Wednesday, December 31, 2008

I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together

This blog, Keep Searching For The Pearl, is finished. Last post. I'll see you on Facebook. Goodnight.

Monday, December 29, 2008

My Projected 2009 Royals Line-up

Here's how I'd fillout the lineup card next season:

1) - Coco Crisp (20 steals in 361 ABs) - CF
2) - David Dejesus (.366 OBP in 518 ABs) - LF
3) - Mike Aviles (.325 BA in 419 ABs) - SS
4) - Mike Jacobs (32 HRs in 477 ABs) - 1B
5) - Jose Guillen (158 hits in 598 ABs) - RF
6) - Alex Gordon (16 HRs in 493 ABs) - 3B
7) - Billy Butler (94 OPS+ vs. Teahen's 91 OPS+) - DH
8) - Miquel Olivo (91 OPS+ vs. Buck's 79 OPS+) - C
9) - Alberto Callaspo (98 OPS+ vs. German's 72 OPS+) - 2B
Utility - Mark Teahen (OF, 3B)

Do you care: Mark Teahen led the team with 131 strikeouts.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

KJHK - Raw Music Log

I returned to the college radio station yesterday for an alumni free-form airshift. Here's the playlist time/artist/song/album/comments pasted in from the website listing:(in reverse order)

Regular Music 7:56 Todd Newman Our College Station Then n.a
Regular Music 7:55 R.E.M. rockville eponymous
Regular Music 7:55 Flamin Groovies Yes I am n/a
Regular Music 7:49 Big Dipper Loch Ness Monster Supercluster
Regular Music 7:46 The jam Start! Sound Effects vinyl
Regular Music 7:42 The Stranglers Dagenheim Dave No More Heroes
Regular Music 7:39 The Embarrassment Two Week Vacation Heyday
Regular Music 7:39 The Eat Communist Radio n/a
Regular Music 7:34 The Replacements Left of the Dial Tim Like bein in church
Regular Music 7:29 Psychic Archie No Sex Before Love Unreleased Demo
Regular Music 7:28 The Balancing Act She Doesn't Work Here Curtains
Regular Music 7:28 Lori Wray / Jay Orff Daisychain of Dandelions Glenburn
Regular Music 7:27 Cleaners From Venus Girl on a Swing n/a
Regular Music 7:27 Ramones Beat on the Brat n/a
Regular Music 7:11 The Leatherwoods Proof Positive Topeka Oratorio
Regular Music 7:10 Loudon Wainright III The Swimming Song Attempted Mustache
Regular Music 7:09 The Embarrassment I Only Want a Date Blister Pop
Regular Music 7:02 English Beat Best Friend n/a
Regular Music 6:49 Von Bulows Linda For a Day Unreleased Single Thanks Lori Wray
Regular Music 6:48 Chris Whitley I'm in Love With a German filmstar n/a
Regular Music 6:47 The Applejacks I Go To Sleep n/a
Regular Music 6:46 No Trend Teen Love n/a Out of Print
Regular Music 6:31 The Go-Betweens The Clock n/a
Regular Music 6:30 Brian Eno Golden Hours Another Green World
Regular Music 6:21 Big Dipper Homosapien n/a A Pete Shelley cover
Regular Music 6:08 Psychic Archie Every Time It Hurts Unreleased Demo
Regular Music 6:05 The Feelies Dancing Barefoot n/a
Regular Music 6:01 The Inmates Thought I heard a heartbeat n/a thanks Jon Harrison
Regular Music 5:58 The Plugz Electrify Me n/a
Regular Music 5:56 Sunny and Klaus Ice Bags n/a Thanks Mike, Lori
Regular Music 5:53 Yo La Tengo You Tore Me Down n/a
Regular Music 5:47 Devo Uncontrollable Urge Q: Are We Not Men
Regular Music 5:40 The Vapors Here Comes the Judge n/a
Regular Music 5:39 The Flamin' Groovies Way Over My Head n/a
Regular Music 5:38 Todd Newman I'm going on vacation n/a
Regular Music 5:38 Rank and File Lucky Day Sundown New Copy of Vinyl here!
Regular Music 5:37 Psychic Archie No Pictures of Dad n/a Thanks Jason Willis
Regular Music 5:36 black olive salty bite n/a
Regular Music 5:23 Game Theory Like a Girl Jesus n/a See littlehits.com
Regular Music 5:19 Gang of Four Return the Gift entertainment!
Regular Music 5:16 The Embarrassment Godfrey Harold Hardy Heyday
Regular Music 5:16 Ghosty Dumbo Wins Again n/a
Regular Music 5:15 Wednesday Week You Wanted me to hang around n/a
Regular Music 5:06 New York Dolls Lookin for a Kiss n/a
Regular Music 5:05 the fleshtones right side of a good thing n/a
Regular Music 4:55 casey dienel doctor monroe n/a
Regular Music 4:51 Adam and the Ants Antmusic n/a
Regular Music 4:50 Get Smart! They Walk in Pairs Action Reaction
Regular Music 4:45 Bedroom Walls Your Idea of a Holiday n/a
Regular Music 4:42 Minutemen Green River n/a Live
Regular Music 4:42 Rolling Stones Come On n/a
Regular Music 4:33 Von Bulows Silent Film Unreleased Thanks Lori Wray
Regular Music 4:32 The flamin' groovies Yes it's true n/a
Regular Music 4:29 lions and dogs Tell me Another n/a Thanks Jade Gurss
Regular Music 4:27 The Embarrassment Sex Drive/Pants Down/Gibberish Heyday
Regular Music 4:21 tommy keene highwire days n/a not a furs cover
Regular Music 4:17 comsat angels it's history n/a
Regular Music 4:13 big dipper lou gehrig's disease n/a
Regular Music 4:08 pedaljets lookin out my window n/a
Regular Music 4:06 Pylon Crazy n/a
Regular Music 4:05 the plugz achin' n/a Fowler Jones begins

Friday, December 26, 2008

My Day - 12/26/08

I'll be broadcasting from 4pm to 8pm on 90.7Fm KJHK. It's part of an alumni weekend broadcast special. Tune in if you like 80s alternative music. Thanks to KJ PM Nick Spacek for putting me on the schedule.

The KJHK.org website has an Internet stream. Check it out. I'll be posting my playlist online too. We used to crib it on paper in the old days. No more! It's electronic. These kids.

I'm motoring over to Mission, KS for the 8th annual holiday postmortem party at the Clarette Club on Martway, starting at 9pm. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll kiss your 401K goodbye as we gather to reflect on the year and look ahead to the Obama regime. Skaal!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Oxide Flake

Oxide Flake is the newest web project from long time Lawrence area music fan, historian, and scene eye witness Jason Willis. He posted rare live recordings of punk rock bands from the 1980s, recorded in Kansas City and Lawrence, captured by Jason himself when he was but a wee lad of 14 and thereabouts. Enjoy.

Monday, December 15, 2008

The Bowling Report for December 15th

We bowled our best three game series of the season and swept the night against Our Savior of Coca Cola. Brent bowled a 600+ series and Tim added a couple of 200+ games. We had a potential jello shot frame nullified when all five bowlers struck in the same frame, a rarity indeed.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Ruta Lee - Hollywood Star

Remember when big stars made cameos on I Love Lucy and The Lucy Show? William Holden or John Wayne popped in and Lucy freaked out. The studio audience applauded like mad and I received a Hollywood education. I knew who John Wayne was because his movies aired frequently on local television. I learned who William Holden was later when I saw Sunset Boulevard and Stalag 17 in high school. He was A-list all the way.

Top drawer talent wasn't always available for Lucy sitcom cameos. Ruta Lee received the same treatment when she appeared. She got fawning Lucy, voracious applause, you know, the complete star turn. Who the heck was Ruta Lee? Game show hostess, Love American Style player? She was the perfect example of someone who was famous for something once, and that something got lost in all the follow-up filler. (Note: Wikipedia lists over 100 TV star and guest star credits.)

I feel the same way about Ruta Lee and religion. Other people thought Ruta Lee was important when I was young, then I learned more about Ruta when I grew up and rejected her status. I appreciate Ruta Lee now more than I used to. Ruta Lee succeeded in a competitive business. She does charity work. She's a peace loving Canadian. There might be Ruta Lee fanatics who invoke her name in crazy causes, but don't blame Ruta.

We need a Ruta Lee holiday. If there's a reason for the season, then I say, put a little Ruta Lee under your tree this year.

Sunday, December 07, 2008

R.I.P. Captain Tony

Anthony Tarracino died this week at 92. Visitors to Key West, Florida knew him as Captain Tony. His bar, around the corner from the current location of Sloppy Joe's on Duval Street, was reportedly the original location of that famous bar, and if Hemmingway drank there, it was at that locale. He was the best known character, except for Jimmy Buffett, in a town of characters and nobody went to Key West without hearing his name. My Audio Reader business card is stapled to the wall, along with a million others, in the bar that still bears his name, though he sold it nearly 20 years ago which was the last time I saw Captain Tony, tooling around in a small car with his face painted on the side.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Christmas Carols

Tonight was our fourth year of singing Christmas carols at a local nursing home with the cub scouts. I don't sing very often and I don't sing at church but I have no problem belting it out at the nursing home. We walked among the cooridors and saw the nimble and the non-responsive. It was sad and uplifting at the same time. Somewhere between the nurse call alarms and the smiles and the vacant eyes was Christmas.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Fashion Trend: Elementary School Neckties

2nd grade boys in a Lawrence, KS public elementary school started a new fashion trend: neckties!

Monday, December 01, 2008

This Story Shall The Good Man Teach His Son

I got an email from Craig last week. His son's basketball team drew the Monday night practice assignment. Coach Craig was out until February. Tim sent his regrets today. A head cold kept him away. Kurt's back hurt. He was iffy before I sent news via email of our reduced ranks. Plus we were on the schedule against the first place team. I made calls, sent email, tried to round up the usual suspects for substitute action without luck.

Then regulars Jay and Tyler heard the call and hustled in. Kurt gave it a try on his sore back, more vertical, less muscled, with good results, best of the season. Those guys stepped it up in the clutch and anchor Brent bowled his best series of the year, 600+ pins. I recovered from last week's season low 84 to post a 205 and a 510 series. We bowled our best team series of the year, 1180. It didn't matter that we lost three of four. Cue the trumpets - we happy few, we band of brothers, we came together.

He that bowled this day, and sees old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Bowling night:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on league night.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember in Ernst
What strikes he rolled that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Big Pants Pete, Edgar Winter FrankenMullet,
Westhoff and Jones, Baker and Rollins,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son.