lucky you - your browser doesnt play annoying midis

Dear Friends and Schoolmates,   

    We're continuing to run Big Band Sounds all this week. 

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Don%27t_Mean_a_Thing_%28If_It_Ain%27t_Got_That_Swing%29 : 

"It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington with lyrics by Irving Mills, now accepted as a jazz standard. The music was written and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington and his orchestra for Brunswick Records (Br 6265) on February 2, 1932. Ivie Anderson sang the vocal and trombonist Joe Nanton and alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges played the instrumental solos. The title was based on the oft stated credo of Ellington's former trumpeter Bubber Miley, who was dying of tuberculosis. The song became famous, Ellington wrote, "as the expression of a sentiment which prevailed among jazz musicians at the time." Probably the first song to use the phrase "swing" in the title, it introduced the term into everyday language and presaged the swing era by three years. The Ellington band played the song continuously over the years and recorded it numerous times, most often with trumpeter Ray Nance as vocalist.

BONUS #1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDQpZT3GhDg - It Don't Mean a Thing - Duke Ellington and His Orchestra, 1943

BONUS #2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxfMRhyzu3g - It Don't Mean a Thing - Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald

BONUS #3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8qGa4Yh2qs - It Don't Mean a Thing - Louis Armstrong

BONUS #4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG71yD8UUbE&NR=1 - It Don't Mean a Thing - Ella Fitzgerald, 1974

BONUS #5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUn4TyP6oOE - It Don't Mean a Thing - the Love Handles (slightly silly swing) with scenes from classic swing dance films - Hellzapoppin', Untamed Youth, Twiced Blessed and more

THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS:

   Happy Birthday today to   Betty Spain Uecker ('63) of VA AND My Daughter-in-Law,      Kim Woods Harty (Hillsboro HS, IL / Richard Milburn Academy, FL - '03) of IL!

   Happy Birthday this week to:

15 - Joan Williams Eberwine ('57) AND Linda Robinson Gillespie ('71) of VA;

16 -     Linda May Bond Crayton ('66) of VA AND  Jacque Ray Fisher ('66) of NC;

17 –   Barbara Brewer (’69) of VA;

18 -   Johnny Mitchell ('57) of VA AND   Kay Knight Midkiff Evans ('59) of VA AND Aderon Gibbs ('66) of VA AND   Wade Scott ('66) of MO;

19 -    Cheryl Mays Howard ('66) of VA;
20 - My Cousin, Stuart Atkinson (Warsaw HS - '63) of VA AND  Sid Melton ('64) of NY AND   Terri McAfee Artman ('66) of VA AND My Nephew, Kevin Dick (Weber HS, UT - '82) of NC!

   Many Happy Returns to You All!

http://www.nnhs65.com/Happy-Birthday.html

REMINDER:

   Set your clocks tonight - Spring forward and Fall back and all that.  Anyway you cut it, you're gonna lose an hour's sleep tonight, and spend the next six to eight weeks trying to acclimate your mind, soul, and body to the whole nastiness.....

THIS DAY IN WWII:

   Why, certainly, Randy! Thanks so much! (I actually remembered that from The Olden Days - possibly because my middle name is also Randolph!)

   Y'all keep those birth dates a-comin'!

Thanks also for your new address!     I forwarded it to        Dave Spriggs ('64 - of VA), but first I looked it up on a map, and was astonished to see it was only 50 miles from where we lived for the year just before we moved to Newport News in January of 1954 - Clintwood!    Whodathunkit?!?
		Spring 1953 - Clintwood, VA
		Carol Randolph Buckley age 5

---

    From Linda May Bond Crayton ('66) of VA - 03/12/10 - "  Rosalie!":

I've been spending some time with my sister, Rosalie, and got her e-mail address. Thought you might send her an e-mail/newsletter. Linda May '66    Rosalie!!! COOL BEANS! We were in homeroom together - possibly for all five years!    That may not seem unusual to most of y'all who enjoyed stable homerooms, but our homeroom was a bit of an oddity, with an endless shifting of cast, crew, and scenery.  We began as mice in 108 (the Beacon room) with  Mrs. Lovelace, then switched to 209 (right next to the office) with    Mr. Wynn and   Mr. Fooks (Warwick HS - '58 - of VA) as co-homeroom teachers when we were freshmen. In our sophomore year, the rarely seen (in this capacity) Mr. Fooks was no longer with us.  For our junior and senior years, we stayed in 209, but  Mrs. Janet Kessler (Warwick HS - '57) was our homeroom teacher.  They were all wonderful!    (GASP!!! Would you looky here! I do believe that practically none of the hundreds of images in the Teachers section are showing at the moment, due to some changes we made right before reformatting my computer in December. There's a relatively easy way to fix it, I'm sure, but I only know the LONG way, so I'll need to call on my friendly live-in tech reppies for help..... ‹(•¿•)› )    But ANYWAY - sooo, Rosalie! Would you like to join us here?? We'd love to have you!    And thanks, Linda May!

  From Bill Hobbs ('66) of Northern VA - 03/12/10 - "A Beautiful Reading!!":

A Beautiful Reading!!

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born A Death Certificate shows that we died Pictures show that we lived! Have a seat .. Relax . . . And read this slowly... I Believe... That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other. I Believe... That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change. I Believe.... That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. I Believe... That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love. I Believe... That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life. I Believe.... That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I Believe... That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them. I Believe.... That you can keep going long after you think you can't. I Believe.... That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I Believe... That either you control your attitude or it controls you. I Believe... That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I Believe.... That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time. I Believe.... That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up. I Believe... That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel. I Believe.... That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated. I Believe.... That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself. I Believe... That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief. I Believe.... That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become. I Believe... That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever. I Believe.... Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. I Believe... That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you. I Believe.... That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help. I Believe... That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.  I Believe... That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.  I Believe... That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in, I just did. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; They just make the most of everything they have.    Thanks, Bill!

---

From http://www.selfgrowth.com - 03/08/10 - "Leadership":

Five Performance Lessons from The Biggest Loser - By Kevin Eikenberry My wife's favorite television show is the The Biggest Loser. If you're not familiar, it's an NBC reality television show that chronicles a group of seriously overweight people from all walks of life as they try to become more healthy - and lose lots of weight. To give you an idea, the most recent winner, Danny Cahill a 40-year-old man from Oklahoma, went from 430 pounds to 191 pounds in 7 months (that's 239 pounds LOST). When my wife first began watching the show and telling me how fascinating it was, I wasn't that interested; reality TV didn't seem very real to me, and I didn't really want to watch. After a few more conversations, I decided to watch with her. The show is "reality TV" and therefore there are elements that don't interest me that much, and I wish it wasn't so long (it's the perfect candidate for your DVR), but overall I really enjoy the show. Why? I enjoy the show because of the truths it highlights week after week about human performance, success, goal achievement and leadership. And, of course, these lessons are available to us all regardless of how much we weigh. Here are five of the most valuable lessons you can take from this show and apply in your life. The importance of vision. How can we arrive at any destination if we don't know what it is? Contestants on the show often say "I'm not ready to go home yet" (most weeks at least one contestant leaves "the ranch" where all contestants live while they pursue their weight loss full time). This statement connects to their vision. Often what they mean but don't say is that they don't yet have the skills, tools, and more to be successful on their own at home in reaching their vision. Their vision is clear and those who stay the most focused on it have the best results. The power of purpose. As with most reality television, there is a monetary prize for the person who loses the most weight (as a percentage of their initial weight). Yet, if you didn't already know that as you watched the show, you wouldn't learn it from the contestants. Do they want to win $250,000? I'm sure they do. However, that is never a topic of conversation; rather they talk about why they want to lose the weight - to play with their children, to live longer, to be a grandparent, to literally be able to have children, and more. These statements of purpose are the real "why" - the real reason they are putting their bodies and minds through extremes. Those with the strongest purposes, make the most progress. The need for massive action. You must agree that you can't lose 20-50+% of your body weight in 7 months by eating a few less chips or walking once in awhile. The people on the show aren't timid about their actions. They are doing the extreme! When I watch them I am continually reminded that if you want massive change, you must take massive action. The value of new habits. During the course of the show, there are episodes where all the remaining contestants go home for one or more weeks. During this time, they need to continue to exercise and eat correctly because when they return for the weekly weigh in, they will be accountable for their actions of the week. Those that are most successful at home are those who have built new habits of thinking and acting; habits that transcend the time away from home. So it is for us - we must consciously build habits that support the goals we want to achieve, and make choices that are consistent with those goals. The consequences of coaching. The show has two trainers who work with the contestants throughout the show - helping them with diet, exercise and mindset changes. Would the contestants be as successful without a coach to help them with their improvement? Of course not! Few of us would embark on physical fitness change without some coaching; yet often we try to reach other personal or professional goals without informed help. Crazy isn't it? If you want great success, get informed, caring, wise assistance. Each of these lessons is incredibly valuable, and when intentionally applied can create great change. They apply to those we lead as well. When you take these lessons and apply them to your leadership activities, you can make a bigger difference within your organization. Am I telling you to watch the new season, or watch past episodes online? Not necessary; that is up to you. What I am telling you is that if you want greater results in any part of your life, pay attention to the lessons I have shared above. Because they work. About the Author: Kevin is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer, consultant and the Chief Potential Officer of the Kevin Eikenberry Group.

---

  From Judy Phillips Allen ('66) of VA - 02/18/10 - "Panda Therapy (#14 in a Series of 19)":

I love these Panda emails!  I hope you get the "warm fuzzies", too!

Is it any wonder the world has fallen in love with these animals? DON'T YOU FEEL BETTER ALREADY?       Yes, I do! Thanks, Judy!
		Shhhh!    I'm reviewing...

---

ABBREVIATED ALERT:

  From Jane Chambers of VA - 07/01/09 AND 02/07/10 - "CNC BOOK BROCHURE & AD" AND 61-62 DECADERS ADDENDA:

http://www.nnhs65.com/CNC-CNU/brochure(2).pdf

http://www.nnhs65.com/CNC-CNU/CNC-Memories-Book-219390602.pdf

http://www.nnhs65.com/61-63-DECADERS-ADDENDA.doc

   Contact Dr. Chambers at cncmemories61_71@yahoo.com.

Thanks, Jane!

---

FINALLY:

From ArcaMax Jokes - 03/12/10:

Physics

As scientists and concerned citizens, we applaud the recent trend towards legislation which requires the prominent placing of warnings on products that present hazards to the general public. Yet we must also offer the cautionary thought that such warnings, however well-intentioned, merely scratch the surface of what is really necessary in this important area. This is especially true in light of the findings of 20th century physics.

We therefore propose that the following list of warnings appears on every product offered for sale in the United States.

WARNING: This Product Warps Space and Time in Its Vicinity.

CAUTION: The Mass of This Product Contains the Energy Equivalent of 85 Million Tons of TNT per Net Ounce of Weight.

HANDLE WITH EXTREME CARE: This Product Contains Minute Electrically Charged Particles Moving at Velocities in Excess of Five Hundred Million Miles Per Hour.

CONSUMER NOTICE: Because of the "Uncertainty Principle," It Is Impossible for the Consumer to Find Out at the Same Time Both Precisely Where This Product Is and How Fast It Is Moving. (Note: This one is optional on the grounds that Heisenburg was never quite sure that his principle was correct.)

ADVISORY: There is an Extremely Small but Nonzero Chance That, Through a Process Know as "Tunneling," This Product May Spontaneously Disappear from Its Present Location and Reappear at Any Random Place in the Universe, Including Your Neighbor's Domicile. The Manufacturer Will Not Be Responsible for Damages or Inconvenience That May Result.

ATTENTION: Despite Any Other Listing of Product Contents Found Hereon, the Consumer is Advised That, in Actuality, This Product Consists Of 99.999999999% Empty Space.

PLEASE NOTE: Some Quantum Physics Theories Suggest That When the Consumer Is Not Directly Observing This Product, It May Cease to Exist or Will Exist Only in a Vague and Undetermined State.

HEALTH WARNING: Care Should Be Taken When Lifting This Product, Since Its Mass, and Thus Its Weight, Is Dependent on Its Velocity Relative to the User.

1. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 16, 17, and 18, 2010 - The NNHS Class of 1953 will hold its 57-Year Reunion. For details, contact Robert Walker at bobsawalker@verizon.net (757) 596-7722 or Betty Burns at bsb0735@cox.net (757) 223-9488 - CLASS OF 1953

Back to NNHS Newsletters - 2010

Return to NNHS Class of 1965