Personal
Koko ‘Queen of the Blues’ Taylor dies
Jun 3rd
No snappy headline this time…
I’ve got a list… a list of legends that I want to see perform before they pass from this reality. I’ve recently taken inventor of the electric guitar and modern recording techniques Les Paul — it was in a word, amazing. I think I’m still grinning from that show.
In the summer of 2007 I saw Koko Taylor perform at the Lowell Summer Music Series. Even at the ripe old age of 78 she could still belt out a tune. Her band was tight and the lead guitar even managed to take the term ‘lick’ literally as he managed to ‘play’ his axe with his tongue!
I don’t think there is any doubt that Koko qualifies as a legend; her trademark song Wang Dang Doodle (written by Willie Dixion — yet another legend) has been covered by a diverse array of artists from Ted Nugent to Grateful Dead and PJ Harvey.
Her gravelly voice and powerful style were unmistakeable. I’m very glad to have seen her before she shuffled off her mortal coil.
Time to update the list…
You can see my photos from this show on Flickr.
Congress, can you hear me now? Work on stuff that matters!!!
Mar 18th
When I first read this I thought it was a joke and after reading it again, I’m sure; it is. But not the funny kind.
A California rep. who clearly spends way too much time watching TV has proposed a new federal law to limit, are you sitting down?… the loudness of TV commercials.
The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (“CALM-A” — Are you fracking kidding me? Who makes up this stuff?) proposes to require the FCC to “prescribe a standard to preclude commercials from being broadcast at louder volumes than the program they accompany.”.
Now before I launch into a three page discussion of how ‘loudness’ is a completely subjective concept and is dependent on the perception of the individual I’ll hold my breath, count to 10, and stifle the urge to throttle yet another well meaning but clueless legislator that is attempting to establish controls over something they are utterly unqualified to determine.
Ok, so I had to count to twenty.
I’m willing to let it pass that Rep. Eshoo feels that her having ‘grown tired of being blasted off my couch’ is a reasonable basis for new federal legistation. I’m also willing to let it pass that she is obviously trying to make some political points by addressing a popular ‘complaint’ of her constituancy.
However, I’m not willing to let it pass that she feels it’s appropriate to spend Congress’ time considering this meaningless drivel when we are faced with two wars, a World economy in the worst shape in human history, collapsing real estate market, millions of people in the street due to home foreclosure, millions more forced to choose between food and healthcare, historically high unemployment and Earth’s climate on the verge of meltdown.
It not only defies explanation, is so obsurd to be insulting to those with even a hit of wits about them, it borders on a criminal disregard for the responsibility of her office.
http://adage.com/article?article_id=135244
Where did the temperature postings go?
Jan 11th
After several days of posting the high/low temps I felt it was cluttering things up a bit.
If you are still interested in the temp. stats from my little corner of the World (and really who isn’t) you can follow me on Twitter (streamingmeemee).
Power is out – again! Argh!!!…
Dec 30th
Power is out – again! Argh!!!!
Update: Thankfully this one lasted only a few hours. Long enough for me to head down to the library again. 
For those following along at h…
Dec 23rd
For those following along at home I’m posting daily temp. stats measured at my house. The high/ low is relative to when I started measuring
Since Friday we have received …
Dec 22nd
Since Friday we have received almost 2 FEET of snow — hurray for Ol’ Bessie!
