Creative Photography Post#6... Music

Busy Day yesterday...I missed some of your posts Hoping to catch up today Week #6 for me participating in Roger's Creative Photography Contest...click on the banner above if you want to learn more and enter or just feel like sliding around the Bloggosphere and checking out some really fantastic photos... This was taken this past July 4th...Germantown, TN put on a pretty cool fireworks display for a small town. Nancy darlin' and I were so close, many of them were bursting nearly on top of us... The only adjustment that I made was to blacken the sky around these two bursts - they were shooting in a parking lot and they had left all the lights on in the lot, so there was some ambient light that made the sky 'blotchy' and I just wanted an even blackness to illuminate the bursts. They were separate bursts that I captured with two separate shots, double-exposing in the camera if you will...The red one was popular that evening and they were heart-shaped..Hope y'all enjoy...(to enlarge...well, just click) Going to leave you with two tunes today...both came up on my iTouch yesterday...the first I had not heard in a loooong time. When it came out in 1972 it was popular, but then it kept rising up the charts and in May of 1973 as the #1 hit in America...It got so you could hear it playing on different radio stations at the same time....For me radio killed this song, but yesterday when it came on....I listened and it really is a remarkable piece of music. From their first album THEY ONLY COME OUT AT NIGHT - the Edgar Winter Band included Dan Hartman, Ronnie Montrose and Chuck Ruff. The song is "Frankenstein" and it pioneered the use of the synthesizer as a lead instrument. I saw them perform this in Rochester in the spring of 1973...I preferred when he played with Rick Derringer, but Hartman, Montrose and Ruff are all excellent musicians in their own right. The second song is by Susan Tedeschi in concert with her husband's band, The Derek Trucks Band. It is entitled "Just Won't Burn". I just L-O-V-E this song...Her vocals and guitar work are just incredible. ENJOY....

Ruby Tuesday...Funky

A couple of weeks ago, we reviewed WHERE THE LIGHT IS: JOHN MAYER LIVE IN LOS ANGELES the newest music from Mr. Mayer. We also posted his version of the Tom Petty song "Free Falling"...If you go HERE, you can see the video from the DVD of this concert...I do love his version... Welcome to another addition of RUBY TUESDAY - click on the logo above to head over to The Teach's blog to see all the entries this week. This week, we are once again back at the zoo...but this time from November 10th, 2007...darlin' Nancy and I had just been at the zoo on our first date for a short period of time and I snapped this picture...she turned to me and with a smile on her face said "We have not known each other long enough for you to take candids..." We laughed...I so love her laugh... This roll of film had sat undeveloped for way too long, but when I processed it, I realized what a great shot it is of her...and she was wearing the correct color for Mary's RUBY TUESDAY.... Coming up this week on DR. BLOGSTEIN’S RADIO HAPPY HOUR: (Live on Tuesday July 22nd at 9PM ET and forever archived at BlogTalkRadio.) The stunning Francia Raisa will make her return to the Radio Happy Hour. Francia, who we met back in the spring, is now starring in Dr. Blogstein’s latest obsession, The Secret Life of the American Teenager. We’ll find out how her life has changed since the premiere of this record breaking ABC Family Channel series, get the inside scoop about her cast mates, including former Blogstein guest Daren Kagasoff and find out what fans can expect from the rest of the first season for Francia’s character Adrienne. Then Dr. B and Dangerous Lee will welcome another very busy female actress to the show. The delightful Lorna Scott stars opposite James McAvoy in the box-office hit, “Wanted“. Her appealing combination of Southern charm and quick wit will be seen in two upcoming television series, “Sordid Lives” opposite Rue McClanahan and Olivia Newton John which premieres on LOGO July 23rd and in the David Schwimmer-directed “Little Britain U.S.A.” premiering on HBO this Fall. All that, plus, fills in for Vinny Bond in the Radio Happy Hour Lounge to chat live with the listeners, Justin the Weatherman walks the fine line between funny and offensive and we’ll take your calls at 646-652-4804. Join us live every Tuesday night at 9PM ET. The Radio Happy Hour Lounge-a live chat room during show time-is a whole new reason to make sure you listen live! It’s the show within the show! Feeling the funk as I write this Monday evening... a little New Year's Eve Concert in Chicago, IL 1995/1996...Mr. George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars..."Tear The Roof Off The Sucker"

Monday Missive...

Hope y'all had a most wonderful weekend, because I surely did... Friday was an enjoyable evening out to the local pub for a few beers and dinner with darlin' Nancy. Then home where we had a few more cocktails and watched some TV. Saturday I went over to the gym ready for my first meeting with a trainer, but it was not to be...guess I misunderstood...anyway I took care of some other needs while Nancy was out on her daily run. When she returned, we headed down to her home and took care of the dogs, then headed back to my place. We stopped and picked up some things for dinner and then got home. Dinner was my Grandma Marini's Chicken and Onions...sauteed the chicken (breasts and thighs), then pile about 10 onions sliced thin on top and cover. let it cook on simmer for about 40 minutes and a wonderful au jus is formed and the onions just melt down until OH so yummy... I do mix in some sweet with yellow... Also made some mashed potatoes and a chopped salad. While we ate we watched "Untraceable" with Diane Lane...a decent cyber/thriller. I also came across a leak under the kitchen sink...UGH... Sunday we woke and I called in the repair and then headed over to the gym for my first meeting with the trainer. We spoke for a while, I answered a bunch of questions (lifestyle/diet/exercise)and then he showed me some core muscle "homework" exercises. Some I knew from the years of baseball...some I knew from living with a chronic pain sufferer for so many years and a few were new. Mine Does Not Have An Escalator! I am not going to make this a huge subject here until I get to where I want to discuss it again. Suffice it to say that some pictures were taken and some measurements as well. I will be charting the same monthly with a new picture taken each month. Went home, took a shower and then headed to help Nancy with some shopping. We then ended up back at her home for a delicious pork chop dinner with steamed zucchini and baked yams. We listened to our good friend Turnbaby on her BlogTalk Radio Show...As am sure many did, I had guessed her "Special Guest" and was happy to hear them together. Then again...what is it with people who have no life of their own, so they find it their purpose in life to act 'holier than thou' and just make crude, unintelligible, sophomoric comments in chat and then by calling in? If there is something that bothers you, move on. No one makes you come to a blog or listen to a radio show, do they? Is your meaningless life so void of any redeeming values that this is how you spend your Sunday evenings????? CLIMBS DOWN OFF SOAP BOX.....ok, sorry.... I did almost no internet the whole weekend...never even sat at the computer Saturday and it was fun fun fun... Sunday morning I did read/answer a ton of emails and also posted a bunch of comments and then responded to them. The last week of the month I have to travel to Dallas on Monday, returning Tuesday. Nancy and the boys are going away for a few days on vacation that week, so I am considering taking Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off and doing something that has begun to poke at me again recently. I am going to stay here, hit the shuffle on iTunes and write. "The Quest" is calling me again and I think this is a perfect opportunity to really focus on it and it alone for 5 - 8 hours a day. IF I decide to do this, I will be taking a week off from blogging I will not be posting or reading. I want to work with a clear mind and not be reading your words, or using mine to do posts. I figure depending upon the weather I can write inside (if raining or too damn hot), or outside by the pool. Justin Timberlake hosting the ESPYS is really annoying....real dumb featurette inserting him into press conferences and sports plays. My Yankees have come out of the All-Star break hot, winning three in a row and now only 4.5 games out of first place. April 1st - April Fools Day - the location is Amsterdam, Netherlands. The band is Janis Joplin & The Kozmic Blues Band. The song is the incredibly-most excellent-brilliant "Summertime". It is most certainly the summertime here in Memphis, TN.... Funny...I did a Google search for Kozmic Blues Band and the best picture I find, I click on it and LOL...it is from The Couch! From our 9/24/2007 Tuneage Tutelage on Janis...LOL ENJOY...

WHY DID I TELL YOU?????

Flash back to Wednesday's post...about talking about things out loud and whether you believe by doing so you might jinx them from happening... When Matt decided to apply for the Police Department in NJ, I pondered mentioning it and did...when he did well on the written test, I pondered mentioning it and did...when he kicked major a** on the physical test, I pondered mentioning it and did... He found out yesterday he is not moving on in the interview process. He told me when he got the email, he called the Detective he had been working with to ask, respectfully, if there was something that made their decision for them. The response he got was vague at best. Anyway...as we were hanging up the phone, Matt said something that flashed back to when he was in 7th grade. he had tried out for the Middle School baseball team and I was home that afternoon. I watched him walk in the door and I pretty much knew. he said "Dad, I did not make the team." I was crushed for him at that moment. I said something encouraging (can not remember what)...and then he looked up at me and said "Hey dad, no problem...next year when I make the team they will regret not taking me this year." I knew then he would be OK...today, as he hung up he said "I'll have to try again." I asked what he meant by that and he said "They are not the only Police Force around...I will find one that wants me." He will be OK...me on the other hand spent the rest of the day with a knot in my stomach, feeling badly for my boy and wondering...did my mentioning it here maybe change the outcome? Should I have waited until he got the job? So, had my 6-month physical the other day. BP is doing pretty good 130/98...but I know my good cholesterol is still too low...and I am now back to 197 lbs...and I have not exercised in way too long. There is this "Exercise Facility" in my complex...IT SUCKS! The machines don't work..it is small and just not inviting... I was told they were replacing or repairing the machines (a step-machine, a bike and a treadmill ---YUP THAT'S IT!) never happened...oh and they all have problems and really don't work to capacity... So yesterday I drove over to get some lunch (Taco Bell) and passed it by..because right behind it is a 24-Hour Fitness location. I went in and took a tour of the facility...nice big lap pool...saunas, steams, a huge work out area with every machine or free-weight imaginable...and clean...not a "go to the health club to meet people" type of place...no knuckle muscle heads, just a place I can get myself back in shape. Due to a bad knee, I really can't run, so running with darlin' Nancy - who used to run marathons and still runs everyday - is out of the question. So, I signed up...month to month...no long term deal...$31/month...and got 2 free Personal trainer sessions on top of it. Going to go by on Saturday and get the 1st PT session in and have them build me a program I can do in 45 minutes or so, that way I can do it on my lunch break. Time to get rid of the Marini stomach...it is really the only place I am carrying excess weight...so if I can lose 10-15 pounds and build some muscle tone back and then dump the smokes...maybe I can enjoy the next 50 years of my life... I am probably going to take a picture of the gut area before I begin and then take one every month...maybe seeing the progress will help me keep it up...Will I share with you... HELL NO...it really is kinda embarrassing to have this damn overhang... Oh and BTW... it was the tiger on the right that was cloned...guess I will have to do better next time since those that took a guess got it correctly... Well..have a most wonderful weekend...stay safe...enjoy your family and friends...have a beer or wine or cocktail in my honor...come on back on Monday and we will start this all over again. A few people including Starrlight, who actually requested a specific song, spoke about their love of Ms. Bonnie Raitt... Thought we would just play a couple of additional songs by this talented artist. The fact that she has been doing this since 1971...let that sink in for some...and really did not find "success" until 1989 and some don't even know these early albums...Personally, I prefer the old Bonnie...when her music was much more raw and there was a 'tarnish' to it....Not sure you will understand what I mean by that, but I mean it in the best possible way. The first player is the aforementioned request, John Prine's "Angel From Montgomery", originally recorded for from Ms. Raitt's 1974 STREETLIGHT album, this is a live version of the song. And then the second song, Chris Smither's composition "Love Me Like A Man" from the 1972 album GIVE IT UP...I love her guitar work on this song and the lyrics are pretty cool too....(YES! I talk like this!)

Tuneage Thursday....

Call me bad blog writer today because last night I vegetated...and I had so much to do... First off, let me introduce you to my newest friend...A Lacie External Hard Drive...1 terabyte of storage...I was eating up megs with the music transfers....so...and here is the deal, I saved over $80.00 because this is reconditioned and it comes with the full 6-month Lacie Warranty... And nope...I did not even get it hooked up last night...Like I said I vegged... So here I am at almost 11:00pm...LOL I know at least four of your whispered "he is gonna shuffle..." BUT, if you can't do Tuneage on Thursday, than what can you do...??? Oh yeah, I know there is that HNT thing...but I never promised you would get one every week...I am not protesting like Matt-Man but I think it is better to just drop it in on occasion.... Before the music...I received this in an email from Dad Vince, who got it from Mom Joan...I think they were trying to send us, their kids, a message but for the life of me, I just don't get it! bwahahahahahahahaahahahaha (psssssssssst tissue alert...) Check it out HERE So....let's hit the play and see what we come up with...Listen to one, a few or all...your choice... "Elvis Is Dead" Living Colour "Mona Lisa" Nat King Cole "Rocket 88" Jackie Brenston & His Delta Cats (Considered by many the first Rock & Roll Record) "Louise" Bonnie Raitt "Tobacco Road" Edgar Winter Group Actually a pleasant mix from my collection....