WHAT YOU MAY FIND HERE

RANTS, RAVINGS and RUMINATIONS along with
RAUCOUS RIBALDRY and RAMBLING REFLECTIONS

Monday, July 27, 2015

Geography Div (Let's pick on someone subsection)

A while back the minibears picked on Texas. Time for someone else to get the needle (again).


Saturday, July 25, 2015

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div - (Goin' to the Church and Gonna get Married Subsection)

One year ago tomorrow I reunited with a wonderful, talented lady that I met 36 years ago. Tomorrow, we will be married and will spend the rest of our lives growing old together.
Judy, this one's for you.



Donna Ulisse - Guitar and lead Vocal, Greg Davis - Banjo, Jon Martin - Mandolin, Bobby King - Bass   Rick Stanley - Guitar and Scott Neubert - Dobro.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Geography Div (Gimme Shelter subsection)

While old Bears can find a nice hollow tree or cave, most of us have to pay to live somewhere. That means there must be income ........ but how much ??

Map showing how much per hour a minimum wage worker would need to earn to afford a two-bedroom rental unit
Time to #RaiseTheWage
The National Low Income Housing Coalition's annual housing report has been released and it once again shows the dramatic divide between average housing prices and income in the United States.
In order to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment in the U.S., renters need to earn a wage of $19.35 per hour. In 13 states and the District of Columbia they need to earn more than $20 per hour. The Housing Wage for a two-bedroom unit is more than two and a half times the federal minimum wage of $7.25, and $4 more than the estimated average wage of $15.16 earned by renters nationwide.
Take a look at the NLIHC maps to see how your state stacks up:
Map showing how much per hour a minimum wage worker would need to earn to afford a two-bedroom rental unit
Time to #RaiseTheWage
Hours needed to afford housing at minimum wage in the US
attribution: http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/oor/OOR_2015_FULL.pdf

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Love Div (Letting Go Subsection)

Earlier this evening, I scattered the ashes of my late wife Diana.
I'm back in Maryland packing up the house for my move to the Black Hills. So many memories and reminisces.
I went down to a place on the Little Patuxent River, which flows nears our home of 22 years, sat on the bank and had a long talk (and yes, a cry) with her telling her of how much I loved our life together, our home, her cooking and how devastated I was when she passed away so suddenly. I told her that a smidgen of her ashes were placed in a Chico's store and that some would be spread in places from her childhood that held special memories.
While standing in the water and scattering one handful at a time, I told her of the journey she would be taking - down the Little Patuxent to the Middle Patuxent to the Patuxent, the Chesapeake Bay and finally, the Atlantic to join with her brother.
As I was walking away, I turned back to look at the river and think about my letting go. A heron came  in and landed to start his fishing -- I couldn't help but think that her spirit was there saying "it's ok."
When I got home, I mixed a manhattan (her favorite cocktail) and Judy (my fiancé ) and I mixed a portion of her remains with the whiskey and poured it over the roses she planted just before she passed away. I hope she's happy.


Goodbye Diana, enjoy the journey - I'll never forget -- Bear

Saturday, July 18, 2015

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Here's an oldie but goodie written in 1949 - Sugarfoot Rag, done by Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out.



Russell Moore - Guitar & Lead Vocal, Wayne Benson - Mandolin, Justen Haynes -Fiddle,  Edgar Loudermilk - Bass and Steve Dilling - Banjo.



Monday, July 13, 2015

Geography Div (More from the Summer Vacation subsection)

Well, as Elmer Fudd (and a host of politicians, pundits and putzes) has been known to say: Be afwaid, be vwerry afwaid."
If you're still planning, you might want to look at this:


DRIVE SAFELY !!

Saturday, July 11, 2015

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

A really great old spiritual, I'll Fly Away, here done instrumentally by (then) 89 year-old Doc Watson accompanied by the Nashville Bluegrass Band. This was Doc's final performance at Merlefest in 2012.


The Nashville Bluegrass Band: Alan O'Bryant - Banjo, Pat Enright - Guitar,  Mike
Compton - Mandolin, Stuart Duncan - Fiddle and Andy Todd - Bass.
...... and of course Doc Watson.

PS - today is also my Mom's 93rd birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM !

Monday, July 6, 2015

Geography Div (Austerity subsection)

Guess how the Greeks feel about bailing out the bankers ??


06-07-2015 02:51

Registered9.858.508
Reporting100,00 %
Voted62,50 %
Invalid/Blank5,80 %

61,31 %
38,69 %

H/T Huffington Post