Scattershooting 08-31-14

Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to the great

Bobby Cox

Sunday's Summary

My incomplete recap of the week

I made a tactical mistake this morning, the first day of school (8/25). I live across the street from an elementary school. Class starts at 8:00. I headed out on my bike at 7:50. Kids, parents, cars and buses everywhere. Took a while to get through it. Of course there was one impatient driver who almost got me when they crossed a double yellow line to gain a two car advantage. Hope all the little ones got to class safely.

There is a local chiropractor who advertises on TV. That's OK I guess, but the emphasis of the commercials is the treatment of diabetes. Is that really a good idea for your care? I think an endocrinologist might be a better choice.

Saw a little of the Emmys. I don't really care who or what wins and haven't seen most of the nominated shows. Two thoughts, the Emmy Award Show gave an award for something to the Tony Award Show. That seems a little incestuous to me. Secondly, we lost a lot of TV folks this year, many of who I had forgotten. I'll miss James Garner the most. Billy Crystal's tribute to Robin Williams was touching.

I have only myself to blame. I created my own earworm. For #SongSunday I posted "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" by Dusty Springfield and an alternate version by Elvis. They both keep spinning in my brain. I'm a Dusty fan, but I know Elvis brought a smile to a special friend.

Gotta love Texas. Don't think this will fit on my bike.

http://gizmodo.com/good-god-someones-selling-a-99-pack-of-beers-1626890533

Walked around Tara today for the first time in a few weeks. Little Bear Creek is more like Little Bear Mud. Only a couple of places had any water and none of it flowing. Saw an armadillo and it wasn't pancaked on the road. It was foraging for breakfast in the shrubs. Went by Covenant Academy and of course they are under construction.

Cops shouldn't be exempt from "no texting" laws. Please, keep your eyes on the road, not your phone, tablet or computer. A rider & bike don't stand much chance against a two ton vehicle.

No charges for LASD deputy who fatally struck cyclist while typing on computer

Here is a very jazzy and mellow song by the great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Not the usual Southern blues/rock he's noted for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjDOjSmwjKg

Quick brake job this morning before a ride. Think I'll be able to stop a little better now. Found and fixed a squeak too.

August 30th was International Bacon Day. Everything tastes better with bacon so it shouldn't be hard to celebrate.

ESPN GameDay was in Sundance Square, downtown Fort Worth, Saturday. It is getting to be a regular stop for ESPN shows.

 

Food warning for this Labor Day weekend. Do not under any circumstances buy Nolan Ryan Hot Dogs for your holiday grilling or any other time. Also, if you find yourself at a Rangers game on $1 Nolan Ryan hot dog night, pay extra and find a brat or some other sausage. Bad taste, bad texture, bad skin and bad color. I ate one and threw the rest of the package away. Love Nolan the ballplayer, not a fan of Nolan the hot dog maker.

If you get a chance listen to or go see the Royal Southern Brotherhood. It's a side project of Cyril Neville and Devon Allman. Two great musical families. Saw them live at the Bedford Blues and BBQ Festival. Great music.

wjh

Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival 2014

I've been going to the Bedford Blues Fest for many years through it's several iterations and two locations. It is now officially the Bedford Blues & BBQ Labor Day Weekend Festival. The BBQ was added three or four years ago. I think blues has always been part of the name, but many years it was more soul or pop than blues. The festival changed genres based on what name performer was available. 

The festival moved to a new location a few years ago. It was originally held in a vacant field by HEB Hospital and the freeway. The hospital owned the land and decided to develop it. The new location is between Bedford Rd. and the freeway. It is behind the central fire station and straddles L. Don Dodson. This new location is much better. It has a natural slope which makes viewing easier plus it has some trees for shade in the August heat. 

This year they changed the layout of the grounds. The main stage is in the same place but they moved the secondary stage straight across the main field instead of around the corner. This is a much better setup since now all you have to do is turn around to see each stage instead of moving. The old secondary stage location is now used for food vendors. 

Another change, not for the better, is that more area around the main stage has been designated for the various reserve, aka extra cost, areas. None of those premium areas was overly crowded. The seating directly in front of the main stage was never more than a quarter full. In fact about a third of it didn't even have chairs. A huge waste of space. I was in the front of the non-premium area which was still far from the stage. The folks up the hill were really far away. They have a big screen next to the stage which would help if they used it correctly. It was a static view of the groups with no closeups and poor lighting. Thankfully the sound system is pretty good. 

Before I get to the music, let me say that the food variety seemed better this year. I chose to try a stand called Tu Bones since the sign said it was Georgia BBQ. I lived in Georgia for many years and was raised in North Florida. I was hoping that it would be Low Country BBQ, the kind along the coast in South Carolina, Savannah and into North Florida. It wasn't but it was very good. I had a pulled pork sandwich that came with excellent baked/BBQ beans. Turns out this is a local D/FW outfit that does catering and events. No restaurant. I talked briefly, they were busy, with the main Mama in charge. She is from Tifton, Georgia and lived in Valdosta, my once hometown. Seemed like good folks. Did I mention that the beans were excellent? When I went by later in the evening, there was a huge line at Tu Bones and hardly any lines at the nearby stands. Guess word got around that they had good stuff. 

On to the music. I got to the festival around 5:00 and Joe Lewis Walker was playing. Not bad, but nothing memorable. Just generic blues stuff. Next was Miss Marcy & Her Texas Sugardaddy's on the second stage. Miss Marcy is a big woman, bigger now than the pictures on her website. She wore a very tight diagonally striped dress and a cowboy hat. She has a decent voice but it seemed all her songs were about bad relationships, always the man's fault, cheating, other women stealing her man, how she would get even, having weapons, etc. I don't blame the guys for leaving her. Very redundant set.

Finally, it was time for what I came to hear. It was the Royal Southern Brotherhood. I wanted to see these guys because it is a band fronted by Cyril Neville and Devon Allman. That is great musical pedigree. Cyril is one of the legendary Neville Brothers. Devon is Gregg Allman's son and nephew to the great guitarist Duane Allman. For those who know me, they know I am a huge Neville Brothers fan. I have over 20 albums by the family. While many are familiar with the angelic voice of Aaron Neville, Cyril sings lead on many of the Brothers' songs. He is the soulful, harder edged voice of the group. I am also a fan of Southern Rock and the Allmans are at the top of that genre. As it turns out, this is a wonderful combination. I expected it would be good, but they exceeded my expectations. Cyril sang the lead on most songs but Devon more than held his own when he took the mic. Devon also can play the hell out of a guitar. Every song was good. Near the end of the set, Charlie Wooton on bass and Yonrico Scott on drums played solos. Charlie played the bass like a lead guitar and it was amazing. I was in the front of the general admission viewing area. I turned around and looked up the hill a couple of time during the Royal Southern Brotherhood performance. Nobody was standing or sitting still. Everyone was moving to the music. It was impossible not to. 

After their set I went over to the tent where they were selling CD's and other stuff from the performers. I bought the heartsoulblood album by Royal Southern Brotherhood. While standing there, Devon Allman came by. We had a brief conversation and he signed my CD. He's a pretty cool guy. I highly recommend that you check these guys out, especially if you are a fan of Southern Rock &/or New Orleans music. Turns out it is a perfect blend when done by the masters. 

There are several songs on YouTube like this one, Moonlight Over The Mississippi, a perfect blend of Cyril's vocals and Devon's guitar work. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbNuvf8K_Yw

I stuck around and listened to a very mediocre act on the 2nd stage before the headliner, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, took the main stage. Robert plays the pedal steel guitar and he is very good at it. My problem with him is that his vocals are not that strong and many of his numbers are mostly instrumental. The songs tend to run together and become redundant. Good music, but the first song sounded much like the last song. For at least the last three years, I have found the 7:00 act to be better than the headliner, sometimes much better. 

It was an enjoyable night. Every Bedford hippy and their herbs were there. Several bad wardrobe decisions along with several excellent choices. Everybody was there for a good time. If you are ever in or around Bedford on Labor Day weekend, be sure to stop by for good music, food and plenty of cold beverages. 

wjh

Uncle John

My Cousin Suzie posted a photo of her Dad (my Uncle John) and her son Jesse watching the Little League World Series on TV together. It reminded me of all the times Uncle John (my favorite uncle) and I watched baseball games (probably the Yankees) together on TV when I would visit New Jersey in the summers after we moved to Florida. He and I would talk baseball but mostly just sit quietly and watch. He was a great athlete in his younger days with a chance to play professionally had he chosen that path. He knew baseball and imparted much knowledge about the game to me. I still carry that knowledge with me today. Uncle John took me to my first major league game. It was 1961 at Yankee Stadium. We drove to the Bronx from New Jersey, parked on a street near the stadium and walked to the "House That Ruth Built".  In 1961 I was playing school and Little League ball. I was sure I would be playing in the Bigs in a few years. I was a Willie Mays fan, but I appreciated the NY Yankees roster. 1961 is the year Roger Maris hit 61 home runs and Mickey Mantle hit 54. The M&M boys were part of a team which many have called the greatest team ever. My Uncle John took me to see that team play. He also bought me a baseball at the gift shop that was autographed by that team. It is not the actual signatures, they are printed or facsimile signatures but who cares. I still have that ball. Some of the signatures are Mantle, Maris, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Clete Boyer and many other stars. The ball is a family treasure.

But I digress. This is about Uncle John. He is not a blood uncle. He is my Aunt Anne's husband and my Mom's brother-in-law. He joined the Kelly family shortly after I came along. He and I immediately had a bond since we share a birthday. I remember having two birthday cakes at family gatherings. Looking back, I fear Uncle John got the short end of those joint celebrations. Unfortunately for him, I was the cute kid at the table. 

Let me tell you what I know about Uncle John. He was an outstanding athlete in school. He played baseball, football, soccer and any other sports they had plus a few they probably didn't. He is a WWII veteran with a Purple Heart. He continued serving society by becoming a police officer. I remember him going to and coming in from watch at all hours. I remember how impressive he looked in his police uniform. I remember his gun that he took off as soon as he was home. I remember watching ballgames in the front TV room with him. After several years on the police force, he transferred to the fire department. The hours and shifts were a little more stable but the job was no less dangerous or important.

So, you want to equal Uncle John's service to society? All you have to do is go overseas during your youth, fight the Axis powers and get wounded. Then, spend several years as a police officer. Not finished yet, now go fight fires, rescue folks and breathe toxic fumes until retirement age. At the same time how about raising two great kids and inspiring your daughter to be an ER nurse and your son to be a policeman who ultimately became a police chief. 

During all this exposure to war, criminals and destruction, Uncle John remained a gentle man and a gentleman. I haven't seen him in several years. He's in Florida and I'm in Texas.

I doubt I ever told Uncle John that I loved him. Guys didn't exchange those words back then. Well, I did and I do love him. I wish we had more time together and I wish I had more appreciated the times we did have together. I never remember having a disagreement or harsh words with him.  

Before my Aunt Anne comes and smacks me, I know you had a big hand in all this. I love you too, always have despite our sometimes differences. Yes, I was often a little shit, probably still am. 

In conclusion, Uncle John is one of our Greatest Generation. He did his job, whatever it was, the best he could. He is a hero. Not just for a few days, weeks or  months but for an entire lifetime.

I miss those times on William St. when we watched Mickey, Yogi, Whitey and Roger on TV together or played catch in the back yard or tennis at the courts up the street. 

Glad you were in our lives. We are all better for it.

wjh

Simple Things

It seems as I get older I more and more appreciate the simpler things in our lives. 

I enjoy a walk to nowhere in particular. I walk at a decent pace, but still have plenty of time to take in the sites. I notice the wildlife, changes to landscapes, new businesses, new houses, great looking houses, trashy  houses and a multitude of other things I never noticed before.

The same goes for my bike rides. They can take me outside my walking range. Since nobody likes to ride on busy highways or major streets, I have to find new routes to places. I have seen many parts of the area that I never saw in 20+ years of driving. As the area has become more populated and congested, those routes are a little harder to find and at the same time they have become about as efficient as driving. 

It has become much more important to enjoy the journey than to get to the destination. Don't get me wrong, the destinations are still important. I will probably go to the fall festivals in the area. The Bedford Blues Fest (walk), the Southlake Oktoberfest and Grapevine's GrapeFest (bike). 

What made me think of this topic was tonight's final game in my son's softball season. He plays with many of the guys he played with in T-ball, Little League, high school and now beer league softball. I was there for those games too. Sometimes as a coach and sometimes as a supportive parent. Many years ago I did the same thing. I'm still in touch with some of those guys. We don't play much ball anymore, but we enjoy watching it and talking about the days we could make the double play. I will miss our Wednesday nights together at the ball field until next year. I enjoy being around the guys. 

Surprisingly, I will also miss my bike rides home from the games, especially the late games. In our Texas summer heat, early morning or after dark are the bearable times to be outside. By the time the late games end around 10:00 PM there is the added bonus of very little traffic. It is extremely peaceful, just me and my bike. No roar of the engine, AC fan or radio.

So, the moral is a walk, bike ride, ball game, conversation with a friend and other very simple and often free activities make me happy. Another thing I enjoy is writing but I have difficulty keeping it short and simple. I have some theories on that problem but I'll defer that for another post. Otherwise, this will become too long and delayed. 

Ditch the watch and the plan. Just head out sometimes. Enjoy what you see and encounter.

wjh

Doomed

The End of the World 

A recap of some of the disasters, calamities, debacles, catastrophes, incompetence, Armageddons and general BS we have recently survived. 

• The CDC can't handle deadly viruses and bacteria safely or even keep track of where it is.

• The Veterans Administration has been falsifying dates on benefits applications to make it look like they provided those benefits in a timely manner. This on the heals of the Veterans Hospitals appointment times scandal. 

• Israel and Hamas are trading rockets. How unusual. It has now escalated into an Israeli invasion of Gaza. Cease fires are measured in hours, not days, weeks, months or years.

• Somebody in Ukraine is shooting down commercial airliners. Unfortunately for bad luck Malaysian Airlines it was one of theirs. 

• Once mighty Microsoft will lay off 18,000 employees although many of those are former Nokia employees in Finland.

• In Texas we go from extreme drought conditions to flash floods and back again within an afternoon. 

• The dreaded Chikungunya virus. Is there an official department for naming new scary medical stuff?

• Just as Chikungunya fades from the headlines we have Ebola wiping out the human race. 

• In related news the CDC, the agency that lost samples of smallpox for decades, is handling the Ebola testing.

• The United States is being invaded by an army of undernourished and scared juveniles.  

• Ferguson, Missouri is the most dangerous and violent place on earth. The Kurds, Syrians, Lebanese, Iraqis, Ukrainians and several others may disagree. 

• There was an earthquake in Napa Valley. It appears that some wine was spilled.

• Here in Texas, our good hair bad brain Republican governor has been indicted for playing political hardball with a DUI Democratic district attorney. Not a Perry fan, but this smells of BS.

• Finally for this edition, every GM vehicle ever built has been recalled as have most children's car seats, many cribs and numerous other consumer items. 

I expect that there will be future posts on this subject. Of course that assumes that I survive all the dangers in our everyday life. Wish me luck.

wjh

Scattershooting 08-24-14

Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to the great

Lauren Bacall

Sunday's Summary

My incomplete recap of the week

I'm so glad all the news networks provide this service -

Why didn't I think of this before? Rummaging around the kitchen for supper ideas and kinda felt like some fish. What to go with it? Light bulb went on. I made fish tacos. I love fish tacos and usually order them at Fuzzy's, but never made them at home. Almost always have what's needed to make them. Easy and turned out delicious so I'm sure to make them again many times in the future.

Nice tribute to Robin Williams on Letterman tonight (8/18). They were friends for 38 years and he appeared on Dave's shows 50 times. Dave even appeared on Mork & Mindy. RIP Robin.

Needing someone is like needing a parachute. If they are not there the first time you need them, the chances are you won't be needing them again.
- Scott Adams

I like the story of Mo'ne Davis and her quest for the Little League title. I even understand Sports Illustrated putting her on the cover. But this article may be jumping the shark. Projecting a 13 year old female phenom to having women in the major leagues is a huge leap. I was a very good 13 year old baseball player. Unfortunately, that was probably my peak. A lot of things change between 13 and 20. Hormones, growth (or lack of it), other interests, injuries, etc. Maybe one day there will be a woman in the major leagues but not in the foreseeable future. Calm down folks.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mo-ne-davis--and-why-no-one-should-laugh-at-the-idea-of-a-woman-playing-baseball-032951116.html

Cinderella has left the ball(game) without Prince Charming. Mo'ne Davis and her South Philadelphia team were eliminated from the Little League World Series tonight. It was a good game. I hope now that ESPN, SI and the rest of the media has exploited a 13 year old girl that she can go back to being a normal kid. Love the story, hate the hype. It is very hard to remain an innocent and naive youngster these days.

Is there an expiration date on this whole ice bucket challenge thing? I hope so and I hope it is soon. Continue to support your favorite charity and/or cause, but do it without the ice.

For ‪#‎SongSunday‬. Here is a song from 1966 that I always thought was a pop tune originally written years before. In fact it is the English translation of a 1965 Italian song ("Io che non vivo (senza te)" - "I, who can't live (without you)"). It turned out to be the biggest hit for this British star who rode the wave of the British invasion of the 60's but was always more of a pop, blue eyed soul singer. It has been covered by many artists including Elvis. Regardless of which genre you put her or the song in, it is one of my favorites. Enjoy You Don't Have To Say You Love Me by the great departed Dusty Springfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR4vE9xL3yk

Here's the Elvis version too -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U914MUX1uoc

If you are a baseball fan, I hope you saw some of the Little League World Series. Kids playing a great game. Today South Korea beat South Chicago for the championship in a good game. Memories that will last all the participants a lifetime.

I'm looking forward to this. The Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival is Labor Day weekend (8/29-31). It is usually hot and always fun. I particularly want to go Saturday night to see Royal Southern Brotherhood. They are a sometimes group that includes Devon Allman (Gregg's son) and Cyril Neville (Neville Brothers). I am a huge Neville Brothers fan and love the Allman Brothers. Two iconic musical families. Lots of other great music, BBQ & beer. Hope to see you there.

Apparently the world will survive. The recent earthquake in Northern California didn't wipe out the Napa Valley wine industry. Some damage but not devastating. Think I'll have a beer.

School begins tomorrow (8/25) for most D/FW school districts. As usual, it will be a mess on the roads. More kids, more cars, school buses, bikes and many frenzied drivers. Please be careful and remember, no cell phones in school zones. Watch out for that old fart on a bike in Bedford too, I'll be on the road around 7:30.

Double trouble in Country Meadows this morning. During our walk we first spotted a house with a huge tree that had been TP'd. Then we noticed that a house across the street had been flocked. Active neighborhood. Time for the kids to get back to school and do homework. 

wjh

Scattershooting 08-10-14

Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to the great

William Boyd - Hopalong Cassidy

Sunday's Summary

My incomplete recap of the week

If you watch the news, you would think that the world's human population will be obliterated soon by Ebola. In fact, about 900 people have died from Ebola this year. That's fewer than the number of people killed in the recent Israeli - Palestinian conflict. Both tragic. To put this into perspective, over 30,000 people in the US are killed each year in traffic accidents. We need a vaccine against traffic deaths and intervention by Secretary of State John Kerry to solve this. News hype at work.

OK, who is going to sue who? The SEC Network logo looks suspiciously like a Google Chromecast. I happen to have both. I'm sure Apple actually owns the shape.

I am so glad that local D/FW station CBS11 sent a reporter to Atlanta to cover the catastrophic Ebola story. I'm sure a reporter from Fort Worth will be able to get the scoop on all the local Atlanta and national news outlets. Amazingly, the exterior of Emory Hospital looks the same on all the news stories.

Over the objections of the Republican House, President Obama celebrated his 53rd birthday (8/4). It probably isn't really his birthday since his birth certificate is fake.

The new Sprouts in Hurst opens tomorrow (8/6). Probably won't be the big deal that Whole Foods was a couple of weeks ago but traffic at Grapevine Hwy. & Mid-Cities could be a mess. Lotsa good food store choices in the area. The map on the Sprouts ad is still wrong but the address is correct. Follow the map and you'll be shopping at Tom Thumb.

What is the deal with breastfeeding? A guard at the George W. Bush Library asked a woman to go to the restroom to breastfeed her infant. Was told she could only breastfeed in the bathroom stalls, a perfect location with very comfortable seating. The library apologized and said the guards were wrong. Those damn Barney Fife type guys are always flexing their tiny muscles and single bullet. 

http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/dallas/Bush-library-apologizes-for--269923471.html

 

Cool, just had a little whirlwind outside my patio. Lots of leaves and grass clippings swirling around. Lasted over a minute.

For this #TBT here are the bookends to my kindergarten year in New Jersey. The first picture is the first day of what was called pre primer at Queen of Peace School in September 1952. L-R is Dick, me, Bruce, Chuck. The second picture is the same four guys at graduation in June 1953. L-R me, Chuck, Bruce, Dick. Just a couple of months later I would abandon my three buddies for the move to the wilds of Florida. — in North Arlington, NJ.

Happy 15th Anniversary to Carey & Kelly. Here is a #TBT photo from the wedding day. A very happy day. From L-R Dad, Mom, Carey, Kelly, Matt & me.

That was enjoyable. No Rangers game or softball tonight so I checked the DVR. I had recorded Victor Victoria the night TCM had a James Garner night a day or two after he died. I watched it tonight. What an entertaining movie. Totally unbelievable premise but filled with great performances and fun production numbers. James, Julie, Robert, Lesley Ann & Alex were all great. I also loved the waiter. James, Robert & Alex are gone now. I miss them all, but they left us with great memories.

Holy crap, he has another whole new face. Just saw Mickey Rourke on Kimmel and he has a whole new face and new fake hair. Even sounds different. What a mess.

To be clear, it's another new face since the after picture above.

For at least the second time I started to watch a recorded episode of The Sixties on CNN that was preempted or interrupted by "breaking news". I understand that CNN is a news network, but this is a little aggravating. Maybe CNN shouldn't have scheduled original scripted programming. I'm hopeful that this series winds up on Netflix or some other network that doesn't do "breaking news".

For today's #SongSunday we go back to a song written in 1934 but most of my generation know it from a 1959 recording that became a classic. I remember it often being played late at night on WAPE & WPDQ AM radio during my high school days. It brings back fond memories of those last few minutes in the car before your date had to be home. It was a good song then and still is. Here is a clip from American Bandstand with Dick Clark of The Flamingos rendition of I Only Have Eyes For You.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrzusdilnKQ

wjh