pianogonzology

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Elk Run . . .

(from https://elkrun.com/events/)
Elk Run Vineyards is nestled in the rolling hills of Frederick County surrounded by dairy and horse farms and fields of wheat and corn. The name “Elk Run” was chosen for a stream. The deed name to the property is the “Resurvey of Cold Friday.” It was a land grant from the King of England to Lord Baltimore. The winemaker’s home is circa 1756. Since 1983 Fred and Carol Wilson and Neill Bassford, along with associates, family and friends, have made Elk Run a shining star among American wine producers. Using new world research and technology while maintaining the traditions and values of old world practices, Elk Run’s focus is on producing high quality wine from high quality grapes. Soils of schist and shale allow for deep roots and good drainage. Seven to eight hundred foot elevations help keep the vineyard safe from frost danger. Warm days and cool nights preserve the fruity character in the wines.Practicing sustainable agriculture, close spacing and great attention to crop levels allow the wine maker to create wines of varietal character, structure, balance and good color.

Friday, February 24, 2017
Ray Jozwiak - Gonzo Piano
6 - 9:00PM
Wine Down Fridays
Elk Run Vineyard
15113 Liberty Road,
Mount Airy, MD, 21771
Hours of Operation:
Wednesday – Saturday 10am-5pm
Sundays 12pm-5pm

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Saturday, February 18, 2017

Orange Stuff . . .

(from http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/newspaper-mistakenly-runs-picture-alec-baldwin-snl-instead-trump-n719846)

". . . This was no laughing matter for a major newspaper in the Dominican Republic. . . El Nacional issued an apology Saturday after readers quickly pointed out it used a picture of Alec Baldwin playing President Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live" — instead of the true Trump's image — for a story about U.S.-Israeli relations. . . The paper said on its website that the gaffe went "unnoticed during the reviewing of page 19" because of a "mix-up of photos" sent by The Associated Press. . . "The picture was sent that day by the Associated Press with the name of the actor and the program, but was placed as if it were the one of Trump," the paper said. "El Nacional apologizes to the readers and to all those who felt sincerely affected by the publication. Alec Baldwin imitates Trump on one of the most important shows in the U.S.". . ."

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Friday, February 17, 2017

Idealism . . .

. . . is difficult to maintain . . .

. . . as I grow older. But I'm not giving up! I'm not crying for the past, like the spammy emails you receive about the 'good ole days' when men were men and children had to walk uphill (and from) school in three feet of snow without legs, because I firmly believe with age, both individually and societally, things always do get better. (If your gonna make something great again, be sure you can prove that it was truly ever great.) But I do clearly recall viewing adults through a very idealistic lens. Of course my parents taught me (rightly, I might say) to respect my elders and I took that very seriously. I thought that every and all adults were very smart, very reasonable, unselfish, giving, caring individuals who had nothing but the best interest of us all at heart. Not a bad beginning. In hindsight, children should learn to respect all others regardless of any pre-conceived notions 'cause what kind of pre-conceived notion has a child? Only those they've learned from adults. You must learn the respect before learning analysis of education, intelligence or motives. I learned quickly, beginning with college and very clearly at my first full-time job, that that was just not true. Life since then has only confirmed to me that while I may not be the impressive intellect one would write home about, there all all kinds of folks ranging from blindingly bright to barely a flicker, and I for one intend to continue learning and growing. . .

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Thursday, February 16, 2017

Some Things . . .

. . . never change . . .

(from James Madison; A Biography by Ralph Ketcham) as Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of Treasury promotes his plan for a national debt. . .

". . . Hamilton's candid admission that he intended the concentration in order to bring to the federal government a self-interested support he thought is desperately needed to become an effective means of government only increased Madison's apprehensions. Though the secretary expressed regret at the misfortunes of those whose interests suffered under his plans, he saw them as a small price to pay for the vital strengthening of the Union he thought made them necessary. As Madison observed the Hamiltonian "phalanx" in Congress, the eager support given the program in New York financial circles, the often arrogant comments by men of wealth about their superior capacity to lead and govern the country, and the tendency of backers of the secretary's report to exalt the executive over the legislative department, his concern for the survival of republican principles grew rapidly. Jefferson's famous charges, made in old age, that "Hamilton's financial system . . . had two objects; 1st, as a puzzle, to exclude popular understanding and inquiry; 2nd, as a machine for the corruption of the legislature," and that "men thus enriched by the dexterity of a leader [Hamilton], would follow of course the chief who was leading them to fortune. . . "

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Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Think . . .

. . . this will work? . . .

(from http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/2/7/1631236/-Beware-the-Ides-of-Trump)
On March 15th, each of us will mail Donald Trump a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips, all informing Donnie that he’s fired.
Each of us — every protester from every march, each congress calling citizen, every boycotter, volunteer, donor, and petition signer — if each of us writes even a single postcard and we put them all in the mail on the same day, March 15th, well: you do the math.
No alternative fact or Russian translation will explain away our record-breaking, officially-verifiable, warehouse-filling flood of fury. Hank Aaron currently holds the record for fan mail, having received 900,000 pieces in a year. We’re setting a new record: over a million pieces in a day, with not a single nice thing to say.
So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce Donald’s famously thin skin.
Prepare for March 15th, 2017, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump
Write one postcard. Write a dozen! Take a picture and post it on social media tagged with #TheIdesOfTrump ! Spread the word! Everyone on Earth should let Donnie know how he’s doing. They can’t build a wall high enough to stop the mail.
Then, on March 15th, mail your messages to:
President (for now) Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
It might just be enough to make him crack.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2017

About . . .

. . . the performers . . .

. . . who will be at Germano’s on special night of entertainment in their cabaret, “The Thoughts Behind the Songs,” on Tuesday, March 28, 2017. Doors open at 6pm. Music at 7:30pm. $10 cover, at the door or online tickets here: http://bit.ly/2jguMpX. Join prominent Baltimore singer-songwriters and composers John M. Seay, Ellis Woodward, Sahffi Lynne and Ray Jozwiak as they bring you even closer to their talent and music.

Sahffi Lynne is an international singer/songwriter, musician and teaching artist whose mission is to "Spread Light & Love, One Song at a Time." With a performance degree from Peabody, a #1 house music song in South Africa, five independently released albums, a 2015 Individual Artist Award in Solo Performance from the Maryland State Arts Council and her successful Baltimore #Song4Unity Project in 2016, she has successfully captured the attention and admiration from audiences of all ages and backgrounds around the world. – http://www.sahffi.com/

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Monday, February 13, 2017

Another . . .

. . . musical. . .

. . . 'success' story . . .

(from http://www.allmusic.com/artist/MN0000140891/biography)
During their heyday in the late '80s, the Dead Milkmen led a crop of college-radio jokesters that also included Mojo Nixon, King Missile, and Too Much Joy, among others. Playing a basic, happily amateurish brand of punk-pop, the Milkmen skewered popular culture, indie trend-followers, and the intellectually challenged, while frequently indulging their taste for tastelessness. Critics alternately praised and dismissed the band as geeky, juvenile wiseasses -- virtually every review seemed to contain the word "sophomoric," and either you found them funny or you didn't. But despite the mixed reviews, the Milkmen earned a devoted cult following (which famously included Detroit Tigers utility infielder Jim Walewander), a few novelty hits on college radio, and even an MTV hit with "Punk Rock Girl." As polarizing as their sense of humor was among critics, it was what fans wanted and came to expect, and attempts to move into more genuine, serious territory during the '90s effectively spelled the end of the band. Oddly enough, by that time, they were exerting at least a small measure of influence -- perhaps more than any of their peers, they paved the way for the legion of smart-assed geek-rockers who ruled alternative radio for a brief period in the mid-'90s. . . The Dead Milkmen were formed at Philadelphia's Temple University in 1983. . . Over the next year or two, the Milkmen recorded several live, self-released cassettes, and achieved considerable local notoriety with a live radio performance in 1984. They earned some attention in the punk magazine Maximumrocknroll, and the resulting buzz helped them land a deal with Restless Records subsidiary Fever. In 1985, they issued their debut album, Big Lizard in My Backyard, which consisted mostly of material from their cassette releases. . . Poised for something vaguely resembling a breakthrough, the Milkmen expanded their cult following even further with 1988's Beelzebubba. . . the album received a mixed response from fans, some of whom praised the beefed-up production but others of whom found the material erratic; in any case, it stalled some of the band's momentum. . . Dead Milkmen found themselves hunting for a new label after Metaphysical Graffiti. They wound up on the Disney-run Hollywood Records, and in an even more bizarre twist, elected to play things mostly straight -- with no pressure from the company to do so -- on their 1992 label debut, Soul Rotation. . . The Milkmen did celebrate their tenth anniversary in 1993 by self-releasing Now We Are 10, a CD compilation of some of their early cassette-only recordings. They returned to Restless Records for 1994's Chaos Rules: Live at the Trocadero, a run through some of their best-known songs, and offered the new studio set Stoney's Extra Stout (Pig) in 1995. It was virtually ignored, and the Milkmen elected to disband. All the members got day jobs, and most continued in music on a local basis in Philadelphia. . . Restless issued the career retrospective Death Rides a Pale Cow (titled after one of their early cassettes) in 1997, and 2003 brought Now We Are 20, an expanded reissue of Now We Are 10 given wider release by Restless. . ."

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