Monday, July 14, 2008

Lucy Kaplansky and Some Random Notes



In addition to her many albums, Lucy Kaplansky has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

NPR.org -- July 14, 2008 - Her personal and musical life enhanced by motherhood, singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky served as the perfect artist to cap off a special edition of Mountain Stage celebrating the 100th observance of Mother's Day.
The Andrews Methodist Church in Grafton, W.Va., is a national landmark, recognized as the International Mother's Day Shrine. It's the site where Anna Jarvis organized a public Mother's Day celebration in 1908. On May 11, 2008, Kaplansky and the Mountain Stage band commemorated the holiday with a tribute to all mothers in the same church where the holiday began 100 years ago.
After graduating from high school, Kaplansky moved to New York and became a mainstay in the city's folk scene, often harmonizing with Shawn Colvin and similar artists. But while contemporaries such as Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, and Cliff Eberhardt went on to sign record deals, Kaplansky left music to earn a doctorate in psychology.
Even while running her private practice, Kaplansky was always singing, usually on albums by her aforementioned peers. After she returned to recording and performing full-time in the 1990s, Kaplansky and fellow singer-songwriters Dar Williams and Richard Shindell formed the group Cry Cry Cry. Her latest solo album, Over the Hills, came out last year.
Lucy is quite a talented artist and an interesting person too. Please check out her show if she comes to a town near you :)
Other notes:
I saw this letter the editor and it made me worried about a certain mindset that is dangerous for the world. This woman seems to think that if the end of the world comes, it's OK because God will save us all and give us a better life anyway. The fact that this is seen as acceptable by the editors at a Wisconsin paper bothers me a lot:
Once again leaders of the world's strongest nations gather to discuss and devise solutions to the world's problems. If we can believe the media, "global warming" is among concerns at the top of that list. It is hard for me to think of anything more ridiculous. For, once again, the real enemy has deceived most of us into believing we are our own enemy by utilizing the earth and its resources.
Of course, the earth is changing. The world was not made by us or for us. We were made to steward the earth and give glory to the One who made the earth and everything in it, out of nothing. What will be created is a "new earth" (see Rev. 21:1-4).
The changes we observe on this globe were being observed during the first century after Christ. The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians "the form of this world is passing away."
Jesus had already told His disciples He was going to prepare a place for them (and us). While we are commanded to be good stewards of the earth, we must not waste our efforts on trying to stop the inevitable, but invest our time and efforts preparing ourselves and others for eternal life in the "new place." Jesus is preparing a place for us and preparing us for that place.
Our biggest threat is not global warming (if it is indeed a real happening) but personal warring, that is, our lack of love for God and for one another. Let's begin to take God more seriously and the politicians less seriously.
Barb Kuhls
This woman seems accepting of the idea that this world blows up, God will come and save us all. I'm not so sure that this is guaranteed. I think we are responsible for the health and well being of this fragile Earth, not some supernatural entity we cannot describe. She is probably bamboozled by the likes of Limbaugh, OReilly and Hannity who say there is no good evidence for global warming. The right can be extremely dangerous. As my Uncle Charlie used to say, "Watch out for the right. They are capable of incredible cruelty and arrogance!" Right on Charles.
Update on my mother. Great news. Her condition is improving and she is now scheduled for surgery on Wednesday at Noon. Family and friends will be thinking of her, but especially her first born son.

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