A TRUE BIRD STORY

Going to Orlando Thanksgiving, driving alongside the orange groves, I see an osprey drifting along at a right angle to the car. As we move along, the bird drifts to the left and heads toward our car, then seems to take aim right for us! Yes, this thing has a really big wingspan (up to 6 feet!) and it's eyeballing us. When it starts to look too close, I honk the horn and it veers off to it's left and flies away. Turns out, they actually eat fish, and I think it was after our antenna ball...really.

The ball? See below, yup, it was Nemo the fish...go figure...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Yep, it's that time of year again, turkey 'til you can't stand it! You know, back in Connecticut, we had a Thanksgiving tradition for years. We'd go to the in-laws house for T'giving, and afterward WPIX (I think) always showed King Kong (the original) & Mighty Joe Young. So Ernie (my f-in-l) and I would spend the afternoon drinking beer (mostly me) and watching giant apes. We had a great time, and in those recliner chairs it was a great way to spend an afternoon after being stuffed with turkey and all the rest.

But eventually King Kong stopped showing and we moved to Florida, and we never had a tradition quite as good as that one used to be.

Yeah, time flies...and then it flies away...Happy Thanksgiving to all...

THE DENIABLE AGENT

by Colin Berry: Not something I would normally read, but loaned to me by my son-in-law, Vac. Purports to be a true story of a British agent who was sent to buy guns from the terrorists in Afghanistan, and ends up a prisoner in an Afghan jail. An interesting story, published in Scotland, and the whole frame of reference is quite different from the same kind of story would be if told by an American. If you find it, read it...

HOTTER THAN WHAT...?

The cool weather we've been having the last couple of days brings this phrase to mind:

Hell...hotter than Florida...but it's a dry heat...

SAY IT AIN'T SO, JOE

"After 30 years together, Steven Tyler has reportedly announced that he is leaving Aerosmith. This news is shocking, even after recent random events like Tyler falling off stages and falling out with his bandmates, because Aerosmith has been around forever. Joe Perry spilled the beans, referencing Tyler’s estrangement with the rest of the band. Who knows if this’ll stick though, so stay tuned..."

(thanx to Crawdaddy online)

Hopefully not, since I remember buying their first few albums (at E.J.Korvettes) and just thinking how incredible they were. Foolishly didn't see them in mid-70s as opening act for Jethro Tull, but later saw them in early 90s during the Pump tour in Orlando. So hope they stay together, even though they do way too many ballads these days!

C'mon back Steve, I'll forgive ya!!

CHARLES TAYLOR DUPED BY NIGERIA

From BBC NewsOnline:

'Former Liberian PresidentCharlesTaylor

tells his war crimes trial he was duped by Nigeria into being arrested there in 2006.'

So what they're basically saying is that he fell for the Nigerian Scam...!!!

Gotta love it...

THE BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA

The Black Hole Of Calcutta by Noel Barber: Something I remember hearing about in school, but never really knew the whole story. In 1756 an Indian Nabob (real title!) decided to throw the British out of Calcutta. With 50,000 troops he attacked Fort William, which was run by the British East India Company. Between bouts of cowardice and runs of bad luck, the outnumbered English were defeated, and the 144 survivors were thrown in an 18' x 14' room with 2 small windows for 10 hours. The next morning only 23 including 1 woman came out alive.

An incredible story, and even more incredible how close the British defenders came to actually winning. An incredible story of cowardice and bravery, comradeship and treachery; a book that should be read by all.

Maybe it'll make your problems seem slight in comparison, eh?

ONE FOR MY SIDE

Feeling grumpy 'is good for you'

An attack of the grumps can make you communicate better, it is suggested In a bad mood? Don't worry - according to research, it's good for you. An Australian psychology expert who has been studying emotions has found being grumpy makes us think more clearly.In contrast to those annoying happy types, miserable people are better at decision-making and less gullible, his experiments showed.While cheerfulness fosters creativity, gloominess breeds attentiveness and careful thinking, Professor Joe Forgas told Australian Science Magazine. 'Eeyore days' The University of New South Wales researcher says a grumpy person can cope with more demanding situations than a happy one because of the way the brain "promotes information processing strategies". Negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking, paying greater attention to the external world Professor Joe Forgas He asked volunteers to watch different films and dwell on positive or negative events in their life, designed to put them in either a good or bad mood.Next he asked them to take part in a series of tasks, including judging the truth of urban myths and providing eyewitness accounts of events.Those in a bad mood outperformed those who were jolly - they made fewer mistakes and were better communicators.Professor Forgas said: "Whereas positive mood seems to promote creativity, flexibility, co-operation and reliance on mental shortcuts, negative moods trigger more attentive, careful thinking, paying greater attention to the external world."The study also found that sad people were better at stating their case through written arguments, which Forgas said showed that a "mildly negative mood may actually promote a more concrete, accommodative and ultimately more successful communication style".His earlier work shows the weather has a similar impact on us - wet, dreary days sharpened memory, while bright sunny spells make people forgetful. See, it pays to be grumpy!!! May we live long and prosper...

RIP: NORTON BUFFALO

The great harmonica player and session man Norton Buffalo passed away Saturday from cancer at the age of 58.
Buffalo was born into a musical family with a harmonica playing father, a vocalist mother and a great uncle (Herbert Stothart) who wrote music for MGM during their golden years, winning an Academy Award for The Wizard of Oz.
 He first found acclaim in the San Francisco Bay area, playing with artists like Clover and Elvin Bishop. In 1976, he joined the Steve Miller Band and was a member for the rest of his life.
Not content to just be a band member, Buffalo also formed his own band, the Stampede, who recorded for Capitol in the late-70's, played on sessions for Bonnie Raitt, Mickey Hart, Merle Sanders and others, and acted in the movies The Rose, playing in Bette Midler's band, and Heaven's Gate.

 I saw him last year playing with Steve Miller @ Cypress Gardens, man he could really play that harmonica!!

 Rock on, Norton, rock on...

HALLOWEEN 2009

Jack wasn't so nimble, was he?





Rapunzel, her hair would be the death of her...
Gretel, a little too happy about losing Hansel...won the costume contest.
...and now to OZ



Great stuff, eh, and all done by my son with the assistance of Jami & Beau. There's actually a lot more, including a moving Pinocchio, but these were some of the best.