Exciting Games so Far in Second Round of 2014 World Cup

Columbia's 2-0 victory over Uruguay has been the game with the biggest margin of victory so far in the second stage.

Netherlands' 2-1  victory over Mexico was the only other game not decided by penalty kicks.

Costa Rica survived Greece 5-3 on penalty kicks after being tied at 1 after regulation time.

Brazil and Chile were also tied at 1 but Brazil advanced 3-2 on penalty kicks..

The games continue with France taking on Nigeria and Germany taking on Algeria. Will the games continue to be close?

R.I.P Bobby Womack

Bobby Womack has passed away at the age of 70. Soul legend, songwriter master, singer, guitarist Bobby Womack will be missed..

He wrote that song and now sadly it is our time to cry since "It is All over Now." A song covered most famously by The Rolling Stones ..

.

Below he performs with Patti LaBelle...

.

Some consider this his greatest song...

What is your favorite Bobby Womack song? What is your favorite Womack memory? Leave a comment and share.

This Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member will be missed...

World Cup, Soccer, Football..

Soccer is the world's sport but it is not Merica's sport. Wanted to make a distinction between the United States of America and the two continents of America. Soccer could be the sport in central and South America. Soccer doesn't need to be the sport in the United States, but soccer would like to be successful in this country.

I played a season or so of youth soccer. I was a fan watching NASL soccer games and then ASL games in the 70s as a youth in Jacksonville rooting on the Tea Men. College football was king in the city and the city had dreams of an NFL team. Pro soccer is what we had. Leagues, teams folded and were forgotten. No one remembers the Jacksonville Tea Men now.

As a youth I was a fan. It was what my city could offer and my parents cold afford to take me to the games. I moved to a more soccer friendly area but never  really got behind the DC United. The woman I got behind. They took advantage of international success and started a league. But it faded and petered out. I liked the girl's game.

Men's soccer needs World Cup success to make soccer successful here. Unfortunately the rest of the world is to talented than Team USA. Mediocre is how I would describe our World Cup appearance so far. A win over Ghana, a draw with Portugal, and a loss to Germany honestly is respectable. A win in the next round would give soccer a boost. A deep World Cup run could give soccer a much needed buzz here. A miracle championship could establish soccer here. It would be the best thing for soccer increasing the fan base, boosting interest, merchandise sales and it won't happen

I wish Team USA the best but watch out for the powerhouses!

Happy Birthday Carly Simon!

She has 13 top 40 hits, three Grammy Awards, a bunch of other awards. Carly Simon celebrates her 69th birthday and we celebrate her birthday.

She is probably best known for this song..

.

James Bond fans will recognize this hit..

She was married to James Taylor for a bit..

Just a few hits to celebrate the long and successful career of birthday girl Carly Simon

Happy Birthday Jeff Beck!

I can't believe I haven't written a Jeff Beck happy birthday post  before. He is probably my favorite guitarist. He has a distinct sound that I can almost recognize every time and say that's Jeff Beck.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

He is probably most famous for his version of "People Get Ready"

I have to give the two time Rock and Roll  Hall of Fame member credit he is always pushing the envelope and is never satisfied resting on his past accomplishments.

Here he is back in 1965 with the Yardbirds...

Here he is with "Where were you"

Jeff Beck has won 5 Grammy Awards including one for this Beatles' cover...

I could go on and on. However, I think it is best to let you discover..

Perfect Day

I'm exhausted. These long road trips wear me out. Add in factors such as it being late, darkness, fog and it makes it even worse. However, the day was perfect.

I took my daughter to the beach as we visited with my parents. We walked along the way we saw a Wood Stork not something you see everyday..




A picture from two years ago from the same park. We also so lots of turtles. Then once we got to the beach the water was really calm for the ocean. Great for taking a younger kid swimming. However, in the water we were not alone. A pair of Dolphins were swimming a short distance away from us. A very cool experience to share with my daughter. We also saw pelicans and a couple of Ospreys who were catching fish!

Nice to share adventures with your kid! Then we made it back home for her swim lessons. I think she learned the duck paddle...



Like I said a magical day!

R.I.P Chuck Noll

Chuck Noll's coaching career one team, four Super Bowl Championships, 12 playoff appearances, 22 seasons and a spot in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Above a tribute by players and peers while Noll was still alive. Below s Hall of Fame speech..

A report on his death..

He meant a lot to the storied Pittsburgh Steelers franchise, he meant more to his players, and even more to his family. The city of Pittsburgh, fans, and his family will miss Chuck Noll may he rest in peace.

R.I.P Tony Gwynn

The first National League Baseball game I watched was in San Diego. Tony Gwynn was the Padres star and a player I respected being a fan of the game. A career .338 hitter, heck Gwynn batted .324 the year he retired. He was a 15 time All-Star and 3141 hits good for 19th all time. He was a Hall of Fame player.

Here is a news report..

Sad when a player you watched dies. It ages you as well. However 54 is way too soon to die. Another reason to hate cancer.

Thank you for what you did on the field. Thank you even more for what you did off the field. May you rest in peace Mr. Padre.

Remembering Casey Kasem

I don't know if the Pop Top 40 is as important to musicians as it used to be. It is not as important to me. I still listen to pop music. I have a seven year old daughter who enjoys a lot of pop tunes. However I listen to a lot of other genres that you just don't hear on pop radio. Back in the day, Pop music included a lot more music than it does now.

One of the reasons the Top 40 was so important was Casey Kasem. I have found memories of listening to  him count the songs down in the early 80s.  He would always close with his catch phrase..
"Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

Here Casey Kasem appears on David Letterman's show...

A news report of his death..

If music wasn't your thing or if you were never a fan of the American Top 40 you may remember Casey Kasem as the voice of Scooby Doo's Shaggy.

Casey Kasem was a legend of the airwaves. A medium in decline with internet radios, satellite radio, streaming songs, and other replacements. If it is not in decline it is ever changing. It is not what it once was which is fitting with the news of Casey Kasem. No new or current radio personality will ever come close to catching Casey Kasem's star. 

Heartsoulblood The Latest from Royal Southern Brotherhood

The Royal Southern Brotherhood are back with  their second studio release Heartsoulblood.

I raved about the album in my review here. I am adding extras here in my blog like the album teaser.
Below they perform "Rock and Roll" from the album live. (No it is not the Led Zeppelin song.)

Of course with a band made up of Devon Allman, Mike Zito, Cyril Neville, Yonrico Scott and Charlie Wooten your expectations would be high. I think they delivered well!

The above song was from their first album. Read my review, listen, enjoy and let me know what you think!

Ringo Starr playing a Sold Out Show

I wrote an article about Ringo Starr and his All-Starr band performing a sold out show at Wolf Trap outside Washington, D.C. tonight. You can read the article here and there is a slide show of pictures too! What a year it has been for Ringo to perform at the Grammy's and then the Grammy special. Which he follows with a never ending tour.

He makes it same easy  but he sings another tune..

It is like he is fab once more...

Creating more memories than just old photographs..

Yes I wrote an article just to have an excuse to blog about Ringo, but can you blame me?

R.I.P Bob Welch

Bob Welch passed away yesterday from a heart attack. Welch is perhaps best known for ending game two of the 1978 World Series by striking out Mr. October himself Reggie Jackson.

Bob Welch pitching his famous strike out...

Bob Welch won 211 games pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A's. Welch was a two time All-Star and a Cy Young winner. He pitched for four World Series squads.

A news report of his death...

Bob Welch had his best season when he won an amazing 27 games in 1990. He finished the year 27-6 with a 2.95 ERA and the Cy Young Award.

Bob Welch passed away at the age of 57. At times he battled his demons, may he rest in peace.

Remebering Ray Charles

Ten years ago Ray Charles passed away.

He hit the road.."Hit the Road Jack"

Try is we might.."I Can't Stop Loving You"

"Georgia on my Mind" and Ray Charles in our thoughts..

Really there is no better way to pay tribute to Ray Charles but to share his legacy he left behind..his music.

Thank you for the music Ray Charles

The passing of Alan Douglas

Alan Douglas was a record producer who passed away this weekend. He is best known for his production of Jimi Hendrix after the guitarist death. They included the Gold album "Crash Landing," "Midnight Lightning," a trio of important live concert albums, "Nine to the Universe," and "Blues."

"Captain Coconut" from "Crash Landing"

The "Blues" album really elevated Jimi Hendrix  in my mind up to the top few guitarists in my head. Here he performs "Once I Had a Woman"

Alan Douglas worked with Hendrix while he was alive encouraging him to explores jazz. Even paired Hendrix with Timothy Leary. Douglas also work with The Last Poets, Miles Davis and Lenny Bruce to name a few.

The Last Poets "When the Revolution Comes"

Alan Douglas talks about Jimi and a book who helped put together in this interview..

Alan Douglas thank you for changing my opinion on Jimi Hendrix, may you rest in peace.

World Ocean Day: Poetry to Celebrate

Today was World Ocean Day. As a fisherman, beach lover, traveler, it is no secret how much I love the ocean.

Here is a poem I wrote a couple of years ago about the ocean, I hope you enjoy.

Here is the Atlantic Ocean...

Here is a tanka about the sea I wrote about a year ago about the sea and a sailor. There are characters of real and characters of folklore in the sea. This one is about The Siren.

This poem tells of the oceans rejuvenating power. Here is another tanka about how mankind falls short in caring for the ocean.

Remember the oceans and come back soon!

D-Day 70th Anniversary

D-Day was a day full of heroes, a day full of sacrifice, a day filled with casualties, a day full of injuries, and for those reason the day should be remembered.

Victory had a great cost. Not every victor won. The costs of war should be on the mind of every leader.

Remembering Ronald Reagan

Ten years ago Ronald Reagan passed away. Can you blog about about a politician without discussing politicians?

I think Nancy Reagan's visits to her husband speaks volumes about the way she felt about Ronald Reagan.
The assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan is a moment that will stick in my mind.

He was an actor..

He was a Governor...

He was a President..

He was President for two terms. He lived a long life and was loved by family.

R.I.P Don Zimmer

The title of Don Zimmer's book Zim: A Baseball Life is a great way to sum up Don Zimmer's life. 66 of his 83 years of life were spent in professional baseball. Playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Washington Senators.

Don Zimmer managed the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, and the Chicago Cubs. He coached the Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, and Tampa Bay Rays.

He was old school and I don't think I will ever forget this game...

Here is a tribute to him..

He was involved with a lot of history of the game, he was knowledgeable of the game, and was a link in the games history. He will be missed may he rest in peace.

Celebrating Curtis Mayfield on his Birthday

Today Curtis Mayfield would have turned 72 except he passed away in 1999. It was Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart's version of "People Get Ready" that turned me on to Curtis Mayfield. Though Bob Marley would have gotten me to the same reference play adding parts of the song on "One Love." If not someone else on the long list of musicians he influenced would have turned me on to his music. A list that includes Hendrix, Clapton, Kravitz, and John Mayer. In Mayer's case just listen to "Waiting on the World to Change."

Here is Curtis Mayfield's take on "People Get Ready"

Here he is with The Impressions performing "It's Alright"

He was "Superfly"..

Let's all "Keep on, Keeping On"..

Remembering a great musician, an influencer, and the legacy that is Curtis Mayfield.

Remembering Koko Taylor

Some called Koko Taylor the Queen of the Blues she passed away on June 3, 2009. Five years later sounds like a fine time to play tribute.

She was a woman! Here she performs "I'm A Woman"

Here is her take on the classic "I'd Rather Go Blind"

If she is the Queen she needs a King, here BB King and Koko Taylor perform "Something You Got"

A little Monday Blues bridging into Tuesday. She was talented, and a blues great!

Goodbye Alice! R.I.P Ann B. Davis

A classic Brady Bunch clip to start out my blog post about the sad news of the passing of Ann B. Davis. Ms. Davis played the maid Alice on the show. She passed away this weekend due to a fall she was 88.

Here she talks about her famous role...

Here is a report of her passing..

Thanks for the memories Ann B. Davis may you rest in peace.