Things good, and things sad

I seem to be pretty much back in form; I went in and did some light weight lifting and 30 minutes at 3.2 mph at an incline today without much trouble, so I should be back on track of losing weight soon. Thank you for all the encouragement and concern.

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You may remember I mentioned that I had to take my uncle in to the VA hospital; Saturday he went quietly in his sleep while taking an after-dinner nap.
I have been helping him for a couple of years now; he had a bad heart and lungs, and had to breathe pure oxygen 24 hours a day, so he couldn't get outside much or drive. I and my wife visited him every day, feeding his dogs, shopping, running errands, etc. Since he was family (my dad's younger brother), I felt a certain responsibility to help, that's what family does. He has some daughters, but they are all out of state. He had lived alone since his retirement from the Navy. He was a veteran of two wars; he did a hitch in the Air Force during Korea, and was over in southeast Asia during the Vietnam War while in the Navy.
Goodbye, Uncle George, you will be missed.

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Don't feel much like listening to lyrics today, so I have on my instrumental playlist, which is mainly jazz. I'd be surprised if anyone knew most of the artists, but some of the titles may be familiar.

"Over the Rainbow" by James Galway
"As Time Goes By" by Henry Mancini
"Bombay Calling" by It's a Beautiful Day
"It Just Happens That Way" by Mindi Abair
"Prabhati" by Ravi Shankar/Sir Yehudi Menuhin
"Farewell" by Patrick O'Hearn
"Words Unspoken" by Tim Weisberg
"Shenandoah" by Lorie Line
"For All We Know" by Dave Brubeck
"In a Stone Circle" by Ian Anderson

Something for the ladies

This looks like the perfect lamp for a woman who is reading romance novels. Find more about it here.















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Doing pretty well since my time at the hospital. The doctor said I can drive and walk around this weekend, but doesn't want me doing any weight lifting until Wednesday. I'm looking forward to time at the gym; this sitting around with my legs up is boring as hell.

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Any fans of this bunch of people? They came up at the top of today's playlist when I shuffled.

"Legs" by ZZ Top
"Lawyers, Guns and Money" by Warren Zevon
"Hold on Loosely" by .38 Special
"Understand Your Man" by Johnny Cash
"Career of Evil" by Blue Öyster Cult
"Wildest Dreams" by Asia
"Hellacious Acres" by Kris Kristofferson
"Proud Mary" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Take Me Home Tonight/Be My Baby" by Eddie Money
"Your Cheatin' Heart" by Hank Williams

I am tired...

An interesting day, to be sure.
Last night I had to take an uncle to the VA hospital; he has some problems with internal bleeding. Spent time there until 1:30 AM, when I was able to go home to rest, but was thirsty as hell, since I was not allowed any water after midnight.
7:00 AM saw me up, still thirsty and wishing for a cup of coffee. Got to go to the hospital, got a tube run up my femoral artery, and portraits of my wayward heart. From what they can tell, it looks like my stent is ok, and they can't see anything to get excited about at this time. I have a couple of pictures which I may post sometime in the near future. Not real exciting, however, since basically they look like gnarled branches in a fog. I think my biggest problem right now is getting rid of some of the excess lard I am packing around; that will do my heart more good than anything.
I appreciate all of the good wishes from visitors; when you are concerned about your health, you can use all the moral support available.

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Lots of older stuff on the playlist today, still a bit tired from everything.

"Hang on Sloopy" by The McCoys
"Harden My Heart" by Quarterflash
"I'm on Fire" by Bruce Springsteen
"Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" by Waylon Jennings
"Our House" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
"Goin' Through the Motions" by Blue Öyster Cult
"Born Under a Bad Sign" by Cream
"Woman, Woman" by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
"Nothing Is Easy" by Jethro Tull
"Sweet Dreams" by Patsy Cline

Bill would allow people to openly carry guns in public spaces

A bill quietly endorsed by a legislative committee would codify licensed concealed-weapons holders' ability to openly carry loaded guns in almost any publicly owned space in Utah, including university campuses, public schools, sports arenas and hospitals.
HB473 is sponsored by Curtis Oda, a Davis County Republican with a history of championing expanded gun rights and criticizing University of Utah policies he believes trampled those rights.
In recent years, U. officials have largely abandoned their opposition to concealed weapons on campus, but they have held firm on the "open carry" issue, contending current law requires that firearms allowed by concealed weapons permits must remain concealed if they are brought onto school grounds. They cite the potential disruption caused by public display of weapons.
"Universities are a small piece of this. It would permit anyone with a permit to carry that weapon openly anywhere in the state," said John Morris, the U.'s general counsel. "This appears very broad. It would actually have a dramatic impact."

I can already imagine the screams and general hysterics from the gun grabbing crowd already.

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No food or water tonight after midnight (who eats that late anyway?), none tomorrow morning. Hopefully my angiogram won't show anything scary that requires work on the part of the doctors. If all goes well I'll be home tomorrow afternoon. If not, I'll be there overnight.

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Just a lot of odd random stuff in the playlist today.

"Take the "A" Train" by Duke Ellington
"Ferry Across the Mersey" by Jerry and the Pacemakers
"Misery and the Blues" by Maria Muldaur
"Eye in the Sky" by The Alan Parsons Project
"Chicago" by Benny Goodman
"Heat of the Moment" by Asia
"Everybody's Jumpin'" by Dave Brubeck Quartet
"Rebel Child" by Gretchen Wilson
"Stakalee" by Dr. John
"No Fair at All" by The Association

Any comments on this bunch?

For the gunny who has everything

The HCS-200 Ultrasonic Gun Cleaner offers the best cleaning & lubricating of handguns and revolvers available. Powered with Ultrasonics, the HCS-200 reaches all surfaces of the handgun including those that are hard to access by hand.

And if that is too small, maybe you need this.

W00t! I'm still alive (for now, anyway)

Haven't blogged for a few days, but I am still here.
First, I would like to thank everyone who dropped by and wished me well; I am completely recovered from my fall, other than some annoying scabs. Your words and good wishes were very much appreciated.
Next week I have to do some really obnoxious tests; I went to the heart doctor yesterday, and he is a bit concerned and wants to run a cardiogram. The past few months I had gotten a bit of a feeling of pressure on my chest if I over-exerted myself. The doctor says this is mild angina (if it was painful we would be really worried). For those who have never had one of these (most of you are too young and fit for this), it starts with getting a bunch of electrodes taped onto your body. Plus they inject you with a strange brew that artificially stresses your heart. Just sitting still when it hits feels like you are running an uphill marathon. While this is happening, you get to walk on a treadmill, which is very tiring while the stuff is jacking your heart around. They take a bunch of readings with an MRI machine, and then they look at movies of your heart beating. At the end of this, you feel like someone has kicked your ass for half the day. Hopefully they won't find anything serious. I'm going to see if I can get a copy of the picture of my ticker, just for the hell of it, but that depends on the technician administering the tests.

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Outside is a blizzard right now; fine snow coming down fast and sideways. Hopefully it won't be too bad when my wife gets off work to drive home.

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Top ten on today's playlist:

"Symphony No. 5: 3. Allergo" by Ludwig van Beethoven
"Rhythm of the Rain" by The Cascades
"Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Three Dog Night
"Pancho and Lefty" by Willie Nelson
"Groovin' High" by Dizzy GIllespie
"Walk on By" by Leroy Van Dyke
"Runaround Sue" by Dion
"Centerfold" by J. Geils Band
"This Ain't the Summer of Love" by Blue Öyster Cult
"Bridge over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel

As usual, there isn't much rhyme or reason to the list today, just a couple of dozen of things I felt in the mood for.

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Update

Got my procedure schedule for next week; I will not be doing a cardiogram, but an angiogram instead. This is where they open up the femoral artery in your leg and run a tube up it to your heart to check it out. I have had this done before when they put in my stent, so I know what it is about. It's possible I may need another stent, or there may be nothing at all wrong. I'm not looking forward to it but there is no use fretting about it until it happens.

Okay, I'll bite

This meme seems to be going around right now.

In 1952 (the year you were born)

Harry Truman is president of the US Elizabeth II becomes Queen of England after the death of her father, George VI First explosion of a hydrogen device takes place at Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific Christine Jorgensen becomes the first medically and legally certified transsexual US troops complete their pull-out from Japan Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected President of the US Sister Theresa becomes Mother Theresa and begins her charity work in Calcutta Rick James, Douglas Adams, and Liam Neeson are born New York Yankees win the World Series Detroit Lions win the NFL championship Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is published

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

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Doing better physically; my knee is almost normal, but the pulled muscles have been very annoying when trying to do anything. Oh well, getting hurt is what reminds you to be careful.

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"Burnin' for You" by Blue Öyster Cult
"Bullshitter's Lament" by Blues Traveler
"Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen
"Those Were the Days" by Cream
"I Wanna Go Back" by Eddie Money
"Here Comes the Rain Again" by Eurythmics
"I'm Bad Like Jesse James" by John Lee Hooker
"Summertime" by Janis Joplin & Her Kozmic Blues Band
"To Beat the Devil" by Kris Kristofferson
"I Can't Hold Back" by Survivor

Let's summarize...

1. Britney is still batshit crazy.
2. Heath Ledger is still dead from an OD.
3. All the presidential candidates are lying hypocrites and backstabbers who will say anything to get elected.
4. American Idol is still irrelevant to...just about everything.

Can we move on now in the news?

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Thought for a bit I was going to take a chauffeured ride to the hospital this morning; went outside to get in my vehicle and slipped on some ice that was under the snow (it is snowing today); went down hard with all my weight right on one kneecap onto the cement. After a couple of minutes my head cleared and I was able to barely get up and go back into the house to sit for a bit. My knee is a little better, mainly just skinned and bruised, but I also managed to pull a muscle right below my belt buckle, (please don't ask how far below) and one in my lower back that is currently causing be to berate it in very colorful language. I had to leave to get things done, and since getting home I have been drinking coffee and favoring my knee for now. Things should get better, I hope, since I still have to clear the snow from the driveway and sidewalk. For the past 10 or 12 days we have been getting snow every other day, so this stuff is getting real old.

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More blues, rock, jazz, and country; this is the top ten on the shuffle:

"Stack O' Lee Blues" by Mississippi John Hurt
"Saginaw, Michigan" by Lefty Frizzell
"California Dreamin'" by The Mamas & the Papas
"One O'Clock Jump" by Count Basie
"Let's Live for Today" by The Grass Roots
"Who Can It Be Now?" by Men at Work
"Baby, Won't You Come Out Tonight" by Buddy Holly
"You Only Live Twice" by Nancy Sinatra
"Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood
"Foxey Lady" by Jimi Hendrix

Any fans out there?

Some people out there should like this

For people like myself who like both Heather Alexander and Battlestar Galactica, this is a fun video that I ran across.

The droid did WHAT on your breakfast?

I tend to like useful devices and gadgets; just the inner-geek in me I guess. There are some inventions that I find amusing, however.

The R2-D2 Peppermill


Evidently, you put in peppercorns, twist his head, and pepper falls out of his butt. I dread to think what they may do with C3PO and a ketchup dispenser...




















Handheld Sunbeam

A homemade flashlight that shine for four miles and gives you a sunburn if you leave the UV filter off it.
















For some reason this picture seems somewhat Freudian to me.
"My light saber is bigger than yours, Darth Vader!"


Incandescent Sculpture

Though quite expensive, these are actually sort of cool; you can imagine them in a room with lots of steampunk stuff.





















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Another half foot of snow during the night; I'll be glad when spring comes around in a few months.

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More moldy-oldies in the playlist.

"Understand Your Man" by Johnny Cash
"Rock Me" by Steppenwolf
"Hangman's Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson
"Little Deuce Coupe" by The Beach Boys
"He'll Have to Go" by Jim Reeves
"Too Much Talk" by Paul Revere and the Raiders
"Mean Woman Blues" by Roy Orbison
"Respect" by Aretha Franklin
"Eight Miles High" by The Byrds
"To Sir with Love" by Lulu

No thanks, I prefer Toll House cookies

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud.

With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies.

Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau.

The mud has long been prized by pregnant women and children here as an antacid and source of calcium. But in places such as Cité Soleil, the oceanside slum where Charlene shares a two-room house with her baby, five siblings and two unemployed parents, cookies made of dirt, salt and vegetable shortening have become a regular meal.

Though she likes their buttery, salty taste, Charlene said the cookies also give her stomach pains.

Is it just me, or is something wrong with a country where the people think nothing of eating dirt?

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We've been getting hit with snowstorms around here; had a half a foot yesterday, couple of inches last night, and we are getting predictions from the weather oracles that we may get storms Friday and Sunday. Hurray for global warming!

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Looks like I need to get into my heart doctor soon; the edema in my legs seems to have increased a bit, and my feet are looking somewhat large if I don't prop them up quite a bit during the day.

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My playlist today seems to have a lot of oldies in it; half of the top ten is from my later teen years. Can't seem to get interested in the newer rock music; I prefer old rock, old country, blues and jazz. If I'm doing a lot of reading or studying, I usually put on baroque music, nothing like Bach or Vivaldi to stimulate the mind.
Any thoughts or interesting comments on this batch?


"(We Ain't Got) Nothin' Yet" by Blues Magoos
"All My Life" by Howlin' Wolf
"In the Mood" by Glenn Miller
"3 O'Clock in the Morning Blues" by Ike & Tina Turner
"Seceret Agent Man" by Johnny Rivers
"Cruisin' With the Duece" by Quarterflash
"Fresh Garbage" by Spirit
"I Know You're Out There Somewhere" by The Moody Blues
"Tube Snake Boogie" by ZZ Top
"Highwayman" by The Highwaymen

Something different

A little video someone (not me) put together with one of my favorite performers doing one of my favorite songs. If you're over 30, you can probably identify with this one quite easily, especially sung by this lady.



Sometimes It's A Bitch

Written by Jon Bon Jovi and Billy Falcon.

Well I've run through rainbows and castles of candy
I cried a river of tears from the pain
I try to dance with what life has to hand me
My partner's been pleasure my partner's been pain

There are days when I swear I could fly like an eagle
And dark desperate hours that nobody sees
My arms stretched triumphant on top of the mountain
My head in my hands down on my knees

Sometimes it's a bitch sometimes it's a breeze
Sometimes love's blind and sometimes it sees
Sometimes it's roses and, sometimes it's weeds
Sometimes it's a bitch sometimes it's a breeze

I've reached in darkness and come out with treasure
I've laid down with love and I woke up with lies
What's it all worth only the heart can measure
It's not what's in the mirror but what's left inside

Sometimes it's a bitch sometimes it's a breeze
Sometimes love's blind and sometimes it sees
Sometimes it's roses and, sometimes it's weeds
Sometimes it's a bitch sometimes it's a breeze

You gotta take it as it comes
Sometimes it don't come easy

I've run through rainbows and castles of candy
And I've cried a river of tears from the pain
I tried to dance with what life had to hand me
And if I could I'd do it all over again

Sometimes it's a bitch sometimes it's a breeze
Sometimes love's blind and sometimes it sees
Sometimes it's roses and, sometimes it's weeds
Sometimes it's a bitch sometimes it's a breeze
Sometimes the picture just ain't what it seems
You get what you want but it's not what you need
Sometimes it's a bitch sometimes it's a breeze
Well it's a breeze it's a breeze it's a breeze

Dealing with winter

Figured I'd start the day off without a rant.
My wife mailed this to me; it actually isn't that far off...

Degrees of Cold


60 degrees F: Southern Californians shiver uncontrollably. People in New England sunbathe.

50 degrees F: New Yorkers try to turn on the heat. People in New England plant gardens.

40 degrees F: Italian and English cars won't start. People in New England drive with the windows down.

32 degrees F: Distilled water freezes. The water in Moosehead Lake in Maine gets thicker.

20 degrees F: Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves and wool hats. People in New England throw on a flannel shirt.

15 degrees F: New York landlords finally turn up the heat. People in New England have a last cookout before it gets cold.

0 degrees F: All the people in Miami die. New Englanders close their windows.

10 degrees below zero: Californians fly away to Mexico. The girl scouts in New England are selling cookies door to door.

25 degrees below zero: Hollywood disintegrates. People in New England get out their winter coats.

40 degrees below zero: Washington runs out of hot air. People in New England let their dogs sleep indoors.

100 degrees below zero: Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. New Englanders get frustrated because they can't start their 'kahs.'

460 degrees below zero: All atomic motion stops--absolute zero on the Kelvin scale. People in New England start saying, 'Cold 'nuff for ya?'

500 degrees below zero: Hell freezes over and the Red Sox win the World Series.

Toy registration?

A Cornish village drama group has had to register a toy gun with the police to comply with health and safety rules.

Carnon Downs drama group in Cornwall have also had to keep their plastic cutlasses and wooden swords locked up for the pantomime, Robinson Crusoe.


Drama group co-director Linda Barker said: "The cutlasses count as weapons even though they are replicas and made of plastic and apparently they could be mistaken for real ones.

"Our only gun was a panto pistol which produces a flag with the word bang on it.

"Our local police at Truro were fantastic and they have registered the gun, the two plastic cutlasses and our six wooden swords."

Wow. What can you say to that, other than WTF?

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Thank you to all the people who dropped with good wishes. I ended up having a rack of babyback ribs, battered fries, salad, and a 24 oz mug of an excellent porter that is brewed special for the establishment at which my wife took me. Luckily my cholesterol is under control...

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Got about 9 inches of snow here, and it is coming down fast; in a while I am going to have to go out and swing a snow shovel; that should take care of some of the extra calories I splurged on over the weekend.

Running an odd mix in my playlist today, as you can tell from the top ten:

"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" by Waylon Jennings
"Veteran of the Psychic Wars" by Blue Öyster Cult
"Turn the Page" by Bob Seger
"Guinnevere" by Crosby, Stills and Nash
"Tumbling Tumbleweeds" by Eddy Arnold
"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" by Dusty Springfield
"It's My Life" by The Animals
"Long Haired Country Boy" by The Charlie Daniels Band
"La Grange" by ZZ Top
"The Last Time I Saw Paris" by Dave Brubeck

Any comments, reflections, or what-not?

More babbling from an old coot...

Looks like it's been a week since I last posted; I don't know how some people do multiple postings every day. They're probably more organized than me, as can be seen in the content of my blogging. My brain tends to wander around aimlessly, dropping bits and pieces from my thoughts as I go.

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I tried to keep up with the presidential candidates, but have decided to wait a while after watching them for a bit. It seems like once they get in front of a microphone, they go into something that sounds suspiciously like the adults in the "Peanuts" cartoons: "Wah-wah, wah-wah, wah-wah." Every time they get up to talk, they grab a shovel and start slinging the bullshit right and left. And both parties seem to be guilty; the only difference is in the size and shape of the shovels. Maybe once they get to the bottom of the pile they will start talking sense. Of course that is making the assumption that the Fourth Estate can actually do a professional job, rather than weaving the usual skein of drivel as they do so well.

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Normally around here we get a brief thaw in the middle of January, but not this year. It was 10°F when I got up at 600, and now at 1730 it has gotten up to 15°F. W00t! The cold weather and lack of decent sunlight seems to be affecting some people with the blahs; I know it has smacked me good. Sometimes I think apathy is worse than depression, at least with depression you can kill some time by moping.

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Finally got around to doing some reading; just finished the latest Repairman Jack novel; I got hooked on those years ago. Tomorrow I'll be starting on A Distant Mirror by Barbara W. Tuchman. Mike over at mike-istan posted about it and it sounded promising. It's a little more modern than most of the history I tend to read about Europe, but it definitely looks worthwhile.

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Saturday night I'll be going off my dieting somewhat; Sunday I turn 56, so a steak dinner (or maybe ribs; depends on my mood that night) sounded like a good way to celebrate/mourn the occasion.

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Again, today's playlist tends to be oldies; I think most of these first ten predate the majority of the readers here. Any thoughts or comments about them?

"Lili Marlene" by Dave Brubeck
"Summer Wind" by Frank Sinatra
"Carefree Highway" by Gordon Lightfoot
"Days of Wine and Roses" by Henry Mancini
"Living in the Past " by Jethro Tull
"Castles Made of Sand" by Jimi Hendrix
"Songs to Aging Children Come" by Joni Mitchell
"White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane
"She's a Fool" by Lesley Gore
"Sweet Dreams" by Patsy Cline

You really have to wonder about some people...

Even for the once-notorious Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, it may have been a first: Two men were arrested on Tuesday after pushing a corpse, seated in an office chair, along the sidewalk to a check-cashing store to cash the dead man’s Social Security check, the police said.

When Virgilio Cintron, 66, died at his apartment at 436 West 52nd Street recently, his roommate and a friend saw an opportunity to cash his $355 check, the police said.

They did not go about it the easy way, the police said, choosing a ruse that resembled the plot of “Weekend at Bernie’s,” a film about two young men who prop up their dead employer to pretend that he is alive.

“Hell’s Kitchen has a rich history,” said Paul J. Browne, a police spokesman, “but this is one for the books.”

There was no sign of foul play in Mr. Cintron’s death, he added.

The roommate, James P. O’Hare, and his friend, David J. Dalaia, both 65 and unemployed, placed Mr. Cintron’s body in the chair and wheeled it around the corner, south along Ninth Avenue on Tuesday afternoon, the police said. The men parked the chair with the corpse in front of Pay-O-Matic at 763 Ninth Avenue, a check-cashing business that Mr. Cintron had patronized.

They went inside to present the check, but a clerk said Mr. Cintron would have to cash it himself, and asked where he was, the police said.

“He is outside,” Mr. O’Hare said, indicating the body in the chair, according to Mr. Browne.

The two men started to bring the chair inside, but it was too late.

Their sidewalk procession had already attracted the stares of passers-by who were startled by the sight of the body flopping from side to side as the two men tried to prop it up, the police said. The late Mr. Cintron was dressed in a faded black T-shirt and blue-and-white sneakers. His pants were pulled up part of the way, and his midsection was covered by a jacket, the police said. While the two men were inside the check-cashing office, a small crowd had gathered around the chair. A detective, Travis Rapp, eating a late lunch at a nearby Empanada Mama saw the crowd and notified the Midtown North station house.

Police officers and an ambulance arrived as the two men were trying to maneuver the corpse and chair into the check-cashing office.

The two men were taken into custody and questioned. The police said they were considering charging them with check-cashing fraud.

Mr. Cintron’s body was taken to a hospital morgue. The medical examiner’s office said its preliminary assessment was that he had died of natural causes within the past 24 hours.

Some people are total idiots.

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Some old, some not as old, haven't seen much new that I like, other than a few country and jazz recordings.

"Rock of Ages" by Def Leppard
"I Wanna Go Back" by Eddie Money
"Wooden Ships" by Crosby, Stills and Nash
"Hold Me" by Fleetwood Mac
"The Witching Hour" by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers "Harlem Nocturne" by Lewis Ray Cammarata
"Homeward Bound" by Simon & Garfunkel
"Are You Sitting Comfortably?" by The Moody Blues
"She's Not There" by The Zombies
"Baba O'Riley" by The Who

Sounds slightly familiar...

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Male macaque monkeys pay for sex by grooming females, according to a recent study that suggests the primates may treat sex as a commodity.

"In primate societies, grooming is the underlying fabric of it all," Dr. Michael Gumert, a primatologist at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said in a telephone interview Saturday.

Gumert found after a male grooms a female, the likelihood that she will engage in sexual activity with the male was about three times more than if the grooming had not occurred.

And as with other commodities, the value of sex is affected by supply and demand factors: A male would spend more time grooming a female if there were fewer females in the vicinity.

"And when the female supply is higher, the male spends less time on grooming ... The mating actually becomes cheaper depending on the market," Gumert said.

I guess it's the monkey equivalent of "dinner and a movie".

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No over-riding theme of today's playlist, but like the rest of the list, most of the top ten are older rock songs.

"Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top
"Lawyers, Guns and Money" by Warren Zevon
"Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison
"I Won't Back Down" by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
"Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones
"Let's Live for Today" by The Grass Roots
"Ride My See-Saw" by The Moody Blues
"I Must Be the Devil" by The Box Tops
"Midnight Rider" by The Allman Brothers Band
"The Battle of Evermore" by Led Zeppelin

Heat wave

It is just after noon here; and things are melting outside; it is 44ºF outside. This is the first time it has gone above freezing in a couple of weeks, so there is a lot of snow and ice outside that needs the warmer air, especially since we may have another snowstorm this weekend. If it gets up to 50º, I may have to put on my short pants and take a walk.
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Was looking at my sitemeter this morning; I don't put much stock in how high it is, but I do like to see where people are coming from.
This one is a little weird, however:










What was interesting was the form of my blog that he was reading:










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Top ten from today's playlist:

"Burnin' for You" by Blue Öyster Cult
"Sky Pilot" by Eric Burdon and the Animals
"Gear Jammer" by George Thorogood
"Maybellene" by Chuck Berry
"I Fall to Pieces" by Patsy Cline
"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" by John Lee Hooker
"The Lonely Bull" by Herb Alpert
"Find Another Fool" by Quarterflash
"Never My Love" by The Association
"I've Always Been Crazy" by Waylon Jennings

Cell phones cause traffic problems

Cell phone usage is being blamed for several problems this week as a University of Utah study found that cell phone usage on highways causes traffic jams.

David Strayer, a psychology professor at the University of Utah, said new research not only showed that the cars of drivers talking on cell phones tended to move slower, but also that the conversational activity tends to cause traffic to show down.

"At the end of the day, the average person's commute is longer because of that person who is on the cell phone right in front of them," Strayer said in a statement. "That SOB on the cell phone is slowing you down and making you late."

Another news flash from the No-Shit-Sherlock department; wonder how much they spent in time, money, and man-hours researching something that anyone who had to drive in traffic knew already? I'm constantly getting stuck behind some jackass who is weaving along under the speed limit because he/she is busy yammering into a phone instead of focusing on the large piece of metal that they are propelling alone a street. My advice to these people is simple:

Pull the phone out of your ear and your head out of your ass.

We'll all get there faster and in one piece.

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I was in an odd mood this morning when putting together my playlist for the day; I ended up with a long list of nothing but female pop/rock singers, some from way back, some newer. After a shuffle, these ended up in the top ten. Any fans out there?

"The Tide Is High" by Blondie
"Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler
"I Only Want to Be With You" by Dusty Springfield
"Different Drum" by Linda Ronstadt
"Orinoco Flow" by Enya
"You Ain't So Tough" by Heart
"Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes
"If Not For You" by Olivia Newton-John
"Maybe I Know" by Lesley Gore
"Fire and Ice" by Pat Benatar

Last post of the year

Back from running errands and working out at the gym. Lifting weights was a lot easier 40 years ago...
Be nice to unwind a bit tonight; we'll be going to some friends for the evening, so I'm making up a couple of bowls of chip dip for the evening; shrimp-garlic, and a lime and cilantro bean dip. Both are usually liked by people, and they are healthy (though the chips usually aren't).
For those who like tasty fried stuff (in moderation), my wife learned how to make beñuelos, which are a bit like a crisp sopapilla with a bit of sugar and cinnamon.
They are about eight or nine inches across, but are very thin and light. They are quite good with a cup of coffee or tea.











So far I haven't gained any weight over the holidays, so if I keep moderation in mind, I should be ok. Hope all of you have a good New Year's Eve, and that the coming year is a good one.


Today's playlist seems to be a little more upbeat; at least the top ten in the list are. The majority of them are probably older than half my visitors however. What can I say? I like the moldy-oldies better...

"It Was a Very Good Year" by Frank Sinatra
"Maggie May" by Rod Stewart
"Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell
"Squeeze Box" by The Who
"She's My Girl" by The Turtles
"Eternity Road" by The Moody Blues
"Runnin' Blue" by The Doors
"Eight Miles High" by The Byrds
"I Got a Line on You" by Spirit
"Ball and Chain" by Janis Joplin & Her Kozmic Blues Band

2007 is winding down

Another year shot in the ass. Seems like I had a lot of plans that never seemed to get completely off the ground. Anyone else have that feeling? Hopefully this coming year will be different. I know I need to get my health squared away; more cardio exercise and drop more pounds, if I want to keep my heart from failing on me again.
Getting things taken care of around here is up high on the list, also. Seems like since my health went bad I got messier; I used to keep things a lot neater than I do now. That needs to get back on track. If I can clean up my act, maybe I'll feel like blogging more. There are a lot of people who come by here to visit and chat, and I'd like to tell you that I appreciate the company; visiting others and having them take the trouble to stop by at my mad ravings is one of the higher points of my day, sometimes. Are there any subjects or thoughts that any of you would like to share or to have me share with you? I'm not always sure what I want to blog about, so sometimes my thoughts tend to wander about like a stoned sheep. Thanks for bearing with me.

Have sort of a moody playlist today; most are older, but some of you may recognize a few of them in the top ten of the list.

"Rebel Yell" by Billy Idol
"Red, Red Wine" by Neil Diamond
"Turn the Page" by Bob Seger
"It's My Life" by Bon Jovi
"Someday Never Comes" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Bridge over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel
"Honky Tonk Blues" by Hank Williams
"Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" by Johnny Rivers
"And the Tide Rushes In" by The Moody Blues
"Always On My Mind" by Willie Nelson

Anyone have any opinions, or memories associated with any of those?

Best holiday wishes to all

Looking at the news, there is a lot wrong with the world, but in the spirit of the season, there will be none of the usual ranting, raving, bitching or complaining today. It was good to see that there were people out there who actually noticed my absence; I wasn't too sure of anyone coming around once I got back on line.

My music mood today has been all over the place; the top ten on today's playlist shows that:

"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding
"If You Don't Like Hank Williams" by Kris Kristofferson
"With You There to Help Me" by Jethro Tull
"She's a Lady" by Tom Jones
"These Dreams" by Heart
"Perfect" by Sara Evans
"If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot
"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" by Dusty Springfield
"Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles
"Bring Me Some Water" by Melissa Etheridge

Some old, some newer. Anyone who is familiar with all of them?

Sorry about the absence...

In case anyone was wondering where I've been, I've been having technical difficulties the past two weeks, and am just now getting online; will be visiting people and posting soon.

Professional hand-wringers...

I see where the MSM is falling all over themselves to report on Romney's talk about his religion. WHO THE HELL CARES? I can think of several reasons not to vote for him without bringing in the fact that he wears funny underwear (here in Utah, we non-LDS refer to them as "angel pants" or "chapel chaps"); I don't like his way of changing his platform every time he talks to someone different. Who he (or any other candidate) prays to is irrelevant to me. It seems as if the journalists go out of their way to find the least little thing, and try to magnify it into pant-wetting proportions.

I don't have a real lot to say about the shootings in Omaha; once again some kid falls out of his tree and takes it out on a bunch of innocent people. He had a history of drug abuse, was mentally off, and was a felon. Why did anyone think a "No Guns Allowed" sign would keep them safe from him? And why did they think laws prohibiting him from having a firearm would keep him from acquiring one? I notice the MSM is going on about an "AK-47 automatic assault rifle"; too bad they don't have a clue what they're talking about. It seems as if half the people in journalism are as stupid as most actors; what is it about the media that attracts idiots?

Time for some music, maybe that will cheer me up on a gloomy day. The top ten on the playlist for today:

"Welcome to My Nightmare" by Alice Cooper
"Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot
"Alone" by Heart
"I Just Want to Make Love to You" by Muddy Waters
"Essence of Now" by It's a Beautiful Day
"Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix
"Snowblind Friend" by Steppenwolf
"El Nicoya" by Santana
"Tube Snake Boogie" by ZZ Top
"Black Blade" by Blue Öyster Cult

I've been lost...

Been a while since I had decent contact with the Web; my connection has been down more than up, and when it was up, was running at about 30% speed (sort of like right now). The past few days have been snow, which is probably why I've been having internet withdrawal symptoms. Yesterday I had to shovel about a half foot, and it is some really heavy wet stuff. The main roads are clear, but neighborhood roads like mine still have about an inch of clear ice, so driving has been interesting.

I notice they're still fighting about the UK teacher over in Sudan. I don't understand the logic here; the country hires foreign teachers, and then gives them grief for a well-meaning mistake that didn't hurt anyone. It seems to me that no matter what is decided, when the teacher is sent home from that cesspool, the UK (and everyone else who has the slightest inkling of ethics) should pull out all aid, close their embassy there, and let those ignorant assholes either solve their own problems, or climb out of the Dark Ages and join civilized society.
Just my opinion.

I feel in an Eighties mood today, so the top ten of todays playlist reflects that. I imagine most of these should be familiar to visitors.

"Back Where You Belong" by .38 Special
"The Tide Is High" by Blondie
"This Ain't the Summer of Love" by Blue Öyster Cult
"Life Is a Lemon and I Want My Money Back" by Meat Loaf
"Sole Survivor" by Asia
"Shot of Poison" by Lita Ford
"A View to a Kill" by Duran Duran
"Dreamboat Annie" by Heart
"Take My Breath Away" by Berlin
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds