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Showing posts from April, 2008

McSlap

Wide World of Sports

Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm to me

Well the birthday ended with a quiet, romantic meal at the Wellington Gastropub. Unlike the "McTon" the dinner was delicious culminating in a yummy ginger cake with a special message from Maryse!

McTon

Book: Prime Green: Remembering the Sixties by Robert Stone Music: A Time To Remember - The Classic Years: 1952 by Various Artists

New Pop Records - Time - April 28, 1952

Mildred Bailey once admitted that "I couldn't sing big if I wanted to." But if her voice was one of the smallest around, it was also the sweetest and the sighing-est; and she had a natural rhythm to her phrasing that made her (with the Rhythm Boys—Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and her brother Al Rinker) one of the idols of the early '30s. Since those days, many of Mildred's old records have become collectors' items. Out this month is the first album commemorating the roly-poly singer who died last December. Mildred Bailey (Decca, 2 sides LP) includes eight of her best-known songs, if not the best versions of all of them. Even so, Lover, Come Back to Me, More than You Know, and the song Hoagy Carmichael wrote for her, Rockin' Chair, are still outstanding. Recording: good. Other new records: Raminay! (Jo Stafford; Columbia) was a New Orleans chimney sweeps' cry. Judging from this song, neither the tunesmith (Sammy Fain) nor pseudo Blues Singer Stafford ever ...

Anniversary

It was a year yesterday that I began this blog. Doesn't seem like a year in some respects and in other respects it seems like ages ago. I'm thinking mostly of where things were at with my health a year ago as I embarked on my regimen of chemo treatments, x-rays, MRIs, blood tests and so on in May, culminating in my stem cell/bone marrow transplant in October. Then, with my immune system virtually blasted away from a high dose chemo session, and down 75 pounds, I began the long road back to recovery. The blog was a terrific way to pass the time and document my experiences. The feedback from family pushed me on in my blogging efforts and aided in my recovery - a recovery, by the way, that doctors told me was twice as quick as the average patient, achieving a state of wellness in January that most would have reached only in March or April. Along the way - as you've seen from the blog content - I've read many books, listend to a lot of great music and passed on lots of humo...

Those Were The Days...

Book: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay Music: The Flying Club Cup by Beirut

Earth Day

Yesterday was "Earth Day". Fascinating fact: were you aware that Earth Day has been around since 1970?! I find that amazing. This being the age of the internet, certain websites got in on the act. Like You Tube; look at it's logo in the uper left hand corner: Here's what Google went with... And here's a quick vid of what Yahoo! looked like... Here's a photoshopped pic I found... And here's a page from Wikipedia that explains the whole story behind Earth Day... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day Book: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay Music: Mr Love and Justice by Billy Bragg

Gone Sens Gone

Monday Morning Mirth

Ford Focus I bought a new Focus and returned to the dealer the next day because I couldn’t get the radio to work. The salesman explained that the Focus has Sync and the radio was voice activated. ‘Nelson,’ the salesman said to the radio. The Radio replied, ‘Ricky or Willie?’ ‘Willie!’ he continued and ‘On The Road Again’ came from the speakers. Then he said, ‘Ray Charles!’, and in an instant ‘Georgia On My Mind’ replaced Willie Nelson . I drove away happy, and for the next few days, every time I’d say, ‘Beethoven,’ I’d get beautiful classical music, and if I said, ‘Beatles,’ I’d get one of their awesome songs. Yesterday, a couple ran a red light and nearly creamed my new car, but I swerved in time to avoid them. I yelled, ‘Ass Holes!’ Immediatelythe French National Anthem began to play, sung by Jane Fonda and Barbara Streisand, backed up by Michael Moore and The Dixie Chicks and John Kerry on guitar, Al Gore on drums, Dan Rather on harmonica, Nancy Pelosi on tambourine, Harry Reid on s...

Amazing Arctic

Last week Maryse departed the cold and snow of Ottawa for the colder and snowier Arctic. Her trip began in Edmonton and continued on to the Inuit communities of Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk and Paulatuk. Sponsored by the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami , 22 federal bureaucrats visited the communities, met residents and elders and partook in cultural feasts and events. EDMONTON Their first stop was the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, thee hospital where northern Inuit go when they require hospital health services. That's "Doctor" Pesant on the right with several of her colleagues... INUVIK Then it was on to Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Here's the local church - in the shape of an igloo - and school. Then it was off to Tuktoyaktuk - a five hour drive via "ice road" stopping en route to visit a gas drilling site... TUKTOYAKTUT Maryse has wanted to visit Tuktoyaktut or "Tuk" for as long as she can remember. This trip was a dream come true. Here's a shot o...

Gas Prices

Book: Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje Music: The Baroness by Sarah Slean