OLLIES OF NIAGARA FALLS

Hey! I like good stuff - and I like it even better cheap! An interesting store, have no idea if they have more, but found this shortly after arriving at Niagara Falls, NY. Sort of like a Big Lots, but tackier (and that's a good thing). Cheap prices and interesting stuff. Found a DVD set of 8 episodes from the Swamp Thing TV series (filmed at Universal Florida) for $1.99. How cool is that? Anyway, you can't miss it - it's right behind the first Tim Hortons going westbound from the airport (but that's another story)...

HOME AGAIN

Back from Niagara Falls (in-fucking-credible!) and Toronto (Hockey Hall of Fame!). What a great vacation. Hopefully, some pix and tales to follow...

RIP: DAN PEEK

1950 - July 24 2011: Formerly a member of America between 1970 - 1977; left the band to become a 'Christian' musician. Despite that, he will always be remembered for his vocals & harmonies on many of America's early hits. Way too young to go, nothing has been released as to cause of death.

Rock on Dan, rock on...

RIP: ALEX STEINWEISS

1917 - 2011 The man who invented the album cover

Previous to 1939, most records were released in plain paper covers, or multi-disc books, with no artwork. Alex Steinweiss designed over 2500 covers between the years 1939 and 1973.

Wow!

Rock on Alex...rock on...

INTERESTING LEGAL QUOTE

Colin Ferguson January 1994 – March 1995

The infamous massacre on the Long Island Railroad one 1993 evening killed six people but spawned a movement when one victim’s wife, Carolyn McCarthy, won election to the House of Representatives and became an outspoken advocate of gun control. Ferguson, for his part, vigorously denied an insanity defense and ultimately decided to represent himself.

“We have an insane defendant rejecting an insanity defense for an insane reason,” Ferguson’s one-time attorney Ron Kuby said.

Ferguson was sentenced to more than 300 years in prison.

SUCKS TO LIVE IN MINNESOTA!!

 The government shutdown in Minnesota is starting to hit people where it really hurts: their neighborhood bars. More than 300 bars and liquor stores are unable to buy booze because their $20 alcohol-purchasing licenses have expired, and the state agency that renews them is closed. State officials have also asked MillerCoors LLC to pull all 39 of its beer brands from store shelves because the state did not process the company's brand-label fee before the shutdown.

THE GHOSTLY OWL

i thought this was pretty neat. Found it on the internet somewhere (so it must be true). Apparently an owl crashed into a window at some lady's house and left the imprint below. Suppposedly owls have some kind of powdery substance on their feathers that help keeps them something or other (hey, I'm no ornithologist!! - Google it yourself...) and when the bird hit the car, it left a dusting of the powder on the windshield. (Sort of like an avian Shroud of Turin, eh?)

DID SOMEBODY SAY BOOKS?

So, the bucolic-looking town of Hay-on-Wye locate in Wales, just over the border from Herefordhire. And it's claim to fame?? Why, 1 bookstore for every 50 people who live there!! Never a shortage of reading material, I'm guessing. Sounds like a great place to retire for me; or even spend a week - though a week probably still wouldn't be enough time to browse thoroughly. Yep, going to have to be retirement! I mean, even the castle sells books out front...

RIP: ROB GRILL

1943 - July 11 2011. Now this guy I'll really miss. First saw him with the 'Grass Roots' in the mid-80s at an oldies show. Later saw him in the 90s & 00s at Epcot Flower Power concerts. Got to meet and talk to him a number of times. A really great guy, always happy to chat and sign autographs. I remember the last time we saw him, he had some sort of knee surgery (or possibly injury and could barely walk. But he did the show with a barstool to sit on, and afterward allowed people on stage to chat and sign. Really sorry he's gone; way, way too young.

Rock on Rob, rock on...

RIP: WURZEL

1949 - July 9, 2011: Guitarist for Motorhead from 1984 to 1995. Put out an album that I actually had a CD copy of (not the one above), but got rid of since it sounded nothing like Motorhead.

So rock on Wurzel (nee Michael Burston - but isn't Wurzel so rock n roll?) and someday you may play in the heavenly version of Motorhead.