Another Shoebox Day

Thank The Deity At Hand for Mia, coz EIP would be lost without her.  That said, I can relate to "three more."

Hot. Humid.

It feels like Mrs. Hippy outside...

The weather-guessers say the humidity is 45% but it sure FEELS like it's more than that.  I checked the radar before putting this up and it looks like we'll have a bit o' rain in the next half-hour.  Bring it ON!

Say WHAT?

Eleven words a second?  Wow.  

The girl at the fast-food counter cracked me up.  On another note, one wonders if the lady has a boyfriend or husband.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

The Ramones.



RIP, Tommy Ramone.

Tommy Ramone, the original drummer for the Ramones and the band's last surviving original member, died on Friday at the age of 65. A spokesman for Ramone's family confirmed the news to Rolling Stone.

"Tom died yesterday, July 11, at 12:15 p.m. at his home in Ridgewood, Queens," Andy Schwartz, publisher of New York Rocker magazine, said on behalf of Ramone's family. "He was in hospice care following treatment for cancer of the bile duct." (Schwartz also confirmed Ramone's age as 65.)

Ramone was a founding member of the family of "brothers" who helped invent punk rock in New York's frenetic 1970s music scene. Harnessing a powerful combination of short, propulsive three-chord singalongs with playful lyrics on themes of adolescent angst, the Ramones created a durable sound in songs like "Beat on the Brat," "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" that would go on to influence countless later bands.

Waaay too damned young.

Saturday: What Would I Do Without Jimmy Fallon, Redux

I'd sure as Hell look.  Oh, my... YES.

Home Again, Home Again...

... jiggity-jog.  I think that's how it goes, but memory ain't what it used to be.  But, yes... we're home after what passes for the Grand Tour here on The High Plains o' New Mexico, which is to say P-Ville ==> The Big(ger) City^TM  ==> Cannon Airplane Patch ==> P-Ville.  The Tart has eight quarts o' fresh, sparkling Mobil 1 in her crankcase, her shoes have been rotated, and her vital signs have been checked, which were all good.  Or so I'm told.  We then went to restock the likker locker at Cannon's Class VI store and just for drill we checked the prices o' scotch even though we have a half-bottle of that 18-year old Glenlivet left, the object bein' to buy another bottle if the price was right.  Well, the price was right but the Class VI was sold out.  No surprise there, obviously.  I should have bought two while the gettin' was good last week.  Yet another missed opportunity.  We contented ourselves with a bottle o' Woodford Reserve and a couple o' six packs and left somewhat chagrined.

It's a glorious day outdoors, just about two ticks to the left o' perfect... which is to say bright, bright, "hurt yer eyes it's so bright" and not quite 80 degrees.  I'm gonna shock the neighbors and pop a beer out on the verandah just as soon as I check the remaining overnight mail.

Speakin' o' overnight mail, there's this:

I know the B-2 is stealthy but I didn't think its runways and taxiways were too.  Ain't technology GRAND?

Catching the Early Bus

Gotta go over to The Big(ger) City^TM to get The Tart's oil changed this morning... so we're gonna be out the door early in order to be first in line at the dealer's service department.  They don't do appointments for oil changes but said changes are FREE, so there's that.  In the meantime, here's a lil sumthin' My Buddy Ed In Florida sent along:

Know Your State Motto

Alabama: Hell Yes, We Have Electricity
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alaska: 11,623 Eskimos Can't Be Wrong!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arizona: But It's A Dry Heat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arkansas: Literacy Ain't Everything
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
California: By 30, Our Women Have More Plastic
Than Your Honda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Colorado: If You Don't Ski, Don't Bother
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connecticut: Like Massachusetts, Only The
Kennedy's Don't Own It Yet
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Delaware: We Really Do Like The Chemicals In Our
Water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Florida: Ask Us About Our Grandkids
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Georgia: We Put The "Fun" In Fundamentalist
Extremism
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hawaii: Haka Tiki Mou Sha'ami Leeki Toru
(Death To Mainland Scum, Leave Your Money)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Idaho: More Than Just Potatoes ...
Well Okay, We're Not, But The Potatoes Are Real Good
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Illinois: Please Don't Pronounce the "S"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indiana: 2 Billion Years Tidal Wave Free
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Iowa: We Do Amazing Things With Corn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kansas: First Of The Rectangle States
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kentucky: Five Million People; Fifteen Last Names
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Louisiana:
We're Not ALL Drunken Cajun Wackos, But That's Our Tourism Campaign
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maine: We're Really Cold, But We Have Cheap Lobster
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maryland: If You Can Dream It, We Can Tax It
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Massachusetts: Our Taxes Are Lower Than Sweden's (For Most Tax Brackets)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michigan: First Line Of Defense From The Canadians
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Minnesota: 10,000 Lakes... And 10,000,000,000,000 Mosquitoes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mississippi: Come And Feel Better About Your Own State
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Missouri: Your Federal Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Montana: Land Of The Big Sky, The Unabomber, Right-wing Crazies, and Little Else
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nebraska: Ask About Our State Motto Contest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nevada: Hookers and Poker!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Hampshire: Go Away And Leave Us Alone
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Jersey: You Want A ##$%##! Motto? I Got Yer ##$%##! Motto Right Here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New Mexico: Lizards Make Excellent Pets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New York: You Have The Right To Remain Silent; You Have The Right To an Attorney
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
North Carolina: Tobacco Is A Vegetable
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
North Dakota: We Really Are One Of The 50 States!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ohio: At Least We're Not Michigan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oklahoma: Like The Play, Only No Singing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oregon: Spotted Owl... It's What's For Dinner...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pennsylvania: Cook With Coal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rhode Island: We're Not REALLY An Island
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South Carolina: Remember The Civil War? We Didn’t Actually Surrender
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
South Dakota: Closer Than North Dakota
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tennessee: The Educashun State
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Texas: Si' Hablo Ing'les (Yes, I Speak English)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Utah: Our Jesus Is Better Than Your Jesus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vermont: Yep
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Virginia: Who Says Government Stiffs And Slack jaw Yokels Don't Mix?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington: Help! Nerds And Slackers Overrun Us!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Washington, D.C.: Wanna Be Mayor?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
West Virginia: One Big Happy Family... Really!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wisconsin: Come Cut The Cheese
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wyoming: Where Men Are Men ... and the sheep are scared

There's a lil truth in all of those, methinks.  I just wish whoever wrote this would have come up with sumthin' better for New Mexico... after all, we DID give the world its first nuclear detonation.  And CHILES!

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack...

... in which we return to those thrilling days o' yesteryear...



That would be Ella Mae Morse, a chirp the Ol' Man introduced me to in the way-wayback.  Ella Mae could kick out the jams, most definitely.  There's one thing that never ceases to gnaw at my memory, however, and that's this: the woman predates rock 'n' roll by a number o' years, but you can sense... especially in THIS tune... where she was goin'.  But that one thing?  The Ol' Man HATED rock 'n' roll, to the point where he refused to listen to it in any way, shape, or form up to and including his dying day.  He loved Ella Mae, owning all of her albums, so how could that BE?  Enquiring Minds^© wanna know.

Futbol

The best thing I've seen about the World Cup.

Barkeep! Another Round, If You Please!

OMG.  The unintended consequences of THIS photo had to be epic.  What a bevy o' beauties, eh?  I particularly like (??) the woman on the far left with her hand outstretched.  

Beer me!

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

In keeping with the post immediately below this one...



That's from the "Live at Fillmore East" album and features Duane playin' some absolutely INCENDIARY slide guitar.  My favorite Allman Bros track, evah.

"Put your hands together..."

Want

This:

But at nearly 68 Yankee Dollars?  I'll pass.  Still and even, this IS tempting, very tempting.  The ad copy on Amazon:

One of the best live albums of all time is about to get considerably better. The Allman Brothers Band's cornerstone LP, At Fillmore East, compiled from the four sets recorded on the weekend of March 12-13, 1971, has been expanded, stretching over six CDs with fifteen unreleased tracks. Additionally, The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings contains the complete June 27 performance during the iconic venue-s final weekend, after the band was handpicked by impresario Bill Graham to headline closing night. The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings captures the most inspired improvisational rock unit ever at the peak of their prodigious powers, blazing their way through extended instrumental elaborations, so taut and virtuosic, that the crowds that packed the Fillmore East on those memorable nights were utterly transfixed. When it came to live performance, no other band could touch the Allmans.

'The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings' includes 37 tracks, 15 previously unreleased and a 36 page booklet with extended liner notes and never-before-seen images of the Fillmore concerts. 

Correction: "Live at Fillmore East" isn't "one of the best live albums of all time," it's THE best live album of all time.  Nothing else comes close.  Except for this, mebbe.

"Even a Stopped Clock..."

"... is right twice a day."  Or so said Mom.  Here's evidence of that theory in action:

President Barack Obama plays a game of pool with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, right, at a pub in Denver  July 8, 2014. (Jewel Samad / AFP/Getty Images)

Well, there ya go: playing pool and drinkin' serious beer (as opposed to that yellow fizzy stuff).  Also, from that link above, this:

Obama got to take in a little Denver flavor. Obama's motorcade drove by a sign reading "Free weed for Obama" in the city's LoDo neighborhood. Marijuana became legal in Colorado in January.

No word if the motorcade stopped.  I'll bet it was hard for the former leader of the Choom Gang to pass that up.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Classic rock?  Uh, no.  The Siegel-Schwall Band.

I`ve always been careful
Where I bedded down.
Last night I thought I scored an angel
And I woke up with a circus clown.
It might have been love sweet love
That made me so blind
Or it might have been plain old lust
But I think it was the wine.

My Daddy said a couple of beers are OK
But that wine is just no good.
It`ll make you do things you shouldn`t
And forget the things you should.

Daddy was RIGHT.   A couple o' glasses o' wine are good with dinner, but as a staple in an all-night drink-fest?  Not even.  Go ahead... ask me how I know.  Better yet, just re-read the lyrics snippet above.  We have tee shirts...

Data Drives EVERYTHING...

... even the music you listen to*.  I found this article at FiveThirtyEight fascinating: "Why Classic Rock Isn't What It Used To Be."  Here are a couple of screen caps from said article:

Who knew there was such a large variation in regional choices?  Not me.  I'm not in step with the author of this study when it comes to Tampa, mainly coz I loves me my Stones, Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac (the EARLY Mac, NOT the Buckingham/Nicks abomination).  If I had to pick a city on the second list to stay the Hell out of it would be KC coz I make no truck with the likes of Boston, Rush, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The article also delves into how the streaming music services define "classic rock," which is pretty much the same way the broadcasters do.  Very interesting stuff, all the way around.

* This assumes you actually listen to Classic Rock on the radio or a streaming service.  As for me?  I don't.  Thank The Deity At Hand for XM, Pandora, and meTunes Radio; if I want Classic Rock I'll drag it out of my collection.

More Plane Pr0n...

... of the scary - VERY scary - sort:



Yow!

But No Meatballs

Interesting plane pr0n from the Usual USAF Source...

Fighter Smorgasbord

​

 

Air Frame: A formation of US Air Force and Royal Malaysian Air Force aircraft, including an F-15 Eagle from the 131st Fighter Squadron at Barnes ANGB, Mass., an RMAF SU-30MKM Flanker, a USAF F-22 Raptor from the 154th Wing at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, an RMAF MIG-29N Fulcrum, a BAE Hawk, and an RMAF F/A-18 Hornet fly over Penang, Malaysia, during Cope Taufan 14 on June 18, 2014. Cope Taufan is a biennial large force employment exercise, which took place June 9-20. It was the Raptor's first time participating in an South East Asian international exercise. (Air Force photo by TSgt. Jason Robertson) (click to embiggen)

The original photo is very large and Blogger resizes the photos you post to some arbitrary size limit, which is less than half the size of the original in this particular case.  To get the full effect of the shot, view the image at the "Usual USAF Source" link, click on "view current column" in the right sidebar.  Here's an original size detail from the photo:

Click to embiggen, of course.  I don't know if that's a Flanker or a Fulcrum (they're both very similar) next to the Raptor, but the shot sure gives you an ideer of the Raptor's competition (flown by Commies, of course) if the balloon ever goes up.

Today's Happy Hour Soundtrack

Humble Pie...

Gonna be a lot of slow walkin'
Gonna be a lot of sad talkin'
Gonna be a lot of flowers bringin'
It’s gonna be a lot of bells ringin’.

Over you, child, over you, now
Over you, pretty baby, if I ever hear you say we're through.

Gonna be people dressed in black
For a long black Cadillac
Gonna be a lot of bells ringin’
It’s gonna be a lot of sad singin’.

Over you, over you, child
Over you, pretty baby, if I ever hear you say we're through.

Which just goes to show even a mediocre band can produce good stuff.  It ain't all "30 Days In the Hole," now... izzit?

Apropos o' not much... I seriously considered the action described in this song in the not-too-distant wayback.  All that stopped me was the knowledge I wouldn't do well in prison, bein' the small guy I am.  Wait.  No, it was my ethics... Yeah, that's what it was.  Right and wrong, and all that.

BS

I tried that this very morning... it doesn't work.  I'm still old.  But I DID manage to get out of bed... so much for the day's first obstacle.

What's For Dinner, Buck?

Home-made red chile tamales!

Out of the nuker and before peeling

Peeled, smothered in El Pinto Green Chile Sauce, and ready to devour

When it comes to culinary delights, there ain't much in life that's better than home-made tamales.  Mmmm-mmm-mmm!

DIL Erma's sister Sulie stopped by the day before yesterday and dropped off a dozen of these beauties, relieving me of evening kitchen duties for three or four days.  Well, cooking duties, I should say.  We still had to make a salad and pour our beer. 

Life's been Hell since the maid quit, but kindly relatives help ease the pain and the inconvenience.