RainyDay

What a beautiful baby girl!

Oh how I love First Light. I would kill to have seen him play it live. Think I will play it now.

Our computer network. Our whole technology thing is a mess. The network sometimes takes 'ludes and takes for freaking ever to open programs, documents, or e-mails. Our e-mail system is totally farked up. I have to keep a Yahoo account so I don't miss e-mails. This was on the advice of our info systems personnel. I have deadline driven work so this is a bit of a problem for me. The printer went out and wasn't fixed for well over a month. One day the printer decided it wanted "rough paper" from tray 1 and we couldn't print from trays that accommodate reams of paper and quickly prints out documents. Now there are traffic jams in the printer/copy room. We ran out of copy/printer paper and had to scrounge up colored paper to print out documents. One of my counterparts at another agency asked me when we were attending a regional meeting why my boss and I had pink agendas. I felt like the poor kid with holes in my shoes. One day my boss used the electric pencil sharpener and the electric stapler next to it started spitting staples at him. So you'd hear the "whrrrr" of the sharpener than "bang, bang, bang!" When I went into the copy room after him, there staples all over the floor. A common shout around here is "Is your e-mail working?" Another department in this megopolis I work for was without e-mail for about a year. Today is the blood drive. On top of frozen salaries, more employee contributions to benefits, nothing electronic that is working properly, they now want my blood. But I have a job so it's cool.

Mine are all live moments: The first time I saw Kenny Garrett. It was at Stanford U. about three summers ago and I couldn't close my mouth for a week. It was like watching a train that was coming at you and just kept on coming at you. Amazing. He has incredible stamina and he just draws you in to what he's doing. He likes to interact with his audience and make like a revival or something. And Chris Dave on drums is a monster. Ron Carter playing a solo "Willow Weep for Me" at Yoshi's last year. At the end, the last note hung in the air and there wasn't a sound in the whole place. Then applause and people leaping to their feet. It was the middle of the set, too. He was appearing with McCoy. Michael Brecker playing a solo of "Naima" with Hancock, et. al. on the Coltrane/Davis tribute tour at Zellerback at UC Berkeley. I was not very familiar with his work and tended to associate him with "lighter" jazz. He was incredible. Just blew everyone away. Wayne Shorter a year and half ago at the Masonic in SF. He let little Branford Marsalis open for him ( ) then Shorter came out and showed the youngster how to get the job done. Man, it was really something. Sun Ra at UC Berkeley Jazz Festival a zillion years ago. I don't remember anything about the performance except the feeling. He was amazing and unique. I'd never seen anything like him before or since.

This was a good episode but I was taken at some point by how unlikable these guys are. There was that idyllic comraderie that existed bwteen Tony B and Chris up in the country then Tony S shows up and it all changes. Chris' eternal pouting, and the relentless insults from both Tonys. Tony jabbing at Janice until she flips out. What dysfunctional families the blood relatives and business associates are. I think Tony had a hard time seeing Janice clean up her act and he wanted to bring her down. Like he got on Chris for his sobriety and being such a wet blanket. Tony S sows seeds of discontent everywhre he goes and he delights in it. And I loved that Carmela told the school counselor she was going back to Tony. I expect him to move to the North Pole.

I've seen this band twice also at the Masonic in SF. The first time I saw him with this band was the first time I'd seen him in many years and it was good but not knock your socks off great. The second time I saw them they smoked. Branford Marsalis played first on a double bill and when Shorter came out, he mopped the floor with everybody within reach. I will never forget that show. It was unreal. I am going to see Shorter, Hancock, Patitucci, Holland, and Blade play together next month at a SF Jazz Festival concert. Happy Birthday to me!

Busted. B)

Well, Dennis Gonzalez tells a great story (or series of stories) about the recording of Desert Wind, which makes me want to have it very much.

Colonial doughnuts on Lakeshore in Oakland. Am I the only person who doesn't care for Krispy Kremes? Too light or something. I like my doughnuts to have some substance.

You're absolutely right, and I'm sorry I posted the thread about Elvin's unconfirmed passing. I have deleted it. I usually wait until news like that is confirmed, but I thought the source mentioned in the first post of this thread was reliable. My mistake, and I apologize. JAW: Thank you for deleting the thread.

The Wednesday farmer's market at work has great tamales. Pork, thank you. There's a guy who makes at least one trip a day down my street selling tamales. For the longest, I couldn't figure what he was saying, I'd just hear this shouting coming and going and I thought it was just another crazy. Then I saw him with the shopping cart and realized he was speaking Spanish. Haven't tried them yet. When I first moved here. a young couple used to sell them every Saturday afternoon door to door. Six for $5. Delicious. Boy, do I miss them. What about the papusa? I had a homemade papusa and I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. A big thick corn tortilla stuffed with cheese and grilled. By the way, Happy Cinco De Mayo!

I wasn't aware there were any "white chicks" left in the contest. One young lady is Asian/Filipina, yes? I thought the band was just okay and most of arrangements not terribly memorable. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...BAG6U6FUJS1.DTL

I saw that show also. He also played guitar while sitting on a stool and just riffed on some old R&B classics. Did you catch him opening the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? He smoked. Maceo was with him that night too.

I have Prince tickets for the Oakland Arena in September and I am stoked (can an "old" lady say that?). I'm taking the teen age rock and roll goddaughter and we are going to party like it's 2004. I've never seen him before so I am really looking forward to this.

Well, as a representative of the (epletive deleted) group in question, What's New? (How is the world treating you?) I've heard rumors it's our fault about that WMD thing, too.

Sold out for the whole run or for individual sets? My Yoshi's experience: Oscar Peterson sells out his entire run at Yoshi's. One set a night for four nights or so. McCoy always sells out some if not all of his 8 PM sets. Two sets a night for usually six nights, over two weeks, playing with two different bands. Probably Pharoah sells out some. Diana Krall sold out in a matter of hours. Two runs of two days each, two sets a night. Harry Connick, Jr., two sets for one night. Kenny Garrett at least some 8PM sets. Pete Escovedo 'cos Oakland is home for him (was home). Christian McBride Toshiko Akiyosh - You can't near Yoshi's when she's playing there. You can't even get into the restaurant for a crust of bread. The place is packed. I think Ray Brown probably sold out some sets Elvin probably did

Apropos of nothing but every time I see this thread, I think it says "Any elderly reggae fans in here?" And it makes me smile because it makes no sense. Okay, carry on.

But that's the whole point. Tony S is guilt ridden that he had an anxiety attack and Tony B went to the big house. Tony B is a screw up you wouldn't want to touch your car but Tony S is dealing with his own demons.

I think the Carmela story is interesting about her being backed into a corner and ironic that she wants her fair share of the spoils from Tony's illegal activities. Tony was right when he told her she was fine being the lady of the manor when he was bringing in the money to her. She made a deal with the devil and now she's stuck. Her daughter doesn't even have sympathy for her. I also find the story about Meadow's boyfriend Finn analogous to Carmela's situation. Backed into a corner. He knows he can't leave his job or his girlfriend or Vito will take him out. So to be protected, he has to stay so he proposes marriage. Good episode last night.

Thank you Rainy Day.. BTW, I lived in Oakland from Dec '85 to Nov '89. I lived at 3000 Nicol st. For 2 of those years I was a member of the San Francisco Mime Troupe. You practically lived right around the corner from me! Those were also the years I caught the Mime Troupe regularly. What a small world.

I've talked about the good so far. Let me discuss the bad. There's a guy who is a regular at an SF BART station and he's bad. I don't want to be too hard on him because I'm sure he has some sort of mental/emotional issue going on. He sings in a sort of country style sing-song, sometimes almost talking, never singing in a key(s) known to personkind. Keys that morf and flow with each syllable. Imagine Bill Murray doing his airport lounge singer routine from SNL with a country twang and wearing jeans. The word poseur doesn't begin to tell the story. He struts back and forth singing and when he hits a note or falls over a bar that he really likes, he stops, critiques himself, congratulates himself, then continues to sing. Occasionally he discusses his future in show business to no one in particular. Sometimes he brings his pet chicken with him. His songs appear to be mostly made up as he goes along, which leaves you wondering if he can actually sing or if this is as good as it will ever get. One morning another head case was singing some R&B standard and they did a duet together. Not only do people give this guy money, they treat him like he's a celebrity, which goes to show you that a lot of unstable people are working everyday and riding the trains like normal people. When he disappeared for a while and came back, a small group of communters were surrounding him asking him where he'd been. The man is nuts and these folks are treating him like he's a rock star. Next, the guy who plays a keyboard sings about "My Lord." Good lord, I wish someone would make him stop too.

Ah, I see.

You were talking about real fairies, relatives of Tinkerbell, known associates of elves? Please?

My deepest condolences to you and to your family.

Then don't ever shop for records in Berkeley. Tower isn't so bad but Rasputin's and Amoeba treat you like you are on the most wanted list. You have to check all your packages, etc. It's like taking a freaking plane ride. What makes it so bad is the way the young, officious little punks who demand you hand over your belongings. I shop at Costco but their attitude as they check your receipt at the door is a lot more benign. I usually stop when the thinger goes off and give a righteous indignation look before getting waved on. My worst experience was at Macys. The device was in the pocket of the item. I forgot it was there after trying it on and the clerk didn't notice when I paid for it. So I get to the exit and the security alarm goes off. I realized immediately what happened and told the security guard that the device was in the pocket. I offered him my receipt and then he officiously asked me to step over somewhere in full view of customers where he proceeded to paw through my things at great length and memorize my reciept and check the items and read the receipt, etc. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life and it felt like it lasted an eternity. At some point I asked him when he planned to apologize for the embarrassment and inconvenience and he muttered something that I THINK had the word "inconvenience" in it. It was his attitude that was so insulting. I usually complain to management when something bad happens anywhere any time but I was on lunch break and rushing. When a business apologizes for screwing up, it really makes a big difference. I honestly believe the reason so many people end up in court is because no one knows how to apologize anymore.