As the winter becomes spring, and the political season becomes an annoying reality, the talking heads are spinning and digging dirt.  Meanwhile the economy seems to be in real trouble, which to some degree can be traced back to talking heads reminding everyone that we are in a recession.  The more we think that way, the more we fear the results and curb spending, which only confirms our fears and their predictions.  I think there is much about the economy that is important to each and every one of us.  On the other hand, there is much about the macro view that we can do little if anything about, and the macro inevitably influences the micro.  I think the best we can do individually is play it smart and honest, and pay close attention to the things of real importance.

The best news of real importance so far this year is the upcoming Iron Man movie and the reunion tour of Return to Forever.  Everything else is secondary and relative in importance.  Iron Man is the marginalized but enormously important Marvel Comics character.  From the trailer previews I’ve seen, this will be a major movie for Superhero Geeks.  Iron Man (Tony Stark in the day-to-day), like his black sheep brothers Spider Man and The Daredevil, is portrayed as human in his frustrations, weaknesses, and confusion—things most of us struggle with day in and day out.  In the original comic series, Stark was an Arms Manufacturer and early ardent anti-Communist.  However, as is the case with many of us, he reconsidered the morality of war, and in his case of manufacturing weapons for the military.  Now, keep in mind, Iron Man is a true-blue superhero, intent on protecting the innocent from the bad guys.  It’s just that Stark, like most of Stan Lee’s characters, is conscientious and contemplative.  He, like many Americans, has had to reconsider who the bad guys are.  I’m not sure the new movie will accent that.  But I expect it to be a major movie, a target for summer entertainment.

In that vein, the reunion of Return To Forever is monumental.  Made up of Chic Corea, Stanley Clark, Al DiMeola, and Lenny White, Return To Forever, is a supergroup of profound proportions.  But this isn’t your Glimmer Twins-Aerosmith-Black Sabbath—grade supergroup.  This is jazz fusion; music for music connoisseurs. The thing about good music, great music, is that words don’t do it justice.  To that end I recommend a peek on Youtube at Return To Forever past and present: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=return+to+forever&search=Search.

If only all of life were as simple and pleasing as good comics and acid jazz.