Dennys: News Politics Comedy Science Arts & Food

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 30 May 2010

*** Check out what's happening at all 14 of Denny's blogs: news, politics, political cartoons, poetry, great recipes, science and health news, photography, humor and spiritual thoughts from great quotes.



Cup of coffee from Brazil by il Quoquo @ flickr




The Social Poets:

Obama Cowers to BP: Rejects Super Tankers for Gulf Clean Up

Whats Happening in America This Week: BP Oil Spill Cartoons - 29 May 2010

Peace Upon The Land poem – Libations Friday 28 May 2010

Check It Out: Rolling Stones Mag Names 5 Best Songs Ever

BP Oil Spill: White House Updated News - 24 May 2010

Transcript of White House Press Briefing on 24 May 2010

Roundup of Late Night Funnies and Funny Videos - 24 May 2010

Funny Video: Outgoing British Leaders Walk of Shame After Election

Funny Video: Colbert Mocks Glenn Beck for Comparing Himself to God and MLK


Funny Video: Jon Stewart Sees BP Fixing Oil Spill with Stupid Anagrams

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 23 May 2010




Dennys Global Politics:


American and World Politics Cartoons - 29 May 2010


Child Porn Social Site Busted - News Headlines 27 May 2010

Use NASA 4 Oil Spill Help, Corrupt MMS, Lightning Rod Rahm Emanuel - News Headlines 26 May 2010




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


What Is Your Quality of Listening to Truly Benefit From the Hearing?





Photo by Helen Maria Bjornsd/Nordic Photos/Getty Images


The Soul Calendar:


Passionate Volcano Chasers: Photographing Eruptions Around the World

Why Black Holes Burst With Light When Galaxies Merge




The Healing Waters:





*** Photo by asobitsuchiya @ flickr



Heart Health: Beware of Sugar Pirates in Your Diet

Coming Soon: Get an Orgasm Boost with Female Viagra




Humor blogs:


Tea Party and Rand Paul Cartoons - 29 May 2010

Funny Facebook Cartoons - 29 May 2010




Romancing The Chocolate:






Cream Cheese n Sour Cherry Filling 4 Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cream Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Battle Belly Fat: Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate French Toast

Simple Summer: 2 Super Easy Spaghetti Sauces



Comfort Food From Louisiana:


Seafood Recipes: Crawfish Casserole, Crawfish Corn Bread, Crawfish Tortellini

Easy Recipes: 4 Versions of Crawfish Pie



Unusual 2 Tasty:

Battle Belly Fat: Pan-Seared Shrimp Tacos, Crunchy Crust "Mac n Cheese,” Oven Fries

Spicy Shrimp Fra Diavolo Sauce Used 3 Ways: Seafood, Chicken, Polenta

Elegant Cheap Dishes From Manhattan Chef: Chicken With 40 Garlic Cloves, Salad and Dessert

2 Crowd Pleasing Easy Casseroles: Mexican Lasagna, Turkey Tetrazzini




Visual Insights:


Memorial Day Madness Cartoons - 29 May 2010





Poems From A Spiritual Heart: This is a poetry only blog so the poems don't get lost in the noise of all my other posts on The Social Poets. So, if you are in the mood just for a quick read of some simple poetry I'm parking it here after it debuts on the Libations Friday segments.


Peace Upon The Land

The Mystics Arrive

We Are All Sleeping Beauties

Legacy of Love

Honoring Ourselves

Pollen Storms

Snowing The Perfect Balance

The 11 Choices

The Smallest Earth Day Poem

Three Endings and One Beginning

One Mother and One Child

Release Your Dreams and Spring into Life



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Thursday, May 27, 2010

Rolling Stone Magazine Names 5 Greatest Songs of All Time

*** Rolling Stone Magazines choice for the 5 Best Songs of All Time with music videos.




Photo by Jsome1 @ flickr


From Denny: What to start a fight with all your friends and folks at the office? Ask them to name the five best songs of all time and it will end up a knock-down drag out for sure! :)

Rolling Stone Magazine thought they would get into the fray by listing the top 500 songs of all time in their collector's edition, drawing heavily on the 60's and 70's music. In this video clip The Early Show host Harry Smith and Rolling Stone contributing editor Alan Light argue over the best picks.

Rolling Stone came up with the best picks based on results of two polls. One poll in 2004 they asked a panel of 162 artists, producers, industry execs and music journalists to pick their choices for greatest songs of all time. Last year they asked another similar group of 100 to pick the best songs of the 2000 decade.

Coming in at number 5: "Respect," by Aretha Franklin

Hard to believe it after hearing Aretha sing it for so long we all grew up on it but it was originally written and recorded first by Otis Redding for the Volt label back in 1965. Aretha made the song her own when she recorded it at Atlantic's New York studio on Valentine's Day in 1967. It was her first number one hit and the single that crowned her Queen of Soul.

When Otis sang it he called for equal favor with a passionate force. But Aretha, well, she wasn't asking for anything. She definitely sang from higher ground. She demanded an end to the exhausted wife syndrome of constant sacrifice, always getting the raw end of the deal. Aretha sang it with all scathing attitude and scorching sexual authority. Basically, "Baby, if you want it you will have to earn it now."


Music Videos: Aretha Franklin - Respect, No. 5 Best Song of All Time

Coming in at number 4: "What's Going On," by Marvin Gaye

What's special about this song is that it's an eloquent plea for Peace on Earth. Gaye sung it while he was in crisis after the loss of his duet partner Tammi Terrell. She died the same year, 1970, of a brain tumor after a devastating three-year battle.

Gaye was also trapped in a turbulent marriage to Anna Gordy, the sister to his Motown boss, Berry Gordy. Marvin was Motown label's top male vocalist yet he didn't like the assembly line role he played on his own hits.

Marvin definitely had complicated relationships in his life and was in need of peace. His relationship with his puritanical father, Marvin, Sr., was not good either. "If I was arguing for peace," Gaye told biographer David Ritz, "I knew I'd have to find peace in my heart."

It was not long after Terrell's passing that Renaldo Benson of the Four Tops came to Marvin with a song he had written in collaberation with Motown staffer Mo Cleveland. Marvin saw more into the song and oversaw the arrangement. He included topical references to war and racial strife using his own private anguish as fuel for the passion in his singing. The Motown session crew, Funk Brothers, cut this jazz inflected rhythm track. Marvin thought of his own family when he sung the song. He sang it as a prayer to his younger brother, Frankie, a Vietnam veteran in the lyrics of ""Brother, brother, brother/There's far too many of you dying." Marvin also appealed for calm in his home life with the lyrics "Father, father, father/We don't need to escalate."

Can you believe it that this awesome Peace song for desiring peace in the world and peace in our families was rejected as uncommercial? It was a wonderful studio achievement and a powerful song gift of healing to the world. Sadly, Peace never came in his own private world that he so desperately craved. Marvin got into a family dispute and was shot dead by his own father on 1 April 1984.


Music Video: Marvin Gaye - Whats Going On, No. 4 Best Song of All Time


Coming in at number 3: "Imagine," by John Lennon


The song "Imagine" was written one early morning in his bedroom at Tittenhurst Park, John Lennon's estate in Ascot, England. He sat down at the white piano and almost completed the song in one burst of inspiration. That now iconic white piano has become familiar to us all from films and photos of the sessions for his Imagine album. It's a serene and lingering melody with a pillowy chord progression. The lyrics are simple, graceful and full of faith in the power of the world inside us, united in a common purpose to heal and change the world.

"It's not like he thought, 'Oh, this can be an anthem,'" his wife Yoko Ono said, looking back at that morning 30 years later. "Imagine" was "just what John believed: that we are all one country, one world, one people; He wanted to get that idea out."

Music Video: John Lennon - Imagine, No. 3 Best Song of All Time


Coming in at number 2: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," by The Rolling Stones


"It's the riff heard round the world," says Steve Van Zandt, guitarist for the E Street Band. "And it's one of the earliest examples of Dylan influencing the Stones and the Beatles - the degree of cynicism, and the idea of bringing more personal lyrics form the fold and blues tradition into popular music."

The now famous guitar riff was said by Keith Richards to come to him in a dream back in May 1965. He was on a Rolling Stones tour in a motel room in Clearwater, Florida. It was one of those artistic sudden moments of inspiration when he grabbed his guitar and a cassette recorder. He played the run of notes once, then fell back to sleep. "On the tape," he said later, "you can hear me drop the pick, and the rest is snoring."

What was so special about this innovative riff, other than opening and totally defining the Satisfaction song, is that it took current early rock and roll and delivered it into the harder rock genre. Early rock was often defined by sappy puppy love or a rickety jump rhythm. This riff changed all that because this was primal and more raw. What is familiar to us now was innovative and shocking back then: Richards played this primal riff through a Gibson Fuzz Box, Mick Jagger was sneering and dismissive while he sang his lyrics, the rhythm guitarist Brian Jones was proudly strutting on stage along with bassist Bill Wyman while drummer Charlie Watts set the strong beat. Definitely, this new sound was the primal scream of a generation eager to take their place in the world and by storm.


Music Video: The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction, No. 2 Best Song of All Time


And coming in at number 1: "Like a Rolling Stone," by Bob Dylan


"I wrote it. I didn't fail. It was straight," Bob Dylan declared after he recorded it in June 1965. He just knew it would be his greatest song. "Like a Rolling Stone" was revolutionary both in design and execution. Dylan was only 24 when he wrote it.

Reflecting years later is Al Kooper, who played organ on the session, "There was no sheet music. It was totally by ear. And it was totally disorganized, totally punk. It just happened."

Of course, like many hit songs, when they rose to the top it was because they were new and exciting, unprecedented in some way. Dylan's language was impressionist, speaking via intensely personal accusation, something not done before in commercial music. Kooper's garage-garbage organ shocked with this apocalyptic charge. And Mike Bloomfield's "stiletto-sharp spirals" howling from his Telecaster guitar were defiant in the six minute long master take. For the time, there had been no pop song that so challenged the commercial limits and actually transformed the artistry of the time.


Music Video: Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone, No. 1 Best Song of All Time

Inspiration comes in bursts for most musicians and artists. Dylan was no different. When he wrote down the verse for this song, as long as 20 pages by one account, he said, "Just a rhythm thing on paper all about my steady hatred, directed at some point that was honest." During the course of another three days back home in Woodstock, New York, he tightened up the lyrics. He crafted a confrontational chorus breathing a piercing metaphor of concise truth. "The first two lines, which rhymed "kiddin' you' and 'didn't you,' just about knocked me out," Dylan remembers of the write when he talked in interview with Rolling Stone in 1988, "and when I got to the jugglers and the chrome horse and the princess on the steeple, it all just about got to be too much."

The song further developed as seen in the documentary from D. A. Pennebaker called "Don't Look Back." In an offstage moment with sidekick Bob Neuwirth, Dylan sings a verse from Hank William's song "Lost Highway" of the lyrics "I'm a rolling stone, I'm alone and lost/For a life of sin I've paid the cost." Dylan plays a set of chords that later transformed into the melodic bass for his hit song. Dylan later remarked that the progression really was a chip off of Ritchie Valens' song "La Bamba."

Dylan gave voice to his generation, an angry yet electrifying voice. He morphed the traditional folk music from America's 1930's, bending it to his strong will, intensifying the content of what a song could say. When he finished the song he knew it was to be his best ever. And, by many accounts, "Like a Rolling Stone," is the best song of all time.



Watch CBS News Videos Online


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Music Video: Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone, No. 1 Best Song of All Time



Photo by Jsome1 @ flickr



From Denny: Number one choice by Rolling Stone Magazine as the best song of all time is "Like a Rolling Stone." Of course, YouTube disabled the videos of Dylan performances but Jimi Hendrix and The Stones are a great listen!


Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" played by Jimi Hendrix:






The Stones:





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Music Video: The Rolling Stones - Satisfaction, No. 2 Best Song of All Time



Photo by Jsome1 @ flickr


From Denny: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction defined a maturing in the era of rock with Keith Richards' innovative guitar riff and exploded onto the world the declaration of a generation demanding to inherit the world.


The Stones in St. Louis, Missouri in 1997:





*** Return to original post: Rolling Stone Magazine Names 5 Greatest Songs of All Time


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Music Video: John Lennon - Imagine, No. 3 Best Song of All Time



Photo by Jsome1 @ flickr


From Denny: A famous song proclaiming John Lennon's faith of the power inside us to change what's wrong in the world. We have the power.


John Lennon in 1972:





John's acoustic version:






President Bill Clinton and Israel's singer Liel, with 40 Jewish children and 40 Arabic children, singing "Imagine" for Shimon Peres's 80th birthday:





*** Return to original post: Rolling Stone Magazine Names 5 Greatest Songs of All Time


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Music Video: Marvin Gaye - Whats Going On, No. 4 Best Song of All Time



Photo by Jsome1 @ flickr


From Denny: Marvin Gaye's hit, What's Going On, comes in at number four on Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 5 Songs of All Time.

1976 performance:







After 9/11 terrorist bombings hit the music community came together to raise donations. Marvin would have been proud his song was used this way. Some of the artists featured singing are Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys, Mary J. Blige, Darren Hayes, Jennifer Lopez, NSYNC, Britney Spears:





*** Return to original post: Rolling Stone Magazine Names 5 Greatest Songs of All Time


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Music Videos: Aretha Franklin - Respect, No. 5 Best Song of All Time



Photo by Jsome1 @ flickr


From Denny: The song "Respect" as sung by Aretha Franklin is considered number 5 on the 500 Best Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone Magazine in May 2010.


Aretha Franklin Tribute in 2008 - some history of how she got started and exploded the music industry






The early performance is at a faster pace:







Over the decades the song morphed in expression:










On CBS The Early Show in 2008:





*** Return to original post: Rolling Stone Magazine Names 5 Greatest Songs of All Time


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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Funny Posts to Get U Thru Your Work Week - 26 May 2010



Chew on some funnies today...


From Denny: Hey! It's Wednesday and you still need to finish out the work week with a laughing attitude that will dismay your boss, wilt your spouse with relief and annoy your teenage children. Take a look at this short list of posts on several of my blogs this week for your laugh of choice!


BP Oil Spill Funny Quotes and Jokes: Cheeky Quote Day - 26 May 2010

Roundup of Late Night Funnies and Funny Videos - 24 May 2010

Scary Video: Dumb Kid Alert

Hunh? Funny Political Cartoons 15 May 2010

Funny Story: New Funny World Myth


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Sunday, May 23, 2010

Posts Roundup at Dennys Blogs - 23 May 2010



Cup of coffee from Brazil by il Quoquo @ flickr


From Denny: Thanks for visiting all my blogs! It's amazing how much the web has changed in only 18 months. Now people can read blogs without ever physically visiting - just read the posts in a reader.

At the top of the list here for each blog are the most recent posts. I've included many of the most popular posts you've enjoyed the past few weeks too.

I've just started up yet another interest blog for posts and news on music and art. Thank you for the great response! I had no idea people would respond so well to those couple of posts so quickly.

And special thanks to the folks who posted the Jazz Music poem up on social sites this week. Apparently, there are a number of music fans out there! :) Thanks for visiting The Social Poets!




The Social Poets:


America This Week: World Politics Cartoons and Commentary - 22 May 2010

Jazz Music poem - Libations Friday 21 May 2010

Funny Poet: Guy Wetmore Carryl

Funny Volcano and Weather Quotes - Cheeky Quote Day 19 May 2010

Scientists: New Airport Scanners Not Safe

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 17 May 2010

Funny Video: Stewart Skewers Conservatives 4 Obama-Bush Comparisons

Funny Video: Colbert Lampoons Kagan Confirmation Hearing

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs - 16 May 2010






Dennys Global Politics:


Political Cartoons: Local and World Economy

Actor Kevin Costner Pitches Solution to BP Headache, Intelligence Head Resigns, Why Kagan Elitist Good - News Headlines 20 May 2010

Russia Furious With America Over Afghan Drugs, Terrorism Financing Un-Islamic, White House Food - News Headlines 19 May 2010

Sticking It to Iran, Obama and Jobs Creation, Survey Goes Against New Oil Drilling - News Headlines 18 May 2010

Airport Scanners Safety Questioned, Iran Skirts Nuke Sanctions, Sex Criminals Indefinitely Detained - News Headlines 17 May 2010





The Soul Calendar:


Ground-Breaking King of the Lab: Venter Creates Synthetic DNA

Video: Check Out the River Monsters Swimming Near You


Bloggers: Get The New Google Buzz Buttons

Neuroscience: Want Your Man to Better Understand You? Try Empathy Nasal Spray



Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


Sometimes What You Sideline is a Good Thing

3 Quotes: Have You Validated Yourself Recently?

3 Positive Attitude Quotes to Help Shape Your World

Are You Stuck in Life Not Knowing Where to Go Next?

Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?

Mothers Day Quote: The Funny Stages of Motherhood

4 Special Quotes to Anchor Your Dreams




Humor blogs - Dennys Funny Quotes, Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd:


Dark Humor: BP Oil Spill Cartoons - 22 May 2010

Outrageous: Graduation Debt Cartoons - 22 May 2010

Funny Video: Colbert On BP Oil Containment - No One Knows What The Flock They're Doing

Funny Video: Cartoonist Mocks Tea Party Hypocrisy

Funny Video: Betty White On SNL Monologue

Funny Video: Betty White, SNL Golden Girls Lampoon Lawrence Welk Show

Funny Video: Cover Up Your Sex Scandal With A New Batch Of Euphemisms

Terrorism and Times Square, Immmigration Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Hunh? Funny Political Cartoons 15 May 2010

10 Funny Odd Photos - cute animals and crazy dressed people!

Funny Video: TV Anchor Falls off Chair




The Healing Waters:


Controversial Successful New Treatment 4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Injuries During Sex, Miracle Baby, Bad Drug Ad Snitches Wanted - Health News Stories - 14 May 2010

Funny Wall Street Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010




Food blogs - Romancing The Chocolate and Comfort Food From Louisiana:


Simple Summer: 2 Super Easy Spaghetti Sauces

Easy Recipes: 4 Versions of Crawfish Pie

Triple Chocolate Toffee Brownies

Elegant Cheap Dishes From Manhattan Chef: Chicken With 40 Garlic Cloves, Salad and Dessert

Sweet Breakfasts: Caramel Pecan Buns, Sweet Blueberry Drop Biscuits, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Tradtional Sandwiches Updated: California Tuna Melt, Egg Salad

Chocolate Wonders: Kentucky Derby Pie, Make-ahead Chocolate Soufflé

Easy Moist Chocolate Mayo Cake From Bon Appetit

Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee

5 Easy Recipes 4 Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

2 Crowd Pleasing Easy Casseroles: Mexican Lasagna, Turkey Tetrazzini

Awesome Cajun Barbecued Shrimp — New Orleans Style

Yummy Homemade Coconut Cream Pie

Awesome Sauces 4 Louisiana Seafood

Spring Into Grill Season: Mouthwatering Steaks

Chef Rocco Dispiritos Cheap Yet Healthy Comfort Food

Kid Friendly Recipes: Chocolate Quesadillas, Very Best Fudge




Visual Insights, photo blog:


Political Cartoons: Memorial Day - 22 May 2010

Supreme Court Nominee Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Dennys Funny Photo Gallery: The Nose Knows

Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

Dennys Photo Gallery: Life is Just Plain Funny

Dennys Photo Gallery: How to Know Its Spring

Funny Odd Couples: Cats and Their Weirdo Friends

Dennys Photo Gallery: Spectacular Sunrises

Dennys Photo Gallery: Beautiful Blues in Our World

Photography, Beautiful Metaphor for Life: 17 Boats

Only White Theme: 26 Photos

Photo History: 1st Lady Gowns, Michelle Obama Donates Hers




Dennys Art Santuary:


The Stones, Otis Redding, Ronnie James Dio - Arts and Music News 17 May 2010

Featuring Marilyn Monroes Jazz Pianist Hank Jones - Arts and Music Headlines 18 May 2010


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog,
please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Featuring Marilyn Monroes Jazz Pianist Hank Jones - Arts and Music Headlines 18 May 2010

*** Listen to the dean of jazz pianists, from the generation of Coltrane, who accompanied Marilyn Monroe on her birthday song to President Kennedy





From Denny: Another jazz great has left planet Earth and passed his music on to the next generation to enjoy, interpret and play. Ever since I went to college at LSU Baton Rouge I've been saturated with the Louisiana culture of rhythm and blues and jazz. As students we often day tripped to New Orleans to hear local jazz legends just like Hank Jones.

It was heartening to see how New Orleans revered even their aging musicians. There, in those smokey night clubs, large tall doors thrown open to the Louisiana humid air, overhead fans beating in time to the music, were 85 year old men tinkling the ivories at such a fast pace their fingers were a blur in motion. And the merriment as they played was contagious, rippling throughout the night club, people swaying as their minds danced in their chairs. Those musicians and their smooth renditions of traditional songs were soothing and thoughtful, calming the patrons when stroking the night to a close. As tourists and locals alike filtered out onto the streets, promises of "next time" lingered as a warm musical scent.

Hank Jones was as famous for his silky touch as he was his musical pedigree. The man had a musical resume never to be found again. He played with the greats in the jazz genre like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Benny Goodman. His brothers played with John Coltrane and Count Basie.

Remember those black and white news clips of actress Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday" to President Kennedy? It was Hank Jones who accompanied her on piano. Even if you didn't follow his music or career you now realize you saw him on the news.

From NPR: In a 2005 interview with host Terry Gross, he described what it was like to accompany Monroe during her performance at Madison Square Garden.

"She did 16 bars: eight bars of 'Happy Birthday to You' and eight bars of 'Thanks for the Memories,' " he said. "So in 16 bars, we rehearsed eight hours. So I think that's something like a half-hour for a bar of music. She was very nervous and upset. She wasn't used to that kind of thing. And, I guess, who wouldn't be nervous singing "Happy Birthday" to the president?"

Check out some of his music, courtesy of National Public Radio. May the dean of jazz pianists rest in peace. He gave a lot to this world and we say thank you!


*** ALSO over at The Social Poets blog to experience a New Orleans jazz night:

Jazz Music poem - Libations Friday 21 May 2010


In Memorium: Hank Jones On Piano Jazz (NPR)

In a career that spans seven decades, Hank Jones has worked with everyone who's anyone in jazz, including Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster and Billie Holiday. On Sunday night, Jones died after a brief illness. He was 91......

Remembering Hank Jones, 'The Dean Of Jazz Pianists' (NPR)

Hank Jones, whom critic Whitney Balliett once called "the dean of jazz pianists," died Sunday. He was 91.

Jones was the last surviving brother in one of the most remarkable families in jazz history. His brother Elvin played with John Coltrane and became an influential jazz drummer. His younger brother Thad played trumpet and was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra before forming his own ensemble, The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra.

Hank, the oldest of the brothers and the first to leave home, toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, recorded with Charlie Parker, accompanied Ella Fitzgerald and worked for many years as the house pianist at CBS. When Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday" to President Kennedy in 1962, it was Jones who accompanied her on the piano........















*** ALSO over at The Social Poets blog to experience a New Orleans jazz night:

Jazz Music poem - Libations Friday 21 May 2010


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Check Out 2 Funny Posts 2 Get U Thru the Work Week



British Petroleum giving "face" to President Obama about paying for their oil spill


From Denny: Check out some funnies and hike on over to one of my other blogs, The Social Poets, for some mid-work week fun!


Funny Volcano and Weather Quotes - Cheeky Quote Day 19 May 2010 - Funny volcano and weather quotes, jokes, political cartoons and funny video all designed to make you laugh til your boss fires you for "excessive merriment."

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 17 May 2010 - Chock full of funny video clips from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert and Betty White on SNL as well as the late night show jokes and quips.


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Monday, May 17, 2010

The Stones, Otis Redding, Ronnie James Dio - Arts and Music News 17 May 2010



Rockin' guitar by Jsome1 @ flickr


From Denny: The latest news is that the old news has resurfaced and become new news. :) What's classic and good gets a second hit at the bat. Artists The Stones, Otis Redding and Kris Kristofferson are re-releasing old hits and albums. Kristofferson features the famous Janis Joplin hit song, "Me and Bobby McGee." The Stones, well, are The Stones forever. Once a fan always a fan like The Deadheads. Sounds like the new album version did not mess too much with the core of who they are musically. Love 'em or hate 'em they are still rockin' on as old men.

Now artist Otis Redding has always been a fav with me because he never ruined his voice like rockers do. Early in his career he realized and utilized the human voice as an instrument. Can you imagine what was going on inside his head as he experimented musically with this revelation? Would have loved to see him write all those goings on down on paper.

And to the heavy metal fans there is the passing of Ronnie James Dio. Did you know his voice was never professionally trained? Yet his was a powerful voice and oh, so melodic. It was most unusual to develop to that level without training. He passed away after a bout with stomach cancer.

Included here is one of Otis Redding's songs, "Satisfaction," and a couple of clips to enjoy Ronnie James Dio one last time.


Old Music Gets A New Life: Reissues From The '60s And '70s (NPR)

...the re-release of albums from The Rolling Stones, Kris Kristofferson and Otis Redding. The first, long considered a masterpiece in the world of rock 'n' roll, is Exile on Main Street... The new version of Exile on Main Street pays homage to the original, but leaves the mixes and the essence of the album alone. There's still chaos, but at its core, it's the same..

Kris Kristofferson is also issuing a new release of his collection from the late '60s, Please Don't Tell Me How the Story Ends... The release includes his iconic song "Me and Bobby McGee," made famous by Janis Joplin...

Finally, Otis Redding's Live on the Sunset Strip compiles live performances from the legendary L.A. club the Whisky A Go-Go, originally released in 1966. At 24, Redding epitomized the idea of the human voice as instrument...





Ronnie James Dio: Remembering A Vocal Cannon (NPR)

Ronnie James Dio was a voice of triumph in the pits of heavy metal's bitterness and depravity. An untrained vocalist, Dio possessed a melodic and powerful voice; as much a siren as it was a clarion call of heavy-metal fantasy. After a six-month struggle with stomach cancer, Dio died Sunday morning. He was 67.











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Sunday, May 16, 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs - 16 May 2010



Cup of coffee from Brazil by il Quoquo @ flickr


From Denny: This sure has been quite the week with the drama unfolding out in the Gulf of Mexico with the BP oil spill off my Louisiana coast. The cartoonists have had great fun lampooning the various lies and finger pointing from the CEOs involved. The better news is that BP is finally making a bit of headway on corralling some of the oil for clean up, siphoning it into a tanker.

Some headway is better than nothing and at least it has slowed down the rate of gushing oil and natural gas for the moment. Definitely better than using an atomic bomb to blow up the well like the crazy Russians suggested. There's a plan. Nuke the Gulf of Mexico and irradiate the ocean waters for the next thousand years. Fortunately, BP and the government are contemplating lesser crazy options.

As a result of the oil spill there are countless great political cartoons and funny videos by the likes of Colbert to enjoy. And Betty White was the toast of late night TV on SNL after turning in some hilarious performances. She then proceeded to go out all night carousing with the SNL cast after the show. She's almost 89 years old and there's no time to waste for having fun! :)






The Social Poets:


BP Oil Spill Funny Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Love Gift Poem - Libations Friday 14 May 2010

3 Funny Videos: Hilarious Betty White On SNL, Cartoonist Mocks Tea Party

Funny Wall Street Quotes and Jokes, Stewart Lampoons Wall Street - Cheeky Quote Day 12 May 2010

One Million Homeowners Walked Away: Can It Kill Our Economy?

Video: The Case For Walking Away From Your Mortgage

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 10 May 2010

Funny Video: Colbert Lampoons Conservative Preacher and His Rentboy

Funny Video: Stewart Slams Media, BP, And Hypocritical Politicians For Oil Spill Response

Funny Video: 2010 White House Correspondents Dinner with Prez Obama







Dennys Global Politics:


World Economy Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Russians Say Nuke BP Oil Spill, Hordes Leaving Facebook, Big Business Cheats, Obamas Tax Reform - News Headlines 13 May 2010

BP Found Cheating, Auto Dealers Sleazing Public, Voters Oust Porkers, Haiti Charities Stingy - News Headlines 12 May 2010

Hedge Fund Short Selling Caused Market Dive, Cameron New Brit PM, Govt Changes Approach to Oil Oversight - News Headlines 11 May 2010

Woman Chosen 4 Supreme Court, BP Sprays Chemicals into Oil Spill, Obscene Exec Perks - News Headlines 10 May 2010




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


3 Quotes: Have You Validated Yourself Recently?

3 Positive Attitude Quotes to Help Shape Your World

Are You Stuck in Life Not Knowing Where to Go Next?

Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?

Mothers Day Quote: The Funny Stages of Motherhood

4 Special Quotes to Anchor Your Dreams




Food Blogs:


Triple Chocolate Toffee Brownies

Elegant Cheap Dishes From Manhattan Chef: Chicken With 40 Garlic Cloves, Salad and Dessert

Sweet Breakfasts: Caramel Pecan Buns, Sweet Blueberry Drop Biscuits, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake







Humor blogs:


Funny Video: Colbert On BP Oil Containment - No One Knows What The Flock They're Doing

Funny Video: Cartoonist Mocks Tea Party Hypocrisy

Funny Video: Betty White On SNL Monologue

Funny Video: Betty White, SNL Golden Girls Lampoon Lawrence Welk Show

Funny Video: Cover Up Your Sex Scandal With A New Batch Of Euphemisms

Terrorism and Times Square, Immmigration Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Hunh? Funny Political Cartoons 15 May 2010




Visual Insights photo blog:


Supreme Court Nominee Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010

Dennys Funny Photo Gallery: The Nose Knows




The Healing Waters and The Soul Calendar:


Injuries During Sex, Miracle Baby, Bad Drug Ad Snitches Wanted - Health News Stories - 14 May 2010

Funny Wall Street Political Cartoons - 15 May 2010



*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 9 May 2010




From Denny: This sure has been a wild ride for the news, the BP oil spill attempt at clean-up, the crazy British election and the huge sudden drop in the stock market. I gathered some of the better stories over at Dennys Global Politics.

You just have to read about the odd new health stories about empathy nasal spray for men and the strange neck treatment for PTSD relief. And the political cartoons were out in full force as social commentary on it all so you know I just had to park a number of those posts on several blogs for Saturday! :)

Hope everyone had a great Mothers Day! And thank you all for your great support!




The Social Poets:


Oil Spill Disaster Cartoons - Whats Happening This Week in America - 8 May 2010

One Mother and One Child poem 4 Mothers Day - Libations Friday 7 May 2010

Transocean Kidnapped Oil Rig Survivors, Coerced Signing No Legal Repsonsiblity

Funny Parenting Quotes 4 Mothers Day - Cheeky Quote Day 5 May 2010

BP Only Responsible to $75 Million 4 Oil Disaster By USA Law

Roundup of Late Night Funnies - 3 May 2010

Posts Roundup This Week at Dennys Blogs 2 May 2010





Dennys Global Politics:

Greek Debt Crisis 4 The World: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

1,000 Point Stock Market Plunge, Brits Still Tied After Election, Examining Obamas Humor - News Headlines 7 May 2010

USA Offshore New Oil Drilling Halted, New USA Terrorist Screening, 3-Way Tie in Brit Election - News Headlines 6 May 2010

Supreme Court Pick Hunt, Dems Whimp Out on Finanacial Fund 4 Reform, How You Get on No-Fly List, Obama Tough on Airlines - News Headlines 5 May 2010

Pakistan Trained Bomber, Obamas Workaholic Ways, Catholics Polled About Sex Abuse - News Headlines 4 May 2010

BP Oil Spill Coverage - News Headlines 3 May 2010





The Soul Calendar:


Funny Wall Street Cartoons - 8 May 2010


Video: Check Out the River Monsters Swimming Near You


Bloggers: Get The New Google Buzz Buttons

Neuroscience: Want Your Man to Better Understand You? Try Empathy Nasal Spray




The Healing Waters:


Controversial Successful New Treatment 4 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder




Beautiful Illustrated Quotations:


Mothers Day Quote From Rose Kennedy

How Can You Help Your Child Keep Their Balance And Yours?




Dennys Funny Quotes:


The Great American Immigration Debate: Political Cartoons - 8 May 2010

Funny Video: Health Care Rage-Ex by Cartoonist Mark Fiore

Funny Animated Cartoon on Economy: Crashiversary Video by Mark Fiore



Ouch Outrageous Obnoxious And Odd:


Times Square Terrorist Bomber: Political Cartoons 8 May 2010

10 Funny Odd Photos - cute animals and crazy dressed people!

Funny Video: TV Anchor Falls off Chair





Food blogs:


Tradtional Sandwiches Updated: California Tuna Melt, Egg Salad

Chocolate Wonders: Kentucky Derby Pie, Make-ahead Chocolate Soufflé

Video: Louisiana Chef Makes Crawfish Etouffee


Easy Moist Chocolate Mayo Cake From Bon Appetit





Visual Insights:


Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

Funny Love-Hate Relationships of Fox News, Republicans, Tea Party, Airlines and Obama Cartoons - 8 May 2010


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Dennys Photo Gallery: Garden Views

From Denny: On one of my visual coffee breaks I found the most beautiful garden views. From Japanese garden landscapes to intimate closeups to Zen styled photoshopped there is something joyful and meditative for everyone to enjoy! I especially like the key hole views where you peer into a walled garden...




Garden Gate in Shanghai, China by d'n'c @ flickr






Curled fern leaf by backbackphotography @ flickr






Cute garden lizard by williamcho @ flickr






"Flutterby" Butterfly on clover blossom by tanakawho @ flickr






Humorous English garden sculpture by Crinklecrankle.com @ flickr






Le jardin provençaux de Pierre Bergé by hortulus @ flickr






Rain bucket with lotus blossom by backpackphotography @ flickr






Waterfall in Japanese garden by backpackphotography @ flickr






Red garden clogs by nadine nadeau @ flickr






Rusted Garden Gate by MyArtfulLife @ flickr






Kylemore Abbey garden door by slideshow bob @ flickr






Entry into walled garden by recursion_see_recursion @ flickr






Magic garden by Randy Son Of Robert @ flickr






Zen garden photoshop by h.koppdelaney @ flickr






Colorful Rock Garden by Margaret Anne Clarke @ flickr





A beautiful blooming walk by Margaret Anne Clarke @ flickr


*** Be sure to pay a visit to all these photographers to see what else they offer! Just click on the links beneath their photos.


*** THANKS for visiting, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, enjoy bookmarking this post on your favorite social site, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers – and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!

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