I've Looked At Clouds From Both Sides Now...

I've looked at clouds from both sides now

From up and down, and still somehow

It's cloud illusions I recall

I really don't know clouds at all

Another image taken during my travel last week, coming home from southeastern Washington.  Taken a bit before the image posted last week.  I think this was somewhere over Montana...  

Anyway, I found myself thinking about the old Joni Mitchell song.  The version from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" remains my favorite.

Firefall @ The Wildey - Mark Andes

Last night my wife and I went to see the 70's band Firefall at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville, IL.  Great time, good band, intimate venue.  The photo above is bass player Mark Andes (because I always have to pay attention to the bass player).  It's the only photo I took during the show, and was during the end show jam with Terry Jones Rodgers, Scott Nienhaus and Tim Politte... 

I didn't write down the setlist, but they played all the songs below.  Not sure if that's all, and not in the right order....  but still:

• It Doesn't Matter
• No Way Out
• Strange Way
• Love That Got Away
• Sweet and Sour
• Goodbye I Love You
• Just Remember I Love You
• Livin Ain't Livin
• Cinderella
• Mexico
• So Long
• You Are The Woman
• Veronica So Fair (Jock Bartley solo)
• So You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star

Old Days

Also posted over on Instagram.   I little something from my lunchtime walk.  With effects from the Instagram ap, applied on my iPhone.  Not too bad for a quickie (I hope).

Pop Music - September 1974

I usually try to post this mid-month, running a little behind this month.  My humblest apologies!

September, 1974.  Scientists first report that freon gases from aerosol sprays are destroying the ozone layer...


Looking at American Top 40 charts for September, 1974... 40 years ago this month: What songs made their Top 40 debut? What was new and trending?

Well, there were 16 songs entering the Top 40 during September (4 weeks).  But none made it to #1!  Here they are, ranked by eventual peak:

• Jazzman  - Carole King - #2
• Surfin' U.S.A.  - Beach Boys - # 3
• The Bitch Is Back  - Elton John - #4
• Tin Man  - America - #4
• Never My Love  - Blue Swede - # 7
• Steppin' Out (Gonna Boogie Tonight)  - Tony Orlando & Dawn - # 7
• Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)  - Reunion - # 8
• Stop And Smell The Roses  - Mac Davis - # 9
• Love Me For A Reason  - Osmonds - #10
• One Hell Of A Woman  - Mac Davis - #11
• You Little Trustmaker  - Tymes - #12
• Skin Tight  - Ohio Players - # 13
• Do It Baby  - Miracles - #13
• Fallin' In Love  - Souther, Hillman, Furay Band - #27
• Papa Don't Take No Mess  - James Brown - #31
• One Day At A Time  - Marilyn Sellars - # 37

 

I was actually able to find all of these songs on Spotify.  And added to a playlist. I've actually updated the playlist for all of 1974.  It includes 228 of the 251 songs which entered the Top 40 in the entirety of 1974. I'm pretty impressed that they have over 90% of these songs...

Check it out: http://open.spotify.com/user/lsqrd42/playlist/23G0cY9o6mflTaGwievQ9z

Eight Miles High....

Well, actually 7.8 miles high (41,000ft).  Somewhere around Torrington, WY, in transit between Pullman Washinton and Belleville, IL.  Coming home from a meeting at corporate headquarters.  I thought these cloud formations were pretty cool.

The title is (of course) from the Byrds song. And while some people think it;s a drug reference, I think that's overthinking it.  The claim that it is about the band's trip/tour to England (starting with a transatlantic flight) makes much more sense,

Aside:   The Byrds was one of the bands that "birthed" supergroup Crosby Stills Nash  (and Young).  David Crosby came from The Byrds, Graham Nash from The Hollies and Stephen Stills (and Neil Young) from the Buffalo Springfield..  All great bands!

Powerlines, Sunset

Just a little iPhone photo, taken on an evening walk Saturday.Effects added with #snapseed.    Also posted at instagram.

Great Scott! - UPDATED

 

Today (9/18/2014) the folk of Scotland are vote whether to stay part of the UK, or split to be an independent country. Looks like it could be a close vote, or maybe not.  But there seems to be a lot of uncertainty as to which way it'll go. 

 

Now, I don't really have a dog in this fight, but I have seen Braveheart.   And I do like a little Scotch Whisky...  And Mr. Scott was may favorite Star Trek character.  And my family name is very "probably" of Scottish origin. [but that's another story]. 

 

So, I'll be really interested to see how they vote.  And to see what it all means if they go independent.  Either way,

 

So I'm treating myself to some pop music from Scottish performers.  Not a deep list but includes:

 

• Average White Band - Cut The Cake and Pick Up the Pieces
• Nazareth - Love Hurts and Hair Of The Dog
• Bay City Rollers - Saturday Night and Money Honey
• Del Amitri - Roll To Me
• Pilot - Magic
• Stealers Wheel - Stuck In the Middle With You
•  

 

After that it's on to hard core: Dougie MacLean!

 

UPDATE:  By a solid marjorty (55 /45%) the Scotts have voted to remain part of Great Britain.  So God Save The Queen and all that.  So, today's playlist:  British Invasion!

New Year's Resolution - Update #7

Discerning readers may have noticed that I didn't do an update for the 6th segment.  Frankly, it just stunk so badly that is crushed my spirit.  So much for the spirit of accountability, huh?  On the other hand, since nobody noticed / called me out....

Meanwhile:

(image from this blog: 8/18/2012)

As of 9/13/2014, we're 7/10s of the way through 2014.  Where do I stand on my New Year's resolutions?

1) More Photography!  UPDATE #7:
Last perion was pretty good, the prior was even better.  In terms of web postings, I've now exceeeded 2013's total, with a lot of year left.  Nothing too stunning, but I'm satisfied.  Still need more DSLR and less P'n'S and iPhone.  Not much happening outside the web, though.  I'll go B+

2) More Walking!  UPDATE #7: 
Not too bad, and getting better.  For this segment, I was above the +20% target.  Best sement the 2nd.  The full-year +20% goal is still acheivable...  maybe.  I'll go A- for the segment, but need to maintain the improvement.

3) Weight.  UPDATE #7:
Still sliding sideways, 3rd month of stagnant.  That's better than up, I suppose.  And still down for the year.  C- grade, and that's generous.

It's not so long until the harvest comes

An iPhone photo, adjusted in Instagram.  I "softened" the effects a bit, the Instagram presets were a bit strong.  Taken a short distance from my office, during a luchtime walk.

This is similar to an image I posted last September, which even carries the same title.  that title is from an old Pure Prairie League song.

9/11+13

Thirteen years ago today terrorists struck an historic blow against the U.S.  This blog has "only" been around since mid september 2004, so I didn't post that day.  But I've posted something  about 9/11 most years, since.  From very simple to a frequently reposted longer rememberance. 

We must never forget that there are groups of people out there who hate us, and mean us harm. But I do think many of us have forgotten, or have at least had their memory softened by the passage of years.  But we only need to look at recent headlines to be reminded.   The terrorists are resurgent.  We need to remain vigilant.  As Neil Young put it:  "Don't feel like Satan but I am to them"



And now, back you regular, non-political, postings

Bleak?

It's been pretty "dry" here at LSquared Imaging, with no new images in over a week.  So I thought I'd post a drought photo. But I didn't have anything that fit.  Or perhaps a Desert photo, like this.  But, in looking for the original of that, I found raw photos from our fall 2012 trip to the Grand Canyon.  Call it a throwback, I suppose.  I'm 99.99966% sure this one hasn't been posted anywhere before.  Regardless, it is freshly tweaked, using PhotoShopExpress on my iPad.

So there you go.  Hope you enjoy!

September 1974

Continuing the series, (Jan, Feb, Mar ,Apr, June, July, Aug):

September 1974... 40 years ago this month.  For me, I was starting High School.  Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon.  And then announces conditional amnesty for US Vietnam War deserters.

On a lighter note....  What was happening in music?

Albums released in August1974 include:

• Randy Newman - Good Old Boys
• Bonnie Raitt - Streetlights
• Supertramp - Crime Of The Century
• Jackson Browne - Late For The Sky

As for singles, 4 songs topped the charts in (the 5 weeks) of August 1974:

• Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim (9/28/74)
• (You're) Having My Baby - Paul Anka (9/7/74)
• I Shot The Sheriff - Eric Clapton (9/14/74)
• Can't Get Enough Of Your Love - Barry White (9/21/74)
 

A few really good songs made their Top 40 chart debuts, but no #1's.  Notables (IMHO) include:

• Jazzman - Carole King (peaked at #2)
• Tin Man - America (#4)
• Falling In Love - Souther Hillman Furay #(27)

Something New

 

I've posted cell phone video before, but this is the first time I've "made" a video.  This is the offeratory song from our Church last Sunday.  The video is just a few of my images, with the lyrics added.

 

Just a recording from my iPhone's voice recorder, placed on my music stand.  (I'm on bass).  Mike Rogier wrote the song, is on Piano, and vocals.  Dynette Rogier sings as well/  Eric Freese is on percussion, but that didn't come through very well on recording.

 

 

Room With A View

Ok, it's not exactly a room.  But what a view!  Another from last weekend's trip to Camp Sunnen.  Pretty cool meeting place.  Not only a great view, but looking north-west, so it's gotta be pretty special at sunset.  Of course we were there mid-morning...