My Good Life

Central Street Books

2012-01-11T21:30:00.002-05:00

About a year ago Central Street Books was birthed. It used to be The Book Eddy, located on Chapman Highway in south Knoxville. The Henley Street Bridge reconstruction project limited accessibility to that area of town, if you were coming from the north. The owners of The Book Eddy decided to go in a slightly different direction. They thinned out their stock, refocused, and moved just north of town. They settled at Central and Fulton with a new name, Central Street Books.

I visited them in December and they let me take some photos.

I miss The Book Eddy. But I like Central Street Books. Here's a blogpost that I did on somethings purchased at CSB.

Diavolo

2012-01-03T23:46:00.001-05:00

While doing some baseball research I came across this ad for Diavolo as part of a larger ad for the Seventh Annual Spring Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The Chattanooga News - May 14, 1904

Doing some more research on Diavolo I found this article from the same year, 1904.

The Watertown Herald - August 13, 1904

Sideshow World has a nice page on him. And Science Blogs has a detailed physics page on his act.

Diavolo might have been good, but he certainly wasn't The Flying Zacchinis.

A Visit To Santa

2011-12-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

from archive.org

Three Thrilling Days

2011-12-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

Woman's Home Companion - December, 1913

Ads from December 1913

2011-12-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Woman's Home Companion - December, 1913

Santa

2011-12-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Woman's Home Companion - December, 1913

The Fashion Department

2011-12-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

Woman's Home Companion - December, 1913

Yes, I Will

2011-12-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Mini Interview With Author Jonathan Allen

2011-12-02T00:57:00.001-05:00

I first came to know Jonathan Allen about two years ago. I sent him some Montreal Expos baseball cards. We became casual acquaintances. Facebook friends. Tossing witticisms and encouragement at each other. Well, now he's a published author. Several weeks ago I read his novella / short story / I don't know what to call it. Well, the title is The Kayson Cycle. A very good read. You can pick it up at amazon.com or at Barnes & Noble.

His latest work is The Corridors of the Dead. I haven't actually started to read it, but I look forward to cracking it open on my Kindle.

I was able to pry a few minutes of Jonathan's time from a very busy and hectic publishing day to coerce him into a mini interview. The parameters were I could only ask three questions and his answers could be no longer than 10 words long. I was trying to be sensitive to his time. So, here we go.

Q: What inspires your writing?
A: Displays of raw creativity in all forms of media.

Q: Do you set aside time each day to write or have a routine?
A: Yes, I have a daily goal of 2,000 words.

Q: What is your favorite childhood book memory? Either from your childhood or an actual book for children.
A: The Talisman by Peter Straub and Stephen King. It changed my life.

If you're good with math you'll notice that he used 12 words in that last answer. His reasoning? "it's tough when you have two authors for a book."

I think that Jonathan has a future as a writer. A writer needs to deal with editors, so I'll step in and help him with his answer to the third question.

A: The Talisman by ~~Peter~~ Straub and ~~Stephen~~ King. It changed my life.

We're down to 10 words. See, it wasn't that hard.

Jonathan and I have set up a real interview in the coming weeks. Until then you can learn more about him at his website, JonathanDAllen.com. Or just go out and buy the The Corridors of the Dead at amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.

Five Times the Thanksgiving Fun

2011-11-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

Let's turn the calendar back to 1935...

Plattsburgh Daily Press - November 26, 1935

And then ahead to 1936...

Plattsburgh Daily Press - November 25, 1936

Let's see what area restaurants and merchants were offering up for Thanksgiving in 1935.

Plattsburgh Daily Press - November 27, 1935

Happy Thanksgiving.

Things I Miss - Peru football

2011-11-07T15:32:00.000-05:00

My first high school beat my first school. Photo from and story at the PressRepublican.com.

Things I Miss

2011-10-11T20:40:00.000-04:00

San Francisco Peaks, Arizona

Another grand idea - Sand Skiing

2011-10-03T17:00:00.002-04:00

From the March, 1932 edition of Popular Science Monthly.

image from Google Books

Author Interview - Joseph Wallace

2011-09-19T18:00:00.000-04:00

Ruby Thomas had never seen anything as beautiful as Ebbets Field, with its brick exterior and half-moon windows that reminded her of slices of jelly candy.

This is the first line of Joesph Wallace's Diamond Ruby.

Earlier this year I was introduced to this book by way of Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf. I picked up the sample chapters for my Kindle, devoured them quickly and then ordered a copy of the book from amazon. I contacted the author, Joseph Wallace, and he gladly sent a Diamond Ruby baseball card my way. I read the book, had more interaction with Joe (he lets me call him Joe). I asked for an interview, which he agreed to.

First, my review.

Prohibition is enforced. The Spanish Influenza epidemic is rampant. Babe Ruth is king. Ruby Thomas can throw a baseball. In the pages of Diamond Ruby Joseph Wallace transported me to Brooklyn in the late 1910s and early 1920s. His writing style is engaging and colorful. I got sucked in early and didn't know how the title character would overcome the hardships that were placed before her. If you're looking for a book about sugar and spice and everything nice, this isn't for you. If you want a book that can speak to you on several levels, let me suggest this one.

I have seen reviews that say that Diamond Ruby is an essential take-to-the-beach-on-summer-vacation book. One to laze around with. I'm going to one up that. Diamond Ruby is an essential book for fans of baseball, period pieces, good literature, and books in general. Read it. Buy a copy. Give it to your friends. Then buy another copy for yourself.

Joseph Wallace

Q: Diamond Ruby is set in Brooklyn. You obviously did a lot of research to be able to paint such wonderful word pictures. What sources did you use? How long did your research take before writing? Did you start writing the story line and then flesh out the details?

A: I couldn't write Diamond Ruby until I felt like I was living inside the 1920s Brooklyn world where it was set. To do this, I haunted the New York Public Library's Microfilm Room and read through at least half a dozen newspapers, day by day, one after another. By the time I was done, I'd learned so much about how people lived, what they worried about, what they did for fun. Their world did feel real to me, sometimes even more vivid than the one I was actually living in.

Q: Is your writing style more like "lock myself in a room every morning until I produce 1,000 words" or "writing at the dining room table with kids and pets running amok"? Maybe somewhere in the middle?

A: I need quiet to be able to write well. When I was writing Ruby, I'd go away for three days at a time every few weeks and stay in a motel. It was a kind of sensory deprivation, just me in that room with no distractions, and the words would come pouring out. Sometimes I'd write for fourteen hours a day. My reward would be one good meal in a local hotel.

Q: One of the characters, Helen, is blind. Were you consciously more descriptive in your writing because of that?

A: Helen, like Ruby, was modeled on a real person: a stunt diver who went blind after a tragic accident. I thought of my Helen as the kind of person--strong-willed, brave, plain-spoken--who could get past Ruby's reserve, her solitary nature. She was the kind of friend Ruby would need, so it was easy to write vividly, visually, around her.

Q: Since you weave real people (Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Judge Landis) into the book, did you have to overcome any fears of putting the right words into their mouths?

A: I was definitely nervous about making Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey into important characters! I'm usually suspicious of writers who put words into the mouths of real historical figures. My solution was to have readers see them only through Ruby's eyes. You're never inside their heads, listening to their thoughts. You see them as Ruby does, smart and funny, but never being too wild in front of this tough young girl.

Q: As a writer, does it bring you pain or grief when one of the characters you create dies?

A: Yes, sometimes it's difficult to kill off a character, especially ones who don't deserve it. In Diamond Ruby, Ruby faces some significant tragedies; those were very hard to write because they hurt Ruby (a character I was very fond of).

Q: You've mentioned that you are working on a follow-up book with Diamond Ruby. How's that going? Do you have a publication date?

A: I hope to be done with my sequel to Diamond Ruby, to be set in Hollywood in 1927, sometime next year. Before I get back to it, though, I'm finishing a big thriller, featuring dozens of characters and locations as far-flung as Australia, Panama, Senegal...and Brooklyn!

Q: What's your favorite flavor of frozen custard?

A: I love vanilla frozen custard, but I definitely won't say no to other flavors.

I'd like to thank the author for his time and permission to use his photograph. Yes, I asked. For more information about Joseph Wallace, visit his official website. To purchase a copy of Diamond Ruby go here.

Musician Interview - The Yellow Kites

2011-09-08T10:23:00.001-04:00

Time for another of drive-by interview. These are intended to be an introduction to an artist, not their whole life story.

Today we get to talk with The Yellow Kites, a husband and wife team composed of Kendall and Erina Ludwig.

Erina was gracious enough to answer my questions for the both of them.

Because some music fans are gearheads...
Q: What guitar/dulcimer/harmonium/harmonica/instruments are you playing the most these days? Maker and model preferred.

Our instruments are:
We play a Larrivee L03R. Good ol' Canadian piece that didn't like the heat down in Florida. Seriously so.

We play a traditional hour glass mountain dulcimer with maple top mahogany sides. It's handmade so there aren't any model numbers. It's made by Bill Berg with Mountain Made Music in Nashville, IN.

I play Hohner harmonicas. My G key is the Silver Star (I'm still at the beginning side of things) model no: M50403. My C key is the Golden Melody one (ditto) model no. has faded but I think it's M542016.

The harmonium I play is from Calcutta, India (much more affordable to order it and have it shipped to the States) made by a company called Pakrashi. The model I have is: Pakrashi 3.5 octave portable harmonium and it stunk horribly when we first got it. And it still does sometimes. Something about the wood.

Because inquiring minds want to know...
Q: What are you actively listening to? What music is inspiring you? Yes, this is your typical, what's in the CD player, ipod, etc question. But, it isn't a "If you could be a tree, what tree would you be?" question.

Hard one this as we're on the road so are literally making our way through everything on our iPods. Let's start with Kendall:

Bon Iver, Jonsi (from Sigur Ros- Iceland's major music exporter)- who he's currently listening to.

Jakob Dylan, Shawn Mullins, David Gray, Dispatch, The Swell Season, The Decembrists and Damien Rice give inspiration.

As for me:

Brooke Fraser, Lisa Hannigan, Marketa Irglova, The Frames, Damien Rice, Cat Power, The Swell Season, Jakob Dylan are some of whom I'm listening to.

Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Fleet Foxes, The Swell Season, Lisa Hannigan and Brooke Fraser inspire me.

Trust me there are tons more but we'll never stop otherwise.

Future Plans...
Q: What are you currently working on? Recording/shows/tour/writing/etc.

Ahhh future plans. We're on tour until near the end of Sept when we'll be back in Indianapolis. Got a huge gig in Indy on the 10th Sept at the Irving Theater so getting ready for that :) feel free to invite everyone you know.

We just finished recording what I'm calling a mini- EP (title to be decided) of a few tunes of sacred music. Being on tour and playing in churches has been such a privilege and we tried to capture some of it in Jamestown, NY just this Labor Day. It's like a taster of more things to come so keep a keen ear out!

We're also crafting some new songs with quite a different feel to our debut album. Some more jazzy, others more bluesy. Very electric and exciting. Early days yet so can't report much about it.

What's my connection to The Yellow Kites? A few weeks ago they did a small show at our church. It was Saturday night, a back to school kick off event for our youth group. Kendall and Nick, our youth pastor, are very good friends. Nick had invited them for the concert and to be part of our worship services the next morning. They had a gig at the Preservation Pub in Knoxville on Monday.

I took Angie and Caroline to the Saturday night show. Edison was already there. It was a casual setting and for an hour and a half they played, sang, talked, and shared themselves with the small audience. I was taken by their joy. Their music is simple on the surface, but has a depth to it. On Saturday I purchased their self titled album. I was going to say "CD", but it is a "high-quality, wild-flower embedded download card". Sunday morning I purchased Erina's book, Unnoticed Neighbors: A Pilgrimage into the Social Justice Story. Musicians, author, beautiful people.

Want to know more about The Yellow Kites? You can find them on Facebook, MySpace, their official site, and Twitter.

Want to know more about Erina's book? You can view the Unnoticed Neighbors' video trailer, read a sample chapter, or purchase it.

I suggest you do all of them.

Johnson Bible College Students At Sanitarium

2011-08-22T23:40:00.001-04:00

images from Google Books

Guitars

2011-08-09T08:16:00.000-04:00

My Bass

2011-06-29T14:21:00.000-04:00

A few weeks at praise band practice I decided to pull out my phone and snap a few photos of my bass. I present them here, mostly for documentation. One of these days I really should take the good camera and take some decent photos.

1997 Fender California Series P-bass

My Oldest Bookmark

2011-06-25T09:51:00.000-04:00

In the mid to late 1980s I visited my good friend Paul Thompson. He was living near the Twin Cities. We did the hanging out things and some touristy things. One of them was a visit to the Science Museum of Minnesota. I picked up this bookmark as a souvenir. I've got other things that serve as bookmarks that are older than this (baseball cards), but this is my oldest bookmark that is actually a bookmark.

Defenders Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club bike show video

2011-05-24T22:37:00.000-04:00

Last year the Knoxville Defenders LE MC sponsored a bike show to raise awareness and funds for the Down Syndrome Awareness Group of East Tennessee. I wanted to share some of the bikes that I saw.

Musician Interview - Darrell Webb

2011-05-20T11:45:00.008-04:00

It is time for another interview. Another in a series of drive-by interviews. Intended to be an introduction to an artist, not their whole life story.

Spring is in the air, summer is just around the corner. What better way than to share some bluegrass? And what better bluegrass than some by Darrell Webb?

Darrell Webb

Because some music fans are gearheads...
Q: What mandolins/guitars/instruments are you playing the most these days? Maker and model preferred.

I currently play a Collings Winfield model guitar and Parsons mandolin built by Will Parsons from Elizabethton, TN.

I listen to all different genres of music from classic rock, classic country, blues, and bluegrass so it really varies to what's in my cd player from day to day I get inspired by all different kinds of music.

Future Plans...
Q: What are you currently working on? Recording/shows/tour/writing/etc.

I am currently working on new Darrell Webb band project which should be released sometime next fall for Rural Rhythm Records. I'm always working on new marketing ideas and getting more tour dates for the band. I love to work.

My connection to Darrell Webb? A few years ago I met him at church. Between services we have a time for coffee and snacks. I'm generally content to say hi to my friends, ask them about their week, talk about the ballgame. But every so often I'll introduce myself to someone I don't know. That Sunday it was Darrell. We chatted for a bit and he shared with me what he did and some of his projects. I was intrigued.

Last summer he and his band played at Johnson Bible College's Senior Saints in the Smokies event. I got to hear him live and was taken by his professionalism, his musical ability and his good naturedness.

This year he and his wife, Amanda, joined our church and have become active in a small group that my wife and I host. They have two beautiful daughters. Darrell's shared five of the new tracks that he hopes will be on the new CD. Smoking. Wonderfully written. The Darrell Webb Band will be at Seymour Heights Christian Church on Sunday, May 29th at 6:30pm. Ice cream social to follow.

More info on Darrell's band can be found at their website: DarrellWebbBand.com.

You can also follow the Darrell Webb Band on facebook and see zillions of YouTube videos. Okay, maybe just 41 videos. You might not want to watch all of them, but you will want to see these two:

Just a few more days ...

2011-04-26T12:07:00.000-04:00

Prescott Evening Courier - July 22, 1925

On Sunday, May 1st, Detective Goren will return to the small screen. This makes my wife very happy.

An Easter Carol

2011-04-24T09:00:00.007-04:00

An Easter Carol

by Phillips Brooks - published 1891

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;
Death is stong, but Life is stronger;
Stronger than the dark, the light;
Stronger than the wrong, the right.
Faith and Hope triumphant say
Christ will rise on Easter Day.

While the patient earth lies waking,
Till the morning shall be breaking,
Suddering 'neath the burden dread
Of her Master, cold and dead.
Hark! she hears the angels say
Christ will rise on Easter Day.

And when sunrise smile the mountains,
Pouring light from heavenly fountains,
Then the earth blooms out to greet
Once again the blessed feet;
And her countless voices say,
Christ has risen on Easter Day.

Up and down our lives obedient
Walk, dear Christ with footsteps radiant,
Till those garden lives shall be
Fair with duties done for Thee;
And our thankful spirits say,
Christ arose on Easter Day.

Your Easter Haberdashery

2011-04-23T23:30:00.000-04:00

Prescott Evening Courier - April 9, 1925

Albert Pujols on 60 Minutes

2011-04-10T20:36:00.000-04:00

Every so often I like to watch the CBS show 60 Minutes. Tonight I had the opportunity and I'm glad that I did. After a story about an unsolved murder in the south and a look into the Vatican library they featured Albert Pujols. Enjoy the story and then two short bits, one with John Smoltz and the other with Peter Gammons.

Tim Shriver on the Colbert Report

2011-03-31T11:19:00.001-04:00

Tim Shriver, Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics, asking Stephen Colbert to help spread the word about the R-word.

You might not like everything, or anything, that Stephen Colbert says. But many people watched this last night. Hopefully they picked up on something.

Race Issues at HCBA

2011-03-23T23:28:00.002-04:00

I was looking through some old newspapers and found two articles that dealt with race at Harrison Chilhowee Baptist Academy. The first one describes a basketball games between "teams of a negro and white high school". That was in 1949. Almost seven years later Trustees at "four Baptist-supported schools were authorized today to admit students to "all races" from now on."

I'm glad to say that HCBA, or The King's Academy (as it is now referred to) welcomes students of all races from around the world. Actually, in 1935 HCBA enrolled two brothers from Cuba, Primitivo and Marcelo Delgado.

The Florence Times - January 12, 1949

St. Joseph Gazette - November 11, 1955

images from Google

Those Pesky Peskys

2011-03-17T13:40:00.003-04:00

Chuck Whiting runs the bibliophemera blog. Yesterday he focused on the author, Rose Wilder Lane and her correspondence with Schulte's bookstore in New York. Very interesting stuff. I was drawn not to Mrs. Lane, but the bookseller, Mr. Philip Pesky and later, his son, Mr. Wilfred Pesky. A quick search on ancestry.com offered up some info.

I was first able to find Philip Pesky in the 1910 US Census. His parents were Russian and he was born in New York. He had been married to his wife Minnie for four years. He was a salesman in the wholesale book business. (click on the census images to view them in a larger format)

Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Manhattan Ward 12, New York, New York; Roll: T624_1017; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0411; Image: 1058; FHL Number: 1375030.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

In 1918 Philip Pesky registered for the draft. At this point he's moved out of New York and into New Jersy. He's a manager and his employer is Theo. E. Schulte. I presume that this is the Schulte's Book Store.

Source Citation: Registration Location: Hudson County, New Jersey; Roll: 1711906; Draft Board: 2.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.

The 1920 US Census shows the family living in New Jersey and managing a bookstore.

Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Bayonna Ward 3, Hudson, New Jersey; Roll: T625_1040; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 22; Image: 709.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

The 1930 Census shows that the family had moved from Hudson county, New Jersey to Essex county, New Jersey. Philip is still the manager of a book store.

Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: Irvington, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: 1330; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 443; Image: 655.0.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.

Twelve years later Philip once again registers for the draft. And we can see that he hasn't moved in the last decade and that he's still working for Schulte's Book Store.

Source Citation: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA);Washington, D.C.; State Headquarters: New Jersey.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

On September 17, 1957, The New York Times reported that Philip Pesky, proprietor of Shulte Book Store, died at his home on Momm Court.

On September 26, 1966, The New York Times reported that Wilfred Pesky, president of Shulte's Book Store, died of a stroke on the 24th of September at Columbus Hospital in New York City.

The New York Times had a story about Book Stores of the New York are which included the following description of Shulte's Book Store:

SCHULTE’S BOOKSTORE
1917-late 1960’s
One of the last of the great bookshops on Booksellers’ Row — the stretch of secondhand stores on Fourth Avenue just south of Union Square — Schulte’s survived labor strife, including a strike right before World War II, and prospered. “It was a huge barn of a store,” said Marvin Mondlin, co-author of “Book Row,” a history of Manhattan’s secondhand bookstores.

The store had four owners in its lifetime, among them the professedly unbookish Wilfred Pesky, who, according to Mr. Mondlin, once announced: “You don’t have to read a book to sell books. I never read a book in my life.”

I was not able to find out anything more of the Pesky family, but I'm sure that there's more out there.

Amazed

2011-03-13T14:56:00.001-04:00

I was asked to share a communion mediation at church. This is what I said...

In the preaching series, “Amazed” Randy will be sharing some of the miracles that Jesus performed. I’m sure that we could all rattle off a few of them. Raising the dead. Healing the lame and blind. Turning water into wine. Wow!

I’ve always been fascinated by Harry Houdini and sleight of hand magic tricks. But that’s all they are. Tricks. Houdini had a spare key that was passed to him by his wife’s kiss. A trap door to move from one side of the wall to the other. A distraction and then the slight of hand would take place. I don’t know exactly how he did all of the tricks, but they were purely mechanical or a diverting of our focus. There was no higher power involved. They can all be explained.

Jesus’s miracles can also be explained.

Here’s what Peter said to the Jews in Acts 2:22-24 (NIV):

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Did you hear that? God did the miracles through Jesus. God can do all things. Jesus showed God’s power through the miracles. He also showed love, acceptance, forgiveness, also from God. And he showed his disciples how to remember him through the meal of which we are about to partake.

The juice and bread will be distributed. Take a moment to remember Jesus and God raising him from the dead. Why? “Because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.”

Discovery

2011-02-24T17:21:00.002-05:00

Live video by Ustream

My First Rock Concert

2011-02-22T17:00:00.002-05:00

February 8, 1978. It was a Wednesday. I went with C.Y. Biggs, a classmate.

And the following day in the Plattsburgh State student newspaper, Cardinal Points:

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

For a holiday that is awash in flowers, chocolate and cards, I'll go a bit more simple this year.

Angie, I love you.

....

Musician Interview - Art Paul Schlosser

2011-02-10T14:00:00.004-05:00

Time for another of drive-by interview. These are intended to be an introduction to an artist, not their whole life story.

Today we get to peek into the mind of Art Paul Schlosser, Madison street musician, poet, and artist. Hold on to your hat.

Art Paul Schlosser

Because some music fans are gearheads...
Q: What guitar/instrument are you playing the most these days? Maker and model preferred

I have a Walden which was bought at Spruce Tree Music on Johnson. It has a pretty good sound so I like it but I'm sure there are better.

My current financial situation doesn't really let me afford to play a more expensive guitar and I wouldn't want to take expensive guitar down on State and get it stolen from me.

I'm more of a words person. So I listen to songs that speak to me especially if they are funny. I just listen to Mason Dixon doing a song called The Man Without A Name. It is quite funny. Also I was checking out Weird Al Yankovic's Children's Book.

Sometimes I listen to old radio broadcasts. But I did enjoy The Black Eyed Peas at the Super Bowl. But what I listen to doesn't really inspire me as much as standing alone on State street and just playing around with the guitar or making up lyrics from what I've been reading or doing.

Future Plans...
Q: What are you currently working on? Recording/shows/tour/writing/etc.

I am currently working on many things. I have a variety show in Milwaukee at the Bremen Café with Chris Kammer the singing Dentist and Lady Cannon on March 18 at 901 East Clarke street. We are doing the same variety show in the summer at the Showboat Saloon but we will be adding Chris Skinner who plays the Chapman stick as part of the show.

I'm writing poems and sending them out

And I'm working on a bunch of different songs and some are new children songs which I may be performing live on WORT 89.9 fm.

Or I might put out a Gangster Folk rap CD.

I also have leftover stuff that I'm not sure what to do with.

I'll perhaps do the project that turns out the best.

I don't really want say all the projects I'm working on because I'm really not sure I'm going to do any of them.

I'm getting old and then there's the money factor and besides these 2 problems I really am happy with the projects I already did.

It would be nice at this point to have someone with money who knew the business pay me to record an album he/she knew would sell.

While all this is going on I'm also writing for Madison Street Pulse newspaper and I just finish a bunch of paintings which you can see on my facebook page called Peace & Love

Hey maybe people should friend me at http://www.facebook.com/artpaul

Or check out all 32 of my CDs at http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/ArtPaulSchlosser most of which are also on Apple iTunes.

Okay those are your answers thanks for the interview and keep smiling

My connection to Art Paul Schlosser? In the early 1990s I took a management course at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I'd attend class by day, hit up the library, then head downtown to grab a sandwich and read the local papers. Then I'd walk up and down State street, enjoying the early evening. Art Paul, being a street musician, would often be playing. At first, I'd listen from a distance. As the week progressed, I moved a bit closer. His musical style was, well, different. But it was original and sincere. I purchased one of his CDs and he signed it for me.

Over the years, as the Internet became more prevalent, we'd run into each other online. I'd toss up a few links promoting his ventures, then he'd move the targets. Almost like a cat and mouse game. Then along came facebook. We've become facebook friends. The occasional message back and forth and daily exchanges of Wheel of Fortune bonuses.

You can also find out more about APS at his YouTube channel... http://www.youtube.com/user/artpaul . Here's the link to one of his most viewed videos, when he was on WGN.

Art Paul, thanks for being my friend.

Family "Trees" While You Wait

2011-02-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

The Troy Northern Budget - February 9, 1913

Testimony

2011-01-30T11:21:00.001-05:00

I was asked to give a communion mediation for our church. This is what I shared...

And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son. And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
1 John 5:6-12 (NLT)

The law and I go way back. Early in my adult life I had my share of traffic tickets. Speeding, unsafe driving, running an orange light. I’ve gone to court for a few of them. Simply, you tell your story, the law enforcement officer tells his story. Testimony is given. You win some and lose some.

I’ve served as a Federal Witness. Just after we moved from the Chicago area fifteen years ago, I received a call from a Federal Agent informing me that the trial of some men who were charged with bank fraud was on and that I was to be the final witness. “Get your bag packed because you’re going to testify.” I did and the men were convicted. It wasn’t just my testimony, but the testimony of others and the evidence collected.

I’ve also had the privilege of being in three jury pools. I’ve served on a jury in each of them. Although the three cases were totally different, the basic instructions were very similar. “Listen to the witnesses. Hear their testimony. After receiving instructions from the judge, discuss what you heard in court with your fellow jurors. Come to some form of agreement.” And in each case we did.

Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true.
1 John 5:9-10a (NLT)

So, what are we to do with the testimony given to us by the Holy Spirit and the water and the blood? Ponder it. Discuss it with your friends and family. Come to some form of an agreement. Share it. Testify.

What I've Been Watching

2011-01-27T15:26:00.000-05:00

Musician Interview - Kenny Eng

2011-01-19T21:29:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I've conducted an interview and shared it here, so let's kick off the new year. Another in a series of drive-by interviews. Intended to be an introduction to an artist, not their whole life story.

Back during the holiday season (read: Christmas and New Years), I started to listen to the music of Kenny Eng. I really liked it. Guitar driven. Sophisticated, yet simple song writing.

Because some music fans are gearheads...
Q: What guitar/instrument are you playing the most these days? Maker and model preferred.

Acoustic 1- Martin 000-1R with Fishman Gold Plus Bridge pickup.
Acoustic 2- Talyor 310-CE, 2th Anniversary model (Mahogany top and sides) with factory Fishman prefix pickup.
Electric- Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature stratocaster
Pedals- Boss Blues Driver BD-1 (Keeley Mod), Ibanez Tubescreamer TS-9 (Keeley Mod), Boss Chromatic Tuner TU-2, Boss 9 band EQ, Line 6 DL-4, Dunlop Wah, Ernie Ball Volume and just added a Boss Mega Distortion but I'm not sure if that will stay.
Amp- Carvin Bel Air

Hm... let's see. The answers I always give because I always come back to them in some point during the year are: Jeff Buckley- Grace, The Beatles- Abbey Road, Miles Davis- Kind of Blue, D'Angelo- Voodoo and Jimi Hendrx- Band of Gypys (sic) or Axis: Bold as Love. But most recently, I have to say that Kanye West's "My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy" and the O "Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack have been making their way to the top of the playlists. Bill Withers and Bob Dylan are also heat seekers on my internal chart. As I play and write more, I become more enamored with the zen of songwriting. Being simple, yet having complexity and depth is a tall order for a four minute song.

Oh and if I could be any kind of tree, I'd be a redwood. Or a little bonsai tree. Those things are awesome.

Future Plans...
Q: What are you currently working on? Recording/shows/tour/writing/etc.

My future plan is to be able to completely support myself financially on music. More tangibly, I'm going to start working on my first full-length, fully produced album with my band probably around late February. I would like to continue to performing and improving with my band. We're pretty good already but with the talent that those guys have, we could be something special. I also want to continue to write songs but at a faster pace than I have in the past. My output for last year was slim, but I really, really like those songs!

I just went on a West Coast tour with Rob Deez, Isaac Cheong and Travis Peterson (driver) so I'm not sure when I'll head back out again. It's a lot of work to tour independently from a label but I love it so it will definitely happen again. Locally, and by that I mean San Diego, I would like to continue to play shows that I'm really excited about. I already have a few really special ones lined up so the future is looking pretty great. You can find more at kennyeng.com.

My connection to Kenny Eng? A few years back I started a sports card blog. One of the bloggers I met online was Travis Peterson (the driver mentioned above). He has been a fan of Kenny's for sometime, tirelessly promoting him via Twitter. Travis wore me down.

Kenny plays a variety of music. My favorite, so far, is "Call You When I Get There" from the Live at Lestat's EP. There's a polished rawness about his playing. Some of it reminds me of Brooks Williams' How the Night-time Sings CD.

Look him up. You'll probably be glad you did. I know that I am.

Photo courtesy of Breanne Leach

Please visit her website

Caroline's Camera

2011-01-15T09:19:00.002-05:00

Caroline has always shown an interest in photography. This year Santa brought her a Fisher Price digital camera. Here's a sampling of some of her work. She selected the captions.

Grandma

Signing Time!

Picture Frame

Caroline

Murray

Kitchen

Mouth

She doesn't quite have the whole "you have to keep the camera still" part of photography, but she's having fun.

Come Into My Parlor

2011-01-08T23:20:00.003-05:00

You may find some misspelled words in this opus, but if so, overlook them or blame them on the editor's third assistant, who is supposed to take care of such things. I can spell and I own a dictionary, but my ability to typewrite was impaired, to say the least, the night of March fifth.

That is the opening paragraph of the title story of Hugh B. Cave's Come Into My Parlor.

This is a collection of stories by Hugh B. Cave, a writer of pulp fiction. That opening paragraph tells more about the book than just that story. The editing of this edition had much to be desired. Misspelled words, poor kerning, especially near punctuation. These errors did not make the book unreadable, but they detracted from the pleasure of reading.

The stories themselves were quite enjoyable. Short enough to polish off quickly, but each was different so that they were fresh.

No superheroes here, just policemen, detectives, thugs, and dames. Gun play, fists, bodies, cars. All the cool stuff to pass a few hours..

I had a friend check this copy out from the Knox County Public Library. It seems strange to me that a library would have a signed limited edition book in circulation.

I guess that one of the downfalls of having it in circulation is that it can become damaged. In this instance, the pamphlet, Desperate Character (which I assume is another story), is no longer with this book. There is a sleeve to hold the pamphlet, but it is empty.

Worth reading, but I wish that the editing had been tighter. I'd recommend it.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:25:00.007-05:00

image lifted from TimBotts.com

Wal-Mart fail

2010-12-21T12:08:00.001-05:00

I was on Facebook and I saw a press release from Phil Keaggy. He's my favorite musician.

His new Christmas album is being distributed in Wal-Mart. I hadn't heard of this, so I went to see if it is available at our local super center.

I'm confused. It is either "Not Sold in Stores" or it is "Also In Many Stores".

Hmmm...

Might have to swing by the retailer and take a look-see.

Letters to Santa Claus - 1921

2010-12-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

This set of letters came from the December 16, 1921 edition of the Plattsburgh Daily Republican.

Letters to Santa Claus - 1916

2010-12-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

This set of letters is from the December 20, 1916 edition of the Plattsburgh Daily Press.

Sixty-nine years ago and a good man

2010-12-07T10:00:00.005-05:00

Plattsburgh Daily Press - December 8, 1941

I apologize for the use of the derogatory slur in the headline. The use of this image is only intended to take note of the events of that day.

When I was younger, there was a man who attended our church that was on the islands that day. Kermit Barror. I did some looking at other newspapers from that time and found this notice...

The North Countryman - December 18, 1941

The Barrors were friends of the family. I remember visiting their house. Their daughter, Karla, was a very talented musician.

Press-Republican - February 3, 1969

Kermit died in the spring of 1994.

Press-Republican - May 22, 1994

Our family moved from the North Country in 1978. I didn't realize the importance of what he did in the Army Air Corps. I didn't ask him what he was doing that day, exactly where he was, how he felt about things. I didn't take the time to thank him for his service. Thank you, Mr. Barror.

Letters to Santa Claus - 1900

2010-12-06T09:00:00.008-05:00

This set of letters is from the December 21, 1900 edition of the Plattsburgh Daily Press.

Letters to Santa Claus - 1907

2010-12-04T23:00:00.004-05:00

This set of letters is from the December 21, 1907 edition of the Plattsburgh Daily Press.

Letters to Santa Claus - 1904

2010-12-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

This set of letters is from the December 20, 1904 edition of the Plattsburgh Daily Press.

Letters to Santa Claus - 1903

2010-12-02T09:00:00.003-05:00

This set of letters is from the December 24, 1903 edition of the Plattsburgh Daily Press.

Letters to Santa Claus - 1901

2010-12-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

I was looking through some old newspapers the other evening and came across some Letters to Santa Claus in various papers from Clinton county, courtesy of the Northern New York Library Network.

I'll be on the look out for some more of these and I'll try to include an ad from that Christmas season.

This set of letters is from a December 23, 1901 edition of the Plattsburgh Daily Press.

Tecnically Still November

2010-11-29T13:02:00.002-05:00

But it doesn't mean that I can't start rolling out Christmas related posts. Here's a little Rudolph for you.

The video is clear, just the image above is blurry. Trust me.

All this for a buck? Really?

2010-11-26T09:00:00.006-05:00

Here's another menu from the Royal Savage Inn.

Plattsburgh Daily Press - May 4, 1940

This was a great restaurant. I remember going to it a few times when I was younger. It is no longer in business. And I just read that the Keith's daughter, Tarley Jill Keith passed away a few weeks ago.

The restaurant was named after the American schooner of 1776.

Our Flag - George Henry Preble

Royal Savage links:

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

Royal Savage Inn - Thanksgiving, 1935

2010-11-24T13:15:00.008-05:00


Plattsburgh Daily Press - November 25, 1935

Plattsburgh Daily Press - November 27, 1935

The earliest reference that I found for the Royal Savage Inn was from the classified section of the Plattsburgh Daily Press, 1930.

Images from the Northern New York Library Network

Happy Thanksgiving - 1933

2010-11-23T21:18:00.002-05:00

Plattsburgh Daily Press - November 29, 1933

I selected this because my Dad was just a few months old when this was published.

Source: Northern New York Library Network

What's Your Problem?

2010-11-22T13:52:00.000-05:00

Okay, it has been a while since I last posted. Deal with it.

I've got some ideas, but nothing in the queue. Well, one on Thursday. Wait for it.

100 Largest Libraries in America

2010-11-09T17:21:00.000-05:00

I read this on the Curled Up With A Book blog.

Today's quiz is to see which of these libraries I've been to. Two in the top 10. A couple of others. I've been on the campus of several of the institutions, but not their libraries.

via: the TravelInsurance Blog

A glimpse into the Fett household

2010-11-08T09:53:00.000-05:00

I don't know which one this is. Boba? Jango? I guess they need to eat, too.

Double Belled Euphonium

2010-11-02T17:12:00.000-04:00

While running errands on Saturday I had to stop by a music store and pick up some strings for Edison's guitar.

The closest decent music store was Rush's, in south Knoxville. Before they moved to this location, they had an interesting brass instrument on display. It was a double bell euphonium, made by the King company.

After I bought the strings I asked where it was because I didn't see it on display. Rob pulled it from the boss's office and displayed it.

The fifth valve would direct the air into the second bell.

Here are some links to more double bell euphonium sites:

Plan 9 from Outer Space

2010-10-30T23:43:00.000-04:00

Buddy Walk, 2010

2010-10-10T22:57:00.002-04:00

Today, the Down Syndrome Awareness Group of East Tennessee had their annual Buddy Walk.

It was held at World's Fair Park in Knoxville.

This is the reason that I walked...

And this...

And her friends who also have Down syndrome.

Birmingham

2010-09-15T21:18:00.002-04:00

In mid July Angie and I went to Birmingham. I attended the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference. Angie hooked up with a quilting/blogging friend.

The first night was an open house meet and greet with other attendees. It was held at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. I was informed prior to the event that cameras were not allowed in the building, so I only had my BlackBerry.

This is the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. Regrettably it is most well known for being the site of a bombing that took the lives of four young black girls in September of 1963.

Kelly Ingram Park, across the street from the Institute. The site of several civil rights gatherings, now is tranquil, marked with sculptures to pay tribute and to remind.

I went to the park after the meet and greet. The sun was setting, about a dozen people were at the park, some walking, some sitting. Although this silhouette is well defined, it doesn't do justice to the actual art.

Artist James Drake's installation forces the walker to go between the dogs. Rather unsettling, but a great perspective.

We went back on Saturday, but did not walk. The grass was groomed, the flowers were in bloom. Nothing like the events of almost 50 years ago.

Postcards from a different time

2010-08-15T00:30:00.002-04:00

I found these postcards in a dime bin at the Book Eddy. They aren't great, but too good to be lost to an album in someone's basement.

The first two celebrate the Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine. The first card doesn't have a date, but the second card talks about the Maine Seafoods Festival in 1955, also in Rockland.

There's a nice little story from the Bangor Daily Press about this year's festival, which took place last week. More info can be found at MaineLobsterFestival.com.

Hazel Park, Michigan, sits in the heart of the southeast corner of the state. On May 29, 1966 they had a parade celebrating Memorial Day. The top card is the Hazel Park Jr. High School Band.

The Jr. High card says that this photo was taken at John R & 9 Mile Road.

The Hazel Park Sr. High School Band...

I don't know if the city still has a parade or if the schools participate in it. I'll contact them and see if they do.

For more postcards, take a look at my A Century of Ballparks post.

A Pickle For The Knowing Ones

2010-08-06T12:01:00.002-04:00

Lord Timothy Dexter

Timothy Dexter was born in 1748 and died in 1806. He was an odd nut, to say the least, but he seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He sent Bibles to the East Indies, coal to Newcastle, mittens and warming pans to the West Indies. It is reported that he made a profit on them all. He married a wealthy widow. He wrote a book, A Pickle For The Knowing Ones. About 8,850 words. No punctuation and an interesting smattering of capital letters.

You can read his tome, courtesy of Google Books. There's a website devoted to him. And a nice blog post about him from last year from The Public "I", a blog I will now be following. I suggest that you do as well.

Jim Reed Books

2010-07-20T12:30:00.002-04:00

On Thursday afternoon, I had some time to kill before registering for the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference in Birmingham. I had looked for some baseball card shops, but didn't know the area that well, even using the GPS. I looked online for some bookstores and up popped Jim Reed Books. It was close enough to the Convention Center that I decided to venture my way there.

I was able to park on the street, across and just down from the store on Third Avenue North.

I arrived at about 4:30pm, so I had enough time to do a quick scouting trip. I was looking for a copy of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Edison needs to read it for school.

I asked if they had it and the female employee helped me find the Fiction section. Nothing. Then she guided me to the School Reading List section. Nope. Jim looked it up and found that they had a copy in the back warehouse. I can only assume that it is similar to the storage units that are at Area 51.

He sold me this copy for a mere $5. That's about a third of what a new copy costs at a retail bookstore chain.

This is the back room. There is a Sci/Fi section as well as a Sports section under the miscellany. There are other sections as well, I've just forgotten what they were.

Two of the titles from the Sports section. I really like the artwork on The Easy Out. And the title, Base Burglar? Love it.

Jim, behind his desk/counter, eagerly waiting to answer questions and talk shop.

What? A long playing record in a book store? That's nothing.There is a lot of stuff that doesn't quite fit. Press kit photos. VHS and Beta tapes. Trade cards and advertising. Mannequins. Santas galore.

The exit. A way out of the magical land that is a used bookstore and back into the reality of life. A way out of Jim Reed's Oasis for the Mind. I didn't want to go out. I wanted to stay for a few more hours.

The Flying Zacchinis

2010-07-08T09:00:00.002-04:00

While looking through Google Books for some info on Jack Kochman Hell Drivers I found an ad for "The Spacegirls", Victoria & Duina Zacchini.

Girls and guns. What's better than that?

At one time they were at least a trio.

Who knew they were sisters? Well, if you read the first ad you would have.

In April of 1948 Life magazine wrote an article about The Zacchinis.

I've got nothing else.

Not a Good Day to be a Clown

2010-07-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

From Monday's Knoxville News Sentinel...

Oak Ridge police officers arrest one of 37 protesters during a demonstration Monday at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant, in part to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the initial “Plowshares” anti-nuclear weapons protest.

Chimbumba, watch out.

Y-12 arrest photo credit: Michael Patrick

Happy Birthday, Steve

2010-07-06T12:00:00.000-04:00

Cars

2010-07-05T22:58:00.001-04:00

Today was a day filled with Cars.

Caroline and I started watching the Pixar flick, Cars. I've never seen the whole thing from start to finish. We got through about 30 minutes. But she liked it.

Then, on my way to run an errand for Angie, I came across this accident in South Knoxvegas. Apparently the driver didn't know there was a ditch there. It must have happened right before I arrived. There were no emergency vehicles. Her daughter was near and helped her mom out of the Jeep. The driver, an older lady, must have hung around sailors when she was younger. She was okay, just frustrated. It was pulled from the ditch by the guy with the blurry face.

Then, on BBC America was a show called James May's Toy Stories. This evening's episode dealt with the world's longest slot car track and race. Interesting.

Addendum: My friend, Lance Krueger, posted this video on facebook. Reminds me of the Jack Kochman Hell Drivers...

Friday Night at the Squareroom

2010-06-27T16:37:00.002-04:00

So, this last Friday evening I escorted Edison and his girlfriend (Caitlin), down to the Squareroom in Knoxville for an all ages show. I wasn't familiar with any of the three performers. Rubik didn't do much for me. I enjoyed David Bazan's simple musicianship. He just had a Telecaster and his voice. During the show I tweeted that mewithoutYou was like a cross between David Byrne and Art Paul Schlosser. I think that they could grow on me. The show started at 9pm. We didn't drop Caitlin off until 1am. Long day.

Trombone Shorty

2010-06-17T17:00:00.005-04:00

Several weeks ago I went to Sundown in the City to see Trombone Shorty. The evening was pleasant. Then Caroline's pacemaker lead broke. The concert (for me) was shuttled.

But, today I found Trombone Shorty's segment at the 2010 Bonaroo Festival.

Kick back and relax for an hour or so.

Photos about town

2010-06-07T15:45:00.005-04:00

Champ looking for a handout. I found this one just north of Market Square in Knoxville. "Imma need about tree-fitty". Works for me.

This was outside the Food City in South Knoxville, near John Sevier Highway. Beautiful day on Saturday.

In a subdivision down the road from us. I don't know if bumper stickers are the new Bondo, or if he just had something to say.

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T00:01:00.001-04:00

About six and a half years ago someone from Florida contacted me about a tombstone that she saw in Lakeland. It stands in the Lakeview Cemetery over John F. McDonald.

John F. McDonald was a member of the Regimental Band of the New York Sixteenth Infantry during the Civil War.

From Newton Martin Curtis' book, From Bull Run to Chancellorsville, page 324:

McDonald, John F. — 28 5, 3 ¾ wd m o Aug 9 1862 Re-enl Band 3 brig 3 div 20 corps m o June 12 1865 died Sept 22 1901.

Memorial Day is a time set aside to remember those men and women who died while in military service. John McDonald doesn't exactly fit that bill.

Please take a moment of time to remember those that have served and have fallen, both in and out of service.

Also, take a moment of time and thank those that are currently serving. Give them a call, send them a card or an email. They'll appreciate it.

I know that Veterans Day is a day to remember all veterans, but take another moment and thank those that served and are still with us. They'll appreciate it as well.

I say thank you to John F. McDonald who served alongside my great-great-grandfather, John W. Nichols.

I also say thank you to Anthony K. who is serving in Germany.

And a thank you to George Aubrey (my father) and Jim Knowles (my father-in-law), who both served our nation in military service.

I know other veterans who I did not mention. Please do not take offense at not being named. I thank you, too.

Bob Newhart as Braveheart

2010-05-29T21:49:00.003-04:00

Vacation Hades

2010-05-23T23:30:00.005-04:00

Angie requested some time alone to work on crafty type items for teacher's gifts. Edison was off to see Robin Hood with some friends from church. After lunch I took Caroline to the Wal-Mart in Sevierville. I hadn't been down the parkway in Pigeon Forge in some time. So off we went. These were all taken with my BlackBerry lower res camera.

If you squint, you can see the Titanic just down the road.

I pulled into the parking lot to get a better photo of the stately ocean liner.

And here's the magic behind the illusion. It isn't really the Titanic, but a large building.

And some papier-mâché.

The World Famous Dinosaur Walk Museum...

When you're questing for some Magi...

The mountains are getting closer...

And then there's the King. No, not Richard Petty. Elvis. He's got a museum that isn't in Las Vegas.

And the world famous Comedy Barn.

That, to me, is Vacation Hades. But we love those that come to vacation here. It helps keep our property taxes low. Thank you. Y'all come back.

Alliteration, Base Ball, and Interrobang

2010-05-21T00:29:00.009-04:00

I was poking around some old newspapers and came across two ads from 1907...

Two of the Bennett Sisters

(from a Library of Congress flickr page)

The interrobang has nothing to do with the previous ads...

Knoxville Pics

2010-04-30T22:16:00.005-04:00

The last few weeks I've been hanging out in downtown Knoxville. Today, I decided to take some photos with the BlackBerry. I don't know the names of these buildings. The sculptures are in and around Krutch Park. The painting/mural is on the south side of Wall Street, very near Gay Street. Enjoy them. I did.

God is Good

2010-04-25T21:59:00.002-04:00

Caroline has a new pacemaker. She gave us quite a ride this weekend. It started Thursday evening. She wasn't feeling well and was very lethargic. A trip to ETCH's ER showed us why. A lead on her pacemaker had fractured and the firing signal wasn't getting to her heart. The pacemaker tech confirmed the diagnosis. Both of her cardiologists showed up. Quick, but thorough consultations resulted in a decision to move her to another hospital in town.

She was transported to the UT Medical Center where a new lead was inserted. Heart Cath type stuff. The surgeon was able to juggle his schedule and Friday afternoon her old pacemaker was removed and a new one was inserted. 5-1/2 years of newer technology. Better battery life. Slimmer design.

The surgeon was able to perform the procedure without having to crack any bones. I saw her in recovery an hour or two after surgery. She recognized me, gave me a kiss and said, "I love you, fish head." We try to discourage her from that, but I told her it was okay.

On Saturday she was released, right after lunch. She's on simple, over the counter pain meds and a prescription antibiotic. She's still tender, but spent a day playing, watching videos, enjoying family.

I'd like to thank the surgery team, her cardiologists, the pacemaker tech, the nurses and hospital team, the transport team. I'm sure that I forgot somebody on the professional end.

I'd like to thank my family. Angie spent two nights, with her mom, at the hospital. Edison was a trooper. Jeff and Mary were a blessing to have as stabilizing force, as well as having good sense. Barb and Caitlin brought food. Many friends sent their well wishes and prayers. A few special friends visited Caroline at UT. Jim, my father-in-law, was there throughout, shuttling cars and people. He did more than that. He's seen a lot in his life and knows the power of God.

Even though I'm clueless as to the procedures that Caroline went through and exactly how the stuff works, I'm grateful for God's power and grace.

God is Good.

Print less, save money

2010-04-08T13:33:00.004-04:00

I just read an AP story that discusses a way to save money by changing fonts.

Smaller fonts equal less ink used equal money saved. Here's an interesting few lines from the story...

The standard advice for trimming printing expenses still applies: Print in "draft mode," if you can. Use both sides of a page and do a print preview to make sure you're not printing pages with useless text such as a copyright line. Using an ink-saving font is just one more technique to consider.

And the greenest way to save on ink is not to print at all.

Now, I'm all in favor of saving the earth, saving money and casual tree hugging, but copyright lines are not useless text. Here's what it says at the bottom of the story's web page...

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

My guess is that the writer, Dinesh Ramde, might want to have a small meeting with his editor. But, if the editor let this get through, perhaps they both might want to seek out their boss before the boss seeks them out.

And no, I did not get any prior written authority from The Associated Press to use the few lines that I did. Quick, call the copyright police. Oh, no. Wait. Those are just useless text. I guess I can do whatever I want to.

And that © image at the top? Courtesy of McDutchie who released the image into the public domain a little over three years ago. Interesting that a copyright symbol doesn't have a copyright. Well, I guess it technically does, but you know what I mean.

We're So Proud

2010-03-16T21:05:00.009-04:00

Recent events from east Tennessee caught on video...

KSO Blogger's Night - A Review

2010-03-08T12:06:00.005-05:00

A week and a half ago I attended a Blogger's Night Concert, put on by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. They tossed me a pair of tickets and I was supposed to blog about it.

The review has been brewing in my head for the last ten days, and then one of their minions e-kicked me in the shins, gently reminding me that I haven't held up my part of the contract. So, here goes.

The program was entitled Shakespeare in Love. This was part of the Moxley Carmichael Masterworks Series. And it was delightful.

I arrived about 7:10pm and missed the first part of "The Talk". "The Talk" is where Maestro Richman comes to the stage with one of the performers to talk about that evening's program. On Thursday night he brought Carol Mayo Jenkins and they sat and discussed Shakespeare, music, composers and the like. Then they opened it up for questions. Mind you, this is very informal. I felt a bit awkward raising my hand and asking, "Ms. Jenkins, have you ever done one of those '15 Shakespeare plays in 15 minutes' productions? And Maestro, would you consider scoring some music to play behind it?" I should have. Nobody asked a question. I don't know if they do "The Talk" before every concert or not. They did it last year with Ms. Perlman and it was fascinating. (Note to self: Show up on time. Don't be afraid to ask a question or two.)

The orchestra then came on the stage and warmed up. Then tuned. You'd think that they'd do it the other way around.

The first piece on the program was MacDowell's Hamlet and Ophelia, Op. 22. During "The Talk" Maestro Richman wondered if Korngold had listened and borrowed from MacDowell.

1911 Helmar Stamp (T332), Edward MacDowell

MacDowell's piece had a very cinematic feel to it. I closed my eyes and imaged the music as the background for a silent film. I wonder if Williams had listened to Korngold's King's Row when he wrote the Star Wars themes.

Next up was Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture after Shakespeare. If you watched TV in the early 80's you know this one. "Get all you favorite classical tunes, such as the Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet, as played by one of the greatest pianists of all time, Richard Clompen-Trompen. Relax as the soothing music flows from the keyboard and washes over your troubled soul. (music swells)"

1909 Ramly Cigarettes (T204), Peter Il’yich Tchaikovsky

Yeah, that one. You'll remember that in the Time-Life ads they really didn't mention Tchaikovsky. It might have quickly scrolled by on the screen, but Mr. Reagan wasn't too keen on promoting anything Russian at the time. (Note to self: Do a Google search on "CIA Mind control Time-Life records") The orchestra pulled this off brilliantly, bending to the Maestro's wand.

A short intermission ensued, long enough for the concert goers to visit the bar. And that they did. When the lights in the lobby went down and those on the stage went up, Maestro Richman shared the stage with four gifted actors from the Clarence Brown Theatre and the Women of the Knoxville Chamber Chorale. The actors performed lines from ~~Bacon's~~ Shakespeare's play to Mendelssohn's Incidental Music to "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Opp. 21 and 61.

1895 Mayo's Cut Plug (N300), Felix Mendelssohn

I was very curious to see how this would work out. Recently there was some discussion about concert goers clapping at the end of a movement (taboo) instead of waiting for the end of the piece. I wondered if the musicians would take offense at the spoken word stepping on their music. Apparently they didn't.

I wasn't overly familiar with either this story or the music. Sure, I read the guides and tried to remember if I had to read the play in High School. I don't think so. Basically, it is a dream sequence about love potions and fairies, braying asses and Puck, love and sleep. Well, there's more to it than that. Read it your self. The actors, using hats and flowers as their props, made me forget that there was an orchestra just feet behind them. I was drawn to Conrad Ricamora's performance, but all were good.

The opening and closing chords of this piece, although very short, gave me rest.

I'd like to thank the KSO for providing the tickets and I'd like to thank Maestro Richman for guiding the orchestra in a wonderful evening. And I'd like to thank Walker's Formal Wear for donating the actor's tuxedos for the performance. And thanks to Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville for sponsoring the program. This is either starting to sound like the Oscars ^{(insert trademark thingo here)} or look like the side of a NASCAR vehicle.

It was a very nice evening and I'm glad I attended.

The 'baseball' card images were lifted from the Library of Congress and cobbled together to make fictitious cards. Since you can't take photos during a performance, I let my imagination run amok.

KSO Blogger's Night tonight

2010-02-25T16:50:00.002-05:00

Lots of Music. Lots of Shakespeare. Mix 'em together and you've got the 2010 Knoxville Symphony Blogger's Night.

Angie's had a very busy week so I'll be making a go of this myself.

Blog report in a few days.

New Barbie is demeaning

2010-02-18T11:05:00.007-05:00

Mattel recently announced a new line of Barbie dolls. They are the I Can Be... series. Sure, a trademark goes somewhere in there. This is big business. Here is the I Can Be... Computer Engineer Doll.

The I Can Be... Computer Engineer Doll empowers

girls to play out different roles and "try on" fabulous careers, including computer engineer, the first Barbie® profession chosen by popular vote! Always a reflection of the times, this digital diva engineers the perfect geek-chic look, with hot pink accessories and sleek gadgets to match. The inspiring set also comes with a special code that unlocks career-themed content online, for even more digital play (how fitting)!

Features for Geek Tech Barbie include:

Dressed in a funky tee with binary code design
Comes with cell phone headset, laptop bag, and pink laptop
Special code inside each package unlocks career-themed content online
Perfect for gadget girls

If being a Computer Engineer doesn't suit your little girl's taste they can choose to be a News Anchor, a Newborn Baby Doctor, a Rock Star, a Dentist, or a Babysitter.

The thing that is the most offensive of this is that this doll is demeaning to a good percentage of the Computer Engineers out there. We do not all wear funky tees with binary code designs. We do not all wear phone headsets. Some of us have lives outside of work, whether it is being a member of good standing in the Society for Creative Anachronism or playing Dungeons & Dragons. Sometimes we come out of our mother's basement, if just to go to Best Buy to purchase the latest Asus - Rampage II GENE Micro ATX Motherboard 2000MHz (Socket LGA 1336). It does have 12 USB ports and 8 channel audio.

Mattel and Barbie, get a life.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and watch the final episode of Big Bang Theory, Season 1.

And, Mattel, if you're reading this, in general, real Computer Engineers are not Choking Hazards.

A study in Caroline

2010-02-15T20:27:00.006-05:00

Misc. Thurs. Ramb.

2010-02-10T20:00:00.004-05:00

Yes, it is time for another edition of Miscellaneous Thursday Ramblings.

Windows 7 has been good and stable. We've had it for about two months now. I did see one BSOD, but I'm not worried. Our trial version of Norton Security MumboJumbo expired, so I installed Microsoft Security Essentials. It seems to be working out well.

In other computer news, my in-laws' laptop got hosed up last week. The hard drive was filling up very quickly. Out of about 60GB, they had 16MB free. You read that correctly. Culprit was the AVG Free software. Something was triggering a gotcha and it would create a dump file. That was about 100MB in size. Every four or five minutes. You do the math. They are now running Microsoft Security Essentials.

A co-worker's home desktop also got hosed this week. Windows XP Pro Antivirus 2010 rogue program. Basically it hijacks your computer and makes it unusable until you buy their software to tame it. Or, you can use the instructions here.

It made the user look like this.

On the reading front, I've been working on Donald Honig's A Donald Honig Reader, Neil Lanctot's Negro League Baseball, and Sue Macy's A Whole New Ball Game.

On the TV front, Angie and I have been enjoying Big Bang Theory and Castle.

Just because I like his humor.

KSO Blogger's Night 2010

2010-01-27T10:53:00.004-05:00

I have been in contact with Stephanie from the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra the past few months, mostly to keep up with the Annual KSO Blogger's night. There was talk that it was going to be two weeks ago, but other events overtook that.

Now, it is official. On Thursday, Feb. 25th. As part of the Moxley Carmichael Masterworks Series they will be presenting Shakespeare in Love. Conductor Lucas Richman has selected three pieces based on William Shakepeare's works. Actors from the Clarence Brown Theatre will be offering lines from the Bard while the music plays.

Now, being the conspiracy theorist that I am (tongue in cheek), I would be remiss if I did not bring up the fact that Sir Francis Bacon wrote most, if not all the works attributed to William Shakespeare (link). Could it be that Maestro Richman knows of this and is presenting the works of MacDowell (Hamlet and Ophelia), Tchaikovsky (Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture) and Mendelssohn (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) to an unsuspecting audience? It is well known that those three hacks had plagiarized anything and everything that they could from their students. Really, can you tell me another piece that MacDowell wrote? Didn't think so.

I postulate that there was another composer behind all three men and played them as pawns in the game musical greatness. I have not yet completed my investigation into this but hope to by Thursday, February 25th. Until then, pass the bacon.

The Good, The Bad, and The Forgiven

2010-01-17T11:25:00.002-05:00

On Saturday I attended a men's conference at Sevier Heights Baptist Church. FeedYourFaith.org organized the event.

Scheduled speakers included Michael Franzese, Hallerin Hilton Hill, Burt Rosen and Dr. Voddie Baucham.

I say scheduled because Michael Franzese didn't make it to the conference.

The conference started without him just fine. A band of young men, fronted by Josh Hilliker. Their music was guitar driven and carried the worshipful respect that is due God.

Hallerin Hilton Hill spoke about Wrestlemania. What do we as men wrestle with? How putting out schemes before God's plan don't work. How the fight is fixed and we don't need to fear.

Burt Rosen, President and CEO of Knox Area Rescue Ministries, shared his story and how he came to be in Knoxvile, that "God forsaken city." Very moving and reminded me that we should not worry about the 'bell-wearing unclean.'

Dr. Voddie Baucham spoke in two sessions. His topic was centered around Folklore Theology and how American Evangelicalism has watered down the Gospel, if they share it at all. The second session dealt with what the Bible says about being a Christian. Here are some of his sermons. This topic isn't yet available, but should be out next month.

About 12 men from our church attended. It was fun to get to know them better and break bread and the Word of God together.

Caroline Wii Bowling

2010-01-10T00:32:00.004-05:00

Thanks, Nana and Papa.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T00:25:00.004-05:00

I was perusing some magazines over at Google books and came across these ads. The are mostly from Popular Science and Baseball Digest.

Please do remember that we celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas, not just observe the traditions of Santa, presents, food and family. Although those things don't hurt. Enjoy.

A day in the life...

2009-12-10T10:26:00.001-05:00

Our PC died. We had mighty winds and the power was flickering at home. That is not good. It did something really bad and some Windows boot files got corrupted. I've tried to restore them, but it still isn't working.

And the legs of our kitchen table are going bad. Not the legs themselves, but where the bolts that hold them on. The insert nuts are made of cheap metal and are falling apart. A trip to the big orange hardware store sort of helped, but not really. The next day, a trip to the big blue hardware store got me on track. Two legs have now been fixed, I might try to fix the other two over the Christmas break.

I need to go and tune the piano at church. It is difficult to keep the temperature and humidity constant in a large room that is only used for about eight hours per week. My tuner broke about a month ago and I haven't replaced it.

With the heavy rain that we had the last few days, Caroline's school system closed due to flooding. Her school is fine, but the school system covers the whole county. So Angie and I split up Caroline duties yesterday. It is tough when the day gets fractured.

And I did something to my left foot. I can't describe it, but it isn't comfortable to walk on. Resting last night seemed to help. I might have pulled something or stretched it in the wrong way.

All this to say that I've had better weeks.

Then, this morning, I received an email from church updating us on one of the missionaries that we support. I share it here, reminding me that my problems and issues are minor and that we serve God that can do more than we can imagine.

Written by Jesse Pryor, Missionary in Papua New Guinea...

It has been an exhausting week. Dealing with the logistics and technical aspects of the optometrist surgeon’s visit has been a borderline nightmare. Not only is getting to Samban rough, but once here, you have the knowledge that whatever you do not have with you means that it is going to be impossible to get it in time. So we had been planning for two or three months, but it just didn't seem like enough time. All the traveling was worked out. All the technical issues were discussed and planned for, so everything should be alright, or should be manageable.

It ended up that the traveling was the easy part. Picking up the doctor and his two nurses, traveling over road, and then by canoe went off without a hitch. The first morning here the doctor realized that our facilities lacked two things that he needed. One was an operating table (the right length, width, and height). He also needed a table that would serve as a microscope stand. With a few pieces of timber and some odds and ends of plywood, by 1 pm, he was ready for his first patient.

The generator of ours was running fine. The fan to cool the microscope was going fine. Two patients into the day the generator started having power surges. What's going on? Fortunately, we had a UPS for the microscope, so it wasn't damaged. I cleaned the air filter and then the fuel filter. The fuel filter had so much water in it that it was shutting down the operation of the generator. The bad thing is that we only had the one drum of fuel, so however bad the fuel was, it was all we had. So, this meant that basically every hour (with the generator still running), I would quickly take the fuel filter cup off, empty the water out, clean it and get it back on before the motor shut off due to the lack of fuel. There was a little pressure involved, but fortunately the UPS also had battery back up so if the generator shut down, I still had five minutes of power before the microscope shut down. I forgot to mention that he had patients on the operating table (literally under the knife) while all this was going on.

The doctor operated on 16 people over the course of 3 days. Seven of these people had one eye done the first and second day, and then the second eye on the third day. Of these 16 people, 5 or 6 of them have basically been blind for the last 3 or 4 years or so. All of the patients were having cataracts removed. There’s something about the UV rays here in the tropics that makes cataract problems an issue. The second morning before operations started the doctor would remove the eye patch and check the eye he had operated on the previous day. Those that had no vision would stare in shock, and then be in utter elation when they could "see" again.

One old man literally sang all the way home. He had been led from his house to the clinic. That day he led the pack as he left the clinic. On the day of the operation on his second eye, he didn't even wait for those to escort him. He was walking as soon as first light hit, so he could be first in line for the operations. Saturday he had his patch removed and he had the use of both eyes. To paraphrase what he said, "That's it. I'll never be found sitting again. My children and grandchildren are going to have a full time job trying to find me. No more sitting in the house for me."

I have other stories about comments and reactions of these patients. All of them are priceless. Yes, I'm exhausted, but I'm absolutely thrilled for these 16 people who have had sight restored. During all these operations, besides fuel problems, the fan that was to cool the microscope burned up. Fortunately we had a second fan. If the doctor doesn't have the microscope, he can't operate. If the fan doesn't cool the microscope, it will not run. So we were glad that we had the two fans. The second fan burned up as well, but only halfway through the operation on the last eye. For some reason the UPS caused the generator to have power spikes (which have not stopped even after we are no longer using the UPS). The generator is what we use to power the electronics (like this computer) in our house and other equipment to do our work here in PNG. All this is fixable.

I don't know about you, but in our family the countdown for Christmas has begun (especially for the 3 kids). For some reason I've always found it really easy to have the Scrooge mentality around Christmas. So here I sit writing this email with no fan, so I'm sweating just typing. The washing machine won't pump out water on its own, so every few minutes I'm having to get up to pump out the water for it. We've also got a lot to do because the plane is coming tomorrow and we are headed into town for some shopping for supplies and to get some literacy material printed. It would be really easy to focus on the bad. When things break down out here, it is a waiting period before we can either get parts, or replace it. Sometimes replacing things has to wait until funds are available.

However, if you gave us (Karie and me) the choice between two fans, a washing machine that worked properly, or 16 people with restored sight, I think you know what the choice would be. Those 16 people have been dealing with poor sight for years, and it’s hard to feel sorry for yourself because you can't turn on a fan. We can replace fans, we can get a new washing machine, maybe not when we want to, but those types of things are replaceable. To have the ability to change someone’s life through restored vision? That is irreplaceable.

All these things I’ve mentioned remind me of the fact that over 2000 years ago an event took place in history that changed the course of human history, yet so many people are blind to the fact of what a magnificent change took place. How simple it is to restore physical sight for a doctor who is skilled and has the right tools. How hard it is to change the attitudes of those who don't care to see what God did so many years ago, and does every day. It's easy to focus on what is not right in the world. It is easy to see the defeats close at hand. Yet the victory that is in our future, because of what was done so many years ago, is so much greater than what we have to deal with right now.

Our little world here in Samban can now see a little clearer because of what one doctor did. Hopefully, we can see the greater vision of what Christmas means through the gift of God's Son.

2009 Fantasy of Trees

2009-11-29T22:16:00.002-05:00

East Tennessee Children's Hospital put on their 25th annual Fantasy of Trees.

One of our friends at ETCH was able to get us some complimentary tickets to the Festival so I took Edison and Caroline to the fun.

I took about 160 photos, so I'm not going to bore you with all of them. Really. Here's the best of them...

Caroline waffled about seeing the big man. But, simple distractions and about a 20 minute wait in line and we were next. When I asked her what she was going to ask of Santa, her reply was, "Paper. Crayons. Markers. Pupcake. No pie. Cake. A doctor's kit."

Now, this was not a pure quote, but more single word answers to prompts. She did fine meeting Santa, posed for the photographers (both the official one and me) and then I collected her. We thanked Santa, wished him a Merry Christmas and started to walk to the digital photo selection area. She turned back towards Santa and said, "Paper." I guess that she forgot to let him know her wish list or he didn't ask.

It reminded me of the scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie tells Santa that he wants a football and then realizes that he should tell him exactly what he wants...

The Fantasy of Trees Santa was much nicer.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Turkeys Away

2009-11-26T11:16:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving TV shows

2009-11-22T22:47:00.004-05:00

I've been waiting years for this episode of Cheers to show up.

Thanksgiving Orphans

This is the one where the cast all get together at Carla's place and a food fight breaks out. I saw part of it in 1986, but not all of it. WGN is showing it.

Other favorite Thanksgiving themed TV episodes are the ones from Everybody Loves Raymond. The tofurkey and the fish episodes. The Bob Newhart Show where Emily goes off and leaves Bob and the boys with some liquor and football.

On Thanksgiving day, I enjoy a smattering of parades and football.

Keep the turkey moist and the remote close by.

Weather Girl

2009-11-18T20:30:00.002-05:00

Caroline went on her first kindergarten Field Trip today. Her class went to WATE, the local ABC affiliate, where they toured the facilities and got to play on the set. Below is meteorologist Ken Weathers giving her some assistance.

And then she's flying solo.

The kids had fun and rounded out the morning with a stop at Burger King for some chicken and fry-fries.

Thanks to Diane H. for the photos. More photos can be found on Facebook.

Catch up

2009-11-16T10:31:00.007-05:00

It seems that I've been neglecting this blog. I have, I guess.

To make up for it, I give you an image that I found over at FreakingNews.com...

I also share a wonderful episode of the Alfred Hitchcock Hour...

While I was sick this last week I had a chance to watch this. I'm a big Bob Newhart fan, and an Alfred Hitchcock fan. When these two worlds collided, I'm a double winner. Take 50 minutes from your day and watch this.

I was able to read some more of A Colossal Hoax by Scott Tribble. It is a very well researched book.

We celebrated Edison's 15th birthday on Saturday and Sunday. Ah, boys will be boys. Angie has a much better description of the weekend's events over at her blog.

I worked on a few PCs for some friends. Mostly updates and cleaning out cruft. I fought with a Vista laptop that did not want to give up the administrative password. I was finally able to use a tool that cleared the password. Bingo. Now to finish cleaning and tweaking.

There. I'm caught up. Probably not, but that's what you're getting for now.

TriJangle Interview, part 3 - Pierce Pettis

2009-10-30T15:00:00.002-04:00

This is the third and last of the three drive-by interviews with the main participants of the upcoming "Songwriters in the Round" show that will be held on Saturday, November 14. Three outstanding musicians and songsmiths will come together for an evening of good music at the Westridge Auditorium Theater in Elgin, Illinois.

Pierce Pettis, Pat Terry and John Austin are the featured artists. In case you missed it, the interview with Pat Terry can be found here. The interview with John Austin can be found here.

Pierce Pettis was the last to respond to the questions, so I'll finish up with him.

Q: What guitar are you playing the most these days?

Lowden J25, Avalon "Legacy"

Q: What are you actively listening to?

My daughter, Grace's CD

Q: What music is inspiring you?

My daughter, Grace's CD

Q: Yes, this is your typical, what's in the CD player, ipod, etc...

wires and stuff

Q: In a sentence or two, what did you take away from working with Mark Heard?

Some of his silverware . . . but seriously, folks. Mark was the funniest and most honest person I've even known. He was serious about his work, rather than himself --reversing the usual trend.

For more info about Pierce, please visit his website, PiercePettis.com.

My connection to Pierce Pettis...

Hmmm... I really don't have one. Sort of, but with his music. It was probably the late fall or early winter of 1990. Angie and I were in a Chicago area mall, walking through a store. The CD player was playing Pierce's version of 'In The Bleak Midwinter.' I think we stopped all shopping and stood and just listened to it. After the song finished, we found out which CD it was on (Windham Hill's, "A Winter's Solstice, Vol. III"). We immediately bought it. Today, when I told Angie that Pierce had responded to the interview questions she said, "Oh, I can't wait until we start playing Christmas music. 'In The Bleak Midwinter' is the first song I want to play." I agreed. I think I'll be pulling the Christmas music out this weekend.

Ticket information can be found at TriJangle.com.

Halloween Newspaper Ads

2009-10-28T12:01:00.004-04:00

This came from a copy of the North Countryman, as supplied by the Northern New York Library Network Digital Newspaper project. It is either from 1964 or 1965.

Going back a few decades I found this advertisement from the North Countryman from 1933.

Boo!

TriJangle interview, part 2 - John Austin

2009-10-27T10:00:00.005-04:00

This is the second of three drive-by interviews with the main participants of the upcoming "Songwriters in the Round" show that will be held on Saturday, November 14. Three outstanding musicians and songsmiths will come together for an evening of good music at the Westridge Auditorium Theater in Elgin, Illinois.

Pierce Pettis, Pat Terry and John Austin are the featured artists. In case you missed it, the interview with Pat Terry can be found here.

John Austin was the second to respond to the questions, so he goes next.

Q: What guitar are you playing the most these days?

I play a Taylor 514-C that Doug White presented to me as a gift back in the mid 1990s, after the Takamine Santa Fe that I'd bought from Bill Mallonee was broken into pieces when it was run over by an airplane. (I bought the guitar from Bill after my beloved 1970 Guild D-25 was stolen.) I was drawn to the Taylor 514-C because it had a darker tone than the other Taylors that were out at the time. It's aging nicely!

Q: What are you actively listening to? What music is inspiring you?

I would echo Pat Terry's list. Honestly, I'm not listening to much music right now -- except for some old 78s from the early 20th Century that I sometimes play on my late grandmother's Victrola (which is almost the antithesis of an iPod). Some are from the 1910s and feature really cool Hawaiian guitar parts. Unfortunately there is still something wrong with one of the Victrola springs and half way through a song I have to get up from the sofa and start cranking the thing again.

But, in general, I'm inspired by artists who have a body of work; I've never really been inspired by new artists. The more dead they are, the better! Willy Deville, who died earlier this year, was a great, under appreciated singer/songwriter. Warren Zevon died a while ago, but I like the two records he did before he was diagnosed with cancer: "Life'll Kill Ya" and "My Ride's Here" (much of which he wrote with the also now dead Hunter S. Thompson). I like the Ray Davies song "Working Man's Cafe", and "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap. As far as the current state of the music industry goes...I find the songs and attitude of Charlie Peacock inspiring. (And he's very much alive!)

Q: In a sentence or two, what did you take away from working with Mark Heard?

Capturing good music is a lot like collecting butterflies or bottling bees. And the secret to not sinking under is in having a good sense of humor -- you've got to hold onto that for as long as you can.

For more info about John, please visit his website, OfficialJohnAustin.com.

My connection to John Austin...

In the late 1980s and early 1990s I was involved with Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois. I don't remember the sequence of events, but a new church plant was being started in Chicago. Services were to be held in a nightclub. John was asked to play and I was asked to play with John. We opened the first service with David Bowie's "A Space Oddity." Major Tom and all that. I'm assuming that Doug had his hand in this somehow or another.

Ticket information can be found at TriJangle.com.

TriJangle interview, part 1 - Pat Terry

2009-10-26T13:00:00.003-04:00

My friend, Doug, is producing a show. On Saturday, November 14, three outstanding musicians and songwriters will come together for an evening of good music at the Westridge Auditorium Theater in Elgin, Illinois.

Pierce Pettis, Pat Terry and John Austin are the "Songwriters in the Round".

I asked Doug if I could do a short interview with each of them. I tossed out three questions, one for the gearheads, the second one as the obligatory question (and I told Doug I wouldn't use: If you were a tree...), and the third one as the thread that runs through all three of their lives.

Pat Terry was the first to respond to the questions, so I'll post his first...

Q: What guitar are you playing the most these days?

My favorite guitar is still my 1970 Martin D28, which I bought brand new and have used on every project I've done since then.

Q: What are you actively listening to? What music is inspiring you?

I've been listening to Wilco, Rosanne Cash, Johnny Winter, and Leonard Cohen... and of course, there's always some Lennon/McCartney thrown in for good measure.

Q: In a sentence or two, what did you take away from working with Mark Heard?

Mark always drove home the importance of doing whatever was vital and real to me at the time. In the end, I think as songwriters that's all we have to offer.

For more info about Pat Terry, please visit his website, PatTerryOnline.com. His Q&A section has a lot more questions and his answers are more in-depth, but I specifically didn't want the guys to spend hours answering my questions. This was to be more of a drive-by interview.

My connection to Pat Terry...

Pat (along with James Dean Hicks and Roger Murrah) wrote the song, National Working Woman's Holiday. Sammy Kershaw recorded it in 1994, where it made it to the #2 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. Sammy's current keyboard player is Steve Farmer. I went to high school with Steve and were in a number of bands together, both legit and pick-up bands. So, it is almost like Pat and I are old buddies.

Ticket information can be found at TriJangle.com.

Blackberry fusion

2009-10-23T11:20:00.000-04:00

Yes, Angie did buy this at the store a few weeks ago. But I'm talking about the new cell phones that Angie and I have.

Blackberry 8330 Curve

Okay, I started this post back in September. You can see that I'm up on my blogging. Actually, I've been rather busy, with Buddy Walk, football games, life in general.

We decided at the end of August to hop on the "phone as a data device" train. We had some bar phones that we got from Sprint. They worked well, but we cut out texting from the plan. Didn't need it back then. With Edison in football and a different church schedule that Angie or myself (he's a teen, don't you know), we opted for the Family Data plan. More minutes, no extra cost for all the data and texting one could want.

The Blackberrys work well. Until this Wednesday morning. I got the "JVM error 102" on mine and it wouldn't boot. I spoke with Sprint technical service. Three technicians and 35 minutes later they replied with, "Yes, we're aware of that error. No, we don't know what causes it. No, we don't know how to fix it. Please take it to a Sprint service center for repair or replacement. Oh, you don't have insurance on the device, so you'll probably have to buy a new one. Good luck with that."

Actually, they were kind and helpful. I selected the Sprint store in west Knoxville, signed up for an appointment (online) and headed out the next morning.

About 25 minutes after my arrival, I had a new Blackberry in hand, already activated. I was fortunate to have backed up my old one the night before it died. Weekly backups are now going to be standard operating procedure.

Edison also got a new cell phone. I've forgotten the model, but it is centered around texting. He likes it. He likes it so much that he got in trouble for using it. The details don't matter, but the phone was just returned to him last evening. I think that he learned his lesson.

So, text me if you want to. Although the Blackberry has a QWERTY keyboard, my thumbs don't move very fast. Don't hold your breath waiting for me to reply.

Mad Skills

2009-09-23T21:14:00.006-04:00

This is a screen capture of one of the most viewed photos from Yahoo! News.

The text on the side says:

An Indian army soldier displays his skills on the sidelines of the Polo Season 2009 in Hyderabad, India, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009. The Hyderabad Polo season began Sept.14 and ends Sept.29. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

I'm sorry? Exactly what skills are those? And why at a polo match? I know that the matches themselves can be a bit a bit rough, but the image I have in my mind of polo is rather upper class, starched shirts and champagne. Not burning petrol and three cans of silver spray paint.