He's back picking with Merle now.
Doc Watson, the guitarist and folk singer whose flat-picking style elevated the acoustic guitar to solo status in bluegrass and country music, and whose interpretations of traditional American music profoundly influenced generations of folk and rock guitarists, died on Tuesday in Winston-Salem, N.C. He was 89.
h/t Dax Montana.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Call It Stormy Monday
And they hope Tuesday's just as bad.
North Florida, desperately parched after several years of drought, caught some relief on Monday when Tropical Storm Beryl came ashore with soaking rains.
One day of storms isn't enough by itself to break the drought, but lingering remnants of Beryl might just do the trick.
Let's play the old blues standard I mention in the blog post title, singing and guitar courtesy of the man who wrote the song, Mr. T-Bone Walker:
North Florida, desperately parched after several years of drought, caught some relief on Monday when Tropical Storm Beryl came ashore with soaking rains.
One day of storms isn't enough by itself to break the drought, but lingering remnants of Beryl might just do the trick.
Let's play the old blues standard I mention in the blog post title, singing and guitar courtesy of the man who wrote the song, Mr. T-Bone Walker:
Monday, May 28, 2012
Good Stars & Stripes Article For Memorial Day
"Why America Scours the Earth For Its Fallen Service Members."
The fallen navigator waited until dawn to crawl from the jungle. His back was broken, his jaw ripped open by shrapnel. There was a bullet hole in his left leg.
In the night, Lt. Jose Holguin had parachuted from a burning B-17. Painted on its nose were a scantily clad woman and the words "Naughty but Nice." Now the bomber lay before him in pieces.
He hobbled to the plane's mid-section, where he saw the charred, mangled bodies of two of his nine comrades. He fired his pistol twice, signaling the crew to rendezvous. He heard nothing in return.
This is when he made his hardest decision — to flee — and his most important promise, one as old as war. "I told the men that I couldn't take them with me," he would recall. "But I would be back to take care of them."
Click the link to read the rest.
The fallen navigator waited until dawn to crawl from the jungle. His back was broken, his jaw ripped open by shrapnel. There was a bullet hole in his left leg.
In the night, Lt. Jose Holguin had parachuted from a burning B-17. Painted on its nose were a scantily clad woman and the words "Naughty but Nice." Now the bomber lay before him in pieces.
He hobbled to the plane's mid-section, where he saw the charred, mangled bodies of two of his nine comrades. He fired his pistol twice, signaling the crew to rendezvous. He heard nothing in return.
This is when he made his hardest decision — to flee — and his most important promise, one as old as war. "I told the men that I couldn't take them with me," he would recall. "But I would be back to take care of them."
Click the link to read the rest.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Busy...
...moving to a different rental house not far from where we were living. Doing it all ourselves, so packing up, moving, unpacking.
Not much time for blogging right now. My apologies.
Not much time for blogging right now. My apologies.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Old Devlins Was A-Waiting By the Lonesome River Ford...*
...when he spied the Mackey Captain with a pistol and a sword...
Starting on Monday at 9 p.m., actor Kevin Costner returns to the epic story on the History Channel with a miniseries Hatfields and McCoys, about the famous feud between those two Appalachian families.
Costner plays Devil Anse Hatfield, the patriarch of the Hatfield family; Bill Paxton plays Randall McCoy, the leader of the McCoys. There's a video available at the link.
Looks like it might be worth watching.
*bonus points for identifying the story I got the blog post title from. No cheating with Google, now.
Starting on Monday at 9 p.m., actor Kevin Costner returns to the epic story on the History Channel with a miniseries Hatfields and McCoys, about the famous feud between those two Appalachian families.
Costner plays Devil Anse Hatfield, the patriarch of the Hatfield family; Bill Paxton plays Randall McCoy, the leader of the McCoys. There's a video available at the link.
Looks like it might be worth watching.
*bonus points for identifying the story I got the blog post title from. No cheating with Google, now.
Best Wishes Go Out...
...to guitar player extraordinaire Doc Watson, 89, who is in the hospital in Winston-Salem, NC, after a fall at his home.
He's listed in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit, so please send good thoughts and prayers his way, if you would.
Update: He's undergone colon surgery.
That worries me. With antibiotics basically ineffective these days, the chance of developing MRSA after a surgery is high. Best wishes for a complete and safe recovery go out to Doc.
He's listed in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit, so please send good thoughts and prayers his way, if you would.
Update: He's undergone colon surgery.
That worries me. With antibiotics basically ineffective these days, the chance of developing MRSA after a surgery is high. Best wishes for a complete and safe recovery go out to Doc.
Is Playing the Odds Racism?
"1 shot at business on Albemarle Rd."
One man was seriously injured in a shooting before daybreak Friday at a business on Albemarle Road, police say.
The shooting was reported about 4:45 a.m. at the Albemarle Business Center, a sweepstakes parlor near Central Avenue in the Eastland area.
There is no description of a suspect, and no arrests have been announced.
Well, that area of Charlotte is impoverished and home to a lot of African-Americans and Latinos. Much of the violent crime is concentrated in the area, especially robberies, shootings and murders. Most of these are committed by African-American youths who would probably closely resemble President Obama were that individual to have sons.
So, although no description has been published, you won't go broke betting that both the victim and the perpetrator were young, male and African-American. The Charlotte Observer may in fact be reluctant to publish a description for that very reason.
When you read crime reports a lot - - and I do - - you notice trends. Even other news stories tend to have trends when the human factor is considered. Crimes of violence - - murders, armed robberies, and rapes - - tend to be committed by young African-American men. Is it racist to say so? No. Many will hesitate to say so, though, out of fear of being labeled racist. Bank robberies, at least in Charlotte, more often tend to be the work of white men. Why? I don't know. It's a Federal offense to rob banks, and the prison time is substantial when you are caught.
When I read an article and note that a machete was used as a weapon, I automatically think that it was a crime committed by a Latino, and again I am usually right. Racist? No. Playing the odds.
Who makes meth? White rednecks, for the most part, and often white motorcycle gangs. Can't be racist for pointing that out, can I?
A common crime a century ago was to blind someone by throwing lye into their eyes. Who committed this crime? African-American women, for the most part. You'll occasionally read of attacks with acid in modern times (the English of Victorian times referred to it as vitriol-throwing) and it's usually Middle Eastern men who commit this sort of crime these days.
Hackers? White guys. It's playing the odds. Profiling, if you will. Stereotyping. I once came up with a satirical definition of the word stereotype: drawing conclusions about a group based on the observed behavior among members of that group, by someone who has not acquired a science degree. When an individual with a science degree makes conclusions about a group based on observed behavior among members of that group, it is called anthropology.
None of this is to suggest that playing the odds should be government policy, or to focus on a profiled group to the exclusion of other possibilities; but for a private individual who must make decisions while going about his/her daily business, you ignore the odds at your peril.
One man was seriously injured in a shooting before daybreak Friday at a business on Albemarle Road, police say.
The shooting was reported about 4:45 a.m. at the Albemarle Business Center, a sweepstakes parlor near Central Avenue in the Eastland area.
There is no description of a suspect, and no arrests have been announced.
Well, that area of Charlotte is impoverished and home to a lot of African-Americans and Latinos. Much of the violent crime is concentrated in the area, especially robberies, shootings and murders. Most of these are committed by African-American youths who would probably closely resemble President Obama were that individual to have sons.
So, although no description has been published, you won't go broke betting that both the victim and the perpetrator were young, male and African-American. The Charlotte Observer may in fact be reluctant to publish a description for that very reason.
When you read crime reports a lot - - and I do - - you notice trends. Even other news stories tend to have trends when the human factor is considered. Crimes of violence - - murders, armed robberies, and rapes - - tend to be committed by young African-American men. Is it racist to say so? No. Many will hesitate to say so, though, out of fear of being labeled racist. Bank robberies, at least in Charlotte, more often tend to be the work of white men. Why? I don't know. It's a Federal offense to rob banks, and the prison time is substantial when you are caught.
When I read an article and note that a machete was used as a weapon, I automatically think that it was a crime committed by a Latino, and again I am usually right. Racist? No. Playing the odds.
Who makes meth? White rednecks, for the most part, and often white motorcycle gangs. Can't be racist for pointing that out, can I?
A common crime a century ago was to blind someone by throwing lye into their eyes. Who committed this crime? African-American women, for the most part. You'll occasionally read of attacks with acid in modern times (the English of Victorian times referred to it as vitriol-throwing) and it's usually Middle Eastern men who commit this sort of crime these days.
Hackers? White guys. It's playing the odds. Profiling, if you will. Stereotyping. I once came up with a satirical definition of the word stereotype: drawing conclusions about a group based on the observed behavior among members of that group, by someone who has not acquired a science degree. When an individual with a science degree makes conclusions about a group based on observed behavior among members of that group, it is called anthropology.
None of this is to suggest that playing the odds should be government policy, or to focus on a profiled group to the exclusion of other possibilities; but for a private individual who must make decisions while going about his/her daily business, you ignore the odds at your peril.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Hungry Avengers Assemble!
The movie Iron Man 3 is currently filming in Wilmington, North Carolina. Star Robert Downey, Jr., hosted a luncheon which was catered by Poor Piggy's BBQ, which is one of Wilmington's first successful "food truck" ventures, although there is a brand-new restaurant site, as well. My friend Sara has eaten Poor Piggy's BBQ, and reports it to be first rate bbq.
The sign in the photo was drawn by Downey himself, it seems:
The sign in the photo was drawn by Downey himself, it seems:
You Can't Make This Stuff Up
Um...er...well, perhaps you can.
CHAPEL HILL UNC-Chapel Hill trustees, briefed Thursday on the academic fraud uncovered in the African and Afro-American Studies department, asked pointed questions about accountability in the university’s academic operations.
Trustee chairman Wade Hargrove described the findings in UNC-CH’s recent internal investigation as “major indiscretions that raise serious questions of unprofessional and unethical conduct.”
Hargrove said he read the report with a mixture of “disappointment and dismay and outrage.”
“Academic freedom is not to be confused with academic irresponsibility or academic fraud,” Hargrove said. “We all know the difference.”
Several trustees asked about checks and balances and how courses with little or no supervision from professors could have gone undetected for years.
How about Because you collectively thought you'd be called racist if you expressed reservations about the situation?
CHAPEL HILL UNC-Chapel Hill trustees, briefed Thursday on the academic fraud uncovered in the African and Afro-American Studies department, asked pointed questions about accountability in the university’s academic operations.
Trustee chairman Wade Hargrove described the findings in UNC-CH’s recent internal investigation as “major indiscretions that raise serious questions of unprofessional and unethical conduct.”
Hargrove said he read the report with a mixture of “disappointment and dismay and outrage.”
“Academic freedom is not to be confused with academic irresponsibility or academic fraud,” Hargrove said. “We all know the difference.”
Several trustees asked about checks and balances and how courses with little or no supervision from professors could have gone undetected for years.
How about Because you collectively thought you'd be called racist if you expressed reservations about the situation?
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
It's Preston Brooks Day!
Otherwise known as "Beat a US Senator Into a Coma With a Cane" day.
Any of you readers have a US Senator you wouldn't mind seeing caned? Be gentlemanly about it, if you're a man don't express a desire to cane a female Senator.
I nominate Senator Charles Schumer of New York to be caned.
Any of you readers have a US Senator you wouldn't mind seeing caned? Be gentlemanly about it, if you're a man don't express a desire to cane a female Senator.
I nominate Senator Charles Schumer of New York to be caned.
Meanwhile, In the Place I Grew Up...
...which is the area around Melrose, Florida, an extended drought has revealed numerous ancient Native American dugout canoes in the dry lake beds.
I used to find Indian relics as a boy; spear points, arrow points and pottery shards. After a heavy rain I would walk along the dirt road we lived on and find them along the shoulders where the rain had eroded the soil. I was careless with them and usually found a way to break them, never making an attempt to display them as a collection. Regret that now, but hell, my life is full of regrets.
Pic:
I used to find Indian relics as a boy; spear points, arrow points and pottery shards. After a heavy rain I would walk along the dirt road we lived on and find them along the shoulders where the rain had eroded the soil. I was careless with them and usually found a way to break them, never making an attempt to display them as a collection. Regret that now, but hell, my life is full of regrets.
Pic:
Monday, May 21, 2012
Live Fast, Die Young
He ignored his wake-up call:
A 17-year-old who died Friday in a head-on collision after fleeing from an officer had his license revoked only hours earlier on a speeding charge, Concord police said Sunday.
Joshua Mark Stanish lived in northern Charlotte, near the Highland Creek Golf Club. His Mitsubishi Gallant collided with two other vehicles at about 10:20 p.m. Friday, injuring four others.
Concord police said Stanish was first pulled over by a state trooper about 5:20 p.m. Friday, on N.C. 49, near the Cabarrus Events Arena.
He was arrested and charged with speeding 85 mph in a 55 mph zone and reckless driving. Stanish went before a magistrate, who revoked his license.
Only five hours later, a Concord police officer tried to stop Stanish for unspecified traffic violations near Derita Road and Concord Mills Boulevard. Stanish’s home was less than two miles away. Police say he fled and struck two other vehicles less than a mile away on Cox Mill Road near Edenbury Lane.
Stanish died at the scene. He was the only occupant of his car.
What a waste.
A 17-year-old who died Friday in a head-on collision after fleeing from an officer had his license revoked only hours earlier on a speeding charge, Concord police said Sunday.
Joshua Mark Stanish lived in northern Charlotte, near the Highland Creek Golf Club. His Mitsubishi Gallant collided with two other vehicles at about 10:20 p.m. Friday, injuring four others.
Concord police said Stanish was first pulled over by a state trooper about 5:20 p.m. Friday, on N.C. 49, near the Cabarrus Events Arena.
He was arrested and charged with speeding 85 mph in a 55 mph zone and reckless driving. Stanish went before a magistrate, who revoked his license.
Only five hours later, a Concord police officer tried to stop Stanish for unspecified traffic violations near Derita Road and Concord Mills Boulevard. Stanish’s home was less than two miles away. Police say he fled and struck two other vehicles less than a mile away on Cox Mill Road near Edenbury Lane.
Stanish died at the scene. He was the only occupant of his car.
What a waste.
Damned If You Do, Damned If You Don't...
...in its Middle Eastern incarnation, masterfully explained by Victor Davis Hanson:
Remember, there is also an ironclad law about the Middle East, one we keep forgetting: Arab intellectuals (many of them educated or residing in Western universities) hate the U.S. for backing dictators; they hate the U.S. for intervening to remove them; they hate the U.S. for trying to impose postbellum democracy upon them; and they hate the U.S. for staying clear and letting Arabs be Arabs on their own.
From a discussion of whether the US can win wars any more. We can, of course, but Hanson points at groups and individuals who, like Lucy with Charlie Brown, jerk the football away at the critical moment.
Remember, there is also an ironclad law about the Middle East, one we keep forgetting: Arab intellectuals (many of them educated or residing in Western universities) hate the U.S. for backing dictators; they hate the U.S. for intervening to remove them; they hate the U.S. for trying to impose postbellum democracy upon them; and they hate the U.S. for staying clear and letting Arabs be Arabs on their own.
From a discussion of whether the US can win wars any more. We can, of course, but Hanson points at groups and individuals who, like Lucy with Charlie Brown, jerk the football away at the critical moment.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Up In the Light At Night
The Cape Hatteras lighthouse, that is.
A new feature at the lighthouse is the nighttime visit to the top of the light. Since the interior of the light isn't lighted - - which sounds paradoxical, doesn't it? - - the visitors have to carry flashlights to illuminate their way up the metal staircase (personally I think a hat-mounted headlight would be a wiser choice, along with a backup hand-held).
For those of you who live here in NC, it's a fine opportunity to experience something few people have (you people in other states are welcome, too, it's just a longer drive).
A new feature at the lighthouse is the nighttime visit to the top of the light. Since the interior of the light isn't lighted - - which sounds paradoxical, doesn't it? - - the visitors have to carry flashlights to illuminate their way up the metal staircase (personally I think a hat-mounted headlight would be a wiser choice, along with a backup hand-held).
For those of you who live here in NC, it's a fine opportunity to experience something few people have (you people in other states are welcome, too, it's just a longer drive).
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Blueberry Wine?
From the Cross Creek area of Florida, made famous by writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings of The Yearling fame.
I like the names of the two different wines - - Kinda Dry and Sorta Sweet. They're both made of 100% blueberries.
I like the names of the two different wines - - Kinda Dry and Sorta Sweet. They're both made of 100% blueberries.
Feds Threaten To Arrest Musicians In Concert?
Because their guitars might be made with "illegal" wood?
Keith Richards has the proper response to that:
Seriously, folks, it's about time that Second Amendment solutions were applied to government over-reach. Amy Alkon reports on another example, arrest of people who produce and drink raw milk, here.
Keith Richards has the proper response to that:
Seriously, folks, it's about time that Second Amendment solutions were applied to government over-reach. Amy Alkon reports on another example, arrest of people who produce and drink raw milk, here.
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