Happy New Years Eve!

I liked this post last New Years Eve. It will be a repeat every year at this time.

Only four at the time, I was probably sleeping at midnight, Little did I know, Guy Lombardo was a yearly visitor at our house. A bit of nostalgic look back from me to you

as we get ready to ring in the new year.

Do you know all the words when you are singing? Me neither. Here they are.

From

http://military.rightpundits.com/2009/12/31/auld-lang-syne-lyrics-happy-new-year/

Auld Lang Syne - Lyrics

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And auld lang syne?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

For auld lang syne,

We’ll tak a cup of kindness yet,

For auld lang syne!

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp,

And surely I’ll be mine,

And we’ll tak a cup o kindness yet,

For auld lang syne!

We twa hae run about the braes,

And pou’d the gowans fine,

But we’ve wander’d monie a weary fit,

Sin auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn

Frae morning sun till dine,

But seas between us braid hae roar’d

Sin auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand my trusty fiere,

And gie’s a hand o thine,

And we’ll tak a right guid-willie waught,

For auld lang syne

Auld Lang Syne Lyrics - Meanings

auld lang syne - times gone by

be - pay for

braes - hills

braid - broad

burn - stream

dine - dinner time

fiere - friend

fit - foot

gowans - daisies

guid-willie waught - goodwill drink

monie - many

morning sun - noon

paidl’t - paddled

pint-stowp - pint tankard

pou’d - pulled

twa - two

Auld Lang Syne’ is a song that is from the Robert Burns Scottish poem written in 1788. The song is sung to the tune of a traditional folk song, Roud #6294. It is generally sung as we ring in the New Year at the stroke of midnight. The modern day definition of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ is translated from the Scottish to the English as ‘for old times sake’ or ‘to the good old days’. Yes, we seem to think that Scottish, Irish and Welsh are the same as English, but they aren’t. When the British Empire became the United Kingdom, they tried to incorporate the Scottish, Welsh and Irish people into the Empire, but there was a time when they were all individual cultures with their own languages and their own cultures. Many continue to keep the memories of their own cultures and languages and work to keep them as they once were.

For Kodachrome Fans, Road Ends at Photo Lab in Kansas

by A. G. SULZBERGER

click on the reporters name for the link.

It all ends today for the ionic kodak film that changed how we looked at photographs.  Like many other things in life we grew up with, like LP's changing over to CD's, there will be some that say the feel and quality of pictures will never be the same. Here is a salute to the billions of out of focus pictures stuck in boxes in basements and attics around the world, capturing that singular moment we cherished for a moment, forgotten forever.

Paul Simon said it best didn't he! This song came out in 1973! 

Why back in 1973, I was this many fingers old...

Some more info:

Kodachrome film first hit the photography market in 1936 and on June 22, 2009, Kodak officially retired Kodachrome color transparency film after 74 years. Any photographer who ever took a picture has fond memories of this film and probably a few thousand 35mm Kodachrome slides stashed in a closet somewhere. Paul Simon immortalized Kodachrome film and the Nikon camera with this song in 1973.

Lyrics to Kodachrome:

When I think back on all the crap I've learned in high school
It's a wonder I can think at all
Though my lack of education hasn't hurt me much
I can read the writings on the walls

Kodachrome, they give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world's a sunny day, oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera, I love to take a photograph
So mama don't take my Kodachrome away

If you took all the girls I knew when I was single
Brought 'em all together for one night
I know they'd never match my sweet imagination
Everything looks worse in black and white

Mama don't take my Kodachrome away . . .

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Quiet dogs, sleeping dogs, when dachshunds are at their best, all snuggled up for warmth on the only chair they are allowed on.We kept this chair just for them.  My daughter will love this picture.  Count them, one-two-three-four! Where are the other three dogs? Missing from the picture, two beagles and a black lab. Out of room. Yes, that's right, seven dogs, sigh!

On Facebook, Me?

I guess I have swallowed the cool aid. I have become more active on facebook after having my account in hibernation for a very long time.

ya wanna be friends? Find me under Raymond J Denzel on facebook! It might be fun.

Be my friend Godfather?

Sing It Like A Rockstar

Whom among us has not grabbed whatever was handy and used it as a microphone and sang as loud as one could to their favorite(s) songs. A nice mix of stars and average people having fun in this video. Sing it loud and shake off the holiday blues! That is not me in my underwear playing guitar ( contrary to popular rumors ! ).


There are no heros coming to the rescue.

Picture Perfect

I am borrowing this picture used in the blog today from A Suitable Wardrobe which can be seen in its entirety in my blog roll reading list. Impeccably dressed in black and tan from a scene from the King's Speech. What struck me though is how beautiful the woman is. They make a dashing couple don't they? He looks very vulnerable, she is by his side, very supportive. He is a lucky man.

We should all look so good!

Mood Setting Pictures

Sometimes a picture will say much more then words. I have a problem with dealing with the holidays. have for a long time. Guys have mood swings too ladies.  I have used the following pictures a few times with my poems. I thought i would feature them now. I found them online somewhere. I owe a debt of thanks.

sometimes, that is how it feels.

A Twaddle Birthday!

I have not done something like this before and I dare say I won't again. If I am lucky I will get a smile in return!

A Merry Danish Australian Christmas to you!

A familiar picture I know!

And now for some music to bring back a bit of your youthful memories!

I always wondered, "Why Cuba?"

do you play in the rain

and answering the musical question

are you old enough?

loving the 40's tune

another fav

and one more I think

A gift from afar( very far )

Happy Birthday Linda

and many more!

Ray!

And So This Is Christmas-John Lennon

Merry Christmas everyone!

A Little Something To Warm The Cockles Of Your Heart

Purple People Eaters

Even though I am from Chicago, and have been in Florida since 1988, I still remember old style football played in all kinds of weather. As kids, we did our best to emulate the pros. That meant playing in freezing, ground hard as a rock,  weather. It made me laugh that one of the Minnesota Viking players said the field was too hard and the weather too cold!

If you talk like that and feel like that you will lose. The Vikings lost. It wasn't always that way. A different breed of player back then.

Football teams had colorful nicknames back then. None better then The Purple People Eaters!

Defensive tackle Alan Page

Defensive end Carl Eller

Defensive end Jim Marshall

Defensive Gary Larsen

Another name was 3 dots and a dash, a reference to 3 black players and one white player.

Coach Bud Grant

Coach Bud Grant was a legend with the Vikings. No matter how cold it was, he always wore a baseball cap. 

Memories can be good or bad when one looks back. These go in the good pile! 

Tough guys played back then for the love of the game.

                          

Continuing The Christmas Theme

Light it up !

Christmas Poems

Here are a couple of Christmas poems I did awhile ago. I hope you like them.

Thursday, December 24 2009

A Christmas Thought

the day arrives

long wait over

excitement

anticipation

giving

getting

downside though

felt by many

feeling blue

empty feeling

one day

does not

make a year

happiness squeezed

24 hours

gifts are nice

feelings shared

a kind word

best gift

of all

to be loved

to love someone

all year round

best gift of all

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Christmas Shopping

time of year

shopping time

olden days

weather would put

one in the mood

days grow shorter

nights grow longer

had ideas

what to buy

look in wallet

fiances meager

thoughts flittered about

thinking what said

likes and dislikes

many to buy for

what to get

plenty of time

will get to it

shopping at the mall

shuddering at the thought

not man's forte

hunter not gatherer

pressure builds

must get done

how many days

until Christmas

oh my

last day

time gone

time wasted

off to shop

shelves are bare

must buy now

on the run

store to store

one for this one

one for that one

sweating now

clock is ticking

music in background

all a blur

dragging bags

doors close soon

one left to buy for

as see on TV

that will do

done

that wasn't bad

shopping done

six hours or less

that was fun

wrap the gifts?

oh no!

You know you need to lose weight when.....

You are standing on a corner and a cop comes by and tells you
"You are going to have to break it up"

You step on a scale and all it can say is" ERROR."

You step on a scale and it says "Sorry, only one person at a time please."

sigh

Where is the paper? I used to do that!

 I have had many jobs in my lifetime, none of them glamourous. One of the most thankless is delivering newspapers. Once the ideal way of making money as a kid growing up, it has been the job of many an adult for along time.

It is a lonely job. You arrive very late at night in a cold and enter a dimly lit warehouse where other people are gathered waiting for the truck to arrive with the latest papers literally hot off the press. You stake out a work space, a plywood bench that has a nail on it. The nail is used to hold a package of plastic sleeves, As you roll the papers up, you grab the edge and shove it in. The plastic protects the paper from the elements, rain and sprinkler heads that can ruin the paper. If it is raining out, it is advised to double bag to keep things dry.

You must work quickly, too long inside means a longer delivery time on the road. The route you drive has been all mapped out, house location, special notes and so on. Everything looks different at night time.

The quietness of the road, the thunk thunk of the papers hitting the driveway, the headlights piercing the darkness, makes one wonder why do it at all.  Some have done it for years, some to save some money for something special. But the costs of driving are many. Tires, brakes, gas, it all adds up.

But you are tired, all the time. If it is a second job, many times you leave for your regular job soon after you are done.  The hours are strange, your sleep is always broken. The only way to make money is to deliver many papers, you are paid by the piece, slightly higher on Sunday. Tired, tired tired.

The weather can be your friend or your worst enemy. On a beautiful night it makes it bearable, on a cold or rainy night it is a brutal foe. I thought of that this morning as I went out for the paper. It brought back memories, not happy ones.

It is a job that is going away. But this is a quick post to shed a light on one of the jobs no one knows or thinks about in the early morning.

Thunk, thunk, thunk.

What is in my Strawberry Shake?

Awhile ago I told you what is in a McDonald's chicken nuggets, such as anti-foaming agents. So You Really Want To Eat That?

Now the following from the book "Fast Food Nation", a description of what is in a typical Burger King strawberry shake. You will be surprised at the list of ingredients that your are drinking. Oh so yummy!

A typical artificial strawberry flavor, like the kind found in a Burger King strawberry milk shake, contains the following ingredients: 


amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone (10 percent solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, g-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent.


I am sure that Burger King does not stand alone. Beware of any food package that has in the ingredients any mention of "natural flavors". It not much different then artificial flavors and colors. 


Do you want food dye with that order?


Mmmmmm, mouth watering isn't it?

City Of Angels

A well crafted song, nice video. I am betting you know the words too.

It's Graduation Day!

I don't like to highlight one of my kids accomplishments over another, but I will in this case. One of my daughters, Dana,  graduated this past Saturday from Florida State University with a degree in exercise science from the College of Human Sciences.

To say she was sorely tested over the last 4 plus years would be an understatement. Just as a quick example, she had told me she spent  24 hours straight in the school library to prepare for one of her last finals prior to the graduation ceremony. As anyone who has that very special paper nicely framed hanging up on the wall knows what it took to get there.

But she is not done yet. She has applied to three different schools to continue her education as she wants to get her masters in the same field of study. Her end goal is to open a wellness center of her own.

We had taken off the last four days to allow for travel to the school in Tallahassee, Florida, which is the state capital located in the northwest section of the state. Travel time is about 7 hours on average. We also helped her pack up her stuff to bring back home as she awaits word on what school she will attend and she will need to find related work to start paying off the tuition bills that wait in the wings.

The ceremony was held in the civic center which is used for the basket ball teams and various concerts.

She is down there, but it is more like a game of "Where is Waldo?" 

We did find her.

One of the many processions throughout the morning.

Finally

With one of her favorite teachers

where it all happened

showing us around

Yea I did it!!!!!

sharing the moment with friends

from left to right

Bobby Moore Jr., Dana, Lauren Price, Erin Moore

We treated them at Applebee's the night before.

Very tired parents sharing a moment with the new graduate

I am wearing a FSU shirt she gave me!

The second floor apartment she stayed at the final year

oh, so many steps

The rental van, packed to the top with all her stuff, it served us well

Be careful opening the doors!

Not a palm tree in sight in northern Florida

A chilly, rainy Sunday morning.

This adventure is over for now. But as any parent knows, over does not mean over.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing in our daughters big moment. Her diploma should arrive in early January.

The diploma frame is waiting!

Bye for now.

The Black Night

Sometimes this is how I feel, nothing seems to be going my way. But keep on fighting the good fight!



What took me so long to post something from Monty Python! It won't be the last I assure you.

No Static At All

Steely Dan from their album Aja "Fm ( No Static At All )

It gets the body swaying........

Feeling Fragile Myself

A couple of days ago, my all time sports hero Ron Santo died at the age of 70. Growing up in Chicago as a Cubs fan, I wanted to be like him. I always played 3rd base, wore the number 10, batted right handed but never even got close to being the player he was. That was ok.

I lived and died with how he played and how the Cubs did each game. More downs then ups over the years, but it is what it is.

That is it. The last of my childhood hero's are gone. I have no more.

70 seems old doesn't it? Not when one is 58. I have a sense of emptiness about me right about now. Life many times doesn't work out like one would hope.

Does It Matter

Calling out
to the sky
no answer
to be had
in return
Just the quiet
as an answer

was it enough
what was done
did it matter
does it
ever
matter

holding back
the oceans
of lost
opportunity
fix
patch
repair
to no avail

rip tides pull
one out to sea
fight the current
swept away
no one knows
a finger
in the water
leaves no mark

was it really
a wonderful life
mr stewart
no wings
no angels
no echo
in the night

fragile
vulnerable
unable
to shake
the doubts
of worth

doubts that
set in
tend to
linger

Keep The Drawing In The Lines.....

Sometimes inspiration comes to a stop. The words that were dancing in my head seemed to have slowed down since I did the "wedding vows" for the lady at work. It is a mystery and I am awaiting something to happen.

But there seems an awakening in another form of drawing. I will see where this goes, but so far it has been satisfying. Here are some recent attempts.

The first one is a drawing I made from an  exercise I used in my instruction art book.  It is a knight on a horse. The trick was to turn the picture upside down and then draw it. My drawing was done upside down, and I had no idea what it would look like until I was done.

First the book....

and then my attempt, remember I did this upside down.

I got restless afterwards looking for something else to draw. I had gotten a hand drawn thank you card from my neighbor which looks like this.

This is what I did.

The horse I drew upside down, the man right side up. Which makes me wonder, how does drawing up-side down help the mind draw?

Anyway, not all music, or thoughts, or poems, there might be more to me to be unearthed, a lump of coal to turn into a diamond! The book does say a self portrait is in order. Must get back to work...

Are You Sure That Is My Waistline You Just Measured?

Yesterday, our company had a "health bus" come to our store and give employees a quick thumbnail sketch of the current health status of ones self.

It was quick and relatively painless. A pin prick on the finger to measure cholesterol, hop on the scale, measure your height,  a handheld device to measure your bmi index and body fat  ( a two hand control that sends a small electrical charge through the body),   blood pressure,  pulse,  and go over the results.

I am in great shape if I happen to be 7 ft 1 instead of 6 ft 1 and if I was 80 years old instead of 58. Actually, some figures were high, some were borderline, only my pulse was perfect.

The scale confirmed that Thanksgiving meals and leftovers should be banned!

It also confirmed that just because you can get into a smaller pair of pants doesn't mean they fit. That damn hangover!

I had drifted away lately from paying attention to the amount of what I was eating, succumbing to some sweet snacks on the way to work, things that have been working for me for the last few months.

My right knee had also been hurting a lot lately, been limping at times, ( torn meniscus ) and forcing me to skip some walks.

Many of us were reluctant to go for the check up, I am glad I did.

Sometimes you need a gentle nudge to get going down the right path again, sometimes it takes a baseball bat to the back of the head!

Still woozy from the bat, I thought I would share my stuff.

Summer Wind

When I was a  bartender back in the day, at one particular venue I would use music to set the mood for the night, hoping the ladies would enjoy the selections. Yes, it was all a plan! Musical seduction I called it.

Frank Sinatra was still big back then.

Some songs are timeless. This is one of them.

Shake Off The Stuffing, Play The Funky Music

All the groaning should have subsided by now. The swollen belly reshaping it's self. Out and about for Black Friday. Another song from my walk list to help you along!

Happy Thanksgiving

Norman Rockwell did it best.

click on title for picture link.

"Work Horse" Part Two

I guess I had too much time on my hands last night. When I received this water color, I thought I might try to draw it myself.  Last night was the perfect time. It is not a tracing in case you are wondering. Thank goodness it is a bit longer in length. Stupid light!

My son looked at my drawing and said he can do better, one upping me as the case may be.

This is his effort. I might have been out done!

Recent addition!
College daughter said to remember she can draw too!

I think she outdid me too!

Jump and Jive and Wail

The key I think to playing music as you run or workout or in my case a lot of walking, is to make sure it blocks out how boring it is what you are doing. I have 400 to 500 songs that get the heart beat and your step going.

This is one of them. That is the way to dance!

I Will Focus-- I Will Focus-- I Will Focus-- Look A Chicken!!!!

Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care

Just a bunch of guys having some fun!
the bearded guy, jeff lyne from elo, tom petty, bob dylan, roy orbison, and george harrison

Enough Is Enough, Don't Fly Damn It!!!!

Money talks. It takes millions of dollars each day to run an airline. Almost all of the money comes from you the passenger. Yea, Yea, I know, 9-11.

9-11 is used as a reason for everything that goes on today.  9-11 this, 9-11 that. Put them through this, put them through that.  They want to get there quickly, flying is the only way. They will put up with it.

They cross the line again and again. Slowly take away your privacy and rights in exchange for security. You are getting neither.

They are taking away your freedom. And humiliating you at the same time.

Cancel that flight. Take a train. Drive your car.  Don't put up with this crap anymore.

Empty planes? Do you think they would notice that maybe they have stepped over the line this time. and last time, and the time before? Just maybe things would change.

Do you want to go over seas?  Take a cruise ship.  Not a vacation cruise, but a boat to get from one place to another.

I guess we have to go back to a simpler time.

Of course, unless you think it is all a good idea, until it is your turn.

Work Horse!

Work Horse

This is a copy of the art work I was given!

I have been helping out my next door neighbor with some outside work the last  few weeks. Some landscaping here and there. 

A small thing actually but with big results to the outside look of her house. She has been very happy with the effort on my part. I had volunteered. It was unexpected. I wanted to do something, expected nothing, in fact I had repeated many times nothing was expected back from her.

Instead I was bestowed a treasure of some of her art work. It is framed and ready to hang in a special place in my home. It came in a basket with other goodies, a fine book on how to draw and some of my favorite beer which will not go to waste, I can assure you. I knew she was an artist but had no clue how prolific and world renown she was.  

To walk into her house is to view an art gallery upon her walls. Stunning and mesmerizing. Her son is an artist as well. His work also adorns the walls. Art everywhere! One can not take it all in with glance.

If the art work (which is a reproduction of an original water color) is the perception of how outsiders see me, I am very pleased. I am still stunned with her generosity.  Her art is very witty, pointed commentary, droll sense of humor, a way of thinking I am very familiar with.  I told her I would write about her, which also surprised her.

Please check out her website. I think you will be pleased with your effort and time.

Rollin McGrail

rollinmcgrail.com

So You Really Want To Eat That?

Oh Yummy, Chicken Mc Nuggets.
Kids love it!
So Tasty!
So what is in a Nugget?
Chicken , right?

And?

Do you put dimethylpolysiloxane, an anti-foaming agent made of silicone, in your chicken dishes?

How about tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a chemical preservative so deadly that just five grams can kill you?

These are just two of the ingredients in a McDonalds Chicken McNugget. Only 50 percent of a McNugget is actually chicken. The other 50 percent includes corn derivatives, sugars, leavening agents and completely synthetic ingredients.

Some more stuff such as

"White boneless chicken, water, food starch-modified, salt, seasoning (autolyzed yeast extract, salt, wheat starch, natural flavoring (botanical source), safflower oil, dextrose, citric acid, rosemary), sodium phosphates, seasoning (canola oil, mono- and diglycerides, extractives of rosemary).

Battered and breaded with: water, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), yellow corn flour, food starch-modified, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium lactate), spices, wheat starch, whey, corn starch.

Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent."

Antifoaming agent?

According to McDonald's, their chicken nuggets are "made with white meat, wrapped up in a crisp tempura batter." But as the article above shows, these chicken nuggets are a far cry from what you might expect, based on that description.

About half of it is actual chicken. The rest is a mix of corn-derived fillers and additives (most likely genetically modified), along with a slew of synthetic chemicals, including:

• Dimethyl polysiloxane, a type of silicone with anti-foaming properties used in cosmetics and a variety of other goods like Silly Putty
• Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a petroleum-based product with antioxidant properties

The latter, TBHQ, is typically listed as an "antioxidant," but it's important to realize it is a SYNTHETIC chemical with antioxidant properties – NOT a natural antioxidant.

The chemical prevents oxidation of fats and oils, thereby extending shelf life of processed foods. It's a commonly used ingredient in processed foods of all kinds, but you can also find it in varnishes, lacquers, pesticide products, as well as cosmetics and perfumes to reduce the evaporation rate and improve stability.

Yummy?

Any other reasons needed to not eat at Mickey D's? I guess if the only other choice is no food at all.

click on title for more information.

Today It's Your Birthday-Happy Birthday To You!!

Yep today is my birthday, November 15th, 19 something or other. Feeling older or younger, depends on my mood and the time of day. Of course I need a musical salute, so here we go!

Sunset Grill

I can't believe this song came out in 1984. it became a favorite of mine immediately. Where has the time gone?

The following tells about the grill in question, information I was unaware of until now.

Sunset Grill" is a song by Don Henley from his 1984 album Building the Perfect Beast. The song peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart in January 1985. Released as the fourth single from the album in August 1985, it peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1985.
Patty Smyth sings harmony vocals on this song, while Pino Palladino plays fretless bass. Randy Newman arranged the synthesizer programming for the song.
The title and lyrics of the song reference the Sunset Grill, a hamburger restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California.

Copyright: Warner Chappell


This song is for Deborah at Fashion Plate. I hope you like it.