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Julius Wechter – Baja Marimba Band

Julius Wechter (May 10, 1935 – February 1, 1999)
Primary Instrument: marimba, vibraphone Band: Baja Marimba Band

How about a little musical analogy ——

The Rolling Stones are to The Beatles as

______________ are to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass!

If you said The Baja Marimba Band!! You would be correct and probably old!! On this date in 1935 the leader of the Band  Julius Wechter was born!! To explain the analogy The Beatles we re the clean-cut good  guys and the Stones the bad boys. And Jules says this about the Baja Marimba Band’s relationship to Herb and the Brass! They were…. Read More

Dance of Death – Preston & Child

Dance of Death – Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Book 6 of Pendergast Series Books 2 of Diogenes

So I am not sick that often so when I am I really hate it!! The last two days have been spent nursing a bad cold. Yesterday I flt like I had been run over by a Mack Truck, Today I was better and the damage was done  by a pesky little Mini-Cooper which I believe just keeps circling the block and running me over just about the time that I think that I have this thing knocked!! Read More

What Then Must We Do? – Gar Alperovitz

What Then Must We Do? Straight Talk About the Next American Revolution        Gar Alperovitz

The Democracy Collaborative and The Next System Project

I think that few would argue that I country that was once a proud beacon for the world is in good shape. Our political system doesn’t seem to work any more, our economic system only helps the rich get richer  Thoughts of upward mobility among the lower and middle classes have been crushed and it seems that the only people doing well in this day and age are members of the upper upper class. To me it actually seems hopeless. Corporate lobbyists control Congress and the elite and Corporations now control our elections thanks to Citizens United!! And what really pisses me off is that they get all our hard earned money and then they don’t even pay and damn taxes and take away all our jobs to boot!!! It all seems so damn hopeless! But what if there was a better way! A few weeks ago I came across a website and program titled The Next System Project. From their website…. Read More

Running with the Empirical Ghost of Lis er Stille

The Run….

So while Elizabeth conquered the Broad Street 10 miler yesterday, I conquered the RG Riverside half a ten miler on Saturday, running five miles for the first time this year!! I had set out to run a 4.2 mile course I call the Harper Loop. I have not run that course yet this year mainly because it has a long ascent up Pancoast Avenue and then another shorter ascent up Fairview to Harper. Followed by a descent and short ascent along Harper followed by a longer descent down Cranberry Lane.  I did well keeping a slower and steady pace knowing that the hills would be a challenge. The first three miles were 10:44, 11:06, and 10:54 beat you can guess where the hills were!! I slowed down on mile four because I hadn’t really run a four miler with hills and I was tired. But when I stabilized my breathing thanks to the rhythms of Lis er Stille, I didn’t feel too bad, so I thought “let’s see if I can go five”, knowing that Lizzie was doing ten on Sunday! At least I could do a half of that!! Read More

The Theremin,Ruth Rendell,and Star Wars Day

Monday Explorations: Ruth Rendell, Star Wars Day and the Theremin….

This morning as I was looking over the front page of Wikipedia to see what was new, I noted that author Ruth Rendell has passed away. One would think that as a lover of mystery books I would have read plenty of Ruth Rendell’s works, but somehow I have avoided them and I can’t give you one good reason why!! From Wikipedia: Read More

David LaFLamme It’s a Beautiful Day and his Birthday!!

David LaFLamme – It’s a Beautiful Day – Born May 9, 1941

So I’ve spent the last 30 minutes or so thinking and trying to find videos in celebration of Richie Furay‘s birthday. Then I go to Wikipedia and see that Richie was born of May 9th, so I guess those thoughts will have to wait a few days! Today is, however, the birthday of David LaFlamme of It”s a Beautiful Day. Here’s some background for those of you who may have never heard of David from Wikipedia: Read More

Elizabeth Conquers the Broad Street Run!

Lizzie Came, She Ran, She Conquered – 2015 Broad Street Run

So the Broad Street Run went pretty well today! We parked in the Wells Fargo parking lot and took the Broad line up to the starting line around the Olney Station. While I rode the high-speed line from Lindenwold into the city back in the 70s, this was my first trip on the Broad St subway, and I believe Elizabeth said itself her first trip on any subway. Read More

Andrea Brachfeld – Flutist, Composer, Educator

Andrea Brachfeld – Flute – Born May 3rd

On this day May 3rd in the year ??? (Hum, we don’t really need to know that) flutist Andrea Brachfeld was born! From All About Jazz….

Flutist Andrea Brachfeld, is a graduate of The High School of Music and Art and Manhattan School of Music. Over these past 20 years she has recorded more than a dozen CD’s with many artists including, Africando, Noel Pointer, and Timbalaye. Her breakthrough performance as the flutist for the popular Latin band Charanga ’76, catapulted her into Salsa history and fame as the first female flutist to play this music in the United States. While in high school she received the “Louis Armstrong Award for Outstanding Student” from Jazz Interactions. Study with Hubert Laws, Jimmy Heath, and Mike Longo helped her develop her own style. Downbeat magazine referred to Andrea as “one of the finest jazz flutists around.” She has twice been the recipient of the Latin New York Music Award as a flutist. Read More Read More