Myspace Layouts at Pimp-My-Profile.com / Bright Splash
Myspace Layouts at Pimp-My-Profile.com / Bright Splash
I'm a fixture at record collector's conventions, flea markets and carport sales. Try not to step on me while I'm in the floor rooting like a hog in a trough for that rare and obscure recording or book. I may not find what I'm looking for, but it's likely I'll uncover the treasure that's elluded you for ages. Just give me plenty of room to work.Long distance swimming is my favorite workout, and I joined Masters Swimming in 1990. Distance & endurance matter more to me than speed, so I compete in the 'February Fitness Challenge' and UTK's 'Swim to Florida' distance events yearly. The prizes are the t-shirts I love to wear. With patient coaching from the Oak Ridge Pool lifeguards, I overcame fear of heights and learned to dive from the three-meter board. I'm not a runner but enjoy long walks and alternate these with swimming. I can play a decent game of basketball when inspired and enjoy volleyball. During baseball season my services as a concession stand worker are much in demand. For three-hour shifts I serve up hotdogs and chili while amazing co-workers by calculating customers' change without a calculator. Occasional Sundays have me playing the organ for the early service at one church and the late one at another 20 miles away. Circuit riding is fun, and its great to get a new gig.
Is one lifetime long enough to get a photo and autograph with every music act in the Billboard Top 200? Please check my photo albums often to see how it's going. I hope to meet Herb Alpert & every A&M label recording artist in history, along with many diverse music acts who tour within a reasonable distance from home.All with common interests who possess humor, generosity and intelligence, enjoy spirited discussions on any topic and value quality and loyalty in their friendships are welcome here.
Jazz, punk, pop, classic rock, grunge and occasional country and bluegrass. Favorites include Herb Alpert, Wes Montgomery, Sergio Mendes, Burt Bacharach, Baja Marimba Band, Boyce & Hart, Phil Ochs, Lee Michaels, Tamba 4, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jimmie Rodgers, Paul Winter, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Chet Baker, Michael Martin Murphey, Walter Wanderley, Liza Minnelli, Pete Jolly, Herbie Mann, Art Blakey, Gerry Mulligan, Sun Ra, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Hot Tuna, Procol Harum, Free, Mick Abrahams & Blodwyn Pig/ Spooky Tooth (with Gary Wright), the Go-Gos, the Police, Squeeze, the Feelies, Kitchens of Distinction, Status Quo, Supertramp, Strawbs, Split Enz, Simple Minds, Sixteen Horsepower (Woven Hand), Swervedriver, Scarce (Chick Graning), Soundgarden, Cold, Amy Grant, Vanessa Carlton, Michelle Branch, Juliana Hatfield, Waylon Jennings, the Dillards, and - last but never least - Evie Sands. Anyone see a pattern here? I'll save you the suspense. Many of these artists recorded for the world's best independent label, A&M Records. It's fun to check out new sounds, so feel free to recommend something new and interesting.
I like comedy and horror. Low-budget slasher films are a guilty pleasure, and I collect DVDs of the non-gory but frighteningly disturbing psychological horror films of the '40s,'50s and '60s. Among the best are the original "Carnival of Souls," Olivia DeHavilad's "Lady in a Cage," Barbara Stanwyck's "The Night Walker" and "The Seventh Victim," starring Hugh Beaumont and Kim Hunter. The Bette Davis & Joan Crawford horror films are great, along with Peter Cushing's Dracula series and Vincent Price's prolific catalog, particularly "The Last Man on Earth." Special effects are no substitute for great acting. "Ruins" is profoundly disturbing, even to a jaded horror buff. Spring breakers get trapped between armed guards and flesh-eating flowers. Here's a tip: if you think you hear a cell phone ringing at the bottom of a well, don't attempt to answer it. "How To Lose Friends And Alienate People" starts out as a hard-edged satire with great acting, but it eventually evolves (or deteriorates) into a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy. "American Carol" is funny and refreshing poking fun at anti-American and left-wing elements in Hollywood. I'm amazed this movie was ever released and admire those who braved appearing in it. Will they ever work in the industry again? Hope so.
"Fair and Balanced" News on FOX -- especially Bill O'Reilly and the Tuesday "Body Language Segment" with Tonya Reiman (fascinating!) with some CNN and local news -- followed by T.V. Land comedies. I love "Andy Griffith," "The Jeffersons," "All in the Family" and "Sanford & Son." Classic "Twilight Zone," Hitchcock and "Outer Limits" are high on my list. Among new shows my favorite is "Nip/Tuck," and I'll occasionally get lost trying to follow "Lost." "Cops" and Court TV shows are interesting, and those dumb and predictable MTV "reality" shows with their spoiled, whiney characters are a fun diversion. When watching sports I use the mute button so I can read, play music and ignore stupid commentators. "Blind Date" on WB Network is a guilty pleasure indulged in once the news is over. More amusing to me than the onscreen victims.
Carl Hiassen's novels are great, and I also like Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., William F. Buckley, William Simon, Dr. Bill Bass' Body Farm novels and small doses of Steven King. I enjoy history, economics, psychology, biography - particularly former presidents - and news analysis as well. Up-to-date music and movie guidebooks and current World Almanacs in every room are a must. Typically I read two or three books simultaneously at a leisurely pace. I am a tenacious researcher, and friends can rely on me to ferret out statistics on any subject, especially music trivia. Recently completed: "The Age of Turbulence" by Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, a great analysis of recent economic history. He explains how low taxes, free trade and the "creative destruction" of obsolete industries in favor of efficient new ones allow the nation's standard of living to rise in spite of all the insecurity. The book demonstrates how his vision and foresight on monetary policy kept many potential recessions from becoming more serious. This is a "must-read."
President Harry Truman did what had to be done without regard for personal popularity and still got reelected. We are in dire need of statesmen and women of this caliber. Calvin Coolidge did his job quietly without a lot of BS. I admire JFK and Reagan for cutting taxes and excessive regulations to make the economy prosper and Grover Cleveland for using veto power to curb profligate Congressional spending.My fearless backpacking companions and coworkers from Switzerland and the State Highway crew demonstrated that all labor, regardless of prestige, is honorable.Fellow music and autograph collector Knoxville Attorney Douglas M. Anderson (1962-2006) taught me much about spontaneous fun and living life to the fullest. His spirit guides us on our concert road trips to successful encounters with our music heroes. Doug's photo and personal Mug are on exhibit behind the first floor bar at Knoxville's Downtown Grill and Brewery, our favorite watering hole.My friend Bill, a brilliant 80-plus-year-old scientist, out dancing with many lovely ladies several nights a week in the Old City, is a roll model for us all.