Chalupa

Hmm... We have two weekly free papers in Philly. Both of them have an ad for Tritone but Reptet is not mentioned in either ad. They mention some kind of "vinyl 45" party for Sunday. I hope there wasn't a mix up. Edit: Thursday's Organissimo gig is in both ads.

O'Neil was the real 'voice' of America By Wright Thompson ESPN.com Buck O'Neil lived to see the white high school that wouldn't admit him open its doors to all people. He lived to see the kids he scouted turn into Hall of Famers. He lived, as he liked to say, to meet presidents from Truman to Clinton (and he lived to huuuuug Hillary). Now, he's gone. John J. "Buck" O'Neil died Friday night. He was 94. At the end, he'd lost his voice. That's the unkindest cut of all. For his entire adult life, Buck gave his voice to those who could not speak for themselves. He shouted from the rooftops about a generation of ballplayers and the blighted part of American history they represented. He traveled around the world, telling their story; and, at the end, his voice was gone. Used up. He lay in a hospital bed and could barely speak. We've all lost that magnificent baritone voice now, and the world is poorer for it. Not in the way we normally are when a famous person dies. No, O'Neil's voice was truly a gift to all of us. It taught us that love is more important than hate. It taught us that forgiveness is more important than bitterness. It taught us to live life now, to eat dessert always, to never let a red dress pass by. When he didn't get into the Hall of Fame this year, people rightfully howled. As the news reached him, a final denied dream in a life full of dreams denied, he just smiled. "God's been good to me," he said that day. "If I'm a Hall of Famer for you, that's all right with me. Just keep loving old Buck. Don't weep for Buck. No, man, be happy, be thankful." On a day that should have been the pinnacle of a life dedicated to helping others, he showed up at the podium in Cooperstown anyway to help honor the Negro Leaguers who did make the cut, and he led the crowd in a song that will never be heard again: "The greatest thrill … in all my life … is loving you." He sang those words to the folks there and to those at home. Sitting here now, trying to imagine a world without Buck, I can't stop thinking about that song. As a former reporter for The Kansas City Star, I had my share of interaction with Buck. I heard him make cynical school children stand and sing in loud voices. It's clear to me now that knowing and loving Buck has been the greatest thrill in my professional life. It's been a thrill for all of us who knew and loved Buck, either in person or in spirit. We all marveled at this amazing 94-year-old man, at his incredible strength. He refused to follow life's rules about aging. He traveled like a man half his age. He played golf right up until the end. He refused to stop telling the story of a league that America almost forgot. "Buck's fought in so many arenas, and we don't see the scratches and bruises," Negro Leagues museum executive Tonya Tota told me just before the infamous Hall of Fame vote earlier this year. "Buck reminds me of a stealth plane. They're sleek and they're beautiful, and you don't know how much power they have inside of them. They just soar and they fly, and that's Buck." Even though he wasn't elected to the Hall of Fame, his speech served as a reminder to the world about his accomplishments. He led the Negro Leagues in hitting. He won two titles as a Negro Leagues manager. As a scout for the Cubs, he signed Lou Brock to a contract; and in 1962, the Cubs made him the first black coach in the majors. But it was his final role, as ambassador, in Ken Burns' documentary about baseball and in countless rooms and auditoriums across the country, that defined him. He made America face its own painful history. His speech in Cooperstown was the last time he played that role, and he nailed it. The crowd gave him a long ovation, and then he went back home. Not long after, the years finally caught up with him. He checked into the hospital for exhaustion. Without the interaction that was his life, he felt like 94 for the first time. His voice began to falter. Kansas City had planned a birthday party for him, in November. All the women were asked to wear a red dress. That was one of his many credos: Don't ever let a woman in a red dress walk past without talking to her. That's classic Buck. On the surface, it's a funny little adage about talking to women. But, beneath, there's some zen: Take your opportunities. It's Buck-ese for carpe diem. He didn't make it to that birthday party, and all we can do is remember Buck today. Remember the things he talked about. That's what he would want. For his voice, silenced at the end, to live after him. To teach the things he held dear: friendship, understanding, love.

Sad.... Friday, October 6, 2006 Former Negro Leaguer O'Neil dies Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Buck O'Neil, baseball's charismatic Negro Leagues ambassador who barnstormed with Satchel Paige and inexplicably fell one vote shy of the Hall of Fame, died Friday night. He was 94. Bob Kendrick, marketing director for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, said O'Neil died at a Kansas City hospital. O'Neil had appeared strong until early August, when he was hospitalized for what was described as "fatigue." He was released a few days later but readmitted on Sept. 17. Friends said that he had lost his voice along with his strength. No cause of death was immediately given. Always projecting warmth, wit and a sunny optimism that sometimes seemed surprising for a man who lived in a climate of racial injustice for so long, O'Neil remained remarkably vigorous well into his 90s. He became as big a star as the Negro League greats whose stories he traveled the country to tell. He would be in New York taping the "Late Show With David Letterman" one day and then back home on the golf course the next day shooting his age, a feat he first accomplished at 75. "But it's not a good score any more," he quipped on his 90th birthday. O'Neil had long been popular in Kansas City, but he rocketed into national stardom in 1994 when filmmaker Ken Burns featured him in his groundbreaking Public Broadcasting Service documentary "Baseball." The rest of the country then came to appreciate the charming Negro Leagues historian as only baseball insiders had before. He may have been, as he joked, "an overnight sensation at 82," but his popularity continued to grow for the rest of his life. Few men in any sport have witnessed the grand panoramic sweep of history that O'Neil saw and felt and experienced in baseball. A good-hitting, slick-fielding first baseman, he barnstormed with Paige in his youth, twice won a Negro Leagues batting title and then became a pennant-winning manager of the Kansas City Monarchs.

http://www.jacksonpollock.org/

If any DC area members are on the fence about attending the show tonight I suggest that you make definite plans to be there. I saw them here in Philly last night and they were cookin'- BIG TIME! Not to mention they are 3 of nicest guys you'll ever meet. Oh and they will be selling cds too so bring some extra cash.

Posted on Wed, Oct. 04, 2006 Paul Richardson, Phillies organist By JOHN F. MORRISON morrisj@phillynews.com 215-854-5573 THE PHILLIES had this new player, see. Stan Hochman described him in the Daily News like this: "Little guy, spunky, flip... . Pounds out nothing but hits. Never strikes out. Great range. Can go to his left and his right. Hasn't made an error yet... . Especially tough in the late innings. Loves to come up with men on base." This paragon of virtue was a player only in the broadest sense. It was 1970, and Paul Richardson was the Phillies new organist. The team played in Connie Mack Stadium that year, but moved to the Vet the next year. Paul pumped up players and fans alike with his pounding rhythms and frequent bursts of the taped trumpet call - "Charge!" He played for 35 seasons, entertaining millions of fans, before retiring for health reasons after the 2005 season at Citizens Bank Park. Paul died Monday of complications of prostate cancer. He was 74 and lived in Wilmington. The Phillies have no plans for a successor. "There's no way to replace him," said Chris Long, Phillies director of entertainment, at Paul's retirement. "No one else can do what he did." Said Phillies president David Montgomery: "Paul had a great sense of timing and a feel for the game of baseball. He was a big part of our in-game entertainment. He was always suggesting ways to pump up our fans. Above all, he was a quality individual." Once asked why the Phillies had hired him above other candidates for the job, Paul said, "I was the only one who knew what an infield-fly rule was." Paul was hired by Phillies chairman Bill Giles, who was then vice president of business operations. He had heard Paul play at a team Christmas party. "Paul was a character who was more than just a gifted organist," said Giles. "He was an entertainer extraordinaire, someone who had the feel for how to excite and entertain the crowds. He loved to perform and loved people." At the time of his retirement, Paul said: "I've had a great run. They gave me the freedom to do a lot. Thirty-five years is a long time. I loved every minute." Paul once described other stadium organists as "little old ladies in tennis shoes" who favored Lawrence Welk tunes. He, on the other hand, had a wide-ranging repertoire that went from tarantellas to Irish jigs, country-western to rock and disco. He had songs he played for certain players, such as "We're in the Money," for Don Money; "Downtown" for Deron Johnson; for Greg Luzinski, it was a Polish polka. Not every player appreciated his song. When Rich Allen, the former Phillie, showed up at the Vet with the Dodgers, Paul played a song from "Jesus Christ Superstar." Allen sent word to the organist that if he played that again, Allen would punch him out. "I think he was kidding," Paul said. Mostly, Paul favored music that would get the fans clapping, like the tarantellas and Irish jigs. One night in 1975 when the Phils were being clobbered by the Montreal Expos and the fans were fervently booing then-manager Danny Ozark, Paul launched into the theme from the "Pink Panther," and the boos ceased. He relished the control he had over the fans' moods. He got a kick out of the trumpet blast that brought the loud cry of "Charge!" from the spectators - and inspired the players as well. He was born in Wilmington to Ralph Richardson and the former Hannah Kehnast. He graduated from Wilmington High School. Paul was something of a musical prodigy. He started studying the piano at 6 in Wilmington and played his first gig in a local restaurant at age 14. Besides playing for the Phillies, he filled in as organist at Yankee Stadium for a few years, and entertained at clubs and other venues in and around Wilmington and Philadelphia. One of his memorable moments came when he played a duet at a Phillies game with his daughter Victoria on piano. He taught at the Wilmington Music School and performed in the United States and in Canada as an artist for several keyboard manufacturers. He made a number of CDs that are available through www.cdbaby.com. Paul also performed during the Phillies' annual winter caravans and at the annual banquet of the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association. A framed photo montage of Paul's Phillies career will be permanently displayed at Citizens Bank Park starting with next season.

I never get tired of reading that bit by Joe Christmas. Who was that guy anyway??. (eh gads, was that really 5 years ago??)

Unlikely? I don't get it. It's more than likely. And this time it will be competitive, as opposed to that dreary 2000 series. Likely? Not nearly as likely as it seemed at mid-summer. The Mets have a deep lineup and a closer. Everything else is a question mark and they've been playing like crap for several weeks. NL champion will come out of the West. They have excellent middle relief, and just finished the season with a sweep of the Nationals. Wright finished with a 12 game hitting streak. They're ready. And now El Duque is toast. A Met season that was so promising may be hurtling off a cliff. Actually, Maine has pitched pretty well the past two months. His ERA is a full point lower than El Duque's for the season. In a strange way El Duque's injury could actually help the Mets. Maine was impressive in his last 3 starts(all wins) against the Phils.

Of course, they choked big time in the second half. Re: Brett Favre "That old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be...." Do your homework. In the week prior, Brett was the offensive player of the week with a QB rating of 127.1; and in the week before that, he had a more than respectable rating of 85.4. Brett's recent problems have a lot more to do with his supporting cast (e.g., a very young offensive line, horrible cornerbacks, etc.) than any diminishment in his abilities. On Monday night, his receivers dropped a lot of balls that they should have caught, and the first of two interceptions that he threw was, again, primarily the receiver's fault. The 127.1 rating was against the Lions - currently ranked 26th overall in team defense(30th vs. the pass). You also conviently forgot to mention his rating from the first week 40.9. I watched that game too and for every pass that was dropped(and there weren't that many) he over/under threw one of his receivers. Even worse were his decisions to throw into double coverage. Also, I fail to see why his cornerbacks have anything to do w/ his performance. Last time I checked they weren't on the field when Brett was. His O line is young but they managed to keep the Eagles(leading the NFL in sacks going into the game) From getting to him all night. Look Brett is a lock for the HOF and he's overcome a lot of personal tragedies. But don't let what he's done in the past cloud your judgement about his abilities today. His best years are clearly behind him.

I just picked up a gently used copy of the Pathe Sessions for $5. Thanks for the excellent recommendation - I'm loving these recordings.

According to the first results of the enquiry, both planes flew on the same altitude because of an air traffic control error. And each flying at 500 MPH in opposite directions, there wasn't a lot of time to react. What I wonder is why ATC never picked up on the error. How long were they both flying at 37,000 feet? Have you ever flown on a Brazilian air line??? My experiences(both of them) were pretty hairy. Not surprised that this happened - I'm only surprised it didn't happen before now.

These announcers and their endless fawning over Favre is sickening! I had to shut it off with 6 minutes to go. I just don't get it. He has stunk the last 3 seasons. He was terrible last night against a battered Eagles' secondary. He should have ripped them apart. Meanwhile McNabb becomes only the 3rd QB in NFL history to score 2 tds and throw for 2 more in a game and they barely mention him. In the post game show Steve Young was giving every excuse he could think of to defend Favre and finally Michael Irvin called him on it. Kudos to Irvin.

Fearless predictions... Yanks, Twins, Padres, Dodgers.

Of course, they choked big time in the second half. Re: Brett Favre "That old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be...."

What time does the band hit the stage?

Up.

Wow. First Dylan misappropriates some obscure Civil War era poet and now Ornette is quoting Rodgers and Hammerstein melodies in his solos. STOP THE MADNESS!!! Edit to fix smilies

Check this out... This guy is a local jazz radio treasure. According to this article he has over 600 Duke Ellington albums. Mind you this article is from 1998 so who knows how many he has by now http://www.citypaper.net/articles/041698/m...llectors3.shtml

Tentative "maybe".

Not looking too good for the Phillies

No.

Email from Jamaaladeen... Got the taste for a great cup of gourmet coffee or tea and a wonderful assortment of delicious cakes and pastries, join Jamaaladeen This evening at the Latte Lounge. He will be doing something a little different this Thursday evening there. He will be hosting an event called "MY FAVORITE THINGS" He will be sharing his favorite rare grooves on CD and Records that inspired him with the public at The Latte Lounge 816 North 4th Street Philadelphia, PA 19123, 215-629-9808. 7:00 P.M. until. From Jazz to Funk to Groovy, Groovy. Come out and be inspired. He might just bring his Bass guitar and serenade you with an Intergalactic Bass Solo. Check out Jamaaladeen's Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/jamaaladeen

Well I knew it wouldn't take long for the stingray video to hit the internet.... Don't look at this at work. Really horrific. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=19...2steve+irwin%22

Uh-oh my son just turned 27 months... is this what I have to look forward to???

Seriously. I don't know how much more of this I can take. They need to bench Burrell for the rest of the season. He should only be batting against left handers.