Thoughts

Independence Day 2023

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As I sit here and watch the Twilight Zone 4th of July marathon and listen to the fireworks going off in the neighborhood, I was thinking about July 4 posts I had made, previously. There is one…my hissing rant from 2020. I was some kind of pissed off. It’s three years later, now and the world is still insane but, the reckoning has started. ~Vic

Holidays & Observances Image
Image Credit: Holidays & Observances

POTD: Dead Tree

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Yeah. It’s a dead tree but, it seems like a nice artistic piece. The owner finally took it down about two months, ago. ~Vic

Dead Tree Art
11-11-2019
Click for a larger view.

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VOTD: Lost Bees

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I had no idea you could move bees without making them sleepy. ~Vic

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Cinco De Mayo 2023

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Cinco De Mayo Image
Image Credit: newsd.in

Yes, I have been gone for a while. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with my blog. Sometimes, I love posting and other times, I get aggravated with it. WordPress function does not help the issue.

I have had some health issues but, they are largely subsiding. A change in diet has helped, greatly. I have been blogging since 2009 and abandoned my blog for four years, re-starting in June of 2018. I did a lot of blogging when I was living in Texas and my blog had a different name.

I didn’t celebrate Cinco, today but, noticed that many did. I hope everyone had a good time. At the moment, I am sipping on some wine and watching some really weird movies on Cinemax. I hope everyone has a lovely Cinco Evening/Friday Night. ~Vic

The UK Number Ones Blog Favorite Single: Atomic (Blondie) 1980

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Discogs Blondie Atomic Image One
Image Credit: Discogs

Stewart at UK#1s Blog asked his followers which UK #1 song was their favorite. There were so many to choose from but, I am a kid/young teen of the late 70s, early 80s and this was a no-brainer for me. This is, hands down, my favorite Blondie song. Just as a side note, my second choice was Cathy’s Clown by The Everly Brothers.

Released on February 23, 1980, Atomic was the ninth track on side two of the album Eat to the Beat, Blondie’s fourth album, produced by Mike Chapman. Written by Debbie Harry and Jimmy Destri, it was the third single released and the band’s third #1 in the UK Singles Chart. A rock, disco and new wave fusion, Atomic is described as “a cool, electronic enhanced dance number (PDF). Debbie Harry’s laidback vocals blend into the musical wood work.”

Atomic‘, which featured King Crimson‘s Robert Fripp on guitar and Ellie Greenwich on backing vocals, was lyrically meaningless and was described in Record Mirror as ‘vapid and irritating…the best thing about this single is the live [cover] version of David Bowie‘s ‘Heroes‘ on the B-side (12″ UK single).’ “Jimmy Destri wrote this song…” Debbie claimed. “He was trying to do something like ‘Heart of Glass‘ and, then, somehow or another, we gave it the spaghetti western treatment. Before that, it was just lying there like a lox. The lyrics, well, a lot of the time, I would write while the band were just playing the song and trying to figure it out. I would just be kind of scatting along with them and I would start going ‘Oooooooh, your hair is beautiful‘.”

1000 UK #1 Hits
Jon Kutner & Spencer Leigh
May 26, 2010
Page 452

Atomic didn’t do as well in the US. It only made it to #39 on Billboard’s Hot 100, debuting on May 17, 1980 and peaking on July 5, 1980. It may be ‘lyrically meaningless’ but, it is certainly not vapid and irritating. It has a great beat and an energy that is hard to deny. Debbie’s vocals do, indeed, blend well with the ‘musical wood work.’ The single Call Me from American Gigolo had an instrumental version on the B-side and Debbie did some vocal blending with that, too.

The late Gia Carangi was dancing in the video.

POTD: New Year’s Eve 2022

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Arkansas River @ Liar's Lodge
Liar’s Lodge (Web Archive)
Buena Vista, CO
Christmastime 2008
Click for a larger view.

This was my view from the backdoor of our room. The lodge backed up to the Arkansas River. It was a wonderful place to vacation for Christmas and New Year’s. Sadly, the lodge had to close, permanently, due to the Plandemic/Scamdemic. It’s heartbreaking. And, as far as I am concerned, good riddance to 2022. I have hopes that 2023 will be better but…it’s not likely. I will be raising a glass of bubbly to the awakening of humanity. ~Vic

Quick edit…this is a companion piece to Walsenburg.

From October 2014

From May 2015

POTD: Cypress

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This is a Cypress of some sort but, it is definitely a Chamaecyparis. Pl@ntNet can’t really pinpoint the exact species. It seems to think it is a Lawsoniana. The picture on Wikipedia isn’t helpful, either. ~Vic

Cypress Image
02-13-2020
Click for a larger view.

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VOTD: Do You Believe?

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I picked this up from another blog. I loved The Conjuring franchise movies. Were Ed & Lorraine Warren for real? Are the hauntings real? The guy who posted this video stated that he knew someone that was friends with a family that lived in the Amityville house in the 1990s. They reported nothing weird. He also stated that he had another friend that knew Ronald Defeo, Jr. and that person stated that Defeo was totally messed up. Apologies, up front, for all the adverts…and that stupid fish. Submitted for your approval… ~Vic

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POTD: Carrot Hug

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This is too cute. ~Vic

Telegram

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VOTD: Purring Baby

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This was originally posted on June 5. I uploaded the video to WordPress, only to have it malfunction in the Reader…another victim of the “Pro Plan”. This is another video that is stuck as an echo in the Reader (browser) and I can’t get it out. ~Vic

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Thanksgiving 2022

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I won’t be cooking a traditional turkey this year. I am going for a pork loin, just to be different. I will have a small gathering. Peace, love and hugs to everyone. May we all gather in joy. ~Vic

Golden Mums Image One
11-05-2021
Sunset Image Two
11-24-2021

POTD: Yard Art

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I guess it is yard art. It’s not close to the road for pick-up. And, why a pumpkin is underneath a chair in February…I don’t know. ~Vic

Commode Yard Art
My Personal Collection
02-12-2022

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