Slice Of Life #2783

Pretty day today, not too cool, mostly sunny.  We decided to take a drive up the river.  This is Grafton, IL, which is where the Illinois River dumps into the Mississippi.  Larger version, and map HERE.

Slice Of Life #4021

Cold, rainy day in mid February...  This is not far from my office.  Larger version here.

From The Archives, Part 2

This one could just as easily go under "Slice Of Life"....  I wasat  a meeting in the Chicago area, this was a courtyard area at the hotel.

Art?

Does this count as another abstract?  I never know.  And I hate labels anyway.....

We had a couple of inches of snow this afternoon / evening.  It made for a particularly peaceful walk with the dogs.  Later, I was playing around with my camera, and took this.  Around 8:30 pm, illuminated by streetlight.

Slice Of Life #4002

A little abstraction for today:

Taken at a red ight during my commute home.  I'm not generally big on abstract, but sometimes ya gotta get outside your box, right?

Slice Of Life #4000

Taken today at SWIC, during my son's AIM Testing....

Whitney

I suppose just about everybody has heard by now, singer Whiney Houston died yesterday.  Houston was a huge talent, and a huge success; with 29 Top 40 hits between 1985 and 2001.  And a whopping 11 chart toppers between '85 and '95.  That said, I'm not much of a fan.  Lots of respect for the talent, but I own none of those hits.  I suspect that's primarily because I had quit following "pop" music by 1985. 

All the details haven't come out, but she certainly had a lot of "issues", and it seems probable they were a factor in her demise.  It's always sad when someone loses the battle with their demons.

From The Archives!

I found an old back-up disk, simply labeled "LPL Photos".  Looks like it is 136 images, "modified" between November 2002 and March 2004.  These would be from my pre-blogger days, when I was posting on AOL's member pages.  Even though some have subsequently turned up here, many have not.  Expect to see more of these:

This one says 3/2/2003.  A snowy scene, looking north from my driveway. 

Great Songs That Missed The Top 40 - 1978

Twenty Great Songs from 1978, that did NOT make the Top 40:

Tom Petty - I Need To Know (#41)

Atlanta Rhythm Section - Champagne Jam (#43)
Wet Willie - Make You Feel Love Again (#45)
Dave Mason - Let It Go, Let It Flow (#45)
Plastic Bertrand - Ca Plane Pour Moi (#47)
Firefall - So Long (#48)

Kayak - I Want You To Be Mine (#55)
REO Speedwagon - Time For Me To Fly (#56)
REO Speedwagon - Roll With The Changes (#58)
Tom Petty - Listen To Her Heart (#59)
Le Roux - New Orleans Ladies (#59)
Cheap Trick - Surrender (#62)

Kansas - Portrait (He Knew) (#64)
Ramones - Rockaway Beach (#66)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - You Got That Right (#69)
Marshall Tucker Band - Dream Lover (#75)
Sweet - California Nights (#76)
Van Halen - Runnin' With the Devil (#84)
Ramones - Do You Wanna Dance (#86)

Talking Heads - Psycho Killer (#92)

Extreme Northern Idaho, Mountain View

This is my most popular photo at Panaramio, by a wide margin.  Nearing 1,000 views in just under 5 months.  #2 has 700 views in just over 5 months.
I wonder why?

Bare Trees, again and again and again

For whatever reason, I've long been attraced to the lines of bare trees agains a grey sky.  I've taken many (many, many) photos, dating back to high school and my first SLR.  One of these days I'll manage one that's noteworthy.  Or at least I keep telling myself that!

This is from this week, at one of the parks near my office.

Slice Of Life #3995

Old Barn on the western edge of Edwardsville, IL

Just something I saw while driving along.  Larger version, and geographic information HERE.

Great Songs That Missed The Top 40 - 1976

How were these NOT hits??  Twenty great songs from 1976

• Firefall - Livin' Ain't Livin' (#42)
• America - Woman Tonight (#44)
• ZZ Top - It's Only Love (#44)
• Foghat - Fool For The City (#45)
• Leon Russell - Back To The Island (#53)
• Bad Company - Honey Child (#59)
• Doobie Brothers - I Cheat The Hangman (#60)
• The Band - Ophelia (#62)
• Jethro Tull - Locomotive Breath (#62)
• David Bowie - TVC15 (#64)
• Wet Willie - Everything That 'Cha Do (Will Come Back To You)  (#66)
• Gary Wright - Made To Love You (#79)
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - Double Trouble (#80)
• Alan Parsons Project - The Raven (#80)
• Steely Dan - Kid Charlemagne (82)
• Bruce Springsteen - Tenth Avenue Freeze Out (#83)
• Rick Derringer - Let Me In (#86)
• Ted Nugent - Dog Eat Dog  (#91)
• Outlaws - Breaker Breaker (#94)
• Poco - Rose Of Cimarron (#94)
• 
  
  
• Another nice little playlist!

Poor Poor Pitiful Me

Ok, which some is more whiney, mopey, and ultimately irritating??

I Started A Joke - Bee Gees

          or

Alone Again, Naturally - Gilbert O'Sullivan

How about by the numbers?  "I Started A Joke" peaked at #6 1969, and spent 11 weeks on the charts.  "Alone Again" made it all the way to #1 in 1972, and spent 18 weeks on the charts.  Plus, it's 38 seconds longer.

And at least the Bee Gees made up for it a bit with some groovy dance tunes later on.  GilbertO'Sullivan?  He follwed with Claire, then Get Down and disappeared in a few blinks.

Yeah, I's saying Alone Again is worse.  Of course, I do have them both.

Great Songs That Missed The Top 40 - 1972

How were these NOT hits??

• Elton John - Tiny Dancer (#41)
• Yes - And You And I  (#42)  [OK, I get this one.  A favorite of mine, but not exactly radio friendly]
• Led Zeppelin - Rock And Roll (#47)
• Eric Clapton - Let It Rain (*48)
• Jackson Browne - Rock Me On The Water (#48)
• Alice Cooper  -Be My Lover (#49)
• Black Sabbath - Iron Man (#52)
• Simon & Garfunkel - For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her (#53)
• Alice Cooper - Under My Wheels (#59)
• Stephen Stills - It Doesn't Matter (#61)
• ZZ Top - Francene (#69)
• David Bowie - The Jean Genie (#71)
• Allman Brothers Band - Ain't Wastin' Time No More (#77)
• Loggins & Messina - Vahevala (#84)
• Allman Brothers Band - Melissa (Sweet) (#86)
• Allman Brothers Band - One Way Out (#86)
• Janis Joplin - Down On Me (#88)
• John Denver Goodbye Again (#92)
• Stephen Stills Rock And Roll Crazies (#92)
• Traffic - Rock And Roll Stew (#93)
• Simon & Garfunkel - America (#97)

 Actually, that would make a right nice little playlist.  I think I will!