That may be all, folks...

It seems that my passion for ridiculous bloggery has subsided. I had a lot of hits, and even had a couple of posts go semi-viral. Never really inspired a lot of commentary and interchange between readers.

I may be back, but will more likely be catching on to the next big thing, just as it too becomes passe'.

Thanks for indulging me.

Moonlight Beach, Encinitas, CA July 2000

We took Vacations to Encinitas on three seperate occasions in the late '90s early 2000s as my brother-in-law and his(then)wife lived there.

We really like the place, it's an old surfer town in North San Diego County.

on our last visit we rented a house a few blocks from the beach.

Here's a link. "Hemingway's Hideaway" it was a really cool cottage. I hope it's still a rental, as I'd love to return.

Ansbach!

We lived in this small, lovely city in the mid 80's.

It's in northern Bavaria (Central Franconia), about 40k due west of Nurnberg.

We truly loved it there and vow to return for a visit someday.

I went home with the Waitress, the way I always do...

An interesting solo acoustic performance of "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" by Warren Zevon.

(I'm pretty sure my friend Wayne Benton would punch me in the face if I tried to bang on his 12 String this way)

T-Shirt of The Week: TIE

Here's an interesting excerpt from a biography that suggests there weren't any hard feelings between Ronnie and Neil. There's a surprising amount of documentation (and preposterous opinions) on the subject.
Ronnie VanZant in his Neil Young "Tonight's The Night" shirt
Neil Young performing in a Lynyrd Skynrd T-Shirt

From the book Freebirds: The Lynyrd Skynyrd Story by Marley Brant:

"The presentation of the song "Sweet Home Alabama" in concert was accompanied by the unfurling of Skynyrd's traditional backdrop, a huge Confederate battle flag. The reaction of the audience was always the same: vigorous, fervent, and instantaneous. Neil Young's song "Southern Man" had offended many Southerners by seeming to accuse all people born in the south of being intolerant racists. Young's observations were obviously generalized and not accurate and Southerners were ecstatic when Skynyrd defended their honor by releasing "Sweet Home Alabama" with its direct references to Young's faux pas. The idea that the Southern man, or woman, didn't need Neil Young around to point out the problems of their society was overwhelmingly supported by Skynyrd fans.

"We thought Neil was shooting all the ducks in order to kill one or two," Ronnie told Rolling Stone magazine regarding the creation of the answer song. The band felt that Young's lyrical content was representative of the shortsighted "Yankee" belief that all Southern men should be held accountable for the verbalizations and actions of a racist minority.

While the rebuttal was heartfelt, Skynyrd held Neil Young in high regard for his musical achievements and they weren't intending to start a feud of any kind. "Neil is amazing, wonderful... a superstar," said Van Zant. "I showed the verse to Ed King and asked him what Neil might think. Ed said he'd dig it; he'd be laughing at it." Ed King says that the tune was not so much a direct attack on Young but just a good regional song.

The song was well received but immediately put a stigma on the band as rednecks. Producer Al Kooper added. "Hey, you have to be more careful when you write a song now. But I'll tell you something -- Neil Young loved it. That's true, he told me so to my face."

NOTE: I was remiss in attributing my source of material for this post.. It comes from "Thrasher's Wheat", avery active Neil Young fan site- Link to their story here
IThis update after the comment below- Sorry, guys.

K. Fimster

We lost a friend last night.


Paul was many things- some consistently, some at different times: A dreamer, a pragmatist, a scoundrel, a father, a son, a salesman, a writer, a tinkerer, a promoter, a wastrel, a wanderer, a friend. He was at times infuriating, engaging, inspiring, hilarious and kind.

While nearly all of us feel we've suffered injustice in our lives, Paul suffered very real injustice and it nearly defeated him, but ultimately, he chose to live on with optimism and joy.

He was the common thread that bound the fabric of the lives of many of us, and many of my most treasured friends are known to me only because Paul brought us together either directly or indirectly.


Also, bless the Sisters of Sacred Heart Convent in Cullman Alabama, for their kindness and loving grace. They have my eternal love, respect and gratitude for their part in a spirit restored.

Jim Croce "Lover's Cross"

I was just a baby when Buddy Holly died, but when Jim Croce was killed in a small plane crash just 50 miles from my home in Louisiana, I was old enough to be stunned.

I think I was aware that the concert was happening, and at 15, I'm not sure there was a practical way for me to attend, it just never occured to me that the chance would never come again.


I honestly don't think history has given this guy his due. He was a brilliant songwriter.



Article from the Shreveport (LA) Times (September 22, 1974)

Success Escaped Croce Until Death

NATCHITOCHES, The Jim Croce legend lives on.

On the night of September 20, 1973, a fiery plane crash in Natchitoches killed Croce and five of his entourage. It has only been since his death that Croce has achieved the level of success which somehow escaped him during his lifetime.

That Croce was a talented man has never been disputed by critics. His talent consisted of singing, songwriting and instrument playing. He will be remembered not only for his songs and style but also as being a man who put the term "junkyard dog" in the English vocabulary.

Croce's death has been compared to the February 3, 1959 plane crash in which Don McLean made so much of in his "American Pie" as the beginning of the end. That Iowa crash claimed the lives of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson.

The comparison should never be made. Holly, Valens and Richardson had already made stardom. Croce was still seeking his.

The September 20 concert at Northwestern State University, Croce's last, was a vivid account of his life. He told the audience of his life as a truck-driver, construction worker, tractor operator and his many nights in playing in dimly-lit dives and staying in cheap motels.

His final performance was brilliant. His songs were good, his guitar playing was great and his story telling was fascinating. His voice had a quality that was much better live than on records. Despite his performance, Croce was not called to do an encore.

The audience gave polite applause and proceeded to leave the building. There was no standing ovation, hysterical applause or calls for Croce to come back on stage for a few more minutes.

Croce's closing comment was, "See you later."

The Getaway (1972)

McQueen, MacGraw, Peckinpah. This is a classic.The Getaway is a 1972 crime and action film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw and Ben Johnson.

The film is based on a novel by Jim Thompson, with the screenplay written by Walter Hill. A box office hit earning US$26 million at the theaters, the film was one of the most financially successful productions of Peckinpah's and McQueen's careers.

It was remade in 1994 starring Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger.
Ali MacGraw

Good Old Boys Like Me: Don Williams

Here is a song from when Nashville mainstream Country used to produce great lyrical songwriting.

There are some lines that really resonate in this one.



Nothing makes a sound in the night like the wind does
But you ain't afraid if you're washed in the blood like I was

When I was in school I ran with kid down the street
But I watched him burn himself up on bourbon and speed
But I was smarter than most and I could choose
Learned to talk like the man on the six o'clock news

Natalie Wood: American Film Actress

This one is my all-time favorite.



Natalie Wood (born Natalia Zacharenko;[2] Cyrillic: Наталья Николаевна Захаренко; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress.


Following her film debut in 1943, Wood became a successful child actor in such films as Miracle on 34th Street (1947). A well received performance opposite James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and helped her to make the transition from a child performer. She then starred in the musicals West Side Story (1961) and Gypsy (1962). She also received Academy Award nominations for her performances in Splendor in the Grass (1961) and Love With the Proper Stranger (1963).


Her career continued successfully into the late 1960s with lead roles in films such as Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969); after this she worked less frequently so that she could start a family. She was married to actor Robert Wagner twice and had two daughters, Natasha Gregson and Courtney Wagner. Wood starred in several television productions, including a remake of the film From Here to Eternity (1979) for which she won a Golden Globe Award.

Wood drowned near Santa Catalina Island, California. Her final film, the science fiction drama Brainstorm (1983) with Christopher Walken, was released posthumously.




Beautiful.

Lucas "Trent" Vinson

I only knew Trent as a seed of the man he was to become, but to know that he grew up to be kind, joyful, adventurous, loyal, strong, brave and proud doesn't surprise me.

His mother, father, aunts and uncles are some of the finest men and women I've ever known.


Funeral services for Lucas "Trent" Vinson, 27, of Leesville will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, September 24, 2009 at the First Baptist Church in Leesville, LA.

Trent Vinson was born in DeRidder on March 12, 1982. He passed from this life on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at the age of 27 years, 6 months and 1 day in North Tikrit, Iraq. Trent was a man who loved life and lived it out loud and to the fullest. Trent was a graduate of the Pickering High School Class of 2000. As a young man Trent enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping in the Louisiana woods and a good paint ball fight. As a man, he loved to be surrounded by friends and family. Traveling soon turned into his favorite pastime. Trent's first trip abroad was to Cancun, Mexico upon his high school graduation. This sparked an interest in travel and he traveled again when he started his career with KBR in October, 2003 in Iraq. When on R&R, Trent loved to travel with his friends and brothers. He always said he wanted to see the world. He worked on doing just that, traveling to Indonesia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Australia, Venezuela and Costa Rica. Trent loved the LSU Tigers and the New Orleans Saints. He had tickets to attend home games on his next R&R which was scheduled for October 24th, just a few short weeks away. Rhonda, Trent's mother, shared that from the time he was just a young man, he always told her that "God has a bigger purpose for me and when I go, I'm going out in a blaze of glory." That he did. He is a true hero. When anyone mentions Trent, most think of him as a man who would give you the shirt off his back. Trent's best friend, Mike Hicks recants the story of being in a taxi with Trent when he literally took-off his $70 shirt and gave it to his cab driver and requested to go to Kentucky Fried Chicken where he bought the driver a meal. (excerpted from the Leesville Daily Leader)

Rhonda Smith Vinson in front of her restaurant, "The Leesville Cafe", Leesville, LA, 2009.

I apologize for what has lately become a recurring theme. It's been a hard year.

Randy "Rabbit" White

 

Words excerpted from an email from Glen Reid.

I flew up and spent a weekend with Randy back in June when he was still lucid and trying to fight the thing. We had a really good visit and just hated that it took that sort of thing to get us all together....When leaving I knew I probably would never see him again on this planet, but I treasure the time spent. Randy kept his spirits until the bitter end and was going to fight it as long as the doctors held out any hope. Unfortunately, when he was first diagnosed back in March they said it was already a "monster" and it just never responded to any treatments they were able to offer. It had spread so far that they stopped all treatments except pain management a couple of weeks ago and he knew it wouldn't be long. I hope that when my time comes I face it as gracefully, as practically, and with as many friends as did Randy. Ya know, I don't think anyone who knew him didn't like him...I can think of no "enemies," and that is rare!
This also makes me think of the friendships that I have established over the years. I want all of you to know how much I value and truly love each of you. I never want to lose the relationships that we have even if we aren't in daily contact...a person's friends are truly a measure of his time spent in this life.

With love...peace...GR

Despicable.

I remember that day vividly, and will never forget.



No matter what these people try to say their motivation was, I maintain it was the same psychological dynamic that led Oswald to assasinate JFK. The thing they are most angry about is their own insignificance.

Punks.

Where are you, brother??

 

Has anyone seen this guy?

Donald Joseph Russell Miller, AKA "Donnie Joe"

he has been described as "kinda looking like Malibu Ken"

Last known location: Marin County CA.

Call a Brother.

Johnny Cash "Hurt"

This has been around for years, but still gives me chills every time.

Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt" was released on his 2002 album, American IV: The Man Comes Around. Rick Rubin, producer of Cash's American series and a friend of Reznor, suggested the song to Cash. The line "crown of shit" was changed to "crown of thorns", like Reznor's censored for radio version, to not only removing profanity from the lyrics, but also more directly referencing Christ. The cover was posthumously released on a single with the B-side "Personal Jesus", a cover of the Depeche Mode single.

Reznor said that when Rubin first asked if Cash could cover his song, he was "flattered" but worried that "the idea sounded a bit gimmicky." He became a fan of Cash's version, however, once he saw the music video.

“ I pop the video in, and wow… Tears welling, silence, goose-bumps… Wow. [I felt like] I just lost my girlfriend, because that song isn't mine anymore… It really made me think about how powerful music is as a medium and art form. I wrote some words and music in my bedroom as a way of staying sane, about a bleak and desperate place I was in, totally isolated and alone. [Somehow] that winds up reinterpreted by a music legend from a radically different era/genre and still retains sincerity and meaning — different, but every bit as pure.”

Jay and Dingo

I keep hoping that Gary Larsen is just somewhere resting, stockpiling hundreds of ideas for another brilliant run.

Mitch Hedberg

I want to hang a map of the world in my house then I’m gonna put pins into all the locations that I’ve traveled to. But first I’m gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won’t fall down.

If you go to the grocery store and stand in front of the lunch meat section for too long, you start to get pissed off at turkeys. You see turkey ham, turkey pastrami, turkey bologna -- somebody needs to tell the turkeys, "Man, just be yourself."

I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.

One time, this guy handed me a picture of him, he said,"Here's a picture of me when I was younger." Every picture of you is when you were younger. "Here's a picture of me when I'm older." "You son-of-a-bitch! How'd you pull that off? Lemme see that camera!"

Whenever I walk, people try to hand me out fliers, and when someone tries to hand me out a flier, it's kinda like they're saying, "Here, you throw this away."

A lot of times, I'll drive for like 10 miles with the emergency brake. That doesn't say a lot for me, but it really doesn't say a lot for the emergency brake.

I like rice. Rice is great when you're hungry and you want 2,000 of something.


Wearing a turtleneck is like being strangled by a really weak guy, all day. Wearing a backpack and a turtleneck is like a weak midget trying to bring you down.

Lee Remick: American Stage/Film Actress

Central to Lee Remick's complex and fascinating screen presence during the first phase of her career is a sense of erotic warmth, an irreducible sensuality, capable (when combined with her remarkable gifts as an actress) of the most diverse inflections, depending on the degree to which it is allowed or denied free expression. Consider two of her finest performances, in the two finest films in which she appeared, made within a year of each other: Anatomy of a Murder and Wild River. The former is built upon the character's sexual knowingness, seductiveness, promiscuity, the latter on the character's sexual deprivation and subsequent reawakening. Preminger uses Remick's sensuality as one aspect of his detailed, multifaceted exercise in sustained ambiguity: she plays a woman ready deliberately to exploit her attractiveness as a means of manipulation, yet the erotic charge she communicates is so strong that its genuineness is never in question. The character's uninhibited sensuality, which might have been presented as merely degenerate (the Hollywood stereotype of the "nymphomaniac"), becomes in Remick's performance engaging, oddly touching. ROBIN WOOD

Breasts and bottoms look boringly alike. Faces, though, can be quite different and a damn sight more interesting!
Lee Remick

I make movies for grownups. When Hollywood starts making them again, I'll start acting in them again.
Lee Remick

I'm not an oddball.
Lee Remick

You can compare me with Greta Garbo. I have big feet, too.
Lee Remick




Lee Remick became my imaginary girlfriend the moment I saw Otto Preminger's "Anatomy Of A Murder".