June 2006 Archives
Fi informed me yesterday that Michelle Elizabeth Goodrich passed away earlier this week. Bloggers know her as Meg of Mandarin Design Daily or just Mandarin Meg. She was one of the really good people in this hobby. Her site was all about helping others and I still use a lot of tricks I learned from her. She was also a treasured visitor to CrabAppleLane and we’re quite honored to have a place on her lovely quilt. She’ll be missed. RIP, Meg.
Update: Stu Savory has more here.
Quote of the Day
I like that. His smile was sincere.
Michelle Goodrich
Blog of the day here.
Now that the hurricane-weary New Orleans community with its reduced population has bought a record number of Saints season tickets, Saints owner Tom Benson says its not enough. What a surprise. With a 63-99 record over the last ten years and one playoff appearance in that time, isn’t it possible the team’s performance is at least partly responsible for its fortunes, Mr Benson? Isn’t that the way it should be? I suppose I’ve beat this horse to death more than once, though.
Critiquing some of the internet’s photographers. A little satire.
70 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
No National Football League team can just live on tickets alone. ... The next big step is that the business community needs to step up.
Tom Benson, New Orleans Saints Owner
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Added six images to this week's shipping news — see entry below. The Russian barque Kruzenshtern, a seventy-year old, four-masted barque doing duty as a training academy, is the second largest still plying the oceans."
Nice blog with great pictures. -Rob
I don’t think there’s much to this. No need to give him a hard time. Some might ask why the non-married Mr Virtue needs that prescription but I wouldn’t. Party on, Rush.
Follow-up from last week: When the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana sent in the National Guard and State Troopers to assist the NOPD, I had mentioned thousands of blighted homes contributing to the crime wave. The number I heard on the radio Monday morning was 124,000 vacant homes. I don’t know if that includes vacant apartments and condominiums. I don’t know if that’s just the city or the Greater New Orleans area, which would include Jefferson, St Tammany, and St Bernard Parishes. I don’t think it matters. The number is staggering and from my perspective, it is believable. At Katrina landfall plus 10 months, it is still not unusual for me to see a neighborhood of 150 homes or so with only a handful of trailers in it. Most of the rest of them are wind and/or flood damaged, vacant, and rotting in the Louisiana elements. Those are the areas that the National Guard and State Troopers are now patrolling.
9 days until Pirates...................
71 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
If you're not feeling good in your brain, it definitely affects the way you drive.
Rusty Wallace, ESPN
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I challenge you to not laugh when you see the pictures. Why yes, that IS a jacuzzi tub IN THE ROOM with mirrors all around."
72 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
Yea, well, homegrown southern wisdom seems to grow on trees around here.
Caroline Ellis, The Skeleton Key
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Seriously — I think these may be my favorite convention costumes ever. Spotted by artvixn at Baycon 2006."
Notes: I don’t know what some of the reviewers are talking about when they refer to Garrison Keillor’s role in this. They say he is simply referred to as G.K. Yeah, he was once or twice referred to as G.K. in the movie but he was also referred to as Garrison at least once and as Mr Keillor at least once. Also, don't feel like you have to be a fan of the radio program to enjoy this film. Neither of us have ever listened to it and we had no problem keeping up.
73 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
The show had been on the air since Jesus was in the 3rd grade.
Guy Noir, A Prairie Home Companion
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I've recently come to terms with the fact that there are several jobs I could never do, no matter how well I'm trained."
Fi asked me to post any good ideas about what to do with fresh tomatoes. Here’s one that’s been handed down for at least two generations. My wife, Patsy, makes this Italian Salad now. She got it from my dad and he got it from his parents. I’m not sure where the original recipe came from but each generation has altered it to their taste. I recommend you do the same. The fresher the ingredients are, the better this salad is. My contribution to it is fresh, homegrown vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh off the vine bell pepper. It was handed down to us calling for one avocado but we love them so it became two. We also add a tomato or two when I have fresh ones.
Grandpa/Dad/Patsy's Italian Salad
1 head iceberg lettuce, broken into small pieces
1 large tomato, cut up
2 avocado, cut up
1 can artichoke hearts, cut up
1 bunch shallots, diced
1 bell pepper, cut up
1 cucumber, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced or quartered
1 can cut asparagus
½ jar Italian salad mix (Olive salad mix used for muffalettas, such as Boscoli’s or Sal & Judy’s)
2 packs Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix, prepared as directed using olive oil & apple cider vinegar
Use a medium-large mixing bowl to toss tomato, avocado, artichoke, shallots, bell pepper and cucumber.
In a very large salad bowl, invert a small plate or bowl in the bottom to prevent salad from becoming soggy from soaking in the dressing.
Alternate layers of lettuce and tossed ingredients.
Top with salad mix, cut asparagus and eggs.
Pour prepared Italian salad dressing mix all over salad at least 5 minutes before serving.
A Sunday Morning low-light, soft focus, not-very-good CrabAppleLane picture:
I have two bluebird houses up and one has been vacant for a few years. This year, I cleared the bushes/vines around it and I had a taker. A very successful bluebird couple had two clutches there this season. Back to the one pictured: I tried to clean this one about 8 weeks ago. There had been no noticeable activity in some time. I always check to see if there are any eggs or young birds first. There were four eggs. I checked them again after two weeks and then again at three weeks. Still no activity and four eggs. Could be something happened to one or both of the mating pair but I think it more likely they were just young and didn’t quite know what to do. I cleaned it out about 5 weeks ago. A bluebird couple has since built a nest and is feeding their hungry babies. That’s Papa Bluebird pictured. He was in and out with his feedings this morning. All business.
74 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
I'm eight months pregnant and this sort of nerves might force me to rush to the hospital so to be honest I'm half glad we are out and I can go home and do breathing exercises.
Maria Martinez, 29, Nurse
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "This morning I got a wake up call at 9:20 to be serenaded beautifully on the violin."
I’m four degrees from Kevin Bacon. I had lunch with Kim, who is three degrees from Kevin Bacon. Although we didn’t do a movie together, we did stills. :) I suppose that makes some of you five degrees from Kevin Bacon. Some say everyone is six degrees from Kevin Bacon.
R.I.P., Harriet. She had a good run.
I don’t mind too much that Coleus and Impatiens are hard to get rid of. Where they sprout and what color they are doesn’t concern me in the least. They’re all welcome here.
75 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
He is not a grazing goat and has food flown in from Wales. Billy also has an allowance of two cigarettes a day -- both of which he eats.
Spokeswoman for Britain's Ministry of Defenses
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "To sum up: The style of play isn't exciting. The officials are horrible. The games aren't fixed, but you can often guess what kind of game you are going to see based on which officials are assigned by the league."
The Saints decided to make training camp in Jackson, Mississippi this year. Training camps have been held at their regular practice facility just outside of New Orleans the last three years in what can only be described as an economic and PR move. This move to Jackson has a little of that economics and PR feel to it, too. Saints owner Tom Benson says, “We want these to be the Mississippi Saints -- as well as the New Orleans Saints and the Louisiana Saints -- and this is a major start in that direction.” Yeah, OK, whatever, Tom. I don’t think any Saints fan cares where training camp is held but some of the other reasoning I hear is equally ridiculous. Some have said that this is a time where there should be no distractions for the team as they prepare for the season. They should eat, drink, and breathe football during this time. They should build trust, rapport, and camaraderie during this time. No wives or girlfriends, no little league games, no car repairs, yada, yada, yada. It’s surely better to have those distractions during the season..........when the games count. That’s always worked out for them in the past. Saints and most other NFL announcements are pretty boring. For the real comedy, simply asking them “Why?” is enough. You don't even have to ask most of the time. I think they take themselves a bit too seriously.
76 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
With a new staff, opening the Sean Payton era, it's important that we get away and develop that bunker mentality
Mickey Loomis, New Orleans Saints General Manager
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "The crackdown on crime and criminals has begun. This morning my wife left our house to find a parking ticket on our car. That's right, we don't have a parking permit and we dared to park our car in front of our domicile, which happens to be in a 2hr residential zone."
Just as I pressed "Publish", the internet went down at CrabAppleLane.
I watched a few minutes of Letterman last night. Dwyane Wade of the NBA Champion Miami Heat was his first guest. I am not a fan of the NBA but I surely am a fan of Dwyane Wade. If the NBA is looking for an image makeover and they desperately need one in my opinion, they should put Wade out front and center and move Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson aside.
Speaking of the devil: A couple of National Guardsmen passed through our work campus yesterday. They stopped and talked to a couple of my colleagues and made a very favorable impression. Just letting us know they’re around.
Two welcome sights in New Orleans yesterday: The National Guard and rain.
Quote of the Day
I said, “Mama, I come to the valley of the rich, myself to sell”
She said, “Son, this is The Road to Hell”
Chris Rea, The Road to Hell
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Deadlines would be less stressful if I were less wordy."
100 National Guardsmen and 60 State Troopers are helping the NOPD patrol New Orleans after a bloody weekend incident that left five teenagers dead. People shouldn’t take this to mean the NOPD isn’t doing their job. They’re just overwhelmed. There’s criminal opportunity in New Orleans right now. Imagine rent free shelter and/or hiding places in the form of thousands of blighted homes. Even one blighted home within CrabAppleLane’s sight-line would put me on the phone to the police every day until it was gone. Imagine hardly any street lights. Imagine most places of business closing down at earlier than normal hours because of severe staff shortages leaving a lot of young out-of-school people with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Imagine a large recovery work force being paid mostly in cash. Rather than play down the alarming nature of that one crime, New Orleans and the state are giving it a show of force. According to one radio report I heard, most of these particular Guardsmen are in law enforcement in their other life. I applaud the move. One indicator that it might work is the concerns in surrounding areas that the criminals will now be chased into their communities.
As you can see, we’re up and running again here at CrabAppleLane after a five day internet outage. The cable guy came out yesterday and replaced a portion of a cable and replaced the modem, too. Being down for that long might have driven me crazy a few years ago but it’s just a minor nuisance now.
One of CrabAppleLane’s two internet woes. It looks like it might have been chewed by an animal but I think it’s just weathered. I think the brittle outer plastic just cracked and allowed moisture in. CrabAppleLane has southern exposure and the elements here are unmerciful.
78 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
We’re seeing things going on in our city that are definitely and positively spillover
Slidell Police Chief Freddy Drennan (Registration required)
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I just realized on calling the bank for work that those stupid phone numbers where they spell out the number as a word (1-800-Plumber; 1-877-PNC-Bank) are going to get more common as text messaging takes over the world."
Checked my email one last time at about 10:30PM, Thursday night. STOP. Woke up Friday morning at the usual time. STOP. No internet. STOP. Did what I know how to do to no avail. STOP. ISP says they'll be by Tuesday.
Quote of the Day
We have a rule that players are not to ride a motorcycle during the season. But in the offseason, it is very difficult to control all those things.
Tom Coughlin, New York Giants Head Coach
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "There's a pennant raising tie-dye bra party and wearing priceless-art as a mask to a non-existent Halloween party...just to name a few of the laughs."
About Ben Roethlisberger: I think people should give the guy a break at least until someone figures out what happened. The injuries he sustained could just as easily have happened in a car crash. Personally, I take comfort in having a front and rear bumper, air bags, and seat belts when I go on the road these days but I was once invincible, too. I think most people are more concerned about how these injuries might endanger his football career than his health.
85 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
I tell you one thing, though. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we're gonna take this luggage with us!
Joe Banks, Joe Versus The Volcano
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Despite being considered a box office flop upon its 1990 release, Joe Versus the Volcano, starring a pre-Robert Langdon (and much more fun) Tom Hanks and 80's hotness Meg Ryan, has gone on to become a cult favorite."
A few hurricane observations this morning as Tropical Storm Alberto bears down on Central Florida:
First, go away and die, Alberto.
Part of living in a post-Katrina world: Power went out at work at about 2PM yesterday and was not restored before we left for the day at about 5:15PM. When our power goes out, we are dead in the water. No computers and no phones. This has happened several times since we’ve been back in New Orleans. To say infrastructure in the city is fragile is perhaps an understatement. Hope it’s up now.
The QOTD today reminds us of what happens under a mandatory evacuation order. A lot of people don't leave.
86 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
A lot of people aren't going to leave. We're hoping this is going to be a small one, but who knows.
Jackie Gorman - Cedar Key, FL
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Modern waka is an English-language adaptation of old Japanese court poetry. It's is strongly rooted in the season, often contrasting the interior emotional world of the writer against the broader world of nature."
Bird tales: As I was riding my bike yesterday, I caught a glimpse of a mockingbird attacking a crow. Not an unusual sight this time of year. Mockingbirds are nesting right now and crows are egg stealers. They’re chased off whenever they get too close. This crow had the misfortune of being chased into a red-winged blackbird’s territory and was additionally attacked by the bird pictured above, whose nest must be somewhere in that black cherry tree. Both the mockingbird and the red-winged blackbird are considerably smaller than the crow but the crow no longer cared for the odds and flew off. Then something else. Our friend above then dove at and attacked his one-time ally, the mockingbird. Repeatedly. The mockingbird got the message and flew back to his nest.
More bird tales: Try this cool video of a Lyrebird. Make sure you watch/listen to the whole thing. Amazing stuff. Via A Crafty Madness.
The QOTD reminds us that it’s not only Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama that are hurting from last hurricane season. Southeast Texas took a beating last year, too. On that subject, just die already, Alberto.
Quote of the Day
What else am I going to lose? What's anybody here got to lose?
Viola Fairchild - Sabine Pass, TX
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "The movie is well worth it. Even though we are confirmed PHC fans, the movie was a pleasure and should be enjoyed by anyone."
I hope to see PHC (Prairie Home Companion) this weekend. -Rob
Today marks a return to our regularly scheduled blogging. After a week’s worth of high quality entries here at CrabAppleLane, I hope my usual drivel won’t be too disappointing. I want to thank The Great White Shank of GoodBoys Nation and Dave E of Fish Fear Me for their wonderful contributions this past week. They really stepped up and provided a nice change. What a treat! Really above and beyond, guys. Thanks a million and I’ll gladly return the favor for you if you feel your readership needs some downsizing. I encourage you all to add them to your daily blog rounds.
I didn’t actually go anywhere this past week in case you were wondering. All I did was use the extra time to do some much needed maintenance around here. That and I really do like opening this blog up to different voices and will continue to do so periodically. It gives me a reprieve from coming up with a topic every day and exposes some of my favorite bloggers to the readers here. It’s one of those rare win-win situations for me, for them, and for the readers here.
I want to also thank TravelingMermaid for her kind words. She must have been reading Dave and Great White Shank’s entries this week. :)
I offer one Sunday image from CrabAppleLane:
The problem with growing tomatoes comes about two weeks after they start ripening. For the first two weeks, they ripen two or three at a time and we can keep up with that. One of the things I learned since I started growing tomatoes is that you can put two, three, even four slices of these things on any sandwich. I never put just one slice on a hamburger or a bacon tomato sandwich any more. I digress. At about the two week mark, they start ripening by the dozens. What you see here is the last three days worth and I left quite a few on the bushes this morning because I wanted to get out of the hot sun and I just couldn’t carry any more. One other thing about tomatoes: There are three kinds. Forget about Creole, Celebrity, Bush Baby, etc, etc....There are store bought tomatoes which rate about 1 on a scale of 10. There are fruit stand tomatoes which rate about 5 on a scale of 10. And, finally, there are home grown tomatoes like these that rate about 26 on that same scale of 10. There is no comparison.
88 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
Here's the thing, KFC. Your New KFC Famous Bowls sound disgusting. Horrible. And I want to try one so bad I can barely contain myself.
Jess, Blind Cavefish
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "My drive took me past a cemetary alongside the road which had been completely upturned: headstones lay everywhere and crypts were open. A tiny headstone reading ‘Our Little May’ lay next to the sidewalk which ran alongside the road. I stopped the car when I realized that no one would ever believe what I had seen and with certain unease, took a photo."
Whenever I mention the heat in Phoenix, people typically respond with, "Oh, but it's a dry heat". Ah. Well, since we're all adults here (but here's my "kids, don't try this at home" warning message anyways!), try the following:
1) Go to your kitchen
2) Open your oven and remove all metal racks
3) Set the oven to, oh, say, 108 degrees
4) Wait for the bell or buzzer indicating requested temperature has been reached
5) Open door and ever-so-carefully stick your head inside.
6) Count to 20, then ever-so-carefully remove your head.
Feel the blast when you first opened the door? Good. That's how it feels whenever I open the garage door or the back slider on any given afternoon between May 20th and, oh, say, October 14th. That is, with the exception of those 2-3 weeks in mid-to-late August where we in Phoenix get "the monsoon season". That's that oh-so-special period where you get the same heat you've been used to for 2 1/2 months BUT with humidity as well.
Actually, we got a mini-monsoon this week with two amazing duststorms that EVERYONE was talking about - pics and commentary here and here. Tracey says she walked out of her workplace to an incredible wind and absolute white-out conditions that continued for an hour or so. She actually likes the duststorms - "they're the only thing that slows the SUV drivers around here down".
One final unrelated comment, if I might. As you know, I've been one of the guest-bloggers here at CrabAppleLane Blog for the past week, and I just want to say thanks to Rob for giving me the opportunity. I've enjoyed it, and I hope you have as well. If you've liked what's been posted here, I hope you'll check out my regular blog at Goodboys Nation and make it a regular stop on your tours around the blogsphere. Thanks again, Rob - it's been a blast! See y'all over at the Nation.
Spector, of course, is best known for the sounds he created (known as the "Wall of Sound") behind some fantastic groups of the early-to-mid '60s, creating such gems as "Do Doo Ron Ron" and "He's A Rebel" (for The Crystals), "Be My Baby" and "Do I Love You" (for The Ronettes), and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and "Unchained Melody" (for The Righteous Brothers). Even more impressive are the artists he inspired - Brian Wilson took The Beach Boys' music to more complex levels with Pet Sounds and the then-aborted SMiLE project, and Bruce Springsteen paid homage to Spector in his classic track "Born To Run".
Williams actually breaks Spector's extensive body of work down into three phases: 1963-66 (his first heyday producing 45 RPM hits for the groups mentioned above and others), 1970-1973 (his close affiliation with The Beatles and Apple Records, producing "Let It Be" and classic solo albums by John Lennon and George Harrison, including "All Things Must Pass" and "Imagine"), then afterward, as his inner demons gradually overtook him and his ability to produce quality music (The Ramones' "End of the Century" notwithstanding).
I was only eight when Spector was in the middle of producing the music and sounds he is primarily known for, so my interest in his recordings came several years later, before his late- and post-Beatles work began. I still remember the first time I heard The Ronette's "Do I Love You", and how I was immediately hooked into the vastness of the sound eminating from that little 45 RPM. Clearly, Spector's genius was in the use of layered sounds (guitars, pianos, saxophones) and various forms of percussion (sleighbells, castanets, chimes, etc.) that were then mixed together with an echo chamber that made the sound ring. While much attention has been placed on Spector's use of echoed percussion (most famously heard in the opening drums to The Ronettes' "Be My Baby"), I've always believed that what he did best was augment the lead vocalist's singing with very low saxophones purring in the background, lending a deep and emotional hue to the words that were being sung.
If you're not familiar with or into Phil Spector, may I recommend the following songs that provide essential examples of his imagination and recording technique:
* Spanish Harlem - Ben E. King (1961): A beautiful melody with revolutionary use of Latin instrumentation (listen to the soft vibes and percussion, and the absence of drums of any kind) in the pop music genre; inspired a wide range of artists and recordings from Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass to South American jazz-rock fusion to Tex-Mex.
* Do I Love You - The Ronettes (1964): Listen for the saxophones augmenting Ronnie Spector's vocal - you seldom hear saxophones playing that low anymore thanks to the Kenny G's of the world who have nowhere to go once they kick it off in the top ranges.
* (The Best Part of) Breakin' Up - The Ronettes (1964): Listen for the bass harmonica buried deep in the mix on the chorus, plus echoed otherworldly background vocals that are simply the best he ever recorded.
* You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers (1965): Listen to the soft vibes and bass behind Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield during the break, then the gradual crescendo of percussion and piano to an explosion of sound that harkens the final chorus.
* River Deep, Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner (1966): All the instrumentation is incredibly echoed behind Tina's lead, creating an almost disconnected feeling, but the tempo moves like a freight train blistering past from start to finish, capped by and final thunder of tympani that leaves one breathless.
* Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) - John Lennon (1970): Thundering - and I do mean thundering - drums and a piano/vocal combination that sounds like Lennon is playing and singing from a cave.
* Merry Xmas (War Is Over) - John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band (1970): Listen to the way four accoustic guitars playing the same rhythm absolutely shimmer against John Lennon's lead vocal, lending a festive brightness to this tune. (Note: the same technique can be heard strumming behind George Harrison on "My Sweet Lord").
* Danny Says - The Ramones (1979): Listen as an acoustic guitar starts low, then gradually builds into what has to be the loudest acoustic guitar ever recorded.
I meant to do this yesterday, but I was a bit under the weather. I imagine the regulars here are missing their normal high quality garden and flower pics, I know I am. And sadly, I can supply some garden and flower pics, though not exactly the same quality.
On the east side of Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, there are four gardens close together, and also a bird sanctuary that I think I went to once back when I was in high school. It was dark though. And there were spotlights. Let's just leave it at that. Anyway, the Minneapolis Park Board claims that here you'll find the second oldest public rose garden in the US. It was built in 1907-1908 and the adjacent gardens have been added over the years. You can find more info here if you like.
It's still a little bit early in the growing season here, but with recent rains and some nice warm weather the past few weeks, things are growing fast. In a month or so this place should be amazing:
I need to do some more work on how to get good close-up shots of flowers with my camera. The late afternoon sun was a bit of a challenge and quite a few shots got washed out. These don't do the garden justice, but so it goes:
(more in the extended)
Yesterday was a blur of business meetings and today is a traveling day, so please excuse the light entry. Here's a beautiful piece of poetry from Stephen John Kalinich, who has had the unique privilege of having written songs with all three of the Beach Boys' Wilson brothers - Carl and Dennis (both deceased), and Brian:
he loves her
More than she will know
The touch of her skin
Brushes across his heart and mind
he wakes up recharged
With the sense of her presence
all around him 'within him
each breath is happier
because there is a her
A somebody who he misses
with his whole heart
who his being longs for
Thousands of miles
cannot separate this love
over seas and continents
The love is pure and strong and good.
It is sweet and It is kind
and only wants what is best for them
For their growth as souls
Her being is pure
He is a living heart beat
who is a part of her life now
he only lives
to hear her laughter again'
to feel her arms around him
She dances
He dances
Blog ya tomorrow.
Even though meterologically-speaking June began last week, in places like Phoenix or Las Vegas (and probably Bush, LA as well), it's already been summer for a month. Today in Las Vegas, it's 107 outside but %$#@! freezing cold in this over-air conditioned conference room I'm blogging from. The conference speaker drones on stage here inside, but I find my thoughts turning to exploits more in keeping with the season outside.
Of course, summer is a perfect time for escapist entertainment. For some, this means soaking up some rays on the beach or in the backyard with a good book or two. Me, I'm currently working on Richard Williams' updated version of his classic Phil Spector bio, "Out of His Head", with Dominic Priore's SMiLE on deck, but those whose tastes incline towards classical literature might find one of Powerline blog's personal list of great American novels worth checking out. I'm glad to see Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" on the list, but believe strongly Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels" worthy of their consideration.
And, of course, you have the summer blockbuster movie as a way to escape the heat. But what to see? Everything out there looks like crap to me. I've never bought into the Jennifer Anniston "America's sweetheart" mystique, so "The Break-Up" is out, and everything else looks like rehashed tripe to me. I mean, come on - a new "Superman" and "The Omen"? Weren't the Christopher Reeve and Gregory Peck classics good enough? Isn't there anyone in Hollywood capable of developing original work anymore? It'll be cheaper to pop my own corn, make a couple of boat drinks, and watch the Encore movie channels on the Dish at home.
And what's better on a steamy summer day than an ice-cold beer to make the day complete? The question, of course is what beer? Were I in Louisiana swingin' on a hammock, catching the BoSox on XM Satellite Radio, and swatting mosquitoes, I'd go with a Dixie Blackened Voodoo or the obligatory Samuel Adams Boston Ale. For those who can't make up their minds, however, the loons at Fraters Libertas have published their own beer ratings. One might quibble with their findings, but it's tough to argue with their methodology - after all, you gotta drink 'em to rate 'em!
Ahh yes, summer. Only wish I was outside in it. Oops - that squeaking feedback means the next speaker is getting ready to queue up. Back to reality...
Hello, Dave E. here. As riled up as I am about not getting the same six-figure deal that Shank guy got, I guess I'll let that pass. Or maybe I'll just chew up some of Rob's bandwidth instead....Heheh. Actually, I know that Rob and some of the regulars here like cemetary pics and so I thought I'd make a trip to Minneapolis' oldest cemetery, the Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery, opened in 1853. It's located in south Minneapolis at the intersection of Lake Street and Cedar Avenue. It's neither the best nor the worst part of Minneapolis now and back in 1853 I would imagine it was a mile or two away from most residents. There haven't been any burials there for 25 years or so. Supposedly there is one person still alive who owns a plot and is entitled to a burial but that's it.
Even though I've driven past this cemetery countless times, I have never really looked at it and I had never gone in before. The first thing that struck me when I did was how open it looks, I would have thought that the markers would be more densely packed.
As I drove in I met a Minneapolis Public Works guy, Pat, and he clued me in on that(more later) and something else I had never heard of: the Woodmen of the World (that's Pat in the pic below).
Never heard of them. They were out there and are still around I guess (I think that's the same, but not positive). There were more than a couple markers that referenced them and I think this one did too, but most of the letters after memorial have been worn away.
More in the extended.
Update: I posted a few more pics of the cemetery over on my blog. Really, it's not a shameless plug......really. I have another photo post I want to do in the next day or so that I think you guys will like and I don't want to wear out my welcome.
Greetings from blistering hot Las Vegas and reporting live from the beautiful Rio Hotel and Casino. If you haven't stayed here it's definitely worth your consideration. Today I thought you might like to see Las Vegas through the eyes of The Great White Shank, so hop on board. Don't worry about the meter, I'll pick up this one, you can get it next time.
Our tour starts at the northern end of the Strip. I can't think of a better way to start the day than a light breakfast at the Peppermill. In the front, they have a nice restaurant (word has it that Penn Gillette stops by after most of his shows for a Cobb Salad). After breakfast, I'm thinkin' it might be a good idea to kick those cobwebs out with a foo-foo drink at the Fireside Lounge, just behind the restaurant's hostess desk. Here, you can understand why this bar is called Vegas' #1 make-out lounge! The room is dark and cozy - perfect for a day like today when it's already pushing 100 before noon - bathed in red, pink, purple, and blue neon light. Here you'll find secluded booths, one with a small pond and fire emerging from the center, the others featuring small theaters in the round outfiited with plasma TVs. The bar is big enough to be welcoming, and the waitresses are all quite tall and beautiful, dressed in black, low-cut cocktail dresses. Very elegant or playful - whatever your mood may be.
We're now walking south down the Strip and ducking in and out of shade wherever we can find it. We pass the Wynn and The Venetian but don't go in - The Great White Shank eschews super-large hotel/casino complexes - but you may want to take them in never the less. A Roman Catholic priest is standing in the hot walkway taking donations for Las Vegas' homeless. I make a donation and receive a blessing, which makes me feel ahead of the game already. We pass Harrah's and the Imperial Palace, then find ourselves face-to-face with a midget dressed as a leprechaun, announcing free shots and an 18-hour happy hour at O'Shea's Casino's new Double-Down Bar. As much as the $1 drafts sound enticing on such a hot day, we're still fighting a wee bit of a hangover from last night and in the mood for something more exotic than beers and shots.
We find it just a little further down at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, a restaurant and bar with one of the best gift shops you'll ever find. We're not ready to eat yet, so we do a little shopping, picking up some some Buffett-themed Hawaiian shirts and a "It's 5 o'clock Somewhere" T-shirt that will make perfect cruisewear when Mrs. Shank and I do a 7-night Hawaiian cruise in late September to celebrate our 20th anniversary. After all this shopping I'm feeling a little peckish, so why not grab a table for lunch and some boat drinks? I order me up a Bubba's Big Bamboo - banana rum, black rum, vanilla rum, Triple Sec, orange juice, and coconut cream - and the liquid is like a plasma IV attached to one of my veins. One drink down and another on order - boom! no more hangover. A very blackened Mahi-Mahi with mango salsa and rice completes a wonderful dining experience, and we're ready for whatever might come our way as Vegas prepares for another night of mayhem and madness dressed in all its gaudy glitter.
Greetings CrabAppleLane Blog afficiandos from Arizona and The Great White Shank, the humble host of Goodboys Nation weblog ("Righting the wrong with a heady mix of golf, politics, and religion"). Your host Rob has graciously offered me this six-figure gig of guest-blogging for him this week while he takes a much-needed and much-deserved break from the stresses and strains of life. I thank him for this opportunity and hope I can live up to the lofty standards his audience has come to expect from CrabAppleLane Blog!
Why The Great White Shank, you ask? Well, Goodboys Nation comprises a group of 30 or so guys who, for the past sixteen years, have at one time or another golfed together around the same weekend in July back in my home state of Massachusetts. The one requirement in Goodboys Nation is that everyone have a nickname, and given my innate ability as a lefty golfer to work the ball consistently from left to sharp left, well, there you go.
As a passionate lover of New Orleans and south Louisiana, and most of the flora, fauna, birds, trees etc. in that area of the world I find so exotic (I say most, 'cause me and mosquitoes have never gotten along), I was attracted to Rob's easy prose and marvelous photography following the post-Katrina mess, and am glad to have made CrabAppleLane a regular stop on my daily tours around the blogsphere. While there's no photo-blogging at Goodboys Nation at the present time, I think you'll find Rob and I both like to mix our observations on life and leisure with the occasional serious topic of interest as a reminder that the things in life we all too often take for granted can be whisked away in a moment in time.
They say that every person in this world is connected to one another 2 or three times removed, and in the case of CrabAppleLane Blog and Goodboys Nation, it's absolutely true. Seems my good friend Warren (Billy) Vincent, who raps under the name Dollar Bill, is a Louisiana native around the same age as Rob who believes their paths might have crossed once or twice while growing up back in the Dark Ages. Go figure.
During this week, I hope I'll be able to keep the home fires burning without completely destroying Rob's core group of visitors and friends. If you like what you're seeing, I hope you'll take the time to comment. (If you don't, well, feel free to provide feedback too - I can take it!) Of course, I hope you'll enjoy this week of posts enough to add Goodboys Nation to your list of favorites and not be a stranger there. Well, enough for now - I'm off to catch a plane to Las Vegas for a business trip (side note: why companies schedule business trips to Las Vegas and plan daily 12-hour agendas I'll never know - heck, if you want to do that, send everyone to Madison, Wisconsin, for God's sake!). Will catch everyone tomorrow.
Peace,
The Great White Shank
Guest blogging week starts tomorrow and runs through June 10. I’m going to take a week off. If you’ve never blogged before, here’s your chance to see what it is all about. If you use different blogging software, here’s your chance to see what the latest Movable Type version does. If you already blog, here’s a chance to do something different and shamelessly plug your own blog to maybe some different readers. If you’ve guest blogged here before, your account is open. I’ll be around to lend technical support for anyone who wants it. If you’re interested, email me for details.
97 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
"He's three years old, gentle as a kitten, and likes dogs." I wonder whether Mark means that he eats dogs or is fond of them?
Susan Vance, Bringing Up Baby
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Neither one of us is from Houston or the south, so the traditional “Groom’s Cake” was not our thing. However, considering our history, we knew that there was one thing that we had to have. The Big Pink Cookie and a Coffee Corner."
Hurricane Season is here. Oh, joy. Some random thoughts about hurricane season: It’s a crime to move a FEMA trailer yet many people might commit that crime this season if forced to evacuate. There are so many things to say that I don’t know where to start. Towing a trailer that size is not like towing your 18ft skiff. It requires a little bit of expertise. What we don’t need in an emergency is a lot of FEMA-trailer-towing evacuees breaking down and clogging the routes. Is leaving them behind for certain destruction a better idea? They don’t hold up well in hurricane conditions. So you’ve finally got a trailer, you’ve finally started rebuilding your home and your life, and you may be asked to leave it all behind and evacuate.............quite possibly several times this season. Pretty tough. New Orleans has a pulse but she’s not out of the woods by a longshot. There’s a facet of hurricane preparedness that isn’t written about much even though it is on everyone’s minds in the city and state if one decides to come our way. Public officials can do a great job this season and get everyone to safety but there is this: Of the people who have trickled back into the city since Katrina, I suspect almost all of them will throw in the towel and move on if faced with starting over a second time this soon. She needs to get through this season with no hurricanes whatsoever. A tall order.
98 days until football season...........................
Quote of the Day
Spiderman, Superman, Batman, or X-men? What... are you crazy? Spiderman. It will always be Spiderman.
Kem White, Plugs and Dottles
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "They never went through with that plan. Has the Department of Justice pulled off what the ol' Plumbers never did?"
