M is for MacColl

Today's letter M is dedicated to the late, great Kirsty MacColl. I fell in love with the song "In These Shoes?" from her last album. Sadly, Kirsty died in a December 2000 boating accident. I am still trying to learn more about her and her glorious music.


Kirsty was the child of a Scottish folk singer, sort of a Celtic Pete Seeger. You can hear the Scottish rhythm's in her music, along with some leftist sentiments, but even more you hear a joyful lust for life, a wry sense of humor, a voice that can be haunting and wistful, sad or sultry. She loved Latin inspired music (try the exuberant Tropical Brainstorm) as well as traditional rock and pop. The wonderful Electric Landlady moves deftly from rap, to Latin, to ballad, to punk, to environmental protest songs.


But words cannot describe her music. She was an artist, like Joni Mitchell or Janis Joplin, that can't be compared to someone else.








Take a listen and see.

Kirsty's favorite albums as listed in 1994 were
1. THE BEACH BOYS ... Pet Sounds
2. IGGY POP ...Lust For Life
3. THE SMITHS ... Strangeways, Here We Come
4. XTC ... Black Sea
5. STEELY DAN ... Pretzel Logic
6. THE COCTEAU TWINS ... Heaven Or Las Vegas
7. KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS ... Tropical Gangsters
8. BOB MARLEY ... Live
9. DAVID BOWIE ... Station To Station
10.FRANK BLACK ... Teenager Of The Year

L is for LASER TURTLE

This is one of my favorite pictures by Matt. I find that people either love it or scratch their head.

What do you think?

Other Matt pictures:
DinoTrig
NNNNNNG
Planet
Waffles

Previous L - Lily

K is for The Kinks

The second best British Invasion band of the sixties, (in my opinion), The Kinks combined a uniquely British world view, sophisticated satire, creative song writing, and sometimes sloppy, sometimes searing musicianship. Lead by the sardonic wit of leader Ray Davies and the guttural guitar playing of brother Dave Davies, The Kinks inspired more than one generation of rockers. They influenced groups on both sides of the Atlantic in the sixties, inspired both heavy metal bands and punk rock, and were a major source of inspiration to later day Brit Pop bands like Oasis, Blur and Pulp.

But I think The Kinks were at their best when making music about the poor working slobs, and the modern day struggle for individuality and dignity in a world dominated by phonies, bureaucrats, and corporations. I have heard it said that Ray Davies wrote about the universal condition of man as observed from the windows of his London flat.

Ray and Dave Davies

So here's to those well respected men, those dedicated followers of fashion, The Kinks.


Previous K - Kristin & Karen

J is for Joe(s)

It is a wonderful world filled with wonderful Joes.

Can you name all of the Joes in this picture? (Answers below)

Previous "J" - Just for Joe

I is for Innumeracy

Innumeracy is to mathematics as illiteracy is to language.

It is also a nifty little book that I received this Christmas (Thanks Matt!).

It is a wonderful read that employs humor and storytelling to warn us that even the so-called educated among us can fall victim to "confused personal decisions, muddled governmental policies, even an increased susceptibility to pseudoscience".

One of the points that I felt was relevant is the misunderstanding of probability, especially when used to claim that something that has a low probability can be discounted.

For example: The probability of me winning the lottery today is extremely low. But the probability that one of the millions of lottery players will win, (or that I would win if I play a million tickets), is extremely high and virtually inevitable.

One of the ideas behind Intelligent Design is that life is too complex to have evolved on its own - that evolution is therefore improbable. But like the lottery, given the hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy alone, and billions of years to work with, the evolution of intelligent life somewhere is not only highly probable. That it happened on Earth is no less likely than it happening on millions of other worlds.

But enough preaching. It is enough to say that we must question the math that is thrown at us, just as we would question the words thrown about by politicians and journalists. We must all strive to overcome innumeracy!

Previous "I" - Illusion

H is for Happy Birthday!

And a Happy New Year, everyone.

I can't remember if it is the 21st anniversary of Marsha's 29th birthday, or the 29th anniversary of her 21st birthday. Either way, we all wish her the best.

"Everything gets better with age.
Except bananas."

(Betty White)


Have a happy 2006!

previous "H" - Haruka

Going to Grandma's House

Matt and I made a Christmas visit to Grandma and Grandpa McKenna'’s. Here we are crossing the mighty Hudson.










Over the bridge . . .


... and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go.















Matt and I were treated to a wonderful lunch, at Coco'’s, of course.

We were very lucky that baby Leah decided to visit her great grandparents, as well, and she brought along Erin and Pete, and her grandma.

What big eyes you have!













We stayed for dessert before heading back home.

yummmmmmmmmmmm!

We can'’t wait to visit again, soon. Merry Christmas Grandma and Grandpa!

Fa la la la la . . .

La la, la, la


It was a wonderful Christmas in Erial, and we were blessed, everyone.

Before Opening the Presents

Just one of the exciting gifts from Matt.

Can you say echidna, boys and girls?

Kristin, with her Christmas bow.

A mysterious night visitor?

Ah , is that a copy of Electric Landlady?

The latest in furry tree ornaments

Oooooooooh, finger puppets!










The aftermath. Christmas present vomit.








And sooooo much more. We will have to save tales of helicopters, parasites, poodle purses, reiki, and innumeracy for other days.

We hope your Christmas wishes all came true.

E is for Evil Dead

Today we pay homage to my favorite low budget horror movie. Three friends, and aspiring film makers, from Michigan thought that this would be a good way to break into the industry. They were right.

The movie was made for about $375,000 that they raised from friends, family, and local doctors, lawyers and dentists willing to risk money on some crazy kids. The ambitious three were writer/director Sam Raimi (Darkman, The Quick and the Dead, A Simple Plan, The Gift, and the Spiderman movies), RobTapert(producer of American Gothic, Hercules, and Xena,and frequent collaborator with Sam), and B movie favorite Bruce Campbell(author of "If Chins Could Kill").

Evil Dead was the premier example of "Splatstick" movies that combined horror and comedy. The sequels, Evil Dead II, and Army of Darkness added more humor, along with buckets of blood and gore. These films have inspired many other movie makers (I highly recommend Shaun of the Dead, an excellent splatstick film).

The original Evil Dead was renowned for its innovative camera work, like attaching the camera to a 2x4 and running through the woods, or crashing through a window, to simulate the approaching evil. The movie was often banned or censored, but eventually the investors and the movie makers proved to be successful.

D is for Delaware

As Captain Kirk said, "I'm from Iowa. I only work in space".

So we are from New Jersey. We only work in Delaware.


As you can see, our commute from the Garden State takes us almost exactly due west, which shows you how far south in South Jersey we are.


Delaware is the 49th state in size, although it was the first state to ratify the constitution. At its narrowest, it is about 16 miles wide. It is the home of tax free shopping, but they sock it to you in income taxes.

Delaware is also famous for its business friendly incorporation laws. You can't swing a dead cat in the city of Wilmington without hitting a bank. (Believe me, I've tried)

The state bird is the blue hen, a fighting chicken that revolutionary soldiers carried with them for amusement. When there is no TV, watching chickens kill each other can be a load of laughs.

The state marine animal is the horseshoe crab.






The state Macroinvertebrate is the Stonefly (really).

No picture available.

C is for CAI

That's not the C*I*A. CAI (Computer Aid, Inc.) is where Marsha and I, and for the past year Karen, and sometimes Matt, work. This weekend we enjoyed CAI's holiday party at the DuPont Country Club. Here are some photos from the phestivities.

This is the only shot I could find of Karen. Too bad you can't see how nice she looked.

Marsha and I towards the end of the party. Who's the designated driver?

Other party people. We were just waiting to see if we one any door prizes. No luck.

Enjoy your holiday parties - and drive safe.

B is for the Birds

God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages. ~Jacques Deval, Afin de vivre bel et bien

One of the simple joys of our life is watching the many birds that grace our neighborhood. We just brought our fourth feeder, a neat little job that sticks to the window. I hope the cats don't scare them all away. Actually, one of the reasons we like to feed the birds is the idea that it is like TV for felines.

I need to get better at photographing them at a distance, or maybe I need to get better at sneaking up on them. I want to get some close-up shots of the Gold Finches that love the thistle feeder, and of the Nuthatches eating suet upside down. Maybe by the time B rolls around again. . .

A is for Ambre

Here is the beautiful and talented Ambre (although I am not sure about that guy who is always crowding in on these pictures). She manages to charm, amuse, and beguile all those who meet her.

I would tell you of all of her wonderful feats and accomplishments, but I think I covered them all on her last birthday - she can send you the video tape. It is enough to say that she is a light of joy in a dark and troubled world. We love her dearly and wish her all the best.

Z is for Zappa

Musical genius, gadfly of American society, defender of free speech and the right of expression, scourge of the corporate mind-set, and owner of one of the best mustache-and-soul patch combinations ever displayed, there is no easy way to describe Frank Zappa.

He was a composer par excellence, whose works are performed by rock bands, jazz groups, and symphonic orchestras. He composed intricate pieces of multilayered sound that he would conduct on stage with a masterful hand. He also performed songs of social satire intended to amuse and offend everyone from American mothers, business men, and police, to hippies, druggies and groupies.

Above all he railed against mediocrity and conformity - whether he was deriding TV, or teenage rock star wannabes. And boy, could he play guitar.

Frank, you left us too soon.

Goodnight boys and girls.

Y is for Yule

And what would the season be without large dancing and singing elves. Yes, the jazzy elf on the left is our own Joseph, performing with the Timber Creek High School 'Voices of Jazz' at a past Christmas concert. This week, Joe and a bunch of TCHS alumni returned for the 2005 holiday concert and joined in with the singing of "Sleigh Ride".

But nothing will top the performance of "Santa Baby" shown here. Joe's pal Greg is Santa, and his hat kept falling off during the song. That didn't stop the elf-ettes from swooning over Santa and his helpers.

Happy Yule-tide everyone.

X is for Xena

Here is a picture of our favorite little bad cat that Marsha took on Christmas 2003. She has grown a little since then, but Xena still loves the Christmas tree. She knows we put it up just for her to play with. Why else would we hang all of those shiny cat toys on it? Nowadays, she usually just likes to hide under the tree, to chase ornaments or to surprise her friend Haruka.

Ho Ho Ho, everybody.

or meow, meow, meow.

W is for Waffles

Another great picture from Matt.

Happy breakfast everyone!




And keep up the good work Matt.

V is for Vapid

I looked up Vapid in two on-line dictionaries and they both used beer as examples in their definitions:

vap·id adj.

1. Lacking liveliness, animation, or interest; dull: vapid conversation.
2. Lacking taste, zest, or flavor; flat: vapid beer.

---

[Latin vapidus.]

---

va·pid n.
vap·id·ly adv.

vapid

adj 1: lacking taste or flavor or tang; "a bland diet"; "insipid hospital food"; "flavorless supermarket tomatoes"; "vapid beer"; "vapid tea" [syn: bland, flat, flavorless, flavourless, insipid, savorless, savourless] 2: lacking significance or liveliness or spirit or zest; "a vapid conversation"; "a vapid smile"; "a bunch of vapid schoolgirls"

I suddenly realized it was true! That was my brand! The Miller High-Life Lite that I buy ($11.99 for the 30 pack) is not just economical (i.e. cheap), it is vapid! Bland! Flat! Flavorless! Insipid! Savorless! Lacking significance, or spirit or zest! There it was, right in my glass! The perfect item for the letter "V".

... or I could use Marsha's description of it and save it for the letter "P".

U is for Universe

You've got to own your own universe
roll in the grass and kiss this earth
and keep my name on your mind
and my number in your wallet
for when you got the time

Wallet

written by Terri Hendrix
©1997 THM Music (BMI)

The words are by Terri Hendrix
and the picture is by Matt.

Own your own universe, everybody.

T is for Tree

Yes, the Christmas tree is up, thanks to Marsha - who does most of the decorating chores, and Matt - who saved Christmas. Again.

Here is the tree in its natural, nocturnal state - lighted to repel evil grinches. This does not, however, protect it from impious felines.

The holidays are in full swing here. We hope everyone else is enjoying the season.

S is for Sisters

Since the boys had R, it is only fitting that we use S to honor our older Sisters.

Although, I must admit, they really don't look older.

Big sisters, however, seem to have a special knack for, how should I put it?, irritating, or maybe tormenting, or, perhaps, just plain torturing younger siblings? It was for our own good, I am sure. After all, it is the younger sibling's duty to be as annoying as possible to their elders.

Ahh, the good old days.

But, as we have aged, our appreciation for these wonderful women has grown (or, maybe we just finally grew up).

Either way, Joan, Karen and Marie, we love you all.

R is for Richard and Robert

Today we salute big brothers.

Dick and Bob are both having birthdays in December, so this is a good time to show our appreciation.

Besides, we always like reminding them that we are soooooooooooo much younger!

It is tough to be the big brother - you are the role model for us, but we got away with things that you never could. We will always look up to you. Thanks!

Q is for Queen of the House

Here are two images of her highness, Haruka, looking most regal. These were both created by daughter Kristin from a photograph, using Photoshop. The first is an impasto image that simulates an oil painting. The other pencil sketch image was created as an earlier step.

I think that both pictures are amazing! Kudos to Kristin, and Long Live the Queen!

P is for Peanut

Peanut is just one of the may terms of affection that we use for Xena. The most common one is "Bad Cat", as in "Where's that Bad Cat now?", and "What is that Bad Cat doing?". She is also known as Zee, Bee, ZeeBee, and (primarily by Marsha) little peanut.

Right now, the little peanut is thrilled that we put up a Christmas tree, just for her! She uses it as a scratching post, a back scratcher, a place to climb, and occasionally, a place to hide so she can pounce on Haruka. She also is very grateful for the many ornaments that we hung on the tree for her to play with. Obviously, they are there for her to knock down, chase, and hoard under the tree.

Whatever the name, she certainly keeps us amused and on our toes.

O is for Owen

This is a picture of little Owen De Bellis from May 2005. I am sure that he has grown alot since then, and probably doesn't drool quite so much.

Owen loves balls of any shape or type, and he loves his dogs and his mother Callie and his father Jeff, and his grandparents Bob and Marie.

We hope we get to see you again soon, Owen

N is for NNNNNNG!

Which, as everybody knows, is what zombies say. This particular zombie is the product of the mind of son Matthew.

Happy Zombie Day, everyone!


NNNNNNG!!!!!!!!!!

M is for Marsha . . .

. . . and me.

My we look happy in this picture. I believe we were intoxicated. Why yes, of course, we were drunk on love!

Still, we make a lovely couple.

Marsha, you will always be my sweet baboo.

L is for Lily

Why not let the little animals have their day!

Lily is one of Kristin's three meeces. She enjoys letting them crawl around on her neck and shoulders (and she loves putting them on other people's necks, as well). They also help keep the cats amused.