WHAT YOU MAY FIND HERE

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

Saturday, January 30, 2021

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

The title cut from the progressive grass group The Trailblazers new album Space and Time.


Jonah Horton - Mandolin Will Thrailkill - Bass Daniel Thrailkill - Guitar Alex Edwards - Banjo

Monday, January 25, 2021

Geography Div (Judgmental subsection)

I've put up "Judgmental Maps" products before, but they always dealt with US states and cities. 

Happened across this - - seems the idea has spread abroad. Here's Hungary.



Saturday, January 23, 2021

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div ( Slovakian subsection)

The international growth of Bluegrass Music has really been amazing. Here's a band from Slovakia, Blueland doing Michael Murphy's Carolina in the Pines or "Vždy keď ráno."


Miloš "Miki" Tomka - guitar, lead vocals Stanislav "Sancho" Tomka - acoustic bass Pavol "Reyo" Daňo - mandolin, baritone vocals Ralph Schut - banjo, tenor vocals

Monday, January 18, 2021

Geography Div (Fortification subsection)

 Seems our nations capital is being turned into an armed camp to prevent the orange horde from destroying it (and leaving the Democrats yet another mess to clean up).

Yet there was a time when the District was really a fortified entity -- Here's what it looked like in 1865.





Saturday, January 16, 2021

A Little Saturdar Nite Bluegrass Div

Another band from the Colorado bluegrass scene, Turkeyfoot. Here doing Red Bandana.


Alex Koukov - Banjo, Bridger Dunnagan - Fiddle, Dave Pailet - Guitar, Jordan Brandenburg - Guitar and Michael Rudolph - Bass

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Sitting in that front seat Div

Today, Mrs Bear voiced her displeasure and utter bewilderment concerning the events of the past week.

I can't help but agree with her, but I said we have a front seat on history. How many people are allowed that? 
I remember a high school classmate telling me (while at Arizona State University) that President Kennedy had been killed.

I remember listening to the AFRTS broadcast of the Apollo 11 descent and landing on the moon while in a Minuteman ICBM Launch Control Center in central Montana.

I remember watching the Nixon hearings (to the aggravation of my crew mates) while sitting alert behind a nuclear strike aircraft at Minot AFB, ND.

I remember the consternation during the Iranian takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran and my fellow Officer's dismay when President Carter cancelled the B-1 bomber program.

I remember President Reagan being shot and having to replace the Presidential authenticators.

I remember the Beirut bombing and my Joint Staff USMC team chief being detailed to Lebanon (and his subsequent tales of recon missions with the Israelis).

911 ..... the employees asking me how, as a pilot, an airplane could possibly have struck one of the Towers ..... and then, watching the second one hit.
The Pentagon employee whose car failed to start who said he was so lucky and booked a trip to WDW.
Sitting on my deck under the final approach route to BWI and hearing nothing.

(I won't go into my surviving cancer or the death of my wife)

The three days of sleeplessness and anger when DJT was elected as President.

Watching the Republicans fail to consider any evidence and fail to convict him during impeachment.

Seeing an armed, angry mob attack our Capitol during a joint session of the Congress in order to upset the results of a duly constituted and administered election.

Watching his supporters scatter, like cockroaches exposed to a sudden light, attempt to justify, condone, support and deflect his seditious role in the insurrection and their role in it.

Like I said, having a front seat on history can be an honor ....... however fiightening. 

Monday, January 11, 2021

Geography Div (Navigation Upset subsection)

 Everyone who has ever had to navigate an airplane knows the difference between "True" and "Magnetic" compass bearings. 

It seems that they are moving apart more rapidly.




Saturday, January 9, 2021

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Hey, we Playa the Bluegrass subsection)

I realize we're all tired of Mr Zoom. Mrs Bear's vocal quartet can only practice in person (eight feet apart and outside -- which during the winter is really hard) 
It's even harder to put together a performance.
Bluedust seems to have managed it with Kentucky Lincoln Breakdown from their album Travelin'.
I guess they'll have to since they hail from Italy !!


Dino Barbe - Banjo, Josh Villa - Mandolin, Tony Spezzano - Lead Guitar, Perry Meroni - Rythmn Guitar and Stefano Zanrosso - Bass




Monday, January 4, 2021

Geography Div (Aged Voter subsection)

There's lots being said about the influence of younger voters on our political future. Here's a breakdown of the median ages by congressional district.


 

Saturday, January 2, 2021

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Phil Ledbetter has parlayed on his recent bout with cancer and has organized a core band for his All Stars of Bluegrass concert series. From the new album Swing For The Fences, Here's an instrumental track written by band members Alan Bibey and Jason Burleson. Avery Stokes.


Phil on reso-guitar, Robert Hale on guitar, Jason Burleson on banjo, Alan Bibey on mandolin, and Steve Gulley on bass.