Battle of "My Humps"

I post, you decide.

"Son of a Son" by Montgomery Delaney

Here is a video that I came across of Montgomery Delaney playing "Son of a Son" at a gig in Portland, Maine. He is joined by Keith Kelly. Meanwhile, Delaney put on a great show Thursday night at the Thataway Cafe in Greenwich, unfortunately, there wasn't a huge crowd, but I think everyone who went got their money's worth. Delaney played for a solid hour and a half and included some new songs that he hopes to release on his next CD which is due out in the spring.

Montgomery Delaney Comes To Connecticut

If you want to check out a truly unique singer-songwriter, go to the Thataway Cafe on Thursday night at 8:30 and listen to Montgomery Delaney. His unique background lends to a wide range of songs that will evoke many different emotions from the audience. Delaney is performing as part of The Songwriters Den, which is a series that runs every Thursday night. The Cafe is located at 409 Greenwich Avenue (on the bottom of the Avenue). You can call them at 203-622-0947. I know there is no fee at the door, so why not come down and check it out. The food there is very good, as well. I've seen Monty perform numerous times and own both of his CDs; Walking in the Light and Changing Shoes. You can go to his website and sample his music and if that's not enough, go to CDbaby and buy the aforementioned CDs. The first time I saw him perform was in 1999 at a place in the north Bronx called the Guitar and Pen. I've never been disappointed after seeing Montgomery Delaney play. So I hope to see you Thursday night!

I Can't Reach You a poem by Sean G. Kilkelly

I am currently writing a collection of poems called, Amazing Journey. The titles of the poems - and the title of the collection for that matter - are those of my favorite 10 or 12 Who songs. The first letter of each line of the poem spells out the name of the song or a particular phrase used in one of their tunes. I'm hoping to be finished by the beginning of September, and then posting it on here. Some of the poems are in line with the song; that is, they kind of continue the basic theme. Others are the opposite of the song's meaning like "Bell Boy" which I am posting below, as well. Anyway, I read five poems at the Hudson Valley Writer's Center the other night, and this poem, "I Can't Reach You" got a very positive reaction. So please excuse my over excitement, but I decided to post it on here. If I can come up with an email address, I plan on dropping The Who a note regarding my project.


I Can't Reach You
If we only learned a proper way to communicate,
Colluding our true feelings,
And working out our discrepancies,
Nothing would prohibit our love.
'Twas once this was so easy,
That was many moons ago,
Remember?
Eventually we will part,
Anger piercing through our core,
Confiscating any and all blissfulness,
Holding our hearts hostage,
You and I divided,
Our once amorous souls,
Undressed and again single entities.

Bell Boy
Believe in your unique abilities,
Exude confidence,
Live each day as if it was your last.
Love yourself without conditions,
Bring the best of you to each situation,
Only gravitate toward the positive,
You, deserve the best.

Kind Of Sucks, Anne!

A bit disappointing to find out that Anne Rice is endorsing Hillary Clinton for President. I guess even the most brilliant can be misguided in certain situations. However, I've learned to ignore the political opinions of those in pop culture, for the most part. You can read here for Ms. Rice's endorsement. By the way, if you want to see a truly classic horror movie, go check out The Black Cat with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. It's "true quam!" I'm also aware of the fact that Anne Rice did not write Dracula, but rather Interview with the Vampire. So let's put it this way, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise will never make it onto this blog. Never! One final thought: I guess the Irish are partial to things that go bump in the night, because Rice is Irish, as is Bram Stoker, who authored Dracula in 1897.

Bert Sugar On Blog Talk Radio

Bert Sugar joined Tommy Dee and I last night and did not disappoint. Click me to listen. Also, pick up Bert's latest book (pictured above) when it comes out on September 30.

Starbucks, Currently My Only Vice...

Before people start in with the calories, the sugar, the blah blah blah...here's the deal: there are much worse things to have for a vice. Believe me, I've tried many of them! On a separate subject, if you want to read about something intriguing, look up "Blackwater" and let me know your thoughts.

Sean Kilkelly's Thoughts

When I usually plan an Odds & Sods posting, I write down some thoughts or subjects that come to my mind over the course of a couple of days and then I put something together. Today, though, I'm going to blog a bit differently. These are random thoughts that have gone through my mind the last 24 hours or so, that I decided to jot on a piece of paper. Just as I wrote them down, they appear; punctuation, grammar, etc. mattering not at all. They run the gamut (word of the day) and may lead to a future posting, or not, so away we go:

tired today, didn't sleep very well last night, result of stressful event yesterday...Rescue Me is on tonight, show is not as good as last season...new girl at work seems unfriendly, walked out of building simultaneously yesterday...so how are things going...fine...she didn't seem like chatting, OK whatever, but it's a long walk across the lot, the silence will be awkward, suddenly, I hear the vocals of Paul McCartney singing "the long and winding road." Quick Sean, stop, pretend to be fumbling for something in your bag, like maybe you forgot something...OK have a good night...I just had some dark Raisinets, supposedly good for you, dark chocolate, raisins, antioxidants...What's for lunch? Oh yeah, too tired to make a real sandwich so I made PB&J on whole wheat...Rangers are about to sign Mike Peca, there's just too many jokes that could come from his last name, Ha Ha, good player though...Phil Rizzuto died, reminded me of Nick the Butcher from the old Gristedes, he was nice, always gave me a piece of ham or turkey when I was a kid. Reminds me of Reggie bars they used to sell at that store back then...Slam Poetry tonight at Barnes & Noble, don't feel like reading again, but that probably will change. I will definitely read Friday night in Sleepy Hollow...Day is dragging....Tired....Need some of that Woody Woodpecker Tonic, oh yeah The Bat stole it, ha ha...feel like M&Ms, which kind? Plain or peanut? I like 'em both, I think there are more in a bag of plain though...Going to lunch tomorrow with work people, Greek place, hope it's good...have to leave work early Friday, important errand...bored with current book, almost done with it, maybe I'll get a book tonight.

So that's that! Just random stuff that has floated in and out of my head.

There You Go Again, Mr. Edwards!

I really didn't want to end tonight's postings on a sad note, so I am gingerly switching gears to the number one moron running for President. The staff and management of this fine weblog have not endorsed a candidate in his or her bid to take over the Oval Office in 2008, however, we have designated one that is just as silly as a monkey. After hearing the news that President Bush's political advisor, Karl Rove, was stepping down at the end of this month, John Edwards said "Goodbye, good riddance!" In getting Bush elected President twice, Rove showed that he is in fact worthy of the term "boy genius." Mr. Edwards would do well to find a Rovian spirit to call his own, less he find himself once again shivering cold outside the White House. Time to put this Bonzo, I mean bozo to bed!

And Now This...

Just when I thought I really did not have much to blog about tonight, comes word that 43-year-old Brian Adams was found dead by his wife in their Tampa, Florida home. Most wrestling fans know Adams as "Crush." He was a former W.W.E. World Tag Team Champion, serving as the third member of the legendary tag team Demolition (Ax & Smash). Adams (pictured above right with Smash) apparently choked on his own vomit.

I am certainly saddened by this news and the latest death of a pro wrestler during a year which has seen an exorbitant amount of wrestlers dying. This will restart the debate as to why so many wrestlers die before 50. Currently, there are two sides of the aisle: one which says that pro wrestling is the worst thing going and that it is "all Vince McMahon's fault." The other side states that many of these guys never worked in the W.W.E. or have been out of the sport for years and so pro wrestling is thus absolved. In the case of Crush, yes, he has not wrestled full-time since 2001. He did work for some independent leagues from time to time before sustaining a spinal injury in 2003 which permanently ended his career.

That list of dead wrestlers gets brought up time and time again and I am very curious to see how the cable networks cover this latest death. But I have to believe that there is a middle road in this debate, that most importantly will lead to a solution that can save lives. I published that list on this blog because it is a high number and you don't see that many in any of the major sports, regardless of the cause of death. Does wrestling have a problem? Yes. Is any one promoter to blame? Not unless you hold a personal grudge against him.

Meanwhile, the W.W.E. continues to release wrestlers over the last month or so (since the Benoit tragedy) without giving an explanation. Plus, one of their top stars, Jeff Hardy, has been forced to go to drug rehab by the company. There's also been a bunch of wrestlers who are out with an injury, which I am now wondering if it is real or staged and that the "injury" quite simply is an excuse to give some of these guys time to get off any performance enhancing drugs. The product has suffered with so many top stars out which has been illustrated in the declining ratings. The return of the Mr. McMahon character also seems to be a move out of desperation.

I'm also very curious to see if the W.W.E. will make mention of Crush's passing on Monday Night Raw this evening. I suspect they will, since they already did on their official web page. I see both sides of the argument, but I just don't like the witch-hunting that has gone on. We've gone down this road before, but if you are going to blame McMahon or the W.W.E. you better have substantiated proof. It seems to me that according to some in the media, he is responsible for every pro wrestler's well-being; whether that person worked for the W.W.E. or not. Foolish! The whole thing is just very, very sad. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth not only because a life ends way too soon, but also because some of the media members show just how disgraceful they really are.

Tick Tock Tick Tock...

The old clock wouldn't give us any more time to wait for Bert Sugar, so unfortunately if you tuned in, you did not get to hear Mr. Sugar, but we still put on a rip roaring show! Hopefully, he will appear next Sunday night. Please do, however, listen to Tommy Dee and I run through all pertinent subjects pertaining to the professional leagues where they play for pay. Click me to enable our quite enterprising endeavor.

The Bert Sugar Countdown Is On...

We're just a few hours away from Bert Sugar coming on Blog Talk Radio to discuss the "State of Sports" with Tommy Dee and I. Please tune in and give us a call at (646) 478-5554. Listen here at 7 tonight. Meanwhile, here's Bert talkin' boxing.

The Story of "Layla"

A new book will be hitting stores soon, entitled Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd. She writes of her time as the wife of the late George Harrison, while also discussing her days of being Eric Clapton's bride. Most notably, however, that she was the inspiration for George Harrison's "Something" and Eric Clapton's "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight."

Imagine, three hit songs being inspired by one person. Anyway, here is a video of Mr. Clapton performing Layla live at the Queen Golden Jubilee on June 3, 2002. The other folks playing with Clapton are Phil Collins (drums), Ray Cooper (percussion), Wix Wickens (keyboard), Phil Palmer (guitar), and Pino Palladino (bass). Enjoy!

Who Will Lead?

So, I came across this cover of Time Magazine and I noticed something up in the top right corner of the front cover. Yes, indeed, "new pressure on Iran." Where did that get us? That was almost 30 years ago, today, we face the same problems with the mullahcratic regime in Tehran. Practically every day I read about Iran's growing influence in Iraq; arming the Shiite insurgency and pressuring Shia leaders to double talk the U.S.

One of the unintended consequences of the Iraq war has been this Shia revitalization, which had been dormant, probably since the Ayatollah Khomeini's death in 1989. Really, Saddam Hussein was able to stifle the Shiites as a result of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war and his own brutal tactics with Iraq against the Shia majority. Just for the record, I am not one of those in America who miss Saddam. Such idiocy, a man who was behind at least 250,000 men, women, and children being slaughtered and palced in mass graves. Iran, however, has a certifiable loony at the helm today, and we are left scrambling trying to find a practical solution. First things first, invading Iran is not the answer. Hezbollah has cells here and has for quite a long time; we don't need to rattle that hornet's nest, because quite frankly we are not in a position of strength.

Has anyone sat back and thought about the fact that the United States and her allies defeated Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan in four years! Once this country got serious about entering World War II, after the war had been going on for two years, we decimated this triumvirate of evil forces. Yet, here we sit on the eve of the sixth anniversary of 9/11 and we have no long-term stability in Afghanistan, and Iraq is a series of three steps forward and six steps back. Does anyone recognize the seriousness of this equation? Do any of our elected officials really lay it out on the line for the citizens of this great country. Or are we just more content to crawl back into our cocoons and worry about spoiled athletes and ditsy Hollywood chicks?

Foreign Affairs Magazine recently suggested detente with the Iranian regime. I'm actually all for our elected leaders meeting with their constituents in countries that are not exactly our bosom buddies. However, we have to examine the reality of this crisis. Religious fanaticism is a very difficult thing to combat, and I don't believe anyone should gloss over the rantings of a leader such as Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. When the leader of a country says that he wants to "wipe Israel off the map" we should all pay attention.

Many people complain that their rights have been infringed upon since September 11, 2001. But what would be the consequences of a U.S. city being wiped out by a terrorist organization using a dirty bomb? Does anyone think it would be business as usual? Things would change drastically overnight; our civil liberties would have to be forfeited to some degree, perhaps severely.

My whole point is that the U.S. has to unite, that's one of the reasons why this War On Terror has gone on for so long: a lack of unity from the top down. This country needs to be united by a great leader. I'm just wondering where and who that great leader is, and does he or she even exist?

Bert Randolph Sugar On Blog Talk Radio

Please tune in as Tommy Dee and I will interview Bert Sugar tonight at 7. Mr. Sugar will give us his take on the "State of Sports." Believe me, if you listen to one show, this will be it! Click me to do so.

Barack Obama Reads Rangers In Seven

Hey what can I say folks? I guess he was attracted to the recent postings of Woody Woodpecker Cartoons. Well, here's how it all has gone:

On Wednesday July 25, 2007, I wrote:

"Bush should go after the Al-Qaeda and Taliban being protected in western Pakistan. The military must dismantle the nine terrorist camps in operation there and also nab the brain trust of the terrorist group. Allowing those camps to run unchecked means we are no safer than before September 11, which would be a disservice to Americans and all those troops who have been injured or killed during the War On Terror. Yes, Bush should send the military over the border from Afghanistan into Pakistan, until the job is complete."

To read the entire post, go here.

Yesterday, Senator Barack Obama, a Democrat and one of the favorites in the Presidential race, said the following, courtesy of the New York Daily News:

"Let me make this clear: There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again," Obama said. "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will."

Obama made those comments while speaking at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. The tabloids are calling Obama, "Bush on Steroids" following those remarks. However, Mr. Obama has gained some valuable points in my book! We are the U.S.A. and have fought this War On Terror as if we have to apologize for everything we do. The joke of this is that the Democrats complain that high-level terrorists have not been captured, but now here is someone with a plan, who is now taking it on the chin in the press.

Good for Mr. Obama. But we can all see right through this. The print media - by far slanted to the left - is rooting hard for Hillary Clinton to take the White House. So anyone in Mrs. Clinton's way, will get vilified.

The reality is that we give Pakistan billions of dollars and have sold them military planes, as well. If they want to continue to receive our help they should stop talking out of both sides of their mouth and take care of the problem. I'm glad to see a politician finally tell it like it is, at least on one hazy, hot, and humid day in August.

IN MORE SERIOUS NEWS
I certainly am very saddened for those who died in the Minnesota bridge collapse, but am actually pretty shocked that more people did not get killed. Apparently, many good folks were helping each other out and the first-responders did an excellent job, which not surprisingly included the National Guard.

Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda is set to release a tape within the next 24 to 48 hours predicting a "big surprise" while showing a burning picture of the White House.

RIDDLE ME THIS
I don't know how to categorize this one, so I'll leave it up to you. The story has been reported in many different outlets, including NPR, which wrote on their website:

"A fence-building company in Southern California has agreed to pay nearly $5 million in fines for hiring illegal immigrants. Two executives from the company may also serve jail time. The Golden State Fence Company's work includes some of the border fence between San Diego and Mexico.

After an immigration check in 1999 found undocumented workers on its payroll, Golden State promised to clean house. But when followup checks were made in 2004 and 2005, some of those same illegal workers were still on the job. In fact, U-S Attorney Carol Lam says as many as a third of the company's 750 workers may have been in the country illegally."

Ridiculous, sad, funny, shameful. Just some of the words that came to my mind when I read this, what say you?

The Who -- Pictures Of Lily

Here's another version of The Who performing "Pictures Of Lily," I have no idea when this video was recorded, but the song was originally done in 1967. "And now my nights ain't quite so lonely...In fact I, I don't feel bad at all..."

The Only Cure For Summertime Blues...Pictures of Lily!!!

I can't believe I found this video! This is one of my favorite Who songs! Thank God for YouTube! I'm going to a poetry reading tonight and didn't feel like reading any of my stuff, but this, uh, perked me up. Keep sending those pictures! Again, it's a joke dammit!

Summertime Blues

Basically, I love summer, but when it's hazy, hot, and humid like the last few days it makes me want to begin a countdown to September. However, I also have to remember our troops overseas who are serving a pretty thankless bunch over there and over here.

TWO THEATERS OF WAR
Are there negatives to what has occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan? Of course. But the reason why so many on the left and some on the right are hard to take seriously, is because they did not and do not champion any positives in either theater. Gitmo; capture and execution of Saddam; prosecution of terrorists; surveillance; nothing has been good enough for these folks and yet great strides have been made.

NEWS ANALYSIS
Still, Lindsey Lohan dominates our news. Why? Why? Why? To me, that's NOT news. I want to know what's happening in Darfur and why so many in the world ignore the horrific genocide that has been taking place in The Sudan. So I get my news from several sources which include NPR (left leaning), WABC (right leaning) and C-Span (pretty middle of the road). However, this leads me to the Cable Networks. I like Larry King for the inspirational stories. The kind where someone comes back from a drug or alcohol problem and turns their life around. Mr. King is great at that! Even interviewing Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, and Guy Laliberte, the founder of Cirque du Soleil. That was good stuff! As far as news goes, CNN's packaging is pretty bland and their newscasters are rather monotonous.

Peter Bergen, however, is one of the most knowledgeable guys when it comes to terrorism. He has interviewed bin Laden prior to 9/11, which is an amazing story by itself. I hope Fox News picks up Bergen.

MSNBC has improved since Dan Abrams took over as GM. But I still refer to them as the Most Stupid Network Broadcasting Company. The packaging is good, but their hosts are a bit too nerdy. Tucker Carlson? Ho hum. I do like Joe Scarborough and Dan Abrams is very good when he fills in. But then there's that Keith guy...ughh!

Fox News is by far the best of the cable networks. Their prime time lineup consists of Bill O'Reily (independent), Sean Hannity (conservative) and Alan Colmes (liberal), and Greta Van Sustern (liberal). I do believe that they are the most fair and balanced on t.v., but I also recognize that most news outlets have a bit of a slant even if it is unintentional. However, anyone who watches Fox's prime time lineup sees that the hosts always have at least two people with opposing views debating an issue. I like the way they package everything, as well, with the bright colors.

All in all I would love to see more "smart news." Enough of Lohan and Britney, how about something that makes the mind work? Is that possible?

SPORTS SHORTS
Don't know what Glen"The Savior"Sather was thinking by ripping Sean Avery's play as the team and the Ranger's forward went to arbitration. But you would think that Avery would have a bit thicker skin. I guess he can dish it out, but can't take it. Anyway, the Rangers agreed with the arbitrator's ruling and have signed Avery to a one-year deal worth a reported $1.9 million. Meanwhile, Marcel Hossa and the team avoided arbitration with the forward inking a one-year, $780,000 deal. The Rangers now have everyone signed.

The NHL reportedly will return to ESPN in 2008.

Before this becomes too much of a rant, here is "Summertime Blues" performed by The Who at Monterey in 1967.