15.August.2023

15.August.2023

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4.September.2015

September Happenings

Mark your calendar for some interesting dates and events that happen in September: Sept 7 -- Labor Day. A day to pay tribute to workers for their contribution to the society. Sept 14 -- Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year and name of the day is Yom Teruah. Sept 17 - Constitution Day is celebrated each year in the United States of America to commemorate the formation of the Constitution. The Founding Fathers formed and signed the Constitution of the country at the Constitutional Convention on 17th September, 1787. Sept 18 -- National Cheeseburger Day. Sept 20 -- Primetime Emmy Awards. The 67th Primetime Emmy Awards are American accolades bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American prime time television programming. First given in 1949 they are considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards for film, Grammy Awards for music, and Tony Awards for stage. The Emmys are scheduled to be broadcast LIVE on Fox from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles from 7-10 pm CDT. Sept 27 -- Gold Star Mother's Day was formed in the United States soon after World War I. This day was established to provide support for mothers who lost their sons and daughters in the war. The name Gold Star Mothers is a derivative of military families who adorned a service flag near the front window of their homes. This flag was set as a star for each family member serving in military in their country. Sept 30 -- CLIO Awards are known internationally for the Advertising field � they are handed out for the most innovative and creative advertising campaigns, not to mention communications and design. Clio awards cover every medium. Remember them next time you channel surf during a commercial. In case you missed the VMA's . . .

27.August.2015

Little Web Hut

Thanks to for reference in using HTML, XHTML, CSS, Javascript, and other assorted goodies.

21.August.2015

Count Basie

Today is the birthday of William James "Count" Basie (August 21, 1904 � April 26, 1984). Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. His mother taught him to play the piano and he started performing in his teens. Dropping out of school, he learned to operate lights for vaudeville and to improvise accompaniment for silent films at a local movie theater in his home town of Red Bank, New Jersey. By 16, he increasingly played jazz piano at parties, resorts and other venues. In 1924, he went to Harlem, where his performing career expanded; he toured with groups to the major jazz cities of Chicago, St. Louis and Kansas City. In 1929 he joined Bennie Moten's band in Kansas City, and played with them until Moten's death in 1935. That year Basie formed his own jazz orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and their first recording. He led the group for almost 50 years, creating innovations like the use of two "split" tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. Many notable musicians came to prominence under his direction, including the tenor saxophonists Lester Young and Herschel Evans, the guitarist Freddie Green, trumpeters Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison and singers Jimmy Rushing and Joe Williams. Basie's theme songs were "One O'Clock Jump," developed in 1935 in the early days of his band, and "April In Paris". Happy Birthday, Count Basie!

5.August.2015

Summer Restaurant Week

Summer Restaurant Week has arrived at three of the restaurants of the Great Southern Restaurant Group. Through Saturday, The Fish House, Atlas Oyster House and Jackson�s Steakhouse will each offer three-course, fixed-price dinner menus showcasing the skills of their chefs and the best local and seasonal ingredients available. For $33, diners can choose from among three appetizers, three entrees and three desserts at each of the three restaurants, with each offering its own unique set of choices. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m. at all three restaurants. Visit their website to review the menus and for more information, or call your favorite Great Southern Restaurant. If you've eaten at any of these three restaurants, you know that this is a great bargain! I'll be eating at two of these for sure. The Fish House is definitely my favorite. Try a Red Hook Long Hammer on tap. My old drinking buddy from years ago at the Cigar Brewery, Chef Jim Shirley, was selected by Gov. Rick Scott to represent Florida this weekend at the 12th annual Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans. Shirley will face off against chefs from 11 other states for the title of America�s Best Seafood Chef. He�ll endeavor to keep the crown in Florida, following Chef Terry White�s 2014 win. Good luck Jim! Update: Alaska chef Beau Schooler was named the winner. Sorry, Jim, maybe next time!

3.August.2015

August Happenings

Mark your calendar for some interesting dates and events that happen in August: Aug 3 -- National Oyster Day. Raw, fried, baked, or broiled --I love 'em all! Aug 13-16 -- PGA Championship. The fourth "Major" Golf Tournament of 2015. This year it will be held at Whistling Straits resort near Sheboygan, WI. Looking for 21 year old phenom Jordan Spieth to win his third major of the year. Aug 30 -- MTV Video Music Awards. Launched in 1984. This annual award ceremony is often called the �Oscars for youth�. Last year over 13 million people tuned into the show on MTV. This year it will be hosted by Miley Cyrus (I love her!). Get a list of nominees here. August is also National Golf Month. Get out and play a round or two! Darwin Awards We honor those who do the most to improve our gene pool--by removing themselves from it, thereby ensuring that the next generation is descended from one fewer idiot. Here is today's winner. (29 November 1995, Melbourne, Australia) The badly decomposed remains of Neil of Melbourne were discovered in a paddock near Toolondo Reservoir. Neil's death was shrouded in mystery, tragedy, and a fish suit. Local law enforcement officials said the 49-year-old man was wearing a "heavy green plastic bodysuit," constructed from old waterbed material. The suit, from which one could only be extricated painstakingly after unfastening a full-length zipper along the spine, constricted his legs into one mermaid-esque tail. The only openings, aside from the zipper, were two eyeholes. Neil's garb, enclosing his entire body like a maritime mummy costume, restricted his breathing as well as his movement. He was discovered in this attire, which the Melbourne Fish Costume Bureau stresses was "not approved," less than a kilometer from Toolondo Lake. He apparently had attempted to swim home. A second yellow-colored suit was found in his garage. The motivation for Neil's fatal excursion remains unclear. Police speculate that his behavior may have had a chemical basis. Locals have their own theories about the aquatic aberration. "He wanted to be a fish" disclosed one unnamed resident, recalling incidents in which Wilson would swing from a rope while wearing the suit at the lake. Other comments from the Australian community included "Bollocks" and "Criminey."

1.August.2015

Francis Scott Key

Today is the birthday of Francis Scott Key (August 1, 1779 � January 11, 1843) On the night of September 13�14, 1814, Francis Scott Key, accompanied by the British Prisoner Exchange Agent Colonel John Stuart Skinner, dined aboard the British ship HMS Tonnant anchored outside of Baltimore MD. Skinner and Key were there to negotiate the release of American prisoner Dr. William Beanes being held on the ship. After dinner, they were not allowed to return to Baltimore, only to their own sloop because they had become familiar with the strength and position of the British units and with the British intent to attack Baltimore that evening. As such, they were unable to do anything but watch as the British ships bombarded the American forces at Fort McHenry. At dawn, an American flag was still waving over the fort signaling the American tenacity. When Key saw it, he reported it to the prisoners below deck. Inspired by these events, Key wrote a poem "Defence of Fort McHenry" describing the battle. It was published in The Patriot on September 20, 1814. He later fit the poem to the rhythms of composer John Stafford Smith's "To Anacreon in Heaven", a popular tune Key had already used for his 1805 poem "When the Warrior Returns," celebrating U.S. heroes of the First Barbary War. Key had also used the "star spangled" flag imagery in this earlier poem. "Defence of Fort McHenry" has become better known as "The Star Spangled Banner". Under this name, the song was adopted as the American national anthem, first by an Executive Order from President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 (which had little effect beyond requiring military bands to play it) and then by a Congressional resolution in 1931, signed by President Herbert Hoover. Happy Birthday, Mr. Key!

31.July.2015

Al and Me (Another Test) --

This is a pic of me and Al at the company picnic in 2006 . . . Software works great!

30.July.2015

My First Blog Page --

Gulfwebs updated my website, and I now have the capability to maintain the gallery and update the blog for myself -- Thanks Charlie, a great improvement. More to come on this blog. L-R Bill Boyd lead guitar, Tommy Ratchford frontman, Bobby Bates drums, Shelby (Ray) Wright trumpet, Ken Forbes (seated in car) keyboard, Newman Gersin bass, John (Mac) Berrier sax This photo was taken on June 11, 1967 after the Soul-7 had finished a Sunday afternoon gig at Cash's Faux Pas beach bar on Ft. Walton Beach