Waltzing with Bears

If you're like me you occasionally like to listen to the same song several times in a row? The same with reading books, though not always in a row. But I do read favorite books multiple times. Perhaps we’re comforted by the familiar.

Even as early as second grade I had a favorite book that I kept taking out from the school library. I’d taken it out so many times over and over again that the librarian was concerned enough to comment about it. Interestingly enough, it was a story about bears.

That memory came to mind after I had watched and listened to a song on YouTube maybe four, five or six times in a row. The song was “Waltzing With Bears.” What is it about this song that gives me such a kick? Maybe because it’s so frivolous. Or maybe it's because the song makes me remember my own Uncle Walter with warm memories associated. Is this what he was up to on those West Virginia hillsides?

Here are the lyrics. Be sure to go listen to the video afterwards

Waltzing With Bears

I went upstairs in the middle of the night,
I tiptoed in and I turned on the light,
And to my surprise, there was no one in sight,
My Uncle Walter goes waltzing at night!

Chorus
He goes wa-wa-wa-wa, wa-waltzing with bears,
Raggy bears, shaggy bears, baggy bears too.
There's nothing on earth Uncle Walter won't do,
So he can go waltzing, wa-wa-wa-waltzing,
So he can go waltzing, waltzing with bears!

I gave Uncle Walter a new coat to wear,
When he came home he was covered with hair,
And lately I've noticed several new tears,
I'm sure Uncle Walter goes waltzing with bears!
[Repeat Chorus]

We told Uncle Walter that he should be good,
And do all the things that we said he should,
But I know that he'd rather be out in the wood,
I'm afraid we might lose Uncle Walter for good!
[Repeat Chorus]

We begged and we pleaded, “Oh please won't you stay!"
We managed to keep him at home for a day,
But the bears all barged in, and they took him away!
Now he's waltzing with pandas, and he can't understand us,
And the bears all demand at least one dance a day!
[Repeat Chorus]

The USPS 13-Ounce Rule

Over lunch this past week I learned more details about the USPS 13-Ounce Rule. I myself have seldom run afoul of the rule because I generally don't weigh packages at home before shipping. The essence of the rule is this: if a package weighs over 13 ounces, you have to deliver it to the post office in person. You can't drop it in a mail slot or a blue post office box. You have to stand in line, no matter how long the line is, and wait. This way you can be asked if there are any explosives in the package.

This rule went into effect in 2007 as a Homeland Security measure. It makes terrorists tremble in fear because terrorists are not very good at lying (haha) and will no doubt break down in the face of such stringent interrogation by a mailing clerk. "Does your package contain explosives?" "Uhm, gee, I hope not."

The real effect of the rule is to make lines even longer at the post office, and to make business in America still more inefficient.

There are companies that used to be able to mail in normal ways that did not waste part of a day, but now they must send someone to the post office to stand in line. At least this is a job that won't be shipped overseas.

Here's another interesting feature of the rule. Suppose the terrorist wanted to send a bomb to Judge William Jenkins (name is fictitious). Instead of mailing the bomb at the post office, he sticks the one pound package in a mail slot. The package is then delivered to the judge because it was not properly shipped and must be returned to sender. This kind of thing actually happens.

This year it appears that our local U.S. Postal Service is planning to close some of the local branches of the post office. If I understand the plan, they will actually be closing the sorting and delivery features of the Duluth offices so that mail will be received, then sent to Minneapolis to be sorted then returned to Duluth. The lines will be lengthened for those who need to follow the irrational Homeland Security 13-Ounce Rule, and the mailing delays will be... inconvenient.

As a kid I enjoyed reading about the Pony Express, whose mission was to see how fast they could deliver the mail to remote regions. Today's artificial inefficiencies are sadly comical because they don't address the real problems. Like so many things in modern life, things get more complicated and keep getting worse, but we're told it's getting better all the time.

This past week I've been reading One Click, an inside look at Jeff Bezos and the rise of Amazon.com by Richard Brandt. The focal point of Bezos' vision and total dedication was to maximum efficiency and ease-of-use by the consumer. This customer orientation resulted in billions of dollars of profits for the company and its stakeholders. In contrast, during this same period the U.S. Post Office has lost billions. How is it that our post office has become so backward in this regard?

What happens next is anyone's guess.

Flowers Are Red

The other night I was talking with a group of people when the topic of conformity came up. I shared how I'd written about this theme more than once, and mentioned one of my blog entries from a couple years back about coloring outside the lines.

In response another fellow, we'll call him Tony, told us about the Harry Chapin song "Flowers Are Red." Tony said that when you get to the end its one of the saddest songs ever.

Naturally, I had to scribble a note to myself to look up the lyrics when I got home, which I did. And indeed, it's a very sad song. A statement about conformity, about our education system and about life...

Singer/songwriter Harry Chapin's life was cut short at an early age but his songs live on. You most likely know him best for his song "Cat's in the Cradle." Here's another of the songs he left us.

Flowers Are Red

The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put colors all over the paper
For colors was what he saw
And the teacher said.. What you doin' young man
I'm paintin' flowers he said
She said... It's not the time for art young man
And anyway flowers are green and red
There's a time for everything young man
And a way it should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else
For you're not the only one

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

Well the teacher said.. You're sassy
There's ways that things should be
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me.....

And she said...
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

But the little boy said...
There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flower and I see every one

The teacher put him in a corner
She said.. It's for your own good..
And you won't come out 'til you get it right
And all responding like you should
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to the teacher
And this is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

Time went by like it always does
And they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smilin'
She said...Painting should be fun
And there are so many colors in a flower
So let's use every one

But that little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why
This is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.

Books by Ed Newman, Family and Friends

DEBUT NOVEL
The Red Scorpion
Ed Newman's haunted house story with a supernatural twist. Lord of the Flies meets Stephen King. One Amazon reviewer called it "a good mystery/suspense/science fiction thriller... carefully crafted and realistically portrayed." A Nook reader wrote, "This book kept me reading straight through till the end. It kept me guessing and wondering what would happen next." Available on both Kindle by clicking on the book cover to the right, or on Nook here. Out of print but available as an eBook at Amazon.

SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS
Unremembered Histories
The paranormal becomes the common denominator in these six unique stories by Ed Newman. An Amazon.com reviewer wrote, "If you value the short-story form, written in a way that entertains, informs, and prompts you to think, then there's a lot to appreciate in this little gem."
Purchase a Kindle version of the book by clicking on the book cover on the right side of this page. It is also available for the Nook here.
Buy Now: eBook only $1.99

Newmanesque
Newmanesque is a second collection of literary short fiction by author Ed Newman. This set of stories includes The M Zone, A Poem About Truth, The Unfinished Stories of Richard Allen Garston, The Nose, and Terrorists Preying, which has been translated into French by Aude Fondard. One reader of these stories wrote, “My very first impression is that there's a certain style in some ways similar to Franz Kafka which is good and intense… very mysterious for one doesn't know where the whole thing is going to go, but is sure that there's a message to be captured from the many moments stated in the short sentences that are all poignant to the story."
Purchase a Kindle version of the book by clicking on the book cover on the right side of this page. It is also available for the Nook here.
Buy Now: eBook only $1.99

The Breaking Point and Other Stories
This third collection of short stories by Ed Newman features the 1991 Arrowhead Regional Writing Competition winning story The Breaking Point and four other stories. Literary entertainment straight up. One reader wrote that the stories "contain insight into relationships" with "subject matter regarding love relationship's emotions, expectations, illusions, and delusions in the most mundane characters."
Purchase a Kindle version of the book by clicking on the book cover on the right side of this page. It is also available for the Nook here.
Buy Now: eBook only $1.99

COMING in 2012
Teach Your Children Well (working title)
An Approach for Teaching Writing to Home Schoolers and Anyone Looking for a Way to Improve the Writing Skills of Young People
Good writing skills are essential to success. The philosophy for teaching writing that I have outlined in my short book Teach Your Children Well is guaranteed to make a difference in your child’s life. This is a book for anyone interested in helping kids improve their writing skills. Essentially the book offers an approach that helps unstop critical barriers that inhibit young students. Boost your child’s writing skills with a new approach, and exercises designed to make writing fun.

And There Shall Be Wars
A World War II Memoir by Wilmer A. Wagner
536 pages. Illustrated with 178 original photos and documents.

Wilmer A. "Bud" Wagner was the second man in Northern Minnesota to be drafted into the war. He carried a small pocket camera and kept a diary from beginning to end, from Camp Claiborne to Ireland to North Africa and the Italy Campaigns. His keen day by day observations have been amplified with a lifetime of research and reflection to provide readers with important insights through the eyes of a young soldier from rural Minnesota.

Mr. Wagner - cook, machine gunner and company agent - had the privilege of being on the first convoy to make its way across the Atlantic for the European theater. And the good fortune of having survived the duration of the war without becoming a casualty - in North Africa and Italy, which included beachheads at Anzio and Salerno.

The book was a joint project involving the research skills and memoirs of WW II veteran Bud Wagner and his son Lloyd Wagner (Masters in Literature). A large collection of original photographs and documents accompanies the text.

General John W. Vessey, former head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote, "Dear Bud, ... Thanks... for putting those wartime notes into a permanent record. It is an important addition to all the 'stuff' historians record. I couldn't put the book down once I got into it. It brought back a lot of memories reading about times, places, and people from 55+ years ago."

$20.00 plus Shipping & Handling

Enger Tower Calendar Release Party at Hanabi

Tuesday evening I was able to attend the Enger Tower Calendar release party at the Hanabi Restaurant in downtown Duluth. The visit of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway last month created quite the stir and resulted in a much needed renovation of Enger Tower and the park that is its home overlooking the perhaps the most beautiful vista in the upper midwest. Quick note: the Midwest is relatively flat so there are not an abundance of vistas to compete with on that score. Truth be told, however, this view can hold its own with nearly any in the world when the full moon rises over the waters of Lake Superior or the skies open up for an evening sunset.

As part of the renovation the Duluth Rotary raised and contributed over $100,000 for the king's visit. Crystal Taylor served as official fund-raiser for the City of Duluth to help deliver additional quantities of cash for this purpose, which included re-paving a portion of Skyline Drive and additions to the park itself.

One of the fund-raising projects involved the production of a 2012 Enger Tower Calendar, featuring the tower and park with all photography donated by John Heino and printing by Dean Casperson's Service Printers.

There will actually be several 2012 Celebration of Enger Tower calendar release events. Tuesday's party featured Hanabi's famously delicious sushi. Heino, on hand to sign the calendars, undoubtedly had a say in selecting the location, as I happen to know he loves Hanabi for both atmosphere and the quality of its cuisine.

December 1 from 4:30 till 6:30 there will be a second calendar launch/signing event at Blackwater, downtown on Superior Street. And a third event is being planned for an as yet unnamed date.

There are actually three reasons to purchase a calendar. First, because everyone needs a calendar and this one is very nice. Second, because you will feel good inside knowing you've helped contribute to a good cause. City parks are never free. They all require tax dollars for upkeep. The aesthetic beauty of Enger Park will be enjoyed by countless numbers of people in the coming yers because of your contribution. And third, buying a calendar makes you eligible to win this original painting of the tower by local artist Ed Newman. Heino conceived the picture at the top of this page with artist painting his vision of the tower. Bert Enger, whose generous giving helped build the tower in the 1930's, looks on approvingly from the clouds.

Northland News Center was on hand and did a story on the event.

To order your calendar online, please go to http://www.engertowerduluth.com. The link to donate for the tower is on left side of the page. Or locally, visit any of these great businesses: Fitger's Book Store, Happy Space, Douglas County Historical Society, Utopia Salon & Spa, Duluth Playhouse, Thirsty Pagan, Jitters: a Lake Superior Coffee & Tea House, Lake Superior Magazine gift store, Takk for Maten, Evolve Duluth, and Larsmont Cottages.

Photo Captions
Top right: Cover of the calendar showing the King and Queen of Norway at the October 17 dedication ceremony.
Middle photo: John and Wendy Heino, Tony Rubin and Crystal Taylor.
Lower right: Ed Newman adds finishing touch to painting of the tower to be given away to a lucky winner of in the drawing.
Click images to enlarge.

They're Back. It's a Homecoming

In movies and in books I don't always need a happy ending to enjoy the story or get something out of it. But in real life, happy endings are absolutely wonderful. And when it involves your children, you always want a happy ending.

From time to time I've written here about the hikers Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd who were arrested for trespassing in Iran, accused of espionage and imprisoned in the summer of 2009. In September 2010, after 410 days of solitary confinement, Sarah was released. But the anguished waiting for Josh and Shane's liberation went on for still another year.

To everyone's great relief, the drama had a good ending. Josh and Shane were home again.

Last Saturday evening in Pine City there was a quiet gathering of friends and supporters who had stood by Shane's family here in Minnesota these past two-plus years. My long-time friend Kelly McFaul-Solem is a photographer who shared these pictures from last Saturday's quiet celebration in Pine City. The family invited friends who had been standing alongside them through the ordeal. I asked Kelly if instead of my usual Wordless Wednesday photos that maybe I could share hers here. It seems like a good introduction to Thanksgiving.

As we give thanks for this gift of resolution, let's also remember all the other situations where loved ones are still waiting for a homecoming.


And thank you, Kelly, for these great pictures.

Ten Minutes with Singer Songwriter Caitlin Robertson

I met Caitlin Robertson in 2010 as a judge in the Beaners Central Singer/Songwriter Contest. There were a number of very talented artists who performed that night, and Caitlin took second in the competition. Having stayed in touch, she recently shared that she is striving to raise money to produce a second CD. Here’s a little about her life in music, which I share in the hope that some of you might feel moved to help her in this project.

Ennyman: Where does your knack for songwriting come from?
Caitlin: It probably helps that my parents and older brother all have a Master's in English. I grew up in a pretty literary-minded family. We were always reading aloud to each other and crying over sad poems and such. I followed in their footsteps to a certain extent by getting my Bachelor's in English at St. Olaf College. But I think my interest in songwriting started well before I was aware it was something I wanted to focus on.

I became obsessed with reading the lyrics on CD jackets starting when I got my first CDs in junior high such as Jewel's "Pieces of You" given to me by my older brother and Lucinda Williams' records that my father introduced to me. As I began high school I started finding many other artists that I loved. I don't think I realized at the time that I wanted to write songs, but the poetry in the lyrics I read really resonated with me. Lucinda Williams' and other artists' (such as Emmylou Harris, Iris DeMent, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Gillian Welch, and the McGarrigle Sisters) beautiful lines etched themselves into my heart with the truth, pain, beauty and love they spoke of. I could sing along for hours. In high school people told me that I was a good writer but I didn't try writing poetry really until college when I took a "Creative Writing" class with Jim Heynen (acclaimed writer) my senior year. After that I was hooked on writing poetry, and then when I moved to the Northwest in my early 20s, I started putting my first poems into songs. I just thought I would try, and then it became something I wanted to keep on doing. I think writing songs is like putting together a puzzle for me. I love writing period. But songwriting combines two things I love into one. I think songwriting is a great challenge because you have to (or get to) say as much as you would in another form of writing in less words. Plus it has to be musically interesting, too.

Enny: Which comes first, the tune or the story? Do you have a standard process?
Caitlin: When I first started writing songs, the story always came first, because I began by transforming poems I had already written into songs. So this meant changing some of my more elaborate, verbose poetry lines into phrases that were simpler and would fit rhythmically into a given melody and time signature I had chosen. Now I do it both ways--sometimes I still start with just the story, but I have begun to find it easier and more enjoyable to pick up my guitar when I have an idea for a song and write the music and lyrics somewhat simultaneously. Sometimes I'll finish a song in one sitting and I won't be able to get up until it's finished (usually an all-day process), and other times I have to come back to it the next day. I always need to return to a started-song soon though, or it becomes one of my "never-finished-starts-of-songs" in one of my many notebooks.

Enny: You call your style folk-rock. Can you elaborate on that?
Caitlin: I call my style "folk-rock-country-pop". Lucinda Williams is probably my greatest influence, lyrically and musically. I adore her music. I believe the folk-rock-country influence comes from listening to artists such as Lucinda, as well as listening to my parents' old Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons records. Growing up on a sheep farm 7 miles north of a small town in rural Minnesota probably helped to form my writing and musical styles as well. I have been told that some of my songs have a slight "pop" twist to them. When I was younger I might have taken the "pop" label as a diss, but now I like it because I feel like my songs do have a "pop" (modern) aspect to them. But I have also been told my songs have an older feel to them. My hope is that most of my songs will be considered timeless, and that people of different generations and diverse musical inclinations will be able to connect with them in some way.

Enny: How did you come to make the guitar “your instrument”?
Caitlin: I started out on the flute and tin whistle in junior high and then in high school I fell in love with the piano. In college, my dad gave me a black Takamine guitar and I started playing around with it from time to time. I had too many other interests at the time to really focus on learning how to play the guitar, but then when I moved out to the Northwest in my early 20s, I started teaching myself more seriously and took a few lessons. I find the guitar lends itself to my songwriting process more than the piano has been able to in the past. That being said, I look forward to trying to write some songs on the piano in the near future.

Enny: A lot of people make CDs these days. What will be different about yours that makes it more than just something your friends will enjoy?
Caitlin: I believe that my songs and my "sound' are unique and I hope that people will be able to connect with the stories, landscapes, and feelings that I describe. Perhaps these connections might add to their own understandings of their own experiences. I think people will enjoy that I explore (through my songs) dark sides and emotions but I don't stay in the dark for too long, because there is also so much beauty and light in the world to help keep us hopeful, too. My highest hope is that at least a few of my songs will be considered timeless, and that people of different generations and diverse musical inclinations will be able to connect with them in some way.

Enny: Where do people send the money you’re trying to raise for this project?
Caitlin: "Coyote Blues" my first CD, will be released in December of 2011. You can watch my CD promo video on the Media page of my website, www.caitlinrobertsonmusic.com/media

If you like what you hear, please consider checking out my new Kickstarter project, "Caitlin Robertson Wintersong EP". Kickstarter is a really neat platform for independent artists to raise money for their projects. My goal is to raise $3,000 to record my Wintersong EP (my second album) by the end of February 2012. But here's the catch. I have to raise ALL of the money by January 8th, or the money will be refunded to my backers. I really want to make an EP of winter songs that I have already written, so I'm really hoping my project will be funded and I'll be able to make my Wintersong EP happen in 2012!!! You can find my project and a fuller description by going to www.kickstarter.com and searching for "Caitlin Robertson Wintersong EP" OR you can go to my website, www.caitinrobertsonmusic.com and you will find a link to my Kickstarter project on my homepage, OR you can click here.

I hope you will check out my site and spread the word. Every little bit helps me toward my goal! And I have fun rewards for all of my Kickstarter Project Backers. Visit my Kickstarter site to find out what they are!

Enny: Where did the album title come from?
Caitlin: The title "Coyote Blues" is both the title of my first album and the 7th song on the album. "Coyote Blues" tells the story of two cowgirls on a walk, who meet a Coyote that teaches them to sing the blues. The song is about recognizing the amazing experience of seeing such a beautiful animal (a Coyote) in front of them, and about learning something from this animal. It's about overcoming fear in order to enjoy the beautiful mysteries in life. I think that is a theme that is present in a lot of the songs on my album.

Enny: Here's an excerpt from a review about Caitlin's music.
"Caitlin Robertson's songs tell emotional, place-based narratives that conjure up images that range from lonely red barns, heartache as barren as the Sierra Hills, aging waitresses, melting ice cream cones to the fragile face of a baby sleeping in the night. The songs on "Coyote Blues" show the depth of attention Caitlin gives to the people and landscapes that surround her, and her ability to beautifully articulate her experiences to others through her music. they describe universal emotions in thoughtful ways as well as demonstrate an urgency to live in the moment--to "live foolishly. Many of Caitlin's songs have a sweetness and hopefulness to them, but "Coyote Blues" as a whole is sad and world-weary enough to avoid being criticized for its naiveté."

You can pre-order "Coyote Blues" at www.caitlinrobertsonmusic.com/music to have it sent to you by December 2011, when it will be released.

You can check out her Facebook music page at: www.facebook.com/caitlinrobertsonmusic

EdNote: Caitlin Robertson will be here in Duluth for her Northland CD Release at Beaners on January 21. If you're in the neighborhood, do join the celebration.