“In politics, nothing happens ‘by accident.’ If it happened, you can bet it was ‘planned’ that way.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Since the murders of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, MLK, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, little has gone right in this country. It’s like we’re headed for hell in a vehicle which doesn’t have any brakes, driven by a raving maniac. Remember, too, the Vietnam War (1963-75)--that heated up almost immediately after JFK was eliminated. (1) That conflict ripped the nation apart and cost the lives of 58,159 of our bravest sons and daughters. Think of the dubious Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. In between, the “Watergate” scandal surfaced and Richard M. Nixon fell from power. (2) The out sourcing of millions of jobs is also part of this saga. (3) Then, there was 9/11! (4) It was followed in March, 2003, by the Bush-Cheney Gang launching a preemptive strike against Iraq, at a cost estimated to be $3.5 trillion! And, the latest shock therapy for us: the Wall Street bailout and the financial meltdown. All of this might make your wonder: Is some powerful, shadowy clique orchestrating the decline of America?

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Tap, tap, tap….. Hmmmm… finger drumming on the table top… restless stretching and reaching… got an itch under my shoulder blade… confusion… a little I guess. Like ‘tells’ in poker, I’m getting some reads but the betting doesn’t reflect the hands I’m seeing when I call. What’s going on? I guess I can’t ask Marvin Gaye. You know what? I think I’m just going to take a little walk through my head and see what the ping pong ball has to say. I know it’s used to going back and forth and then there’s the spin thing. I’m pretty good at ping pong and the other things you learn growing up on military bases and being locked up for long periods of time. I’m not the sort of person you want to play Nine Ball with.

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“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life, bringing peace, abolishing strife.” - Kahlil Gibran

Baltimore, MD - Does the spirit of a Mozart, Bach or a Gershwin live on in their memorable works of art? When you hear a brilliant rendition of one of their pieces, are they there, too? Well, the other night, Oct. 16, 2008, at the celebrated Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in this city, I felt like the ghost of Leonard Bernstein made an appearance, and it was a happy one, indeed. The “Mass” was one of Bernstein’s most controversial compositions. Its source was the Roman Catholic Mass. The program was entitled: “Mass--A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers.” It was superbly conducted by Ms. Marin Alsop, with the symphony orchestra at the top of its game. At one point, there were 250 people “on stage.” This included the orchestra, a college choir, a marching band, a children’s chorus and a “Street Chorus.” Ms. Alsop studied under Bernstein earlier in her career and considered him “a mentor.”

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