Candy Canes?

i was recently making my blog rounds and stopped by my buddy Tony's... always a pleasure in oh so many ways! once the main page loaded, out sang nancy wilson's "christmas time is here" (a personal favorite of mine) it twas my first pleasant surprise. rolling along down, T had written a few jolly holiday "what do you think" questions and answers;

#20 had me pissing my pants! I wanted to share it with you...

Candy Canes? If somebody wants to suck something for that long, I got a better idea for them. And I‚’ll rub it with a mint leaf first if they want.

Visit Tony's blog, there's always something for at least one of your sences!

JOLLY HOLIDAY

here's two things I'm planning fro this years holiday 2006 festivities...

i've first decided to write an article on how i feel now, at this point of my life, about what christmas was and is now. a few days into the first draft and i'm already wondering if it may end as two posts (lengthy), we'll see. oh, some of it will be posted soon...

my second idea came one morning a few days ago. as in years past i tend not to over spend at christmas. a, it's a stupid mistake so many make every year. b, the money isn't there in large "spendable" amounts and c, the gatherings and the time spent are more important than any object one might buy. so this year i've decided to up the crafty level and try candy making; dark chocolate dipping that is. looks not so complicated but time consuming. i purchased a few supply's (mold, dipping tools) and got the dark chocolate dipping melts.

since i'm one who often "thinks out of the box" i decided to make a few basic designs...typical candy bar size (solid) and a few of those blaw shaped semi round pieces. beyond those i thought the following might also be interesting: dried apricots, banana chips, a raspberry jam center, graham crackers, pretzels, coconut covered marsh mellows, a crushed granola mix and dried pineapple wedges.

tomorrow night is the block of time for this along with gift wrapping. should be an interesting day for sure.

i'll let you know how it all ended up...

what can i say

20 voices

take a few minutes and check out this musical review at jibjab!

spandau ballet

always believen... a new amazing discovery of a remix by an all time favorite. back in the day when things were "very sinthy electric" i remember hearing a bunch of britts, calling themselves spandau ballet. one of the great things about these boys, their music made you want to belt one out and dance all at once!

todays find is a new, dmc remix of the song "gold" i stumbled on this afternoon. everything old is new again and the mix is worth more than itself! seek and find and return to that time, all over again. check out their web site!

Concert for Diana

A celebrity concert to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, has been announced.

Princes William and Harry are organising the Concert for Diana at Wembley Stadium on 1 July, when she would have turned 46.

Sir Elton John, Duran Duran, Joss Stone, Bryan Ferry and hip-hop star Pharrell Williams will perform. Tickets go on sale at 0900 GMT on Wednesday.

A memorial service will also be held in London at a venue to be confirmed.

To reflect the princess's love of dancing and musicals, there will be an appearance by the English National Ballet, while Andrew Lloyd Webber will stage a medley of songs from his West End shows.

The princes said more acts were coming but they had released just "a flavour" of those confirmed.

Sir Elton John said: "I applaud Princes William and Harry for choosing to honour their mother with this concert. I am absolutely thrilled to be performing at this great event.

"Diana was a personal friend and someone I greatly admired for her tireless and enthusiastic work for charity."

Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran added: "The concert next summer seems an entirely fitting way to celebrate her life and her work.

"We are honoured that she always referred to Duran Duran as her favourite band as she was certainly our favourite princess."

Proceeds from the concert will go to a number of charities that were supported by the princess during her life, and to two of the princes' own charities, Centrepoint and Sentebale.

It has also been confirmed the senior royals, including their stepmother the Duchess of Cornwall, will attend the memorial service on 31 August, the actual anniversary of Diana's death.

the “Elvis Cup”

Recently, Hershey’s announced the “Elvis Cup”, a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup that includes a layer of Banana Creme. You may or may not know (if say, you’re blind), but Elvis loved to eat. One of his favorite foods was fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, thus the inspiration for the new Reese’s cup. Hershey’s just added some chocolate and took away the fried aspect (though I’m sure a local county fair can help you with the fried aspect.)

This “limited edition” candy is being made in honor of the 30th Anniversary of The King’s passing. The candy will be on your shelves sometime in July ‘07, while Elvis’ actual date of death is August 16th. The candy, which will come in mini, standard and “king size”, will also include an instant win contest for a trip for two to Graceland.

Reconnected at last

hello everyone!
I am pleased to say that I am finally reconnected!

As most of you already know, I recently moved from the south end of the city to the north end. The move was a huge task but I did have help from many of my friends which made it better than it could have ever been. To them...know that I appreciated all your time and help very much! My M.S. also proved to be an unwelcome guest through the process as well. The downside of the move was the Verizon DSL issues. My last login was November 16, 2006. Yes, its taken that long for all the switches to be reset and the signals rerouted! Needless to say I wasn't real happy with their delays in transferring my DSL service; that's all in the past now.

In that small window of being "unconnected from the world" I managed to get 531 new messages in my email! Understandably, it will take a few days to go through them. Certain to say I lost quite a bit of potential business from the aquarium plant design project and a complete loss of communication from any potential and or existing customers. I'm amazed at how dependent we have all become on the internet, in some respects it troubles me a great deal.

Looking forward to reconnecting with all of you very soon...Cheers! Ron

Mexico City passes gay union law

Mexico City's assembly has backed a law recognising same-sex civil unions, the first such move in the country's history.

The ruling stops short of enabling gay couples to get married and will only apply to the estimated nine million inhabitants of Mexico City.

Mexico City Mayor Alejandro Encinas is widely expected to ratify the law.

It has met fierce opposition from President-elect Felipe Calderon's National Action Party.

The law has also been attacked by the Catholic Church and conservative activists.

'Decadence'

While Mexico City legislators voted for the law, supporters and opponents of the bill demonstrated noisily outside the assembly building.

Protester Humberto Muniz described the law as "anti-natural".

"Societies have always fallen into decadence when there has been homosexuality," he told the Reuters news agency.

But the vote was welcomed by David Sanchez, an openly gay congressman.

"These reforms are going to cause a snowball effect that no one will be able to stop," he told Reuters.

Rights

Under the law, Mexico City's gay couples who register their union with civil authorities will gain access to inheritance and pension rights.

Unmarried heterosexual couples can also register under the same law.

Gay civil unions have yet to be approved by local legislators in any other part of Mexico.

A similar bill is being debated by lawmakers in Mexico's northern state of Coahuila, bordering Texas.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6134730.stm

The new studio

In an order to "conserve & preserve" I decided at the last minute to relocate. The new studio aparment is smaller than I'm used to, let alone has far less space than I currently have. The bottom line it's on the first floor and considerably cheaper than I am currently paying.

The idea of relocating is as worse as a 24 hour migrain but life dictated the move at the present and so I shall oblige. I should be completely in by Thanksgiving if all goes well; I chose not to wait till end of December and the cold weather. Email and phone will remain the same.

Perhaps a fresh start will be good for the sole?

progressive action

South Dakotans to decide medical marijuana measure Nov. 7

Benefits, side effects of drug on society debated
By Carson Walker
Associated Press Writer

Editor's note: Part of a series of preview stories on selected ballot measures in the Nov. 7 general election.

South Dakota would join 11 other states that allow some medical patients to smoke marijuana to ease their pain and other medical problems if voters approve Initiated Measure 4 on Nov. 7.

Diseases and conditions that would be covered include: cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, severe or chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, severe or persistent muscle spasms and multiple sclerosis. The state Department of Health also could approve other medical conditions.

Though some states permit medical marijuana, residents still can be prosecuted in federal court.

Valerie Hannah of Deerfield said if the measure doesn't pass, she's moving to California, where medical marijuana is allowed - although she said she already uses limited amounts of it to quell her nerve pain.

"I'm the only person who will admit that they're a medical marijuana patient in South Dakota," she said in a telephone interview.

Hannah said she served in the Persian Gulf War in the early 1990s and was exposed to chemical weapons that are basically causing her nerves to dissolve.

"And with that comes extreme, extreme pain," she said.

No prescription drug is as effective as a few hits of pot a few times a day, Hannah said.

"Not a whole joint. It's just a couple of tokes, a couple of hits off a pipe," she said.

Hughes County Sheriff Mike Leidholt said he empathizes with Hannah and others who suffer from chronic pain. But the relief it could offer some people doesn't justify the cost to society, he said.

Among Liedholt's points:

• It sends a mixed message to children on the use of drugs.

• People other than the patient could get the marijuana, as a lot of teens do now with alcohol.

• There have been great advances in prescription medications, so it's not necessary to go back to natural remedies such as marijuana.

• Law enforcement officers wouldn't be allowed to test if a driver with a prescription is under the influence of marijuana.

• The marijuana isn't subject to quality control standards that are a part of Food and Drug Administration approval, so there's no way to know the potency.

The law would allow each patient and caregiver up to six plants, which could produce from 2,700 to more than 13,000 joints every year, depending how well the plants are cultivated, he said.

"That's a lot of marijuana," Leidholt said. "If you're not going to use that much, what are you going to do with the rest of it? Are you going to share it with friends?"

Hannah, who no longer is able to work, said the measure is not an attempt to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, and it would not make pot widely available.

"This is not a way to get it into the hands of your children or my children or anybody else's. This is for legitimate people who need this," she said. "Everyone should have the freedom to choose their own medication."

The jewels have arrived

It is with great pride that I tell you, the first hand designed piece of jewelry from my friend Marilyn is now available for purchase on my ebay!

As I mentioned a few days ago, her work is exceptional and very unique. She's been traveling the craft circuit and renaissance fairs for several years now. Her creations are exceptional and the quality of her designs is second to none. Additional designs will be listed on ebay as they become available. Please email me any questions you might have for Marilyn and I will forward them to her.

Sharing information

I think when it comes to blogging, it's all about personal expression but more importantly, sharing idea's and information with others. As an individual who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, I can attest to the importance & benefits of sharing information with others, weather it be good or bad.

This past July, 2006 I had an unfortunate change in my employment status and lost my health care coverage; also unable to afford the continued coverage through Cobra @ $385.00 per month! Not until mid August 2006, was I able to secure new employment but they only offered about 30 hours per week and no insurance options at the present time. And in-case your wondering what the total cost per month for all my prescribed/needed meds are (straight over the counter price without any drug coverage) , I'm sad to say it would be around $3,000.00.... what a disgusting amount to pay to feel moderately o.k.. For those of you with MS you know exactly what I mean and for those of you who don't: there's no cure yet for us, the meds are a constant give & take for the end results. Some make one thing more tolerable while enhancing the awful effects of another. I.E. the provigil (prescription speed so to speak) fights the MS daily fatigue but inturn it can make you hyper. Fear not, I get to look forward to another pill later in the night to bring me back down. Then it's one to stop the restless leg syndrome and one to help me sleep. It's a rollercoaster ride of daily trade-offs that quite simply put, SUCKS!

Needless to say I have been without my prescriptions and drug coverage for a few months now, the lack of proper medications has definitely taken its toll on me and my body. Simply stated, if you looked at my situation as a race between me and the MS, the MS has taken a strong lead and reeked its unforgiving havoc on my body,mind and sole. I have been seeking assistance and continue to run into one road block after another. I would never wish this particular "hunt for help" on even my worst enemies.

Magically, I sat down today in the break room and stumbled on an article in Newsweek on RLS; restless leg syndrome. The article was somewhat enlightening and all too familiar. At the very end of the article, in very small print (almost too small to notice) , under an add for Requip (RLS drug), was a web address/phone number for assistance for prescription drugs: PPA or Partnership For Prescription Assistance (https://www.pparx.org/Intro.php). I was a little excited at first, then I reminded myself of others, like it, and I remembered all the paperwork, the phone calls, the waiting and the turn downs... you've got to keep trying, right? So I went to the web site and started my next journey into prescription assistance. Over all, I found the site to be helpful, informative and easy to navigate through. So all the information has been sent and now I'll do what I'm getting used to doing these days...waiting to see the answers...

just breathe

so what does a guy like me do when a guy like you enters into my life...

keep it in perspective, thank god above, giggle a little in the kitchen, tell almost everyone i know, respect it, remember to always say thank you since tomorrow isn't guaranteed, keep it clean and free of uncomfortable moments, be honest, push a few buttons from time to time, celebrate and embrace our unique similarities, talk less-listen more, make the most of what's at hand, make sure the coffee's fresh and there's plenty of your favorite coffe-mate flavor in the frig, allow unlimited access to everything inside my heart & mind, listen to manilow & taylor when necessary, let it out-verbally of course, tell you from time to time the tremendous impact you've made in and on my life, remind myself that it's healthy to let myself get bumded out about it-the specifics, only tell you how swell you are once in a seven day window, never truthfully answer that question "who the fuck are you?" and consider renting a humungus blimp to let the whole world know about my super dooper new friend: kurt.

friendly reminder

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

friend 5 entries found for friend. To select an entry, click on it. friend[1,noun] friend[2,transitive verb] friend of the court next friend plumber's helper Main Entry: 1friend Pronunciation: 'frend Function: noun Etymology: Middle English frend, from Old English frEond; akin to Old High German friunt friend, Old English frEon to love, frEo free 1 a : one attached to another by affection or esteem b : ACQUAINTANCE 2 a : one that is not hostile b : one that is of the same nation, party, or group 3 : one that favors or promotes something (as a charity) 4 : a favored companion 5 capitalized : a member of a Christian sect that stresses Inner Light, rejects sacraments and an ordained ministry, and opposes war -- called also Quaker

hey, denisha!

kaj & i have a few things to say and two to show...

first of all, in-case you didn't know your favorite now comes in an easy to opperate, spin up power dispenser. especially perfect for those days when a spray just will not do!
and...

there's two horses dj silver should be riding, sad to say we can only publicly show you one!

big huggs bitch! love ya!

a new, wonderful discovery

as most of you already know, i recently was placed into a situation that forced me to seek out new employment. it took a few weeks but i landed a position at one of our local craft stores; no brainier, right? with just a few days under my belt, i met a woman named marilyn whom i took a liking to almost instantly. sometimes you know when you meet someone, there's something about it that just seemed like the right thing to happen.

with marilyn, it soon became obvious as to why. turns out, she's a remarkable jewelry maker, specializing in renaissance styled bracelets and such. as time passed i was privileged to see just a few of the many unique designs she's created. one item in particular was a ring/bracelet combination (her own design/creation) which blew me away. as a fellow artist i couldn't help but appreciate and admire the quality of her work and the attention to detail. she said she had spent many weekends, traveling to different craft shows and renaissance fairs showing and selling her designs.

without the slightest hesitation, i asked if i could help in any way, promoting her designs by offering my time and space through my ebay listings. it only took a few seconds for both of us to get excited about the possibilities! although we still have a few details to work out, i'm happy to say that within a week or two, the first group of designs from marilyn will be available on my ebay listings; stay tuned for further updates. i know that once you see them, you'll be as excited about them as i was...with the holiday season drawing near, finding a gift that is unique and original will soon be so easy!

coming soon

sad to say, the size of the package is so important to far too many. while for others, the mere thought of giving is more than enough.

beneath both groups are the sub categories: the folks who make the list and those that don't. traditionally, we give gifts to friends, family, acquaintances and co-workers. for some odd reason, the not so nice folks only ever get "words" from us all year long; perhaps it's time for a change...

so considering all those nice & the not so worthy folks, i've decide to create & design a gift collection that covers just about everyone you might or won't consider this holiday season. soon, you'll have a wide variety of gifts to choose from (available to purchase on my ebay listings) like gift bags, simple items, mugs and a few other staples. you'll also have a few "not so nice" gift creations to choose from as well, like the retro "dinner for one", a perfect gift for any prick you may have encountered this year. a rotten gift is sometimes better served than tossing the "f" word loudly at them in the public library!

simply put, they will be somewhat uncommon, perhaps unusual and in all, very thought provoking.... stay tuned for more on the 2006 Holiday Gift Collection from New Mallery Place!

twas the season

i guess,
in some respects,
this is one of my favorite times of the year. the time when the temperaure cools down, the sun slightly shines and the nights breeze starts it's chill.

it's also a time of year for me, over sleeping everyday and somehow knowing i'll have more time in the night.

we've spent most of the past months, warm and uncovered from the sun. now, we begin to bring small amounts of the pieces back that will soon hide so much of us; so much our selves.

imagine if we could take the "cold" out of cold...
a winter white without the freezing temperatures, we could be among the snow and all the glistening until the wee hours of the morning.

and with the seasonal changes. i start to set aside all the "up tempo" & "tribal rhythms" of the summer's cd stacks. almost as if i want to speedup the cool tingle of december, i now change the music direction to jazz. it's cool, crisp and with just a touch of "you better dim the lights and drop the blinds"...yeah, you know what i mean. the perfect audio pallet for the cool coulours that linger in the rich, black skies of winter.

tonight's first choice was the new chris botti, live with special guests. i doubled my scenses rewards with the dvd audio 5.1 tracks! kicked it out!

remember those thought/action bubbles in the old episodes that popped up over batman.... it's all that was missing from this live performance of chris botti's. had it been there, it would have read "BAM"! botti's assembled one of the best jazz bands ever, together on one stage, all at the same time. now you know, you've already got your moneys worth. but wait, it's a one, two punch. the second blow comes from the guest vocal line-up...christ, all midty i'm down from a sung tko!
paula cole, paul buchanan, jill scott (stay focused, there's more) renee olstead, sting and gladys knight. it final, complete, end of story, shut it down - you are done! the bumps and chills from reading this line up flipped over, once i heard em... the water ran like a raging river, destine to overtake and conquer, from my eyes almost the entire 1 hour 30 minute performances.

take the day off, call off or do what ever you do, just get it and roll in and out of it.

oh, did I forget to say "good morning heartache, you old gloomy side" and "if you plan on hangin' around and i mean all the way-around it, you best get a job cause this manz still got bills to pay!"

Vitamin may combat pain

Vitamin may combat pain in multiple sclerosis

Ian Sample
Wednesday September 20, 2006
The Guardian

Vitamin B3 may protect people with multiple sclerosis from debilitating nerve damage, scientists report today.

Tests revealed that mice with an MS-like disease experienced less weakness and paralysis if they received regular injections of nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3.

Lead researcher Shinjiro Kaneko at Children's Hospital Boston, in Massachusetts, believes the chemical protects against progressive nerve damage, which can cause fatigue, pain and behavioural changes. He hopes the study, which appears in the Journal of Neuroscience, will initiate a clinical trial.

the day has arrived!

battlestar galactica 2.5 on dvd today, 9-19-2006

Amazon.com Launches Video Download Service

Perhaps anticipating Apple’s possible announcement of an iTunes movie download service next week, Amazon.com formally launched their Amazon Unbox digital video download offering. Unbox essentially allows consumers the ability to download to rent or own (depending upon the type of content) thousands of DVD-quality TV shows, movies and other types of video for viewing on a PC or Windows Media-compatible portable device. Over 30 studio and network partners from Hollywood and beyond are providing videos to Amazon Unbox, with a huge selection of mainstream content being available such as movies like V for Vendetta and Brokeback Mountain as well as episodes from TV shows like CSI and 24.

Unbox customers can purchase television series episodes for $1.99 per episode, purchase most movies for between $7.99 and $14.99, or rent the latest movies for $3.99.

With offerings from a wide array of major Hollywood players like 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures as well as television networks like CBS and FOX, the Amazon Unbox service could prove to be the shot in the arm the digital download video market has been looking for. Primarily a niche choice for consumers up to this point, the entrance of one of the largest e-commerce players followed up next week perhaps by a rival service from the company behind the iPod could finally give broadband users around the world the excuse they’ve been looking for to legally download their favorite movies in mass.

Image Photo Credit: ©Amazon

Finally, she's let go

Houston was, in my opinion, one of the last great artist to come from the "music industry" before it turned itself into a economical musical whore; birthing money makers and not developing talent, let alone promoting artists talents without endorsement appeal. she was talented, driven and embraced by america for a variety of reasons. over time the public opinion held by many has changed but inside this woman is a voice and a spirit that remains...i can only wait for her return and to hear her sing once again. you can think what you want, say what you say, but you can't deny the god given talent she posses and the power of this exceptional woman. -ron beck

Whitney Houston files for divorce

American pop star Whitney Houston has filed for divorce from singer Bobby Brown, after 14 years of marriage.

Houston, 43, has won six Grammy awards and scored a string of chart-toppers, including Saving All My Love For You. But her career has faded in recent years, amid stays in drug rehabilitation clinics. Ms Houston has a 13-year-old daughter with Brown, whose own singing career has been overshadowed by brushes with police over drugs and alcohol.

Her publicist Nancy Seltzer confirmed that she had filed for divorce, but refused to say where or when. She said the singer had no statement to make.

Houston followed her mother Cissy Houston and cousin Dionne Warwick by beginning her vocal career in gospel and was topping the charts by 1985. After a string of hits she pursued acting, appearing next to Kevin Costner in the hit film The Bodyguard. She has not released an album since 2002.

Ms Houston admitted on US TV network ABC in 2002 that she had abused drugs but had overcome her problems through prayer. She married Bobby Brown, 37, in 1992. Their daughter, Bobbi Kristina, was born the following year.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/5344200.stm

an update from glinda

there, there my anxious readers.... the complete interview with dear, sweet sally secret is coming. please, don't loose hope...if i said i would, you know i will!

the u.k.'s terry jones

terry jones on george bus...

Those of us who support Armageddon have naturally been greatly cheered by way the US president has embraced our cause.

Those of us who have long been supporters of Armageddon have naturally been greatly cheered by way the president of the United States has been embracing our cause. Our desire to bring chaos, death and destruction to a greater swathe of humanity has, in the past, often been frustrated by peacemakers and do-gooders of all shades of the political spectrum.

For too long, our aspirations have been derided and criticised. In fact, to be blunt, for more than two millennia we have had to put up with opprobrium and vilification, but now all that will be a thing of the past, for in George Bush we have found an ally - indeed, we have found a leader. A man who is prepared to place himself at the head of the forces of destruction and misery, and who is unafraid of the opinion of the rest of the world.

George Bush has finally put Armageddon firmly on the political agenda, and it is likely to stay there for the foreseeable future.

This means that we Armageddonists need keep to the shadows no longer. Bush and his colleagues in the White House have given us credibility and respectability. They have made our goal their goal, and death, disease, war and famine are now the most likely fate for more people in the Middle East than we Armageddonists had ever dared to hope for.

What is also particularly gratifying - after this long wait - is that George could not have chosen a better spot on Earth for the "End of Things" to begin, nor a more appropriate agent than Israel to get the ball rolling.

After all "Armageddon" is a Hebrew word. It has come to signify "the end of times" or the arrival of catastrophic events, involving huge loss of life. In its origins, however, Har-Mageddon meant simply "the mountain of Megiddo" - Megiddo being a site in Israel close to the border with Lebanon.

It is certainly a place that has seen a lot of catastrophe in its time. Although there has not been a city at Megiddo for over 2,000 years, there are, nevertheless the remains of more than 20 different cities on the site, dating from 3,000 BC. That's an awful lot of human death and destruction.

So it's the perfect place for George to unleash the horsemen of the Apocalypse, and, as Armageddonists, we applaud him. The current assault on Lebanese civilians is sure to swell the ranks of would-be terrorists beyond even our wildest dreams, spreading the violence and mayhem not only throughout the Middle East but into the homelands of America and Britain.

As for the country of Lebanon itself, we Armageddonists predict that, like Iraq, it will sink into a morass of sectarian violence that will fill morgues of the future that have not yet been built. But more than that, we Armegeddonists confidently look forward to chaos and havoc quickly getting out of hand and beyond the control of those who started the conflict. It's all part of the fun.

So Armageddonists of the world! Let us unite in praise of George Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. Let us thank these men for bringing our dreams of violence and disorder to fruition.

Let us hope that whatever half-baked notions fill what passes for their minds, they will continue on this irreversible path to perdition from which the whole world recoils, but seems powerless to stop.

music 08-22-06

At gun point, I would have to confess..."alfie" and "everything must change" are probably the two best written songs of all time. Through all my years of listening to music, these two songs to this day still get me every time I listen to them. Last year for shits and giggles I sought out as many tracks as I could find of artists who covered "alfie"; I think the final count was something like 19 different performers.

tonight, I also happened to stumble on a cover of "everything must change" recorded live by jazz great randy crawford. Not long after the first listen, I just sat here and played it over and over for some 40 minutes. Like Ella, Randy makes the song her own. Her rendition speaks for itself, experience it. Shazam, I hunting tracks from others as I write.... A few good mentions so far: oleta adams, james ingram).

on tonight's musical journey I also heard a new track from annie lennox "hush, hush, hush" who appears as a guest vocalist on a herbie hancock cd. Yes, another cover but as only she could craft. I'm still counting the nights without a new full length lennox project to drift away with...

till next time...

an "outside" view

one thing i have come to enjoy about "blogging" is the interaction and information we all get to share with one another. it's especially great, meeting new people and discovering their blog. the means and ways of "gay life" outside the United States is always something that has intrigued me; it gives me renewed hope and a different perspective on many levels. such is the case with Syzmon's blog from Poland. his blog is well rounded and full of interesting thoughts, idea's and photographs. many of the images are in-fact, photographed by Szymon himself! he is also, to his credit, one of the first openly gay residents of Poland! You can visit his blog here http://szymonniemiec.pl/blog/

The Dark Knight

Batman is heading into a sequel, titled "The Dark Knight," and he will face off against the Joker, this time played by Heath Ledger.

Snow Leopard is US-bound

The US State Department has announced the impending arrival of an unusual guest from Pakistan - an orphaned snow leopard cub.

Thirteen-month-old Leo is due in New York on Wednesday after surviving both the loss of his parents and the Pakistani earthquake.

He was found in the snow-hit north of the country last year by a shepherd who hand-fed him to keep him alive.

The snow leopard is one of the world's most endangered big cat species.

'Shepherd's compassion'

Leo - one of only a few thousand snow leopards left in the wild - was found by the shepherd in the mountains of north Pakistan in July 2005.

best in show, so far

after 50 some of hours of designing, fueled by a relentless need to create, i'm pleased to say that the largest feature presentation of designs thus far are complete. there are at least 40 new items which are now available for purchase via ebay. to purchase or view any of them, simply click on the ebay logo to the right.

The Witch's One on One With Sally Secret

Good evening everyone. I’m Sally Secret and have I got something to tell you! Welcome to our exclusive interview, one on one, with the wicked witch of the west. We were gonna broadcast this live but things got changed. The recording is live, you just can't see us. I look good, don't worry. As some of you already know, Ms. Witch was recently "knocked off her broom" quite suddenly. No need to worry viewers, she's is ok.

When I sat down and started to put together this interview, I must say I wasn't too sure what to expect from a green faced witch. I remember her from my childhood and that annoying cackle of hers. I think I was nine when my fist migraine hit me. Oh, and those flying monkeys...where in gods name did they come from? Never mind, that’s only one of six things Sally doesn’t want to know. Because of our younger listening audience tonight, I’ll refrain from telling you the other five. Ah, hold on just a second, it's been a busy week and my throat is aching....Christina! (She’s my new assistant and a distant relative of you know who) how bout that stoli! "Ms Secret, we are recording!" a quick turn to the left "thank you. ooops, I just can't stop saying what's on my mind... oh and before I forget, I want to say hello girls to Mandy Magnolia & Danesha Daffodil, this cute lesbian couple I meet while at the red light at 48th and 9th. They were washing their over-alls at the coin op, that new place... fluff & fold. Nice girls, very polite. They never asked for change? Anyway...slurp, that was refreshing.

After spending over 3 hours with her, I certainly learned a great deal about her “night job” at the movie place and all its inner mechanics, both public and private. Talk about entertainment! By the end of the interview, you to will also learn as did I, that she is truly a victim of several double standards. Hey, she's no post-it note, let me tell you. Well listeners, here is her true story. And no this isn’t the version you already heard. This one is sure to light a few dark hallways. Like the one in the loft with, oh won't dare bother with that right now...Max, you were fabulous! Good luck on your algebra test!

Editor’s note: some of the names have been changed to protect the guilty.

SS: Welcome to my show, Ms. Witch

Ww: Right. Thank you for your interest in my personal story.

SS: So, word on the street is you got the axe…

Ww: Every block of oak someday meets their axe dear. Blades dull over time and oaks survive. Talk to Treebeard, he’ll tell you.

SS: Ah, ok, I’ll talk to the trees the next time the cab drops me off at the forest. Anyway, I’m quite surprised at you’re a “manor of speaking” if you will. Being the Wicked Witch, my first thought was your vocabulary would be limited and a little gritty, if you know what I mean.

Ww: Just because someone calls you “wicked” doesn’t mean you’re uneducated. You know the old saying; don’t judge a book by its cover? I was but a young girl at the time that was quoted. It’s easy to judge others, especially when you don’t want to see your true self in the mirror. All you need do is cast all that hatred and guilt at someone else so that you can feel free of it.

SS: Ooh I love looking at myself in the mirror; I have one in every room of my apartment. And tossing a little spicy sauce here and there is always fun... I just love the after stains!

Ww: If you say so, Sally. If I may, I’d like to stand for a moment and show you something.

SS: Sure thing honey, unless it’s a secret birth defect. I’ve got a weak stomach to begin with.

Ww: There there dear, no need to worry of such things. Pay close attention…

SS: Good Christ! You’re pulling off your green skin? Sweet Loraine, you’re the Good Witch of the North!

GW: Yes I am dear. My heavens…look at the silk and lace, all wrinkled from this dreadful witch’s costume. All things come clean, in time. I wore this because I’ve been labeled as such. It’s time to step forward and show them who I really am. I must say that all the anger and disgust that has been running through my veins recently, has made me uneasy. I take great pride in being a good person, but the only way to have some closure to this matter is to become, temporarily, a wicked witch. This is why I have asked for this interview. I can do and say what needs to be, then walking away from it. I think now would be a good time to get comfortable and have a cup of tea. I have much to tell you. I’ve harbored many things for almost two years; a load I needn’t carry any longer.

SS: Christina! Two tea’s, one no spike. OK let’s break for a commercial and come back wand’s loaded!

To be continued…