City of New Orleans Arlo Guthrie youtube lyrics below
Don McLean- American Pie (with Lyrics) youtube
Dixie wikipedia
1.The word "'Dixie'" refers to privately issued currency from banks in Louisiana.[4] These banks issued ten-dollar notes,[5] labeled "Dix", French for "ten", on the reverse side. These notes are now highly sought-after for their numismatic value. The notes were known as "Dixies" by English-speaking southerners, and the area around New Orleans and the French-speaking parts of Louisiana came to be known as "Dixieland". Eventually, usage of the term broadened to refer to most of the Southern States.
Vladimir Putin rides a three-wheeled Harley Davidson youtube
Motorcycle discrimination
EXCERPT:
Steeped in the myth of leather-jacketed mayhem, the motorcycle is the ultimate image of freedom and power on the road. However, life on two wheels has become increasingly difficult for New York City motorcyclists. The past decade, bikers contend the city has turned up the heat on regulatory and legislative fronts, leading to growing complaints of harassment and accusations of discrimination.
With just 37,500 registered motorcycles in a city of 8.4 million people -- roughly one motorcycle for every 224 residents -- motorcyclists comprise a small minority in New York City, according to New York State Department of Motor Vehicles statistics. Like many minority groups, motorcyclists have long been underrepresented and their voices unheard. But after years of shaking off countless changes to regulations and procedures they consider unfair, the motorcycle community has begun to organize and fight back.
The City of New Orleans
by Steve Goodman
Riding on the City of New Orleans,
Illinois Central Monday morning rail
Fifteen cars and fifteen restless riders,
Three conductors and twenty-five sacks of mail.
All along the southbound odyssey
The train pulls out at Kankakee
Rolls along past houses, farms and fields.
Passin' trains that have no names,
Freight yards full of old black men
And the graveyards of the rusted automobiles.
CHORUS:
Good morning America how are you?
Don't you know me I'm your native son,
I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
Dealin' card games with the old men in the club car.
Penny a point ain't no one keepin' score.
Pass the paper bag that holds the bottle
Feel the wheels rumblin' 'neath the floor.
And the sons of pullman porters
And the sons of engineers
Ride their father's magic carpets made of steel.
Mothers with their babes asleep,
Are rockin' to the gentle beat
And the rhythm of the rails is all they feel.
CHORUS
Nighttime on The City of New Orleans,
Changing cars in Memphis, Tennessee.
Half way home, we'll be there by morning
Through the Mississippi darkness
Rolling down to the sea.
And all the towns and people seem
To fade into a bad dream
And the steel rails still ain't heard the news.
The conductor sings his song again,
The passengers will please refrain
This train's got the disappearing railroad blues.
Good night, America, how are you?
Don't you know me I'm your native son,
I'm the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I'll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
I attended the Garlic Festival with my friends from IBM and it was a hoot. (I may bitch and moan about IBM but I will tell you the IBMers I worked with were a wonderful group of folks.) They had a booth at the festival and we partied hardy!!! I went with 3 of my good friends and between the 4 of us I think we tried out 27 different foods. It was Amazing! That's not even counting the different drinks we had........... whew, the hangovers? hee hee oh, yeah, we did have a designated driver. That was the first time I had tried to dance Zydeco and we all ROTFLOAO
As the oil is messing up the Gulf....... California is drying up. Many many many of my friends have lost everything in the San Joaquin Valley due to the water cut-backs.
If you know anyone in California near Gilroy, please let them know to attend the festival and support Farming. It isn't far from San Jose, CA. and it would be a perfect opportunity to share our stuffs.
Down near the bottom is reference to DeFrancisco Bros Garlic Shed......
I worked in the office for a couple of seasons. See how China has taken over. (If I'm not mistaken DeFrancisco has since closed it's doors. It was a great place for locals to work seasonally.)
Cotton Fields CCR youtube
Indian Outlaw Tim McGraw youtube
Zydeco dance youtube
Sesame Street film - Louisiana Zydeco music youtube
Gilroy Garlic Festival video
I worked in a cantaloupe shed in Mendota (office) Ronald Kano was our computer guru....... Before the great Water tragedy... back in the day!
Mendota, CA Cantaloupe capital of the world
EXCERPT:
Jac Smit - February 2009
On February 10, 2009 Mayor Robert Silva of Mendota California said "… my community is dying on the vine". Mendota is in the center of California's Central Valley, one of the world’s most productive agricultural places and called by some the "Cantaloupe Capital of the World".
The Mendota district is America's prime source for cantaloupe and lettuce. An optimistic forecast is that crop yields will be reduced by half in 2009, over the previous decade. The California State Department of Water Resources says that irrigation water this year will be at 15 percent of average. The Federal "Central Valley Project" anticipates zero allocation from its resources. At the University of California Professor Richard Howitt estimates a crop loss of over $2 billion and a job loss of over 60,000 workers.
Great Garlic Cook-off
Great Garlic Cook-Off Identifies Eight Finalists
GILROY, California - "Watermelon crabmeat", "Crawfish Gravy over Grits", and "Cranberry Bread Pudding" are three of the ingredients in the eight recipes selected for the Great Garlic Cook-Off, Gilroy Garlic Festival Association officials announced today.
The Cook-Off, the centerpiece of the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, will begin at 10 a.m. PDT July 24. The 32nd annual Garlic Festival, three days of live music, cooking exhibitions, arts & crafts exhibits, children's entertainment and an appearance by Top Chef sensation Fabio Viviani, will run July 23-25 at Christmas Hill Park here.
The Festival's Recipe Committee reviewed submissions from across North America before identifying eight finalists. Each amateur chef will have two hours to prepare, plate and serve their delicacy to a panel of five judges on the Cook-Off stage. The winner receives $1,000 in cash and the traditional crown of cloves.
The Cook-Off stage will host three days of popular cooking competitions, culminating with the July 25 Garlic Showdown presented by Raley's, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods. A quartet of Northern California professional chefs will battle iron chef-style for a $5,000 top prize.
Information on all Festival activity is available at gilroygarlicfestival.com
Tickets offering a $2. discount on adult, children and senior admissions can be purchased at all Raley's, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods locations throughout Northern California.
2010 GREAT GILROY GARLIC COOK-OFF
FINALISTS
Saturday July 24
10 a.m. Cook-Off Stage
Warm Weather Watermelon Crabmeat Kissed South Seas Soup
Margi Berry / Trout Lake, WA
Sautéed Butterfly Prawns with Spicy Garlic Cranberry Bread Pudding & Garlic Studded Pinot Noir Sauce
Renata Stanko / Lebanon, OR
Garlic & Crawfish Gravy over Grits with Roasted Garlic Waffles
Derick Thurman / Charlotte, NC
Garlic Paella with Garlic Allioli
Michael G. Labrador / Newhall, CA
Potentially Pretentious Pork Tendorloin with Garlic Five Ways
Leslie Shearer / Mooreseville, NC
Emerald City Pelau
Susan Mason / Milton, WA
Deconstructed Beef Wellington with Garlic - Tarragon Aioli
Jamie Miller / Napa, CA
Roasted Garlic Blueberry & Pear Cobbler with Garlic Pecan Brickle Cream
Penny Malcolm / Americus, GA
Garlic Festival Will Re-focus Effort To Feature Regional Products
Three-Year Plan to Increase Sustainability
GILROY, CA --- Unveiling a three-year plan focused on increased sustainability, Greg Bozzo, President of the 2010 Gilroy Garlic Festival (gilroygarlicfestival.com) , introduced eight food and food product partners at a press briefing May 13 at Solis Winery in Gilroy. All eight concerns re-establish the Festival's efforts to feature local and regional cuisine in Gourmet Alley and throughout the internationally-heralded three-day event.
The 32nd annual Garlic Festival will entertain over 100,000 visitors at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy July 23-25, host three popular cooking competitions, present 60 live concerts, return dynamic "Top Chef" Fabio Viviani to the Cook-Off Stage and serve a critically-acclaimed cuisine enhanced with over two tons of fresh California garlic.
"We're heading in a direction to be as eco-friendly as possible," Bozzo, who heads a workforce of more than 4,000 volunteers, explained. "The Festival has initiated a three-year program toward sustainability. While many of these elements have been in place for years, we are going to aggressively re-focus our efforts.
"Among these components are Monterey Bay caught squid, domestic caught shrimp, California chicken and compostable cutlery," Bozzo added.
Present at the recent media event were representatives of Christopher Ranch garlic, Monterey Bay Mushrooms, Lucero Olive Oil, Monterey Fish Company, the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley and Eduardo's Pasta of San Francisco.
Bozzo also identified Foster Farms Chicken and Natur-Bag, a manufacturer of compostable cutlery, as participating concerns.
"You can get calamari from China, from Taiwan, from Thailand," said Sal Tringali of the Monterey Fish Company. "I think the general public appreciates the fact that the Festival chooses to serve a local product."
The newest delicacy in Gourmet Alley will be Eduardo's Pasta, a San Francisco-based pasta to be used in the preparation of Gourmet Alley's "Pasta Con Pesto".
"There are many good local manufacturers, little guys like us, who appreciate the Garlic Festival's efforts to feature local products," said Sandor Halasz, President of Eduardo's Pasta.
Diners on Gourmet Alley will also be introduced to a new utensil to assist their experience, the "spork", a compostable half spoon / half fork.
"In previous years our guests used 50,000 plastic forks, which when disposed of, wound up in the landfill," Bozzo explained. "Now, along with the paper plates, the cutlery will be composted as well."
The 2010 Gilroy Garlic Festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 23-25 at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. Admission is $17 for adults, $8 for seniors ages 60 and up and $8 for children ages 6-12. Children under age 6 will be admitted free. Parking is also free.
Advance tickets offering a $2 discount will be available beginning June 1 online at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com.
Information can be obtained by calling the festival office at (408) 842-1625.
Media Note: Broadcast quality video of the May 13 Press Briefing is available in the Media Center at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com.
Press Briefing
Greg Bozzo, President of the 2010 Gilroy Garlic Festival, will address in detail plans to make the 32-year-old event more sustainable. Joining Bozzo will be representatives from various local/regional food & beverage entities including the Wineries of Santa Clara County, Monterey Mushrooms, Christopher Ranch and Eduardo's Pasta of San Francisco
Since its inception, the Garlic Festival has exercised many sustainable practices. Bozzo will outline a more aggressive strategy for 2010 and describe elements of the program that will directly involve the 100,000-plus visitors to the event regarded internationally as "America's premier summertime food festival."
32nd Anniversary, July 23-25, 2010
Established in 1979, this three-day summertime celebration requires the work of 4,000 community volunteers, whose efforts have returned More than
$ 8.5 MILLION to various local charities.
31-Year Attendance
The Festival has entertained 3,630,763 visitors in 31 years of operation
31-year Breakdown
The pyro-chefs on Gourmet Alley have served over 3 million visitors in 29 years.
To feed the masses, the chefs have required:
396 tons of beef
140 tons of pasta
80 tons of scampi
62 tons of calamari
and 80 tons of fresh California garlic
GREAT GARLIC COOK-OFF
Saturday July 24, 10a -1p on Cook-Off Stage
The finals of the 2010 cooking competition which entertained 800 worldwide submissions. Eight finalists will prepare their recipe for a panel of five celebrity judges. Results and broadcast quality video of finals will be available through gilroygarlicfestival.com at 2 p.m. PDT July 24.
2010 Fact Sheet
10 tons of beef...4 tons of pasta... 4 tons of calamari... 2 tons of scampi
2 TONS of fresh Christopher Ranch garlic
& $8.2 million raised for local charity
Downloadable images and broadcast quality video are available
in the MEDIA CENTER at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com
Great Garlic Cook-Off Finals will be streamed LIVE on the internet
at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com
July 24, 2010 / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
Who: Gilroy Garlic Festival
What: The 32nd annual “Ultimate Summer Food Fair”; three days of incredible food, beverages, arts & crafts and live entertainment
Where: Christmas Hill Park; Gilroy,CA
30 miles south of San Jose off Highway 101
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
July 23-25, 2010
10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Gates close at 6 p.m.)
How: Tickets: Adult General Admission $ 17.00
Children (ages 6-12) $ 8.00
(under 6 free)
Seniors (60+) $ 8.00
Advance tickets available online at
gilroygarlicfestival.com
Fabio Returns
Top Chef Star Returns To Festival
Fabio Viviani , the dynamic star of Bravo Television Network's "Top Chef" series, will conduct a cooking demonstration on July 24 and host Garlic Showdown on July 25.
The Garlic Showdown, presented by Raley's and Nob Hill Foods, will match four prominent Bay Area cooking professionals in an Iron Chef competition on the Festival's cook-off stage. The contestants will be given a "secret ingredient" and will have two hours to prepare, plate and serve their creations to a select panel of judges.
The winner of the competition will be awarded $5,000.
San Francisco chef Ryan Scott won the 2009 Garlic Showdown.
In addition to his rising television career, Fabio Viviani is the partner and executive chef of Firenze Osteria in Toluca Lake, northeast of Los Angeles. A native of Florence, Italy, Fabio currently specializes in molecular cuisine, using cutting-edge technology in the preparation of food. Fabio said his specialty is "northern Italian comfort-style foods".
The acquisition of Fabio as Garlic Showdown host is regarded as a strong boost to the event, according to Garlic Festival recipe chairman Dennis Harrigan.
"The Festival introduced the Garlic Showdown two years ago as a way of recognizing the enormous number of skilled professional chefs in Northern California," Harrigan said. "The public response to this event has been incredible and has demanded that we take this activity to the next level."
Fabio will also be available to autograph copies of his new book, "Viviani's Café Firenze Cookbook", scheduled for release July 22 and available in the Festival Mercantile.
2010 Gilroy Garlic Festival
MENU
From the pyro chefs in Gourmet Alley
Garlic Calamari Garlic Scampi
Stuffed Mushrooms Italian Sausage Sandwich
Peppersteak Sandwich Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Garlic Fries Garlic Bread
Penne Pasta Con Pesto
Available through vendors in Christmas Hill Park...
Escargot Oysters on the Half Shell
Cajun Crawdads Blackened Shrimp & Rice
Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya Cajun Fried Catfish
Roasted Garlic Chicken Quesadillas BBQ Ribs & Turkey Drums
Guacamole w/chips Garlic Ice Cream
Garlic Watermelon Garlic Jelly
Key Lime Calamari Shrimp Quesadillas
Garlic Poppers Garlic Veggie Wrap
Gyros Garlic Frog Legs
Fried Garlic Garlic Chicken Wings
Garlic Chocolate Garlic Kettlekorn
French Fried Garlic Artichoke Hearts Garlic Chicken Pizza
Garlic Rosemary Chicken Sandwich Lumpia
Garlic Crab Fries Vegetarian Falafel Platter
Paella Philly Cheesesteak
Gator, Buffalo, Crispy Duck, Kangaroo or Wild Boar on a Stick
Garlic Fried-Green Tomatoes
Garlic Showdown
WHO 32nd Gilroy Garlic Festival
Raley’s and Nob Hill Foods
WHAT Garlic SHOWDOWN
WHERE Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-Off Stage
WHEN July 25, 2010
Day Three of the Garlic Festival
Four prominent Bay Area chefs will appear on the Garlic Festival Cook Off stage on Sunday July 26 to participate in the ultimate kitchen showdown. Cooking's Fabulous Foursome will be challenged to prepare a personal entrée featuring the day's key ingredient: GARLIC.
The grand Prize will be $5,000 in cash for the winning chef . Contestants will be allowed to bring their favorite spices and cookware. The contestants will be given a "secret ingredient" and will have two hours to prepare, plate and serve their creations to a select panel of judges .
The featured ingredient of the contest - garlic.
Each chef will be expected to prepare at least one entrée with the accompanying side dishes. The four contestants will start at 10 minute intervals and will each stop after their two hours have elapsed. The cook-off stage will supply the ingredients to be used by the contestants, ingredients that will be revealed the day of the contest.
Previous Champions:
2009 Ryan Scott, San Francisco
2008 James Waller, Monterey Plaza Hotel
2007 Tony Baker, Montrio Bistro
DeFrancesco Bros.
Losing the Garlic War
"...if we continue on the path that we are on,
the American farmer is going to be out of business."
By Robert Rodriguez
The Fresno Bee
Sunday, March 28, 2004
FIREBAUGH -- As head of one of the region's largest onion and garlic dehydrating companies, Frank De Francesco fought for more than a decade against the influx of cheaper Chinese garlic.
The family-run company proudly used U.S.-grown garlic, placing American flag stickers on its 55-gallon fiber drums.
But its battle over Chinese imports is nearing an end.
This summer, De Francesco & Sons will begin buying less-expensive Chinese garlic to supplement its local supply of the pungent vegetable. De Francesco says he tried to hold off as long as possible, but
Official 2008-2009 Website
a sudden drop in price, rising costs and continued pressure from buyers for cheaper product pushed the company to the inevitable.
"It was either buy Chinese garlic or sell the company," De Francesco says. "And I couldn't undo what has taken us 35 years to build."
Across California's garlic country, China's dominance as a major agricultural producer is forcing some in the industry to reduce their work forces, farm fewer acres and push for greater consumer awareness about foreign-grown produce.
California produces 85% of the nation's garlic supply, while China grows 66% of the world's supply.
"I don't think the American consumer wants to be in the same situation that we are with oil," says John Vessey, part owner of Sequoia Packing, a fresh-garlic packer in Coalinga. "But if we continue on the path that we are on, the American farmer is going to be out of business."
Vessey has sliced the number of garlic acres he farms in garlic-rich Fresno County from 1,000 to 500. The county's vast west-side farms boast 27,210 acres, the largest concentration of garlic acreage in the nation. In 2002, the county's garlic crop was valued at $131 million.
Vessey says cheaper imports and the shrinking number of buyers may cause him to cut operations in half at his west-side packinghouse. The company hires about 400 employees from July through November.
Sequoia Packing has two shifts during the harvest season. The company is a joint venture between Vessey and Spice World Inc. of Orlando, Fla.
"Spice World has been in business for 50 years, but they could be out in a couple of years if this continues," Vessey says.
Analysts don't see the tide turning any time soon, if at all.
China is moving away from growing bulk commodities such as corn, wheat, and soybeans and into specialized, higher-value crops.
"Unfortunately, a lot of what they are discovering is what San Joaquin Valley farmers are doing, including garlic," says Mechel Paggi, director of the Center for Agricultural Business at California State University, Fresno.
While China is broadening its agricultural base, California farmers are dealing with a shrinking number of buyers who possess greater leverage over prices.
"Buyers are saying we want product for our stores so we can supply our consumers seven days a week with consistent production and at a certain quality," Paggi says. "And they want it at the lowest price possible."
Also frustrating California's fresh-garlic growers is that China's harvest nearly coincides with its own, making the temptation to buy cheaper Chinese garlic more alluring.
Don Christopher, founder of Christopher Ranch, one of the nation's leading makers of fresh garlic products, also has succumbed in the battle over Chinese garlic. The Gilroy company began buying Chinese garlic last year.
Like the De Francescos, the decision for Christopher was not an easy one. The Gilroy company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for lobbyists and attorneys to try to block Chinese imports that were being shipped for less than the cost to produce, also known as dumping.
Christopher Ranch and other companies were successful in getting the United States to tack a 367% tariff on Chinese fresh garlic. But the flow of garlic only slowed.
And while some processors may argue over the quality of Chinese garlic, no one debates the price difference. In some cases, Chinese garlic is about half the cost of American-grown garlic.
"I suppose I can't blame the buyers too much when you are talking about a product that may taste a little different but is sold at a much lower price," Christopher says. "It is getting to the point where I couldn't compete anymore without the Chinese garlic. "
Christopher Ranch also has reduced its garlic acreage from 4,300 two years ago, to about 3,000 last year, a bulk of the acreage in Fresno County.
"And we expect to cut that again next year, by about another 500 acres," Christopher says.
At 69, Christopher is close to retirement. He marvels at the changes he has seen in the industry, including China's rise as a worldwide agricultural force.
"We used to sell to Japan and all of sudden we got dropped," Christopher says. "We didn't think anything of it, until Europe dropped us and then Australia. After a while there was no export market left. Little by little, we could see China coming."
At Gilroy Foods, a division of ConAgra Foods, company officials say they remain committed to U.S.-grown garlic, adding that "virtually all the garlic that we are handling is being grown in California."
Greg Estep, senior vice president for Gilroy Foods' dehydration division, acknowledges that China's role as a major supplier of dehydrated garlic grew during the late 1990s when California's crop fell short.
And while Gilroy Foods bought garlic from offshore sources during that period, "we wanted to move back to buying California garlic as fast as we could," Estep says.
De Francesco realizes that in today's global market China can easily be criticized but it can't be ignored.
It was a hard lesson for the family. The company's steadfast commitment to U.S.-grown garlic may have been the right thing to do, De Francesco admits, but it wasn't realistic in a price-sensitive market.
Dehydrated Chinese garlic can sell for 70 cents a pound, while California garlic is $1.25 pound.
"The fact is our customer list is shrinking and we needed to do something to remain competitive," says David Musson of De Francesco's sales and marketing department. "We didn't want to be a good-looking corpse wrapped in the American flag."
As part of its new selling program, De Francesco & Sons will offer customers three products: a Chinese dehydrated product, a blend of American and Chinese and solely American garlic.
The De Francescos' customers include spaghetti sauce makers to spice companies.
For the moment, the De Francescos don't anticipate reducing their work force. During its late summer harvest, the company has 500 employees, pulling people from Firebaugh and as far away as Los Banos. It has about 250 year-round workers.
Mario De Francesco III, vice president of sales and marketing, says that because Chinese garlic does not require processing, the company could increase its production of local garlic and potentially land larger clients.
California Capitals of the world.
Mountain View - Folk Music Capital of the World.
Castroville - Artichoke Center of the World
Chico - Almond Capital of the World
Gilroy - Garlic Capital of the World.
Lodi - Tokay Grape Capital of the World
Lompoc - Flower Seed Capital of the World
Los Angeles - Entertainment Capital of the World
Oakdale - Cowboy Capital of the World.
Palm Springs - Golf Capital of the World
Sacramento - Almond Capital of the World
Salinas - Lettuce Capital of the World
Selma - Raisin Capital of the World.
Stockton - Asparagus Capital of the World
Wasco - Rose Growing Capital of the World
Watsonville - Strawberry Capital of the World.
Willits - Solar Energy Capital of the World
As the oil is messing up the Gulf....... California is drying up. Many many many of my friends have lost everything in the San Joaquin Valley due to the water cut-backs.
If you know anyone in California near Gilroy, please let them know to attend the festival and support Farming. It isn't far from San Jose, CA. and it would be a perfect opportunity to share our stuffs.
Down near the bottom is reference to DeFrancisco Bros Garlic Shed......
I worked in the office for a couple of seasons. See how China has taken over. (If I'm not mistaken DeFrancisco has since closed it's doors. It was a great place for locals to work seasonally.)
Cotton Fields CCR youtube
Indian Outlaw Tim McGraw youtube
Zydeco dance youtube
Sesame Street film - Louisiana Zydeco music youtube
Gilroy Garlic Festival video
I worked in a cantaloupe shed in Mendota (office) Ronald Kano was our computer guru....... Before the great Water tragedy... back in the day!
Mendota, CA Cantaloupe capital of the world
EXCERPT:
Jac Smit - February 2009
On February 10, 2009 Mayor Robert Silva of Mendota California said "… my community is dying on the vine". Mendota is in the center of California's Central Valley, one of the world’s most productive agricultural places and called by some the "Cantaloupe Capital of the World".
The Mendota district is America's prime source for cantaloupe and lettuce. An optimistic forecast is that crop yields will be reduced by half in 2009, over the previous decade. The California State Department of Water Resources says that irrigation water this year will be at 15 percent of average. The Federal "Central Valley Project" anticipates zero allocation from its resources. At the University of California Professor Richard Howitt estimates a crop loss of over $2 billion and a job loss of over 60,000 workers.
Great Garlic Cook-off
Great Garlic Cook-Off Identifies Eight Finalists
GILROY, California - "Watermelon crabmeat", "Crawfish Gravy over Grits", and "Cranberry Bread Pudding" are three of the ingredients in the eight recipes selected for the Great Garlic Cook-Off, Gilroy Garlic Festival Association officials announced today.
The Cook-Off, the centerpiece of the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival, will begin at 10 a.m. PDT July 24. The 32nd annual Garlic Festival, three days of live music, cooking exhibitions, arts & crafts exhibits, children's entertainment and an appearance by Top Chef sensation Fabio Viviani, will run July 23-25 at Christmas Hill Park here.
The Festival's Recipe Committee reviewed submissions from across North America before identifying eight finalists. Each amateur chef will have two hours to prepare, plate and serve their delicacy to a panel of five judges on the Cook-Off stage. The winner receives $1,000 in cash and the traditional crown of cloves.
The Cook-Off stage will host three days of popular cooking competitions, culminating with the July 25 Garlic Showdown presented by Raley's, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods. A quartet of Northern California professional chefs will battle iron chef-style for a $5,000 top prize.
Information on all Festival activity is available at gilroygarlicfestival.com
Tickets offering a $2. discount on adult, children and senior admissions can be purchased at all Raley's, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods locations throughout Northern California.
2010 GREAT GILROY GARLIC COOK-OFF
FINALISTS
Saturday July 24
10 a.m. Cook-Off Stage
Warm Weather Watermelon Crabmeat Kissed South Seas Soup
Margi Berry / Trout Lake, WA
Sautéed Butterfly Prawns with Spicy Garlic Cranberry Bread Pudding & Garlic Studded Pinot Noir Sauce
Renata Stanko / Lebanon, OR
Garlic & Crawfish Gravy over Grits with Roasted Garlic Waffles
Derick Thurman / Charlotte, NC
Garlic Paella with Garlic Allioli
Michael G. Labrador / Newhall, CA
Potentially Pretentious Pork Tendorloin with Garlic Five Ways
Leslie Shearer / Mooreseville, NC
Emerald City Pelau
Susan Mason / Milton, WA
Deconstructed Beef Wellington with Garlic - Tarragon Aioli
Jamie Miller / Napa, CA
Roasted Garlic Blueberry & Pear Cobbler with Garlic Pecan Brickle Cream
Penny Malcolm / Americus, GA
Garlic Festival Will Re-focus Effort To Feature Regional Products
Three-Year Plan to Increase Sustainability
GILROY, CA --- Unveiling a three-year plan focused on increased sustainability, Greg Bozzo, President of the 2010 Gilroy Garlic Festival (gilroygarlicfestival.com) , introduced eight food and food product partners at a press briefing May 13 at Solis Winery in Gilroy. All eight concerns re-establish the Festival's efforts to feature local and regional cuisine in Gourmet Alley and throughout the internationally-heralded three-day event.
The 32nd annual Garlic Festival will entertain over 100,000 visitors at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy July 23-25, host three popular cooking competitions, present 60 live concerts, return dynamic "Top Chef" Fabio Viviani to the Cook-Off Stage and serve a critically-acclaimed cuisine enhanced with over two tons of fresh California garlic.
"We're heading in a direction to be as eco-friendly as possible," Bozzo, who heads a workforce of more than 4,000 volunteers, explained. "The Festival has initiated a three-year program toward sustainability. While many of these elements have been in place for years, we are going to aggressively re-focus our efforts.
"Among these components are Monterey Bay caught squid, domestic caught shrimp, California chicken and compostable cutlery," Bozzo added.
Present at the recent media event were representatives of Christopher Ranch garlic, Monterey Bay Mushrooms, Lucero Olive Oil, Monterey Fish Company, the Wineries of Santa Clara Valley and Eduardo's Pasta of San Francisco.
Bozzo also identified Foster Farms Chicken and Natur-Bag, a manufacturer of compostable cutlery, as participating concerns.
"You can get calamari from China, from Taiwan, from Thailand," said Sal Tringali of the Monterey Fish Company. "I think the general public appreciates the fact that the Festival chooses to serve a local product."
The newest delicacy in Gourmet Alley will be Eduardo's Pasta, a San Francisco-based pasta to be used in the preparation of Gourmet Alley's "Pasta Con Pesto".
"There are many good local manufacturers, little guys like us, who appreciate the Garlic Festival's efforts to feature local products," said Sandor Halasz, President of Eduardo's Pasta.
Diners on Gourmet Alley will also be introduced to a new utensil to assist their experience, the "spork", a compostable half spoon / half fork.
"In previous years our guests used 50,000 plastic forks, which when disposed of, wound up in the landfill," Bozzo explained. "Now, along with the paper plates, the cutlery will be composted as well."
The 2010 Gilroy Garlic Festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 23-25 at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy. Admission is $17 for adults, $8 for seniors ages 60 and up and $8 for children ages 6-12. Children under age 6 will be admitted free. Parking is also free.
Advance tickets offering a $2 discount will be available beginning June 1 online at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com.
Information can be obtained by calling the festival office at (408) 842-1625.
Media Note: Broadcast quality video of the May 13 Press Briefing is available in the Media Center at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com.
Press Briefing
Greg Bozzo, President of the 2010 Gilroy Garlic Festival, will address in detail plans to make the 32-year-old event more sustainable. Joining Bozzo will be representatives from various local/regional food & beverage entities including the Wineries of Santa Clara County, Monterey Mushrooms, Christopher Ranch and Eduardo's Pasta of San Francisco
Since its inception, the Garlic Festival has exercised many sustainable practices. Bozzo will outline a more aggressive strategy for 2010 and describe elements of the program that will directly involve the 100,000-plus visitors to the event regarded internationally as "America's premier summertime food festival."
32nd Anniversary, July 23-25, 2010
Established in 1979, this three-day summertime celebration requires the work of 4,000 community volunteers, whose efforts have returned More than
$ 8.5 MILLION to various local charities.
31-Year Attendance
The Festival has entertained 3,630,763 visitors in 31 years of operation
31-year Breakdown
The pyro-chefs on Gourmet Alley have served over 3 million visitors in 29 years.
To feed the masses, the chefs have required:
396 tons of beef
140 tons of pasta
80 tons of scampi
62 tons of calamari
and 80 tons of fresh California garlic
GREAT GARLIC COOK-OFF
Saturday July 24, 10a -1p on Cook-Off Stage
The finals of the 2010 cooking competition which entertained 800 worldwide submissions. Eight finalists will prepare their recipe for a panel of five celebrity judges. Results and broadcast quality video of finals will be available through gilroygarlicfestival.com at 2 p.m. PDT July 24.
2010 Fact Sheet
10 tons of beef...4 tons of pasta... 4 tons of calamari... 2 tons of scampi
2 TONS of fresh Christopher Ranch garlic
& $8.2 million raised for local charity
Downloadable images and broadcast quality video are available
in the MEDIA CENTER at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com
Great Garlic Cook-Off Finals will be streamed LIVE on the internet
at www.gilroygarlicfestival.com
July 24, 2010 / 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
Who: Gilroy Garlic Festival
What: The 32nd annual “Ultimate Summer Food Fair”; three days of incredible food, beverages, arts & crafts and live entertainment
Where: Christmas Hill Park; Gilroy,CA
30 miles south of San Jose off Highway 101
When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
July 23-25, 2010
10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Gates close at 6 p.m.)
How: Tickets: Adult General Admission $ 17.00
Children (ages 6-12) $ 8.00
(under 6 free)
Seniors (60+) $ 8.00
Advance tickets available online at
gilroygarlicfestival.com
Fabio Returns
Top Chef Star Returns To Festival
Fabio Viviani , the dynamic star of Bravo Television Network's "Top Chef" series, will conduct a cooking demonstration on July 24 and host Garlic Showdown on July 25.
The Garlic Showdown, presented by Raley's and Nob Hill Foods, will match four prominent Bay Area cooking professionals in an Iron Chef competition on the Festival's cook-off stage. The contestants will be given a "secret ingredient" and will have two hours to prepare, plate and serve their creations to a select panel of judges.
The winner of the competition will be awarded $5,000.
San Francisco chef Ryan Scott won the 2009 Garlic Showdown.
In addition to his rising television career, Fabio Viviani is the partner and executive chef of Firenze Osteria in Toluca Lake, northeast of Los Angeles. A native of Florence, Italy, Fabio currently specializes in molecular cuisine, using cutting-edge technology in the preparation of food. Fabio said his specialty is "northern Italian comfort-style foods".
The acquisition of Fabio as Garlic Showdown host is regarded as a strong boost to the event, according to Garlic Festival recipe chairman Dennis Harrigan.
"The Festival introduced the Garlic Showdown two years ago as a way of recognizing the enormous number of skilled professional chefs in Northern California," Harrigan said. "The public response to this event has been incredible and has demanded that we take this activity to the next level."
Fabio will also be available to autograph copies of his new book, "Viviani's Café Firenze Cookbook", scheduled for release July 22 and available in the Festival Mercantile.
2010 Gilroy Garlic Festival
MENU
From the pyro chefs in Gourmet Alley
Garlic Calamari Garlic Scampi
Stuffed Mushrooms Italian Sausage Sandwich
Peppersteak Sandwich Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Garlic Fries Garlic Bread
Penne Pasta Con Pesto
Available through vendors in Christmas Hill Park...
Escargot Oysters on the Half Shell
Cajun Crawdads Blackened Shrimp & Rice
Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya Cajun Fried Catfish
Roasted Garlic Chicken Quesadillas BBQ Ribs & Turkey Drums
Guacamole w/chips Garlic Ice Cream
Garlic Watermelon Garlic Jelly
Key Lime Calamari Shrimp Quesadillas
Garlic Poppers Garlic Veggie Wrap
Gyros Garlic Frog Legs
Fried Garlic Garlic Chicken Wings
Garlic Chocolate Garlic Kettlekorn
French Fried Garlic Artichoke Hearts Garlic Chicken Pizza
Garlic Rosemary Chicken Sandwich Lumpia
Garlic Crab Fries Vegetarian Falafel Platter
Paella Philly Cheesesteak
Gator, Buffalo, Crispy Duck, Kangaroo or Wild Boar on a Stick
Garlic Fried-Green Tomatoes
Garlic Showdown
WHO 32nd Gilroy Garlic Festival
Raley’s and Nob Hill Foods
WHAT Garlic SHOWDOWN
WHERE Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-Off Stage
WHEN July 25, 2010
Day Three of the Garlic Festival
Four prominent Bay Area chefs will appear on the Garlic Festival Cook Off stage on Sunday July 26 to participate in the ultimate kitchen showdown. Cooking's Fabulous Foursome will be challenged to prepare a personal entrée featuring the day's key ingredient: GARLIC.
The grand Prize will be $5,000 in cash for the winning chef . Contestants will be allowed to bring their favorite spices and cookware. The contestants will be given a "secret ingredient" and will have two hours to prepare, plate and serve their creations to a select panel of judges .
The featured ingredient of the contest - garlic.
Each chef will be expected to prepare at least one entrée with the accompanying side dishes. The four contestants will start at 10 minute intervals and will each stop after their two hours have elapsed. The cook-off stage will supply the ingredients to be used by the contestants, ingredients that will be revealed the day of the contest.
Previous Champions:
2009 Ryan Scott, San Francisco
2008 James Waller, Monterey Plaza Hotel
2007 Tony Baker, Montrio Bistro
DeFrancesco Bros.
Losing the Garlic War
"...if we continue on the path that we are on,
the American farmer is going to be out of business."
By Robert Rodriguez
The Fresno Bee
Sunday, March 28, 2004
FIREBAUGH -- As head of one of the region's largest onion and garlic dehydrating companies, Frank De Francesco fought for more than a decade against the influx of cheaper Chinese garlic.
The family-run company proudly used U.S.-grown garlic, placing American flag stickers on its 55-gallon fiber drums.
But its battle over Chinese imports is nearing an end.
This summer, De Francesco & Sons will begin buying less-expensive Chinese garlic to supplement its local supply of the pungent vegetable. De Francesco says he tried to hold off as long as possible, but
Official 2008-2009 Website
a sudden drop in price, rising costs and continued pressure from buyers for cheaper product pushed the company to the inevitable.
"It was either buy Chinese garlic or sell the company," De Francesco says. "And I couldn't undo what has taken us 35 years to build."
Across California's garlic country, China's dominance as a major agricultural producer is forcing some in the industry to reduce their work forces, farm fewer acres and push for greater consumer awareness about foreign-grown produce.
California produces 85% of the nation's garlic supply, while China grows 66% of the world's supply.
"I don't think the American consumer wants to be in the same situation that we are with oil," says John Vessey, part owner of Sequoia Packing, a fresh-garlic packer in Coalinga. "But if we continue on the path that we are on, the American farmer is going to be out of business."
Vessey has sliced the number of garlic acres he farms in garlic-rich Fresno County from 1,000 to 500. The county's vast west-side farms boast 27,210 acres, the largest concentration of garlic acreage in the nation. In 2002, the county's garlic crop was valued at $131 million.
Vessey says cheaper imports and the shrinking number of buyers may cause him to cut operations in half at his west-side packinghouse. The company hires about 400 employees from July through November.
Sequoia Packing has two shifts during the harvest season. The company is a joint venture between Vessey and Spice World Inc. of Orlando, Fla.
"Spice World has been in business for 50 years, but they could be out in a couple of years if this continues," Vessey says.
Analysts don't see the tide turning any time soon, if at all.
China is moving away from growing bulk commodities such as corn, wheat, and soybeans and into specialized, higher-value crops.
"Unfortunately, a lot of what they are discovering is what San Joaquin Valley farmers are doing, including garlic," says Mechel Paggi, director of the Center for Agricultural Business at California State University, Fresno.
While China is broadening its agricultural base, California farmers are dealing with a shrinking number of buyers who possess greater leverage over prices.
"Buyers are saying we want product for our stores so we can supply our consumers seven days a week with consistent production and at a certain quality," Paggi says. "And they want it at the lowest price possible."
Also frustrating California's fresh-garlic growers is that China's harvest nearly coincides with its own, making the temptation to buy cheaper Chinese garlic more alluring.
Don Christopher, founder of Christopher Ranch, one of the nation's leading makers of fresh garlic products, also has succumbed in the battle over Chinese garlic. The Gilroy company began buying Chinese garlic last year.
Like the De Francescos, the decision for Christopher was not an easy one. The Gilroy company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for lobbyists and attorneys to try to block Chinese imports that were being shipped for less than the cost to produce, also known as dumping.
Christopher Ranch and other companies were successful in getting the United States to tack a 367% tariff on Chinese fresh garlic. But the flow of garlic only slowed.
And while some processors may argue over the quality of Chinese garlic, no one debates the price difference. In some cases, Chinese garlic is about half the cost of American-grown garlic.
"I suppose I can't blame the buyers too much when you are talking about a product that may taste a little different but is sold at a much lower price," Christopher says. "It is getting to the point where I couldn't compete anymore without the Chinese garlic. "
Christopher Ranch also has reduced its garlic acreage from 4,300 two years ago, to about 3,000 last year, a bulk of the acreage in Fresno County.
"And we expect to cut that again next year, by about another 500 acres," Christopher says.
At 69, Christopher is close to retirement. He marvels at the changes he has seen in the industry, including China's rise as a worldwide agricultural force.
"We used to sell to Japan and all of sudden we got dropped," Christopher says. "We didn't think anything of it, until Europe dropped us and then Australia. After a while there was no export market left. Little by little, we could see China coming."
At Gilroy Foods, a division of ConAgra Foods, company officials say they remain committed to U.S.-grown garlic, adding that "virtually all the garlic that we are handling is being grown in California."
Greg Estep, senior vice president for Gilroy Foods' dehydration division, acknowledges that China's role as a major supplier of dehydrated garlic grew during the late 1990s when California's crop fell short.
And while Gilroy Foods bought garlic from offshore sources during that period, "we wanted to move back to buying California garlic as fast as we could," Estep says.
De Francesco realizes that in today's global market China can easily be criticized but it can't be ignored.
It was a hard lesson for the family. The company's steadfast commitment to U.S.-grown garlic may have been the right thing to do, De Francesco admits, but it wasn't realistic in a price-sensitive market.
Dehydrated Chinese garlic can sell for 70 cents a pound, while California garlic is $1.25 pound.
"The fact is our customer list is shrinking and we needed to do something to remain competitive," says David Musson of De Francesco's sales and marketing department. "We didn't want to be a good-looking corpse wrapped in the American flag."
As part of its new selling program, De Francesco & Sons will offer customers three products: a Chinese dehydrated product, a blend of American and Chinese and solely American garlic.
The De Francescos' customers include spaghetti sauce makers to spice companies.
For the moment, the De Francescos don't anticipate reducing their work force. During its late summer harvest, the company has 500 employees, pulling people from Firebaugh and as far away as Los Banos. It has about 250 year-round workers.
Mario De Francesco III, vice president of sales and marketing, says that because Chinese garlic does not require processing, the company could increase its production of local garlic and potentially land larger clients.
California Capitals of the world.
Mountain View - Folk Music Capital of the World.
Castroville - Artichoke Center of the World
Chico - Almond Capital of the World
Gilroy - Garlic Capital of the World.
Lodi - Tokay Grape Capital of the World
Lompoc - Flower Seed Capital of the World
Los Angeles - Entertainment Capital of the World
Oakdale - Cowboy Capital of the World.
Palm Springs - Golf Capital of the World
Sacramento - Almond Capital of the World
Salinas - Lettuce Capital of the World
Selma - Raisin Capital of the World.
Stockton - Asparagus Capital of the World
Wasco - Rose Growing Capital of the World
Watsonville - Strawberry Capital of the World.
Willits - Solar Energy Capital of the World
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Fallout of relations between Israel and Turkey continues
Turkey Forces Israel To Divert Military Overflights
Categories: Military, Foreign News
10:30 am
June 28, 2010
by Scott Neuman
The fallout for relations between Israel and Turkey continues after last month's commando raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza. The latest is a snub from Ankara that forced a flight carrying Israeli military officers bound for Poland to divert around Turkish airspace.
Quoting Israel's Yediot Ahronot newspaper, the Associated Press reports:
The transport plane, with more than 100 officers on board, was forced to make a detour, the paper said.
The Israeli military "refrained from responding officially to the event so not to exacerbate the rift in relations," the newspaper added.
The Israeli prime minister's office had no comment.
The BBC, citing a senior Turkish official, says the ban on Israeli overflights does not apply to commercial traffic and that it would affect military flights only on a "case-by-case basis."
Turkey Forces Israel To Divert Military Overflights
Categories: Military, Foreign News
10:30 am
June 28, 2010
by Scott Neuman
The fallout for relations between Israel and Turkey continues after last month's commando raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza. The latest is a snub from Ankara that forced a flight carrying Israeli military officers bound for Poland to divert around Turkish airspace.
Quoting Israel's Yediot Ahronot newspaper, the Associated Press reports:
The transport plane, with more than 100 officers on board, was forced to make a detour, the paper said.
The Israeli military "refrained from responding officially to the event so not to exacerbate the rift in relations," the newspaper added.
The Israeli prime minister's office had no comment.
The BBC, citing a senior Turkish official, says the ban on Israeli overflights does not apply to commercial traffic and that it would affect military flights only on a "case-by-case basis."
Friday, June 25, 2010
McChrystal OUT says Obama youtube
Rolling Stone article -The Runaway General
EXCERPT:
The Runaway General Stanley McChrystal, Obama's top commander in Afghanistan, has seized control of the war by never taking his eye off the real enemy: The wimps in the White House
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, works on board a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft between Battlefield Circulation missions.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O’Donald/NATOBy Michael Hastings
Jun 22, 2010 10:00 AM EDT
This article appears in RS 1108/1109 from July 8-22, 2010, on newsstands Friday, June 25.
'How'd I get screwed into going to this dinner?" demands Gen. Stanley McChrystal. It's a Thursday night in mid-April, and the commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan is sitting in a four-star suite at the Hôtel Westminster in Paris. He's in France to sell his new war strategy to our NATO allies – to keep up the fiction, in essence, that we actually have allies. Since McChrystal took over a year ago, the Afghan war has become the exclusive property of the United States. Opposition to the war has already toppled the Dutch government, forced the resignation of Germany's president and sparked both Canada and the Netherlands to announce the withdrawal of their 4,500 troops. McChrystal is in Paris to keep the French, who have lost more than 40 soldiers in Afghanistan, from going all wobbly on him.
"The dinner comes with the position, sir," says his chief of staff, Col. Charlie Flynn.
McChrystal turns sharply in his chair.
"Hey, Charlie," he asks, "does this come with the position?"
McChrystal gives him the middle finger.
Amir Bar Lev reveals how he shot his Pat Tillman documentary video
Pat Tillman's love affair with his wife Marie
Pat Tillman's Fervent Love Affair - With His Wife
Marie Tillman Now Runs the Pat Tillman Foundation
9 comments By MARK MOONEY
Sept. 11, 2009
PrintRSSFont Size: Share:EmailTwitterFacebookMoreFarkTechnoratiGoogleLiveMy SpaceNewsvineRedditDeliciousMixxYahooPat Tillman , an NFL linebacker and an elite Army Ranger, was undeniably a tough guy. But he was also remarkably mushy when it came to his wife Marie, writing about her in his journal with a fervor and an eloquence that many women would say came close to poetry.
Pat Tillman, an NFL linebacker and an elite Army Ranger, was undeniably a tough guy. But he was also...
Pat Tillman, an NFL linebacker and an elite Army Ranger, was undeniably a tough guy. But he was also remarkably mushy when it came to his wife Marie, writing about her in his journal with a fervor and an eloquence that many women would say came close to poetry.
(AP Photo/Getty Images)On embarking on his three-year Ranger hitch, Tillman wrote, "Not only will the next 3 years make me a stronger person, mentally and physically, I know it will also free up my conscience to enjoy what I have. My hope is that I will feel satisfied with my accomplishment... enough to relax and just be. Be with Marie."
Sitting in his barracks shortly after his enlistment in the Army, Tillman second-guessed his decision to leave his young wife behind while he served his country instead.
Pat Tillman's First Mission Was Jessica Lynch RescueFriendly Fire Death Kept Secret From BrotherTop U.S. General in Afghanistan Replaced"Sometimes I'm overwhelmed with an injection of intense sorrow that is difficult to control. An intense need to be close to Marie, surrounded by her touch, smell, sound, beauty and ease. It's as though one week of pain is condensed into 5-7 minutes... What have I done?"
The pain of missing his wife was jubilantly relieved when the two rendezvoused at a motel during a leave after Tillman completed basic training. Marie was standing in front of the motel waiting for her husband. The delirious reunion was described by another soldier, Tulio Tourinho, who was with Tillman.
"As soon as the cab stops, Pat leaps out the door. Marie runs up and jumps on him, knocking him off balance, and they both fall to the ground. They just lay there, kissing each other and staring at each other - him caressing her face, caressing her hair, telling how much he missed her, how much he loves her. They stayed on the ground like that for what seemed like ten minutes... It was an amazing moment. A demonstration of absolute love," Tourinho told Jon Krakauer, the author of "Where Men Win Glory."
Watch the story tonight on "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET and watch best-selling author Jon Krakauer's first live interview about his new book "Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman" Monday on "Good Morning America."
Rolling Stone article -The Runaway General
EXCERPT:
The Runaway General Stanley McChrystal, Obama's top commander in Afghanistan, has seized control of the war by never taking his eye off the real enemy: The wimps in the White House
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, works on board a Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft between Battlefield Circulation missions.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O’Donald/NATOBy Michael Hastings
Jun 22, 2010 10:00 AM EDT
This article appears in RS 1108/1109 from July 8-22, 2010, on newsstands Friday, June 25.
'How'd I get screwed into going to this dinner?" demands Gen. Stanley McChrystal. It's a Thursday night in mid-April, and the commander of all U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan is sitting in a four-star suite at the Hôtel Westminster in Paris. He's in France to sell his new war strategy to our NATO allies – to keep up the fiction, in essence, that we actually have allies. Since McChrystal took over a year ago, the Afghan war has become the exclusive property of the United States. Opposition to the war has already toppled the Dutch government, forced the resignation of Germany's president and sparked both Canada and the Netherlands to announce the withdrawal of their 4,500 troops. McChrystal is in Paris to keep the French, who have lost more than 40 soldiers in Afghanistan, from going all wobbly on him.
"The dinner comes with the position, sir," says his chief of staff, Col. Charlie Flynn.
McChrystal turns sharply in his chair.
"Hey, Charlie," he asks, "does this come with the position?"
McChrystal gives him the middle finger.
Amir Bar Lev reveals how he shot his Pat Tillman documentary video
Pat Tillman's love affair with his wife Marie
Pat Tillman's Fervent Love Affair - With His Wife
Marie Tillman Now Runs the Pat Tillman Foundation
9 comments By MARK MOONEY
Sept. 11, 2009
PrintRSSFont Size: Share:EmailTwitterFacebookMoreFarkTechnoratiGoogleLiveMy SpaceNewsvineRedditDeliciousMixxYahooPat Tillman , an NFL linebacker and an elite Army Ranger, was undeniably a tough guy. But he was also remarkably mushy when it came to his wife Marie, writing about her in his journal with a fervor and an eloquence that many women would say came close to poetry.
Pat Tillman, an NFL linebacker and an elite Army Ranger, was undeniably a tough guy. But he was also...
Pat Tillman, an NFL linebacker and an elite Army Ranger, was undeniably a tough guy. But he was also remarkably mushy when it came to his wife Marie, writing about her in his journal with a fervor and an eloquence that many women would say came close to poetry.
(AP Photo/Getty Images)On embarking on his three-year Ranger hitch, Tillman wrote, "Not only will the next 3 years make me a stronger person, mentally and physically, I know it will also free up my conscience to enjoy what I have. My hope is that I will feel satisfied with my accomplishment... enough to relax and just be. Be with Marie."
Sitting in his barracks shortly after his enlistment in the Army, Tillman second-guessed his decision to leave his young wife behind while he served his country instead.
Pat Tillman's First Mission Was Jessica Lynch RescueFriendly Fire Death Kept Secret From BrotherTop U.S. General in Afghanistan Replaced"Sometimes I'm overwhelmed with an injection of intense sorrow that is difficult to control. An intense need to be close to Marie, surrounded by her touch, smell, sound, beauty and ease. It's as though one week of pain is condensed into 5-7 minutes... What have I done?"
The pain of missing his wife was jubilantly relieved when the two rendezvoused at a motel during a leave after Tillman completed basic training. Marie was standing in front of the motel waiting for her husband. The delirious reunion was described by another soldier, Tulio Tourinho, who was with Tillman.
"As soon as the cab stops, Pat leaps out the door. Marie runs up and jumps on him, knocking him off balance, and they both fall to the ground. They just lay there, kissing each other and staring at each other - him caressing her face, caressing her hair, telling how much he missed her, how much he loves her. They stayed on the ground like that for what seemed like ten minutes... It was an amazing moment. A demonstration of absolute love," Tourinho told Jon Krakauer, the author of "Where Men Win Glory."
Watch the story tonight on "Nightline" at 11:35 p.m. ET and watch best-selling author Jon Krakauer's first live interview about his new book "Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman" Monday on "Good Morning America."
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Carly Simon 'You're So Vain' dedicated to all the men who have been brainwashed to believe the words youtube
When I was watching this video I was thinking of the breeze, the smell, and all the wonderful things associated w/the ocean and then I started to think of the Gulf Spill. (It made me sad, not only for the words in the song and how they apply to my life, but for all the animals and wildlife lost and how the world is changed because of greed and hate.)
GOD GAVE ME YOU and my 2 husbands 2 (after all that's where my kids came from, eh?) youtube
IMAGINE with lyrics John Lennon youtube
Empathy is Love
EXCERPT:
Creating a kinder and gentler world: The positive psychology of empathy
Paul T. P. Wong, Ph.D., C. Psych.
President, International Network on Personal Meaning
Coquitlam, B.C., Canada
Just imagine that we live in a kinder and gentler world, where people seek to understand rather than to be understood, show sensitivity to other people's feelings, routinely engage in acts of kindness , and strive to make this world a better place for everyone.
Just imagine that we inhabit a world where conflicts are resolved through non-violence means, where all individuals are respected and valued regardless of their race and creed, and where the bounty of earth is enjoyed by all.
..............................
I’m not a big believer in organised religion. But I believe that there is a higher power and a much bigger universal energy that makes things happen the way they do. I’m a spiritual person, even though there is no single incident that I can pick saying it was a turning point in my spiritual beliefs. (I simply think I was born that way.) An incident when I was 7 made me believe that things happen for a reason. I was given ether when having a tonsilectomy and died on the table and had to be paddled back. Later on in life I was involved in a car accident. It was the kind people usually don’t survive. I was driving my car and it hit water on the road. An irrigation ditch had washed out and I started hydro-planing and ended upside down in a canal with water coming in. When I got out of the wreck no one could believe that I survived. After that incident my life changed a lot. These experiences make you realise how fragile life really is.
I try now to meditate every day as it helps to clear my thoughts. People usually think that their relationship with God should be down to earth, but I believe that this relationship should be horizontal, on the same plane. You must also connect yourself to the people who are special to you, once you do that then the God inside of you surfaces. There is both good and bad inside us and it depends on which side you project to others.
I think all religions inherently propagate love and sometimes this can backfire and lead to the exact opposite. That’s one of the reasons I don’t believe in an organised religion. I believe the universal energy will take care of the rest.
..............................
... "The first of all the commandments is, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."
And the second is "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
The second teaching Jesus stated "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" has became known as "The Golden Rule"; "Love your fellow as yourself".
The first written record of The Golden Rule where it is stated "Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus to do."
What we know as "The Golden Rule is called "in some systems the ethic of reciprocity, a fundamental moral principle and meme," in other words meaning "treat others as you would like to be treated." The Golden Rule is the foundational principle underlying what today we define as human rights...
The Golden Rule seems to predate both Judaism and Christianity and thus it is a universal principle. in any event it is at the core of every major religion. Principal philosophers and religious figures have stated it in different ways.
The Golden Rule was a common principle in ancient Greek philosophy. Here are a few examples from the Greeks:
"Do not to your neighbor what you would take ill from him."
"Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing."
"What you wish your neighbors to be to you, such be also to them."
"Do not do to others what would anger you if done to you by others."
"What thou avoidest suffering thyself seek not to impose on others
The Golden Rule is also found in Buddhism which states:
Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.
One who, while himself seeking happiness, oppresses with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will not attain happiness hereafter.
In addition, the Dalai Lama has stated:
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
We also find the Golden rule In Islam. In his Last Sermon, the Prophet Muhammad said to his believers:
"Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you."
The Qur'an commends "those who show their affection to such as came to them for refuge and entertain no desire in their hearts for things given to the (latter), but give them preference over themselves."
None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.
Seek for mankind that of which you are desirous for yourself, that you may be a believer; treat well as a neighbor the one who lives near you, that you may be a Muslim [one who submits to God].
"That which you want for yourself, seek for mankind."
And so on, we find examples in all faiths....
Hillel & The Teachings of Love Your Neighbor
During the childhood days of Christ Jesus, when King Herod and the Roman Emperor Augustus ruled, a Jewish teacher named Hillel lived in Jerusalem. He taught for approximately forty years during the period between 30 BCE to circa 10 CE.
It is possible that Jesus met him and even learned from him, as Hillel was a famous teacher with his own school.
Hillel is popularly known as the author of two sayings. The first is:
"If I am not for myself, who will be [for me]? And when I am for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?"
He is also famous for expressing "The Golden Rule" when he was asked by a Gentile, who wished to become a Jew. The man asked Hillel for a summary of the teaching of Judaism in the most concise terms....
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Law; the rest is the explanation; go and learn"
With these words Hillel spoke of the fundamental principle of Jewish moral law, the Biblical precept of brotherly love. Love of man was considered as the kernel of the entire Jewish teaching.
....The exhortation to love peace emanated from Hillel's most characteristic traits — his meekness and mildness are of legend and his standing as a righteous and loving human being have become proverbial, as is seen from the saying: "Let a man be always humble and patient....."
The teaching to love your neighbor as yourself was inherent in the teachings and faith of Jesus. And it was a teaching that Jesus demonstrated throughout his ministry through his activities; the teaching to love others was fundamental to his entire ministry.
Jesus kept the Hebrew Commandments as a covenant with God and taught them to us that we might develop a spiritual discipline that puts the principle of Loving God first in our lives and following, the demonstration that we love God through our activities towards one another.
If we love God first, all else follows, for the love of God inspires us to love others. In teaching us so, Jesus was in keeping with teaching the most ancient of the commandments and in keeping with the Divine Principles at the foundation of all of the World's Great Religions.
Jesus' teaching was not a new teaching nor was it confined to Judaism; if we look to the religions of the world we may find this teaching at the base, in one form or another, of every religion. In that sense he was a world teacher. All of the great traditions teach that "We are to Love God" and "Love our neighbor as ourselves."
Through the Heart we may come to know the Love of God through the Heart we may become the Love of God.
When I was watching this video I was thinking of the breeze, the smell, and all the wonderful things associated w/the ocean and then I started to think of the Gulf Spill. (It made me sad, not only for the words in the song and how they apply to my life, but for all the animals and wildlife lost and how the world is changed because of greed and hate.)
GOD GAVE ME YOU and my 2 husbands 2 (after all that's where my kids came from, eh?) youtube
IMAGINE with lyrics John Lennon youtube
Empathy is Love
EXCERPT:
Creating a kinder and gentler world: The positive psychology of empathy
Paul T. P. Wong, Ph.D., C. Psych.
President, International Network on Personal Meaning
Coquitlam, B.C., Canada
Just imagine that we live in a kinder and gentler world, where people seek to understand rather than to be understood, show sensitivity to other people's feelings, routinely engage in acts of kindness , and strive to make this world a better place for everyone.
Just imagine that we inhabit a world where conflicts are resolved through non-violence means, where all individuals are respected and valued regardless of their race and creed, and where the bounty of earth is enjoyed by all.
..............................
I’m not a big believer in organised religion. But I believe that there is a higher power and a much bigger universal energy that makes things happen the way they do. I’m a spiritual person, even though there is no single incident that I can pick saying it was a turning point in my spiritual beliefs. (I simply think I was born that way.) An incident when I was 7 made me believe that things happen for a reason. I was given ether when having a tonsilectomy and died on the table and had to be paddled back. Later on in life I was involved in a car accident. It was the kind people usually don’t survive. I was driving my car and it hit water on the road. An irrigation ditch had washed out and I started hydro-planing and ended upside down in a canal with water coming in. When I got out of the wreck no one could believe that I survived. After that incident my life changed a lot. These experiences make you realise how fragile life really is.
I try now to meditate every day as it helps to clear my thoughts. People usually think that their relationship with God should be down to earth, but I believe that this relationship should be horizontal, on the same plane. You must also connect yourself to the people who are special to you, once you do that then the God inside of you surfaces. There is both good and bad inside us and it depends on which side you project to others.
I think all religions inherently propagate love and sometimes this can backfire and lead to the exact opposite. That’s one of the reasons I don’t believe in an organised religion. I believe the universal energy will take care of the rest.
..............................
... "The first of all the commandments is, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."
And the second is "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
The second teaching Jesus stated "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" has became known as "The Golden Rule"; "Love your fellow as yourself".
The first written record of The Golden Rule where it is stated "Do for one who may do for you, that you may cause him thus to do."
What we know as "The Golden Rule is called "in some systems the ethic of reciprocity, a fundamental moral principle and meme," in other words meaning "treat others as you would like to be treated." The Golden Rule is the foundational principle underlying what today we define as human rights...
The Golden Rule seems to predate both Judaism and Christianity and thus it is a universal principle. in any event it is at the core of every major religion. Principal philosophers and religious figures have stated it in different ways.
The Golden Rule was a common principle in ancient Greek philosophy. Here are a few examples from the Greeks:
"Do not to your neighbor what you would take ill from him."
"Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing."
"What you wish your neighbors to be to you, such be also to them."
"Do not do to others what would anger you if done to you by others."
"What thou avoidest suffering thyself seek not to impose on others
The Golden Rule is also found in Buddhism which states:
Putting oneself in the place of another, one should not kill nor cause another to kill.
One who, while himself seeking happiness, oppresses with violence other beings who also desire happiness, will not attain happiness hereafter.
In addition, the Dalai Lama has stated:
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
We also find the Golden rule In Islam. In his Last Sermon, the Prophet Muhammad said to his believers:
"Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you."
The Qur'an commends "those who show their affection to such as came to them for refuge and entertain no desire in their hearts for things given to the (latter), but give them preference over themselves."
None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.
Seek for mankind that of which you are desirous for yourself, that you may be a believer; treat well as a neighbor the one who lives near you, that you may be a Muslim [one who submits to God].
"That which you want for yourself, seek for mankind."
And so on, we find examples in all faiths....
Hillel & The Teachings of Love Your Neighbor
During the childhood days of Christ Jesus, when King Herod and the Roman Emperor Augustus ruled, a Jewish teacher named Hillel lived in Jerusalem. He taught for approximately forty years during the period between 30 BCE to circa 10 CE.
It is possible that Jesus met him and even learned from him, as Hillel was a famous teacher with his own school.
Hillel is popularly known as the author of two sayings. The first is:
"If I am not for myself, who will be [for me]? And when I am for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?"
He is also famous for expressing "The Golden Rule" when he was asked by a Gentile, who wished to become a Jew. The man asked Hillel for a summary of the teaching of Judaism in the most concise terms....
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Law; the rest is the explanation; go and learn"
With these words Hillel spoke of the fundamental principle of Jewish moral law, the Biblical precept of brotherly love. Love of man was considered as the kernel of the entire Jewish teaching.
....The exhortation to love peace emanated from Hillel's most characteristic traits — his meekness and mildness are of legend and his standing as a righteous and loving human being have become proverbial, as is seen from the saying: "Let a man be always humble and patient....."
The teaching to love your neighbor as yourself was inherent in the teachings and faith of Jesus. And it was a teaching that Jesus demonstrated throughout his ministry through his activities; the teaching to love others was fundamental to his entire ministry.
Jesus kept the Hebrew Commandments as a covenant with God and taught them to us that we might develop a spiritual discipline that puts the principle of Loving God first in our lives and following, the demonstration that we love God through our activities towards one another.
If we love God first, all else follows, for the love of God inspires us to love others. In teaching us so, Jesus was in keeping with teaching the most ancient of the commandments and in keeping with the Divine Principles at the foundation of all of the World's Great Religions.
Jesus' teaching was not a new teaching nor was it confined to Judaism; if we look to the religions of the world we may find this teaching at the base, in one form or another, of every religion. In that sense he was a world teacher. All of the great traditions teach that "We are to Love God" and "Love our neighbor as ourselves."
Through the Heart we may come to know the Love of God through the Heart we may become the Love of God.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Coopertown 2010 video
IMAGINE youtube
Imagine Peace Yoko Ono
I found the above Coopertown video at my friend Ernie's Freedom Phoenix site today. It reminded me so much of the Christmas party we had a few years ago at Cooperstown I had to put it all here together..... you know, connecting the dots and all, eh? (Check out HaleyBot to the right in her Green Christmas dress, oh yeah and she's also wearing a red one too...... she's gonna wear both of them in the fashion show if I ever get that up and running.)
I wish we had a camera back in the day but oh well, you know how that goes..... can't go back. Maybe when someone makes a movie of mystuff, we'll get it all on camera.
Now with the new Children of the Land 2 and Belon and Kai, I'd like Val Kilmer to play Robert and Kirstie Ally to play Cal. Kirstie Alley as Cal I think Yoko Ono can play Belon and for Kai, we'll get........... hmmmm I'll hafta think on that one for a bit. Someone with an accent would be loverly. John Melencamp (as Kai) Cherry Bomb video
or Jesse Spencer from House (I do so like his voice altho it is a different accent than Rob's)
I'm thinkin of asking my G'son; Ty to write a theme song for me for this blog as he's a heckuva guitar player and he also writes music......... hmmmm, he doesn't write for singers tho, so it'll have to simply be musical. (Maybe if I can write some words he'll help and add the music???)
OMG, I found this out there while I was lookin and cannot resist putting it here.......... It reminds me of days of old... and that old time rock and roll. hee hee......The Nanny's butler singing Old Time Rock and Roll
.....and I can't resist putting Tom Cruise here for the enjoyment of the ladies.
Tom Cruise from Risky Business singing Old Time Rock and Roll youtube
Alf sings Old Time Rockin Roll for the Aliens in the audience youtube
G'ma and the Chipmonks Flying Purple People Eater youtube
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Year's Eve in Arizona with the Robots
Cooperstown was alive New Years Eve. Yep, the robots were at it again in Phoenix. This time Alice outdid himself. The celebrities were abundant for the bash.
Rumor has it that all monies Alice brought in last night will go to charity.
Among the performers; Megadeth, Scorpians, Judas Priest, Robbie and the Rockin Robots and Stevie Nicks. Sam Moore, also played a few tunes. You might remember Sam from his fifties and sixties music.
David Spade, performer on Saturday Night Live was sitting with Judas Priest before their performance. (I understand he had some of his relatives in from out of town and he left as soon as the band finished their part of the show.)
Tiger Woods was seen talking to Alice during intermission. Everybody was in shock seeing Tiger as he has had his life ripped apart in the tabloids as of late.
Tiger does have some great friends though and rumor has it Charles Barclay and Michael Jordan persuaded Tiger to attend. The bringing in of a new year must have been too tempting to pass up for Tiger. Even though he seemed a bit reluctant at first, by the end of the night, he seemed to be having a good time with his 'TRUE FRIENDS' in Phoenix. (Accenture, eat your heart out!)
I bet it didn't hurt that Scottsdale, Arizona has some wonderful golf courses......... (that may have been the main draw for Tiger in the beginning.)
I must admit there are perks that go along with the reporter's pass I have. I got to meet all the famous people and it brought joy to my heart to see some of Phoenix's past heros attending from out of town.
Curt Shilling, his wife and Randy Johnson were there for a short while. I stopped by their table and introduced myself and the guys must not have been listening as they handed over napkins with their autographs to me before I was able to get out that I was 'the chosen' reporter for the night.
Robbie and the Robots was the opening act and from everything I've heard so far, they made quite an impression. I understand Alice asked his own manager to take a look at the group. Alice seemed to think the Robots may be star material and just what society needs in the tense financial environment of the millinium.
In all the craziness I had forgotten to get reservations for the Robots and had to quickly duck out of the party and call around. I was finally able to make last minute reservations at Mountain Shadows Resort for the bots. I would have had them stay at my daughter's place, but for publicity reasons Alice suggested they stay in Scottsdale at one of the resorts.
From the short conversation I had with HaleyBot, I undersoot the opening act that Alice had booked cancelled at the last minute. He called Stevie Nicks, who in turn contacted Goldie, and Goldie was able to pull it all together for the Robots first public appearance.
Alice's only requirement for the opening act was that they play three or four songs. I guess the robots got by with the three they had been rehearsing over the last few weeks. I understand that Robbie and Golda had written a new song together and it was the hit of their performance.
I was almost late for the 'Rockin Robots' debut as I was unprepared for the chaos surrounding the show. Candy had to squeeze me in at the last minute to comb out my hair. I ended up calling her at home hoping for mercy and sure enough she agreed, because of the situation to meet me at her salon and do a quick color and set.
What a gem she is always willing to work around my schedule. (It didn't hurt one bit when I gave her a free pass to the New Year's Eve show at Cooperstown.) She even worked me in at the manicurist next door. I surely have to remember to give her a big tip this year on her birthday. (I'll put a quick note to myself on Twitter to do that.)
I can't wait to see the article in the Arizona Republic today. As soon as I wrap up this report, I will run over to the news stand and pick up a copy.
If I know Alice, the party will be headline news in the entertainment section. I met the reporter at the party that does the stories for the Republic and I did see one cameraman taking photos. (I could be wrong though that he was the Republic reporter as I saw something referring to 'The Bird'???)
Robbie and Golda were outstanding last night singing their duet. R2INU was center stage for the second song. He and Robbie have been collaborating for quite some time on it. Scoot over Ringo Star, R2 is headed for stardom.
The third and final tune was sung by Goldie. The song was dedicated to everone affected by the September 11 tragedy. (Can you believe this year it will be 9 years?) I must say I didn't see a dry face in the crowd when she finished.)
The performance, not only was superb, Goldie's introduction was beautiful. She had written the song about the event and it seemed to touch everyone. (I'll email Goldie today at the resort and see if she'll email me the lyrics and I'll post them in my next report.)
That's a wrap for now and I want to take this time to wish all of our 'Hippie Chick and the International Scattered Brains' membership a very Happy New Years.
Signing off for now,
Your RockinRobotReporter
PS
BTW, we're thinking of having the '6 Pack' be the 9/11 Was An Inside Job........... mascots
80's Ladies KT Oslin youtube
..........to be continued
IMAGINE youtube
Imagine Peace Yoko Ono
I found the above Coopertown video at my friend Ernie's Freedom Phoenix site today. It reminded me so much of the Christmas party we had a few years ago at Cooperstown I had to put it all here together..... you know, connecting the dots and all, eh? (Check out HaleyBot to the right in her Green Christmas dress, oh yeah and she's also wearing a red one too...... she's gonna wear both of them in the fashion show if I ever get that up and running.)
I wish we had a camera back in the day but oh well, you know how that goes..... can't go back. Maybe when someone makes a movie of mystuff, we'll get it all on camera.
Now with the new Children of the Land 2 and Belon and Kai, I'd like Val Kilmer to play Robert and Kirstie Ally to play Cal. Kirstie Alley as Cal I think Yoko Ono can play Belon and for Kai, we'll get........... hmmmm I'll hafta think on that one for a bit. Someone with an accent would be loverly. John Melencamp (as Kai) Cherry Bomb video
or Jesse Spencer from House (I do so like his voice altho it is a different accent than Rob's)
I'm thinkin of asking my G'son; Ty to write a theme song for me for this blog as he's a heckuva guitar player and he also writes music......... hmmmm, he doesn't write for singers tho, so it'll have to simply be musical. (Maybe if I can write some words he'll help and add the music???)
OMG, I found this out there while I was lookin and cannot resist putting it here.......... It reminds me of days of old... and that old time rock and roll. hee hee......The Nanny's butler singing Old Time Rock and Roll
.....and I can't resist putting Tom Cruise here for the enjoyment of the ladies.
Tom Cruise from Risky Business singing Old Time Rock and Roll youtube
Alf sings Old Time Rockin Roll for the Aliens in the audience youtube
G'ma and the Chipmonks Flying Purple People Eater youtube
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
New Year's Eve in Arizona with the Robots
Cooperstown was alive New Years Eve. Yep, the robots were at it again in Phoenix. This time Alice outdid himself. The celebrities were abundant for the bash.
Rumor has it that all monies Alice brought in last night will go to charity.
Among the performers; Megadeth, Scorpians, Judas Priest, Robbie and the Rockin Robots and Stevie Nicks. Sam Moore, also played a few tunes. You might remember Sam from his fifties and sixties music.
David Spade, performer on Saturday Night Live was sitting with Judas Priest before their performance. (I understand he had some of his relatives in from out of town and he left as soon as the band finished their part of the show.)
Tiger Woods was seen talking to Alice during intermission. Everybody was in shock seeing Tiger as he has had his life ripped apart in the tabloids as of late.
Tiger does have some great friends though and rumor has it Charles Barclay and Michael Jordan persuaded Tiger to attend. The bringing in of a new year must have been too tempting to pass up for Tiger. Even though he seemed a bit reluctant at first, by the end of the night, he seemed to be having a good time with his 'TRUE FRIENDS' in Phoenix. (Accenture, eat your heart out!)
I bet it didn't hurt that Scottsdale, Arizona has some wonderful golf courses......... (that may have been the main draw for Tiger in the beginning.)
I must admit there are perks that go along with the reporter's pass I have. I got to meet all the famous people and it brought joy to my heart to see some of Phoenix's past heros attending from out of town.
Curt Shilling, his wife and Randy Johnson were there for a short while. I stopped by their table and introduced myself and the guys must not have been listening as they handed over napkins with their autographs to me before I was able to get out that I was 'the chosen' reporter for the night.
Robbie and the Robots was the opening act and from everything I've heard so far, they made quite an impression. I understand Alice asked his own manager to take a look at the group. Alice seemed to think the Robots may be star material and just what society needs in the tense financial environment of the millinium.
In all the craziness I had forgotten to get reservations for the Robots and had to quickly duck out of the party and call around. I was finally able to make last minute reservations at Mountain Shadows Resort for the bots. I would have had them stay at my daughter's place, but for publicity reasons Alice suggested they stay in Scottsdale at one of the resorts.
From the short conversation I had with HaleyBot, I undersoot the opening act that Alice had booked cancelled at the last minute. He called Stevie Nicks, who in turn contacted Goldie, and Goldie was able to pull it all together for the Robots first public appearance.
Alice's only requirement for the opening act was that they play three or four songs. I guess the robots got by with the three they had been rehearsing over the last few weeks. I understand that Robbie and Golda had written a new song together and it was the hit of their performance.
I was almost late for the 'Rockin Robots' debut as I was unprepared for the chaos surrounding the show. Candy had to squeeze me in at the last minute to comb out my hair. I ended up calling her at home hoping for mercy and sure enough she agreed, because of the situation to meet me at her salon and do a quick color and set.
What a gem she is always willing to work around my schedule. (It didn't hurt one bit when I gave her a free pass to the New Year's Eve show at Cooperstown.) She even worked me in at the manicurist next door. I surely have to remember to give her a big tip this year on her birthday. (I'll put a quick note to myself on Twitter to do that.)
I can't wait to see the article in the Arizona Republic today. As soon as I wrap up this report, I will run over to the news stand and pick up a copy.
If I know Alice, the party will be headline news in the entertainment section. I met the reporter at the party that does the stories for the Republic and I did see one cameraman taking photos. (I could be wrong though that he was the Republic reporter as I saw something referring to 'The Bird'???)
Robbie and Golda were outstanding last night singing their duet. R2INU was center stage for the second song. He and Robbie have been collaborating for quite some time on it. Scoot over Ringo Star, R2 is headed for stardom.
The third and final tune was sung by Goldie. The song was dedicated to everone affected by the September 11 tragedy. (Can you believe this year it will be 9 years?) I must say I didn't see a dry face in the crowd when she finished.)
The performance, not only was superb, Goldie's introduction was beautiful. She had written the song about the event and it seemed to touch everyone. (I'll email Goldie today at the resort and see if she'll email me the lyrics and I'll post them in my next report.)
That's a wrap for now and I want to take this time to wish all of our 'Hippie Chick and the International Scattered Brains' membership a very Happy New Years.
Signing off for now,
Your RockinRobotReporter
PS
BTW, we're thinking of having the '6 Pack' be the 9/11 Was An Inside Job........... mascots
80's Ladies KT Oslin youtube
..........to be continued
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