Big Blue Huddle

I read an article that there is an "Ice" skating rink in the tallest building at Hudson Yards (30 Hudson Yards) and that it uses artificial ice. It is not frozen water and is actually a special blend of polymers (plastic). I've read that some hockey players practice on it and like it. The big advantage is upkeep (no need for extensive cooling equipment, can skate in the summer, don't need a Zamboni, etc) The largest ice skating rink in the world is in Mexico City and they use Glice https://www.glicerink.com/what-is-synthetic-ice/

Anyway, just wondered if anyone has ever skated on it and what it's like

Question: During WWII, two NFL teams merged together to fill out a complete roster and they were called the:

A) Cowphins
B) Steagles
C) Packaneers
D) Broncskins

I already guessed and was wrong, but I now know the answer

Anyone want to take a crack at it?

It's funny, but I listen to far more AM radio than they myriad of options available in my car. Once I've heard a song several thousand times, I don't really need to hear it again. I listen to music in the car when all I want to do is think about some issue on my mind that is unrelated to sports or news. I listen to AM for sports talk, political talk, news, weather, road reports, etc. I must not be alone because according to a Nielsen Company media survey, 47 million Americans listen to AM radio, which is only about 20% of all radio listeners, but a lot of people

Here's the issue. EVs are no longer including an AM radio option due to some kind of electrical interference that causes bugs in the vehicles electrical operating system. As more and more EVs hit the road, the AM stations that work within a tight budget will not be able to sell air time to local (and national) companies and will fade out over time

What a shame 

I grew up as a kid listening to 1430 WENE (Weenie) and was introduced to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Four Seasons, Marvin Gaye, Mamas and Papas, Tommy James and the Shondells, Three Dog Night, the Turtles, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Doors, even one-hit wonders like Strawberry Alarm Clock, Circl, the Troggs (who is the real band that started "power chords" with "Wild Thing", unlike Green Day which gets credit for it in music publications  ), etc

It's a weird thing, but my desire to get an electric vehicle is diminished simply by the loss of the option of AM in the car

For those who don't know what I'm talking about with the Troggs starting the "power chord" movement, I'm sure you will recognize their hit because it was used in the movie, "Major League"

Lenn always posts on the Wordle thread, usually the last one. And when he's going to be away, he always lets everyone know he's going to be gone. But he hasn't posted in eight days and I'm beginning to worry. Did I miss something? Is he off on vacation again or something else?

Anyone know anything about Lenn? I'm getting worried

I don't know how many recently divorced, single guys are on this board, but the dating scene after you turn 40 is nothing like the dating scene one remembers from high school and college days. It's a whole different world. So I'm going to share some of my worst dates and hopefully, others will share as well. I've always thought the funniest SNL skits were the "dates from hell". Just thinking of some of them still makes me laugh...like the girl with the unibrow and Leonid Beshnev's bushy type eye brows (or in her case, eye brow) and the perpetually angry, needy, or laughing girl

Anyway, I've been single (divorced) since I was 42 yrs old (I turn 70 in a week and a half). I've been through a few bad dates in my days of re-entering the dating scene so I thought I'd share - both for laughs and to help anyone back into the scene. Back when I first found myself single again, I decided to try the new "high tech" method and try internet dating sites. It worked well if you are looking for a lot of variety and a lot of opportunities that rarely pan out to anything other than to share bad experiences. And a word of caution here, pictures lie, as do most of the write-ups that embellish the "whole package", and you don't get a feel for a person's personality on a computer screen – and man is personality important. It's a starting point though for some, but buyer beware. That sharp looking little used sports car in the ad might be filled with Bondo, have a blown head gasket, a quirky transmission that is about to go, and have a lot more miles than the 78,000 as advertised

I also tried joining a PWP club (Parents Without Partners) only to go to dances where a hundred women are laughing and dancing to the band while more than a hundred guys are standing in the corner with a long-neck beer in hand, head bowed, afraid to talk to any of the women and waiting for "I don't know what". It was almost comical to watch and sad at the same time. I discovered that it was a lot better to simply get involved with a club that aligned with my interest and not try to meet a potential partner. I joined two clubs, a ski club (which also had summer excursions like canoe trips, camping trips to the Thousand Islands, hiking, biking, etc.) I also joined a city choir because I like to sing (that didn't really get me anywhere and was short-lived). the ski club was a ball for about 12 years and I took weekend trips to Vermont, the Adirondaks, Catskills, and other places with two other busloads of mostly single, recently divorced people. I didn't join a genealogy club (one of my major interests), but did hours of research on my own and lo and behold, there are a lot more women than men with that hobby and I met a lot of wonderful women as I trekked around the country visiting historical centers, libraries, courthouse record rooms, etc.

Okay...some of my less than wonderful dates

I met this girl on-line. Long blonde hair, slender build, pretty face, no children, and a widow who lost her husband a couple years back and just looking to get back "out there". We chatted back and forth on the internet, then talked a lot on the phone, and decided to meet up for a drink. When I got there, I didn't see her anywhere because she didn't look anything like her picture. She was wearing jeans and a very low-cut blouse and was not slender...at all, and the "long blonde hair" was short and an obvious dye job because I could see at least an inch of black hair at the roots. Her picture on the dating site must have been from moe than 25 years ago. My internal alarm was blaring and I was feeling a lot of trepidation and wanted out, but I stuck it out. We finally found each other when she came up to me and introduced herself so we grabbed a table. I could tell she had already over-imbibed on a few cocktails and even before that I had already decided I didn't want to go through with this after seeing her in person, but I had driven 50 miles to get there and figured I might as well. A couple of minutes into the conversation, I asked her how she liked being back in the singles' world. She said she liked it. I asked how long before she started dating after losing her husband. She looked at me like I was from outer space and said, "what??". So I asked how long since her husband passed away. Again she looked at me like I was an alien. She said, "that XXXXXXX – he ain't dead, that piece of sh..t". Red flag, red flag – she's a bona fide liar. Then she proceeded to pull down her blouse and show me her new tattoo...completely exposing her rather large breast right there in full view...along with a sly seductive smile. My thinking was that I am in an episode of the Twilight Zone or at best, Alan Funks' "Candid Camera" and the real girl I was hoping to meet would step out to a crowd of laughter. Didn't happen. She was the epitome of trailer trash with a net spread out to catch a fish – any fish, anyway she could catch one and I was looking at the bait I didn't want a bite of. I finished my beer and told her I really had to go and it was nice meeting her. She frowned and hung onto my arm with that look, "don't go"...but I did. Practically left rubber on the highway getting out of there

Another date. Pretty face, brunette woman, who "liked fun". Picture only showed her face and in her writeup she called herself "fit and slender". Like before – internet chatter, then phone chatter, and then the meet up. We met the Olive Garden for lunch. Slender did not adequately define her figure. She was an 80 lb stick who appeared quite sickly. And she had an attitude of dire sorrow and seemed on the verge of crying. I felt bad for her because she was obviously depressed and had some deep issues. I got up to go the bathroom and when I came back, she was standing and had put on her coat. I said, "oh...you are leaving". She said, "no, I just figured you left and used going to the bathroom as an excuse to get out of here". I told her I would never do that. Anyway, we had lunch and I told her it was nice meeting her and walked her to her car. Never saw her again

One of the more recent dates (about 8 years ago now) I went on was kind of forced on me by some friends I hang out with. I was invited to a get together at a Japanese restaurant where we all sat around a hibachi dinner. Four couples plus me (the single guy) and another woman (the single woman) who I had never seen before, nor was I given a heads up that this was a setup. Everyone had a good time and decided after the meal to go out to another place for a drink or two. The woman was hard to read. I'm reminded of an episode on Seinfeld where the girl he was dating was either pretty or hideous, depending on the lighting. Regardless, we ended up going on a couple of dates, the first one very casual and short. The second one much longer and actually getting to know something about each other. Then came the sirens and the red flag. She said, "I might as well get this out there right up front...I've been married five times" (keep in mind, she is 42 years old). I didn't spit my drink out of my nose, but dang close. I put on a calm face that said, "okay" when it really wasn't. I asked her how long she had been divorced and she said, "about three months". I asked how long they were married and she said, "a few months". I asked, "what went wrong". Her reply that I'll never forget was, "I don't know, he just walked out and said 'I can't deal with this sh.t'" and she never saw him again. Anyway, that was the last time I saw her. She texted me a few times, but I didn't respond.

Anyway, that's a few of my dating stories. In the past 30 years, I've helped a lot of guys who suddenly became single and they are like whipped puppies and don't know what to do. My advice to them is to "stop looking for a woman and feeling sorry for yourself" - take up a hobby and pursue things that interest you or that you always wanted to try. Over time you will cross paths with a lot of women and if there's a spark, it will come naturally. If you're "in the hunt", it shows and you come across as desperate and that's a red flag to all women. Keep a happy disposition and just have fun without it being a search for a mate. You can try the internet dating thing at your own peril. Maybe it will work for you, maybe not. If they're on a dating site, they obviously are looking for someone that might turn into a partner. If you do put up a profile, don't overdo it by showing flattering pictures or stretching the truth about yourself. I got more hits by saying, "I like to golf – a lot, drink a few beers with friends, and absolutely hate holding hands and taking long walks on a beach – I'm self-sufficient, but not rich, and I can be an XXXXXXX at times,...etc". And don't hold a cat on your lap – sends the wrong message. A dog by your side on the other hand helps. 

I am posting this because maybe some on here can take advantage of my experiences in this life if they're thrust back into the dating scene. Since more marriages end in divorce than survive now...many will go through this...and most of them won't see it coming. I can vouch for that

I am currently at the end of a six-year relationship with my girlfriend. We are parting ways. We still care about each other and want nothing but the best for each other. Our problem: I'm twice her age. The circumstances or our meeting just kind of fell out of nowhere and we became close friends in spite of the fact that she was younger than three of my four children. She moved in with me and we've had a lot of fun together, but we knew it would never last because of our age difference. What was going to be a few months though, turned into six years. She's only 37 yrs old, pretty as can be, and has her whole life ahead of her. I told her that I don't want to waste her life walking me down the green mile, even though she says she would. So we are splitting as soon as she gets settled into a new place. We'll still see each other, but she needs to let the world know that she's single and available, something that would never happen living with me

For all you older single guys – keep your head up and good luck. My attitude is that if God wants me to have a woman, she'll drop out of the sky and into my lap. If not – I'm happy to live life just as I am - as a single. It's actually quite fun

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1634585250624831488

We all have our favorites...more me, Eddie Van Halen. However, two guitarists that "all" other players always mention is Roy Clark and Glen Campbell with Clark usually getting the nod. Campbell was known for his singing and personality, but great guitarists (including Eddie Van Halen) went to Glen Campbell for advice and also tried to mimic what Roy could do with a guitar, but failed

I think the biggest reason Roy Clark does not get the credit he deserves is because he was showcased on the TV show, "Hee Haw" that wasn't considered a "great" show and only watched by hayseed hicks and farmers coming in from the chores. Also, most fans of guitar playing are rock lovers and don't look at talent outside their box of interest. However, Roy Clark was incredible, whether boogie-woogie, classical, rock, or virtually any genre. He also played an incredible banjo as well as could fiddle with the best of them. A master of the stringed instruments. Here's a few examples for more than one genre:

Gene Hackman (one of my favorite actors) has lived like a recluse for the last decade or so. Here he is at 93 and a picture taken by the paparazzi that makes me sad. My Dad made it to 94 and that made me sad to see how such a strong man can deteriorate to a shadow of who he was

Tonight we'll be able to see Venus and Jupiter "touching". Should be easy to find as Venus is so bright you can pick it out with ease. Anyway, just a heads-up. If interested, you should be able to see it shortly after sun down this evening.  https://www.space.com/venus-jupiter-shine-closest-until-2032

I play three games every morning to get the juice flowing and the brain thinking

Wordle
Waffle
Quordle

All three games can only be played once a day, although Quordle lets you practice

Waffle hasn't been bought out by NY Times yet, but wouldn't surprise me if it ends up there. Quordle is a form of Wordle, but you're solving 4 words with 9 chances

Each also allows you to share your results, as all of us know who play Wordle on here. Regardless, Waffle is a fairly simple game in which you rearrange letters to solve. When you get the letters correct, they flip green. But you only get so many swaps. And like Wordle, you can share results. Ex:

#waffle402 3/5

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩⭐🟩⬜🟩
🟩🟩⭐🟩🟩
🟩⬜🟩⭐🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

🔥 streak: 2
wafflegame.net


Quordle is a variation on Wordle except you have to figure out 4 different words. You start by solving the first puzzle, and each letter that is yellow or green fills in on the next 3 words. So if you solve the first one, each successive one gets easier and often times, the fourth one can be solved just by looking at the green letters. And likewise, you can share it on the board like this (as you can see, I lost this morning because I took too many of my chances up on the first word):

Daily Quordle 399
6️⃣8️⃣
9️⃣🟥
quordle.com
🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨 🟨⬜⬜⬜🟨
🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨🟨🟩 ⬜⬜🟨🟨🟩
⬜🟨⬜🟩🟩 ⬜🟩🟨🟩🟩
🟩⬜⬜🟩🟩 🟨⬜⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨⬜⬜🟩🟩
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩⬜🟩🟩
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

🟨⬜🟩⬜🟩 ⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜
🟨🟩⬜🟨⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟨⬜🟨🟨 ⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨 ⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜


And like Wordle Unlimited (https://wordleunlimited.org/) the other two games can be played more than once a day. Waffle Unlimited (https://waffleunlimited.com/) uses brown and tan instead of yellow and green. And for Quordle, you can practice as often as you like by pushing the practice button on top of game

2023 will be an interesting year for racing fans. Two races worth watching:

1) NASCAR race on the streets of downtown Chicago (July 1,2,3)

2) Formula 1 race on the streets of Las Vegas (November 16,17,18)

Chicago Track


Las Vegas Track

After watching the TV series "1883", I found it odd that to make money, the cowboys rounded up feral cattle and put together a herd to take to the slaughterhouse to raise needed money, as well as to eat along the way as they traveled in a caravan from Texas to the unsettled northwest. I thought it was unrealistic, but made for an interesting story. Now I have discovered that feral cows have been a real thing for a couple of hundred years in the U.S. 

I have read some stories about feral cattle being a huge nuisance in New Mexico, California, Arizona, Alaska, Texas, etc., even in Hawaii. Not only are there large herds of feral cattle, but the bulls are very territorial and can be mean. Hikers and naturists have been threatened and even attacked, so the problem is real. The New Mexico state government has passed a bill that would have shooters in helicopters to wipe them out. Seems a little drastic, but apparently they have become very destructive of the environment and eco cycle

I have found pictures of hunters shooting them and all I can think of is, "dang - beef is better than venison and that's a whole lot of meat for the freezer, and it's got to be easier to hunt than white tail deer or wild hogs"...LOL



Anyway, has anyone ever heard of such a thing? Seems bizarre to me. Articles state that the problem has existed for well over a hundred years 

Ever meet someone out of the blue that you don't know, only to find out they are semi-famous and very interesting? I've run into that a couple times

Okay...I'm a smoker. But because of it, I've had the opportunity to meet some very interesting people. One night in Binghamton at one of my favorite hangouts back in the day (Anthony's - now closed), I went out on the patio and sat down at a small table to have a cigarette. A few seconds later, a scraggly looking old guy asked me if he could join me. I said, "of course, make yourself comfortable". He looked like a hobo off the street with ragged, ripped jeans and a beat up old hat, but I didn't care. We got talking, and I asked him where he was from, he said "L.A." and I said, "you're a long way from home". He said he was in town for an award. This piqued my attention and of course I said, "what for?" He said it was for a song he written for a band that was in town that evening. We ended up talking for over a half hour as we smoked three cigarettes each. I asked him if I knew any songs he had written, and he named a few. I said, "Wow, that's amazing". He said he liked songs that didn't have some hidden meaning or trying to be profound and preferred the old doo-whop music. Then he told me he had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and also told me he was married to Carole King for a few years, and they had a couple of kids together. Looks can be deceiving

Long story short, it was Gerry Goffin (may he R.I.P.) who I had never heard of, but found him to be one of the most interesting people I ever met. Surprisingly, he asked me a lot of questions about myself, where I worked, family, etc. Hell of a nice guy. Not a "hobo"



Another time I was headed for Minneapolis and had a connecting flight in Detroit. I had a couple of hours to kill at the airport and really wanted a cigarette. I tramped around until I found a smoking section at the airport with a small bar. Again, I sat down at a small table and this young "hippie" sat down across from and asked if he could join me, and I said "of course". We got talking and I asked him where he was from, etc. So he said he was headed to do a concert and asked me if I ever heard of the band, "Piebald" and I said, "no". He said, "not surprised unless you're from Boston". Nice guy who was the singer and guitarist in the punk band that was getting known throughout the country. His name was Travis Shettel and was nothing like what I expected of a rock singer. Seemed quite humble

And I don't mean this beauty:



But this one:



For those interested, this comet comes around once every 50,000 years and it will be in the sky tonight and tomorrow night. If you miss it, most likely you won't get a second chance later in your lifetime   

According to the blog, "In the Sky" the comet will be highest in the sky at around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 2, above the northern horizon. It first becomes visible just after dusk, then disappears at dawn". It will depend a lot on how clear the sky is in order to see it, but it's supposed to be visible with the naked eye (on a cloudless night) this evening until Friday morning

https://www.livescience.com/green-comet-close-approach-tonight

Yesterday I borrowed my brother's RAV hybrid/plugin to make a quick run (my car is in the shop). I tried to start it and I told my brother "it won't start". He poked his head in the window, looked at the dash and said, "it's running...see the image of electricity moving to the front of the car". I said, "oh, I was waiting to hear the sound of the engine or at least a bit of vibration in my seat...there was neither

Apparently, the motor only kicks on when the battery is mostly dead, then it kicks on by itself. So I took it out on the highway and the only noise was the sound of the tires on the road. I thought it would drive like a golf cart but was surprised it drove nearly identical to a gas engine driven vehicle. It didn't start stopping quick (like a golf cart) when I let up on the gas. Smooth as silk and the biggest surprise was when I stepped on it - threw my head back; instant acceleration the likes of my old souped up '69 440 GTX. Wow!

It only has about 60 miles of pure battery running the car so it's basically for short trips using the electric only. I only put 40 miles on it so I didn't get to see what it was like when it switched to gas power. My brother has a charger in his garage and charges the car at night when it's 1.5 cents an hour and it takes only a couple of hours to charge. He says he spends very little on gas and the only time he really bought gas was when he made a trip to North Carolina and back a month ago

Anyway, I've been very leery about electric cars and figured it would be a long time before I bought one. I have a completely different attitude now and my next car will preferably be a hybrid/plug in. Seems like it would pay for itself (or at least the additional cost) in gas savings alone

Sorry to start a separate thread when we already have "What are you watching", but I'm confused and wonder if someone else who has watched this movie can explain something to me. What was the significance of finding the necklace with a seashell hidden in the book at the very end?

Very good movie. Cried off and on, which isn't that unusual for me when I get into a movie...abandoned children who get picked on bugs me. I just wonder if anyone has watched it and can explain to me the "shocker" at the end. I don't get it 

I've considered a trip to Frankfurt, Germany to do some genealogical research. I checked out the airport at Frankfurt and I am confused. Ever hear of an airport (one of the ten busiest in the world) that does not have runways for planes to takeoff and land?

Interesting airport, but how do the pilots land????  I'm baffled 

Just found out a good friend of mine passed away unexpectedly on Christmas morning. He hasn't even turned 50 yet and was a non-smoker, fit guy. I am in shock and it hangs over me like a pall that can't be shaken. I'm just sad and shaken

This picture was taken about 10 years ago. He's standing next to me in the white shirt



Sorry to share my grief on here, but it's the only thing on my mind and I'm shaken to the core

About a month old - top of the line with all the extras



She was taking her daughter to soccer practice in Syracuse when she hit a patch of ice. Both of them are okay and doing fine. They were taken to the hospital in an ambulance, checked over, and released. A couple of bruises from the seat belt

She told me she was hanging upside down and neither of them could release their seatbelts. A voice came on the radio and asked if she was alright and that the police had been contacted. There was a state trooper a mile away who was there less than a couple of minutes. My daughter was starting to panic because she thought there was smoke in the car and that maybe it was on fire. It was the dust floating from the airbags. The lady trooper climbed in to cut the seat belts and my daughter insisted on getting her daughter out first (she was in the back seat)

Anyway, scary moment and not the kind of call you want to get early Sunday morning

I have a fake 3' tree with a couple of ornaments that is not worth posting. But I have to post a couple of pics of my sister's trees. Talk about a Charlie Brown Christmas tree - she did it, with a 16' crazy tree. This is my sister in PA, not the one in Israel. Anyway






She has a regular one in her living room that isn't so laughable



---------------------------------------

My sister in Isreal still makes Christmas special at her house with a tree and baking cookies. She misses the half-moon cookies she used to love as a kid so she makes them on Christmas along with a bunch of regular Christmas cookies






As for me - not much Christmas spirit. I have a string of white LED icicles that outline the roof of the front of my house. They are taken down by New Year's Day. But I do get a kick out of my sisters love for Christmas (and my daughters) who really get into it every year

I stopped into the local Walmart to print some photos for my kids. It was about 6:30 PM and when I walked out of the store, there was a line of about 10 cop cars with their lights flashing and sirens going along the main highway. I wondered what that was all about and then the lead car turned and led the group into the Walmart parking lot. I started to wonder if there was a robbery in process or whatever...it had to be bad as practically every police vehicle from the county sheriff's office and city police were coming in. But they were driving slowly so that meant it wasn't real bad. Regardless, there was no way I was going to leave until I could see what was going on...yeah, I'm nosey

Long story short, the cop cars lined up end for end across the whole front of the store. When the cops got out of their cars, they were all wearing Santa hats. They opened their back doors and let young kids out. Cops were holding the hands of the youngsters as they headed into the store. Apparently, the city and Walmart had made a deal to help homeless children get some toys for Christmas. The cops took them in, so they could pick out Christmas gifts. Not gonna lie... made me choke up a little. Meant more to me than any Christmas gift I ever got growing up. Restores some of my faith in humanity to see gestures like that

I was thinking about it the other day after talking with one of my granddaughters, that she has no idea how kids talked in the 60's. They have their own language that I have to learn to keep up. I doubt she'll ever know the slang we used in the 60's though. I think about the only words that came about in the 60's that managed to remain colloquial terms today are: "cool" (which I think will stay for many generations), "bummer", calling "shotgun" to get the front seat, "making out"..oh how my mother hated that term...she thought it meant prepping for coitus...lol, and maybe calling "dibs" on something, "redneck" (that one will stick forever...I think), etc.

It amazes me how many terms were used in the 60's that no longer have any meaning to the next generations...yet they were standard terms when I was a teen. Words like "square" (opposite of cool), "groovy", "far out", "hippie", "flower power", "bippy", "heavy", "mellow", "horn" (phone), "what a gas", "righteous" (as in good weed), "moo juice", "boob tube" (my girlfriend hates it when I say I'm going to watch the boob tube. She always responds, "will you just call it a TV"..lol), "outa sight", and the many terms we used for money like "scratch", "dough", "bread", "cabbage", etc. We called the police the "fuzz" or "the heat"...when was the last time you heard that one used. Now it's the "poe poe". Do you think any kid today would know what a "suicide knob" was (that handy ball on the steering wheel so you could keep your arm around the girl while driving with one hand)? How bout "teeny bopper" (young girls who always listen to music and bob as they do), or "ankle biter" for toddlers? and instead of high-fiving, we'd say, "gimmee skin". When I was a teen, everyone knew what Haight-Ashbury was as it was the focal point of the counterrevolution overtaking the country. Talk about a let down...I was killing some time in San Francisco back in the 90's and decided to go to Haight-Ashbury to check it out. I was actually excited about seeing it for the first time. Damn, it looked like any other corner of a street in any other city. No hippies, no panty-less flower children floating around in wispy flocks and smokin pot 



Anyway, I'm sure every generation develops their own language and only a few continue on over the years. I know my parents said things like, "that's the bee's knees", or the "cat's ass", etc. My dad used to call lazy teens, "beatniks" and call rednecks, "hillbillies" or kids getting "their freak on" (as we would say in the 60's), but my father would call that, "raising cane" (which makes no sense to me). Things change, colloquial language evolves with every generation. I get a kick out of hearing my grandkids say, "peace out" instead of "bye" or as we used to say, "gonna bug"

One of the things I like about classic music (as in the late 50's through early 70's) is that you still hear the language of my youth. Mostly anti-war and anti-establisment lyrics, but still a lot about the hippie generation...like the Mindbenders with "we gotta groovy kind of love", or Jagger and Jumpin Jack Flash"is a "gas, gas, gas" or Donovan singing "Mellow Yellow", or the Mamas and the Papas when they sang "young girls are coming to the canyon" (which was Laurel Canyon, the mountainous fields near Los Angeles where free love and flower power reigned)

I was excited to finally get to see yesterday's reveal of America's latest bomber. Super sophisticated - pilot or pilotless as a drone and less than half the cost of the B2 Spirit

Revealed yesterday after 7 years in the making (which is ridiculously record setting time)




Very intimidating look...sort of an evil Batman face...lol

Thought about making it my wallpaper, but didn't. Beautiful plane, yet deadly

Gaylord Perry was one of my favorite pitchers to watch. As he aged, he figured out ever trick in the book to stay relevant and used Vaseline, sandpaper, tacks, etc., to get movement on his ball. He reportedly slid into home plate one time and a jar of Vaseline fell out of his pocket...LOL. He was finally fined and had to take time off after using what he called the "Puffer Ball". He would shake the resin pack until he got a handful of white resin dust, and he'd pack it in his hand. Then (wearing a long sleeved white tee shirt under his uniform), would release the ball during the pitch and the batter would have a hard time for a couple of nanoseconds, to see the ball as it was covered in a cloud of dust with the white tee shirt behind it. The pitch worked, but he eventually was punished for it. I think the old guy in the movie "Major League" who played the pitcher Dorn, was a spoof on Gaylord.

Anyway, he is/was a baseball legend and gave me many very enjoyable memories growing up. May he rest in peace 

It's a freak show, it's a monster...no, it's just me this morning:



the other guy looks much worse...LOL

In short, I had surgery yesterday and had a cancer spot removed from the side of my nose...dang that sun! Surgery was relatively painless, except for the many shots of Novocaine in a very sensitive part of one's body. But after the surgery, I had to go to a plastic surgeon to repair the hole in my nose. This required much cutting and pulling skin from around my face before getting stitched up. When I got home, I was in so much pain and thought death would be an attractive alternative...and I bled like a stuck pig even as I went to bed last night. Thankfully, bleeding has stopped and no pain this morning. But I'm having a hard time seeing...LOL

Anyway...been dreading this for the last month and I finally got it over with and can hopefully start getting back to normal.

Safe travels if you're going to be on the highways and hope you all have a fantastic day. I will be joining one of my daughters and her family and then plan on settling in and watch the Giants suprise the Cowboys     

I have a collection of funny memes that are apropos for tomorrow's turkey fest

I grew up about 12 miles from where Ronnie Dio grew up. The small street that he lived in has been renamed "Dio Way", which is all of a single block long. When I was a teen, I had the good fortune to watch him and his band play for a couple of hours in a gymnasium at a high school dance in Cortland. Didn't think much of it at the time, as I was far more interested in a whole new group of girls to get to know. I thought he was really loud for such a small guy, and the band played "tight" for a typical band that plays in high schools. His band was called the "Electric Elves" at the time, and he was making a name for himself on the national scene. He only played this gig because he was in town at the time and kind of payback for the city that raised him. I had not a clue that he'd become a world-wide legend

He started out as a trumpet player and got a standing ovation in sixth grade with a performance of "The Toy Trumpet" at the New York State Music Festival. As far as I know, he never played trumpet once he became a famous rock star 



Regardless, for those interested, the show is going to be on Showtime, Thursday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m. ET.





Link to an article: https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/2022/11/ronnie-james-dio-new-film-about-metal-icon-from-central-new-york-coming-to-tv.html

Just received a call from my son, and I have a new granddaughter, Natalie Rose. Born just before noon. Healthy, 10 fingers, 10 toes, and no defects. Her momma is also doing well.

My quiver is growing, and I now have 8 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild 

Growing up I figured the chances of being a father were pretty nil and even less of a chance I'd ever live to see grandchildren even if I did end up married and have kids. God has blessed me in spite of me. Believe me, I am unworthy

Florida has really taken it on the chops this hurricane season. While the southwest coast has been annihilated and a year from returning to semi-normal, now hurricane Nicole is going to smash the east coast tomorrow. sounds like there will be severe flooding...life threatening

Hope our Big Blue Huddle friends in Florida are prepared and stay safe