19th Nervous Breakdown

"19th Nervous Breakdown was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the English rock band The Rolling Stones. It was recorded in December of 1965 and released in February of 1966. Jagger said he came up with the title first then wrote the lyrics around it.
This is the end of my self imposed month long challenge to come up with a song title to use as titles to my daily blogs. In some ways it has been easy and in other ways more difficult than you could imagine,but I had fun with it and hope the readers enjoyed it as well.
Speaking of 19th nervous breakdowns,you will probably think that is what is happening to me,but give me a few lines to explain. I have been wondering for some time if the spiders that build on my front porch are a particular kind of spider that don't built symmetrical webs,so I finally got around to looking into it. I still am not sure what the problem is with the spiders as I am not supplying them with drugs,but I thought it was interesting what I found out.
First of all,yes someone really studied spiders on drugs and found out that it seriously impaired their web making abilities,at this point I am going to include the photos of the different webs they made under a few of the drugs introduced and call it good...I still have no idea what is up with the spiders on the porch!



On LSD











Drug Free Web

On Marijuana

T.N.T.

"T.N.T" was recorded in 1975 by Australian band AC/DC. It was written by Bon Scott,Angus Young and Malcolm Young and released March 1,1976.
I have always found it ironic that Alfred Nobel left the bulk of his estate (250 million US dollars) to establish the Nobel Prizes. Though he held 350 patents and by his death had established 90 armament factories he claimed belief in pacifism. Of course there are other uses for his most famous invention,dynamite,so no one can really say what his intentions were for his various explosive inventions. Maybe it was a matter of convenience to take up the family business as his formal education was rather brief.
The deciding factor for funding the prizes seemed to be when his brother Ludvig died while visiting France and a French newspaper erroneously published Alfred's obituary. The obituary called him "the merchant of death" and went on to say "Dr. Alfred Nobel,who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before,died yesterday". It was after this event that Alfred became concerned with how he would be remembered and signed his will establishing the prizes.

Island Girl

"Island Girl" is a song performed by Elton John and went to number 1 on Billboard Hot 100 in the US. It was released September 29,1975.
Oak Island is a 140 acre island on the south shore of Nova Scotia,Canada. It is privately owned and advance permission is required for visitation. Oak Island is the location of the Money Pit and the site of over 200 years of treasure hunting.
There are two schools of thought on the Money Pit,the popular theory is treasure was buried by Captain Kidd or possibly Blackbeard (Edward Teach) who claimed he had buried treasure "where none but Satan and myself can find it." There are several other speculations on the who and what of the treasure. In several attempts artifacts have been found,one of these was a cipher stone which a researcher said to have translated to read "Forty feet below 2 million pounds is buried."
Although I would really rather believe the buried treasure theory,I'm afraid I have to side with the natural sinkhole theory on this one. After weighing both sides of the story it seems more likely than a booby trapped pirate treasure...Rats,foiled again!

Panama Red

"Panama Red" was performed by New Riders of the Purple Sage who played with the Grateful Dead in the beginning of their career. It was released in 1973.
I am a tomato lover,it may be my all time favorite food,no matter if you consider it a fruit or a vegetable. That is why I have always been intrigued by La Tomatina. La Tomatina is a tomato fight purely for fun. It is held on the last Wednesday of August in Bunol,Spain. I have always thought I wouldn't be able to participate in the event as I would be eating the tomatoes instead of throwing them,but as it turns out the tomatoes are grown specifically for the holiday,being less expensive and of inferior taste (I wonder if they also supply some of the local grocery stores?) The estimated amount of tomatoes used is 40 metric tons.
The city council follows a short list of instructions for the safety of participants:
1. The tomatoes have to be squashed before throwing to avoid injuries.
2. No other projectiles except tomatoes are allowed.
3. Participants have to give way (yield) to trucks and lorries.
4. The festival doesn't allow ripping off T-shirts.
5. After the second shot signalling the end,no tomatoes should be thrown.
The city of Reno,Nevada (USA) also has an annual hour long tomato fight that started in 2009. The event takes place the last Sunday of August and is organized by the American Cancer Society.

Run Through the Jungle

"Run Through the Jungle" was written by John Fogerty ,American band Creedence Clearwater Revival's lead singer and guitarist and was released in April 1970. It is also the theme song of a friend's cat Clarence who has jungle flashbacks!
The Uakari (pronounced wakari) is a small species of monkey,native to the rainforest's of South America. The fur that covers the Uakari's body is long and coarse,it varies in color from red,to brown ,to black,to white,depending on the species. The hairless face of the Uakari is their most distinctive feature,and can be deep red or pink. The live in troops containing between 10-30 members or sometimes up to 100. Like many primates the Uakari is omnivorous,but eats primarily fruit,along with leaves and insects. When food in the trees is scarce they forage on the forest floor for seeds,roots and lizards. The Uakari has few predators with the biggest threat being Birds of Prey,also snakes and larger monkeys. Hunting by indigenous people and habitat loss to logging have created a decline in their population.

Living in the USA

"Living in the USA" was recorded by The Steve Miller Band,I couldn't find a release date or information on the composer...must be top secret!
In 1852 the HMS Resolute was sent to the Arctic Ocean to search for a missing explorer. The ship was built with three thicknesses of oak on her bow,but this didn't stop her from becoming ice bound. After two winters stuck in the ice the Resolute was abandoned. For over a year she drifted as a ghost ship,then American whalers found her and brought her to Connecticut.
The British heard and wanted their ship back. Britain and America were not on the best of terms at this time. After much debate,the Senate voted to return the ship as a token of goodwill.
The Resolute served in the Royal Navy for 23 years until she was decommissioned,she was then sent to the docks to be salvaged.
Queen Victoria ordered a desk made from the Resolutes best timbers. The desk was sent to the White House and sealed a lasting friendship between the two countries.
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted to hide his leg braces,he had a knee hole panel added. The desk has not been used by every president for various reasons,but is still in the White House today.

Liar

"Liar" by American rock band Three Dog Night was released in 1970. I have seen this band a couple of times and they are still performing today.
The World's Biggest Liar competition is held every November at the Bridge Inn,Cumbria,England,in memory of Will Ritson a pub landlord from Wasdale,known for his tall tales. One of Ritson's most famous was that turnips grew so large in the Lake District that people carved them out to make cow sheds.
Competitors from around the world have five minutes to tell the biggest,most convincing lie they can. Rules bar the use of props or scripts. Politicians and Lawyers are not allowed to enter as organizers believed they were too skilled at telling lies (read professional liars here).
In 2003 Abrie Krueger of South Africa won the competition with a tale of how he was crowned King of Wasdale Valley,marking the first time a foreigner had won the competition.
Sue Perkins won in 2006 marking the first time a woman won. Her winning whopper was how the ozone layer became damaged,ice caps melted and people had to commute to work on camels.
In 2008 John "Johnny Liar" Graham won for the seventh time after telling a story of a magical ride to Scotland in a wheelie bin (garbage can with wheels) that went under the sea. The previous year Graham's winning lie was a World War II German submarine had invaded Britain to capture digital TV decoders.
Paul Burrows from Essex won in 2011 with a story of how the lakes and mountains of the Cumbrian countryside had been stolen leaving it flat as it is today.
In 2011 Glen Boylan won with his story of betting on a snail race with Prince Charles (who advised him to remove the shell to make it more aerodynamic) and losing because his opponents cheated by using battery operated snails.
A Bishop of Carlisle was supposed to have once won with the shortest lie ever,"I have never told a lie in my life."

Drive My Car

"Drive My Car" was primarily written by Paul McCartney with lyrical contributions from John Lennon and first released by The Beatles in 1965.
Today's topic is something I came across that I found surprising. Sir Malcolm Campbell set several land speed and water speed records,between 1928 and 1935 six land speed records were set in the US at Daytona Beach,Florida and Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. He named all his vehicles "Blue Bird" which he considered to be his lucky name,and all were painted blue. The second "Blue Bird" car was constructed in 1926,and set a new record of 174.883 mph in South Wales. The car kept evolving as new records were attempted. In 1928 Campbell drove the second "Blue Bird" at Daytona to set a record of 206.956 mph. Between 1931 and 1933 Campbell established three land speed records ranging from 246.09 mph to 272.46 mph. The last record set in Daytona by Campbell was 276.82 mph in 1935. On September 3,1935 at age 50 he set his last land record at Bonneville,301.13 mph. Campbell never raced on land again,instead turning his attention to Water Speed records. Both "Blue Bird" cars to set the records still exist.
I didn't realize cars could or would be built to go that fast in those days...silly me,there I go thinking again!



Painting by Arthur Benjamins



Money

"Money" was written by Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters and released May 7, 1973 it is notable for its unusual time signature and the sound effects of coins clinking and cash registers ringing.
Today's blog is left over thoughts from yesterday's blog and more thoughts on green. Three of the richest people in American are from the Walton family,which founded Wal-Mart. Coming in at number 10 is Alice Walton (heiress) with 20.9 billion. At number 9 is Alice's brother Jim Walton with 21.1 billion. Christy Walton in number 6 with 24.5 billion making her the world's richest woman and Wal-Mart widow.
First thought I had on this is what do they do with that obscene amount of money? I didn't really find an answer that sounded like it was anything with helping out their fellow man,or for that matter the employees whose sweat keeps their pockets lined. Is it just me,or does something not add up about a discount store making that kind of money? I know that a lot of their business practices are less than pristine,but good god! At least Bill Gates (number 1 on the list) spends 28 billion a year in an attempt to wipe polio out in the countries that are still plagued with it,and it seems to me that he came by his fortune more honestly,never mind he was a Harvard dropout.

Green Eyed Lady

"Green Eyed Lady" was written by Jerry Corbetta and Dave Riordan from the band Sugarloaf and was released in 1970. The band was originally known as Chocolate Hair,but changed their name to Sugarloaf after a mountain outside of Boulder,CO. They had another well known hit with "Don't Call us,We'll Call you. The sound of the touch-tone telephone was a practical joke at the expense of CBS records,which had just turned them down for a recording contract. The number dialed was an unlisted phone number for CBS records.
After yesterday's blog I decided I had to follow it with one devoted to my favorite color,green. The most popular saying to do with green would likely be green with envy,even without the saying green is associated with envy. Sure as God made little green apples is another well known one. I had never heard "a hedge between keeps friendship green" but is sounds a lot like "good fences make good neighbors". Having a green thumb is another well known saying (in other countries having green fingers) referring to the ability to grow plants well. "Being green around the gills" meaning looking ill. Getting the green light is fairly self explanatory. "The green eyed monster" the feeling of being jealous,(also what my mother called me as a kid!) The rub of the green,means having good luck.

Purple Haze

"Purple Haze" was written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix in 1967. There are a surprising amount of songs with purple in the title. The first one I remember is "Purple People Eater", written and performed by Sheb Wooley and reaching #1 on Billboard pop charts in 1958.
I decided on today's blog subject because I am wearing a purple on purple tie-dyed shirt and remembering neighbors from long ago that used the phrase "hate with a purple passion" and thought there might be other interesting phrases associated with the color. I never found any reference to that particular phrase but I take it to mean intense. Then there is purple patch or prose which is basically the literary equivalent of adding a patch of purple material to a plain garment,in the 20th century the meaning was expanded to mean a period of good fortune or creativity. In the 1960s hippies took to wearing purple velvet and patching jeans with it. Hendrix purple is a recognized shade of dye in the fashion industry. Purple,green and gold are the colors of Mardi Gras (what a party!). Purple has long been considered the color of royalty,and of course the Purple Heart is a US military decoration given to soldiers wounded in battle.

Summertime Blues

"Summertime Blues" was co-written by rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran and his manager Jerry Capeheart in the late 1950's and released in August 1958. The song has been covered by many artists including The Who and Blue Cheer.
Summertime brings the same old warnings year after year. This summer the main focus seems to be on flip-flops aka thongs or slaps. I haven't been a regular wearer of flip-flops since I was a kid mainly because working on my feet gave me a lot of respect for proper footwear. The shoes I use as slippers are kind of like flip-flops but made of leather and have a slightly elevated heel that shifts the weight to a better balance. That is one of the problems with the rubber flip-flops is their flatness,which alters the way the wearer walks. The change in gait can cause foot,ankle and even toe pain from the way a wearer flexes the toes to hold the shoe on. A flip-flop wearer takes shorter,shuffling steps which in turn throws parts of the body into the motion that cause other imbalances and more pain. The bottom line? like anything you enjoy used in moderation flip-flops can still be enjoyed.

Go Your Own Way

"Go Your Own Way" was written by Lindsey Buckingham and performed by American/British band Fleetwood Mac. It was first released in December of 1976 and is about the complicated relationship Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were having...or an unusual way to cross the Atlantic.
The Spirit of Butt's Farm aka Tam 5 was an 11 lb. model aircraft that became the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean on August 11,2003. It was launched from Cape Spear near St. John's Newfoundland and landed near Clifden,Ireland 38 hours and 52 minutes later. The 6 ' 3" long aircraft made of Mylar and balsa cruised at 42 MPH at a height of 1000 feet fueled with around a liter of Coleman lantern fuel,and controlled by autopilot.
The aircraft was named after Beecher Butts, and aviation enthusiast who allowed use of his farm during the testing stages.

Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)

Heartbreaker,which is how I always think of this song,was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and was first recorded in November and December of 1972 then re-recorded the following May-June.
Fryderyk Chopin died at age 39. Chopin had requested that his heart be returned to Warsaw,Poland by his elder sister after his remains were interred in Paris. The heart is perfectly preserved in what appears to be cognac inside a crystal urn. (and they claim drinking is bad for you!)
There has been much controversy over his heart as Poland considers it a national icon. Medical experts wanted a sample from the heart for DNA testing to prove or disprove that he died from cystic fibrosis,rather than tuberculosis as was diagnosed from the autopsy. He had always been underweight (88 lbs. and 5' 6" tall) and had no known children both are symptoms of cystic fibrosis.
Is it just me? or do these two people have a resemblance? They are after all both musicians!

Highway to Hell

Highway to Hell by Australian rock band AC/DC was released in July 1979.
Have you ever wondered where Lewis Carroll came up with the idea for "Alice in Wonderland"? I think it is generally thought that he may have been sampling some really potent drugs. As it turns out Charles Dodgson (AKA Lewis Carroll) grew up in an area of Darlington,England known as Hell's Kettles. Hell's Kettles were thought to be bottomless pits at that time. The photographic model for the original Alice (Mary Badcock) lived in a home near there that collapsed. The bedrock in this area is gypsum which dissolves 100 times faster than limestone.
The Kettles are two pools,one is the only body of spring water fed open water in County Durham and has clear water. The other called the Double Kettle used to be two ponds that joined,it is fed by surface runoff and the water is turbid.

The Stroke

The Stroke was written and recorded by American rock artist Billy Squier in 1981.
I guess my mind was in the gutter when I thought I knew what this song was about,but I am pretty sure I wasn't the only one! It is actually about how musicians get used. I chose this for today's title as it shows how things can be easily misunderstood.
When I went to Australia I was surprised at how difficult it was to understand people,I knew they were speaking English but it was so different it was almost foreign. One of the phrases that I thought was particularly explanatory was Smash Shops or Clinics which in the US we call auto body shops. Instead of signs saying No Wake their signs said No Wash,and Give Way replaced the Yield sign.
To continue with this same thought I am including some words and what the mean in British English and American English,the first ones listed will be British followed by American English:
Banger-sausage or old motorcar/ a gang member (gang banger)
Bathroom-room with shower or tub but not necessarily a toilet/ a room containing a toilet and sink often a shower and tub as well
Beaver-beard,bearded man/female pubic hair,genitalia
Bird-girlfriend or young female/insulting hand gesture with middle finger extended
Bomb-striking success/a failure
Boob tube-woman's strapless dress/TV
Bum-a persons buttocks/hobo,homeless person
Bunk-absent without authorization/group of plain beds.

Summer in the City

Summer in the City was recorded by the Lovin Spoonful and released July 4,1966. Mark Sebastian wrote the lyrics as a poem,his brother John changed the slower verses and Steve Boone added the instrumental. When I write some of the dates various songs were released it doesn't seem possible that it could have been that long ago.
Summer in this city is usually  nothing like the song refers to. Here the temperature seldom goes above 80 and there is a breeze most of the time. Today it has been raining off and on which is nice as it keeps things green longer and lessens the fire danger,not to mention the greens being pleasing to the eye. I have become so acclimated to the weather here I don't know how I would fare in a city that really got hot in the summer,and especially cities that lose power in the heat of summer from all the air conditioners working overtime. I don't mind hot places as long as there is a pool or ocean to climb into when I start feeling over heated. I am content to be in a place with a mild climate and there is no place quite like the coast when the weather is nice.

Cats in the Cradle

Cats in the Cradle is a 1974 folk rock song written by Harry and Sandra Chapin,and also recorded by Cat Stevens.
Cats are strange animals,I can't decide if they are creatures of habit or quite the opposite. My two cats usually sleep or maybe that is cat nap? on the back of the sofa or love seat,though sometimes they find a spot on the carpet where the sun happens to be shinning so they can work on their tans. They also have a cat bed which is located in the utility room on top of the Rubbermaid container that holds their cat food,and that container is on top of the washing machine as cats like to be perched as high as possible. Until the last week they hadn't used the cat bed in well over a year and I was considering getting rid of it,then all the sudden Lamar decides it is his new favorite place to sleep and once he decided that Blondie had to take up residence as well. Both of them crammed into the one cat bed did not look in the least bit comfortable,but who am I to say what they find comfortable? Now comes the part that I find a little bit wacky...the other morning they had knocked the bed off and into the water bowl. I squeezed the water and shook it out as best I could,then turned it upside down on top of where it usually sits to dry thinking that they would have to find somewhere else to nap until it dried...not the case! After they had their breakfast they climbed back up onto the bottom of the bed that was wet and went to sleep,stop me if I am wrong here but how could sleeping in a wet bed that is upside down be the most comfortable spot they could find? At least they give me more things to think about,though I am not sure if that is always a good thing!

Superstition

Superstition was written,produced,arranged and performed by Stevie Wonder in 1972 at age 22.
Paraskevidekatriaphobia is the fear of Friday the 13th,unfortunately for those people with this affliction,there are three Friday the 13th dates exactly 13 weeks apart in 2012. There are approximately 21 million Americans that suffer this fear. There are several biblical references to Friday. It was supposedly Friday that Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit. The Great Flood began on a Friday; God tongue-tied the builders of the Tower of Babel on a Friday; the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday; and Friday was the day of the week Christ was crucified.
In pagan Rome Friday was execution day,but in other pre-Christian culture it was a day of worship. The early Church felt if Friday was a holy day for heathens,it must not be so for Christians. However not all ancient civilizations shared the fear of the 13,the Chinese regarded the number as lucky as did the Egyptians in the time of the pharaohs.
Since today's blog is about the number 13 I thought I should also include the name of the fear of the number 13 which is triskaidekaphobia.

Young Lust

I debated between London Calling by The Clash and Young Lust from Pink Floyd The Wall album recorded in 1979. Since I prefer Pink Floyd it became today's title.
Yesterday afternoon I ended up coming unglued on a telephone solicitor. It was about the tenth time this same outfit had called my number in the last week and when I finally decided I had had enough it was the second time in 10 minutes. I picked up the phone and asked "why do you keep calling this number?" The rather indignant reply was," I haven't been calling this number." I said,"you most certainly have and went on to tell him how often and that this was the second time in the last 10 minutes." He said," I didn't mean to be intrusive",at which point I burst out laughing. Anyone that takes a job as a telephone solicitor does NOT mind being intrusive in the least bit. He hung up on me and that was the last call I have received from those people. As the day wore on I started feeling bad for the poor hapless guy,maybe he was just really down on his luck and that was the only job he could find,but I got over that feeling in short order!

Who Are You?

The unedited version of "Who Are You" by The Who was released in 1978 and is considered one of the greatest songs in rock history.
I am not much of a joiner,but I may have found my niche in society...The National Sarcasm Society. Today I am including the top 10 sarcastic quotes of all time.
1. "If you ever become a mother,can I have one of the puppies?" Charles Pierce
2. "A child of five could understand this. Fetch me a child of five." Groucho Marx
3. "Reader,suppose your were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of congress. But I repeat myself." Mark Twain
4. "Some cause happiness wherever they go;others whenever they go." Oscar Wilde
5. "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." Mark Twain
6. "Personal experience makes a believer out of anyone;that explains the hordes of evolution deniers." Sarcasm Society
7. "I find it rather easy to portray a businessman. Being bland,rather cruel and incompetent comes naturally to me." John Cleese
8. "I don't know if God exists,but it would be better for His reputation if He didn't." Jules Renard
9. "I feel so miserable without you,it's almost like having you here." Stephen Bishop
10. "Sometimes I need what only you can provide: your absence." Ashleigh Brilliant

You're So Vain

Carly Simon recorded this song in December of 1972,she would never admit who the song was about saying that it would ruin the mystery. It was speculated that it could be Mick Jagger,Cat Stevens,Kris Kristofferson,or Warren Beatty,but when the song was re-released she left a clue to the identity in the new song and as it turns out it was none of the above. It was her gay producer David Geffen.
When I left for my walk today a luxury car nearly hit me as they were pulling out of their driveway,then glared at me as I drove by and road my bumper until I got to where I park downtown (I live on a steep hill and my knees can't handle walking on hills). The car pulled over by a row of mailboxes and sat there,I was waiting for it to pull away as I didn't want to chance opening my door and having it taken off by a not very cautious or good driver. After waiting for several minutes I decided it was for some reason parking in front of the mailboxes (another rude move) and got out to go for my walk. I looked back at the car and it had the doors open on both sides and I thought this person has a serious death wish going on,or maybe he wants to test how good the insurance is?
My point in this little story is I have noticed that a rather large percentage of people that drive luxury cars drive with that same sense of entitlement,and I can't help but think that they have more money than sense. It is one of the things that have prevented me over the years from purchasing a cow catcher for the front of my rig because in cases like the one above I would be sorely tempted to use it! Assume ramming speed...

Midnight Confessions

Midnight Confessions was written by Lou T. Josie and originally performed by the Ever-Green Blues. It was later made famous by The Grass Roots in 1968.
Today's blog is kind of another dream sequence,but not really. I woke up after dreaming I was in a contest? to name an elf and I thought Elvis would be a good name for an elf...when they announced the winning name was Frank I woke up wondering what kind of name Frank was for an elf. In an attempt to get back to sleep I started thinking of names that would be cute for pets. I like to try to keep pet names to two syllables,they say it is easier for the pet that way,but I find it is also easier for me. Here are a few I came up with and I am sure you will be incited to come up with even more! Most of these are names for two animals.
Nuts & Bolts
Frank & Stein (there is that Frank again)
Suz & Uki
Henry & Ford
Toy & Ota
Star & Trek
Stephen & King
And now for the one singular name I really liked...C-A-T pronounced See-A-Tee if you come up with your own spelling for this one you are sure to score points for originality!
I still haven't heard from the Extension office about the tree (blog title Help!) from a week or so ago,however a friend identified it as a Japanese Snowbell from photos I sent to her and I believe she is correct in her identification. If I ever hear any different I will let you know.

Sunday Will Never Be the Same

The song for today's title is from 1967 by Spanky and Our Gang.
It occurred to me today that it wasn't me changing that made me avoid crowds,I had been blaming getting older and crabbier but after some consideration I don't think that is exactly right. It is the people that have changed,they are totally unaware of their surroundings and self centered,though I suspect the two go hand in hand. People today don't go some where with their friends to enjoy the company or even to do a particular thing,they go to practice? their texting skills,or maybe they are walking/driving around playing games? I have noticed they pay little or no attention to their companions,of course the companions are busy working their own cell phones. I could live with all of that if it didn't affect me,but it does. These same people seem to want to walk at least four abreast and always at a pace that allows them to be texting,of course since they rarely look up from the phone it is probably better that they move slowly or they would be tripping and falling thus dropping the coveted cell phones. Has communicating one on one become a lost art? The only good thing I got out of today's epiphany is I no longer feel like I am becoming agoraphobic or anti-social.

House of the Rising Sun

New Orleans was not one of the possible locations for the house in this blog, but with the wonderful architecture in mind and the mystical vibes that are part of the city,I thought it was a suitable title. The most successful version of the song was recorded by The Animals in 1964.
Will the real Addams Family house please stand up? This is one of those things that there doesn't seem to be a concrete answer for. I think most people would be happy to assume that the house was a product of imagination,but the answer is not so obvious.
There is a legend that College Hall,the oldest (1873) building on the West Philadelphia campus of the University of Pennsylvania,was the model for the mansion in the Addams Family cartoon,drawn by Charles Addams,who attended Penn in the 1930's.
There are several claims to the somewhat dubious honor of being the model for the Addams Family house. Some think the house the 60's TV show was modeled after is the Walter Newhall house at 21 Chester Pl. Los Angeles,CA. The address in the TV series was 0001 Cemetery Lane,though no city or state was given. In the Addams Family musical the house is set in Central Park,New York City,NY.
A lot of people loved the house and it has a cult following. I loved the house too,not to mention Thing and Cousin Itt!
 College Hall

21 Chester Place



Dream On

"Dream On" by Aerosmith is from their debut album 1973. Written by lead singer Steven Tyler.
In the case of this particular dream,I hope I don't dream until my dreams come true!
I woke up mad! I still am not sure precisely what I was mad about as it could have been several things. I dreamt I was a forger and was teaching my apprentice how to forge a name on a check. The name I was writing on the checks was Clifford Grant. The name my apprentice was writing on the checks was Clifford Platt. We were in a bank at the time,so it was a little late to fine tune the whole operation. I also noticed that the check register on the checkbook my apprentice was using had her practice attempts at signing the name. I am not well versed in the nuances of paper hanging,but even in the dream state I recognized that the scheme was not going at all well. I am pretty sure that two people should not be writing checks on the same account signing different names in the same establishment. I was waiting for the cuffs to be slapped on when I woke up. I would never be suited to a life of crime...I feel guilty even when I think someone thinks I am!

The Streak

Another song title,The Streak by Ray Stevens in March of 1974 when streaking (running naked in public) was at its peak...or should that be peek?
It seems to me that there have been a lot of recent reports of public nudity,today in Portland,OR a man was arrested naked at 205th and Stark. I have also heard several reports of naked people in different areas on the radio when I am out wandering around in the early hours of the day. It has me wondering, is there some time period that goes by that makes everyone decide to resurrect some of these fads? I have seen several things that were popular when I was a kid come back around and make a curtain call, of course there are also fresh fads out there too,but the old tried and true never seem to completely go away.

Born in the USA

I thought that would be an appropriate title for today. Just a couple of things to say today,Happy 4th of July is one. There is an ad currently playing that says 1 in 6 people suffer from mental illness...I want to make it clear that I don't think mental illness is funny in any way,however I just can't stop myself from thinking that the other 5 people don't suffer from mental illness they enjoy it! Okay,enough of my weirdness.
A friend sent me something that I thought would be good to share today.

Jailhouse Rock

Okay,I guess 4 days in a row is more than likely a trend for song titles as blog titles. That said I will get on with the program. Last night I woke up with the word Jaillure on my mind and laid awake puzzling over it for some time. My first thought of possible definitions was: Jaillure-( origin from late night Mary speak) Three hots and a cot,also known as a decent place to get meals and a dry place to sleep if you are down and out (jail). Next up:Jaillure-(origin unknown) another way to refer to Jailbait,which for you cougars out there means the young ones that are not of legal age,same goes for the men that go in for the younger set. My third thought was perhaps even more obscure,or maybe less...it really could go either way depending on individual judgement. Jaillure-(possible origin)old salts slang terms,or aquarium keepers dictionary-what one would use in order to catch a convict fish.
The song Jailhouse Rock is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley. The song was released as a single 9/24/1957.
For those of you wondering about the tree from yesterday's blog I still don't have an answer,but I dropped off a clipping from it at the OSU extension office,but the Master Gardeners won't be in until either Thursday or Monday. I will keep you informed on what I find out.
Convict Fish

Help!

Three days in a row does not mean a trend with song titles has been set,it could still be a coincidence!

What I want help with is identifying a tree that grows downtown,and no one has been able to tell me what it is. I have spent hours online scouring web sites trying to find it,but none of the ones are exactly right,either the flower is too big or the wrong color. The closest I came to what I think it might be is a Peking Lilac. The tree in question has small white 5 point star flowers about 1 inch across,and they are extremly fragrant! Take the smell of a lilac and multiply it by at least 5. You can smell it 1/2 a block away.The bark of the tree is smooth. If anyone knows please help me solve this mystery,I have been on this for 3 years and am no closer to having an answer now than I was at the start. Thank you for any help you can supply.

Maybe I'm Amazed

Another hijacked song title...not sure if this is the start of a trend or not.
I read a lot in case you just tuned in,and when I come across things that are new to me I like to look them up,not to prove an author wrong as I mostly read fiction so what would the point of that be? I do it because things tend to lodge in my brain and I like to try to establish if they are fact of fiction before they take residence.
The book I am currently reading gave mention to a Mexican culture called the Mazatec and their ceremonial use of a plant called salvia divinorum,also called Diviner' sage. I had never heard of either and they both exist. Apparently the salvia which in the book was also called Sally-D,is a popular hallucinogen with teens and they film themselves while they are high and put the results on You Tube. That seems weird to me,but I guess kids are different now than back in the days when God was a pup (when I was young). It is also legal most everywhere,the length of time for the high and how long it takes before it acts depends on the method of delivery. Kind of makes me feel out of touch with the younger generations when I have no clue what is going on with them,but then again maybe it is better that way?