Monday, February 11, 2008
so......
you like lemon in your water or tea??? Might want to watch this note regarding the ole' lemon wedge on the top of the glass....
Sunday, February 10, 2008
This might boggle your mind!!
HOW BIG IS WAL-MART?
1. At Wal-Mart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day.
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.
5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people and is the largest private employer.
6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the World.
7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years.
8. During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy (including Winn-Dixie).
9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
10. Wal-Mart has approximately 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are SuperCenters; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.
11. This year, 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at a Wal-Mart store. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion).
12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart.
and I can remember when there was NOT a wal mart... wow... and the world survived quite well, thank you.
1. At Wal-Mart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day.
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.
5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people and is the largest private employer.
6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the World.
7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years.
8. During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy (including Winn-Dixie).
9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
10. Wal-Mart has approximately 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are SuperCenters; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.
11. This year, 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at a Wal-Mart store. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion).
12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart.
and I can remember when there was NOT a wal mart... wow... and the world survived quite well, thank you.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
You are correct if you call this a bad photo.. Ann were here she'd say.. throw that one away...
but I love it... Austyn's Basketball Team all headed down court in the last game of the season... with ole number 5 in the lead...
Oklahoma's Country Artists Compete for 2008 Grammy Awards
| New and Veteran Country Artists Compete for 2008 Grammy Awards | |
| Washington 04 February 2008 |
Morningstar report - Listen (MP3)
The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences will hold its 50th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on February 10. VOA's Mary Morningstar has this report on the nominees in the Country categories.
 |
| Vince Gill |
Taylor Swift, 18, earned her first Grammy nomination this year. She'll compete against Feist, Ledisi, Paramore and Amy Winehouse for the all-genre Best New Artist award.
 |
| Carrie Underwood |
In addition to Carrie Underwood, the Best Female Country Vocal Performance category includes Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood. This is Trisha's seventh consecutive nomination in that category. "Before He Cheats" also gave songwriters Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins nominations for Best Country Song and Song of the Year.
 |
| The Eagles |
Many were shocked that Country's most popular trio Rascal Flatts was overlooked this year. In addition to the Eagles, Grammy voters recognized Brooks and Dunn, Emerson Drive, Montgomery Gentry and The Time Jumpers.
Tim McGraw and Dierks Bentley are this year's leading nominees with four mentions apiece. Both will compete against Keith Urban, Alan Jackson and George Strait for the Best Male Country Vocal Performance Grammy. And, they'll also face each other in the Best Country Song and Best Country Album categories. Tim's mentions are for his album Let It Go and hit single "If You're Reading This." Dierks' are for his latest album and its title track "Long Trip Alone."
Oklahoma's Merle Haggard, still rockin' at 70...
Country music legend Merle Haggard brings his unique sound to the Golden State Theatre on Tuesday night
By BETH PEERLESS
Herald Correspondent
Article Launched: 02/07/2008 02:12:38 AM PST
Country music living legend Merle Haggard's story resembles a long and winding road filled with glorious ruts and bumps at numerous turns.
Each turn seems to contradict the last. He appears to have weathered the ups and downs in good enough spirits, his muse still intact and delivering new songs at a comfortable clip.
"I haven't changed much. I write. I have good periods, dry periods," Haggard said in his warm, inviting voice on the phone from his home outside of Redding in Northern California. "There really hasn't been anything happening up here the last month or two. I've been working on an album for about a year. I've got 11 songs that I'm calling in on it. I've got some good songs on it. Part of it may be used in a soundtrack in the movie they're doing based on my life."
The 70-year-old and his band, The Strangers, come to Monterey Tuesday evening for a show at the Golden State Theatre.
Although he's lived his life and conducted his career outside the mainstream Nashville country establishment, his 2006 recording "The Bluegrass Sessions," utilizes some of Nashville's finest to create luscious renderings of four new songs and seven Haggard classics.
"So you have Merle Haggard music that maybe you've heard in the traditional manner that's rearranged for that package," he said. "The four new ones on there are doing real good. There's one on there called 'What Happened?' It's about what's gone on in the last eight years in America. It's pretty
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factual and actual actually."
Inducted into the Country Hall of Fame in 1994, Haggard is one of the rare country artists who can't be pigeonholed into either camp of traditional country or country maverick.
Along with Buck Owens, he pioneered the Bakersfield sound, but he has always kept close ties to his love of country swing, a jazzier style identified with Bob Wills, and the honky-tonk style of Lefty Frizzell, two of his idols.
His long friendship with Willie Nelson (at the State two days prior to Haggard, and the two will appear together Feb. 9 in Reno) aligns him to the rebel outlaw gang. Plenty of music fans are left a little confused.
"Oh, there's a million stories," he replied to my interest in what goes on when he's hanging with the boys. "I don't know if I could tap into the right one for you. I've known Willie since 1964. We've made records together, we've worked together, and we've toured together. Last year we did a couple of tours called 'Last of the Breed,' where he and I and Ray Price toured together."
The breed he speaks of refers to artists from the old tradition. There he goes again, confounding what one might expect from him.
His history points to rebel, his music often points to old school, but one thing for sure, he does not buy into the Nashville star-making machinery of today.
"I don't like to talk bad about anybody. And Nashville's been awful good to me. But, like you call it squeaky clean," he said in response to my stab at describing what Nashville's putting out, "that brand of music they're making right now is really not up my alley."
Haggard was born in Bakersfield in 1937 to parents who were part of the Oklahoma exodus during the Dust Bowl years.
They lived in a converted boxcar, and his father worked as a railroad carpenter. His father died when he was 9, and his mother went to work as a bookkeeper.
Haggard began to run wild, riding the rails, roaming the Southwest doing petty crimes and finding himself locked into juvenile hall environments more than he liked.
He broke out and ran away numerous times, eventually blundering into time at San Quentin with a bungled burglary attempt while drunk.
He spent nearly three years in prison, and while there he experienced Johnny Cash in one of his prison appearances.
"Well, he certainly put a high mark on the wall," Haggard said about how he was inspired by that experience. "And he was something to admire . . .I thought, 'He knows more things than I know.' So I studied him and over the years, in 1963, I worked a show with him and met him. We became, as probably as close a friends you can become, and work in different directions. We didn't get to see a lot of each other a lot over the years."
Haggard, who plays both the guitar and violin, counts 41 No. 1 hits in his career, more than 70 albums to his name, and likely more than 150 recordings with his presence.
He is one of country music's most prolific songwriters, with classics like "Mama Tried," "Today I Started Loving You Again," "I Think I'll Just Sit Here and Drink," and the chestnut everyone has heard, "Okie From Muskogee."
For much of his life he's lived on his own terms, drinking and partying and paying the price.
Today, in his fifth marriage, he is living quieter and enjoying a healthy resurgence in his career that will bring him down another long and winding road to perform for us here in Monterey.
Beth Peerless can be reached at peerless@mbay.net. GO!
By BETH PEERLESS
Herald Correspondent
Article Launched: 02/07/2008 02:12:38 AM PST
The 70-year-old Merle Haggard has been working on a new album at his home in Redding.
Country music living legend Merle Haggard's story resembles a long and winding road filled with glorious ruts and bumps at numerous turns.
Each turn seems to contradict the last. He appears to have weathered the ups and downs in good enough spirits, his muse still intact and delivering new songs at a comfortable clip.
"I haven't changed much. I write. I have good periods, dry periods," Haggard said in his warm, inviting voice on the phone from his home outside of Redding in Northern California. "There really hasn't been anything happening up here the last month or two. I've been working on an album for about a year. I've got 11 songs that I'm calling in on it. I've got some good songs on it. Part of it may be used in a soundtrack in the movie they're doing based on my life."
The 70-year-old and his band, The Strangers, come to Monterey Tuesday evening for a show at the Golden State Theatre.
Although he's lived his life and conducted his career outside the mainstream Nashville country establishment, his 2006 recording "The Bluegrass Sessions," utilizes some of Nashville's finest to create luscious renderings of four new songs and seven Haggard classics.
"So you have Merle Haggard music that maybe you've heard in the traditional manner that's rearranged for that package," he said. "The four new ones on there are doing real good. There's one on there called 'What Happened?' It's about what's gone on in the last eight years in America. It's pretty
Advertisement
factual and actual actually."
Inducted into the Country Hall of Fame in 1994, Haggard is one of the rare country artists who can't be pigeonholed into either camp of traditional country or country maverick.
Along with Buck Owens, he pioneered the Bakersfield sound, but he has always kept close ties to his love of country swing, a jazzier style identified with Bob Wills, and the honky-tonk style of Lefty Frizzell, two of his idols.
His long friendship with Willie Nelson (at the State two days prior to Haggard, and the two will appear together Feb. 9 in Reno) aligns him to the rebel outlaw gang. Plenty of music fans are left a little confused.
"Oh, there's a million stories," he replied to my interest in what goes on when he's hanging with the boys. "I don't know if I could tap into the right one for you. I've known Willie since 1964. We've made records together, we've worked together, and we've toured together. Last year we did a couple of tours called 'Last of the Breed,' where he and I and Ray Price toured together."
The breed he speaks of refers to artists from the old tradition. There he goes again, confounding what one might expect from him.
His history points to rebel, his music often points to old school, but one thing for sure, he does not buy into the Nashville star-making machinery of today.
"I don't like to talk bad about anybody. And Nashville's been awful good to me. But, like you call it squeaky clean," he said in response to my stab at describing what Nashville's putting out, "that brand of music they're making right now is really not up my alley."
Haggard was born in Bakersfield in 1937 to parents who were part of the Oklahoma exodus during the Dust Bowl years.
They lived in a converted boxcar, and his father worked as a railroad carpenter. His father died when he was 9, and his mother went to work as a bookkeeper.
Haggard began to run wild, riding the rails, roaming the Southwest doing petty crimes and finding himself locked into juvenile hall environments more than he liked.
He broke out and ran away numerous times, eventually blundering into time at San Quentin with a bungled burglary attempt while drunk.
He spent nearly three years in prison, and while there he experienced Johnny Cash in one of his prison appearances.
"Well, he certainly put a high mark on the wall," Haggard said about how he was inspired by that experience. "And he was something to admire . . .I thought, 'He knows more things than I know.' So I studied him and over the years, in 1963, I worked a show with him and met him. We became, as probably as close a friends you can become, and work in different directions. We didn't get to see a lot of each other a lot over the years."
Haggard, who plays both the guitar and violin, counts 41 No. 1 hits in his career, more than 70 albums to his name, and likely more than 150 recordings with his presence.
He is one of country music's most prolific songwriters, with classics like "Mama Tried," "Today I Started Loving You Again," "I Think I'll Just Sit Here and Drink," and the chestnut everyone has heard, "Okie From Muskogee."
For much of his life he's lived on his own terms, drinking and partying and paying the price.
Today, in his fifth marriage, he is living quieter and enjoying a healthy resurgence in his career that will bring him down another long and winding road to perform for us here in Monterey.
Beth Peerless can be reached at peerless@mbay.net. GO!
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Went to celebrate my friend Craig Hannan's bday last evening...
t'was thinking the difference a day makes....
Monday.... 82 in Stillwater, clear sunny ... running around in short sleeves.... wonderful day... one of those rare..."we cheated Mother Nature out of a winter day" days....
And coming back home last evening... 24 hours ... or so... it was 32 and SNOWING.... whew... what a difference time makes especially in OK... Yesterday... on our weather map online...
Tornado watches... Tornado warnings... High wind warnings.. and Blowing snow warning... all at the very same time..
No wonder the National Weather Service chose Norman as home...
Had a great meal, good times, lots of laughs, good company... and of course almost too much to eat... We learned that Click's has sold out, but nothing will change.. so we were told.. but last night, the dinner rolls had.. so... ??? who knows.. but the STEAKS were AWESOME as usual... even saw some old clients there who are now helping their son get his band started... so was an interesting night... to say the least. One might have needed to be there to see how it ended .. as we walked out... sure made this old man's 'motor' speed up... ha ha.. It's been an interesting time, to say the least... ha ha..
Happy Birthday Mr. C... and many more...
Monday.... 82 in Stillwater, clear sunny ... running around in short sleeves.... wonderful day... one of those rare..."we cheated Mother Nature out of a winter day" days....
And coming back home last evening... 24 hours ... or so... it was 32 and SNOWING.... whew... what a difference time makes especially in OK... Yesterday... on our weather map online...
Tornado watches... Tornado warnings... High wind warnings.. and Blowing snow warning... all at the very same time..
No wonder the National Weather Service chose Norman as home...
Had a great meal, good times, lots of laughs, good company... and of course almost too much to eat... We learned that Click's has sold out, but nothing will change.. so we were told.. but last night, the dinner rolls had.. so... ??? who knows.. but the STEAKS were AWESOME as usual... even saw some old clients there who are now helping their son get his band started... so was an interesting night... to say the least. One might have needed to be there to see how it ended .. as we walked out... sure made this old man's 'motor' speed up... ha ha.. It's been an interesting time, to say the least... ha ha..
Happy Birthday Mr. C... and many more...
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Fire "water tanker" ........
I think it was the Stillwater Fire Dept. Rural 'water tanker' just roared by.. heading east at 7:55am... someone is having late start this am... and with an inch of rain this am... wonder if it was lightning or what... ??
Later..
This is the day our record label, Tough Records, releases the first single of of Nick Gibson's CD "No Other Way" to radio... entitled "No Other Way". We are kind'a fired up and it will be a long day, but by end of the day... hopefully it will be in the hands of each country radio station in a 6 state area. This is the first time a release has been handled totally by high tech.... to a region in the USA... We have two majors watching us to see how it goes I just learned... interesting what hillbilly's can do... (referring to article about Garth below!)
rock on...
UPDATE..... From my good friend and yesterday's birthday honoree... Craig Hannan who is among many things... a Captain in the Perkins Fire Department.... the following on the SFD run by our home...
"The fire truck was responding to the area of 80th and Union on a tank battery fire to assist Ripley fire. Ingall's fire was also dispatched to assist. " Thanks, Craig... you da man...
Later..
This is the day our record label, Tough Records, releases the first single of of Nick Gibson's CD "No Other Way" to radio... entitled "No Other Way". We are kind'a fired up and it will be a long day, but by end of the day... hopefully it will be in the hands of each country radio station in a 6 state area. This is the first time a release has been handled totally by high tech.... to a region in the USA... We have two majors watching us to see how it goes I just learned... interesting what hillbilly's can do... (referring to article about Garth below!)
rock on...
UPDATE..... From my good friend and yesterday's birthday honoree... Craig Hannan who is among many things... a Captain in the Perkins Fire Department.... the following on the SFD run by our home...
"The fire truck was responding to the area of 80th and Union on a tank battery fire to assist Ripley fire. Ingall's fire was also dispatched to assist. " Thanks, Craig... you da man...
Vote today - please?
Please, vote today - why you ask?
Because, we can!
and one vote does matter, just check your history...
Enjoy the day...
go OSU Cowgirls.. they play Baylor bears this evening... could be equal to the OU game!
Because, we can!
and one vote does matter, just check your history...
Enjoy the day...
go OSU Cowgirls.. they play Baylor bears this evening... could be equal to the OU game!
Monday, February 04, 2008
Garth Brooks' latest marathon -- five concerts in three days in Los Angeles -- ran from unbelievable to incredible.
this is worth reading..... oklahoma's own...
Hot Dish(CMT Hot Dish is a weekly feature written by veteran columnist Hazel Smith. Author of the cookbook, Hazel's Hot Dish: Cookin' With Country Stars, she also hosts CMT's Southern Fried Flicks With Hazel Smith and shares her recipes at CMT.com.)
Reports from Garth Brooks' latest marathon -- five concerts in three days in Los Angeles -- ran from unbelievable to incredible.
I've been to L.A. a few times and never expected to read about pickup trucks and tailgating in the parking lot of the Staples Center. It's a parking lot where shiny limos are usually transporting women wearing $100,000 designer gowns draped with diamonds and jewels worth millions. Arriving at award shows, they walk the red carpet on the arm of their usually bored tuxedo-wearing escort. But it took one good-hearted hillbilly boy from Oklahoma to perform from his heart to generate $3.8 million benefiting FIRE (Fire Intervention Relief Effort) for those who lost all they had in the big fires in California. And the pickups came and fans tailgated with country music blaring to prove there are plenty of country music fans in Los Angeles. Praise the Lord for that.
In the media, reporters wrote, "He never let up," calling Garth "iron man" and "master performer." Recalling the Garth of yesteryear, they noted that while he no longer climbs ladders, swings above the crowd on an invisible rope, busts guitars or does acrobatics, they added, "But he creates the same enthusiasm."
Like he'd won the lottery, a fan with five ticket stubs waved them proudly over his head, laughing and smiling all the way out the door. He knew he was a winner. He'd seen five shows in two days, the likes he'd never seen before and doubtfully will ever see again. His kids and grandkids, no doubt, will hear the story over and over as long as he lives --five shows, all sellouts.
Through the years, stories surfaced of fans in Ireland who hero-worshipped Garth and would not cease the applause at his concerts. When he'd finally depart the building, fans would actually follow the buses they were traveling in. I ran into Mark Greenwood, Garth's bass player, this past week at the recording studio he manages on Music Row. Mark pointed out that Garth received the same sort of enthusiastic welcome and endless applause during his recent nine-night marathon in Kansas City and the five shows in Los Angeles.
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