MUSIC, BARBRA, CHER, BETTE, DIANA, VALERIE AND FRIENDS
BARBRA THE CONCERT
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
MISS CANADA
4TH RUNNER UP
MISS CAMPBELLTON DONNA ESTEVEZ
3RD RUNNER UP
MISS BANFF KIMBERLEE STONE
2ND RUNNER UP
MISS REGINA TAMARA GARDINER
1ST RUNNER UP
MISS IQALUIT JASMINE IVORY
MISS CANADA
CATHERINE DAVIS (CHILLIWACK)
MISS USA
4TH RUNNER UP
MISS MASSACHUSETTS CELIA REGAN
3RD RUNNER UP
MISS MARYLAND CARLA QUINCY
2ND RUNNER UP
MISS CALIFORNIA TYME AYLMER
1ST RUNNER UP
MISS MINNESOTA
DINA CHRISTIAN
MISS USA
CARLYN GORE (NEW YORK)
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
RUMBLING
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Snug as a bug in a sleeping bag
I drifted to the Land of Nod and back,
my perfect room in miniature,
and drifting in and out of sleep
the seeping, rising tide of voices raised.
It was dark outside.
Clattering of canvas frames
and mud and flood and panicked dreams.
I woke to the world, a lake.
My snug bug sleeping bag was packed away.
Dad and brother flapped with cold
around my sleeping room, a sidecar seat.
Rumbling into sudden life – away.
Camping gear packed damp above the flood,
flowing across our groundsheet camping site.
No-one else was dry; paddling in the night
beside a sea, a chilly East Coast sea.
Our bones shaken minimally warm,
brother riding pillion,
we scoured the promenade for mugs of tea.
A seafront café welcomed travellers, slightly damp,
skipping to the flash of fate in flood.
Dad saw her first, playing with the flowing tide:
a solitary female form, strangely shadowing a causeway wall.
We paused and paused
- wondered who would paddle into dawn?
There she was again,
same shape too deep for youthful seaside eyes to understand.
I wonder still about her tide,
our flood:
whether life was ebbing out to sea for one last time.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
MISS USA 2
4TH RUNNER UP
MISS MICHIGAN PAULINA GILES
3RD RUNNER UP
MISS SOUTH CAROLINA LUNA ZUCKERBERG
2ND RUNNER UP
MISS LOUISIANA CRENA FATOR
1ST RUNNER UP
MISS NEW YORK CRISSA QUONT
MISS USA
HAYLEY OGILIVIE (CALIFORNIA)
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Saturday, October 5, 2013
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
1960-1961
Barbara Billingsley, Leave It To Beaver
Gloria Henry, Dennis The Menace
Harriet Nelson, The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet
Donna Reed, The Donna Reed Show
Jane Wyatt, Father Knows Best
Winner: Donna Reed, The Donna Reed Show
MISS CANADA
4TH RUNNER UP
MISS MEDICINE HAT JILL DUNN
3RD RUNNER UP
MISS OTTAWA-GATNEAU SILVIANNE IVES
2ND RUNNER UP
MISS ANTIGONISH CULLEN QUAN
1ST RUNNER UP
MISS LONDON INDIA APRIL
MISS CANADA
NOELLE DELORME (YELLOWKNIFE)
MISS USA
4TH RUNNER UP
MISS WEST VIRGINIA LANA MARCELLE
3RD RUNNER UP
MISS IOWA SUSANNE DEREK
2ND RUNNER UP
MISS NORTH CAROLINA KARINA VANCE
1ST RUNNER UP
MISS NEW JERSEY HANNAH SAN GIACOMO
MISS USA
ZINA KIM (MICHIGAN)
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
UNCLE BEN
Lunch is a rarity for me at work.
And when I do partake, it is usually always at my desk.
While grocery shopping this weekend,
I thought I'd try Uncle Ben's Bistro Express rice packages.
They were on sale for 99 cents.
Helluva deal, I say
and a pretty inexpensive experiment.
Not to mention, I can nuke these suckers in 90 seconds.
Can't ask for much more than that.
So I bring my Sun Dried Tomato and Herb package to work today.
As I'm hoovering my lunch,
I'm reading the back of the package.
The Bistro series boasts "No Preservatives".
Really?
This edible product has a pretty long shelf life.
It doesn't expire until 2012.
That's a year from now.
And it doesn't need to be refrigerated or frozen.
How can it not have preservatives?
It also has no artificial colours.
Pffftt!
Pulleeze!
As I read through the ingredients,
I note the third-last item is colour.
Granted, it doesn't say "artificial".
But if you have to add colour,
doesn't that make it fake?
Despite all of that,
it wasn't too bad.
But I'm still hungry.
It was rice, after all.
I hope the boss sends me to Starbucks later.
I could go for a latte and a fudge oat bar.
THE BEST OF THE BLOGS
As some of you might know, Mike Oldfield finished recording his new studio album at the end of June. So far not a title nor a
release date have been provided yet.
What is known already is that the album in question has Lee and ace drummer John “J.R.” Robinson playing the rhythm section and
that it was recorded in London and Los Angeles (at the Village Recorders) with the inclusion of a gospel choir. Other musicians on
the project are Matt Rollings (keyboards) and Michael Thompson (guitar).
The album, produced by Steve Lipson, should be the next Mike Oldfield release after the recent September 2 reissues of his 1982-83
albums “Five Miles Out” (in CD/DVD, Deluxe and box set formats) and “Crises” (a five CD box set).
It does not escape my attention that in the course of 24-48 hours, I've gone from encouraging someone to be that smile for another,
that kind word to make someone's day, to openly cackling at a stranger who called me evil.
I suppose the lesson to learn is that while I strive to be one, life often finds me failing. Miserably.
I strive to be social. But God, I loved having today completely to myself. I cleaned (not something I generally enjoy but often
cathartic). I walked 500 miles ... okay, nearly six, and there was wine and beer in the middle but still .... I finished a book
(the end of the Sookie Stackhouse era). I shopped. I cooked for myself. Watched what I wanted when I wanted. I strive to be
social but am, in my heart, a selfish hermitess.
I strive to be kind but, damn, people piss me off. The title of this blog came from a long-standing greeting that I have with my
siblings: "Have I told you lately how much I hate people?" I probably made the wise choice to end it after "lately", eh. Again,
selfish hermitess.
I strive to be good but find that our definitions of good (yes, plural, there are many definitions of good in our culture) vary to
such a degree that I'll always disappoint one faction or another. I'd love to live simply by my Dad's motto of "You can't worry
about that shit" (where's that t-shirt), but I'm pretty sure if we coded Mom's DNA, we'd find the original strand, original group
of genes that, combined, form the perfect storm of continual apology and "oye vey" chant.
I strive to be funny and ... yeah, I mostly succeed at that, at least in my own mind.
So I strive and I fail ... comically.
My husband's great secret is that he's actually a good cook. A great cook, in point of fact, when properly motivated. To him,
cooking is scientific procedure, and he approaches it with the same methodical consistency as he does when running labs in his
classroom. He's even got cooking chops, of a sort, having taken foods (or cooking, or home ec, or whatever the PC term is these
days) back in high school.
Nevertheless, it takes quite a bit to get him excited about cooking. Cooking for a crowd can do it, as can the macho male
stereotype of grilling. It is one of the only ways my Mister is stereotypical to his gender.
During one of these rare times, searching for a dish to impress, he took Alton Brown's ribs recipe, tweaked the rub, then paired it
with a secret sauce recipe we got from a restaurant since closed. The Frankenstein-like recipe stitching worked, so well, in fact,
that this is now his signature dish.
I felt it needed a wider audience than it currently has, especailly the sauce (until Sawyers rises again, at least): It's
vingeagry, but thick, and uses coffee, raisins, and a ton of garlic.
Alton's ribs recipe is unimpeachable: he braises in the oven, then finishes on the grill. However, it's not true barbecue. But it
does make for a super tender result.
Famous James' Ribs with Sawyers "Secret" Sauce
Sauce (adapted from Sawyers Gourmet Pancake House)
Make it at least a day in advance. This makes, literally, a vat of sauce. It's a restaurant recipe, remember? So plan to freeze at
least half when you make it. I like to do this in a crock-pot on a lazy Sunday, but you can do it in a stock pot too.
2 cups brewed coffee
4 cups ketchup
3 cups yellow mustard
1 cup molasses
2 cups apple cider vinegar
5 cups brown sugar
6 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cinammon
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups raisins, chopped
A stock pot, very large (6 qt +) saucepan, or 6 quart Crock-Pot
Crock-Pot Method. Give yourself 8 hours at home, mostly unattended.
Put all the ingredients but the raisins in a slow cooker. Turn cooker on to low, and stir well. Come back and stir every half hour
or so until everything is evenly mixed and it starts to get bubbly on the edges. Turn off, add the raisins, stir. Reserve a cup
and a half of sauce for the recipe, and freeze the rest.
Stovetop method. Give yourself 2 hours, but it won't take quite that long.
Put all the ingredients but the raisins in a stock pot large enough to hold it all. Stir well, bring to simmer, turn heat to low.
Stir until everything is completely mixed. Turn off, add the raisins, stir. Reserve a cup and a half of sauce for the recipe, and
freeze the rest.
The rub (Adapted from Who Loves Ya? Baby Back Ribs by Alton Brown)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle powder
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
11/2 teaspoons dried Italian herb mix
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
Put it all in a large container with a tight fitting lid. Break up any big chunks of brown sugar. Cap the lid and shake the ever
living heck out of it until well mixed. Shake again just before using. You should have enough for this batch of ribs and the next.
The ribs
the rub (from above)
the sauce (from above)
2 2 pound slabs of baby back ribs
a large sheet pan
1 roll of heavy duty aluminum foil
basting brush
1 cup white wine
2 Tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 cloves garlic
Step 1. The night before. Give yourself a half hour.
Combine all ingredients for the braising liquid, then rub your ribs. Move a quarter to a half cup of your rub into a small bowl.
This way, if you dip your hand in after touching the ribs, you haven't contaminated all the rub.
Lay down a sheet of aluminum foil over the sheet pan large enough to wrap the ribs. Sprinkle rub on both sides of ribs, then rub it
in, focusing on the meatiest side. Put the ribs down so that they look like a smiley face or U when you look at them, then wrap
with foil, but leave one end open. Put the liquid in, then seal them up. Do the second set of ribs. Let them sit on the sheet pan
overnight.
Step 2. When you are ready to cook. Give yourself 4 hours between the time you start and the time you eat, mostly unattended.
Preheat the oven to 250.
Check to make sure the foil packets aren't leaking. If they are, wrap in another layer of foil. Carefully
Put ribs in and cook for 3 hours.
Remove ribs from the oven. You can hold them here for a day in the fridge if you want to do work in advance, but make sure the
ribs come to room temperature before you do the next steps.
Open up the foil. Cut them into 2-3 rib pieces.
Turn on your broiler or grill.
Use the basting brush to coat the ribs with sauce.
Broil or grill just until the sauce sticks to the ribs and just barely starts to caramelize.
Enjoy with more sauce as you like.
New Blog!
Friends.
Mashed Potatoes and Merlot has officially moved. Welcome to Kristin Eats!
www.kristineats.com
Enjoy!
Posted by Kristin Murdock at Tuesday, September 28, 2010 5 comments:
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookDinner for friends who are not Schmucks.
I made dinner for my friends.
Sometimes I spend too much money on frivolous things like cropped white skinny jeans and Anthropologie cardigans. Those sometimes
are more frequent when my husband is out of town. Retail therapy -- ever heard of it? It works wonders on a lonely wife. When it's
just me and I realize I spent my weekly cash flow on things to adorn myself with instead of things to stuff my belly with, I am ok
with it until I remember how awesome my friends are to me in my lonely state - taking me to dinner, allowing me to be a temporary
"squatter" in their home, inviting me to family-only functions even though I'm technically not a member of their family, and
supplying a shoulder to cry on when I'm in my most vulnerable and bummed out state - I decide the economical and nice thing to do
for them to say 'thank you' is to make them dinner.
And so I did. I made dinner for my friends. These friends are not schmucks.
Avocado, tomato, and scallion spread (not to be confused with guacamole) on toasty fresh country bread, sprinkled with a little
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
These last Norwegian summers have been too cold and humid for most of us, and to ensure an adquate dose of sun and summer Enjoy
Food & Travel pack up and leave for lovely Spain two weeks in June and July 2013.
Gran Versalles**** (Photo courtesy Hotel website)
Our last trip to Spain was in 2011, when we stayed for a week in Sitges. We both agreed that that was too little, and this summer
we decided that we would stay for at least two weeks.
We discovered that air fare had skyrocketed when we started looking for tickets a few weeks ago. But we managed to get reasonably
priced fare.
We will fly to Madrid with Norwegian Air Shuttle, leaving Oslo Airport 7.40 AM, arriving Copenhagen 8.50 AM. At Kastrup Airport we
have a one hour and ten minutes to our flight to Madrid Barajas where we arrive at 1.10 PM.
Aparthotel Atenea Calabria *** (Photo: Hotel website)
Price paid for two: NOK 3308,- (432 Euros / 565 USD), hardly a rip-off for air fare during high season.
We will stay three nights at Gran Versalles****, close to the famous Prado Museum. Our 18 square metre / 193 square feet of the
Spanish capital cost us around 304 NOK (40, 5 Euros / 52,80 USD) per person per night. Compared to Norway this is dead cheap. It
does not include breakfast.
After three nights, we plan to catch the high speed train service from Madrid to Barcelona. The 621 km (386 mile) journey takes
less than three hours.
I've been to Barcelona several times before, but this time we are excited to stay in a one room apartment with our own kitchen in
Aparthotel Athaenea Calabria*** in the Eixample area. The 35 square meter (376 square feet) apartment cost us 375,54 NOK (Euros 50
/ 65 USD), including breakfast. I do look forward to do some home cooking in the Catalan capital.
After another three nights we head for the beach. The vibrant resort town of Sitges is located a half hour train ride south of
Barcelona, and this is a destination I look forward to return to.
Last time, we stayed at Hotel Port Sitges Resort, outside the city centre. In spite of the comfort of a spacious two room
apartments, we felt isolated from the vibrant night life in the area by the main beach. Now we have booked a double room with
balcony at Subur***, located at the beach. In spite of the location, even this hotel is no rip-off. We pay less than NOK 350 (46
Euros / 60 USD) per night. This does not include breakfast, but who cares. There are dozens of reasonably priced breakfast cafes
nearby.
8 nights by the beach to be looking forward to, before our return Vueling flight from Barcelona to Oslo. NOK 1957 for two in July
is a bargain.
Final costs for trip
The final cost of air fare and accommodation for two weeks per person is:
•Airfare Oslo-Copenhagen-Madrid (Norwegian Air Shuttle): NOK 1654,-, EUR 219,60 (Supersaver.no)
•Accommodation Gran Versalles****, Madrid (3 nights): NOK 913,-, EUR 121, 50 (Booking.com)
•Accommodation Aparthotel Atenea Calabria*** , Barcelona (3 nights): NOK 1127,-, EUR 150 (Booking.com)
•Accommodation Subur, Sitges*** (8 nights): NOK 2794,-, EUR 372,- (Booking.com)
•Airfare Barcelona-Oslo (Vueling): NOK 953,50, EUR 130 (Bravofly.no)
•TOTAL: NOK 7466,-, EUR 993,-
ALBUM REVIEWS 1983
Kim Carnes - Café Racers
This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Café Racers, the eighth studio album from Kim Carnes. This one peaked at number 97 on
the US Billboard Album chart.
Dionne Warwick - How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye
This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye, the twenty-fourth studio album from Dionne
Warwick. Following on the heels of her 1982 smash Heartbreaker (click here for that review), this 1983 release went to number 60 in
the UK, number 57 on the US Billboard Album chart, and number 19 on the US Billboard R&B chart. Luther Vandross was the record’s
producer and writer of half of the tracks as well.
This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Colour By Numbers, the second studio album from Culture Club. This 1983 release
followed up their hit debut album Kissing to Be Clever (click here for that review).
In October of 1983, Boy George and the guys from Culture Club released their second studio album. Colour by Numbers was an
international best-seller, with over one million copies sold in their native UK alone and more than ten million copies worldwide.
It reached number 6 in Germany, number 4 in France, and number 2 in Norway and on the US Billboard Album chart. It Also went to
number 1 in Australia, New Zealand and the UK. The record was ranked number 96 in Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Albums of the
1980’s, and it also appears on the list of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Side one opens with “Karma Chameleon”, the second single from the record and the band‘s first and only single to reach number 1 in
Australia, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and on the US Billboard charts. The
opening on this one is a favorite of mine. The combination of the guitar, drums and harmonica is a classic. The song is about how
someone changes their moods/emotions like a chameleon, leading to confusion for their lover. The video is memorable too - taking
place on a big riverboat with the band members mostly dressed as gamblers from the 1800’s.
“It’s a Miracle” was the fifth and final single from the album. It peaked at number 41 in Germany, number 13 on the US Billboard
Hot 100, number 5 in Canada, number 4 in the UK and number 2 in Ireland. Originally, the lyrics and title were “It’s America”, a
commentary on the band’s first tour of the US for the first album. They changed the lyrics slightly before recording the track. It
too has another memorable opening, very bouncy and energetic.
Next up is “Black Money”, a song that questions the love of another and wonders if their affections are really just a scam. The
musical composition on this one is beautiful, and Helen Terry’s backing vocals on this one (as well as other tracks on the record)
are amazing. It has a classic Motown soul sound to it.
“Changing Every Day” features some pleasant piano playing by Julian Stewart Lindsay. It has an intimate dinner club feel to it.
“That’s the Way (I’m Only Trying to Help You)” rounds out the first side. Once again, Boy George’s soul side comes to the forefront
with more beautiful piano work by Lindsay and backing vocals by Terry. Combined they infuse the song with powerful emotion.
Side two takes us to the “Church of the Poison Mind”, the first single released from the album. In the UK, it was denied the number
one spot on the chart thanks to David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”. In the US, it reached the number 10 spot on the Billboard charts. This
one was a popular dance club song that year, with a bouncy beat that instantly gets you moving.
“Miss Me Blind” was released as a single world-wide, except in the UK. It was a top-ten hit in the US, reaching number 5 on the
Billboard Hot 100. It is my favorite track from the record, a four-star rated tune. I really enjoy the dance beat on this one. The
syncopated guitar Mikey Craig and Roy Hay has a classic disco feel to it, much like Nile Rodgers from Chic. Jermaine Stewart also
provides some of the backing vocals on this one.
Next up is “Mister Man”. This one has a Ska feel to it, evoking the image of a tropical island.
“Stormkeeper” slows things down a little bit. This calypso-like tune features the saxophone playing of Steve Grainger.
“Victims”, the final track on the vinyl release, was also put out as a single but it only did well in the UK (number 3), Ireland
(number 2) and Australia (number 4). It was not released in the US, Canada or Japan because the record label felt it was too
depressing of a song. The piano and vocals create a very vivid mood. The song is very autobiographical; the lyrics seem to reflect
the relationship between George and drummer Jon Moss.
In 2003, a CD version with five additional bonus tracks was released.
“Man-Shake” and “Mystery Boy” both appeared as B-sides to “Karma Chameleon” (depending upon the market). The former showcases Moss’
percussion with a steady, tribal beat. The later has a strong rhythm guitar line to it that makes for a good dance track.
“Melting Pot” is a live track that appeared as the B-side to “It‘s a Miracle“. It is a song that celebrates the bringing together
of diverse cultures to create one shared human race.
“Colour by Numbers” was originally released as the B-side to “Victims”.
“Romance Revisited” is an instrumental version of the song “Victims”.
Coulour by Numbers was released in the fall of my freshmen year of college. By the holidays, I had a copy of it on vinyl. I had
already become a fan of the group with their first album and this record just further cemented that. I played it quite often during
my college years as it was one of my favorite releases from that year. It is an amazing pop record that blends a number of musical
styles seamlessly. I appreciate it as much today as I did twenty eight years ago. It is one of those stand-bys that I enjoy from
beginning to end. Posted by Martin Maenza at 5:21 AM
Today (September 29th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the release of Nicolette, the debut album from American songstress
Nicolette Larson.
Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.
Yesterday (September 28th) marked the thirtieth anniversary of the release of The Big Chill, a dramatic-comedy about baby boomer
college friends coming together, after fifteen years apart, for the funeral of a friend hit the theatres. This smart, funny and
engaging film featured an all-star cast.
The Big Chill soundtrack album was pretty all-star too. It featured a who's who of Motown artists and more that perfectly spoke to
the baby boomer generation. Click here for my complete review of this record.
Welcome to another edition of Soundtrack Sunday.
In the fall of 1983, a dramatic-comedy about baby boomer college friends coming together, after fifteen years apart, for the
funeral of a friend hit the theatres. The all-star cast featured Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin
Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly and JoBeth Williams. This smart, funny and engaging film did very well at the box office, pulling
in over $56 million dollars.
The Big Chill soundtrack album featured a who's who of Motown artists and more that perfectly spoke to the baby boomer generation.
The album went gold within the first few months on the charts and then Platinum in early 1984. It reached number 17 on the US
Billboard 200 album charts. It did so well that a second album The Big Chill: More Songs from the Original Soundtrack was released
a year later. Today I will just focus on that first record.
Side one opens with Marvin Gaye's 1968 "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Gaye recorded the song first, but Gladys Knight and the
Pips' version was released before his. Hers went to number 2 on the Billboard pop charts for three weeks and number 1 on the R&B
charts for six. His went to number 1 on the pop charts for seven weeks and number 1 on the R&B charts for seven. I like the
contrast of the deep percussion and Gaye’s soaring high vocals.
The Temptations are next with "My Girl" from 1965. The song was a number 1 hit on both the Billboard pop and R&B charts; in fact,
it was number 1 on the R&B charts on the day I was born. Those iconic guitar chords get me swaying right from the start and keep me
going the entire time.
From 1966 come the Young Rascals and their number 1 hit "Good Lovin'". This song has an infectious rhythm that goes right to my
core and the high energy picks me up every time. I like Felix Cavaliere’s organ solo too.
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles provide "The Tracks of My Tears" from 1965. This song, which reached number 16 on the Billboard
pop charts and number 2 on the R&B charts, is one of the group's best sellers. The song has also been covered by numerous artists
over the decades from the Jackson 5 in 1968 to UB40 in 2010. The lead vocals by Robinson are like sweet honey.
Three Dog Night proclaims "Joy to the World" on their 1971 number 1 hit (it spent six weeks at the top of the charts). This is one
of those songs I can vividly remember singing a lot as an elementary school kid in the 70’s - the first verse and the chorus. I
really love how the many vocal layers blend on the chorus especially.
The Temptations return with "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" from 1966. Though it only made it to number 13 on the Billboard pop charts, it
did spend eight non-consecutive weeks at number 1 on the R&B charts. This song is used in a memorable scene in the film: it is the
morning after the funeral and the friends are all pitching in to make breakfast in the kitchen, dancing around to this tune on the
radio. It is hard to sit still when this one is playing; my feet naturally start to shuffle.
Aretha Franklin's anthem "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" closes the first side. The track reached number 8 on the
Billboard charts in 1968. The Queen of Soul is perfectly in her element on this one, her voice singing through like a beacon. When
I hear this song, I can’t help but think of actress Candice Bergen in her title role of the sitcom Murphy Brown singing the
background sha-doops.
Side two opens with the return of Smokey and the Miracles with their 1967 hit "I Second That Emotion". It spent three weeks at
number 4 on the US Billboard charts, behind the Beatle's "Hello Goodbye" at number 3.
Next are the British band Procol Harum and their 1967 track "A Whiter Shade of Pale". This debut single spent six weeks at number 1
on the UK charts; it went to number 5 on the US Billboard charts. The slower melody of the song is based on Bach’s cantata
“Sleepers Awake”. This one puts me in a very mellow mood, almost a complete contrast from the rest of the songs on the album. It
makes it stand out because of that.
The oldest track on the record is from 1963 and the Exciters. "Tell Him" reached number 4 on the Billboard charts and spent two
weeks at the number 1 spot on the French charts. This one always makes me thinking of Ally McBeal as it was one of her therapy
songs in the early seasons when she was trying to deal with her feelings for her childhood sweetheart Billy. I actually have four
versions of this song in my music library, including this original and the one Vonda Sheppard did for the TV show.
The Four Tops are up with "It's the Same Old Song" from 1965, a track that went to number 5 on the Billboard charts and number 2 on
the R&B charts. I love the harmonies of this Detroit quartet.
Martha and the Vandellas get us "Dancing in the Street" with their 1964 smash. The song originally went to number 2 on the
Billboard charts, stopped short by the Animals’ “House of the Rising Sun”. I have five versions of this song by various artists in
my music library, including this original. It is another of those good-mood tunes.
Marvin Gaye returns with his 1971 hit "What's Going On". The song about anti-war protests went to number 2 on the Billboard charts,
denied the top honors ironically by the earlier track “Joy To The World”.
Closing out the record is the Marvelettes and their 1964 track "Too Many Fish in the Sea". The song went to number 25 on the
Billboard charts.
When the Big Chill came out in 1983, I had just started my freshman year of college. I do remember seeing this film in theatres
with friends of mine - it might have been when I was home on Thanksgiving break that November with my friends from high school.
Though the film was about a generation removed from my own, I still could relate to the subject matter and sentiments in a way.
Maybe it was just the wondering if my friends and I would still be close another fifteen years in the future. When my wife and I
got our first DVD player in the later half of the 90's, this was one of the first films I remember we bought.
As for the soundtrack, I had this one on vinyl and played it a lot. I was very familiar with many of these songs from listening to
AM radio growing up in the 70's and from watching many a TV variety show. I thought it was a great music sampler with a large
number of classics and thus perfect to have in my music library. I would supplement it early in 1984 with a two disk Motown
collection that came out to celebrate the label's 25 anniversary. 1960's music was very big at college parties, no doubt spurred on
thanks to the renewed interest thanks to the film. Of course, both those vinyl sets ended up with my brother in the late 90's. By
that point I had picked up a boxed set of Motown music on CD. The songs are timeless and never go out of style.
HOSTILITY
He was coming. The sound of footsteps in the corridor outside told her that. Brisk, heavy footsteps, the sound of expensive leather
soles on the marble floor.
A big man, moving fast and impatiently toward the room where she had been told to wait for him. A room that was not as she had
expected, but then then nothing had been as she had expected since she had started out on this campaign, least of all this man she
hadn’t seen in so long. It had been more than ten years since she had spoken to him, but they would now be coming face to face in
less than thirty seconds.
How was she going to handle this?
Ria adjusted her position in the smart leather chair, crossing one leg over the other, then, rethinking, moving it back again so
that her feet were neatly on the floor, placed precisely together in their elegant black courts, knees closed tight, her blue and
green flowered dress stretched sleekly over them. Lifting her hand she made to smooth back a non-existent wandering strand of dark
auburn hair. Her style would be immaculate, she knew. She’d 1pulled her hair back tightly from her face so that there was nothing
loose to get in a mess or distract her. Nothing to look frivolous or even carefree. That was not the image she’d aimed for.
She’d even fretted at the thought that her dress might be a little too casual and relaxed when she’d put it on, but the below knee
length of the swirling skirt covered her almost as much as the tailored trousers she’d considered wearing, and the lightweight
black linen jacket she’d pulled on over the top added a needed touch of formality that made her feel better.
The room she sat in was sleek and sophisticated with pale wood furniture. Far sleeker and much more luxurious than she had ever
anticipated. One of the soft grey walls displayed a set of dramatic photographs, sleekly framed. In black and white only, they were
the sort of thing that had made Alexei Sarova his reputation and his fortune. They were superb, stunning but – Ria frowned as she
looked at them. They were bleak and somehow lonely. Photographs of landscapes, places, no people in them at all. He did sometimes
photograph people, she knew that from the magazines she had read and the stunning images that had appeared in the articles, but
none of those commissions were displayed here.
Outside the door, those determined, heavy footsteps slowed, then halted and she heard the murmur of voices through the thick wood,
the deep, gravelly tones making it plain that the speaker was a man.
The man. The one she had come here to meet, to give him the message that might save her country from all out civil war, and she had
vowed that she was not leaving until she had done so. Even if the nerves in her stomach tied themselves into tight, painful knots
at the thought and her restless fingers had started to beat an unsettled tattoo on the wooden arm of the chair.
‘No!’ Ria reproved herself aloud. ‘Stop it! Now!’
She brought her nervous hand together with the other one, to clasp them both demurely in her lap, forcing herself to wait with
every semblance of control and composure, even if the churning of her stomach told her that this was very far from the case. Too
much rested on this meeting and she wasn’t really sure that she could handle it.
Oh this was ridiculous! Ria drew in a deep, ragged sigh as she put back her head and stared fixedly at the white-painted ceiling,
fighting for control of her breathing. She should be well able to cope with this. She’d been trained practically from birth to meet
strangers, talk with them, making polite social chit-chat at court events. It was what she could do as naturally as breathing while
all the time keeping her head up high, her spine straight so that she looked as good as good as possible, with first her nanny’s
then her father’s voice in her ear telling her that the reputation of the Escalona family - an offshoot of the royal family –
should be the first and foremost thing in her mind.
She could talk to Presidents’ wives about their trips round the glass –making factories, discuss the agricultural output of the
vineyards, the farms. She could even, if she was let, converse intelligently on the vital role of exports, or the mining of
eruminum the new miracle mineral that had just been discovered in the Trilesian mountains. Not that she was frequently asked to do
any such thing. Those important details were usually left to her grandfather or, until recently, to her second cousin Felix, the
Crown Prince of Mecjoria.
But she had never before had to deal with any mission that meant so much in the way of freedom, both to her country and herself.
That restless hand threatened to escape her careful control and start its nervous tattoo all over again at just the thought.
‘Do it, then.’
The voice from the corridor sounded sharp and clear this time, bringing her head up in a rush, as she straightened once again in
her chair. Shoulders back, head up . . . she could almost hear her father’s strict commands , as she drew in a long, deep breath to
calm herself as she had done on so many other previous occasions.
But this wasn’t one of those events . This man wasn’t exactly a stranger and polite chit-chat was the last thing she expected to be
exchanging with him.
The handle turned as someone grasped it from the other side. Ria tensed, shifted in her chair, half looked over her shoulder then
rethought, and turned back again. She didn’t want him to think that she was nervous. She had to appear calm, collected, in command
of the situation.
Command. The word rang hollowly inside her head. Once she had only to command something and it would be hers. In just a few short
months her life had been turned upside down, and in ways that made her status in society the least of her concerns, so that now
nothing was as it had ever been before, and the future loomed ahead, dark and dangerous.
But perhaps if she could manage this meeting with some degree of success she could claw back something from the disaster that had
overtaken her country – and family. She could hope to put right the wrongs of the past, and, on a personal level, save her mother’s
happiness, her sanity possibly. And for her father . . . no, she couldn’t go there, not yet. Thoughts of her father would weaken
her, drain away the strength she needed to see this through.
‘I’ll expect a report on my desk by the end of the day.’
The door was opening, swinging wide. The man she had come to see was here, and she had no more time to think.
As the big dark figure appeared in the doorway her heart jerked sharply under her ribcage, taking her breath with it. For the first
time she felt suddenly lost, vulnerable without the ever-present security man at her back. All her life he had been there, just
waiting and watching in case he was needed. And she had come to rely on him to deal with any awkward situation.
The once ever-present security man, she reminded herself . The protection that was no longer there, no longer part of her life or
her status here or in her homeland of Mecjoria. She was no longer entitled to such protection. It was the first thing that had been
stripped from her and the rest of her family in the upheaval that had followed Felix’s unexpected death, and the shocking discovery
of her father’s scheming in the past. After that, things had changed so fast that she had never had time even to think about the
possible repercussions of the changes and to consider them now, with the possible consequences for her own future, made her stomach
twist painfully.,
‘No delays . . . Good afternoon.’
The abrupt change of subject caught Ria on the hop, She hadn’t quite realised that his companion had been dismissed and that he was
now in the room, long strides covering the ground so fast that he was halfway towards her before she realised it.
‘Good afternoon.’
It was stronger, harsher, much more pointed, and she almost felt as if the words were hitting her in the small of her back. She
should turn round, she knew. She needed to face him. But the enormity of the reason why she was here and the thought of his
reaction when she did made it difficult to move.
‘Miss . . .’
The warning in his tone now kicked her into action, fast. Her head jerked round, the suddenness and abruptness of the movement
jolting her up and out of her seat so that she came to her feet even as she swung round to face him. And was glad that she had done
so when she saw the size and the strength of his powerful form. She had seen pictures of him in the papers, knew that he was tall,
dark and devastating, but in the 3D reality of living, breathing golden-toned flesh, deep ebony eyes and crisp black hair, he was
so much more than she had ever imagined. His steel grey suit hugged his impressive form lovingly, the broad straight shoulders
needing no extra padding to enhance them. A crisp white shirt, silver and black tie, turned him into the sleek sophisticated
businessman who was light-years away from the Alexei she remembered, the wiry boy with the unkempt mane of hair who had once been
her friend buried under the expensive tailoring. Snatching in a deep, shocked breath she could inhale the tang of some citrus soap
or shampoo, the scent of clean male skin.
‘Good afternoon,’ she managed and was relieved to hear that her control over her voice was as strong as she could have wanted.
Perhaps it made it sound a little too tight, too stiff, but that was surely better than letting the tremor she knew was just at the
bottom of her thoughts actually affect her tongue. ‘Alexei Sarova, I assume.’
He had been moving towards her but her response had a shocking effect on him.
‘You!’ he said the single word thick and dark with hostility.
DOUG MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2 2013
DISCOVER THE WORLD OF ARTISAN BEEF
THE HEAD TO TAIL PHILOSOPHY OF EATING IS, THANKFULLY, ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING FOOD TRENDS. aT THIS WEEK'S mEATcAMP CHAT, WE HELD
AN INTRODUCTORY SESSION ON HOW TO IDENTIFY AND COOK THE NOT-SO-FANCY CUTS OF BEEF, PORK, LAMB, AND CHICKEN, INCLUDING OFFAL.
RIDGEWAY FARM
WE'RE JUST TWO PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN NEW ENGLAND, LOVE ANIMALS, AND MADE THE CRAZY DECISION TO START OUR OWN HOBBY FARM FOR FUN. JOIN
US FOR THE ADMENTURE.
BUSY SUMMER
I LOVE SUMMER, BUT IT SURE IS BUSY ON A FARM IN SUMMERTIME! SO WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO ON THE FARM THIS SUMMER? WELL WE REALLY
ENJOYED RAISING THE TWO PIGS LAST YEAR SO WE ARE DOING THAT AGAIN. THIS YEAR IT IS TWO MALE PIGLETS. WE PICKED THEM UP IN JUNE, AND
HERE THAY ARE AT ABOUT 12 WEEKS IN AGE.
DESERT SURVIVOR
EXPLORING THE DESERT AND WHAT IT TAKES FOR PLANTS, ANIMALS, AND PEOPLE TO SURVIVE (WITH A TOUCH OF HUMOR).
JOIN ME FOR MEET THE ARTIST, WITCH FASHION SHOW, AND WITCH SCAVENGER HUNT!
THIS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3RD, I AM GOING TO BE AT A FUN EVENT GOING ON AT GARDNER VILLAGE IN WEST JORDAN, AND I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO
JOIN ME! WORLD-RENOWNED FOLK ARTIST, ERIC DOWDLE, WILL UNVEIL HIS LATEST HALLOWEEN PAINTING "GARDNER VILLAGE WITCHFEST" AND BE ON
HAND TO SIGN PRINTS AND PUZZLES. THE EVENT WILL GO FROM 6PM TO 8PM. THERE WILL ALSO BE A WITCH FASHION SHOW, AND EVERYBODY
FAVORITE...
HERE'S MY STEVE BALLMER STORY.
It’s a small story but of interest, I think, because of what came after.
In 1995 I worked as a freelance writer and print designer and I had just made up my mind to put more of my time and attention into
designing and building websites, something I had started doing the year before. Pitching web work back then meant selling clients
on why they needed a web site at all – sometimes even selling them on what the World Wide Web was and why it mattered to their
business -- and most still preferred the familiar comfort of a (paper-bound) marketing brochure. I was nervous about my decision
then, but can happily report in hindsight that I bet on the right horse.
In August of that year I took a two-week contract to do some technical writing for the Excel product group, and spent my two weeks
on Microsoft’s Redmond campus in, as it turned out, the same hallway occupied by Steve Ballmer.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
CHER TIES BARBRA STREISAND FOR TOP 3 ALBUM AT AGE 67
Cher has tied Barbra Streisand for a record in the music biz. At 67, Cher’s new album “Closer to the Truth” is ranked at number 3 for the week. That would make her the oldest female singer to score a Top 3 debut. However, Barbra Streisand did the same thing in 2009 with her “Love is the Reason” album. And she came in at number 1 on Billboard and number 2 on hitsdailydouble.com.
Together they will share this distinction. Of course, Streisand sold around 167,000 copies compared to Cher’s 61,000. But times have changed and albums just don’t sell like that anymore. Still, for Cher it’s a little more of a distinction because it’s a longer time since her last album. Streisand is pretty reliable with a new release every 18-24 months.
But of all the female artists of the 60s and 70s, they’re the winners and the biggest successes over all. Hats off to these two divas!
Tina Turner, the ball is now in your court!
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