I'm trying

I'm trying to come up with a way to accurately express how I feel about the "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame" but it may take a couple of days to whittle all that spite & contempt in to a few short sentences.
In the mean time here's even more photographs from the turn of the century....and yes, I will be saying that for the rest of my life thank you.

Some pictures from the last century

Again, no order, no real reason.

It's Friday again

And at the risk of sounding like a freak, I realized this week that one of the many appealing things to me about jazz is...well....it can be emotional.
Actually, what brought this on was the sudden memory of the last time I saw Elvin.
A friend and I were fortunate enough to be sitting at a table with some of our own local heroes.
(I'm not dropping names....let me just say, if I were the sort, I'd have been star struck just to be sitting with these guys)
I will never forget seeing one of these men tear up during Elvin's first solo.
It's one of those things....if you get it you get it, if you don't.....that's OK too.

Would you believe

I may have to start getting intimately familiar with stuff like this?
The things you do for a buck....

It seems

The building I work in, albeit only for another couple of days (I must have set a record with this one) was once the home of Hedlund Motors, which was the area's Tucker Dealership in 1948.
The only proof I have of this is a Quincy Sun newspaper article hung on the wall.
Until I can find more, you'll just have to take my word for it.

Next week....

Next week, I swear, I'll have more to add.
This has been kind of a weird week & I sort of feel like Burroughs' watermelon. (Yes Biddy, that one)
Anyhow, the last couple of days I've been listening to a lot of Bill Haley, or more accurately, been thinking a lot about what kind of guitar player Danny Cedrone was.
(Yes, this is what I think about)
I know "Rock Around the Clock" is almost cliche' but the guitar solo in the song (which I know is almost note for note the same as from a Saddlemen's song I can't think of right now) is outstanding....which again makes me wonder what people see in new "music".

I know, I know

I've been busy....watch this instead....please.

Best news all week

My gal tells me she got tickets.
New Jersey here we come!!
God, I love the Mummies.

OK, I'll join in

I was going to save all this for my rant about Easter being the most blatant example of Christianity taking a pagan holiday and calling it its own, but I can't wait.
Scooter is promoting tooth decay with his Reese's & Dave is expanding waistlines with those disgusting marshmallow bird things...so here's my Easter Peep Show.

Alright....

Is this there some kind of game going on that I don't know I'm playing?
WTF?

When you wear big honkin' glasses

You develop a hell of a left hand.
Watch...please.
(and wait for his right foot too)
Not that any of you care....but here's another favorite.

Real people making actual progress

Hey Cain, I can only assume by your lack of updates that you are doing actual things to real motorcycles in preparation for this impending spring, which I expect to happen within the calender year.

I hate New England

Punched in the face by Old Man Winter......again.

This

Is the only band I listened to all week.


An all-time favorite of mine by far.
That being said, there's still no justification for The Style Council.

The Ford Flex?

I had to go to my local Ford dealership today & I noticed a bunch of these things.
The one that caught my eye was this sort of Robin's egg blue & it really didn't look to bad against the white roof.
Compared to the other little Gruman/Divco looking boxes I've seen running around this thing really didn't look too bad.
The color, the high door sills, the body lines in the door...hell, I kinda liked it.
(Or at least didn't immediately hate it, which is easy to do with cars these days)
So, I went in, did what I had to do & figured I'd stop on the way out to satisfy my curiosity.
I pulled up to this thing still being impressed at the way it carried itself.
Simple, utilitarian, yet....kinda flashy.
Just enough of it's own style to stand ou.......wait.
What the fuck?
What's that sticker say?
$44,000?!?!?!?!
Forty Four THOUSAND dollars?
$44,000 for this piece of shit?!?!?!
Are you kidding me?!?!
You know what kind of vehicular bliss I could pull off with 44K?!?!?!
Seriously.
This thing's a great $20,000 car all day long....and I don't really even know anyone with that much dough burning a hole in their pocket right now.
Who the hell would spend $44,000 on a car?!?!
Who CAN?!?!
We hear it on the news, in coffee shops and at the bar all day and night.
"Detroit's in trouble."
No shit Sherlock.
Can't figure out why huh?
(picture stolen from the inter-tubes...I didn't have my camera with me. Lesson learned)

A Shovel project of my very own

Kinda.
I've got the bug to build a model again (like I don't have enough real things that need attention)so I figure I'll do something with this:

I've had it kicking around for awhile now & in the back of my head I've been making plans that involve this as well:

Although I apparently won't be using the front end like I first thought:

It's no big deal though....I know I've got a bunch of 1/12 stuff around here & at least one complete narrow front end.
Which brings me to my question of the day.
What has gone wrong in my life that I have parts boxes like this:

Yet, I don't own a couch?

No big deal

Today a customer made what sounded like a snap decision when he decided not to sink any more money in to his aging vehicle.
"I'll just go buy a new one...probably over the weekend."
His lack of enthusiasm made me wonder what happened to the days of the entire neighborhood coming out to see so-and-so's new car as they pulled in to the driveway.
Hell, I can even remember Remo (the guy across the street from my childhood home, a car collector even before it was a hobby) saying, "You outta save that!" as my father scraped off the window sticker of his brand new Mustang.
Now, in 2009, I don't even know my neighbors other than a quick wave & avoiding the dirty looks they give my dog....I certainly won't be beating their door down when they bring home their new Subaru.

Dead Drug Users

Win Oscars, and I still rent an apartment.
It becomes more and more clear to me that the key to success is a chemical dependency.

Genetics

It's no real mystery why I am in to the things I am in to.
Here's some pictures I've had kicking around for awhile of my Grandfather (My father's father).
I had this big long story I was going to tell about him & this Indian in Panama during World War II, his friendship with Cab Calloway, his love of Carl Perkins, how impressed he was with the Stray Cats when Built For Speed came out & his daily driver in the 60's that would pull the front wheels off the ground but it would have been too long & probably boring to all (both) of you.
Instead, I'll just say that I wish he where still alive today.
Of course, if he was, he'd probably be banging on the coffin lid screaming for help.
Is that in poor taste?
Sorry....

Don't drink and drive

(Picture stolen from the HAMB and posted by someone who probably stole it)