An Alternative "Average Joe" for President

In this political season, maybe you've gotten tired of the mainstream candidates and are looking for some alternative.  How about just an average Joe. Not Joe the Plumber, but "Joe the Painter."  Meet Joe Schriner.

Joe Schriner describes himself as "an average guy from Ohio" and he has been running for President of the United States on a shoestring campaign.  He's run before in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012, and now he's on the campaign trail again for 2016.  His wife and kids are along with him on the campaign, traveling accross America in their '70s era family van, getting attention wherever they can.  Above is a video clip from the Columbus Ledger Enquirer.

And here's a short documentary about Joe and his campaign.

I don't usually post about politics on this blog, and intend to go right back to staying away from that topic. But I figure Joe represents a unique figure in American politics. An "every person" running as an independent (you'd have to write him in). Maybe an alternative if youre looking for one, and tired of "politics as usual." 

AC/DC "Who Made Who"

Check out this video: a little mix of sci-fi and heavy metal. I remember seeing this on our local music video station back when I was in High School during the '80s.  AC-DC's "Who Made Who," a 1986 metal rocker that was on the soundtrack to the Stephen King movie, "Maximum Overdrive."

   

The Alarm: "68 Guns"

Lately, I've found the world around me to be a bit of a bummer. Theres a tense mood out in society today of anger and division, and of negativity. Maybe there are good reasons for tenseness, anger and negativity.  But it still can't help but make me sad about where we are, and wonder if things couldn't be better. I've been trying to include this mindset in some recent posts, such as that regarding Hands Across America, and the one about Restoring Lady Liberty. 

There has been a feeling in me of wanting to reach deep inside of myself for the ideals and dreams I hold dear, and to focus on them moreso than the outside world. Of course, my ideals may differ from others, and listening to each others' words are as important as hearing their voices. 

I am reminded of this song by the Alarm, an '80s Welsh group with a strong sense of protest. Here is a song that is very appropriate to the moment, "68 Guns" from 1983.  Its a song about holding on to your beliefs and being willing to stand for them.  

RePost: '80s Summer Songs: Beach Boys Redux

This is a repost of a post originally appearing in 2012.

In 1985, David Lee Roth did a classic '80s remake of a classic '60s original from the Beach Boys. Roth's "California Girls" featured Beach Boy Carl Wilson and '80s singer Christopher Cross as background vocalists, and appeared in Roth's 1985 EP Crazy From the Heat.

What could be more summery than the sun, the beach, and the classic summer soundtrack of Beach Boys music?

Speaking of the Beach Boys, they has an enormous hit in 1988 with "Kokomo," a song which appeared on the soundtrack of the Tom Cruise movie Cocktail.

A Song For Today, In Honor of the Victims

Here's an '80s song that is painfully still poignant today. 

Anne Murray's 1983 protest, "A Little Good News"

This goes out to all the victims.

Restoring Lady Liberty (1984-1986)

As we cruise into our fourth of july weekend, it brought to mind the extraordinary july 4th of 1986. That weekend, from July 3-6, 1986, was dubbed "Liberty Weekend" and was the subject of the grand re-opening of the Statue of Liberty, which had been undergoing extensive repairs and restoration. It was also the Statue's 100th anniversary.  The celebrations that followed were so grand that they are one of the most memorable events of the 1980s, and indeed seemed to symbolize the sense of positivity and revival that was present at that time.

During the early '80s it became apparent that the statue had some seriously needed repairs.  Plans were prepared for an extensive restoration by a team of American and French engineers (as the statue had itself been a gift from France). Scaffolding was erected in 1984, and for a two year period work progressed on Lady Liberty.

Here's an American Airlines commercial from that era.

Work was finally complete by mid 1986, and on that July 4th weekend, a big celebration was had that included words and appearances by President Reagan and other dignitaries, a star-studded set of performances and appearances by a large number of celebrities, and a re-play of the review of sailing ships which was originally seen during the 1976 bicentennial celebrations (dubbed, in honor of the original such event, Operation Sail 1986).    Above is an encapsulation of the event from NBC.

I wish all my readers in the U.S. a happy July 4th weekend!