You are talking about the Nonsensical Ravings of a Lunatic Mind
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
From Harpers.org....
Who can forget our collective shock and bewilderment when we opened the New York Times and learned of the event? October 1986. A cool evening, upper Park Avenue, in the Eighties. Newsman and reservoir of trust, Dan Rather, dressed casually, walks home from dinner at a friend's house. Two well-dressed white men in their thirties—one six feet tall, with dark hair and a mustache—accost Rather, one of them demanding to know, “Kenneth, what is the frequency?” “You have the wrong guy,” Rather replies.
One of the men responds with a punch to the newsman's jaw, under his left ear. Rather flees into the lobby of a building on Park Avenue, and the thugs pursue him, punching, kicking, badgering Rather repeatedly with the strange query: “Kenneth, what is the frequency!” A doorman rings for the super, the super bursts upon the scene of the cruel interrogation, and the attackers flee. Mr. Rather is briefly hospitalized. The attackers are not caught. Their motives are unknown. It is presumed a case of mistaken identity.
Mr. Rather returned to his news broadcast, unbowed, and made a statement about the incident. Who did it, and why? “Why and exactly by whom remains unclear,” Mr. Rather announced to a television audience estimated to be 18 million households. “And it may never be determined.”
So here is one for Dan !! is your Benzedrine ????
And just so you don't think this is a ONE and DONE BLOG,,,
OK read this one with your best Irish accent,,,,,,,
In North Ireland a Protestant man married a Catholic woman. After their marriage he decided to covert to the Catholic church. So he went to the priest and took instructions and was later confirmed Catholic.
He had one problem however. He couldn't get it into his skull that he was a Catholic man, and no longer a Protestant. This became such a problem that he returned to the priest and asked for some advice. The priest told him that if he was to repeat the phrase "I'm a Catholic, not a Protestant" enough times the idea might penetrate his thick skull. The man left mumbling to himself, "I'm a Catholic, not a Protestant. I'm a Catholic, not a Protestant."
The next Friday the priest decided to visit the newlyweds. He knocked on the door and was greeted by the wife. When he stepped in, he got of Whiff of something cooking that should not be in a Catholic's home on a Friday. He asked the wife where her husband was, and she replied that he was in the kitchen. The priest walked into the kitchen and saw the man pouring thick brown gravy on a thick hunk of roast beef. Aghast, the priest was about to explode when he heard the man mumble, "You're a trout, not steak. You're a trout, not a steak."
Did you ever hear the story of the Christmas tree Alfie He believed in Christmas alright He was full of Christmas cheer All of each and every day And all throughout the year
To him it was more than a special time Much more than a special day It was more than a special story, it was more than a beautiful story It was a special kind of way
You see, life is a very special kind of thing Not just for a chosen few But for each and every living, breathing thing Not just me and you
So when you�re at Christmas prayers this year Alfie asked me if I�d ask you Say a prayer for the wind and the water and the wood And those who live there too
But please forgive me if I seem To take the tone of judgement For Ive no wish to come between This day and your enjoyment In this life of hardship and of earthly toil We have need for anything that frees us So I bid you pleasure And I bid you cheer From a heathen and a pagan On the side of the rebel Jesus.
There are just fewer times these days that I have any good Ideas at all , let alone flashes of that olde brilliance. NOT that I think I am Brilliant,,, but there were times that I had good idears and we will now take that segway into one of our main topics for today
... tis the Season to be shopping,,, and I - like most Men - if not most people, HATE WAITING IN LINE !!! I came up with what I will call the "Sears Strategy". It is simple and in fact BRILLIANT !.. When I used to Christmas shop at the Mall,,Sears was a big choice , as I could purchase Everything for Everyone at the Sears store,, (they stopped callin it Sears and Roebuck - I dunno why , but that's al whole other topic) anyway,,, the Sears Strategy ................
Sears has - or at least HAD - a policy that you had to buy something from that department IF you wanted to pay for things at that Register,, Example: Toys must be Paid for at the TOY register, where the G.D. Line was 20 people deep, and you needed to wait 1/2 - 1 hour for the privilege of buying those Wonderful Toys ! NOW , employ the SEARS STRATEGY - take ALL your stuff and look for a cashier at the Jewelery , or perfume counter, where there were NO CUSTOMERS , look for the cheapest earring, or perfume,,, FIVE bucks or less is the key ,,, and then VIOLA ! you can pay for everything at the Jewelery or Perfume Register - there-by eliminating the need to wait with everyone else at the TOY register !.. and this strategy was modified just last night at WallyMarts. Had toys, clothes, shoes, and a Basketball, and Soccer Ball. The registers in the front of the store were - no exaggeration - 20 people (ah Cooters) deep !! WE went to the Sporting goods Department , and WHOOSH ................. NO ONE IN LINE !!!! Brilliant !!! Outta there in 10 minutes !!
Blithering IDIOT
As I get older,,, I notice that I have trouble with my "short" term memory.
* Passwords that I use everyday /several times a day/can't remember what they are.
* I find myself in the Garage - went to get something - and have no Idea WHAT !
I have to retrace my steps to figure out what it was I needed.
* I put my lock on a locker at the GYM, & 2 hours later - can't "F%^&*ING" find it!
* I speak to someone,, & need to go followup - but by the time I get to my office - whoosh - I completely forget it,,, only reminded when they call and ask - what the hell??
So , I wonder , is this a function of Age, Heredity, or just so much stuff spinning around up there that not everything sticks , and my mind just plain moves on to whatever else I am thinkin about,,,,
Let's start with the Chieftains !This is from "Bells of Dublin" my fav Christmas CD,,, the Muppet's with John Denver and Jorma Kaukonen's Christmas" are next in line,....
so Enjoy this ,,,it's kinda the Title track,,,,
Ok,,, so - I am back ! back from Disney World, and the Wonder ship,,, and Castaway Cay and Nassau (god help us),,.,, and thrown right into the middle of the Holiday season,,, + Now I only have a few minutes for todays discussion, and will no doubt return to this subject over the next week,,, so here goes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, No one that knows me would accuse of of being a "religious " person,,, I Do not go to church,,, I do not attend any formailzed ceremony,, I am not sure enough one way or the other if this is all there is or maybe there is a heaven awaiting us on the other side,, or even if there is an OTHER side,... anyway at this time of year I get annoyed at those who celebrate christmas as a DAY off !! heck we at BIG BLUe think we need weeks off to celebrate it ! and I guess if you are visiting family far away you do need weeks to do that ...
Scrooge on: and ,,,, if I am not sure what the Holiday Season means ,,,, I KNOW what it don't Mean ! it don't mean Toys, presents, going to the Mall,, spending a years worth of Money to get just that right preesent , that the Reciever is bound to Regift,, oir Ebay it , and not bother to open it ! Scrooge off:
I believe that Linus sums up what I now think its REALLY about,,,even if I do not buy into all the other "BIBLE and GOD" stuff
and I guess that Sally explains the other thinking,,.
Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!
"I've been looking for you, big brother. Will you please write a letter to Santa Claus for me?"
"Well, I don't have much time. I'm supposed to get down to the school auditorium and direct a Christmas play."
"You write it, and I'll tell you what I want to say."
"Okay, shoot."
"Dear Santa Claus -- How have you been? How is your wife? I have been extra good this year. That's why I have a long list of presents that I want."
"Oh, brother."
"Please note the size and color of each item and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated, make it easy on yourself -- just send money. How about tens and twenties?"
"Tens and twenties? Oh! Even my baby sister!"
"All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share."
Ok - SO this is the Funniest Episode of 3rd rock !! You need to watch it all,,, but you should 1st Fast forward to the 5 minute mark... Dick at Mary's desk going over the anthropology,,, and ends with her saying "what are you doing at my Desk???"
HOUSE - after watching an interview with the Cast and Crew of HOUSE,,,
The writers discussed during the interview that they were always looking to include other uses for the CANE,,aside from the one it was intended for,,,,SO,,, as you watch the show take note of the many different things he does with it,,, from pressing elevator buttons, blocking the Elevator doors so they won't close,to --- well,,,, you watch the show and tell me how many more there are,,,,
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
So,,, Do you know how much COFFEE we drink ? to say - much , would not begin to describe it,,,, 10 years ago there were about 110 Million - that's MILLION coffee drinkers in the U.S. ... and we consumed about 3 cups per day on the average, with Men folk consuming a bit more than women folk,,,, That equated to 10 ba, ba, BILLION dollars in Sales, and that was before Starbucks figured out that we would buy friggin Latte, Cappuccino, Espresso Grande's for nearly $5.00 a CUP !! No wonder there is a BUCKS in "Star-Bucks" - shows you how badly that company has been mismanaged when they can't make money selling flavored Hot water !! But I digress
Coffee is, after all,,, the most popular beverage worldwide with over 400 billion cups consumed each year. for those of us that drink it ,, just how exactly would we do without it,,,, not very well I can attest. You get that caffeine headache if you are late with the Morning fix,,, If I took the C-Note that I spend on coffee every month and put towards my car payment,,, I could be drivin a Beamer !!
Wikipedia on: Coffee's history has been recorded as far back as the eleventh century. At first, coffee remained largely confined to Ethiopia, where its native beans were first cultivated by Ethiopian highlanders. However, the Arab world began expanding its trade horizons, and the beans moved into northern Africa and were mass-cultivated. From there, the beans entered the Indian and European markets, and the popularity of the beverage spread. The word "coffee" entered English in 1598 via Italian caffè. This word was created via Turkish kahve, which in turn came into being via Arabic qahwa, a truncation of qahhwat al-bun or wine of the bean. Islam prohibits the use of alcohol as a beverage, and coffee provided a suitable alternative to wine. There are several legendary accounts of the origin of the drink itself. One account involves the Yemenite Sufi mystic Shaikh ash-Shadhili. When traveling in Ethiopia, the legend goes, he observed goats of unusual vitality, and, upon trying the berries that the goats had been eating, experienced the same vitality. A similar myth attributes the discovery of coffee to an Ethiopian goatherder named Kaldi and the Legend of Dancing Goats. One possible origin of both the beverage and the name is the Kingdom of Kaffa in Ethiopia, where the coffee plant originated WIKIpedia OFF:
Warning,,, Mostly others thought..... They say - who ever the hell "they" are. that the worlds best coffee is KOPI LUWAK,,, Kopi" is the Indonesian word for coffee and the "Luwak" is the indigenous animal who plays an "active" role in the harvesting of the raw coffee cherries. The Luwak feasts on ripe, red coffee cherries seeking out the sweet taste of the cherry itself, wanting little to do with the parchment of the coffee. Once the Luwak eats the cherry, the parchment covered coffee beans are passed out of the Luwak (read that as he Craps them out) , with the parchment cover still protecting the green coffee beans. ummmmmmmmm Can't wait for a cup of that ...
SO ,, I give you today,,,, Lew Black,,,, and the Starbucks rant,,, you enjoy - while I step out for a Cup of Joe !!
WTF !!! are you kidding,,, I saw this in a magazine this week on Holiday decorations.. The Magazine did not have such detail,,, but exactly what sorta loser are you that you need to read directions on this from the DIY page !!
Ask a KID - they already know how !! its in KID DNA,,, as we grown into adults we become stupid ! and you know what Ron White says,,, YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID !..
Step1 Test to see if you have 'packing snow,' which clumps together easily and isn't too wet. The snow must pack to make a snowman. Step2 Shape a handful of snow into a ball. Continue adding more snow and packing the ball until it's too large to hold. Step3 Place the ball on the snow in front of you and slowly roll it away from you. As more snow accumulates on the outside of your ball, pack the snow by pressing on it with your gloved hands. Step4 Roll and pack the ball over and over until it is the size you want for the bottom of the snowman's body. Step5 Repeat for the midsection and head. The bottom should be the biggest ball, and the top should be the smallest. Step6 Pack some extra snow between the layers to make them stick together. Place sticks down the center where the sections meet if your snowman is having trouble standing erect. Step7 Give the snowman a face. Use coal, rocks, buttons or anything dark and round for the eyes. A horizontal stick or twig will make a good mouth, and a carrot is fine for the pointy nose. If you don't have a carrot, a banana or a candy cane will do the job. Step8 Cover the top of his head with an old plant for hair, or give him a knit hat to wear. Top hats will blow away unless secured. Step9 Add arms, legs and other accessories. Push sticks into the sides of the middle section and hang old mittens on the ends, then place boots at the bottom for legs. Also consider adding items such as a shirt, a scarf or sunglasses.
Greetings,,,, for those in the Hudson Valley tune into WDST for their playing of Alice's restaurant,,,,
Those around the world on the WEB ,,, you can go to WDST.com and "listen Live" - the times listed are Eastern US standard time.....
and here is the WKRP "Turkey Drop" episode,,,, you can fast forward it out to ~1:30 when Johnny Fever sends the Broadcast out to Les Nessman,,, very funny !
With Thanksgiving right upon us,,, Let's remember days past,,,,,,,,,,,,
In My House ... the morning of Turkey day is not the Macy's Day Parade,, but THE LAST WALTZ, and Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant,,
The Last Waltz was a concert by the Band held on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. Billed as a "farewell" performance after 16 years of touring, the concert saw The Band joined by more than a dozen special guests, including Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood and Neil Young. Martin Scorcese's films documented that Final Performance. and unlike Other breakups,,, THE BAND never performed together again,.. These were the guys that were with Dylan in the days when he - Dylan - moved from Acoustic folk music to electric,,,and began to get boo'd - especially at the Newport Festival,,, it was THE BAND that provided Most of the ELECTRIC - to Dylan's Electric concerts... And the Band is credited for changing American Music and influencing artists in the late 60's early 70's with their Album "Music From Big Pink" - Big Pink being the y house they all lived in in Woodstock...
We in the Hudson Valley have been lucky enough to see some of the guys over the years perform (as they live ) locally,,, Although there was an article last week that Garth Hudson showed up at Levon's Midnight Ramble, and that was a big deal. You used to be able to see Rick Danko play at Tinker Street, and the Joyous Lake - both in Woodstock,, and he was on occasion joined by Levon or Garth.
So ,,, Richard Manuel took his own life in 1986, Rick Danko passed on Dec 10th, 1999 of Hard living,,, Robbie Robertson is still making music, but has never really reconnected with his Band Mates,,, Garth Hudson lives near Woodstock, and we have seen him and His Wife Maude on occasion,,, recently joining Cowboy Junkies at the Bearsville Theater, Levon Helm - Woodstock resident, Performs Weekly at his Midnight Ramble,, and his CD of last year "DIRT FARMER" won a Grammy. Seeing Levon at the Village Green in Woodstock, or having Lunch at Taco Juans, or a Coffee at Bread Alone in not an uncommon site,,, After Beating Throat Cancer, he has refound his musical Life .. and is turning into an American music legend. So here is a Video from the LAST WALTZ,, there are many others posted - so check 'em out! - you can go get the Full DVD of the Last Waltz on DVD or BLU Ray!!! -
Now - at About noon time on Thanksgiving day,,, Both WDST or WPDH will be playing this version of Alice's Restaurant,,, WE have always listened to ARLO,,, Now probably not many children these days would know the GROUP W bench,,, but mine do,, and I hope that their exposure to Arlo has helped to make them aware of the past,,and that they will be listening to Arlo with their Kids, and that part of our family history is then passed to the next generations,,,and we hope that they will live in a time of PEACE and that singing is a way to End War..
but for now let's just listen to Arlo and make sure that you are singing along when he gets to the Part of "you can get anything you want at Alice's restaurant" cause as Arlo says "You got to sing loud if you wanna Stop War and stuff"
I want them to stop looking to me for answers, begging me to speak again, write again, be a leader. I want them to start thinking for themselves. I want my privacy.
With the Thanksgiving holiday nearly upon us,,, I am reflecting on issues of the past, and bringing them into the present day..
This story appeared on CNN.com WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some 691,000 children went hungry in America sometime in 2007, while close to one in eight Americans struggled to feed themselves adequately even before this year's sharp economic downturn, the Agriculture Department reported Monday.
Talk about disgusting,,, 700,000 children,,,?? what the hell kinda nation are we ? These are our children after all,,, regardless of circumstance,Race, color, social-economic background,, ,, "they" (the children) did not ask for it,,THEY were born into it,, and victims of IT ..
Back in the early 70's,, Harry Chapin , at the bequest of Bill Ayres... started to raise money and awareness of the Needs of the hungry people in America,,, Millions were raised, and W.H.Y. has branched out into many different organizations, in most/all the major cities around the country,,, even though most folks thought that the Organization would die, when Harry died in an auto accident in 1981. However , his family and fans kept it going, and unfortunately the need is greater today then almost at any time in the past. If you saw Harry play back in that day , it was most likely a Benefit show,,, about 75 % of his shows were and toured over 200 days a year ! Harry would always remind you during the concert about why you needed to contribute,,, with facts on how many children were going to sleep that night hungry,, how 25% of the canned Dog and Cat food sold, was sold to senior citizens that ate it themselves,,, or just what good did Food drives do for Holidays ,,, cause "What the hell were those folks gonna eat the day AFTER Thanksgiving" ??!!!??
So, with Harry's birthday just around the corner - December 7th,,I ask that after you read this BLOG that you go to the store and buy food to donate, or clean out your Pantry, and give that food away. Think Globally and Act locally is VERY appropriate here. There are more folks than you know right in your own communities that need your help. Just think of those Children ....
PART II - Harry Chapin
There are those artists that do not translate to Canned media,,, that their Voices, and Musical talents do not come across on a record, or CD. That they are so much more LIVE then recorded,,, kinda like a "picture" of the picture of the Mona Lisa,,, it does not translate - so to Speak,,, Harry was one of those performers. He did not come across on studio recordings anywhere near what you got seeing and hearing him LIVE. His presence on STAGE was electric. I was fortunate to see him many times,, at the "Chance" with and without his band,,, SPAC,, Rockland Community College, and a few times at what is arguably the worst concert location,, Mid-Hudson Civic center. however, I will try to relate the tale of one VERY special night.
it was a Fall Concert for the Benefit of WHY. You were asked to Bring canned food to donate, and that the proceeds from the concert were going to the WHY organization. Harry walked on stage alone,, although the entire bands instruments were there. As he spoke, HE could not, his voice so hoarse it was barely a whisper. He told us - he could not sing... but as it was a benefit,, he did not want to cancel the show,, and that his brothers Tom, and Steve would sing the songs,,, and that his band - Doug Walker, Howie Fields, BIG John Wallace, and I think it was Yvonne Cabel on the Cello .. were all there,, BUT - anyone who wanted their Money back could get a refund by returning the ticket to the Civic Center.
His brothers never got the chance to sing.... the Audience - we sang every word of every song,,,It was the most amazing show ever! They Played for over Two hours.. Then for the 1st Encore, they came out and did "Mail-Order Annie" Harry Started that one, actually just speaking the words,, but playing the harmonica as the Audience finished the Song,,, the 2nd Encore was Harry alone, clearly with tears in his eyes.. and his band watching from the side of the stage, he sat on the edge of the stage,,, he said "shhhhhhhhh" and Did an acapella version of "You are the only Song" - you could ave heard a pin drop until the Thunderous Appaluse at the end !
I doubt if anyone asked for their Money back,,, Harry, the band the road crew, sound guys - were all at the Exits as the Audience left the Civic Center.. to shake hands,,, You CANNOT get that from an effing Recording !!
SO here are a few from Harry,,, Remember him, donate food to those who are less fortunate,,, Pay it Forward ... If you check YOUTUBE there are many other selections from Harry Chapin, Mr. Tanner, Story of a Life, and Better Place to be,, but I'll let you find them on your own,, , if you never saw him,, maybe you can get a bit of what kinda Energy he brought, and if you had seen him you can .....Remember when the Music....................
W.O.L.D.
Harry started shows with this song,,, as he would come out alone, and add the pieces as the song went along...
All right , you talked me into another one
Mr Tanner,,,, Music was his life,,,it was not his lively hood,,, it just made him Whole.....
Those who do not Learn from history are Doomed ,,, well doomed to repeat it !!
The Proposed Bailout of GM is not w/o precedence,,, back in the day,,,, Lee Iaccoca persuaded Congress to Bailout Chrysler,,,, Tom Paxton wrote a very pointed song about it called "I am Changing my Name to Chrysler" - Arlo Guthrie covered that on the Precious Friends LP with Pete Seeger,,, and Arlo - as he is known to do,,, updated that tune to be "I am changing MY name to Fannie Mae " !! I have included Both the Chrysler, and Fannie Mae versions below.,...you enjoy ,,,, and - ain't you kinda glad that I'm in debt to you" ??
And,,,,if you wish to review what the Chrysler bailout looked like ,,, check the link,....
Every person has with in them the ability to do GREAT things ,,, if that is Climbing mountains, completing a Tri-Athalon, running a Marathon, flying a plane, swimming the English channel, or simply living in their life,,
This touch-stone is CHALLENGE.
At times the day-to-day struggles of Modern life impede on our ability to see the big picture, to see our impact on others, and on the earth. They talk Carbon footprint,, but our lives impact those around us more than just by what toilet paper and counter cleaner we use,,, We are , at times, too close to the picture so to speak to see it,,, and we should not discount our lives,, each has done great things,,, and continues to do great things. Raising children, continuing a friendship, sustaining a Marriage, all things to be proud of every day,,, PREACHING ON : do not think that your influence is lessened because you are not the CEO of the company, or a Doctor, Lawyer, Actor, Actress, Music star, Dancin for the Stars, etc,,, and we should not let others make us feel less important than we KNOW we are !! Each life Carry's its own importance,, to us, to those close to us,,, DO a "Its a Wonderful Life" - think where thing would be with out you ... How would others react,, who would really miss you?? See - told you that your impact , your GLOBAL footprint is far reaching,, and should be valued -if by no one else - BY YOU ! PREACHING OFF: From the Funeral Scene - The Big Chill "Are not the satisfactions of being a good man among our common men great enough to sustain us any more? Where did Alex's hope go? Maybe that is the small resolution we can take from here today. To try to regain that hope that must have eluded Alex."
warning!! Borrowed thoughts, !! I think about my Parents generation , the satisfactions of being a good man was enough to sustain them. I watched that sense of satisfaction start slipping away in my generation,, and now into my children's it seems to be utterly gone.
This America no longer supports such satisfaction. We have created a place that is very hard to walk through with grace. Perhaps "how" can be answered better once WE as Americas reestablish identity for ourselves, for it is difficult to be a part of something greater than yourself when you have no idea what that something is.
SO Walk on,,,
Head up high,, not looking down at others but holding our selves up... and ..
WHY NOT SMILE !!
BTW.,,, search around YOUTUBE for a live version,,, Mike and Mike do this with just an acoustic Guitar, its a great moment in REM's live shows
Zepplin was seriously huge back in the day as they say,,,everyone had a Led Zep LP and ZEPPLIN Music was supposedly good at gettin Girls "in the mood" .... anyway ,, what ever your Opinion of the Band - Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and the late, John Bonham,,, they were a huge commercial success and did - IMHO - make some great music,,,
These two videos for today are mostly Page and Plant -
Gallows Pole is this one,,
That instrument being cranked is a Hurdy Gurdy. aka "wheel fiddle",,
and this one with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant ,,, Gone, Gone, Gone
Oh boy - so two unique subjects today,,,,THAT web counter that I stated did not work on my BLOG ,,, is working,,, I did step one,,, Signing up for and registering that Blog with the "SITE METER" folks,,, That said I needed to do a 2nd part of the installation and embed the METER into the BLOG WEB PAGE ! DOH !!! It is working, and there are actually a few hits on this page ,,, SO I feel better about not always "talking" to my self,,, The next goal is already realized as someone ACTUALLY commented on a few of my Posts !!! I am Ecstatic !! You, who ever the hell you are, are now in BIG effin trouble,,, as I now have a new found Exuberance in writing , thinking that THE undefined YOU - might just be reading and "playing along" - so to speak !! SO - get ready for more and continued Dribble !!
I said I had two subjects,,, so the olde saying "if you have your health - you have everything" well I do not know about have everything crap,,, but,,, yoowwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeee My G.D. leg is killin me,,,,
I think this is the Hamstring muscle the one that goes right up into what can only be described as the "ASS" muscle !!
No way I can run with the leg like this,,,, I think right now , the Turkey trot is definitely in Jeopardy (FU Alex Trebek) and maybe the WDW Marathon ,,,, Shhhh,,, I cannot bear to say that out loud,,, although I am better today then yesterday,,, that Hammy feels horrible,,, I guess I am hoping that there is no tear,,, only strained ,,,, started with working on the floor, and really got Bad (I am a little fuzzy on this good - bad thing ) on Monday's 7 miler,,, I knew I felt too good going out,,, clicking off at 8 1/2 min / mi - fast for me - and I should have stopped when it started to hurt badly coming back,,, BUT no,,, MACHO ME = ASSHOLE,,, and now I can't even jog @!!! ....DAMN !
Greetings,,, THE FUTURE ??? what is out there waiting for us ?? Long term or short time? No one knows,,,, Even those with grandiose plans have not a friggin clue,,, you could get trampled by a Cement Mixer, or win the Lottery.. It is part of what makes living exciting,,, and yup sometimes frustrating,,,, We do not get a Delorean to go back and forth with,,, I kind of wonder if we had one would we want to know ?? Really?? Think about it,...If our actions beget certain ends, and those actions be changed - do the outcomes differ... or is it FATE ???
Say "Crystal Ball" reading becomes a Science that is 99 percent accurate,,, Tarrot cards really for tell our Futures,,, what the Heck fun is that,,,, Is it not the wonderment of the unknown that keeps us moving forward, that keeps us living for today and dreaming of the tomorrows???
That we plan and hope and look forward to events, hoping that our best laid plans come to pass - hey that's all part of Living,,,, and adjusting tho what life has to offer is sometime hard to see as normal.,, but how we react to what happens to us is as important as what happens to us,,, SO put your Magic 8 Ball away,,, stop reading those stupid Horoscopes,,, and live as if this was it ! Easy to say , hard to do,,, Live in the present and plan for the future,,,,
So .. All my life's a Circle,,,............. Much more later,,,,
Yup,.that's Mark Knoffler,,,, If you don't have this CD ,,, GET it !!
OLD one... Back in the DAY - with Andrew Gold, Kenny Edwards, Russ Knuckel, Leland Sklar, and a guy from Pleasant Valley ,,, Brock Walsh
and a bonus,,,, Zevon song - Hasten Down the Wind....
OK,, you talked me into a 3rd,,,, Someone to Laydown beside Me,,, On the Piano Danny Grosch - passed of Liver Cancer years back - and of Course WADDY on the guitar ..
Greetings,,, or MAYBE not,, as you will see , and read,,, This post is a strange-o one.
So, Let's get at it,,, I have enlisted the services of a WEB counter, specifically SITE METER, that does some fancier things for you than just count visits to your site,,, things that a Plain Vanilla COUNTER at the page bottom does cannot do... ,,,
BTW as of today there have been 1184 hits to the Celery Consciousness page..
BUT - that said - SITE METER says Zip, Zero, NADA, None !! The Data from the Site Meter is pasted in below,,, This means essentially - that I have Blogging to myself for these past months , the only visitor is MY BLOG IS ME !! Jesus what a sorry state,,, what does that say about me ?,,, my personal relationships? My Communication Skills?? I will tell you what it means,,, and does not mean,,, IT does not mean $hit !! It means that the Site meter - although a fine piece of software, and an outstanding application, is not picking up all the traffic to my BLOG !! and that I will go on Blogging, and Posting if for no-ones enjoyment other than MY OWN !! So you - Constant Reader - You can keep coming back for more , and I will continue to add new stuff to keep YOU ,,,, Ahhh ME ,,, Amused ,,, BTW --- Thanks for Visiting !!!
Site Summary VISITS
Total = 0 Average Per Day = 0 Average Visit Length = 0 Last Hour = 0 Today = 0 This Week 0
Would you think they need to add the additional ZEROS to the AVG per day,,and Avg Visits,, after they tell you that the TOTAL hits is ZERO, I GET IT ALREADY ! That's just rubbin my nose in it - am I right???
This video is one of my NEW Favorite songs,,,, Played in the Background on HOUSE.. I was in the Episode 97 SECONDS,,, The guy in the Wheel chair dies because Thirteen does not ensure he takes the Pills,, and his dog dies with him because the dog eats the pills,, and it the one where the kid was in the head on accident, and DIES for 97 seconds,, and he tells House that it was the Best 97 Seconds of his life,,,you enjoy this one,, its Alanis Morrisette - NOT AS WE..
and A Pearl Jam offering,,, "Off he Goes" - you have to love the line,,, "Nothings changed but the surrounding Bullshit... That has grown",,
And finally,,, sorry about all these,,,, but on the way to pickup my morning Production reports off the Copier,,, I saw a calendar in the dumpster in the Hall,,
A Vangogh calendar,,,, opened to "Starry Night", and was immediately reminded of "VINCENT" .... so ..................
Well,, OK,, hang on now,,, I was thinking more along the lines of HARP Players !! John Popper, Elwood Blues (aka Dan Akroyd), etc,,,
I am reminded - just recently - that there are Players, and then there are players,,,, I need to list out several that I have had the pleasure of hearing over the years,,,,along with Popper, and Ackroyd,,there is,, James Montgomery, South Side Johnny Lyon, Delbert McClinton, John Sebastian (who knew), Robbie Dupree, And as these gentlemen are difficult to separate,,, others like Arlo Guthrie, Dylan, Neil Young play the harp to accompany their music,,, there are IMHO a few that are GODS in this category,,,, I have had the privilege to hear BOTH James Cotton, and Richard "Magic Dick" Salwitz.
Magic Dick played for years with one of My favorite bands,,, J. Geils Band,,, and to this day , I have all of "FULL HOUSE" and "BLOW YOUR FACE OUT" on my I-pod,,, even though my wife says "hey that's old music !" ,, "we had that on a Record - 30 years ago, and you would play it on the T-bird's 8 track player when we were dating"... well then call me an old man that still plays the music too Freakin loud and sings along with the band. That "Blow your Face" Record had a footnote actually pressed into the Vinyl at the center "MADE LOUD TO PLAY LOUD".. So Magic Dick's version of "WHAMMER JAMMER" rocks to this day,,, if you listen to that and do not tap your feet, or bob your head , or get up and dance..- call the paramedics- you must have passed away !!
Now,, the Master, James "Super Harp" Cotton, this man , now 73 years old is still rockin - you can catch him at BB King's in NYC on Jan 17th ! http://www.jamescottonsuperharp.com/
I have seen James play at "The Chance" and met him back stage there many years ago,. At Dutchess college where James Montgomery opened for him,, and then Cotton came out and just blew the roof off the building for 2 hours.,,, and then years later in Pawling - at the Town Crier..He has no voice,,, a problem , possibly Cancer , took most of that,,, However, none of that seems to have slowed him down. He is a legend in the Blues community, Played with Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Howlin Wolf,, and received a Grammy for his work on HARD AGAIN , a 1977 recording by Muddy Waters that was produced by Johnny Winter, who played on the recording with Pine Top Perkins, and BIG EYES Willie Smith.
These men - Magic Dick, James Cotton - were instrumental in forming the basis of this young white man's music background,, The Blues - at least played the way way these guy play it is the greatest music in the world, and the Basis for what we all know today to be Rock & Roll Music,, I have included Videos below of Both,,,and I hope you will use the WEB and YOUTUBE to explore more of their music, as this is real Genius
Any Damn fool that happens to be walking and or running down the road can be "attacked" or chased by a dog,,,, but it takes a "special" kind of person to be chased by a Deer !!!
I am just past the firehouse on Townsend Blvd,,, headed out for my midday 7 miler - Out and back,, what everyone at the REC calls "doin the DEADEND". I look to the left and here is this smallish deer ,, a Buck - spike horn, cept he has one broken spike,,,, standing in the Driveway of a house. I pay no mind,,, then I look up ahead and here he has not moved away, but come up to the guardrail,,, I swing out into the road and across the street,,,, I pass him,,,, I hear a clunk,,, and turn-around,,, the clunk must have been his hoof hitting the Rail as he jumped over it and is right behind me about 25 feet!! Ok, WHAT is Going ON ??? I stop,,, HE Stops.... I walk ,,, HE walks ,, but now he's getting closer to me. I start to run,,, HE STARTS TO RUN . I Stop,,, HE STOPS,,, I walk Backwards,,, HE FOLLOWS ME,,, now so close I could touch his head !! WTF !!! A car comes and her runs into the woods,,,, The guy stops,, "have you ever seen that before??" No the guy says,,, and "the Car chased him off" ,,, I say ,,, I don't think so,, as I look past the Car HERE HE IS , lookin at me from behind a bush,,,, the car leaves ,,, he runs off again,,, then returns,,,, I jog along,,, lookin back ,,, HE FOLLOWS me for another 50 yards , then loses interest,,,,
I tell this story to my Technician (he a big hunter guy),,, "Have you ever heard of that, a deer following someone like that ? " ,, no he says but some one else told him about that same story two weeks ago,,, and sure enough,,, I check that out and it seems Bambi's cousin has been doin this - following runners near there - for about a month!! Nice,,, so now I have a Story, when it comes to the CAN YOU TOP THIS game,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Greeting Fellow readers of this BLOG,, I like tp pretend that someone else is looking at this crap otherwise its kinda like talkin to my self,,,, What the Point !>!>!
I thought that I would throw these up a few days early for YOU (ahhhh me) to enjoy,,, and YUP I got a ROCK !!! Thanks to Kimberly for finding this one !!
and of course ,,,,,,,,,, the worst thing about Halloween is,,,,,,,,,,,,,
With what must have been 3 plus inches of Rain Saturday night,,, the Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon day of Sunday broke out a bit foggy on the drive up,,,and a little slow as I found my way to the John Boyd Thacher State park,,a little South and West of Albany,,,http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=125
Greeted in the parking lot by Screams, and yelling Halloween like sounds coming from huge speakers up near the Start line,,, was just the beginning,,, Many folks in costumes,,, the Hairy Gorilla him/her self,, a few Tin men,, a Scarecrow or two,,, and Geico lizards,, a Pirate , AKA Jack Sparrow,,, ,,, the Race announcement were short and sweet,,, "The Course is a mess,,, Wet and Muddy,,, don't even try to stay Dry !" He was not kidding,,, a half mile in we are "running" through water up to mid calf,, and it just got better from there, Crossing a stream - at least that washed off the mud - plodding thru hundreds of yards of 6 inch deep mud,,, running ?? not possible,,, just had to walk,,, same with many of the Up hill, and down hills,,, way too slippery to even Jog,,, had to more or less slide down,The folks there said that this was by a 100 factor - the worst that the course has ever been,,, Well - we finished in about 2 and 1/2 hours, collected out Little stuffed Hairy Gorilla "medals" ,, and were a MUD MESS !! Washed off our legs in a clean puddle near the Parking lot,, donned some dry clothes - Gee the Warm dry socks actually felt weird.. We were able to secure the last two pieces of lasagna, along with some Taco Salad,,,, The State park is beautiful , and the race was unique to say the least, and very well organized by the Albany Running exchange. Certainly an event to add to the running calendar for next year,,,,
Other runners crossing the creek,,,if you look real close in the background you can see us (Annette and me) ,,,
Greetings,,,, Here are TWO Friday videos for ya....
I picked up the DVD/CD "Trinity Sessions Revisited". This was a redux of the Junkies CD "Trinity Sessions" that was recorded in Trinity Church in Toronto, the Revisited DVD has Natalie, Vic Chestnut, and Brian Adams,, check it out ..
I now have a new Love of Both Natalie, and Margo....
Then the 10,000 Maniacs , with Rhinecliff resident Natalie Merchant. (is anyone prettier than her??) and Michael Stipe, I MUST get me one of those HATS !!!
Happy Birthday to Mickey Mantle - he would have been 77 years old today,,,, Seems like an appropriate Birthday for number "7"..... I certainly remember - as a child - going to the stadium with my family,, my Aunt Kathy would get tickets , she worked for a rich guy in Westchester,, and he could get seats,,,, anyway,,, It was nearing the end of the Mick's career,,, so you would always wonder of he would be in the line up.... and if your seat was behind one of those old steel girders that held up the roof ............. Those were simpler days that I remember fondly, but can never go back to,.,,
Date Race Distance Time Overall place Age Place 01/11/09 Disney World Marathon 26.2 Miles 11/27/08 Turkey Trot 25K / 15.5 Miles 10/26/08 Hairy Gorilla 1/2 13.1 Miles 2:39.. Course was underwater ! 10/19/08 Billy Goat 5K 25:16 51 of 123 7 of 15 10/05/08 Putnam County 1/2 13.1 Miles 01:49:27 21 of 44 6 of 11 09/10/08 Fishkool 5k 5k 23:28 31 of 151 09/01/08 Mad Dash 10k 47:55 97 of 232 19 of 46 06/21/08 Summer Solstice 15k 01:15:00 97 of 196 05/26/08 Woodstock Memorial day 15k 1:19:45 61 of 135 04/20/08 Kingston Classic 10k 51:55 216 of 463 35 of 73
From Les Miserables..................it's Master of the House..... I love the line ,,,,,,,,,,, "Charge you for the Lice, extra for the Mice,,, two percent for looking in the Mirror twice" !!
John Sebastian opened,,,with about a 1/2 hour set - 6 song set ,,, topped off with John Hall joining him on electric guitar for that very old - 1966 - Lovin Spoonful song (written by John Sebastian) "Did you ever have to make up your mind".......
Nanci Griffith was next ,,,, she played for nearly an hour,,,,and featured "Trouble in the Fields", "It's a Hard Life wherever you go" "Love at the Five and Dime", and "From a Distance" a song made more famous by Bette Midler than Nanci. She had only an accompanying Guitar/Background vocal guy....
After a short - huh - discussion of Legislative business by the Congressman,,, It was Bonnie Raitt,,,,, She played from just before 9pm to 10:30pm,,, and was of course amazing,, Opened with "Love me like a Man" John Sebastian played the Harp with her,,, followed by "Dimming of the Day", Randy Newman's "Political Science" , "Thing called love" , "Give 'em something to talk about" - as she said - "ah - so much for the Acoustic show" and YES, she can really play that Electric Slide Guitar ,,,. John Hall played Electric guitar with her on "Thing, and Talk about" , she closed with John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery" with everyone , Nanci,John,John, etc joining her. For the 2nd Encore, Pete Seeger - who got a huge Standing ovation, joined the group and sang "Where have all the Flowers gone , & If I had a Hammer" Pete does not have much voice left at 89,,, but that did not stop the Audience from singing along !!
John Hall closed the show with everyone remaining on stage , he did Little Steven VanZandt's "I am a Patriot"
I have seen Bonnie Raitt play 3 times now,,, She joined Orleans on stage at the Chance back in the ahhhhhhhhh late 70's,,,, We saw her with Jackson Browne at Jones Beach - this was THE Best, or nearly the best concert that I have ever been to. Jackson started that show with just an acoustic guitar, but was quickly joined by Bonnie, and her Band for and hour and a half set, then Bonnie was back playing her songs, with Jackson on the piano, and Guitar for another 2 hours !! She is an amazing musician that is not to be missed if you ever get the chance to see her,,,
Shwshank Redemption was taken from the Stephen King book.. Different Seasons,,,,,
The 4 Stories were.. Hope Springs eternal,, "Rita Hayworth and Shwshank Redemption", Summer of Corruption - "Apt Pupil, Fall from Innocence - "The Body (that movie was Stand by Me..) The Winters's Tale,,, "The Breathing Method"
The Scene from Shawshank Redemption,,,, when Red is reading the Letter from Andy,,,,,
Geology is the study of pressure & time. That's all it takes, really.Pressure and time. well,,, that & a big Damn Poster..
In 1966 Andy Dufresne escaped from Shawshank Prison.
All they found of him was a muddy set of prison clothes, a bar of soap,and an old rock-hammer damn near worn down to the nub. I remember thinking it would take a man six hundred years to tunnel through the wall with it.
Andy did it in less than twenty...................
Nice,,, the Short Scene from Red October when Sean Cannery tells the Crew there is no turning Back,,,,,,,, "I give us,........................ one chance in Three"
Ok,,,,, so ,,, how many of the folks in the this Video can you name ????
The list is below,,,, well ,,,one of the names on the list is NOT in the Video !! Which one??
Iggy Pop Kanye West Chris Martin , Kris Kristofferson ,Patti Smith,
Terrence Howard , Flea, Q-Tip , Adam Levine,Chris Rock,Justin Timberlake
Kate Moss,Sir Peter Blake,Sheryl Crow,Dennis Hopper,Woody Harrelson
Amy Lee ,,Tommy Lee,Dixie Chicks,Mick Jones,Sharon Stone,Bono
Shelby Lynne,Anthony Kiedis,Travis Barker,Lisa Marie Presley
Kid Rock,Jay Z,Keith Richards,Billy Gibbons,Corinne Bailey Rae
Johnny Depp,Brandon Flowers,Graham Nash,Brian Wilson
Rick Rubin,Owen Wilson,
This is W.C. Fields - in About 1935 - 1940 ..... In those days you needed actual talent .... So give this a look,,,, he did all this himself,,, at least fast forward to the Cigar Boxes at ~2:50 ....
A few Quotes from Fields:
Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake.
I like children - fried.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There's no point in being a damn fool about it.
Women are like elephants. I like to look at 'em, but I wouldn't want to own one.
Everyone in Dutchess County and beyond has heard of Sally, the dog, left to die by some person(s) that deserve to have the full measure of the humane law book heaved at them - several times, if possible. However, along with finding and punishing those responsible, we, as concerned citizens, need to take additional action. Everyone that read the stories and felt for that dog should:
Go to the shelter and visit the animals. You just might find your "best friend" has been waiting for you.
Adopt a dog or cat. We have six - four are shelter cats.
Volunteer to be a dog walker, a cat petter, or whatever else you can do to assist the dedicated staff at the SPCA shelter.
Donate something. Time, money, food, blankets, etc. Visit their Web site or call them to see what they need.
Outraged by the Inhumane treatment of Sally? Now is the time for you to take action.
Greetings,,,, While I assume that no one actually reads this BLOG; If you do, you can help the SPCA here is Dutchess County,,,, Go to the Animal Rescue Site,,, the link is attached and Vote for the Dutchess County SPCA,,,, you can vote everyday !! So Vote Early and Vote often,,,
If we get more votes than anyone else, the shelter gets a $25,000 Grant to help the Animals,,, SO ,, why are you still reading,,,, Click the Link,,,,
If you need extra convincing,,, watch the Video,,,if you can get through that without a tear in your eye, you have bigger problems,, ,, go see a doctor,as you have Icewater instead of Blood.,.............
So, after not seeing any Moose on the Northern Outfitters Canoe Moose Safari,,,, we nearly ran into one on RT 15/6 on the way to Rockwood... only Expert lightning reflexes by Bob in the passenger seat ensured us of 3 Pictures of the Moose as he crossed the Road right in front of the car,,,, or Caaaa as they say in Maine,,, A-yuh....
Belated remembrance....... I missed the anniversary of Warren's death,,, and now having looked it up in WIKIPEDIA,,, I know it was on the 7th of this month,,, 5 Years ago,,, can it be that long ???????? I had the great pleasure of seeing Warren back in the day, at SPAC,,, with Linda Ronstadt, and then years later at "The Chance" ,, him playing both Acoustic, and Electric sets,,,, He was an outstanding Song writer, and Performer,,, with just that sort of Stephen King kinda edge to his songs,,,,, If you do not have any of Warrens music ,, I suggest "Excitable Boy" , "Sentimental Hygiene" and "Stand in the Fire" .. I have Included a few Videos from the Letterman show that was Warrens last real appearance, as he knew at the at time he was dying of inoperable mesothelioma, plus one from back in 1982,,,,
Enjoy the Music,, and Warren,,, I apologize for missin the date....... - Ok - everyone sing along.....
"I saw a Werewolf drinkin a Perrier at Trader Vic's .,... (really scream now) and his Hair was PERFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here's the Steeple !
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