RainyDay

I find this thread disturbing on a couple of different levels.

Try adjusting the size. The original size is 262x403 pixels. The Board software automatically crops and distorts to 100 x 100 pixels. Go to Avatar Settings and enter something like 65 x 100 and it should look OK. If that avatar is supposed to be Ron Carter, something more than cropping and distortion is going on.

I think the anti-cancer effect has something to do with hairy palms. B-)

Every time we have an earthquake, we get letters to the editor from all over the country telling us that god is punishing us for our evil ways. Two hurricanes in a month? He must REALLY be pissed off. B-) Seriously, be safe, Florida.

I guess if you washed down your fish and chips with it you'd be full of piss and vinegar. (...thump, thump, thump---is this thing working?)

Next week, babies!

I liked Alonzo best because he was very funny but he also had class, something missing from most standup today. Favorite Steven Wright: I took my dog on a walk from Boston to North Carolina and back. When we got back home I told him, "There, you're all done." Or something like that. He did another one about dogs and Spot remover that was pretty funny. I'm terrible at remembering jokes. I remember punch lines but I can't remember the whole joke.

I can't say what I feel. But it seems that people are capable of unspeakable acts and to carry them out against children, to intentionally carry out terrorism against children, oy.

Oakland's annual Labor Day weekend festival is happening this weekend in downtown Oakland, right by the 12th St. BART station. Los Lobos play at 4 PM on Sunday. Check it out. http://www.artandsouloakland.com/main/lineup.htm

I was walking down Market over to another one of our other offices and two women, one behind the other, in battery operated wheelchairs were tearing down the sidewalk faster than speeding bullets. The woman bringing up the rear was maniacally laughing nonstop. I'm not sure if they were drag racing but they seem to be having quite a good time.

The above quote is from a thread I started on the Live Performance forum about Eddie Palmieri. I guess when it comes to music, I really am talking to myself here.

I guess I'm the odd woman out but I liked Directions more. I saw the live performance in Berkeley and was quite knocked out by it. The record is an extension of that although the live peformance was considerably more stunning. Brecker's Naima solo is lovely, in person lovely and powerful. I like the Birds... record, and I say this as HUGE Kenny Garrett fan, but it didn't knock me out in the same way at all. I play Directions often and Birds seldom.

I seem to underwhelm everyone here with my live performance commentary but I'll give it another go. There is still tomorrow to catch Palmieri and his sizzling band at Yoshi's. I caught him last year, and like last year, he opened with a long, elegant piano solo. He plays so wonderfully. He flows through up tempo, ballads, into salsa, before ending the solo. This is actually my favorite part of the set. The piano is probably my favorite instrument and it is such a joy to see someone who can play as well as Palmieri. The 8-piece band (nine if you include the vocalist) opens up with a song that just singes your eyebrows. He had two trombones, guest trombone Jimmy Bosch, was remarkable. I love that he has a woman in the band, so rare in jazz even today. She plays flute and is terrific. The vocalist evoked Latin singers from another era. I felt like I had been transported in a time machine or something. They played one real ballad, but mostly they had everyone jumping around in their chairs. If you are in the neighborhood shows on Sunday are at 2PM and 8PM. Band Lineup: Eddie Palmieri - Piano Jimmy Bosch - Trombone Doug Beavers - Trombone Karen Joseph - Flute Eddie Resto - Bass George Delgado - Congas John Rodriguez - Bongos Jose Claussell - Timbales Herman Olivera - Vocals

Now you're talking Bev. Tripe and onions. I think tripe's pretty popular in France too. Years ago a mate of mine worked on a vineyard in France for a few months when he left college and it turned out tripe was the specialty of the lady of the house where he stayed so he got served it near enough every day. Needless to say he was over the moon. Great stuff Rainy Day.... Tripe=chitterlings, yes? No way, Jose.

Gee, guess that means no? Have never had the Cornish pasty. You'd probably weep if I told what pasties I have eaten. Guess I better read up.

A pasty! Is that Australian? There used to be a place here, Noble Pies, that made world class pasties and fruit pies.

Okay, explain this to the clueless yanks, please. (It looks like that pastuerized cheese food stuff that comes in little foil packages.)

Just a guess but I don't think anyone on the council is Tadd Dameron's son. However, Danny Wan, Larry Reid, Ignacio De La Fuente, Henry Chang are the male members on the council. I'll take the fifth on which council rep belongs to me. Politics here have become very contentious among the few of us who care.

TIME, Rolling Stone, and Governing, which is an excellent analysis of various kinds of local and state government policies and is very user friendly to people who don't deal with government on a professional level. I used to subscribe to more mags but delivery of magazines is a real problem in Oakland.

Back on topic, really good Chinese food. With so much good Southeast Asian food in this area, it's getting harder to find a really good Chinese restaurant. Sometimes a plate of yang chow fried rice is all I need. Speaking of Southeast Asian food, the Phnom Penh restaurant in Oakland. This place has EXCELLENT food and after 15 years or so, the quality hasn't declined a bit. Plus the people there are really nice. One of my favorite places to eat in or take out.

I was going to pop in Speak No Evil just now as a tribute but I must have taken it home. Rats. I love Wayne Shorter. Happy Birthday!!

Hmm! So do you all cover your bread with roast beef and gravy? Stranger by the minute. You can also buy Yorkshire Puddings the size of a plate with meat and gravy inside; or even a cumberland sausage! A meal in itself. Now a close relative of the YP is Toad-in-the-Hole. Same batter mix. Different arrangement with bangers in the middle. Is this a "dinner roll" too? Bev: As a matter of fact we do put our meat and potatoes on bread! It's called a hot roast beef/chicken/turkey (take your pick) sandwich. You put slices of bread on the plate, meat on the bread, plop mashed potatoes in the middle, and cover it all with gravy. Haven't had one of these in probably 20 years. (insert licking chops smilie here) That's so cute you didn't know what a dinner roll is. A dinner roll is a small lump of yeast bread. They are baked individually and you can buy them in bags in the grocery store or refrigerated dough you pop in the oven. Maybe you call them buns? The idea is to slather them with butter or use them to mop up the gravy/juice on your plate. Toad in the hole. I've heard of that. That sounds like a Mexican quesadilla made from tortillas and cheese (sometimes meat) or the Central Americana version called a papusa, which is much better and is actually a stuffed tortilla. Then there are calzones, knishes, Chinese pork buns, gad, now I'm hungry.

Driving arrrrgggghhhhhs: People on city streets who drive in the middle lane who make a right or left turn (always with no signal). People who brake for green lights. You're trying to pass someone on the freeway. They are driving at or below the speed limit. By the time you pass them, you are going almost 80 and as soon as you pass them, they drop back to a slowpoke speed. On city streets, people who pull out suddenly in front your car which is at speed (or more) and proceed at below speed level instead of letting you pass by and pulling in behind you WHERE THERE ARE NO CARS. People who speed up when you are trying to get on the freeway and you have to slow way down to get on, then pass the fool who drops back to a slow speed. There's a pattern here. Does something bad happen to you if another car gets ahead of you? People who have the right of way and who wave you through. There are rules. If you can't follow the rules, please take the bus. I almost always yield to pedestrians and I live in an area with a lot of foot traffic. But I cannot bear peds who just stroll into traffic without looking and expect you to suddenly stop, especially if they are walking against the light. People who drive in mall parking lots or parking structures over 10-15 MPH. It is reasonable to expect to see folks strolling in a lot and it makes no sense for some fool to be driving 25-30 MPH. Boom boxes in cars. If someone pulls up next to me playing some loud bass hip hop awful ear bleeding stuff, I make a face and roll up my window. Yes, okay, I'm a snob. I especially hate this at 2AM when I'm in bed asleep. I'm going to start a campaign where I spray paint the offending vehicles on the first offense. On the second offense I slash their tires and blow up an M1000 inside the vehicle. In my dreams of course. I live for revenge fantasies. People who don't pull over for emergency vehicles. They belong on the bus too.

My piece of shit council representative. Too long and boring to go into but I really hate this guy like cancer. And he may be the next mayor. Sleazeball to the core.