Retro Saturday ( Holiday version ) 3.0

well , only if last year is considered retro - I just really love Annie Lennox & this version of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen off of her 2010 Christmas album A Christmas Cornucopia ...

 

Retro Saturday ( Holiday Version ) 2.0

Sherman , set WABAC machine .....

For this post , I 'm going waaaay back to the late 60's / early 70's. Or as I like to call it, my childhood.

    Christmas was always a magical time for me ( in my mind ) . I loved everything about it. The tree, the lights, seeing Santa on almost every corner. I loved going with my parents to pick out the tree from one of the lots that would spring up around Denver. Then I'd get to help my Dad saw off the bottom of the trunk ( always making sure that it was as level as we could get it so it would stand up straight ). Filling up the stand with water, then watching my Dad string up the lights. That was his job, no one else could do it. Just like it was Mom's job to put the tinsel on the tree after all the decorating was done. That was a job that was much too important to relegate to a 7year old.

I'm sure some of you remember tinsel. The stuff we had was heavy lead-laden foil that Mom would put on strand by strand and then take off again after Christmas, making sure to keep it nice and neat for the following year. It was a Christmas staple in most homes up through the early 70's, when they banned all lead-based products ( poisonous you know ) and went to flimsy mylar-type stuff.  Mom hated it. 

Well every year after we got the tree, my Dad would go to the Firestone tire store & the Goodyear tire store. Because , you see, every year you could  pick up a free album of Christmas songs by popular artists. People like Julie Andrews , the Morman Tabernacle Choir, Percy Faith.  It makes you laugh now but this was one of the highlights during the holidays. Then we'd get to listen to the albums on our coffin sized stereo hi-fi system as we decorated.

One song that's always stuck with me to this day was a little-known song by Bing Crosby.  Not actually a Christmas Carol , but it had the sleigh bells for backround rythm and a bouncy melody, and I think ( in my 7 year old mind ) it gave me an idealized version of what Christmas/Winter would/should be ...

Anyhow - I've always loved Bing Crosby, I watch Holiday Inn & White Christmas every year instead of that sappy thing with Jimmy Stewart.

So for my retro Saturday - Bing Crosby & The White World of Winter ....

01_The_White_World_Of_Winter.mp3 Listen on Posterous

La Fée Verte ...

 

Last night I had the pleasure of introducing my roommates to Absinthe . It was fun to watch their expression as the water dripped down onto the the sugar then into the shot of Absinthe, turning the light green/yellow Absinthe to a milky green ( the technical term is la louche ). 

It was also fun to watch them go from " that tiny shot of booze mixed with water can't be that bad " to being kicked back on the sofa saying it was one of the best "mellows" that they'd had in a long time...

 ...  aahhh , la fée verte strikes again. Two more souls now firmly in her grasp .

 

 

One step forward ...

After months of procrastination I finally got my butt back to the gym. Everything was going great, my weights were decent, I felt teriffic.

There was a bounce in my step as I started my "back" day. Dumbbell rows completed I walked over to the squat rack to start barbell rows. 

Two sets in everything was hunky-dory, I grabbed two 10 pound plates , slid them onto the bar, got in position. Hands on the bar I lifted it off the rack and the next thing I knew I was on the ground, sharp pain shooting through my body.  

I guess I must've twisted just enough getting the bar off the rack that my lower back decided it wasn't having any of it. I spent the next two days in bed taking percocet and trying to stretch out muscles. 

I'm mobile now ( although I remind myself of my grandfather - and my father on his really bad days). My Dr. said it'll take a bit to heal, so no weights for a couple of weeks, but I can work on my cardio until then. So I guess the treadmill will be my new best friend !

The Onion Week in Review -

For those of you that missed the major storiesof the past week : 

 

 

Report: Nobody's Heard From David Blaine In A While, Somebody Should Probably Check If He Died In One Of Those Things 

Retro Saturday ( holiday version )

yeah - i've been lazy ....

Back to Retro Saturday - 

One of the first holiday cd's I remember buying was A Very Special Christmas. I thought it was "cool" that all of these modern artists would put their own twist on pretty staid Christmas standards. 

I've always had a particular fond spot for Madonna's "Santa Baby", I've thought that she she delivered a fun cross of Eartha Kitt/Betty Boop ....

 

Student arrested for burping, lawsuit claims -

via cbsnews.com

The lawsuit alleges the boy was transported to the juvenile center without his parents being notified. It also says he was denied his due process rights because he was suspended for the rest of that school year without "providing him an explanation of the evidence the school claimed to have against him." He was not allowed to call witnesses or defend himself against the burping allegation.

The boy was never charged. He scored a - 2 on a scale of 1 to 10 according to a risk assessment given by the jail staff, 10 being extremely dangerous.

Untitled

Movember ...

yeah - I've been gone for a while , but that's a subject for another post later .....

It's now Movember, that time of the year to focus on men's health. Specifically prostrate cancer. Grow a moustache, get donations, raise awareness : 

I'll be posting my (first) attempt to grow a 'mo & would appricate any donations that y'all can spare - http://mobro.co/ScootrMonkey

 

 

 

MOVEMBER – THE MONTH FOR MEN’S HEALTH

 

Author: Movember, Date: October 27th

Moustache Season is finally upon us and just in time for Mo Bros everywhere to get their annual health check up. Lets face the facts, most men are known to be more indifferent towards their health, and studies suggest that 24% of men are less likely to go to the doctor compared to women. Maintaining a good diet, smart lifestyle choices, and getting regular medical check-ups and screening tests can dramatically influence your health. Regardless of age or background, stay on top of your health by following these very important steps: 

HAVE AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL
Find a doctor and make a yearly appointment each Movember for a general health check.  Getting annual checkups, preventative screening tests, and immunizations are among the most important things you can do to stay healthy. By regularly visiting your doctor, you can greatly minimize your risk level for a number of conditions, from high blood pressure to diabetes to cancer. What better way could there be to celebrate Movember than calling your doctor to schedule a check-up?

KNOW YOUR FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY
Start a discussion with your relatives about health issues that have affected your family. Men with a family history of prostate cancer are twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, so know your family history.

DON’T SMOKE! 
If you do smoke, stop! Compared to non-smokers, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer.  Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer death in men.

BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
If you are not already doing some form of exercise, start small and work up to a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. If you're already there, set your sights on 60-minute days. 

EAT A HEART HEALTHY DIET 
Fill up with fruits, vegetables, whole grains; include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and eat foods low in saturated fats, trans-fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

STAY AT A HEALTHY WEIGHT
Balance calories from foods and beverages with calories you burn off by physical activities. Over two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese! The USDA and leading cancer researchers suggest that we all fill up on vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, and choose lean proteins like fish and legumes over fatty ones like red meat. Evidence suggests that about a third of the 571,950 cancer deaths expected to occur will be related to obesity, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and thus could be prevented.

MANAGE YOUR STRESS
Stress, particularly long-term stress, can be the factor in the onset or worsening of ill health. Managing your stress is essential to your health & well being should be practiced daily.

DRINK ALCOHOL IN MODERATION
Alcohol can be part of a healthy balanced diet, but only if it’s in moderation, which means no more than a few, drinks a day. A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Alcohol consumption is ok, but should be kept to no more than two drinks per day for men, and one for women.

 

hmmm ... eat or play ???

Taken at Fraggle Rock

So cute ...

via afterelton.com

'nuff said ...

Remembering Bandit ...

p197.mov Watch on Posterous

my first attempt at a video ... saying goodbye to a friend :

Oh, Mickey you're so pretty ...

Retro Saturday

After the sadness of the last two days,  I decided that I would put up something fun for today's video :

Mickey 

 

 

enjoy !

Bandit ...

R.I.P.

2003-2011 

We'll miss you goofball ....

 

03_Chasing_Cars.m4a Listen on Posterous

 

it's amazing how such a small soul can leave such a big hole ...

You know, you're a real UP person ...

Another Retro Staurday - 

One of the most seminal albums for me, and for a lot of kids growing up in the 80's , was New Order's Substance. This was one album that was a must in your collection if you wanted to be "hip" or "cool" .... 

I can remember the cute sales guy Jimmy at Peaches telling me why I had to own this .....  you remember Peaches ??  

I even had a couple of thier record crates  - 

Well - New Order was another big step in my musical upbringing, True Faith , Blue Monday & this song : 

 

New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle by aquanote

 

... another one one bites the dust

... another one one bites the dust

I'd Like to Teach ...

With over 15k+ of songs on my old gigantic gen 2 iPod it's easy for me to forget what songs I actually have in my music library  sometimes. Yesterday was one of those days.

I put the iPod on shuffle to see what the universe wanted me to listen to and set out for work. Driving up 6th Ave. a song came on that literally made me pull over and stop the car. It wasn't a classic rock song or 80's synth band that got this viseral reaction out of me, but a one-hit wonder by a group from the late 60's called The Hillside Singers that made me stare at my radio flabergasted trying to remember when I'd actually acquired the album.

Now I realize that most of you won't recognize the group, but I can pretty much guarantee that everyone has heard this song before -

02_I'd_Like_to_Teach_the_World_to_Sing_(In_Perfect_Harmony).m4a Listen on Posterous

cheesy??  yes.  fluff??  definately.  incredibly catchy??  for sure - a product of it's time and generation ...

oh and the commercial ..... 

 

Long Hot Summer ...

Retro Saturday - 

The Style Council. My favorite band from the '80s. 

 

... breathe deep, the gathering gloom ...

Robb's One-Word-Movie-Review

eeeeewwwwwwwwwwww !!!!!!!!

Ska ...

Retro Saturday - 

I got my love of Ska from being introduced to The Specials in late junior high. The reggae/r&b mash up really made an impression on my developing musical tastes. From The Specials I would go on to Madness , The English Beat, Selector and UB40. Then to Then Maytals , Justin Hinds & the Dominoes and then into reggae with Jimmy Cliff , etc. 

and this is the song that started it all :

 

it's Friday and I'm ...

cleaning , again ....

I guess I can blame my parents for this. Growing up, every Saturday was cleaning day. Mom took the kitchen and bathrooms, Dad took the vacuum, duster and directed us kids on what else needed done.  Pretty much everything was put on hold for about 3 hours until Mom was satisfied that house was presentable.

That's why when I look at my house I usually see this : 

when I know that, if I ever had the unexpected call that company was on the way, I could probably present a sparkling clean house in under 30 minutes. When asked to explain my (almost)obeseeion with a clean house, all I have to do is take my friends and drop by Mom's place. One look around and they immediately undersand.  Every surface sparkles, not a speck of dirt on the carpet, and it's a house you still feel like you could lounge in for hours.  Not a hermetically- sealed museum display, but a home....

and about that maid ??

... I'd probably clean before they came.  Can't have strangers seeing a dirty house ...

Robb's One Word Movie Review ...

Brilliant !!

How I interpret my beverage options on an airplane - The Oatmeal

via theoatmeal.com

basically true , although you can substitute a Bloody Mary ... I never drink those unless i'm on a plane

Pay no mind to what they say ...

Retro Saturday - 

I believe that this was the first song I ever heard/watched on FMTv. Made popular by The GoGo's, I still prefer this darker version from the Specials offshoot Fun Boy Three to the more sun/sand/color upbeat version.

The lyrics don't really go with the "California" vibe ...

 

Six Weeks ...

Well - I heard the first of the Cicadas today , my grandmother always said that meant six weeks until the first frost. So ... mid September ???

I Love Lucy ...

 

Happy (early) Birthday to one of my favortie comediennes,  Lucille Ball who would be 100 tomorrow August 6th ...

 

Sexy Nerd ...

I *heart* Jonny McGovern ...

 

y'all should really listen to his podcast too !

 

 

 

Summer Reading ...

     One thing that I try to do more of every year is read. I basically grew up in  library ( grandmother was a small-town librarian ) and I was reading Stephen King by the time I was 10.  But over the years it's gotten more and more difficult for me to just sit down and read. You almost have to make time for it like going to the gym or walking the dogs.

     Now,  with my iPad,  I have many books with me where ever I go so no more excuses!

I can now cross off another book from my extended summer reading list : World War Z by Max Brooks.  Not a new book by any stretch of the imagination, but one that has been on my reading list for at least 3 years.

from Publisher's Weekly : Brooks, the author of the determinedly straight-faced parody The Zombie Survival Guide (2003), returns in all seriousness to the zombie theme for his second outing, a future history in the style of Theodore Judson's Fitzpatrick's War. Brooks tells the story of the world's desperate battle against the zombie threat with a series of first-person accounts "as told to the author" by various characters around the world. A Chinese doctor encounters one of the earliest zombie cases at a time when the Chinese government is ruthlessly suppressing any information about the outbreak that will soon spread across the globe. The tale then follows the outbreak via testimony of smugglers, intelligence officials, military personnel and many others who struggle to defeat the zombie menace. Despite its implausible premise and choppy delivery, the novel is surprisingly hard to put down. The subtle, and not so subtle, jabs at various contemporary politicians and policies are an added bonus. (Sept.) 

 

... as a bonus - it's going to be movie starring Brad Pitt. It'll be interesting to see how they translate this to the screen ...

Sure Thing Mr. S ...

4 guys , 5 dogs, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths & me on the only " regular schedule ..... 

I need a Rosie 

Where no one/man has gone before ...

Imagine my surprise and delight when I found out that the whole Star Trek library is available on Netfix Watch Instantly !! 

I immedaitely reverted to that geeky 4th grader running home after school to turn on KWGN 2 to watch Star Trek re-runs:  " yeah Mom , I'm doing my homework !! " i would yell as I watched Kirk battle a Gorn , or McCoy deal with The Man Trap  ( scaring myself silly in the process... ) 

Now though , I have no homework to shirk .....  ENGAGE !!

 

 

 

Retro Saturday ...

the "New Wave" was the music I grew up with and still feel most familiar with, say what you willabout the 80's I still believe that they produced the best music ( outside of the 50's ) .....

So - i present you with my retro pick of the week : 

The Blow Monkeys : Digging Your Scene

 

Blow Monkeys - Digging Your Scene by jpdc11

WTF ?

See the full gallery on Posterous

so - running errands the other day with the b/f & he says to me " what the hell did you do to your car ?? "
My look of puzzlement must've been enough to make him realize that I didn't have a clue as to what he was talking about so he invited me to view the passenger side door of my Blue Beetle Bella .....

I. Hate. Colorado. Drivers.

Taking a Stroll Down Memory Lane ...

I ran across an article on BoingBoing over the weekend about Denver in the 60's & 70's . Of course there's the obligitory Blinky referance and more than one mention of Celebrity Sports Center, but what really got stuck in my mind was Cinderella City Mall.  Now I really didn't go to this mall until I could drive myself ( my family was more of a Buckingham Square sort, or anywhere there was a Montgomery Wards - but thanks another post entirely ).

I can remember wandering around the different "malls" or sections of shopping center ,  Rose, Shamrock, Gold and can even remember the neo-gaudy architecture, a cross between Roman and Mad Men. But what stands out the most was CInder Alley. If you were never there let me you draw a quick picture: it was in the basement of the mall , fairly low ceilings, black ( if I remember correctly ) done up to look like London in Dickens time, or some say NYC at night, with quasi gas-light lamps a cobble stone walkway.  When I went there , the mall was already on the decline and CInder Alley was about 5 years ahead of the top floors, so here you had a dark, semi-abandoned theme park walkway with a few candle and poster shops left.  It really creeped me out , but I couldn't not walk through ....  *sigh* , the good old days.

 

Oh - BTW anybody remember this ?

it was a food court before there were food courts ....

nap time ...

Taken at Fraggle Rock

Mojito ??

Taken at Fraggle Rock

Robb's Quickie Movie Review ...

with enough G&T's , any movie is fun !!

Retro Saturday ...

I think I'm going to try something new for my Saturday posts .

Going back to the early 80's I can remember locking myself in my room to watch a new show on KBDI 12 here in Denver called FMTV

 

 

My 17 year old mind sucked up this like a sponge. Being introduced to new and strange groups like Blondie, The B-52's, Devo, Simple Minds & The Sex Pistols was like being shown a door to a whole new universe. Remember , this tv show was on before MTV so it was really something new to us Denver youth .... 

Which brings me to my Retro Saturday video - Visage : Night Train

 

 

 

 

Happy Hour Monday = Mamie Taylor

Taken at Fraggle Rock

around the neighborhood II

Taken at Fraggle Rock

around the neighborhood

Taken at Fraggle Rock

Bobby Pins, Please ...

Sitting at home nursing another (chronic)migraine i decided to pop in my classic Warner Bros. Bugs Bunny dvd's to try and divert my already throbbing head to other, more frivolous , matters. Now this is the first time I have watched these in years and I was curious how the 'toons would look on the new 60" LED 1080p tv HellBaby bought us last month.

Simply put, I was gobsmacked.  There was Bugs like I've never seen him before. I could make out the brush-strokes in Bug's gray fur & Daffy's yellow feet. I could see the dust in backgrounds from years of transfers. I was completely enthralled by the complexity of hand-drawn animation from 70 years ago..... And there was my beloved Gossamer, in all his red-furred glory , getting his nails did ...

I love my new tv 

 

Meet the Dodos ....

I think that I have finally found a case for my iPad 2 :

 

Meet the DODOs from DODOcase on Vimeo.

The DODOcase , handmade in San Francisco ...

breakfast !!

now if we could only watch movies at work too ...

Taken at Concourse B

Perfect way to spend a lazy holiday ...

Taken at Fraggle Rock