Saturday, May 24

Take a hike.




Originally built in 1901, this walkway now serves as an aproach to makinodromo, the famous climbing sector of El Chorro.

El Caminito del Rey (English: The King's pathway) is a walkway or via ferrata, now fallen into disrepair, pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro, near Álora in Málaga, Spain. The name is often shortened to El Camino del Rey.



Friday, May 16

The Last Shadow Puppets.



'The Age Of The Understatement' is a wide-screen, bold and brilliant introduction to the band. The Last Shadow Puppets are Alex Turner (from Arctic Monkeys) and Miles Kane (from The Rascals).

Firm friends ever since Arctic Monkeys toured with Kane's previous group, The Little Flames, the pair were so inspired by listening to the likes of Scott Walker, early Bowie and David Axelrod, that they hatched a plan.

The result is 'The Age Of The Understatement'.






I like the Bowie influence and had already liked the Arctic Monkeys.



Wednesday, May 14

Take me out to the ballgame.





This picture inspired this blog. Amy ran into this familiar looking guy in Lake Geneva and someone was nice enough to take a picture (since she had lent her own camera out to someone else).

Little did he know he would be booed for his singing two days later at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. Ha.


Take Me Out to the Ballgame was written 100 years ago, in 1908, coincidentally the last year the Chicago Cubs won a World Series (I didn't know that!!)

Broadcaster Harry Caray began singing it at Chicago White Sox games in Comiskey Park (early 70's to 1981) and later at Wrigley Field after he moved across town to broadcast for the Cubs (1982 to 1997).

It's sung during the Cub's 7th inning stretch (between halves of the seventh inning). Harry used to lead the crowd in the song, leaning out of his broadcast booth, his mike and arms flailing.

Late in his career (after a stroke) various guest celebrities would lead the crowd in song. The best and funniest has to have been Bill Murray.

Now at every home game, there is a guest performer for the 7th inning stretch singing of the song.

Some are better than others and the worst ones are remembered the most. Ha.

This last Sunday it was Tony Romo, Quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, and somewhat local resident. (He grew up just over the border in Wisconsin.)




The concensus is that he is not a singer but will join the elite crowd of those remembered the most for singing.
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Taken from a column by Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun Times:

Romo's oh-no of a solo

Maybe Jessica Simpson hooked up with Tony Romo because she knew she'd always be the singer in the relationship.

Romo's interpretation of Take Me Out to the Ball Game on Sunday still has small dogs howling in Wrigleyville.

He wasn't only off-key; he was in a key never before heard by anyone.

Not only that, Romo didn't seem to know all the words.

The Cowboys QB now joins Mike Ditka, Ozzy Osbourne, Jeff Gordon and "American Idol" alum Kellie Pickler ("Buy me some popcorn and Cracker Jack") as among the ranks of the worst "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" singers in Wrigley history.

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Looks like he's a good sport though and had fun.

Wednesday, May 7

Blonde and Bluesy.



Aimee Anne Duffy (born on 23rd June, 1984 in Gwynedd), known professionally as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter of soul music.

Album Notes: This her debut single made it to #1 in the UK! 2008 two track CD pressing of the first track pulled from the Welsh singer/songwriter's debut album Rockferry. Straight out of Nefyn, North Wales, (Aimee Anne) Duffy's smoky Retro-Soul has earned her comparisons with Dusty Springfield.

I really like her voice - this is getting a lot of air play. I don't know that she necessarily sounds like Dusty Springfield, but she sure has a catchy song out. She's been mentioned as a
n Amy Winehouse competitor. Could happen, who knows. I like her, and she's cute. Works for me.

A mention of both here.