Thursday, July 24, 2008

Ike and Tina Turner and the Ikettes

This is the first Rock performance up close and personal I ever saw. I was walking through the Union building at the University of Utah. I was a student and cutting through the hall behind the ballroom (which is a pretty overblown name for the small space--probably seating for a couple of hundred people and this is what I heard and saw. I know this performance isn't the one I saw, but it comes damn close. I stopped dead in my tracks and listened for a moment and then moved in closer. I saw Tina singing and Tina dancing that was a jaw dropping, spellbinding experience. They were doing Proud Mary and it looked like this only more vivid and sweat flying and those amazing legs of hers pumping, strutting across the stage with the lovely Ikettes behind her.

Glade, This One's For You

In taking Randal's challenge to chronicle my tastes in Rock Music, which was not ever really my taste in music, and to wish well a secret friend of mine, I give you Queen--who my rocker friend says is the most talented group of musicians in all of Rock History. Well, Glade, I have to admit, the guy can sing, and the rest of the band's not bad either. But I still love Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and BB King better than I do the virtuoso white boys. Remember the saying, America, once you go black, you never go back.

A Challenge From Randal

A challenge from Randal Graves. Well, I'm willin', but I'm old and creaky and don't have your linky skills so this will take some time. However you do know my fondness for Little Feat and here they give you "Willin'"

And wait, wait, for Don't Bogart That Joint at the end. Nothing to do but listen. No video, so crank it up and go about your business. Unless you're at work, of course. Like you Randal. Me, I'll be vaporized and watching "news."

Barack in Berlin

The audacity of hope is alive and well in Berlin. A crowd of over 200,000, waving america flags and cheering, stands in stark contrast to the angry demonstrations on Bush's last visits to EU Capitols. Merkel looked so happy to shake the hand and speak to the possible next President of the United States, and know he won't molest her as Bush did in his last visit.

(I had to increase that number of cheering Germans from 100,000 to 200,000)

The About to Be Homeless

"The Stock Market got drunk, and now it has a hangover" George W. Bush said at a fundraiser in Texas.

And thousands wait for relief from Congress to forstal forclosures on their homes.