One High School in New Jersey Mourned a Secretary Who Had Worked There Since 1961

This was both a sad and impressive story from a couple of weeks ago.

There was a secretary from a school right here in New Jersey who recently passed away. But she had been working there since the days of Camelot, when the Kennedys were in the White House. She narrowly missed working there when Eisenhower was still in office, in fact, by just a few months. But she attended the Lenape High School in Burlington during those days.

How long ago was that? The Soviets were considered our big, bad enemy, and they appeared to be winning the space race. Many countries in Africa still had not achieved independence yet. Nobody had heard of the Super Bowl, and Vince Lombardi was still trying to prove himself in Green Bay. Climate Change/global warming was not yet well-known, and did not yet drive policy. France, Spain, England, and Argentina had never yet won a World Cup. Cell phones and the internet were still a long way off, as was punk rock. Even the Beatles were not particularly well known just yet, still just four young lads from Liverpool trying to get their break. The United States was not extensively involved in Vietnam just yet, with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution still some years away. All of that serves as an indicator of just how much time has passed, and how different the world was when she first took the job. 

Recently, she died, and the school mourned her. They also honored her contributions and legacy with the school.

Below is the link to this news story:

N.J. high school mourns secretary who had been working there since 1961 Updated: May. 17, 2023, 4:26 p.m.|Published: May. 16, 2023,

https://www.nj.com/hunterdon/2023/05/nj-high-school-mourns-secretary-who-had-been-working-there-since-1961.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=njcom_sf&utm_content=nj_facebook_njcom&fbclid=IwAR26aFx9kslItiu4ew-kR4bYmP-s6OHyuzSprbza6B3pmDjaNTsi7CNGT24

Mark Hamill's Visited a Dying Boy in Character As Luke Skywalker

Today is the last day of May. And May appears to be, these days, the de facto Star Wars month. Makes sense, since the earliest movies of the franchise always seemed to be released in May. Also, there is "May the Forth Be With You" and "May the Sith" and all of that. So one more story related to Star Wars for May, which also happens to be one of my vey favorite months of the year. 

Mark Hamill always struck me as a decent, likeable guy. Someone not taken by himself or his own professional success. Down to earth and accessible.

Earlier today, I ran into this story, and it seemed worth sharing. This is about how Hamill surprised a dying boy by paying him a visit, and in character as Luke Skywalker.

Another reason to like Mark Hamill. 

'Star Wars' star Mark Hamill's extraordinary visit with a dying boy by Allison Slater Tate, Dec. 15, 2017:

When a dying teen asked to meet Luke Skywalker, his dad wasn't sure he could fulfill the wish. Then Mark Hamill called.  

https://www.today.com/parents/last-jedi-star-wars-star-mark-hamill-met-dying-boy-t120121?cid=sm_npd_td_fb_ma&fbclid=IwAR3SAtb96NNB-M2BhWRh-9Q7ByZxM7uIRnqz9Zhyg2cowN9i0CsjRYjzJKg

CNN’s Ratings Have Dropped Significantly Since Airing the Trump Town Hall

Lately, I have been trying not to bother covering Donald Trump anymore. Mostly it is because I am just so sick of him. But also, I am trying to do my small part not to make him any more relevant than he deserves to be. Because if there is one thing that seems clear as daylight to me, it is that King Con Don has been horrible for this country, and probably does more damage than any other person possibly could at this point.

That said, every now and then, I do mention him. But again, I am one person with a blog, and hardly can be said to be seriously contributing to all of the free press that he gets, and which, frankly, enables him and his supporters.

So that is why CNN, which a few weeks ago hosted a Town hall meeting with King Con Don, sickens me. They clearly were doing it for ratings. But it has had the opposite effect. For once, people seemed to have some good ideas on how to handle this situation, which is simply to boycott CNN. And their ratings since have gone down, apparently.

Let's hope that the message is received. 

The more coverage he gets on these major networks, the more he gains credibility, relevance, normalizing, and even acceptance among Americans. Yes, that includes CNN, which is generally not regarded in a friendly light by Trump loyalists. Yet, a Town Hall meeting like this does serve to validate him as a serious presidential candidate in 2024, despite his consistent attempts at undermining democracy in the United States, which included nothing short of what I consider a coup d'etat. All of that, plus his generally despicable behavior - remember, he was found guilty in the recent court case in Manhattan - should easily have disqualified him as a viable candidate. Still, CNN wants to make him the focal point, mostly because of the traditional thinking that ratings go up whenever he is on television. For such arrogant and presumptuous thinking, let them learn the hard way that, in fact, some people really are sick and tired not only of King Con Don, but of those who enable him, both in his bad behavior, and the access to power that allows him to continually get away with it. 

Shame on CNN. I will not be turning it on voluntarily anytime soon. And it has everything to do with their continuing to legitimize Trump. 

Here’s How Bad CNN’s Post-Trump Town Hall Ratings Have Been WHERE’S THAT TRUMP BUMP? The cable network suffered its lowest-rated week since 2015.   Justin Baragona Senior Media Reporter Updated May. 26, 2023 11:27AM ET / Published May. 22, 2023:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/heres-how-bad-cnns-post-trump-town-hall-ratings-have-been

Billboard Releases Their List of the 15 Greatest Tina Turner Songs Throughout Her Career

One more post about the late "Queen of Rock 'n Roll."

Here is a list of the 15 best Tina Turner songs spanning her entire career, which itself spanned quite a number of decades.

I mostly agreed with this list. Take a look to see if you do, as well:

The 15 Best Tina Turner Songs Celebrating the late Queen of Rock n' Roll.  By  Joe Lynch, Stephen Daw, Katie Bain, Andrew Unterberger, Katie Atkinson, Paul Grein 05/24/2023

https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-tina-turner-songs/?fbclid=IwAR0B3f1myiySX2YhbHA_3VpyJV8VFLOTo02aIsuh2btxfb-nWmtm_9qEapU

Honoring Native American History on Memorial Day

Ran into these three articles, and thought that it would be appropriate to post them here.

These are articles that address Native American history, in both cases. The first is about honoring those American soldiers who refused to obey orders in the genocidal mass murder of Native Americans at Sandy Creek in the 19th century:

Remembering the US soldiers who refused orders to murder Native Americans at Sand Creek. A scholar of American Indian studies shares the lesser-known, true story of two men who stood up and spoke out against the murder of American Indians, and how they are celebrated as heroes today  Billy J. Stratton Thursday 24 November 2016:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/native-americans-remembering-american-soldiers-refused-orders-sand-creek-massacre-a7436331.html?fbclid=IwAR3TgD0tsJWT8D-6KnKT3pDCNOwi4I5FNrcfEj2FPNrR01tPy0_xovLqJnM




This next one is also about honoring veterans, particularly the Native Americans veterans of World War II, who helped the Allied cause as code talkers:


Honoring 33 Native Tribes who Served As Code Talkers to Save the U.S published by White Wolf Pack, August 2016:

http://www.whitewolfpack.com/2016/08/honoring-33-native-tribes-who-served-as.html?fbclid=IwAR2_6HgAsU2KaQ6eBUAtgiqxgRwXhdMBdYdCmzr8PA4CbgBHZruw7-pCfSA

Here is another, not entirely unrelated story, in which Vermont just passed a law basically eliminating Columbus Day, in favor of Indigenous Peoples' Day:

Vermont passes bill abolishing Columbus Day in favor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day  Katie Mettler  4/20/2019

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/vermont-passes-bill-abolishing-columbus-day-in-favor-of-indigenous-peoples-day/ar-BBW8dru?fbclid=IwAR0pUAtdGLW8pEJiFJ9GFEk4IeAigGA8cXsX0uIXmv6A29lqghj7jDU3nBk

The Origins of Memorial Day

Now, I'll admit that I never really knew the origins of Memorial Day until I read this article.

No, that does not mean that I simply thought of it as a vacation day, or a day of barbecue and summer fun. I knew it had more reason than that.

But that it is a holiday that was originally created to honor black troops specifically, that much I did not know, admittedly.

Things you never know, until someone sheds some light on them.

And so, I felt it was something that deserved sharing, and I am helping to spread the word, so that more people understand the truth of the origins of this national holiday.

Forgetting Why We Remember by New York Times Op/Ed Contributor David W. Blight, May 29, 2011:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/opinion/30blight.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Sunday Funny: Owner Thanks Fans For Countless Years Of Supporting Team Through Tax Breaks

Minnesota Vikings

This was another great Onion headline which, frankly, is funny because it rings true.  

Just days ago, I published something from Robert Reich about the scam of owners of sports franchises basically blackmailing communities into supporting and paying for very expensive and elaborate stadiums and/or arenas, or claiming that they will leave town. Many of them also get staggering tax breaks and incentives. Greed obviously is very prevalent in sports, like never before - and that's saying something, frankly!  

Here, the owner of a sports franchise thanks his fans for supporting the team despite many years of massive tax breaks and incentives.   

The team is, of course, real enough. Yes, the Minnesota Vikings actually do exist, even if the owner obviously never would actually say anything quite like this in real life.  

Enjoy!

Owner Thanks Fans For Countless Years Of Supporting Team Through Tax Breaks Published April 20, 2023 Alerts:

https://www.theonion.com/owner-thanks-fans-for-countless-years-of-supporting-tea-1850338676?fbclid=IwAR3qmJUP4EXF9GLJC38VW946Esc5NX95W9ihY5-2bl1iUpQYyCcWA4O3t-Y

Album Review: Seven Psalms By Paul Simon

Paul Simon is over 80 years old, and announced his official retirement a few years back already.

Yet, he also just released a new album, called "Seven Psalms." It is a short album, with only seven songs, and running a bit over half an hour in length. 

Still, for fans of Simon, this is wonderful news.

Unfortunately, Simon seems surely to remain in retirement at least from touring, due to a rather sudden and unexpected hearing loss. Personally, I am glad that I took my son to see Paul Simon some years back, I believe in 2018, if memory serves correctly.

In any case, this seemed like a good opportunity to review the new album. So, here goes:

This is a different album than other Paul Simon albums. It is slower, softer, more reflective. While it does not quite have the upbeat tempo of "Graceland" or "Rhythm of the Saints," or the early career stuff he did with Art Garfunkel, this nevertheless sounds distinctively like Simon. It is mostly acoustic and the mood is somber, and honestly, it gave me the impression that Simon might be feeling his mortality more these days. At least, that seems to be what bleeds through. This does sound like a man who is looking at life already in the past tense, and asking deep questions about the meaning of life, while still remaining grateful for the blessings which have been richly endowed to him. 

Also, there are no clear divides between songs in this album. If you're not careful or paying close attention, it might even sound like one long song. Of course, it isn't. And you will hear contributions from his wife, Edie Brickell, who provides vocals in "The Sacred Harp." If you do not recognize her name, you might remember her from the one truly huge hit that she had "What I Am."

Ultimately, this is an enjoyable album. Still, it should be stressed that, for the most part, this is a quieter, more sober and less happy - bordering almost on dark at times - sound, which fans of Paul Simon might not be used to. He does sounds a bit more like "the old" Paul Simon with the second to last track, "The Lord (Reprise)." Yet, this track is short, and is followed by another very reflective, almost sad son, "Wait," where once again, Brickell provides some backing vocals. In this final track, it feels like Simon (as well as the listener) is reluctantly accepting the transition to...well, I'll let the listeners come to their own conclusions about it. Give it a listen, and see what your impressions are about this track and, more generally, this album. 

This is a solid album. Different than other Simon albums, but with just a hint of the old, familiar stuff to identify it as, indeed, a distinctively Paul Simon album. It might not have the upbeat energy of some past Simon albums, yet it is reflective of circumstances, of the reality that he is now over 80 years old, and understandably dwelling on big issues, particularly mortality. It was an enjoyable album to listen to. Highly recommended!

"Seven Psalms" by Paul Simon Track Listing: 

The Lord 

Love Is Like a Braid  

My Professional Opinion

Your Forgiveness 

Trail of Volcanoes 

The Sacred Harp 

Wait

ALBUMS Seven Psalms Paul Simon 2023 Paul Simon Seven Psalms 7.5 By Sam Sodomsky  GENRE: Rock LABEL: Owl / Legacy REVIEWED: May 25, 2023

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/paul-simon-seven-psalms/

Paul Simon unlikely to perform live again due to sudden hearing loss by Aidin Vaziri, May 24, 2023:

https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/music/paul-simon-hearing-loss-covid-seven-psalms-18117021

The Outrageous Prices For Taylor Swift Concert Tickets

On Friday morning, the news repeatedly mentioned the series of Taylor Swift shows set to be played at MetLife Stadium over the weekend. They warned about the traffic, which was not surprising. But they also said that it was supposed to be incredibly packed, maximum capacity. They also mentioned how New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy honored Swift by naming a sandwich after her. Also, how her merchandise is disappearing quickly from the racks. Finally, they warned everybody not to bother going anywhere near the stadium if they did not have a ticket, because again, every seat had apparently been sold. 

Yet I had heard that while concert tickets in general had gotten quite expensive, tickets to see Taylor Swift specifically were outrageous. 

So I decided to go and visit one website, just to get an idea of exactly how much the tickets actually were. And the results admittedly stunned me.

Don't get me wrong: I have nothing against Taylor Swift. Not going to claim to be a fan or anything. Think I'm a bit too old for that. But I had heard about how expensive those tickets were, and how unbelievable the demand for tickets has been. 

Now admittedly, I don't get it. Again, nothing against Taylor Swift. But the ticket prices were all well over $1,000! That was where the prices started, and those were the nosebleeds. In the lower sections and the floor, I did not see any tickets for under $2000! I mean, I would hesitate to buy tickets at that price even if some of the most legendary musical acts in history were to get together for one enormous show. Even if the surviving Beatles performed together, then the surviving members of Led Zeppelin played, then the surviving members of Pink Floyd, then the surviving members of the Rolling Stones, the Who, Pearl Jam, the surviving members of Soundgarden, the surviving members of Nirvana, and so on and so forth (you get the picture by now). I mean, that would be one of the greatest concerts in history, right? But again, ticket prices of over $1,000 for concerts  - that is to say one evening of a music act - just seems completely outrageous to me!

And I'm not kidding, the prices really were that expensive when I checked. It was so stunning to me, that I went ahead and took some pictures:

Cotton Tree That Stood For Hundreds of Years & Symbolized Freedom in Sierra Leone Falls After Strong Storm

Sad news to report today.

A large and iconic tree which stood in Freetown, the national capital of Sierra Leone, fell after torrential rains.

That cotton tree had stood for hundreds of years, and was considered a symbol of freedom for the western African nation. 

Below is a snippet of a recent article covering this story by Umaru Fofana published by Reuters, which helps to put this into a bit of perspective:

President Julius Maada Bio called the toppling of the famed tree "a great loss to the nation" as crowds gathered to look at the wrecked trunk.  

The "Cotton Tree" was the most important landmark in the West African country which was founded by freed American slaves.

According to local history, the freed slaves used to pray below this tree after arriving in the country by boat, before going on to live their new lives in freedom. It thus became part of local legend, and was featured on the nation's banknotes, as well as being celebrated in other ways. 

"It was regarded as a symbol of liberty and freedom by early settlers," the president wrote on Twitter.  

Below is the link to the article which I used in writing this particular blog entry, and from which I borrowed the quotes and much of the information used above:

Storm fells Sierra Leone's historic cotton tree, a symbol of freedom By Umaru Fofana May 25, 2023

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/sierra-leone-loses-historic-tree-symbol-freedom-rainstorm-2023-05-25/

Robert Reich Breaks Down the Scam of Owners Demanding New Sports Stadiums & Arenas

Not long ago, I posted a blog entry with a video by Robert Reich.

Well, I'm doing it again. In this video, Reich breaks down what amounts to a scam: the owners of sports franchises demanding publicly-funded, expensive new stadiums and arenas, and threatening to relocate their teams if they do not get what they want. 

One of the justifications for this always seems to be that it will be good for the local economy. But Reich points out that, in fact, this is a fallacy. By and large, these stadiums cost the taxpayer a tremendous amount, and the benefits for the community remain, at best, negligible. 

Take a look at the video below:

The Sports Stadium Scam | Robert Reich

My Girlfriend Heads Off to Poland - 2023 Edition

 

Okay, so I used the picture from last year for this bog entry.

Still, the news is the same. My girlfriend left for Poland last night. I dropped her off at Newark Airport (well, I went in with her and escorted her to the gates, before nobody who did not have an airline ticket was allowed. Then, I went back to the car, and headed off to my overnight job.

As I write this (about 4:30 EST), she is probably somewhere over western Europe at the moment, maybe over the British Isles somewhere. In a few hours, she will land in Warsaw, Poland's capital. There, she will meet family, and they will visit Warsaw before heading back to the family farm town in southeaster Poland.

I wish her a very great trip, which should last thee weeks.

Meanwhile, this means that I will be taking care of our three cats, and our home, by myself. So not only do I not get a trip to Europe, but I have to be there as often as possible, which means I will not be able to go out or see many people. So this is a bittersweet pill for me.

Nevertheless, I wish her well, and hope she has a wonderful trip. 

My Favorite Tina Turner Song

As sad as it is that Tina Turner has passed, I feel that we should nevertheless be thankful and appreciate the enormous gifts which she brought to us with her music. Obviously, it goes without saying that she was extremely talented, and resilient in her life. She served as an inspiration for millions, and she rightly ranks among the all-time great in modern music. 

In honor of the memory of the late Tina Turner, the "Queen of Rock 'n Roll," it seemed fitting to me to publish a blog entry of my favorite song from her. It is "What's Love Got To Do With It?" and became one of the most popular and iconic songs of the 1980's. The opening feels quite dramatic and even haunting, and then develops into one of the catchiest tunes of it's time.

One of my great regrets in terms of music is not having seen Tina Turner. As is too often the case, I just assumed that there would be more time and opportunity. It saddens me that she is gone for many reasons, not least of which is that I never got to personally see one of her shows, because she was supposed to have been absolutely electrifying on the stage. 

Anyway, without further ado, here is the official video for "What's Love Got To Do With It?." 

Enjoy.

Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It (Official Music Video)

RIP, Tina Turner

Very sad news from the music world yesterday.

Legendary singer Tina Turner, sometimes referred to as the "Queen of Rock 'n Roll," has died in Switzerland, where she lived with her second husband.

Turner's life was not all roses, of course. She was born and raised in rural Tennessee in 1939, and picked cotton at a very young age. Remember, this was the Deep South, and a young black girl picking cotton during the days of strict racial segregation in the Jim Crow South was certainly a rough start. Then, she got involved with a man who both helped her become a star, and hurt her because he was very physically and mentally abusive.

Eventually, however, Tina Turner walked away, even though she had almost nothing to her name except...well, her name. But she was an incredible talent, and soon enough, her solo career absolutely went into the stratosphere.

"Tina's story is not one of victimhood but one of incredible triumph," singer Janet Jackson wrote about Turner, in a Rolling Stone issue that placed Turner at No. 63 on a list of the top 100 artists of all time.

Turner was one of the biggest artists of the 1980's, and that came after her successful musical career with her ex-husband, Ike and Tina Turner. But once her solo career not only gave her independence, but made her one of the biggest musical acts of her time. She then earned the moniker as the "Queen of Rock 'n Roll."

Truly, she was an inspiration, and produced some really great music. I enjoyed her for many years, beginning in the eighties, when she seemed to dominate the radio waves.

RIP, Tina Turner, 1939 - 2023

Singer Tina Turner dies at age 83

'Queen of rock 'n' roll' Tina Turner dies at 83 by Mike Davidson May 24, 2023:

https://www.reuters.com/world/singer-tina-turner-dies-aged-83-2023-05-24/?fbclid=IwAR3GSmrgfhsas1ybHOJMZqmb51F7Gtltr4MtVLEARhM7Y9HpPjRT4o7Fdv0

Ringo Starr Still Drumming & Touring Now Well Into His Eighties

 

This picture was taken, and recently cropped, by me. Taken from the Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band show in Worcester, Massachusetts, June 11, 2016

This picture was taken, and recently cropped, by me for the Ringo Starr In Conversation at Strands Bookstore - October 26, 2015

Ringo Starr is a legendary and well-respected musician. Sometimes, there are detractors who claim that, in fact, he was not so great. But more people feel that he had a style of drumming that was highly influential and often underrated. Of course, he was the drummer for what many consider to be the greatest rock band in history, The Beatles, so that punched his ticket to fame and fortune and a certain measure of immortality. 

Yet, he went on to have a successful solo career, and became best known for touring with his "All-Starr Band," which in fact was a rotating group of distinguished musicians in their own right. In addition, he worked on other projects with notable musicians, as well. That includes former bandmates from the Beatles days, of course.

All of this would have been enough. In short, he has nothing to prove. Yet, he is still touring, even though he is now 82. In fact, as I write this, he is less than two months from turning 83.

So why does he keep touring? Well, he revealed his reasons in a recent interview, which you can read for yourself by clicking on the link below. Enjoy!

Ringo Starr will keep on drumming, but forget about a memoir: 'I'm not doing a book' Marco della Cava USA TODAY May 18, 2023:

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/05/18/ringo-all-starr-band-2023-tour-beatles/70230041007/?fbclid=IwAR0gvVODo7u9bMyKJPgllCo0mRF6QKjc9bSIubIxVkNZB3bvj6OAl2XGB58

Some Pictures From a Spring Evening Stroll in Hillsborough

 

A few days ago, I went for an evening walk in the neighborhood where I live. It had been warm earlier in the day, but it was nice and cool by the time I went out for this walk, which was nice. 

There are certain views of my town (Hillsborough, NJ), which look like they are in idyllic, almost countryside settings. Most of it is actually in the more isolated parts of town, where there are still woods and farms and such, although I sometimes wonder how long this rural section of town can hold out. On this evening, I took some pictures of smaller patches of scenes that might pass for rural regions, and thought it might be worth sharing here. Enjoy!

Pictures From a Sunday Stroll Through Saddle River County Park in Bergen County

Took my son to Saddle River County Park, near the old family hometown of Lodi. This was a park which I used to frequent at several different points in my own past, from when I was still a young boy back when we lived in Lodi, to the late 2000's, when I "rediscovered" the park and started coming almost once a week. Then to less frequent visits more recently, including the one this past Sunday with my son.

Thought I would share some pictures from our visit. Enjoy!

Denver Nuggets Reach 1st NBA Finals in Franchise History, Likely Will Face Miami Heat Next

 

The Denver Nuggets have swept past the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Now as a result, they are going to the first NBA Finals in the history of the Nuggets franchise. 

Up to this point, I had neither covered the NBA playoffs, nor the NHL playoffs. I lost almost all of my interest with the Stanley Cup playoffs with the results of the second round, while my interest in the NBA playoffs remained extremely limited so long as the Lakers remained. I had been hoping that they would miss the playoffs again, making it an extremely rare two consecutive seasons period where they would miss the postseason each time. Every other franchise in every other sport has had much longer periods of mediocrity than the Lakers, and frankly, I am so sick and tired of the Lakers by now, having seen them win 11 championships (and numerous other NBA Finals series appearance) that I just have no interest even in watching them if they are still in it. But they rallied not only to qualify for the postseason, but to advance past the first round, and then to have a chance against the defending NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors. Admittedly, once they knocked out the Warriors, I suspected that they would, once again, run the table and get another "miracle" championship. 

Don't get me wrong: I enjoy following the NBA playoffs. But the Lakers run admittedly dispirited me. I've seen them acquire much championship level talent, too often for seemingly next to nothing, time and time again. So often, that it made me suspicious, especially after hearing that former NBA Commissioner David Stern suggest (while he was still the active commissioner) that his "ideal" NBA Finals match-up would be the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Los Angeles Lakers. When the head of the league suggests something like that, it felt a bit like the fix was in. If I were an owner, or even a player, for any other franchise, hearing Stern say that, it would really anger me, especially when they seem to get far more breaks than any other franchise in North American sports, and not just the NBA. They had a loaded roster in the eighties, when they won five NBA titles and qualified for several NBA Finals that they did not win. They went again in 1991, and then came the quietest period of years that I can remember from the Lakers. But in 1996, they acquired both Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. A few years later, they were a dynasty again, winning three straight NBA  titles, and almost winning a fourth a couple of seasons later in 2004, when they again had a loaded lineup that included Karl Malone and Gary Payton, and everyone assumed that they were going to cruise to an NBA title. Another relatively quiet period followed after their 2004 NBA Finals shock loss to the Pistons, again lasting maybe four or so years this time, and then more huge talent acquisitions for virtually nothing when they got Pao Gasol. They made it back to NBA Finals in 2008, suffering a shocking loss to the Celtics. Then, they won two more NBA Championships, securing "Team of the Decade" honors again, much as they had in the eighties. Then, they got Dwight Howard for virtually nothing, and again, championship expectations. This time, it fell flat, but again, it made me wonder why they, and rarely other franchises, kept getting such high level, high profile talent for virtually nothing. Then, of course, LeBron James came on board to a talented lineup, and the Lakers ran the table once again, winning yet another title in 2020.

So you'll excuse my both skepticism and, frankly, disinterest in "another miraculous" Lakers playoff run, which I suspected would take them back to the Finals, and probably culminate in another championship. It didn't, this time. But in the near future? Who knows?

Fortunately, the Nuggets were able to take care of business, and shockingly, at that. They have been dominant all season, and especially in these playoffs, where the franchise always seemed to run out of gas short of an NBA Finals appearance prior to this. Not this year.

It seems likely that they will face the Miami Heat. As I write this, Game 4 is underway. It is early, and the game is tied, although there is a long way to go in that game. Still, Miami has looked incredible in these playoffs as well, becoming only the third eighth-seed in NBA history to make it quite this far, owning a 3-0 series lead against the seemingly overmatched Boston Celtics. 

Let's see what happens. As for the Denver Nuggets, they are finally Western Conference Champions, for the first time in that franchise's history, which stretches back to 1967. 

Congratulations, Denver Nuggets!

Updated Pictures for: Concert Review: Farm Aid 2012 - Hershey, Pennsylvania

I wanted to get here early, but was not feeling too well these last few days. Not sure if it was allergies, stress, sickness, or perhaps some combination, but I ended up accidentally napping for hours, and felt worse for the wear after so doing. There was one point, I swear, I looked at the clock and it said it was right around noon. It felt like I blinked a couple of times, then I looked at the clock again, and it said 1:00. It was just one of those days.

Funny thing was, the morning got off to a good start. I wrote and added two entries to this blog, then went hiking in the cool morning hours. Those are two things that have a bit of a streak going and, heading back to the apartment, I felt good. Strong, even.

So, it seemed like I had a good hour or two of downtime to relax a bit before departing for the concert, right? Wrong. I lay next to my girlfriend on the couch, and promptly fell asleep. Again, upon waking, I felt worse then I had before. It felt as though i could easily have slept another two or three hours, at least, and this after a night off that saw me sleep for maybe seven or eight hours. Also frightening: my arms and legs felt so tired, they were shaky. I get those feelings sometimes, but they are never joyous, and all the more so when about to start the day. If such fatigue was going to happen, why would it not happen right after the physical toil of hiking, anyway?

But anyway, I digress...

We got to Hershey rather late, unfortunately, and had already missed a sizable chunk of the show. Still, what we saw certainly did not disappoint!

Among the artists that were yet to perform once we got there were the high energy band from Vermont, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, followed by Jack Johnson, the phenomenally popular Kenney Chesney, and the main four acts, which included Dave Matthews and the three founding members of Farm Aid - John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Willie Nelson.

Grace Potter was incredibly energetic, and my girlfriend & I were very impressed with her. She was bouncing around the stage and got the crowd pumped.

Jack Johnson has an impressive number of hits, and he performed quite a few of them during his set (although he forgot to do my personal favorite of his, You and Your Heart, but that's okay). He seemed so laid back about the whole thing, which was perhaps befitting a man from Hawaii.

The crowd was downright raucous when Kenney Chseney took the stage. This is a phenomenally popular act, although I am, admittedly, not all that familiar with his work. He was there the only other time I had ever attended a Farm Aid, and he received a similar reaction then. In the introduction, it was stated that he had enjoyed the hottest tour of any artist during the past summer, although I did not hear anything to either confirm or refute this, one way or the other. He lent his high octane presence and a very clear and powerful voice to the concert, as well as apparently melting the hearts of all the women in attendance, judging from the reaction.

Chesney and Jack Johnson served as the bridge from the lesser known acts to the well-established acts that have a stake in Farm Aid and, thus, are the annual performers. The first among these was Dave Matthews, who came out with his fellow band mate Tim Reynolds, and did an incredible set! my personal favorite is "Don't Drink the Water", which they usually seem to perform to open a show. They did not open with it this time, although they performed it nonetheless. it sounded unbelievable in the stripped down acoustic. Obviously, Matthews is wildly popular as well, and the crowd reacted very well to his appearance and appreciated his set list, as well as the wit that he generously showed in between songs.

Finally, there were the three founding members of Farm Aid. Mellencamp came out with his entourage and did his thing. Some people around me expressed their shock at how old he was getting, and his voice was rather rough, perhaps recording some of the excesses of his self-described "sins" during his life. But he can still rock the house, as he did this time. So did Neil Young, this time performing with his band Crazy Horse (he had done a solo act on electric guitar back in 2010 in Milwaukee), and finally, the elder statesman of the popular music industry, if you will, Willie Nelson.

The idea behind Farm Aid was to promote awareness for the troubling trend of family farms being lost and unable to compete against huge corporate farms. Farm Aid encourages a grass roots approach, allowing small farmers a bit more of a forum to express their ideas and inventions at the show, in the "Farm Aid Village", which includes all sorts of educational tables and expositions. There were even courses available, if you were so inclined. And while I personally did not take any of the courses, some of them really were intriguing enough to catch my attention, such as Composting 101, and how to cook home grown food on a budget, among others.

Of course, there was fresh food available, particularly Home Grown (you can log into Farm Aid's own community, HOMEGROWN.org, for more information), and the type of fresh food that you can see at the local farmer's market. One thing that caught my attention (although I missed the name of the speaker), was a bill that was being promoted that would allow food stamps to count double in value at the local farmer's market, in order to promote local farmers and their produce, as well as better health for the disadvantaged).

I personally love Farm Aid, both the idea of it, as well as the actual concert and events surrounding it! It is always such a pleasure, and even, yes, an education. It tends to travel around quite a bit, and this was the first time in a few years that it had been to the east coast. If it travels anywhere near you one of these days, I would recommend giving it a shot, at least for a day. If nothing else, you are guaranteed a full day and evening of great music and, if you want it, some great food. Plus, if you're willing to open yourself up to it, you just might learn something, as well! That's always a plus in my book.

Here are some early printed reviews of the show that it seemed would be good to share:

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/09/diversity_of_styles_music_clot.html

http://news.yahoo.com/farm-aid-2012-people-want-good-food-family-160000912.html

Here's a link to an article that further details the good works that Farm Aid does in helping farmers:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120920/us-farm-aid/

Here's the link to Farm Aid itself:

http://www.farmaid.org

Also, being the modern, hip, technologically advanced young lad that I am, here are some pictures from the show:

Updated, hopefully better quality photos (May 22, 2023):