My grandfather and grandmother.

One Man Band

ONE MAN BAND - kewego
Video du studio Pixar (connu pour le dessin animé "1001 Pattes") réalisé par Mark Andrews et Andy Jimenez en 2005.

Deux musiciens de rue s'affrontent pour obtenir une pièce de la part d'une fillette pleine de surprises.

Génial.

Keywords: one man band

Video from pussygalore

Nanci Griffith & Emmy lou Harris

I love Nanci Griffith and I love Emmylou Harris. If you don't, then shame on you. I can't help it. I must share this with you.




You know, both women have voices that touch something way down deep.

Kate Wolf (Back Roads, Although I've Gone Away ) wrote Across the Great Divide, and it's in Nanci's 1993 CD, Other Voices, Other Rooms.



An encore. Beautiful, touching song written by Julie Gold. Goodnight New York. Nanci Griffith and Emmylou Harris.

Lea Salonga

Lea Salonga made her Broadway debut in Miss Saigon in 1991. I first saw her in 1997 in Les Miserables in Concert: the Dream Cast on PBS, in the role of Eponine.

Here, she sings Someone to Watch Over Me to perfection. I've never heard it sung better.



Don't get your hopes up at the end of the song when she introduces a song from Jekyll and Hyde. She only does the intro.

Frank Sinatra

And now ladies and gentlemen the Chairman of the Board, Mr. Frank Sinatra!



iJigg.com

Boston Flood of 1919

The ground covered with light dusting of snow this morning. First such occurrence of the year.

Then I saw this. It must have been a dark and sticky day in Boston. The Great Boston Flood (molasses) of 1919. The bitter with the sweet

And we thought Katrina was bad. From neatorama.com

Victor Zhang - Summer Morning

"It's not too early for breakfast is it?"

"Not if you're hungry, it's not." She smiles and wipes her hands on the blue apron.

"Well I guess I qualify. I'm famished."

I lean towards her and touch her lips with mine.

Negligence, Napoleon and R.E. Lee

I've been negligent. My goal when I started this, was to write something every day. I've missed a few days recently. So, I'm not as perfect as I thought I was, or rather, was going to be. But, I already knew that. I learned it unfortunately, not too long ago. Why is it that by the time we learn many of the important lessons of life, we're almost too old for them to have any practical application? I suppose that's just the way it works out for some of us. Better late than never. And, I'm wrong that these valuable lessons don't have any practical application for the more mature amongst us. Having open heart surgery taught me many lessons and I use them all the time. I think I'm more compassionate, less critical and more patient of others, and of myself. The wheels of life turn more smoothly. Especially with my wife, and the two boys. So I guess maybe I haven't been all that negligent.

My younger guy (eleven) has been home from school all week. I took him to the doctor on Tuesday. She said it might be mono (Epstein-Barr virus), but they're testing for other things as well. It's been so warm that ticks are still up and about, so Lyme disease is a possibility. I still find ticks on the dog. We should know something more by Monday.

Anyway. A friend sent a picture yesterday that I thought you might like.



I hope they're as friendly as they appear to be.

We had the first snow of the winter this morning. Barely enough to cover the ground. It'll all be gone by noon. And, I hear all the time that there's no such thing as global warming.

This was in a Dallas paper this morning.

What killed Napoleon Bonaparte?

For Dallas pathologist, French emperor's pants size proves it wasn't poison
Dallas Morning News, Sunday, January 14, 2007


Isn't that a grabber. How can one not read the story?

Thought for today that I think came from the AP, "Truth is not a diet but a condiment." — Christopher Darlington Morley, American journalist (1890-1957). Just be careful to enunciate clearly when you quote that at the dinner table.

Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia on this day in 1807.

Wikipedia has a lot about Lee.

"When I was eleven, I had several callbacks to play Regan in The Exorcist. While I was under consideration, I developed a severe kidney infection. I wound up in the hopital for two weeks, taking me out of the running and sparing me from a life of horse worship and roller disco movies." April Winchell January 10th

I didn't know that. Did you? I did meet the woman who was Linda Blair's stand-in for the Exorcist. She got sick from being in a meat locker for so long for some scenes. Filmed somewhere on the West side of Manhattan near 10th Avenue.

Liar, liar....& Let it snow!

I have an e-mail account at Yahoo, but I don't go there very often. About the only mail I get is from Nancy or Robert trying to sell me Viagra or something to enlarge my penis. I got an offer the other day to enter a lottery to pick the date Bush is going to start the war with Iran. I'm not a gambling man. I get those popups of some girl asking if I want to "hook up tonight". All I want to do tonight is get a good night's sleep.

Anyway, I went to Yahoo this morning to see if Robert or Nancy sent anything. (You know, they would get a lot more business from people like me if they sent free samples. And how do I know if this enlargement stuff doesn't enlarge other parts of my body as well? Has it been tested?) Nothing from Nancy or Robert but I did have something from Jill, Candy and Penelope. Penelope, there's a name you don't hear often these days.

And then an e-mail from my wife caught my eye. We live in the same house, but she gets a kick out of sending me e-mails. Sometimes she sends me a note via the postal service to alert me to the fact that I have an e-mail. I really should check my e-mail more often.

My wife has a great sense of humor and this one is funny. I thought I'd pass it on. I don't know this guy Andy Borowitz, but he's funny, and he looks like a pleasant enough fellow.
The story is about President Bush and the problem he has with his pants catching on fire.

While I'm still laughing from that one, I notice one from my friend Bob who usually sends me a lot of chain letters, which I never pass on. I know. I know. I'm taking a big chance. This one, however, wasn't a chain letter. It was excerpts from the diary of a guy who sounds a lot like me.

Subject: Diary of a snow shovel
> > December 8 6:00 PM It started to snow. The first
> > snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails
> > and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft
> > flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma
> > Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again.
> > I love snow!
> >
> > December 9 We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal
> > white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a
> > fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the
> > whole world? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had!
> > Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again.
> > I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon
> > the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks
> > and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What
> > a perfect life!
> >
> > December 12 The sun has melted all our lovely snow.
> > Such a disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to worry;
> > we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on
> > Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much
> > snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow
> > again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man,
> > I'm glad he's our neighbor.
> >
> > December 14 Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night.
> > The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything
> > sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed
> > up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the
> > life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried
> > everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite
> > this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this
> > way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.
> >
> > December 15 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and
> > bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car
> > and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants
> > a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's
> > silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.
> >
> > December 16 Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass
> > on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell.
> > The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.
> >
> > December 17 Still way below freezing. Roads are too
> > icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had
> > to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but
> > stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've
> > bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate
> > it when she's right. I can't believe I'm freezing to death in
> > my own living room.
> >
> > December 20 Electricity's back on, but had another 14
> > inches of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took
> > all day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find
> > a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy
> > playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only
> > hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower
> > and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I
> > think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city
> > will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.
> >
> > December 22 Bob was right about a white Christmas
> > because 13 more inches of the white shit fell today, and
> > it's so cold, it probably won't melt till August. Took me
> > 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and
> > then I had to piss. By the time I got undressed, pissed
> > and dressed again. I was too tired to shovel. Tried to
> > hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the
> > winter, but he says he's too busy. I think the asshole is
> > lying.
> >
> > December 23 Only 2 inches of snow today. And it
> > warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the
> > front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts?!!
> > Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She
> > says she did but I think she's lying.
> >
> > December 24 6 inches - Snow packed so hard by
> > snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having
> > a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who
> > drives that snow plow, I'll drag him through the snow
> > by his balls and beat him to death with my broken shovel.
> > I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to
> > finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at
> > 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've
> > just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas
> > carols with her and open our presents, but I was too
> > busy watching for the damn snowplow.
> >
> > December 25 Merry f---ing Christmas! 20 more
> > inches of the damn slop tonight - Snowed in. The idea
> > of shoveling makes my blood boil. God, I hate the
> > snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a
> > donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel.
> > The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's a
> > fricking idiot. If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life"
> > one more time, I'm going to stuff her into the microwave.
> >
> > December 26 Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever
> > move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on
> > my nerves.
> >
> > December 27 Temperature dropped to -30 and the
> > pipes froze; plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for
> > him, he only charged me $1,400 to replace all my pipes.
> >
> > December 28 Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed
> > in. The BITCH is driving me crazy!!!
> >
> > December 29 10 more inches. Bob says I have to
> > shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest
> > thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?
> >
> > December 30 Roof caved in. I beat up the snow
> > plow driver, and now he is suing me for a million dollars,
> > not only the beating I gave him, but also for trying to
> > shove the broken snow shovel up his ass. The wife went
> > home to her mother. Nine more inches predicted.
> >
> > December 31 I set fire to what's left of the house. No
> > more shoveling.
> >
> > January 8 Feel so good. I just love those little white
> > pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

Two laughs before 5:30 in the morning ain't bad.

Tatoos for food program

Yet another fragment from my drafts folder that I forgot.




Food drive leaves lasting mark

Owner of Jason's Tattoo gave discounts for customers who donated

By BERNARD BAKER
Register & Bee staff writer
December 14, 2006


DANVILLE - A food drive by a local tattoo/piercing parlor and a graphic design shop netted nearly 400 pounds of food for God’s Store House.





You Said It! "Lots of women smoke. I don't know many that dip. But I wish that you would print it and I wish somebody would please tell me how a woman kisses a man, no matter how many times he brushes his teeth, that's been dipping. Please tell me."

Psychics search for lost dog

I just discovered these in my draft folder. They must be a couple of weeks old, so you may have already seen them.

Psychics join search for lost dog
Owego owner told someone has his pet
Press and Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton, NY










Coyote Killing Contest Prompt Howls StarTribune.net, Casper, Wyoming

Police shoot samurai sword man Coventry.co.uk Coventry, UK

"Friendship is a sheltering tree." Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The war in Iraq and the war in this country (one a civil war, the other a war of incivility) have been discussed enough, for now. Time for a change.


Vitamin C


James Taylor




McFly

Jeremiah was a bullfrog, he was good friend of mine.
I never understood a single word he said but I helped him drink
his whine. He always had some mighty fine wine. Sing it Joy to the
world...all the boys and girls now , joy to the fishies in the deep blue
sea and joy to you and me.
Jerimiah Was A Bullfrog Creedence Clearwater Revival

Two friends sing Girl From the North Country
Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash "She once was a true love of mine."




Collen Ann Fitzpatrick, better known as Vitamin C , (Graduation) Friends Forever. Do you notice a smackering of Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D?



And this is a very friendly version of Mr. Pachelbel's famous canon, played on the electric guitar by a young man whose name I know not. His link on YouTube is http://www.youtube.com/user/Felonaz




Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross
That's What Friends are For





James Taylor wrote and recorded You've Got a Friend in the 70s. McFly's music video of the song is quite unique and touching.



These guys apparently like each other. I suppose they're friends. They're cute I can tell you. What are they?

Snow is slippery

And then there was Chris Matthews talking to his good buddy, Tony Snow.

"So he (Bush) will seek congressional approval before any action against Iran?"

"You're talking about something we're not even discussing...."

"Yeah, you are Tony, cause look at this, (Quoting Bush) "I recently ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group to the region." Isn't that about Iran?"

"Yeah, it's about...uh, yeah, it is. In part. And what it is, is it's saying we're
gonna make sure when anybody tries to take aggressive action...but when Bill Clinton sent a carrier task force into the South China Sea after North Korea fired a missile over Japan that was not as a prelude to war against North Korea. You know how it works!"

Snow didn't say "pal!" but I thought he was. He did give the big smile and silently wink at Matthews. You know how it works!

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was born in Cheraw, South Carolina.
He was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, and composer. Gillespie, with Charlie Parker, was a major figure in the development of bebop and modern jazz.

YouTube has some excellent videos of Dizzy Gillespie performing. This is one. Follow link for more. [Link]

The Birds are Turkey Vultures

Remember The Birds,directed by Alfred Hitchcock, 1963? Well, Chatham, a small town in southern Virginia, not far from the North Carolina border, has a bird problem too. The birds are buzzards (turkey vultures, Spanish (Mexico): el Zopilote, Cherokee: Suli) [Link]
About 300 of the critters have taken up residence in the little village, to the discomfort of the human inhabitants.

Shooting a turkey vulture is out of the question as they are protected by United States Code Title 16, Chapter 7, Subchapter I , International Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.

Chatham Police Chief Floyd Poindexter: “The buzzards are nothing new here. They’ve just never been this close to residential areas. We don’t want them that close to residential areas.

"Why they like Chatham, I don't know."

Facts about turkey vultures you may not want to know (courtesy,TURKEY VULTURE FACTS, MAPS, and STATISTICS:

There is an important purpose to the vulture's bald head. When the vulture is eating carrion, it must often stick its head inside the carcass to reach the meat. A feathery head would capture unwanted pieces of the vulture's meal, along with all the bacteria it hosts. After mealtime, the turkey vulture perches in the heat of the sun. Here, whatever has managed to cling to the few bits of fuzz on their head will be baked off once and for all.

The turkey vulture is one of the only birds in North America with a sense of smell. This vulture relies both on its keen eyesight and powerful nose to search out food.

The Turkey Vulture, contrary to popular belief, does not feed strictly on carrion.
This bird enjoys plant matter as well, including shoreline vegetation, pumpkin, and bits of other crops. The Turkey Vulture soars above the ground for most of the day, searching for food with its excellent eyesight and highly developed sense of smell.

Non aggressive and non-confrontational, the Turkey vulture will not feed on live prey.

p.s. [Link]
to "Buzzards take over cell tower" at BoingBoing.


Watch for buzzards on bridge (click photo for larger view) courtesy Flickr

Presidential Signing Statements Started with James Monroe

Regarding The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, (H.R. 6407) signed into law on December 20.

This is one of the signing statements added to the bill by Mr. Bush. (The entire statement [Link] )

The executive branch shall construe subsection 404(c) of title 39, as enacted by subsection 1010(e) of the Act, which provides for opening of an item of a class of mail otherwise sealed against inspection, in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances, such as to protect human life and safety against hazardous materials, and the need for physical searches specifically authorized by law for foreign intelligence collection.

Press Secretary Tony Snow said yesterday that the government needs this power to inspect mail in cases of emergency.

The concern being expressed by many is in the White House definition of emergency. Some fear it may be whatever Bush want it to be.

Presidential signing statements can be traced back to James Monroe. The American Presidency Project [Link] has a lot of information about signing statements issued by many past presidents and the particular concern with statements issued by President Bush.

The ACLU calls the signing statement "deliberate ambiguity".

Senator Charles Schumer, D-NY :

"This last-minute, irregular and unauthorized reinterpretation of a duly passed law is the exact type of maneuver that voters so resoundingly rejected in November."

Senator Susan Collins of Maine, Republican sponsor of the bill:

"It is my hope that the administration will clarify its intent with this recent statement,"

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, says Bush is:

"willing to circumvent those legal protections intended to safeguard both our citizens' privacy and our national security."

God Speaks to Pat Robertson Again

The Viginian-Pilot[Link]
"The Lord didn't say nuclear. "But I do believe it will be something like that." Pat Robertson



"God is Love--tough Love."

Yesterday, Rev. Pat Robertson revealed to a waiting world part of a discussion he recently had with God almighty. Robertson said the informal talk included topics of the weather, politics, Gerald Ford's, Saddam Hussein's and James Brown's death. "God was pretty proud of the way that worked out, with all three going on the same weekend" Robertson said.

The major topics of the talk, of course, were homosexuality and abortion. Poverty, disease and the Iraq war never came up, according to Robertson. "God told me that until the homo thing and baby killing are squared away, he couldn't even begin to talk poverty and that other stuff." Mr. Robertson said that God is "really getting PO'd with these secular humanist, liberal, leftie, commies " and that He is "going to put (his) foot down, pretty soon." According to Mr. Robertson, "God is planning something really big for the end of '07. Something along the lines of a terrorist attack. I mean a BIG terrorist attack. Lots and lots of death and destruction."

When asked for a more specific date and details of how God's wrath will be dispensed, Robertson said, "God wouldn't be more specific than to say the end of 2007. He's holding his cards pretty close to his chest. There is still some logistical stuff to work out. Besides, he wants it to be a surprise. All I can tell you is that many will perish, including innocent women and children."

Robertson said his talk with the Almighty ended with best wishes for the new year all around. "Except towards the end of the year", Robertson chuckled. "You know, God has a wonderful sense of humor, and he told me a blond angel joke I wish I could share with you, but He made me promise not to." Robertson grinned his boyish grin and blushed as he added, "I really wish I could because it was a gem, only a teensy bit naughty. All I can tell you is that it has to do with a blond angel, a harp, puffy clouds, a lamb and St. Peter."

God has been talking to Mr. Robertson for many years now, and although not all of what God has told him has come to pass Robertson continues to feel confident and hopeful. "Hey, this could be the really big one" he said. "On the other hand, even God can be wrong now and then. After all, He's only human."

Post script:

There is an excellent letter to the editor of the Virginian-Pilot "Robertson's predictions stir up fear and trembling" which speaks to my main concern with Robertson and his prediction of doom. Since God did not tell him where or when these events will occur or what steps we can take to prevent them, why would Robertson tell us. To strike fear in the hearts of those who believe anything he says? Maybe.

I must admit, I thought I'd get a lot more mileage out my bypass surgery than I have. It's mostly forgotten by just about everybody, including me. When I take a shower and see the scar, I'm often taken aback and then I remember. Mostly I don't think about it. These things are so routine these days. And every body's doing it. It's no longer a novelty.

I was shaving at the Y this afternoon when I heard a voice next to me say, "I see you're a member of the club?" I turned to the voice trying to think of what club he might be referring too. "Excuse me?" I said. He pointed at his chest and I could see a scar down the middle of his sternum. Clearly, he'd had bypass surgery as well. His scar was barely discernible though, whereas mine is very visible still. I asked when he had his surgery and told him when I had mine and that was that. Just when I was thinking no one would ever notice. I've been waiting for somebody to ask what the scar is all about.

People were much more accepting of the heart surgery than they were of the prostate cancer surgery I had a few years ago. Friends disappeared in droves. Uh, oh. I fear I may have just lost you too, dear reader. As happened when I told friends of my impending surgery. It's that word. You know to which word I refer. I can only think that the fear the word is so great that some people just can't remain in proximity to it, spoken, written or walking around. They were my friends, too.

I have a hard time with the word too. Not so much with saying it, but now, as I type the word and see it on the page in front of me, I feel a bit uncomfortable. Embarrassed? Afraid? I'm not sure. I'm OK now. I was a lucky man. I am a very fortunate man. I really have nothing to be embarrassed about. So why am I?

I lost track of where I was going with this as soon as I typed the word.
Man, this is silly!

I'm going to excuse myself and say goodnight. Goodnight!


"You telling me you don't want to go?"

"I reckon that's about it. Yeah. I don't.
I don't want to go."

"You sure?"

"I'm damned sure. You bet I'm sure."

"Ok. If you're positive."

" I told you I was sure. Damned sure.
Positive. Man alive. What else do I got
to say? I do not--even if God came down
and asked me personally--I do not, now or ever---want to go to that meeting of scoundrels and lawyers. Do I make myself real clear?"

"Then I'll just go on without you. If that's alright. I'll just get on along by my lonesome."

"Thank you."

"Alright then. I'm outta here."

"Thank you. Have a nice time and please don't ask me again if I want to go."


Married to the Sea

Happy New Year

Daughter trucks in white Christmas, Concord Monitor , Concord, N. H. [Link]

The Sign Bandit, Exeter News-Letter, Exeter N. H. [Link]

"John Decker, aka "The Sign Bandit," becomes a household name in the Seacoast following his efforts to remove and have banned illegal roadside signs."

Have A Hoppin' New YearMesquite News, Mesquite, NV [Link]

"You'd have to have your head completely buried in the desert sand not to have heard of Hoppin' John."

Police Take Over for Fed-up Cabbie Cleburne Times-Review, Cleburne, TX [Link]

"Officers took Helm into custody on a charge of public intoxication after they noticed a strong odor of alcohol on him."

Pedestrians attacked by drive-by yolk-yobs, [Link]The Reading Chronicle, Reading, Berkshire, UK

"POLICE are warning shopkeepers to look out for anyone shelling out on large quantities of eggs after a spree of bizarre drive-by attacks on innocent pedestrians."

Get paid to send child to school on a bike, [Link]
The Bolton News, UK

"The Government has said the proposals will improve school transport, cut congestion and encourage children to lead more active lives."

Gay Weddings Prove Popular, [Link] Isle of Wight County Press UK

"Of the 48 services, all but six were partnerships between Island couples.
Twenty were female weddings and 28 male."