was left undone. We also see the custom of how the escort salutes the casket every time it is moved from one mode of transportation to another, all working to guarantee that what may look like a giant cardboard box being shipped cross country is truly a “pearl of great price.”

Don’t misunderstand; Taking Chance is no mere documentary about how military remains are transported. It is a story about grieving. It is a story about honor. It is a story of Americans at our finest. No political agenda—no “support our troops” platitudes—just Reverence with a Capital “R” from Dover to Dubois.

Once again, I invite and enjoy your comments at chastings@rockcliff.com or look for my movie archives on CarolynHastings.com