True Thankfulness

The original Thanksgiving was all about being thankful for the bounty of the harvest. All these years later, many still have the tradition of stating their gratitude at Thanksgiving. The Dreamer’s Brigade is no different and counts Thanksgiving as our favorite holiday of the year – when else can you feast unrestrained and then watch football all day long?  Our list of thanks is fairly typical – health, family, friends and abundance.

We are also thankful for the freedom’s that we experience in America and express our gratitude to those who have served our country in the military, especially to those that lost their lives or came back to us changed forever.  

And, we are thankful to those who pursue their dreams, facing all odds and never giving up in the face of adversity.  Lastly, we thank you, for being interested in our music, our words, and our creativity.

Happy Thanksgiving! Dream on!

Should Kids Say the Pledge of Allegiance?

Mornings in the classroom start very similar across the United States. Students unpack their backpacks, say hello to their friends, listen to school announcements, and say the The Pledge of Allegiance with their peers...

Wait, what about that last one. Yes, The Pledge of Allegiance. Do you think kids should say The Pledge of Allegiance everyday? Do you believe in what the pledge states? 

The Dreamer’s Brigade thinks that school children should say The Pledge of Allegiance every morning, because it is proudly proclaiming that the American dream is alive and well. The purpose of the pledge is to remind children that others have fought and died for their freedom more so than actually pledging allegiance to their country. And, it reminds them that they can be anything they dream because they live in the United States of America. It also creates an alliance between the children and something greater than themselves and provides them a way to belong. The Pledge of Allegiance is the binding force that keeps us Americans, regardless of personal religious beliefs.

What do you think?

The Dreamer’s Brigade 10 All Time Favorite Cartoons

The Dreamer’s Brigade are huge cartoon fans and remember every fall when the television stations launched the new Saturday morning line up on Friday night. And, then, there are the special cartoons that show up for the holidays. In fact, any of the Peanut’s specials start our list at number ten.

At number nine is Space Ghost. He was one of many versions of heroes that brought justice to the universe. Bugs Bunny is our eighth favorite, not only for the rabbit’s classic sarcasm, but for the magic that Mel Blanc brought to all the voices of this Warner Brother’s classic. Spider Man is our seventh favorite cartoon hero, if for nothing else, the theme music was incredible!

Who can forget everybody’s favorite prehistoric neighbors, the Flintstones? We can’t, and that’s why we put them at number six. We still wonder how a tiny waitress can carry a rack of ribs that topple over the car that’s made out of rocks. Then again, it was a cartoon. Anything was possible in the cartoon world. Just look at our fifth pick – Popeye. All it takes is a little spinach and usually some jealously or protectiveness to elicit some superhuman powers.

Our fourth favorite is Scooby-Doo. Did you ever notice that Scooby and Shaggy always had the munchies? I wonder why? And, the adventures of the “Gang” in the Mystery Machine were always

Adventure was the reason we chose Johnny Quest to start our top three picks. Dr. Quest, with his intelligence and Race with his brawn solved all sorts of problems while the boys and Bandit had adventures and inadvertently helped the bigger cause. Our second favorite is Super Man as the classic powerful hero with a mild mannered nerd alter ego. None of the caped crusaders are a cool as Super

And, finally, the Dreamer’s Brigade’s all-time favorite cartoon is Rocky and Bullwinkle. It was like a variety show of cartoons. Who can forget Mr. Peabody, Sherman and the Way Back Time Machine? What about our favorite evil Russian spies, Boris and Natasha? Snidely Whiplash always used to tie Nell to the railroad tracks and Dudley Do-Right of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, incompetently saved the damsel in distress every time. Fractured Fairy Tales brought fables to life with a twist each week. Can they get any better? The formula of a little satire, some pun-laden humor, political commentary and a little something for adults as well as children put the Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle at the

The Dreamer’s Brigade debated for a long time over this list and wants to include some honorable mentions: Mickey Mouse, who started the Disney empire, Road Runner who is still out there somewhere outsmarting Wylie Coyote, Josie and the Pussy Cats, the sexiest cat band that ever had cartoon adventures and Sponge Bob – need we say more.

We expect a lot of commentary about your favorites to add to this list. Who can stop at 10 when cartoons are so great? What’s on your list?

Top 10 Pick: Favorite Actors

Actors are a true inspiration to many people.  They work hard, they continually follow their dreams, and they dedicate a great deal of their time to entertaining us.  In light of the Oscars recently given, we wanted to share a list of our top ten favorite Actors…

10.  Clint Eastwood – a strong, powerful personality

9.  Paul Newman – has inspirational, old blue eyes, and is so smooth

8.  Dustin Hoffman – is tenacious and truly gifted

7.  Sidney Poitier – ground-breaking realist

6.  Denzel Washington – makes characters his own

5.  John Wayne – a true American icon

4.  Al Pacino – has an amazing breadth of skill

3.  Jack Nicholson – a real Actor’s actor

2.  Brad Pitt – is our generation’s Jack Nicholson

1.  Nicholas Cage. . .

Nick Cage is our number one choice because he rises to the challenge of every role and doesn’t shy away from difficult and demanding roles.

Who makes your list?