New Years Eve Used To Be My Religious Ritual (The Best Party In The World)

Sixteen New Year Eves in a row, from December 31, 1976 to December 31, 1991, I used to do the same thing: go to the New Years Eve concert by Grateful Dead. It was the best. I mean, THE BEST. There was nothing like it. I’ll describe one of them for you, from 1982.

This was the final show of Grateful Dead’s annual five-show run, December 26, 27, 28, a day off, then 30 and finally the big New Years Eve show. Tickets were difficult to get, but we never had problems. We were part of what you could call a social network.

The shows were put on by Bill Graham, the best rock and roll concert promoter that ever lived. This was his home turf, and it was the home turf of the Dead as well. It was their night to party, not really work. Normally, Bill Graham was a very busy man at his concerts. But New Years Eve was different. This was the night when he would have a concert hall packed with six thousand Deadheads, and the band, as his own personal toy. It was his night to have fun, to let his subordinates run things so he could have fun and play with is magnificent toy. Each year there would be a sort of ritual, a pageant, a play, a presentation, whatever you would call it. It would always feature Bill, playing the central part of bringing in the New Year for the crowd. Often he would play the roll of “Father Time,” an old God-like figure representing the old year on the way out, to be replaced by the New Year at midnight. It was always spectacular! Each year would be different, and each year Bill and his company would try to out-do the previous.

There were a bunch of us that would come together each year. We’d sit together in a large group in the front of the balcony. We’d been doing this as a group for years, and by this time, our gang had grown to between fifty and seventy-five or so of us. We had our shit together!

In the days leading up to the concerts we would buy several cases of champagne. The bottles would be placed in a bathtub full of water until the label would soak off. They would be replaced with our own specially made up labels that would commemorate that particular concert and date (See four of those special bottles in the photo below). Glass, cans and alcohol are not allowed into concerts, of course, so we had to make special arrangements, pull strings, and have the champagne brought in for us through channels. That year we arranged to have the three or four cases placed in the coat-check room ahead of time for our later pick up. We would have a list made ahead of time for those who’d asked to have a bottle reserved. To keep the bubbly cold, we would place some chunks of dry ice in with it. The champagne would get cold without any melting ice that way. After the doors were opened people had found seats, etc. we would then retrieve the champagne and stash the cases under seats until midnight neared, when they’d be broken out and distributed along with plastic champagne glasses.

Let me describe the concert hall. It was medium sized, and held about six thousand people in the “general admission” style. A balcony ringed three sides of the room, with seating below the balcony as well. The main floor was left open, where it was packed by those on their feet. Actually, everyone in the concert pretty much stood, dancing around feverishly throughout the show. Up near the rafters of the building, all throughout the large room, hung giant plastic bags filled with thousands of large colorful balloons and heaps of confetti, suspended there, waiting for the appointed hour to be unleashed.

So … we’d have our large group, some of the best seats in the house, all sorts of interesting illegal intoxicants., and at midnight, cold champagne.

Not bad, huh?

And, we had Grateful Dead playing for us. There would be an opening act of some sort, but it was hard to pay to much attention to them. The Dead would typically come onstage at around 10 o’clock, and play for an hour and a half. They would then take an intermission, and the room would wait for that next half hour leading up to midnight with the house lights up, milling around in anticipation, getting stoned, smoking this, swallowing that, etc. As it neared midnight, the crowd would become restless, with shouts of “Happy New Year!,” or my favorite, “Happy F*^wzwx New Year!” ringing out. Those on the floor shuffled forward, packing the area in front of the stage. As the minutes tick off, the anticipation grows in intensity.

Suddenly, the lights go out, and a huge roar comes from the crowd. Spotlights stab out into the darkened room, the shafts of light collecting at a spot near the back of the hall. An “equipment truck,” mocked up and fashioned like sort of like a float you’d see in a parade, is revealed in the light. It’s decorated with all of the various forms of Grateful Dead icons, the skull and lightning bolt, the roses, taken from various posters, album covers, etc. from years past. The equipment truck begins to roll forward, the tightly packed crowd parting and giving way as it moves into the hall. The driver and his mate are flinging huge bunches of deep red roses carelessly into the crowd.

Suddenly, there’s a large explosion! The top of the equipment truck blows outward with a huge BANG!, a huge puff of white smoke, and colorful streamers, roses and confetti that would shower those nearby in the crowd. Suddenly, a human-sized butterfly, flapping his gigantic wings, emerges from the top of the truck into the collected beams of the spotlights! The butterfly was, of course, Bill Graham, playing with his magnificent toy! The butterfly was red, white and blue, the colors of the American flag, underlining the often red, white and blue imagery of the quintessential American rock and roll band. On the butterfly’s wings are the numbers: “1982.” The butterfly emerges, and flapping his wings rises above the crowd, up, up, up high above their heads! All the way up to near the ceiling!

The butterfly then begins his journey across the room towards the stage. The crowd of stoned hippie Deadheads is held spellbound, laughing, shouting, pointing, in disbelief, mesmerized at the weird, funny, psychedelic spectacle. More roses, hundreds of them, begin showering down from the catwalks up near the ceiling and into the crowd below. The butterfly travels the length of the room far over our heads and then begins his descent as the lights are softly brought up on the stage. There are a dozen dancing skeletons onstage, one of which is dressed in a diaper, wearing a sash, like a contestant in a beauty contest. The sash holds the number: “1983.” He’s the New Year, a baby in a diaper, albeit a baby made of bones. The baby is holding a huge butterfly net.

The house lights have now been brought up bright. The entire room is brightly lit. The butterfly is descending now, coming down to the stage to be captured in the net. As the butterfly nears the stage, the crowd begins the countdown. TEN! NINE!! EIGHT!!! SEVEN!!!! SIX!!!!! FIVE!!!!!! FOUR!!!!!!!! THREE!!!!!!!!! TWO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And as the butterfly arrives into the net …

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The band launches into its first song of the New Year. With the lights up bright throughout the room, the thousands of balloons, piles of confetti, and more and more roses drop into the crowd below. The room is filled with the sound of the band, and the sight of balloons bouncing in every direction. The stage is packed with the band’s friends, all dancing around, kicking balloons off into the crowd, smoking huge joints, drinking champagne. For those who are on psychedelic mushrooms or LSD, it’s sensory overload like none other! The crowd dances and dances and dances, batting balloons, kissing each other in the New Years tradition.

And in the midst of doing all of this, we drink our chilled champagne and toast the New Year!

This is how I spent my New Years Eves from 1976 through 1991.

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I wasn’t able to find photos of the specific concert I’ve described above, but I found some others that will give you at least some sense of the environment.

Happy New Years, everyone!

My Favorite Photographs Of 2009

During the last year I took literally thousands of photos, and at the time of this blog, I've posted 979 of them. (A couple dozen or so were taken by friends.)

These are the most satisfying to me. They're arranged chronologically. Hoverning your cursor over each picture, or clicking them to expand them, will reveal the date the photo was made.

What I Did For Christmas, 2009 (Photos)

That's me, of course, as Santa.

All photos by Candy unless otherwise noted.

A Completely Fictional Conversation With Wireclub Administration

This is a fictional conversation. It didn't actually happen. It's just a joke.

One more time:

IT'S JUST A JOKE!

Around My Place VI

These are photos that I took on my property between October 23 and December 3, 2009 (also one taken on June 16 and one taken October 9). They were originally posted in my photo gallery, and then as space ran out, moved over here to this blog. The comments shown below originally were attached to those photos. In some cases, the comments are disjointed. This is because as people delete their WireClub accounts, their comments leave with them.


Picture #01: Mt. George as seen from my porch
> glowingtoad says September 13: OMG can anyone else see the toad in the sky ????
> StuckInTheSixties says September 13: I see it! I see it!
> StarFlavored says September 13: i dont see it
> Karma says September 14: Huh?
> barnestorming_girl says September 14: It's a bird! no It's a plane! no It's a toad!!! lmfao

Picture #02: Grapevine leaf #1, this one in my neighbor Rugierro's vineyard
> Karma says October 10: How wide is it?
> StuckInTheSixties says October 10: If you spread out all of your fingers it would be just a tiny bit smaller than the size of your hand.
> Karma says October 10: Eve sized
> StuckInTheSixties says October 10: Different kind of leaf. Adam and Eve used fig leaves. You're flunking Bible studies, Karma! (laughs)
> Karma says October 10: Frankly, I don't give a figleaf.
> barnestorming_girl says October 11: lmao karma well said!

Picture #03: Fig leaf, used by Adam & Eve to cover up their naughty bits
> StuckInTheSixties says October 10: Hmm ... too many toes, I think. I think dinosaurs had bird like feet, three toes pointing forwards, one pointing backwards.
> Karma says October 10: "I think we need a bigger figleaf." Ooops, wrong movie.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 11: I like the structure of this leaf, all the little veins and such.

Picture #04: Late October sunset #01
> Outbackjack says November 01: Chemtrail??? Sorry mate couldnt resist.lol
> Karma says November 01: Beauty
> StuckInTheSixties says November 01: You like sunset photos, don'tcha Karma?
> Karma says November 01: Very much. They stir the heart.
> glowingtoad says November 02: beautiful stucky x

Picture #05: Late October sunset #02 (The white speck is a crescent moon.)
> Karma says November 01: Another great one

Picture #06: Late October sunset #3.
> Karma says November 01: Love the contrast
> StuckInTheSixties says November 01: It's a pastel.
> SABLES says November 02: very nice!

Picture #07: Late October sunset #4.
> Karma says November 01: Beautiful

Picture #08: Late October sunset #5.
> Karma says November 01: Jackrabbit? *See I can do the Hippy "See the animals in the clouds" thing too *
> StuckInTheSixties says November 01: Yeah, I can see the rabbit. He has very long ears.
> StuckInTheSixties says November 01: By the way, "hippy" is when you have a big ass. "Hippie" is when you see psychedelic animals in the clouds.
> glowingtoad says November 02: lol ! lovely pic x
> StuckInTheSixties says November 02: You have some lovely sunsets in your gallery too, ToadyMama!

Picture #09: A turkey vulture warms up after a drizzly morning
> barnestorming_girl says November 09: love it!
> StuckInTheSixties says November 09: The vulture was kind enough to pose for me.

Picture #10: Pretty leaves in my neighbor Rugierro's vineyard
> RUBY says November 16: nice colours
> StuckInTheSixties says November 16: I think so too.
> Angelmouse says November 16: Beautiful
> _Safira_ says November 16: purdy...
> Karma says November 16:
> barnestorming_girl says November 18: beautiful COLOURS lol
> StuckInTheSixties says November 18: Screw "U" ... so to speak.

Picture #11: Looking southeast from my property toward Mt. George
> RUBY says November 16: seems where i live
> StuckInTheSixties says November 16: The vineyard is the same one seen in my "Weekly Photo From My Porch"
> StuckInTheSixties says November 16: Nope. It's all privately owned property.
> barnestorming_girl says November 18: *sits on the porch with you drinking wine* enjoying the view
> StuckInTheSixties says November 18
That would be nice, Honey Bunny. But actually, this shot wasn't taken from the porch, but rather at another point on the property. I can kind of get this point of view from the porch, but I'm closer to trees, etc. which obscure more of the hills in the background. I'll probably be taking this particular shot more often now.

Picture #12: Sunlight at sunset reflecting off of my neighbors' barn
> lumu81 says November 23: WOW, awesome photo!
> barnestorming_girl says November 23: That photo is truly AWESOME
> Angelmouse says November 23: Is it wrong that this looks like the kind of barn that Leatherface would keep all his "tools" in?!
> _Safira_ says November 23: Surreal
> SABLES says November 23: wow amazing!
> barnestorming_girl says November 23: shall I storm this barn! lmfao
> StuckInTheSixties says November 23: Note the "raptor house" fitted into the opening near the top. It's for owls or hawks. Vintners set those up in their vineyards. Rodent control, I suppose.
> Karma says November 23: Fantastic!

Picture #13: Sunset photo taken from my porch #1
> Karma says December 03: Nice

Picture #14: Sunset photo taken from my porch #2
> Karma says December 03: I love sunsets

Picture #15: Sunset photo taken from my porch #3
> Karma says December 03: Beautiful
> Angelmouse says December 04: Gorgeous!
> barnestorming_girl says December 04: I agree with both comments

Picture #16: Sunset photo taken from my porch #4
> Angelmouse says December 04: Love the shilouetted trees
> StuckInTheSixties says December 05: The only problem is that the road on which I live is directly to the west of me, and you can see the power lines that run along that road. Because of those lines I've compromised many sunset shots, leaving out the best, most rich colors because they're down there at the bottom of the picture with the lines in the way. In some of the other shots, I've pointed the camera to the southwest, where there are trees free of those irksome power lines, but that direction doesn't provide the best colors. (laughs) Wow. Poor me.

Picture #17: Sunset photo taken from my porch #5
> missteree7 says December 04: Thats a fierce sunset.
> barnestorming_girl says December 04: awesome photo darling

Picture #18: Sunset photo taken from my porch #6
> _Safira_ says December 03: Red sky at night...
> Karma says December 03: A great series
> Bell214 says December 05: I can only say: Wow! Spectacular!

Picture #19: My neighbors' cat is hunting. S/he does this every day.
> lumu81 says November 23: here kitty kitty kitty
> barnestorming_girl says November 23: damn it's blackie!!! lol
> _Safira_ says November 23: It's Blackie?!! omg!!
> Karma says November 23:

Picture #20: Mt. George and surrounding hills; the vineyard is that shown in my Weekly Photo From My Porch pics
> RUBY says November 29: nice seems familiar to me
> barnestorming_girl says November 30: beautiful darling
> StuckInTheSixties says December 05: Thanks Darling!

Pictures #21: A full moon rises through the trees
> Karma says December 03: Hope it doesn't get stuck.
> Angelmouse says December 04: LOL Karma - i love it!
> barnestorming_girl says December 04: lmfao @ karma's comment! great photo. love it!

Picture #22: More leaves in my neighbor Rugierro's vineyard
> barnestorming_girl says November 30: pretty COLOURS!!
> StuckInTheSixties says December 05: COLORS.

Picture #23: Leaves on the grapevines in my neighbor Rugierro's vineyard (#1 of five)
> Bell214 says December 14 (6 days ago): So beautiful ... as if Monet painting come to life.

Picture #24: Leaves on the grapevines in my neighbor Rugierro's vineyard (#2 of five)
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Picture #25: Leaves on the grapevines in my neighbor Rugierro's vineyard (#3 of five)
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Picture #26: Leaves on the grapevines in my neighbor Rugierro's vineyard (#4 of five)
> Karma says December 06: Love the texture of these leaf photos

Picture #27: Leaves on the grapevines in my neighbor Rugierro's vineyard (#5 of five)
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Around Napa Valley VI

These are photos that I took around Napa Valley, where I live, between September 30 and November 25, 2009. They were originally posted in my photo gallery, and then as space ran out, moved over here to this blog. The comments shown below originally were attached to those photos. In some cases, the comments are disjointed. This is because as people delete their WireClub accounts, their comments leave with them.


Picture #01: Railroad tracks going westward #1
> Angelmouse says November 08: I can see that little flower down there...........
> StuckInTheSixties says November 08: Yeah, I like that too! It's a California Poppy.
> _Safira_ says November 08: I quite like this pic
> barnestorming_girl says November 09: I love this photo
> StuckInTheSixties says November 09: Thank you ladies!

Picture #02: Railroad tracks going westward #2 (note the rolling hills/vineyards in the background)
> Angelmouse says November 08: Behind you!!! Seriously, i really like this
> StuckInTheSixties says November 08: (laughs)
> barnestorming_girl says November 09: lmfao @ angels comment! I love this to Take away the water and the green and it would be Australia!!well SA at the moment! lol
> StuckInTheSixties says November 09: The water area is actually kind of interesting. It's what is called "wetlands." It's sort of a giant sponge, or filter. Water drains out of the valleys and hills of the areas down to the bay, and where the rivers and streams empty, there are these very shallow flat wet areas where the water spreads out. There are tiny plants, algae, bacteria, etc. that feed on things in that water, and it acts like a filter and strains out much of the weird stuff that pollutes the bay. Unfortunately, since this area has become populated, the vast majority of the edges of San Pablo and adjoining San Francisco Bays have been "filled" and built upon, destroying much of the bays' ability to cleanse themselves. When it was realized how valuable these wetlands were, those remaining were saved. It's still a political and economic struggle to keep them. Along with these areas being the natural filter, they also are sanctuaries for quite a lot of water fowl, fish, and other animals.

Picture #03: Railroad tracks going eastward with drawbridge.
> barnestorming_girl says November 09: darling your photos are perfect love them
> StuckInTheSixties says November 09: Thank you Honey Bunny! I love it when I come across something as simple as a railroad crossing that calls out to me to stop and use the camera.

Picture #04: Beat up old Chevy hot rod for sale #1
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Picture #05: Beat up old Chevy hot rod for sale #2
> Angelmouse says November 08: For sale? Buy it buy it buy it!!!
> StuckInTheSixties says November 08: (laughs) I'll stick with my Toyota Corolla.

Picture #06: Beat up old Chevy hot rod for sale #3
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Picture #07: Vegetable/herb garden for the VERY expensive/exclusive French Laundry restaurant in Yountville #1
> StuckInTheSixties says November 08: French Laundry is a super exclusive restaurant. Meals there are approximately $250 per person (wine costs extra), and it generally requires a reservation a year or more in advance. It's quite famous for those who enjoy the experience of this sort of thing. They have their own garden across the street from their location in the small, posh town of Yountville in Napa Valley.
> Outbackjack says November 08: EEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!
> Karma says November 08: Well at least you get your clothes laundered for that price too.
> barnestorming_girl says November 09: ummm I'm just thinking of how many dogs shit in there! ewww lol
> StuckInTheSixties says November 09: (laughs) Barnsie, yer nuts! No laundry service at French Laundry. But supposedly there's a sort of ritual in the way the various courses of meals are served there. It's like a performance or something. And the food is supposed to be peerless. For those who can afford such a thing, it's supposed to be an unforgetable experience.

Picture #08: Vegetable/herb garden for the VERY expensive/exclusive French Laundry restaurant in Yountville #2
> barnestorming_girl says November 09: That does look beautiful thou
> StuckInTheSixties says November 09: (smiles) Hence, the photos!

Picture #09: Vegetable/herb garden for the VERY expensive/exclusive French Laundry restaurant in Yountville #3
> Karma says November 08: If you break off a sprig of parsley they could get you for Grand Theft.
> StuckInTheSixties says November 09: They could, but it's a pretty mellow scene. They took the small parcel of property here and turned a little chunk of it adjacent to the street and sidewalk into a sort of park, with benches, trees and such. So I think they'd tolerate that sprig of parsley. Might cause some consternation, though, if you started filling bushels of tomatoes or something.

Picture #10: Pretty autumn colors
> PTBO52 says October 25: Just as beautiful as ours!
> StuckInTheSixties says October 25: (laughs) It's a non-native decorative tree in someone's front yard.
> Karma says October 26: Wow
> PTBO52 says October 26: Could be a maple or oak tree?
> SABLES says October 26: maple.... beautiful my favorite time of year
> StuckInTheSixties says October 26: Actually, this isn't a maple (although I have a photo of a maple elsewhere in my gallery). This picture doesn't have enough definition to show, but the leaves on this tree are shaped differently. And it's definitely not an oak.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 26: It took a few minutes of pokin' around online to find that this tree is a Cimmaron Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Cimmzam). I love Google!
> barnestorming_girl says October 27: beautiful but it's COLOURS!!!
> StuckInTheSixties says October 27: Pppfffbbbttt!

Picture #11: This is what happens when you breed cows and pandas.
> Angelmouse says November 08: LOL, they are a breed called Belted Galloways. Nice cows
> StuckInTheSixties says November 08: Thanks to the resident Wireclub bovine expert.
> _Safira_ says November 08: mmmmm steak on legs
> SABLES says November 08: lol SITS
> Karma says November 08: Woolly buggers.
> barnestorming_girl says November 09: ummm roast! lol
> StuckInTheSixties says November 13: (shrugs) I have no idea what that means ...

Picture #12: Sorry for the crappy quality of the pic; it's beyond the capacity of my cheezy camera
> Karma says November 16: Cool
> StuckInTheSixties says November 16: Nice bird, crappy photo. (shrugs) What the hell ...
> barnestorming_girl says November 18: nice bird, good photo, Dead tree! lol
> StuckInTheSixties says November 18: I repeat ... Nice bird, crappy photo. Niceness of the bird supersedes the crappiness of the photo.

Picture #13: This decorative Maple tree caught my eye
> Karma says November 16: I'd tap that.
> StuckInTheSixties says November 16
Scuff yer knuckles ...
> barnestorming_girl says November 18: That's gorgeous
> StuckInTheSixties says November 18: No, it's gorgeos ... no wait ... crap, you got me on that one ...

Picture #14: Crimson leaves on a decorative Maple tree in a Napa neighborhood
> barnestorming_girl says November 23: I love the colour in that tree absolutely beautiful
> Angelmouse says November 23: That is totally stunning
> _Safira_ says November 23: it
> SABLES says November 23: beautiful
> StuckInTheSixties says November 23: I was driving past and this tree caught my eye.
> Raven says November 23: WOW
> Karma says November 23: WoW
> Bell214 says November 26: What an explosion of colours! Fantastic!

Picture #15: A persimmon tree, which produce fruit quite late in the season
> _Safira_ says November 23: Yummmmm I love these...'cept we call them Fuji fruit
> StuckInTheSixties says November 23: I had stopped to photograph the the crimson Maple you can see to the left, and this tree also caught my eye.

Picture #16: Milliken Creek, looking north from the Atlas Peak Rd bridge
> _Safira_ says November 23: That almost looks like wild raspberry growing there. Bit unclear for me to tell though. Is it?
> SABLES says November 23: such beautiful shots SITS!
> StuckInTheSixties says November 23: They're wild Blackberries. They grow profusely in California. They're really intrusive, and very difficult to get rid of once they put down roots.
> barnestorming_girl says November 23: beautiful darling
> Karma says November 23: Excellent

Picture #17: Milliken Creek, looking south from the Atlas Peak Road bridge
> Angelmouse says November 23: That could be round here - i like it
> Karma says November 23: Very pretty

Picture #18: Ripples in the water of Milliken Creek
> Angelmouse says November 23: I really really like this
> StuckInTheSixties says November 23: I like the waviness of it. I might go back there, toss a rock in the water, and artificially induce bigger ripples to shoot.
> barnestorming_girl says November 23: awesome photo darling love it
> Karma says November 23: LOVE IT!

Picture #19: A Cimmaron Ash tree with autumn colors in a Napa neighborhood
> barnestorming_girl says November 23: beautiful colours darling
> Angelmouse says November 23: This is why autumn is my favourite season!
> SABLES says November 23: mine too
> StuckInTheSixties says November 23
I was driving down a main road and caught a flash of color up a side street, so I went around the block and found this tree.
> Karma says November 23: Nice

Picture #20: Another variety of Cimarron Ash in the parking lot of a local restaurant
> Angelmouse says November 23: Purple...........just gorgeous!
> _Safira_ says November 23: ooh I like this one!. I don't think we have this tree.
> StuckInTheSixties says November 23: This appears to be the same kind of tree as the brighter ones that I've photographed. The leaves are structually the same. I think they're all varieties of the same thing.
> barnestorming_girl says November 23: beautiful darling
> Karma says November 23: Love the fall colors.

Picture #21: Tall and stately Oak trees
> Angelmouse says November 23:

One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil and of good,
Than all the ages can.
- William Wordsworth, The Tables Turned

> SABLES says November 23: ever wonder what they have witnessed in their lifetime?
> Karma says November 23: Even the mightiest oak started out as a little nut like me

Picture #22: Wild maple leaves along side of Milliken Creek
> RUBY says November 29: trying to find a 4 leaf clover..hahaha
> barnestorming_girl says November 30: lovely photo darling
> lumu81 says November 30: Is it just me, or do they look similiar to another sort of leaf????
> StuckInTheSixties says December 05: Yep, they do. Some varieties of Maple, especially the decorative Asian types, have leaves that look VERY much like that other leaf.

Picture #23: I have no idea what the meaning of this is ...
> _Safira_ says November 29: lol cute halloween display How's the size of those pumpkins?!!
> StuckInTheSixties says November 29: The picture was taken November 18, well after Halloween. I think it's some sort of harvest-themed, semi-Thanksgiving thing. To give you scale, the pumpkin second from the left is perhaps just a tiny bit bigger than a basketball.
> barnestorming_girl says November 30: lol it's cute thou!
> lumu81 says November 30: They are some huge pumpkins!
> StuckInTheSixties says December 05: Largest pumpkin in the year 2009, grown by Christy Harp of Jackson Township, Ohio, weighed in at 1725 pounds/782.28 kilos. It was a little bit bigger than any of those.

Picture #24: Looking straight up into a decorative Maple in the parking lot of a local funeral parlor
> _Safira_ says November 29: Oh wow!! That's absolutely beautiful!
> StuckInTheSixties says November 30: I was pretty happy with this picture.
> barnestorming_girl says November 30: I really love this photo darling
> lumu81 says November 30: gorgeous!
> Karma says December 02: Just great!
> Bell214 says December 05: Marvellous! Looks like the tree is on fire with the sun shining through the leaves ...

Picture #25: The use of "patriotism" for commercial gain; #1 of three
> _Safira_ says December 03: lol...patriotic much? When its Australia Day and ppl put our flag on their car..I think to myself..what a tosser lol
> Karma says December 03: Are they American made cars?
> StuckInTheSixties says December 04: (laughs) Here's a statement of sorts: The dealership is Napa Chrysler Dodge Jeep Volvo Kia. I remembered Jeep, so I Googled "Jeep retailer" along with my postal zip code. The dealership came up, but it's completely geared to selling Volvos. Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep is struggling to remain alive, and had to be bailed out by the taxpayers. Volvo and Kia are apparently healthy companies. I noted at the time I took the photos that a bunch of the cars with flags on them were used Japanese and Korean cars. Am I the only one who finds this all at least a little bit ironic?
> Angelmouse says December 04: LOL, not at all!
"Blackadder: Baldrick, have you no idea what irony is?
Baldrick: Yes, it's like goldy and bronzy only it's made out of iron."
> StuckInTheSixties says December 05: (laughs)
> Karma says December 06: HA!

Picture #26: The use of "patriotism" for commercial gain; #2 of three
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Picture #27: The use of "patriotism" for commercial gain; #3 of three
> _Safira_ says December 03: That looks kinda cool tho...the synchronicity.
> StuckInTheSixties says December 03: That was a big reason for my shooting the pictures. I figured that these pictures would make some sort of "statement" about the mixture of "patriotism" and commercialism, something poignantly and quintessentially American in nature, and I was fascinated with the symmetry, the flags in a line. The owner of the auto dealership stood in the window of his showroom, hands sternly on hips, watching me, and undoubtedly wondering what the heck this weird dude was doing in his car lot. (laughs)
> barnestorming_girl says December 04: love it!

Various Previously Posted Pictures I

As my Picture Gallery fills up and nears or reaches the maximum of two hundred images, rather than simply deleting older pictures in lieu of newer ones, I shift them over here to reside in blogs. This is a collection of various pictures and photos that don’t really fit in any of the specific categories I've used in the past.

I’ve also included the comments that were attached to them. Some of these comments will seem a bit disjointed because the continuity between comments has been interrupted as the people who left them deleted their accounts, taking the comments with them.


Picture #01: Can you guess what this image is? (#1)
> Cornelius Focker says May 03: a flame?
> GuyfromEtown says May 17: A weather balloon?
> fairy says June 19: candle flame in flick of iso mode of time when u clicked it flicked n u mislicked the fame lol!lol!
> fairy says June 19: oooorrrrr hahaha...cud be smoking up...lol!...don't lick the ashtray after the click.....that was quick lol!
> barnestorming_girl says July 06: I'll keep thinking!! But it looks like and x-ray held up against a light?

Picture #02: Can you guess what this image is? (#2)
> and then she said says May 03: Aimed your camera through your door's peephole? Or clown dentures.
> ThatGirl says May 03: Smirky... have you been dabbling in illegal substances?
> barnestorming_girl says May 04: omg darling. can i have what your drinking!!!! lmao
> Fairweatherfriend says May 05: An amoeba
> Cornelius Focker says May 30: a lit up candle?
> Clinton3000 says June 14: is it teeth in some strange photo defect?
> fairy says June 19: melted wax of a candle????tell me otherwise i won't sleep for hundred yrs lol!
> barnestorming_girl says July 06: Is it a torch light reflecting off a mirror?
> StuckInTheSixties says July 06: No, Honey Bunny. But that's closer than anyone else's guess. It's not likely that anyone will guess, because the answer is a little peculiar. But I think you deserve this much of a hint: It's a reflection of some sort.
> niamhis says September 08: hmmmm kinda looks liek and eye
> _Safira_ says November 11: your eye, through a magnifying glass or spectacles but taken in the dark on a mirror?
> StuckInTheSixties says November 11: (laughs) Wow! What a complex guess! None of these guesses are even close. Well, not VERY close, anyway. Consider that an unhelpful hint.

Picture #03: For PTB052!
> PTBO52 says May 07: That's the Toronto group I was talking about yes!!!
> StuckInTheSixties says May 07: (smiles) I thought you'd like that!
> RocktheFlaminCowboy says May 08: The Anvil experience. Sounds heavy!

Picture #04: Wide view showing San Quentin Prison and Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
> PTBO52 says May 16: Really awesome picture!!
> barnestorming_girl says May 16: totally frikken awesome
> missteree7 says May 16: Oooooohhhhh that will teach me at looking at pics out of order. What a view!!!
> StuckInTheSixties says May 16: These three "San Quentin" oriented photos are just a few taken from my "MY BIG OVER-DONE MT. TAMALPAIS PROJECT, AND HOW TO SEE IT” blog. To get to it, go to my blog, see “A GUIDE TO MY BLOG”, scroll down just a little ways, and you’ll find the blog entry, with a link that will take you directly to the SITS_Mt_Tam1 account profile, and the project, with its 227 photos.
: jungboy says May 27: nice

Picture #05: San Quentin and Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
> PTBO52 says May 16: Isn't it funny how you get a picture in your mind about something yet when you see it for real, its totally different? I pictured the PEN was totally way out in the middle of no where without any houses near by!
> barnestorming_girl says May 16: I have to agree with PTB there!! awesome pic darling
> StuckInTheSixties says May 16: Somewhere around 200,000 autos pass within a mile of San Quentin every day.
> missteree7 says May 16: That is the longest bridge i have ever seen... and it goes to San Quentin?
> StuckInTheSixties says May 16: Optical illusion, I think, missteree. It's 5.5 miles / 8.85 kilometers in length. These three "San Quentin" oriented photos are just a few taken from my "MY BIG OVER-DONE MT. TAMALPAIS PROJECT, AND HOW TO SEE IT” blog. To get to it, go to my blog, see “A GUIDE TO MY BLOG”, scroll down just a little ways, and you’ll find the blog entry, with a link that will take you directly to the SITS_Mt_Tam1 account profile, and the project, with its 227 photos.

Picture #06: For Mousie: San Quentin (see her blog "Cashness"
> PTBO52 says May 16: There is a bridge going to it now???
> StuckInTheSixties says May 16: Richmond-San Rafael Bridge
> barnestorming_girl says May 16: wow that's awesome! really is!
> PTBO52 says May 16: I never knew! When was it built?
> StuckInTheSixties says May 16: The bridge: 1962. The prison: 1852.
> PTBO52 says May 16: See; who says Wireclub isn't educational lol
> StuckInTheSixties says May 16: These three "San Quentin" oriented photos are just a few taken from my "MY BIG OVER-DONE MT. TAMALPAIS PROJECT, AND HOW TO SEE IT” blog. To get to it, go to my blog, see “A GUIDE TO MY BLOG”, scroll down just a little ways, and you’ll find the blog entry, with a link that will take you directly to the SITS_Mt_Tam1 account profile, and the project, with its 227 photos.

Picture #07: A poker simulation program - look at the hand I got!
> lumu81 says June 24: well done!!!!!
> PTBO52 says June 24: One in a Million lol
> StuckInTheSixties says June 24: Luck of the draw. Look at my stack. With over 90% of the chips in my stack, only two opponents left, and those two hole cards, it was a no brainer "all-in" for both me, and "Steve" was forced in. And get the irony of this: Look at "Steve's" hole cards. He was forced in with the worst possible cards you can play in Hold 'em. Two hands later I knocked off "Christa" and won the virtual tournament.
> ThatGirl says June 24: Noice Smirkinator... Very noice...
> StuckInTheSixties says June 24: Actual odds: 1 in 649,740
> StuckInTheSixties says June 24: And what the hell accent is "noice"?
> Karma says June 25: I've never gotten a royal flush. Except when playing with girls who do those "Wild Card" games.
> StuckInTheSixties says June 25: Wild cards SUCK! They skew the odds of hands. If you make, for example, deuces wild, it changes the likelyhood of getting three of a kind to being better then getting two pair. Screws the game up. The only "good" wild cards do it to make it SEEM as if you get more interesting play. Having a hand go down where two different people battle it out while holding simple pairs is as interesting as a hand where an artificially induced straight is beaten by an artificially induced flush. Wild cards are for rubes.
> Karma says June 25: Right. That's why all my gambling is done at the Three Card Monty table.
> barnestorming_girl says June 26: awesome
> bunny_brainz says October 18: NIIIICE.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 18: I'll likely never see a royal flush again, in real life or on a computer (the odds are the same either way). I'm glad I knew how to make the PrintScreen.

Picture #08: (no caption)
> JassyJas says June 28: and mine too. actually, the next time i have to use those, will be a dream! i cant wait to get my own apartment again
> StuckInTheSixties says June 28: I just posted the pic, so she hasn't seen it yet. She'll probably barf when she does ...
> Crayon. says June 28: Hahaha! love it..Gah! That reminds me.. i need some boxes...
> fairy says June 28: lol!.................want some help??? i can esily fit in in those boxes......lol!if u do not mind extra baggage..lol!
> ThatGirl says June 28: Smirky... you're lucky I love you so much... or I'd be stabbing you with a fork right now... *sits in the corner and rocks back and forth mumbling 'boxes.... damned boxes... boxes everywhere...'*
> StuckInTheSixties says June 28: *fends off the fork with an empty cardboard box*

Picture #09: If veronica and I had a son, this is what he’d look like in the year 2065.
> veronica says June 30: lol im laughing my head off a stock and v hybrid
> JassyJas says June 30: whoa *laughs*
> barnestorming_girl says June 30: lmfao so cute!!!!!
> StuckInTheSixties says June 30: Fun with Microsoft Paint! I did a little job on Jas, too, but she hasn't posted the pic ...
> veronica says June 30: i ment stuck not stock my u is stuck dang never eat near the keyboard ,
> ThatGirl says June 30: bahahahahahahahahahahahaha
> Karma says June 30:
> veronica says July 01: it looks as though im a pregnant bearded lady from one of those traveling carnivals
> JassyJas says July 01: lol @ v stuck: i was pose to post that
> StuckInTheSixties says July 01: I was hoping you would, Jas!
> Biff_DeBoffe says July 01: I'd boff her ... him ... whatever ...
> Babycool says July 25: Your so damn clever SITS. Im so impressed. I kno nothing about computers. Basically i just press the button and hope to hell it works. Lol And V. I kno what you mean. My space button has food stuck in it and now i get more space than i need. lol.
> StuckInTheSixties says July 25: veronica is the one who's really good with Paint. Look several comments upward at the beautiful picture she did of Karma!

Picture #10: Golden Gate Bridge sitting under a layer of fog, shot from Marin Headlands
> PTBO52 says July 19: Good shot for a horror movie!
> Karma says July 19: I love San Francisco. i want to visit again.
> barnestorming_girl says July 19: awesome photo!
> Audi says July 26: id love to San Francisco. it seems like a cool place
> StuckInTheSixties says July 26: I love having it close. I'd never want to actually live there.

Picture #11: Golden Gate Bridge from the Marin Headlands - fog is beginning to dissapate
> PTBO52 says July 19: Looks like Nova Scotia.
> StuckInTheSixties says July 19: I was fairly content with this picture. Not technically, because the foreground is far too dark. Limitations of the camera. But because of the way it shows the fog in a very defined sort of stream coming through the Golden Gate. It's a peculiar phenomenon we tend to take for granted. Many times, along the coast, the temperature will be cool enough so that fog forms. Away from the coast, it's much warmer, and the fog dissolves. There at the Golden Gate (the name of that gap that the bridge crosses), it's the doorway between the coast and inland. Often, the fog will form into a sort of stream, and be sucked into the inland through this opening as the air inland warms and rises, creating a sort of vacuum effect. The stream will come through the Gate, move up San Pablo Bay and extend out into the Central Valley a little way before it dissolves. It's very peculiar looking. Also, you can be heading north or south toward the bridge, and as soon as you get to it, be enveloped in thick white fog, and the moment you reach the other side of the bridge, you pop back into bright warm sunshine. It's pretty cool!
> Doodsy says July 19: What a great photo mate.....I'm dyin to go to SF.

Picture #12: Shot from San Francicso - the fog has completely burned away now
> PTBO52 says July 19: How often do they paint the bridge and what year did it collapse?
> StuckInTheSixties says July 19: (laughs) I suspect that Mousie has been hitting on Wikipedia. Regarding the painting: As someone who has gone crossed that bridge more times than I could possibly remember, I can tell you that I've never seen a time when there wasn't evidence of ongoing painting. It's ALWAYS in the process of being painted. There is an ongoing debate as to whether or not measures should be taken to make it impossible, or at least very difficult, to make the big jump, and if so, what should be done. Personally, I'd hate to see them do anything structurally, that would change the appearance. The Golden Gate Bridge has collapsed many times ... in movies. Perhaps PTB052 is confusing this bridge with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which was structurally and visually quite similar to the Golden Gate, and which collapsed quite dramatically, and captured on film doing so. The designers of that bridge had failed to take into consideration that a 42 mph/67 kph wind would "resonate" the bridge and cause something called an "aeroelastic flutter." If you haven't ever seen this film, do yourself a big favor and google "tacoma narrows bridge collapse," which will give provide you with a number of YouTube links showing the film. You can see the bridge doing things that it doesn't seem possible for a bridge to do. It's gotta be seen to be believed!
> PTBO52 says July 19: That,s the bridge I was talking about. I have seen the film. Its unbelievable. As far as the suicides, they would still find a way no matter what.

Picture #13: I saw this concert last night
> StuckInTheSixties says August 17: Bruce Hornsby ( Most of you have never heard of him. ) is a consummate pianist, singer, songwriter and musician. While there's plenty of his stuff on YouTube, you really can't get the gist of what he's about unless you've seen him in concert. Those YouTube clips will certainly show him doing songs and such, but they won't show that he bases his concerts on audience requests. Before the concert, audience members will drop their requests onto the stage, and he'll come out, shuffle through the requests, and play whatever strikes him. He likes to take chances, play songs that he hasn't played in a long time. The audience knows he likes a challenge, so they often will give him weird requests, like asking him to blend to unrelated songs together, or to play something in a completely different key, things like that. He'll be playing a song, and suddenly drift of into ... almost anything, Gershwin ... Mozart ... Miles Davis ... Grateful Dead ... Pink Floyd ... anything ... and then dissolve back into the song again ... and then suddenly go into something else ... or just start changing the lyrics ... or do almost anything. He does ANYTHING but a canned, planned and executed performance. He takes risks, and figuratively, works without a net. He's an amazing keyboard technician. When I got the tickets, I was able to look at the seating chart in this tiny theater, figure out how the piano would be set up on stage, and chose seats (5th row! Not bad!) that would give us a great view of his hands on the keyboard. The tickets, at $80, were a little pricey, but worth every cent.
> StuckInTheSixties says August 17: (laughs) The concert was last night. (See the caption directly under the picture.) It was, of course, a fantastic show. I've seen him a few times before, with his band, and in larger venues, but this time he was solo, only himself, and in a very small theater.
> barnestorming_girl says August 17: waaaahoooooooooooo I would of loved to have been there with you..
> StuckInTheSixties says August 17: I think you'd have loved it. For one thing, he's VERY funny. He actually performed a song I requested, called "What The Hell Happened." Here's the lyrics:
Look at my mama
Look at my pop
Look at my brother
Making them little girls' jaws drop
Look at my sister
So beautiful to see
What the hell happened to me?

Got a big-ass nose
Fat gaps in my teeth
Hair coming out of my ears
And big old stinky feet
I swear the girl at the gate
Just gagged when I gave her my I.D.
What the hell happened to me?

What the hell happened
I wish I knew
What the hell happened
Not so much I can do

Got Gable and Lombard
For a mom and a dad
Got a brother braggin'
'Bout all the ass he's had
Must've been stuck in the shallow end of the pool of genes
What the hell happened to me?

What the hell happened
I wish I knew
What the hell happened
Not so much I can do
> StuckInTheSixties says August 17: I just posted a photo of my written request that I took at the same time I photographed the tickets during the afternoon before the show.
> PTBO52 says August 17: "That's Just the Way It Is" my fav.!!
> StuckInTheSixties says August 17: It's a great song. That jerk Sean Hannity used to use it as the introductory music on his radio show until Bruce put a stop to it.
> Karma says August 23: Cool

Picture #14: This was my request to Bruce Hornsby.
> StuckInTheSixties says August 17: He didn't play "Heir Gordon," but he did everything else. It was really, really weird, and really, really good.
> barnestorming_girl says August 17: awesome really really awesome!
> StuckInTheSixties says August 17: BG, read my comment. Two comments about yours.
> PTBO52 says August 17: Is he still with "the Range?"
> StuckInTheSixties says August 17: No, I don't think he has a specific band anymore.
> Karma says August 23:

Picture #15: Sunday comics
> StuckInTheSixties says September 08: This is for marymary and anyone who commented on her "My Official Stance On Religion" blog from a few months back.
> Karma says September 08:

Picture #16: Sarah Silverman as her name was read just prior to not winning an Emmy
> StuckInTheSixties says September 20: I'm watching it here on the West Coast as I type. NO SPOILERS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!! (laughs)
> StuckInTheSixties says September 20: (laughs) That small spoiler was worth this laugh! It was my fault for not thinking to include the "no spoilers please" when I posted it. Curses, geography!
> StuckInTheSixties says September 21: The program is well over now. No worries about spoilers anymore.

Picture #17: Posted for Karma; Comic by Tom Meyer, for San Francisco Chronicle
> Karma says October 10
If I had 6 months, I'd visit all the US National Parks.

Picture #18: (no caption)
> Karma says October 28: So all the traffic is mostly only one direction at any given time?
> StuckInTheSixties says October 28: It goes in where that arrow points in the morning, reverses in the evening. Now it all has to go onto one of the other bridges you can see in the map.
> Karma says October 28: So if most of the traffic is one way, why not open all lanes in one direction and switch mid-day to ease congestion? I know this isn't s solution to the current bridge closure problem, just a general question.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 28: Because there's a significant flow in either direction at any particular time. They actually do something like that with the Golden Gate Bridge. That bridge was built in such a way that it can only have a single deck, and that deck can only accomodate a total of six lanes. So in the morning, four of those six are inbound, in the evening, it reverses.
> Karma says October 28: Good idea.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 28: It works, but not with consequences. The bridge is only so wide, barely enough for the six lanes. And seperating the two opposing streams of traffic are what they call "cones." They're actually rubberish cylindrical shaped things. The pavement has small steel lined holes seperating each lane, and at one point early in the morning, a crew goes out there in special vehicles, and manually, one at a time, drops these rubberized cones into each of those hundreds of holes, to provide a visual marker to seperate the lanes that won't rip your car apart should you stray into one of them. But those things don't prevent a car from running through into the path of oncoming traffic. So every now and then, there will be a wreck on the bridge, where a car is thrown across into the oncoming traffic, and it often results in horrible accidents with fatalities. continued ...
> StuckInTheSixties says October 28: Because of that, there is one faction of activists who have long been pushing for a "solid, movable barrier". A good idea, but there's one problem: The space is already so tight, and each lane is VERY narrow already. The cones are no thicker than the width of the dotted lines seperating lanes, but if you add the thickness of the solid, movable barrier, it further constricts the space, and would cause each of the lanes to have to be squeezed beyond the limits of tolerance. Studies indicate that squeezing those lanes enough to accomodate the solid, movable barrier would cause more accidents with fatalities than it would prevent. The accidents would be smaller, less dramatic, but FAR more numerous. It's a matter of numbers. The only way to do it would be to sacrifice one of those six lanes, yet another unacceptable "fix." So we live with it the way it is, and with a reduced speed limit on the bridge, and VERY expensive fines if you get cited for exceeding the speed limit.
> Karma says October 28: My solution is better. Mornings - all lanes one direction. Afternoon - reverse it. Let those "swimming upstream" use other bridges. Inconvenient for them? Yes. But better for the community as a whole.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 28: That would only benefit the community as a whole if it was planned for at a time before multitudes of people already had lives and jobs dependant on it not being that way. If you just said, "Okay. That's how it is now. Tough shit.", thousands and thousands of people would suddenly have their one-hour commute (twice a day) turn into 3 hour commutes (twice a day).
> Karma says October 28: And the majority would have the communte dramatically shortened. The great thing about people is how we adapt. Look at the situation now. The bridge is completely closed. Has San Francisco shut down? No. If the bridge fell into the bay, would people still go on wioth their lives and work and play? Yes.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 28: This current problem is temporary. I'll be over in a day or two, or three ... whatever. But you're talking about essentially throwing hundreds of thousands of people out of work. Even if you gave, oh, say, a ten-year warning, it would wreck the economy of this area. It's a moot point, because you could NEVER politically make it happen for the above stated reasons.
> Karma says October 28: So, for the time being, the economy has ground to a halt in the Bay Area because the bridge is closed?
> StuckInTheSixties says October 28: Not ground to a halt. But for a few days, it's limping. It's a matter of time. A few days versus forever.
> Karma says October 28: I'm guessing that over time people would adapt even better, not worse.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: If your solution was implemented, eventually the community as a whole would adapt. But the human cost of that would be enormous. It's the human cost that prevents it from being possible in any sense other than conceptual.
> Karma says October 29: Societies constantly do things for the community as a whole. If inconveniencing some prevented any action, there would be no actions. You say "human cost" as if lives would be lost. Instead, jobs would be changed. People might move.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: Societies certainly do things for the community as a whole. Eminent Domain is a good example. The community needs to have a road. Some houses are in the way of the proposed road, where people have established their entire lives with those homes. But the community prevails, those poor folks are force to accept the going rate for their property, and they must move. It's a bummer for them, but better for the community as a whole. And they're going to be hurt in the process, but they'll survive, and life goes on. What you're talking about in your bridge argument is the same concept, except instead of a relatively insignificant percentage of that community, you're talking about doing that to a big slice of the community pie. Sure, it might be democratic if two thirds of the people outnumber the one third of the people, and force them into upheaval. But if it was in any way possible to happen, it would have, wouldn't it have?
> Karma says October 29: Not necessarily. Clearly you are an anti-change guy. Most older people are. But to suggest that it is impossible rather than not politically likely seems a bit extreme even for someone who wants things to stay the way they always were.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: (laughs) I wouldn't mind in the least if it changed according to your whim. I just happen to live here, and thus, recognize the realities of how it actually happens to be. At this moment, you're in Manhatten. Manhatten has a geographic/commuter situation much like this one. It's quite dependant on its bridges too, and they suffer the same problems just as we do here. Since you think my attitude is hitched to my age, I suggest you ask some young Manhattenites about the practicality of imposing the same plan for Manhatten.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: Actually, you should ask some young commuters.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: Some young anybodies.
> Karma says October 29: I imagine that those who would benefit would be in favor and those inconvenienced would be opposed. Those who feel it wouldn't effect them could go either way. Do you think the results would be different than this?
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: Yeah, I do. I don't think it would divide neatly into those two polarities like that.
> Karma says October 29: SO you believe that people it would inconvenience , by-and-large, would be for it? Or that those who it would benefit would, for the most part, be against it?
> Karma says October 29: Or do you mean that people, for the most part, don't vote for what is in their own best interest?
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: Frankly, I don't know. But I think the idea wouldn't be viewed as anything doable in the real world by most anyone who actually lives and/or works in Manhattan. Give it a shot and see what happens.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: "Or do you mean that people, for the most part, don't vote for what is in their own best interest?" No, I didn't mean that. But to reply, often, people vote contrary for what is in their own best interest. For many reasons.
> Karma says October 29: In Manhattan the bridges go to different boroughs. It's not like across the bay where all the bridges go across the bay. So saying that San Francisco and Manhattan are comparable comparisons is silly it seems to me.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: Think of Oakland as being a borough. And Marin. And the East Bay. It's a matter of people using the bridges going to and from work.
> Karma says October 29: "people vote contrary for what is in their own best interest. For many reasons." Some do and on some issues. But by and large don't people tend to vote for what will benefit them and their families?
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: *whispers* Republicans
> Karma says October 29: Yes. A matter of convenience. For a small minority of the people.
> Karma says October 29: Republicans?
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: Lotsa people vote Republican. And they're not all rich bankers, derivitive traders, arms-industry tycoons, etc. The vast majority are just regular folks. But they repeatedly vote for these politicians who sell them down the river. So I'd say that those regular folks who also are Republicans "vote contrary for what is in their own best interest. For many reasons." Oh, and they do this with Democrats, as well.
> Karma says October 29: Depends on what one feels is MOST in ones best interest. I doubt many would agree that the politicians they vote for are worse for there family's interests than the opponent.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: Well, the main reason someone might vote for someone, or something, contrary to their best interest is that they don't realize they're doing it.
> Karma says October 29: True. And that is a very subjective thing.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 29: Yes, it is. The proof of that is the Republicans who might read this and get pissed off.
> Karma says October 30: I doubt anybody will read all this.
> StuckInTheSixties says October 30: Probably not. I wrote half of it, and I can't even remember what we were talking about now ...

Picture #19: Mr. Spider! (#1)
> PTBO52 says October 25: Looks like it could bite ewwwwwww!
> StuckInTheSixties says October 25: Perhaps. But he's too small to cause any damage. He could sit on a quarter, or a beer bottle cap.
> SABLES says October 26: ewwww
> barnestorming_girl says October 27: awesome photo
> StuckInTheSixties says October 27: I'm happy with this photo. I got the detail I was trying to get. (laughs) I actually spent a good half hour photographing this damn little spider!
> barnestorming_girl says October 27: wow half hour! did you squash it after that? lol
> JJ says November 25: *shivers*

Picture #20: Mr. Spider again! (#2)
> PTBO52 says October 25: Maybe I'll cancel my trip lol
> StuckInTheSixties says October 25: My camera has some real shortcomings, but when there's good light, it takes some pretty decent close-ups!
> SABLES says October 26: omg two of them
> StuckInTheSixties says October 26: (laughs) No, it's two views of the same spider.

Picture #21: This was my Halloween mask! Oooo! Scary!!!!!
> Bell214 says November 01: This dude should visit his dentist ...
> StuckInTheSixties says November 01: He should visit Guantanamo Bay and get a taste of his own medicine. "A little more cattle prod, Mr. Vice President?"
> Geoff says November 01: Scary scary man. Especially if you look anything like a duck...
> Karma says November 01: Or a lawyer
> Karma says November 01: Or someone who loves the US Bill of Rights
> GimmeURMoneyHoney says November 01: I say he was goin too easy on them terrorists...
> Outbackjack says November 01: That is one scary mask.
> StuckInTheSixties says November 01: Problem was that a lot of "them terrorists" turned out not to be terrorists. And once you start torturing so called terrorists, then someone might want to torture someone else. Next thing you know, we become one of those terrible places where lots of people get tortured and stuff. Like North Korea. Or like Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Or like Iran. There's also a little problem with the constitutionality of it. The Eighth Amendment (supposedly) guarantees that the government will not administer "cruel and unusual punishment." And the United States is (supposedly) a country of laws. If the government ignores those laws (as Cheney's administration did), then it becomes one of those places where rule of law has no meaning. Like North Korea. Or like Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Or like Iran. In my opinion, that's not good.
> hottriplej says November 12: my opinion and your opinion match buddy

Picture #22: Artist/writer: Gilbert Shelton
> Geoff says November 02: **Refrains from making references to waking up with a mouthful of pus$y.**
> lois_lane says November 02: OMG Bijesus!! haha
> barnestorming_girl says November 02: lmfao
> arkle says November 02: lol I remember this one.lol.xx
> PTBO52 says November 02: Thats a riot SITS lol

Picture #23: Fat Freddie's Cat (Artist: Gilbert Shelton)
> lois_lane says November 02: Fat freddie from the simpsons???
> lois_lane says November 02: Im sorry..I spoke too soon!!!
> PTBO52 says November 02: HaHaHa!
> calybonos says November 25: F. Fredrick skitty! he takes no guff when he struts his stuff Garfield got nothin on that mean S.O.B.
> StuckInTheSixties says November 25: Yay! Someone who actually knows who this cat is!

Picture #24: New NASA image of the center of the Milky Way (Thanks, Bell!)
> sweetnsassygal77 says November 10: Looks so cool!!
> StuckInTheSixties says November 10: I got this from the science page of the U.S News and World Report website:

Picture: The Turbulent Heart of the Milky Way Galaxy

This detailed portrait of the center of the Milky Way galaxy combines infrared and X-ray images from three orbiting observatories, allowing astronomers to peer through the dust that usually hides the hub of activity at the galaxy’s core.

In this image, yellow represents the short-infrared observations recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope, which reveal star-birthing regions along with hundreds of thousands of stars, some about to break out from their dusty cocoons. Red indicates the longer-wavelength infrared observations taken by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, which show dust clouds set aglow by stellar winds and radiation. Blue and violet represent the X-ray images taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which reveal gases heated to millions of degrees by supernova explosions and by material hurled from the Milky Way’s central, supermassive black hole.

NASA released the composite image on November 10 as part of the International Year in Astronomy, which celebrates the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first glimpse of the heavens through a telescope. Mural-size versions of the image will be displayed at more than 150 schools, museums, nature centers, libraries and planetariums nationwide.

(Ron Cowen)

I learned about this image from reading a blog by Bell214 title "Turbulent heart of the milky way." Thanks again, Bell!
> PTBO52 says November 11: Totally awesome!!
> Bell214 says November 12: You're welcome.

Picture #25: This idiocy relates to BG's "do ya wanna play ?" blog (November 2, 2009)
> thememoryflowered says November 03: I don't know of the blog. But if it was the prerequisite to this lavishing of humour, then I am in favour of it.
> Karma says November 03:
> lumu81 says November 03: lmao sits!!! you nut case!
> Outbackjack says November 03: HA HA!!!!!!! Hilarious stuff!!!!
> PTBO52 says November 03: Your silly Sits!!
> barnestorming_girl says November 03: lmfao awesome!! love it!
> StuckInTheSixties says November 03: You ask, I deliver.
> lois_lane says November 03: Bahahahaha..Now this is the Stuck O I know and luv!!!
> Zhya says November 05: Nice

Picture #26: By request for _Safira_ ... She apparently just likes stuff like this
> Karma says November 06:
> StuckInTheSixties says November 06: + = the above picture
> lois_lane says November 06: LOLS!!!!
> barnestorming_girl says November 06:
> Dawn says November 06: haha lovely drawing tho
> veronica says November 06: very environmentally friendly of u stuck
> _Safira_ says November 06: OMG!!! I LOVE YOU!!!
> StuckInTheSixties says November 06: X infinity
> StuckInTheSixties says November 06: I had to search around a little to find the right sized bag. Thanks to Whole Foods Market in Napa. The clerk was very puzzled with my ardent desire for a brown paper bag of just the right size.
> kidrotten says 3 hours ago: I think this photo turned me on.
> StuckInTheSixties says 5 minutes ago: Mission accomplished!

Picture #27: I bagged this vampire right here at my desk. I think I'll have the taxidermist stuff and mount him.
> RUBY says November 16: half bird???
> StuckInTheSixties says November 16: All insect. He came to suck my blood, and payed his audacious act with his life. Let this be a warning to other mosquitos ... Don't F U C K with SITS!
> _Safira_ says November 16: How dare she presume to suck your blood. The sheer gall of it. Like you SITS I'm simply astounded at her audacity. tsk tsk tsk..
> StuckInTheSixties says November 16: Oh, that's right. "She." I forgot. Only the females are vampires. ( I'll refrain from making a sexist remark. )
> barnestorming_girl says November 18: great photo.
> StuckInTheSixties says November 18: The lighting wasn't too good. Kind of yellowish, from an incandescent light bulb in a desk lamp. I actually saved the carcass, and the next day, took it out into natural light. I got my camera ready, leaned over to focus the shot, and a little puff of breeze whiffed the mosquito away, and that was that.

Karma And SITS: Partners In Pranking

Wireclub went on another small fritz last night, and it kind of pissed me off. It was frustrating. It would work for me, then not. Then work. Then not. I was talking with Karma, and she was experiencing much of the same bullshit.

When Wireclub finally settled down again, I was in one of my rare pissy moods. I felt like causing some trouble ... well, a little anyway. I'm pretty tame. You know me. But I spied a room in the chats. It was one of those "girls only, no guys allowed." I sent this message to Karma:

SITS to Karma:
I'm in a really sour mood now. I promise I won't take it out on you, but I really feel like starting a fight or something. I just looked at the chat room page, where there's a room for girls only, guys will be kicked. Your message came just in time to preclude me from entering just to cause trouble.

Karma suggested we both go in. She went in first. I followed, and was summarily kicked before I could so much as utter a word. Somehow, this made me feel much better. (laughs)

I then decided we should have a little fun at that room's expense. I shifted over to my "Biff DeBoffe" profile, copied the entire list of Wireclub emots. Then, as Karma looked on from inside of the room, I quickly popped in, dropped that emot-bomb, and ducked out as quickly as possible. I tried to do it a second time, but got tripped up. The anti-spam protocols in Wireclub prevented me from texting the collection of emots a second time in a row, and while fiddling around in momentary confusion, I got kicked for the second time.

Not one to be foiled so easily, I broke out my SITS_Mt_Tam1 profile (where I have a huge collection of photographs ... see one of my earlier blogs), and utilized my handy list of emots, where I have then arranged in several groupings in different order to defeat the anti-spam robot. I was able to pop in and out three times as SITS_Mt_Tam1 before getting the boot.

Karma captured this mild prank from within the room with PrintScreens, which I've augmented with a couple of my own from the outside of the room.

Happy Birthday Darling (to barnestorming_girl)

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"Wireclub is currently experiencing some technical problems ... " (Part 2 of two)

Okay. So Wireclub came back online. And I went and got lunch. And it went down again. And stayed down for quite a while. Again.

Apparently, Wireclub is back on its feet again.

We'll see ...

"This Link Appears To Be Broken ... " - Wireclub Takes A Dump (Part 1 of two)

Wireclub dropped off the net for about six hours. This is how I experienced it ...

My Third, And Hopefully My Last, Blog Pertaining To Wireclub "Fakes"

If you read my blog, “Anatomy Of A Wireclub Failure - My Failed New Project” (posted December 6, 2009), you know how my idea failed miserably. I was going to make a club for each and every Wireclub friend of mine "accusing" them of being fakes. Accusing people of being “fakes,” and being accused, seems to be in style this joyous holiday season.

So I did actually come up with an idea you’ll probably ignore: I propose that each and every person make themselves their own club, and accuse themselves of being a “fake.” And I suggest that they use their Wireclub profile picture with that club, but flip it upsidedown.

Why am I suggesting this? Sheer nincompoopery.

Here's mine:

http://www.wireclub.com/Clubs/StuckInTheSixties+Is+A+Fake+-+No+Im+Not+-+Yes+I+Am+-+No+-+Yes

A Rare Occurence: The Hills Above Napa Valley Get Dusted With Snow (Photo Essay)

Last night (December 6-7, 2009) the hilltops above where I live got a light dusting of snow. I drove up to the top of Atlas Peak, one of the nearby hills, hoping to take some photos of a Winter Wonderland. By the time I was able to get up there, most of the snow had vanished. But I got a few nice pictures. The last picture, of nearby Mt. George, was taken from my porch after I'd returned. The snow was almost completely gone by then.

Anatomy Of A Wireclub Failure - My Failed New Project

Unfortunately, I will not be creating a special "[name goes here] Is A Fake" club.

It turns out that Wireclub, not surprisingly, has protocols built into this website that combat spamming. This was the insurmountable obstacle that my project encountered.

Theoretically, it would be possible to do. However, it would require that each and every club have a number of significant differences within the text that would explain what it was about. That would require an enormous amount of work, and the joke simply wasn't worth it. I was already faced with a mammoth task as it was. And I wasn't going to simply throw those clubs out there without having a readily accessible explanation for the meaning of it. If someone didn't know any better they might simply see that I created a club accusing them of being fake. Not good.

So ... it was an interesting experiment, and those reading this, and the previous blog, will get the point.

All Of My Friends Are Fakes ... My New Project

In this joyous holiday season, everyone in Wireclub seems to be either accusing, or being accused, of being "a fake." I don't want to be left out of the fun. So I am embarking upon a project of creating a club devoted to each and every friend, and calling each one a fake.

I will be making these clubs with "creator approval needed" in order to join. Only the person the club is created for will be allowed to join. (If you join, you should send me a message telling me so that I'll then "approve" your membership.)

I'll end up with a bunch of two-person clubs. I'll be working alphabetically. It'll take a while to finish the project, so be patient.

As I create the clubs, I'll edit this blog and add the link to an alphabetical list.

Fakers! The lot of you! (laughs)

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers – A Blog For My Stoner Friends

Back during my wild and irresponsible early adulthood I used to enjoy the antics of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, a trio of underground “comix” characters. They were created in 1968 by Gilbert Shelton, who incorporated the efforts of Dave Sheridan and Paul Mavrides. The Freak Brothers are quintessential hippies, and their lives essentially revolve around the procurement and ingestion of all manner of illegal recreational drugs, especially cannabis. Their only concern in life is to avoid being burned and not being busted.

Each of The Brothers has different appearances and distinct personalities:

Freewheelin' Franklin, although laid-back, is the most street-smart of the trio. Apparently he has always been on the streets. In one story he reveals that he grew up in an orphanage and never knew his parents. Tall and skinny, he has a big bulbous nose, a waterfall moustache, and a ponytail, and wears cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. He might be a biker if he didn't spend all his money on drugs.

Phineas T. Freakears is the intellectual and idealist of the group; he can and has created new drugs, takes an avid interest in politics, and is the most committed of the three to social change and environmental issues. He hails from Texas, and while his mother is relaxed and open-minded, his father is a card-carrying member of the John Birch Society. He is the hairiest, tall and skinny with a thick bush of black hair, a beard, a nose that bears more than a passing resemblance to a joint, and glasses. He is the stereotypical left-wing radical, bearing a superficial resemblance to Abbie Hoffman or Jerry Rubin.

Fat Freddy Freekowtski is the least intelligent, and can be seen as an embodiment of pure appetite. He is fat, or at least plump, with curly yellow hair. He regularly gets burned on drug transactions, and when he does score, he usually manages to lose the drugs in various ways, such as by dumping them out of a shopping bag in front of a fan which then blows them out the window onto a police car. Fat Freddy comes from a large, quite ordinary family in Cleveland. In The Idiots Abroad, Freddy visits the Polish village of Gfatsk where everybody happens to look like him yet he is driven away by an angry mob as soon as they hear the name Freekowtski.

Living with The Freak Brothers is Fat Freddy's Cat. Many of his strips parallel a storyline in the corresponding Freak Brothers story, and often have themes of a scatological nature, such as shitting on Fat Freddy's pillow or in his shoe. He is sometimes known as "Fat Freddy Scat" and has used the alias "F. Frederic Skitty". His "nephews" refer to him as "Uncle F." He often finds himself confronting an army of cockroaches (led by a Commandant with a dress uniform and sword) and a huge tribe of mice who share the apartment with the Freak Brothers. A sort of hippie "Garfield", he is far smarter than his owner (whom he frequently refers to as "the obese one" ) and regards the Freak Brothers with amused contempt.

Other characters included:

Norbert the Nark, an inept DEA agent who is continually trying, and always failing, to arrest the Freak Brothers.

Hiram "Country" Cowfreak, a hippie who grows vast quantities of marijuana at his isolated farmstead. He is referred to as the Freak Brothers' "cousin".

Dealer McDope, one of the trio's dealers. He is often name-checked in the magazines but only rarely appears "in person".

Tricky Prickears, a blind and deaf detective, sometimes billed as "The Freak Brothers' favorite law enforcement officer" (a parody of Dick Tracy).

Governor Rodney Richpigge, A stereotypical rich, corrupt politician whom the Freak Brothers hold in general contempt. The Governor's son is a c*@%$*$ dealer.

The Freak Brothers comics include a number of catchphrases that have worked their way into the underground consciousness:

"Dope will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no dope."—Freewheelin' Franklin

"Don't get burned!" (usually aimed at Fat Freddy as he sets out to purchase drugs)

"Smoking grass and drinking beer is like pissing into the wind."

Note: Not too long ago I crossed paths with a Wireclub member with the user name “freddiesfatcatsback.” I asked him if his name was related to The Freak Brothers. Indeed it was. This is what caused me to think back about the comix, and decide to share them with my friends here in this blog.



This YouTube clip courtesy of Arkle (who I love).

Christmas Gift Ideas For Your Loved Ones - Celebrate This Joyous Holiday Season

When Christmas rolls around, I always search out those perfect gifts for loved ones. I've found some wonderful gift ideas to help you and yours celebrate this joyous occasion! These beautiful gift items are guaranteed to put smiles on the faces of those you love and care for. Bring in the Yuletide Season, and make your precious family members and friends beam with joy as they open these lovely presents under the tree come Christmas morning!

BE SURE TO READ THE CAPTIONS FOR EACH PICTURE!























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Ask Me Any Question - My Rare Participation In A "Chain Blog"

I "stole" this from Safira, who stole it from someone-or-other, etc. I've copied/pasted it, with only minor alteration (a reinforcing the instruction about the privacy of the communications that will result from this blog).



I WILL BE COMPLETELY HONEST FOR 24 HOURS ... ( I'll click the "post" button at exactly 1:30 AM California time. )

You can ask me 1 question, ONLY AS A PRIVATE MESSAGE ... DO NOT ASK THE QUESTION IN THE COMMENTS! SEND YOUR QUESTION TO ME PRIVATELY!

Any question, no matter how crazy it is.

You'll have my FULL honesty, BUT......

My answer is only for the asker.

I won't answer questions that ask for my personal info or dirt on others, thats all.

I DARE you to put this text on your blog and see what questions you get!