Grateful Dead

Wotta bummer!!!

And we thought it only happened to the Grateful Dead! ***** At the climax of his three-hour set, Springsteen and McCartney, backed by the E Street Band and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, played a storming rendition of "I Saw Her Standing There" to a rapturous crowd. Springsteen's delight was palpable: He grinned throughout, his face lit up like a child with a super-sized Christmas gift. The supergroup then segued into a sizzling version of "Twist and Shout" -- but as the night peaked against a backdrop of fireworks, a drably dressed man with sensible hair could be seen waving frantically at the back of the stage, indicating the rock legends' time was drawing to a close. Then, at 10:40 p.m. local time, as Springsteen and McCartney were winding up the extended "Twist and Shout," the sound suddenly dampened, and went quiet. At first, the Boss didn't seem to notice. He attempted to address the crowd, apparently unaware that they couldn't hear him. But as it became clear that there was no amplification, he and lead guitarist Stevie Van Zandt played what looked to be a brief a cappella goodnight for the benefit of the front rows, shrugged, and left the stage. (read the entire article at: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/14/showbiz/music/springsteen-mccartney-power…) ***** Talk about a buzz-crusher! I'm not a big fan of either but if the same thing happened to me with Jerry pairing up with (take your pick) Grisman in 1985 I'd be so ripped... Why don't bands/promoters put something in their contract that allows them to play a specified "overtime" period if they pay a specified amount that covers everybody's overtime? How would you have felt if the final "Box" had been cut at Soldier Field in '95'?

July is tour de France month, so I take the time to watch as much of the bike race, on the television, as I can. I really like the amazing helicopter shots of the mountains, hills, streams and today, the Mediterranean coastline. Did I spot Cosmic in his swim costume along the beach in Agde ? Tomorrow looks like a smaller race before le tour moves into the Pyrenees. Someday, I will make it across the pond to be one of the millions of fans who stand along the route of the tour. I'll choose a Belgian and Swiss border stage to watch. Isn't there some good beer in Belgium?

one of the deepest and strangest of all human moodsis the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night, or deep in sloping meadows, the feeling that every flower and leaf has just uttered something stupendously direct and important and that we have by a prodigy of imbecility not heard or understood it. There is a certain poetic value, and that a genuine one, in this sense of missing the full meaning of things. There is beauty, not only in wisdom, but in this dazed and dramatic ignorance. - G.K. Chesterton. I shall baffle you with cabbages and rhinos in the kitchen and incessant quotations from Now We Are Six through the mouthpiece of Lord Snooty's giant poisoned electric head. - Vivian Stanshall.

looks like you have enough to keep you out of trouble for a while, Gr8fulTed!!weather wise, we have the opposite here; low pressure, flood warnings across the Midlands, buckets and boxes of rain rain rain. how about we swap for lil' bit?! yep, the Olympics are creeping up on us here. should be pretty well organised; only thing that worries us in London is our pesky transport system. not the most reliable at the best of times. if ya thinking of coming, WALK! walk everywhere, dammit! Mens Semi-Finals day here at Wimbledon; more agony and biting of them ol' nails as Murray plays a hugely likeable and respected Frenchman, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. should be a good one. here's hoping that Murray's recent coaching partnership with Ivan Lendl bears some particularly ripe fruit. (childhood years spent pretending to be Lendl, my favourite along with Jimmy Connors, whilst thwacking a tennis ball against the wall of our house...i'm taking this as an omen. no idea why, but i'll grab any superstition going to see Andy into the Final). keep cool GT. a finely chilled chardonnay or kiwi fruit-crisp sauvignon blanc should help. failing that a refreshing vodka and pink grapefruit with ice is a cheeky little quencher. right, where's me umbrella?......

Oh baby, it's another hot one! Ran the sprinkler all morning to keep the gardens from burning up. This is day 9 of 100 degree heat in the central USA. I even skipped going out to see Dark Star Orchestra last night, just to keep cool and safe at home. On this day in 1990, Grateful Dead played in shorts under direct sunlight at Sandstone amphitheater in Bonner Springs, west of Kansas city. It was so hot, tires were picking up asphalt from the parking lots, just ask David Lemieux !! Great to see the wonderful NBC camera coverage of the Tour de France. I have to keep getting my maps out to see what the land and water features are in Belgium, France Spain and Switzerland. Meanwhile in America, 7 time champ Lance Armstrong again is being hounded for doping allegations. Later this weekend, my granddaughter, Willow, will come visit for the next 4 weeks !! Next week the Major League All Star baseball game comes to town, so all sorts of activities are planned, from festivals, games, home run derby to the game itself on Tuesday, 7/10. After that, I'll look forward to the Summer Olympics!

yeahhh, right ON! like toootally, like, wow, like, FUCK yeah!

Happy 236th Birthday USA, you ROCK! Wave the flag, pop the bag Rock the boat, skin the goat Trap the rat, bell the cat Ball the jack, chew the fat Shoot the breeze, lose the keys Feed the poor, stop the war Make the signs, connect the lines Pay your fines, save your dimes Chorus: Wave that flag, wave it wide and high Summertime done come and gone, my oh my Meet the best, read the rest Hide in caves, walk on waves Pull the tooth, stretch the truth Catch the flicks, get your kicks Play your rags, pick up sticks, Trim your wig Try your tricks, impress the chicks Watch the bands, dig and dance Live in shame, die in vain Catch the flu, burn the stew Shine your shoes, sing the blues Wave that flag, wave it wide and high Summertime done come and gone, my oh my ***** Enjoy your holiday and be safe!!

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologized on behalf of the US yesterday to Pakistan for the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers who were killed by US helicopter gunships. At the same time Pakistan announced that the US would be able to resume land re-supply routes through that country. Newscasters in the US fell all over themselves to say: * We only apologized for the deaths, not the attack, where both sides were at fault * We really don't need the routes right now, just when we retreat later next year * We delivered more goods through northern routes at a staggering cost of 2.5 bill. * Pakistan lost hundreds of millions in aid and oil sales What they didn't say is that the US rarely apologizes for anything, they just quietly compensate the families of victims. Friendly fire incidents and collateral damage are such pesky annoyances during war. To be fair, damage to humans, animals and infrastructure are keen considerations in planning attacks such as the "Shock & Awe" campaign in Baghdad at the start of the war in 2002. (Is the real concern the cost of rebuilding infrastructure or reverence for life?) The US has spent a considerable amount of money in the design of weapons such as smart bombs that allow greater accuracy and have less chance of mistaken casualties. We are a kinder, gentler empire and we are ridiculed by our enemies for our concern and sympathy for both combatants and non-combatants in a war zone. The karma, The karma!

Yeah his story is tragic, and I think he will age and mature and improve on the pitch-like any fine rough scrappy wine! :D I LOVE the stories about him messing with Mourinho, trainer from hell and coach of the odious Ronaldo!