March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999
So yesterday I didn’t write about the day being the birthday of Hoyt Axton, so I’ll make up for it today! Anyway Axton was a big bear of a man with a contagious smile and a pretty darn good songwriter! Most of his songs became hits for others. Here’s a list of the songs I’m sure you all know a few of them!
So this morning I received a newsletter from the PBS show Echoes about the shows that will be on this week. I was excited when I saw that tomorrow John Diliberto will be interviewing one of my favorite guitarists, Jesse Cook about his new album The Blue Guitar Sessions. Knowing that I will forget all about listening tomorrow night, I thought I better go listen to the album this afternoon. So I went over to MOG and put it on. Now for those of you who are not familiar with Jesse Cook, Here’s some information from Wikipedia:
So some days you really look forward to your run, you start, you feel good and the run goes very smoothly. Then there are other days, well, they don’t go as well. Saturdays area often a slow day for me. I work all day at Lippincott and then at Target not getting done until 11:15 plus! Yesterday the day went from 7:15 to 11:15, so overall today this 61 year-old body was moving kind of slow! So this afternoon when I just felt like taking a nap I did some kundalini yoga trying to wake me up, and it worked so I got motivated enough to run, went out and discovered that it was a lot colder and windy than I thought it was, anyway, I put on another layer of clothes and set out. I had created a new four mile course and the start looped around a little, so that, after just a little bit a left turn would have led me back home, which was where I really wanted to go or a right turn would set me on my way into the fourteen mile an hour wind and the first leg of my four mile run. Now the only thing good about heading into the wind on the first two miles of a run is that the wind is at your back on the way back!! That’s what happened and really the only reason that I was able to finish the run! The other thing that got me through the run was the music, as always! The music was from a prog rock band Day Six and their album The Grand Design. So with the wind at my back for half of the run, I made it through with an overall pace of about 10:05 per mile, so overall it was not a bad run!
So last Tuesday I had a good run. I averaged under 10 minute per mile pace over the 4.2 mile course the soundtrack for the run was the 2004 release from Cryptic Vision Moments of Clarity. Cryptic Vision is a progressive rock band from Sarasota Florida. The band was formed in 2003 by multi-instrumentalist/producer Rick Duncan and vocalist Todd Plan. I don’t know if I got the whole story or not. I do know boy found girl, boy lost girl and his faith. Overall both the music and vocals were, in my humble opinion, very good. But then again what do I know. All I know is what I like and I like Cryptic Vision’s music. It kept me interested and moving throughout my run.
So this morning I read that on this date in 1885 – John Matzeliger of Suriname patented the shoe lacing machine. I thought that sounded interesting, especially since I had no idea what a shoe lacing machine did? Anyway, what I found when I googled the event was that in 1883 a young man named Jan Matzeliger, who was born in Suriname patented a “shoe lasting machine”. Matzeliger was born in Suriname of a Dutch Father and a black native of Suriname. At an early age Matzeliger showed an aptitude for machines and by the age of 10 he was working in a machine ship that his father supervised. By 1873 he moved to Philadelphia and then on to Lynn, Massachusetts where the shoe industry was booming. He became an apprentice in a shoe factory’. From MIT’s Inventor of the Week:
A few reads regarding the Iraqi War, which started on this date ten years ago. From History.com: Bush announces the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom
On this day in 2003, President George W. Bush addresses the nation via live television and announces that Operation Iraqi Freedom has begun. Bush authorized the mission to rid Iraq of tyrannical dictator Saddam Hussein and eliminate Hussein’s ability to develop weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Operation Iraqi Freedom illustrated the Bush administration’s pledge to use unilateral, pre-emptive strikes if necessary against nations believed dangerous to American national security. Read More
OK so like a true junkie who can’t get enough of the drug, I went searching for new New Age music at lunchtime today! Somehow, and I forget how, I ended up at Echoes.org, I used to listen to Echoes with John Deliberto on WXPN a lot and now most times I forget that it is on at night. Anyway I wrote down the names of several of the artists whose CD have been chosen as CDs of the Month. The list includes: Marconi Union, Theiry David, Todd Boston and Coyote Jump. I gave each a brief listen this afternoon and while I enjoyed them all, the last two Todd Boston and Coyote Jump were my favorites. Todd Boston‘s album is Touched by the Sun. From Todd’s website:
So the other day I listened to the latest album from Memphis Blues Harp player Brandon Santini, This Time Another Year I really liked it, both his harp playing and his vocals were great, at times he reminds me of Leon Russell and at other times Dr. John. From his website:
Through the years I’ve heard of organist Lonnie Smith or Dr Lonnie Smith as he is known now, but until today I’ve never listened to his music. Big mistake! The album Too Damn Hot came up on my “Just for You” on MOG and I saw the organ and said that’s good for me and it was great! Smith’s career has spanned over 50 years and he’s played with a Who’s Who of greats in jazz, he started with the George Benson Quartet and then more on to a solo career. From his website:
