Roger the Lodger Coming to a Stage Near You!

And for old time's sake

And where it all began.....

And now for something completely different......

If we're going to recycle videos, I vote for this one. 

With apologies to Bob and Helen -- I promise we'll watch this and others from the reunion this summer if you haven't seen them yet.

This is incredible: "The winner of 'Ukraine’s Got Talent', Kseniya Simonova"

This is about 8 minutes long, (if your computer is "upper to snuff" than mine) but it is well worth watching when you have the time. Worth watching! One of the best videos I seen to date: (If ever there was a work of art that captured the cultural angst of the effects of socialism on a conquered population, this gives silent voice to why, at every turn, we must resist, with all force necessary, any effort to subjugate responsibly expressed individual, cultural and national freedoms for the "good of the collective". If you'll notice, not only the audience's reaction, but also the reaction of the announcer as well to this most powerful piece of performance art go far beyond mere words. How can I say this more strongly? Imagine "The Diary of Ann Frank" times an entire nations cultural memory, yet reduced to its essence. She, through her art and this gift, are absolutely incredible. Something more powerful speaks through her, as it does through all true artists'. She creates, discards and recreates numerous images, each worthy of capturing and framing in its own right, at a pace that is phenomenal. Who am I to make such lofty observations? Just an old git-fiddle player that now drives big trucks and used to take pictures for a living in the service. Someone who has lived a full life in association with and blessed by some of the most talented, caring people on the planet. Hopefully, some of it rubbed off.)  

  

. . .first, please, read this all the way through…  

  

This video shows the winner of "Ukraine’s Got Talent," Kseniya Simonova, 24, drawing a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table showing how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II. Her talent, which admittedly is a strange one, is mesmeric to watch.  

  

The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears, and she won the top prize of about £75,000.  

  

She begins by creating a scene showing a couple, sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear, and the happy scene is obliterated.  

  

It is replaced by a woman’s face crying, but then a baby arrives, and the woman smiles again. Once again, war returns, and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman’s face appears.  

She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier.  

  

This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house.  

  

In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside, and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye.  

  

The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine, resulted in one in four of the population’s being killed, with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.  

  

Kseniya Simonova says: "I find it difficult enough to create art using paper and pencils or paintbrushes, but using sand and fingers is beyond me. The art, especially when the war is used as the subject matter, even brings some audience members to tears. And, there’s surely no bigger compliment."  

  

Please take time out to see this amazing piece of art ...  

  

go to the link below -  Please   

  

< http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vOhf3OvRXKg >  

  

"J. B."

"Who was that masked man?"

 A Gary L. Jackson posted a risque photo on my, and a lot of others Facebook walls. I responded with the following: Ah, yes. "Bullets Lavern, The Vamp of 42nd Street". What was that drummers name who auditioned for us away back then at the Paradox? That was the name of one of the songs he sang. The other one I remember was "Don't Eat The Monkey's Bananas Sport", sung from the viewpoint of a zookeeper who would be out of clean up work if the monkeys didn't eat enough to, um, eliminate, shall we say. (She'll go in both folders: "Is A Clean" - "Is A Dirty". By the way, who was the comedian who had a whole series of jokes built around that punchline back in the '60's?)

Bob and Helen in a Tree?

Mavericks Surf Contest was Awesome!!!

I am currently in the coastal and valley area south of San Francisco for 7 days, doing vintage guitar related stuff, and just kicking around visiting friends. Yesterday, very early morning I went to my friends place near Half Moon Bay, then out to Pillar Point to get a decent spot to watch the Mavericks Surf Contest. The morning surf was awesome, waves beyond my expectations. Over the course of the 5 hours I was there, I saw a few wave faces that I estimated were close to 40 foot! The actual surf most of the day was between 20 to 25 foot +, but the faces are always bigger.

By now I am sure that anyone with a TV has seen the news footage of those people nearly waist deep at the shoreline yesterday, after a couple of mother natures finest came to slap them silly. I was not one of them. I have to say, that if you are ever anywhere near Half Moon Bay here in Northern California, you must go to Pillar Point during the months of November to March and watch the big ones roll in, but do it from a safe distance (not from what little beach there is, or the seawall.....) It's best to keep a safe distance unless you plan on going body surfing/struggling with your cloths on.

How to save big money on internet service

Stop flushing your money down the toilet sign-up now while it's still in beta testing.

http://www.google.com/tisp/

(Belated) Congratulations to Steve Martin and Johnny McEuen

 

  

The Crow: 
New Songs For The Five-String Banjo 
won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album.

Alex de Grassi's "Turning: Turning Back" played by Pierre Fortin

I hope that this can be viewed in full screen so you can see his left hand as well as his right hand. If not, just go to Youtube and type in Pierre Fortin.

What a goof!

This one is for Diane

Diane, I know that you have enjoyed this guy before, mostly recognizing that he looks as if he is hardly playing the guitar at all. Anyway, I thought this shuffle was right down your alley, and might just generate a smile.

The results are in

Of the photo shoot, that is. We finally got a real photographer with a real camera, instead of a fan with a cellphone. And, along with the usual bunch of bar gigs south of Market, we just got booked at the new, 600-seat Freight and Salvage for April the 25th.

Sandy Rothman / Steve Pottier

Tony this ones for you. If you don't have this cd in your collection you should. Its a great chance to A-B a great D-18 and D-28. On the cd Rothman is playing a 1955 D-28 right Ch. and Pottier a 1963 D-18 Left Ch. This cd is now out of print but still available if you look around. The playing is brilliant.

I'm not sure what guitar he's playing on the video but still great stuff. Enjoy!

Anyone remember Dick Rosmini?

Don't Even Ask!

Hunting the Haggis

72nd National Folk Festival, Butte, Montana, July 9-11

I think this is the last year it will be in Montana -- and there's still time to apply......

http://www.nationalfolkfestival.com/2010/getinvolved_perform.php

The Silent Fool

A snappy little tune for a dreary Monday Morning!

This should get us all busy, idle hands are the work of the devil. hahahahahahahaha!