Love Music

I shudder to think how much $$ I have spent over the years on various music media. I bought my first as a 12 year old, when all I could afford was 45 singles, (From the Murray Music store in Provo). Most of my 45’s where lost in one of our moves. I have bought tons of Vinyl, Cassette tapes, even 8 track tapes, (what a joke) and CD’s. Most of my collection is Rock n Roll but I think I have range of musical interests. New Age, Country, Classical, Movie Soundtracks etc. But you can keep Hip Hop/Rap and Opera. I have no musical talent other that playing the media.

Musical Acts I have seen Live

 In my younger days I enjoyed going to concerts. In the summer of 1969 a friend and I went to every concert we could. I’m sure I spent a large percentage of my earnings that summer on vinyl and concerts.

In no particular order

*Jefferson Airplane @The Terrace Ballroom (my first concert it cost me $3.50)

*Taj Mahal @The Terrace Ballroom

*The Byrds @The Terrace Ballroom (One of the first dates with the cute girl that became my wife.)

*It’s A Beautiful Day @The Terrace Ballroom

*Santana @The Terrace Ballroom (the opening act for beautiful day before their first album had been released) @The Salt Palace 

*Iron Butterfly @The Terrace Ballroom

*Creedence Clearwater Revival @The Salt Palace

*Lee Michaels @The Salt Palace 

*Three Dog Night (twice) @Fair Grounds Coliseum / @The Salt Palace 

*Spirit (twice) @The Salt Palace /@The Salt Palace (they opened and ended their tour in Salt Lake)

*Canned Heat @The Salt Palace 

*Country Joe McDonald @The Salt Palace 

*The Turtles @The Salt Palace 

*Blind Faith @The Salt Palace 

*Bobby Sherman @Valley Music Hall (we took Karens sister Linda for her birthday)

*Spanky and Our Gang @University of Utah

*The Association @University of Utah

*Gary Puckett and the Union Gap @University of Utah

*Neil Diamond (Twice) @The Salt Palace / @Maverick Center

*Celtic Woman @The Maverick Center

*David Arkenstone @Abravanel Concert Hall

*Alison Krauss @Usana Ampatheater

*Moody Blues @Las Vegas

LABOR OF LOVE

All things considered this was truly a real labor of love. I picked this up in Ft. Collins, CO. for   $105.00. The wood finish was in fair shape, but after stripping it down and refinishing with danish wood oil it looks beautiful. The motor had a damaged spring so I sent it off to be rebuilt. I tried to do this myself but all I managed to do was get off all of the old caked on grease. Hopefully when I get it back I’ll have a working machine that is over a hundred years old.

FIRST ONES

I have no idea how many vinyl LP’s I have bought in my lifetime, somewhere in the neighborhood of 300. Well these two were the first. I bought them both at JC Penny, way back in ‘67. 
The Airplane was on sale for $1.99.

sar·casm

noun

1.

harsh or bitter derision or irony.

2.

a sharply ironical taunt; sneering or cutting remark:

 

Some may call it a survival skill and others a nasty personality disorder. But for me it is just a part of who I am.

Sarcasm is: negative behavior masked with humor.
Silence is golden. duct tape is silver.

I’d tell you to go to hell, but I work there and don’t want to see your ugly mug every day.

That is the ugliest top Ive ever seen, yet it compliments your face perfectly.

I never forget a face, but in your case I’ll be glad to make an exception.

Sarcasm is the body’s natural defense against stupidity.

Tact is for people who aren’t witty enough to use sarcasm.

I’m sorry while you were talking I was trying to figure where the hell you got the idea I cared.

When people ask me stupid questions, it is my legal obligation to give a sarcastic remark.

Think I am sarcastic? Watch me pretend to care!

Sarcasm (n.) – the ability to insult idiots without them realizing it…!

Sarcasm: Helping the intelligent politely tolerate the obtuse for thousands of years.

LET'S GO TO THE DRIVE-IN

Today, June 6 is the anniversary of the first drive in movie theatre.

The first Drive-in opened in New Jersey in 1933. the charge was .25 for each car and .25 per person.

When I was a kid whenever we went to the movie it was the Drive-in. Before the days of strip malls and megaplexes, we had the drive-in.
One of the biggest in Utah was the Geneva Drive-in, it was on State Street in Orem, about a half mile from our house. Many a summer night was spent "sneaking" into the movie. We would climb a fence or two, walk through the sheep pasture and there we were. Climb another fence throw a blanket down next to an unsuspecting car and watch whatever was on the big screen. It was here that my love for the "B" movie was planted and nurtured.
This was the place for cheap dates and great pop corn. I still have a ticket stub with the price of $1.25. The Theaters often had summer promotions and charged by the car load. It is amazing how many teens you can fit into one car. Everyone would meet up at the Hi-Spot, get a cheap burger and then pile as many as you could get into one car and drive across the street to the drive-in.

Drive-ins were slow to catch on. In 1940, only 18 were open nationally. As World War II drew to a close, they began to spring up across the country. In 1948, there were 820 theaters. By the end of the 1940s drive-ins were more popular than indoor theaters, partly due to the invention of an in-car speaker. 

The Ten Commandments (1956) at the Hyland Drive-in, East bench of Salt Lake City

The baby boom of the 1950s further increased the popularity of drive-ins. Many owners built playgrounds to make their theaters more attractive to families. From 1948 to 1958, about 3,200 new drive-ins were built.

Through the 1960s, the number of theaters stayed about the same. Their numbers began to decline in the 1970s due to rising property values. The land used for drive-ins could be used more profitably for other things. Also, drive-ins often showed "B" movies, which were less popular. 

By the 1980s, families had cable television and videocassettes to watch movies at home, further hurting the drive-ins. By 2003, the number of drive-ins had sunk to 432. 

Here in Utah 1954 saw the height of the drive-in movie theater, there were 34 scattered around the state. Today there are only 7 still in operation. 

HAPPINESS IS

TOP TEN

Just for fun. Here is my personal list of top 10 comedies of all time.

1: It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
2: American Grafitti
3: Arsenic And Old Lace
4: Harvey
5: Blazzing Saddles
6: Young Frankenstein
7: Some Like It Hot
8: A Mighty Wind
9: 1941
10: The Trouble With Harry

TOO MANY CD's

After many years of accumulated music, I out grew my second CD rack. So I decided to create something unique that would hold my complete collection. 1/2" plywood ripped into strips and then cut into various lengths and glued together to create boxes. A total of 14 boxes. Then glue and clamp them all together and paint them to match the room. Fasten the monstrosity to the wall. Next fill it up. With some room to grow.
Yes I do use iTunes but I still like to burn a backup so I have a physical CD.

DOES ANYBODY CARE?

Looking through the blogs of family and friends, I am wondering if any one blogs anymore.  Kind of sad.  It is SO much better than a quickie on FaceBook.