Tales from the Corners

 

I confess that I love autobiographies. It’s not that I’m into them because I want to live someone else’s life. Rather, I look for someone to tell me scores of amazing anecdotes. Oh, and I might learn a thing or two. In late 2020, look no further than Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness. The book’s main title is a play on words since the author is Liberty DeVitto, drummer, musician, son, father, Brooklyn resident and now, author.  Dear Reader, please notice how I just described Liberty. I think the description is fitting and in what I think, is the right order. You see, those who know Liberty and even those who are familiar with him typically say: Liberty DeVitto, Billy Joel’s drummer. Indeed that is what Liberty is best known for, but this gifted performer is known for so much more. That in and of itself is what I learned after reading this incredibly well-written and researched life story.  What I’m most astounded with in ‘Liberty,’ is the rich detail that the a...

While many of us have been holed up during this pandemic, singer/songwriter/musician John McCutcheon took to his North Georgia cabin to create a batch of new material. The result: Cabin Fever , a collection of 18 spectacular songs featuring "Front Line," a tribute to the essential workers who have been keeping the world running while most of us have been sheltering in place. Speaking of staying in, "Sheltered in Place" and "Six Feet Away" truly capture what's taking place at the moment. In this three-part interview, McCutcheon talks about how the peace and solitude of the cabin inspired him to create another well-done project in a short amount of time. From "My Dog Talking Blues" to "One Hundred Years," Cabin Fever  is yet another McCutcheon masterpiece, his 41st release in 45 years. In the discussion, McCutcheon speaks about this remarkable achievement as well. McCutcheon also dedicated a song to folk legend John Prine. He s...

Robert J. Nebel, Monday, June 22, 2020 Congratulations to us: it’s summertime. Well, officially it’s summertime, but here in our neck of the woods, it’s been summer for a few weeks. I do have to say that we have been experiencing spring, which during most years, we do not receive such a gift from Mother Nature. I can’t complain.  Here’s summer during a rather wet season. We have storms one moment and then sunshine and resulting humidity the next. It’s quite an ugly feeling. The only good to me that comes out of it are those occasional rainbows. Speaking of weather, there is something else to think about as I write this post. A dust cloud from the Sahara Desert is heading towards us. I’m told not to be alarmed, but it makes me wonder if that will affect any outdoor activities.  I’ve been taking on the challenge of attempting to get a run in each morning. This is known as “streaking.” Some folks commit to streaking year-round, while others choose specific dates to s...

Melodi2/Morguefile With everything going on these days, what is your escape? I feel like using that phrase from the Capital One TV ads, “What’s in your wallet?” Hmm, maybe I ought to pose the question, “What’s on your playlist?” For me, I have been diving into the Rolling Stones’ 1978 classic titled, Some Girls . That one has always been great for me on my neighborhood runs. Of course I always suggest anything from The Beatles catalog to get things going. Some folks say, yes to The Beatles for a running playlist, but a big no to post-Beatles-Beatles. I wholeheartedly disagree of course. Anything from the Wings or Paul McCartney solo years is good with me. Just crank up 1979’s “Old Siam, Sir” and I’m off to the races. There are some tunes that I have been rediscovering of late. Tears for Fears’ greatest hits collections has been making its way back onto my playlists. Indeed we know about “Shout” and “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” but there are a ton of singles that did...

Meet my neighbor Willie Jo Camp Willie Jo always takes center stage when he arrives for a meal. Willie knows it. In this recent montage, Willie shows that he means business when he's hungry. Anyone who encounter Willie knows that he is territorial. In this video Shiney (the black cat) makes a quick appearance. Shiney is perfect in the age of COVID. He refuses to come into contact with anyone. Summer seems to be tough on Willie. The heat makes him a bit cranky, just like the rest of us. 

On days that I work from home, I always have the need to get out into the Great Outdoors As the Peach State reopens, I’m starting to witness the traffic building. I’m not thrilled by this fact on one hand. On the other, common sense says that traffic is an unfortunate reality when the economy is humming along just fine. I’m hoping as we emerge from early 2020’s quarantine phase to living with what so many label, “the new normal,” that many businesses will continue to have a great deal of their employees work from home. As the economy comes up to full speed, perhaps Atlanta metro traffic will not come up to full speed -- not because many are not working, but many are working from home.  As is well known, many jobs that cannot be performed remotely. From service/hospitality/utility workers to healthcare employees/first responders, we know these people as society’s heroes -- and rightfully so. They keep the lights on, the Internet buzzing to making sure that we are all safe as...