Some Miscellaneous Rambling…..
Reader “Joy”
was kind enough to inform me of a site where you
can enter your birth date to find out what was the number one popular song in
America on the day you were born. In my case it was “Amapola (Pretty Little
Poppy)” by Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra. Right now many of you are probably
wondering who Jimmy Dorsey was. Jimmy and his brother Tommy were big time band
leaders in the 1940’s dance era and they both sold millions of records. Jimmy
died in 1957. If you want to check out your own birthday song or any other song
simply go to http://playback.fm/birthday-song.
Are you
considering buying a new Apple Watch? Do you have
tattoos on your wrist where the watch would rest? Apparently you can’t have
your cake and eat it too if you have a dark ink tattoo. I realize that for all
the cool people out there who wait in line through fog, rain, and the gloom of
night to have anything that is new from Apple may be a bit discouraged. Apple
has stated that “Many factors can affect the performance of the Apple Watch
heart rate sensor. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block
light from the sensor making it difficult to get reliable readings.” So, is your
decision yes or no on the Apple Watch? I would advise not buying one. The
cheesy one is about $400 and will probably be obsolete before you get tired of
it and want something else ridiculous from Apple. Plus, you have probably
already paid off your tattoo.
The Movoto
Real Estate Blog rates the
following cities as the “10 snobbiest big cities” in the United States: 1. San
Francisco 2. Washington, D. C., 3. Seattle 4. Scottsdale 5. Oakland 6. Portland
7. Irvine, Calif. (tie) 7. Honolulu (tie) 9. Madison 10. Atlanta.
At first glance it may appear that “snobby”
is a type of insult but upon further review it is high praise since Movoto
defines snobby as places with enviable qualities. Residents of these places are
well educated and well paid. Their homes have high median prices and there are
more private schools and art galleries and fewer fast food restaurants. I live
in Scottsdale and have listened for years to out of town residents jokingly
call the city “Snobbsdale” or the “Beverly Hills of the Desert.” It’s all in fun
but if the truth were to be known they probably are thinking about how much
they wish they could live here. We have vacancies so if you wish, come on down.
It’s always fun to tee off on New Year’s Day with the temperature 70 degrees.
Looking
back:
Remembering Bob Dylan. If you are under 50 your response may be
“Bob, who?” It isn't that long ago that such a thought would be absurd since almost
everyone knew Bob Dylan. However, Dylan will be 74 on May 24 and his following
isn't what it used to be. But, he does have a following which is something that
a lot of pop and rock stars would kill for if they could have pulled it
off. Dylan HAS pulled it off and while
the road to popularity is strewn with the remains of many other once popular
single acts, groups, and genres, a lot of people still remember and enjoy many
of Dylan’s songs.
Dylan in the early 1960's.
In a recent AARP Magazine interview, Dylan discussed his latest project which
is to record 10 of his favorite American standards under the album title of Shadows in the Night. It will include numbers
like “Autumn Leaves,” “That Lucky Old Sun,” and “Some Enchanted Evening.” None
of those titles sound like anything Dylan would have done in his protest youth
of the early 60s but not many thought he would ever play an electric guitar
until he did it in the mid 60s. He says he never thought much about doing
standards until he heard Willie Nelson do Stardust
in the 1970’s.
Arriving in New York City from
Minnesota at the beginning of the 1960s, Dylan packed a lot into his first five
years in the Big Apple. It was the “folk” song era and he rode a wave of
success along with acts like Peter, Paul, and Mary, The Kingston Trio, and the
Village Stompers who had a huge hit in 1963 with Washington Square. He stayed unplugged through his early successes
of Mr. Tambourine Man and Blowin’ in the Wind but by 1965 he went
electric to a tumultuous crowd at the Newport Jazz Festival with Like a Rolling Stone. That success led
him to put his standard guitar into semi
retirement.
He has had quite a career for a guy
born in the icy cold of Duluth, Minnesota. It includes more song writing, some
acting roles, and touring with popular acts like Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers, the Grateful Dead, The Traveling Wilburys, and others.
