April 29th, 2021

“Mayad nga tiprano”, or “Good Morning!” in Cuyonon, a Philippine language spoken mainly in the Cuyo Islands in the Philippines.

This week I learned some stuff:
• Our youngest child turned 43 this week!! I know its a cliche but it really does feel like it was yesterday she was this tiny pink transistorized human that just joined the party.
• April 29th is the 119th day of 2021. Just 240 days till Christmas! Today in 1862, Union forces under David Farragut captured New Orleans; Today in 1910, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passes the People’s Budget, the first budget in British history with the expressed intent of redistributing wealth among the British public; On this day in 1945, Führerbunker: Adolf Hitler marries his longtime partner Eva Braun in a Berlin bunker and designates Admiral Karl Dönitz as his successor; Hitler and Braun both commit suicide the following day.; Today in 1845, Dachau concentration camp is liberated by United States troops; Today in 1967, after refusing induction into the United States Army the previous day, Muhammad Ali is stripped of his boxing title; Today in 1974, United States President Richard Nixon announces the release of edited transcripts of White House tape recordings relating to the scandal; American and European spy satellites capture the ruins of the 4th Reactor at the Chernobyl Power Plant today in 1986; a cyclone strikes the Chittagong district of southeastern Bangladesh with winds of around 155 miles per hour (249 km/h), killing at least 138,000 people and leaving as many as ten million homeless today in 1991; Today William Randolph Hearst, American publisher and politician, founded the Hearst Corporation was born today in 1863; Willie Nelson, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor and American singer-songwriter and poet, Rod McKuen were both born on this day in 1933; Today in 1947, Tommy James (Tommy James and the Shondells), American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer was born; Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress was born today in 1958; Alfred Hitchcock, English-American director and producer passed away today in 1980; Al Feldstein, American author, illustrator and editor of Mad magazine passed away today in 2014; And finally, English actor, Bob Hoskins (Who Killed Roger Rabbit? and Hook!) also passed away today in 2014.

Website Update:
This week we made the following changes:
• Week two for our Vocabulary Quiz,
• A new Musical Trivia Quiz!! Yeah !!!!!
• This week I didn’t come up with any new recipes for you.
• This week’s Home Page quote comes from another very interesting guy, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Writing, Ceramics, Stained Glass and Painting Update:
• This week at poker one of my buds asked me how the painting or ceramics or stained glass was going. I told him that my creative gear box has been stuck in neutral. Not sure how to push start this particular VW!
• I didn’t attend watercolor classes this week via zoom. I hope we can go back to the classroom soon.
• Grandpa Stories is still not re-published.

Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• My bad deeds have started to return as household karma! My plumbing shakra and my sprinkler aura is out of sync with the setting of Venus in the house of Gemini. And I was doing so good there for awhile.

Music Update:

Once again, yours truly takes you on another meander through the dusty cobwebs of my music library.

This week’s UJT Radio Program:
• Shane Smith and the Saints — All I See is You — There is just something about these guys that pulls me in. Shane sings with an old guy’s soul. This one comes from their album “Geronimo” released in 2015.
• Foo Fighters — Learn to Fly — This is their first hit off their 3 album and it grabbed me right away. Released in 1999 on “There Is Nothing Left To Lose”, I always connected to this song.
• John Mayer – Love is a Verb – A thoughtful song from his “Born and Raised” released in 2012. Its all about saying “I Love You” is never going to be enough. You have to show it in your thoughtfulness and consideration. Loving is an action not a given..
• Bonnie Raitt – Nobody’s Girl – This is one my favorite cuts from one of my favorite records. This one comes from her iconic, “Nick of Time” released in 1989.
• Shuggie Otis — Inspiration Information / Wings of Love — Some time ago a poker buddy of mine, mentioned Shuggie to me and I flashed back to that this week when I saw him again. I dug this one out and featured it on UJT Radio just because it is just so sweet! Check it out. From his “Shuggie Otis” album released in 2013 remastered this great tune from 1974.
• Poco — A Good Feeling to Know — The last time we saw Dave Mason in concert we also got to see Richie Furay who wrote the this song that was the title track from their 1972 release. I think every person in the audience sang along. Mostly in tune!.

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!