January 23rd, 2020
“Добрай раніцы (Dobraj ranicy)” or “Good Morning” in Belarusian, an Eastern Slavic language spoken mainly in Belarus.
Some time back I found out that the government was going to hire a bunch of people to do the 2020 census so I found out how to apply and was contacted. I actually do not know why I did other than I thought it might be interesting to have a reasonable excuse to meet a bunch of people. So they interviewed me (determined that I really was alive and indeed, breathing) and I didn’t scare them off so they sent me to get my fingerprints and photos. The process for doing all this was pretty interesting for a guy who hasn’t done anything like this in a good while. Stay tuned…
My backyard project is not quite done teaching me all the ways one can do this deal. But rework is helping me bond with my inner bozo:) I wonder how many might remember Firesign Theater’s “We Are All Bozos on This Bus” ?
This week I learned some stuff:
• I learned about medicine recycling. For almost my entire life whenever I came upon prescriptions that I know longer needed I would just flush them down the toilet. Well, it turns out that is a bad thing and so is putting them in the normal garbage. According to my sources we are medicating our planet to death!! So find your nearest RX disposal place google, “Drug Disposal near me” and up will pop the list. One last thing, it is a good idea to dispose of unused and expired prescriptions as frequently as it makes sense for your family but at least annually. Its not good to have that stuff hanging around.
• I learned last week that I had been scammed by a known scam site. While losing $53 and some change is not good, my big fear was that they would run up a credit card bill that would kill me. I worked it out with my Credit card company who has an app that I can use to lock and unlock my card at will so no big fraudulent cash advance or credit card transaction for me. So there !
• January 23rd is the 23rd day of the year (leaving only 338 days till Christmas!). On this day in1957, American inventor Walter Frederick Morrison sells the rights to his flying disc to the Wham-O toy company, which later renames it the “Frisbee”; The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts its first members: Little Richard, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley in 1986; In 1997, Madeline Albright becomes the first woman to serve as United States Secretary of State; In1998, Netscape announced Mozilla, with the intention to release Communicator code as open source; A 7.9 Mw earthquake occurs in the Gulf of Alaska. It is tied as the sixth-largest earthquake ever recorded in the United States, but there are no reports of significant damage or fatalities; John Hancock, member of the Second Congressional Congress, American General and first governor of Massachusetts is born in 1737; In 1855, John Browning, American weapons designer, founded the Browning Arms Company was born; Rutger Hauer, Dutch actor, director, and producer was born in 1944; On this day in 1978, we lost founding member, guitarist, songwriter and lead vocalist for the band, Chicago, Terry Kath; in 1989, Salvador Dalí, Spanish painter and sculptor passed away; Bob Keeshan, American television personality, Captain Kangaroo and producer left the stage; E. Howard Hunt, American CIA officer and member of the Watergate “plummers” who broke into the Democratic Headquarters under President Richard Nixon’s orders.
Website Update:
• Week two for our “New” Vocabulary Quiz!!!
• A new Music Trivia Quiz this week!!.
• Added a recipe for
Writing, Ceramics and Painting Update:
• Started a to paint some thank you cards and worked on the new painting this week in watercolors class. In ceramics class I continued to work on my totem pole. This pole is will reside outside in the backyard and will have 6 or 7 symbols of my existence when I am done. It will take most of this year to finish I think.
• Grandpa Stories is still not re-published.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• Have you ever stumbled across, a saying that you use said by some one else in a completely different way?? If I have left a trail in this long happy life of mine, it was my crumbs of “McCannisms”. A long time ago, someone came up with that term for the frankly, strange-ass phrases or observations that seem to come out of my mouth on a fairly regular basis. Anyway, one you might have heard as I have used fairly often within the context of someone pontificating on how a result could have or should been different. I would often interject in response their unreasonable expectation, “And if I was taller, I wouldn’t be so fat”. Yesterday, I was watching a cooking show featuring my favorite French chef and painter, Jacques Pepin, who said, “ I think I may be too short for my weight.” It was a different context but I was thrilled that I was not the only one who thought in such weird terms.
Music Update:
Another tiptoe though the archives to share some things you might missed or never have heard or at least not heard recently.
This week’s UJT Radio program:
• Funkadelic — Can You Get to That — A great song from their 1971 release, “Maggot Brain”. Every time I hear these guys I am more impressed.
• Lumineers — Stubborn Love — This is another example of how compelling this bands music is, at least for me. There is some sort of magic in their style that reminds me of a very loose but beautiful watercolor painting. This one comes from thier first album released in 2012.
• Blodwyn Pig – Change Song — From the Vinyl !!!! – I know I have featured this song on UJT Radio before but I love the intro and the song that follows. After owning their “Head Rings Out” album since it came out in August 1969, I still have no idea what he says at the end of the song.
• JJ Grey and Mofro — Every Minute — This one is from their, “Ol’ Glory” album released in 2015. For me the guitar work and horns interplay towards the end of the is is amazing.
• Bob Seger — Glenn Song — This beautiful tribute from one kid who grew up in Detroit for another. We lost Glenn Fry in 2016 and Bob released this song the year after on his album, “I Knew You When”.
• Dishwalla – Every Little Thing — This is just a great little love song from their Opaline album released in 2002. Dishwalla is the Hindi term for a person who proves satellite TV to a neighborhood. Who knew! This is the last album that J.R. Richards was lead singer. This one is all about being helpless to help the one you love enough. I know this one by heart.
• Steely Dan – Bad Sneakers – This was one of my favorite SD songs from one of my favorite SD records, “Katey Lied” released in 1975. This is a great example of how Donald Fagen’s lyrics and language evoke such memorable imagery of his life as a musician out in LA. Walter Beckers guitars and having Michael McDonald as a back up singer all join forces in creating this wonderful piece of music.
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; And always remember … The best is yet to come! As always, thank you for being my friend!