Pavarotti hosted "Pavarotti and Friends" charity concerts in his home town of Modena (that's Italy) beginning in 1998. The last one in 2001 included a duet with Lou Reed.
The look on Lou's face when he turns to observe Pavarotti (at about 1:21) while Luciano is singing the lyrics to a song that Lou wrote is a classic moment, not just for Lou, but also for all of rock and roll.
Just a perfect day,
You made me forget myself,
I thought I was somebody else,
Somebody good.
Oh, it's such a perfect day
I'm glad I spent it with you
Oh such a perfect day
You just keep me hanging on
You just keep me hanging on
Hanging on.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Cow news
The local morning newspaper reported a cow in custody in the vehicle impound lot. According to the Pioneer Press story, the cow, bolted to a trailer, was abandoned in the street in the 1400 block of East Como Boulevard. The cow was hauled into the impound lot by a tow truck. A police spokesman said that the trailer has no registered owner.
Regular viewers of this space will no doubt recognize that cow. I have published images of that fiberglass beast several times in the past.
My first reaction was that "abandoned in the street" is cop talk for someone complained, a squad went by and checked the trailer, found it to be unlicensed, and chalked the trailer tires. 48 hours later the trailer had not been moved and was towed. My stronger reaction was that this story is a reflection of how far the Pioneer Press has fallen from the time when it was an actual newspaper. Apparently they no longer have a city room and apparently they no longer have editors or staff who have any sort of corporate memory of what has been considered newsworthy in the relatively very recent past.
Last year after the State Fair the cow's owner reported it as missing. The missing cow report was reported as news by, most prominently, the Pioneer Press. As reported at that time, the cow (apparently named "Blackie" by its owner) is an annual entry in the Minnesota State Fair's daily parades. The cow disappeared in early August 2010 while it was hitched to a truck near the owner's home. It was found in November in rural Minnesota and returned.
The afternoon update on the newspaper web site confirms the details. I am required to note that the newspaper update identifies the cow as an "Angus" which is a beef cow even though even the most citified of cow observers will identify the fiberglass cow as very, very clearly a Holstein, a dairy cow.
The police confirm that prior to the towing there were complaints about the cow being parked on the street. The owner was away from home for a few days and when he returned the cow was gone. His attempt to regain possession of his $22,000 cow is complicated by the fact that the trailer is not registered. And further complicated by the fact that even after ownership is established the individual claiming the cow will have to pay towing fees and storage charges which already amount to more than $600.
That's all the cow news I have for today.
Regular viewers of this space will no doubt recognize that cow. I have published images of that fiberglass beast several times in the past.My first reaction was that "abandoned in the street" is cop talk for someone complained, a squad went by and checked the trailer, found it to be unlicensed, and chalked the trailer tires. 48 hours later the trailer had not been moved and was towed. My stronger reaction was that this story is a reflection of how far the Pioneer Press has fallen from the time when it was an actual newspaper. Apparently they no longer have a city room and apparently they no longer have editors or staff who have any sort of corporate memory of what has been considered newsworthy in the relatively very recent past.
Last year after the State Fair the cow's owner reported it as missing. The missing cow report was reported as news by, most prominently, the Pioneer Press. As reported at that time, the cow (apparently named "Blackie" by its owner) is an annual entry in the Minnesota State Fair's daily parades. The cow disappeared in early August 2010 while it was hitched to a truck near the owner's home. It was found in November in rural Minnesota and returned.
The afternoon update on the newspaper web site confirms the details. I am required to note that the newspaper update identifies the cow as an "Angus" which is a beef cow even though even the most citified of cow observers will identify the fiberglass cow as very, very clearly a Holstein, a dairy cow.
The police confirm that prior to the towing there were complaints about the cow being parked on the street. The owner was away from home for a few days and when he returned the cow was gone. His attempt to regain possession of his $22,000 cow is complicated by the fact that the trailer is not registered. And further complicated by the fact that even after ownership is established the individual claiming the cow will have to pay towing fees and storage charges which already amount to more than $600.
That's all the cow news I have for today.
Monday, December 5, 2011
This looks like fun
The Gopher women have a teddy bear toss scheduled for this weekend. It will, of course, be nothing like the Calgary toss but it is still a nice thing.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Viewer discretion advised
Mature audiences only. Warning, the following photo contains evidence of hard manual labor by a medicare eligible individual. Those uncomfortable with such labor should look away.
Really, it was hard work. The snowblower has not been prepared for the season, snow removal was done by hand.
I am not declaring the bicycle season over. The reason for this is that my bicycle is still in the garage. The reason for this is that I am feeling a tad knackered and will not be attempting bicycle relocation in this physical state.
Watch for an end of season announcement certain to be coming very soon.
Really, it was hard work. The snowblower has not been prepared for the season, snow removal was done by hand.I am not declaring the bicycle season over. The reason for this is that my bicycle is still in the garage. The reason for this is that I am feeling a tad knackered and will not be attempting bicycle relocation in this physical state.
Watch for an end of season announcement certain to be coming very soon.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Why there is no bicycling today
Aside from the facts that it probably wasn't quite warm enough (ice would form in an outdoor water bottle) and that it has now started to snow, that is.
I was out walking. It was grey (did I mention the snow?). We had only a very small amount of snow overnight on December 1. It was still present on the lawns but anyplace with asphalt that the sun could reach had banished the snow. About 99 percent of the pavement where I walked was completely clear and plenty adequate for bicycling.
I had been clinging gingerly to the idea that I might get in some miles in December but these things stopped me.
It is an inner ring suburb, lots of mature trees, including very large evergreens. Every one of those things casts a shadow on its north side (away from the faint globe that is the December sun) and in that shadow there is now an ice patch.
It was tricky maintaining balance while walking through those things. On two wheels the briefest loss of balance means down you go. I haven't fallen off my bicycle this year and a December ride is insufficient motivation to get me to try to ride across large patches of ice.
Did I mention that it is now snowing?
I was out walking. It was grey (did I mention the snow?). We had only a very small amount of snow overnight on December 1. It was still present on the lawns but anyplace with asphalt that the sun could reach had banished the snow. About 99 percent of the pavement where I walked was completely clear and plenty adequate for bicycling.
I had been clinging gingerly to the idea that I might get in some miles in December but these things stopped me.
It is an inner ring suburb, lots of mature trees, including very large evergreens. Every one of those things casts a shadow on its north side (away from the faint globe that is the December sun) and in that shadow there is now an ice patch.It was tricky maintaining balance while walking through those things. On two wheels the briefest loss of balance means down you go. I haven't fallen off my bicycle this year and a December ride is insufficient motivation to get me to try to ride across large patches of ice.
Did I mention that it is now snowing?
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