Category: Misc Posts
“My Uncle’s Life” is the song that brought the band together. My colleague Grant Gritzmacher took a poem from one of my books (A Wilderness of Chances) and turned it into a song which he performed at my retirement party in June of 2020. The poem/song is about my Uncle Bill. That song encouraged Grant and me and our colleague Dan Aber to begin getting together in Westminster’s music room to play as a trio, which eventually led to the band Firetown Road. The song is featured on our new album, Here’s to This Life.
Michael Cervas
Harry Travers walks away from the manicured future his disintegrating, moneyed family had envisioned for him so that he could feel the rush of making something out of nothing. That something would be himself.
After quitting his job with a software startup, Harry stumbles into working on a construction site – a dangerous environment in which he has no natural instincts. As he becomes blinded by the flash of his own intensity, he exposes others to tragedy. He also becomes involved with Minnie Sollis, an unadorned, self-propelled woman who demands serious things of him. He learns how vulnerability can make love possible.
My Name on a Grain of Rice by Richard Voigt is a story grounded in the complexities of emotional uncertainty, personal definition, and physical fear.
—
“…Voigt is an exceptional writer. His intellect, understanding of human nature, and empathy emerge in chapter after chapter… This is a novel worth reading for the writer’s voice as well as his story. Both are quite memorable.”
-Joe Kilgore, The U.S. Review of Books
A little British humor: “Brain Surgery”
“Turn Around” Kodak commercial
Famous Kodak ad from the 1960’s. A real weeper. It makes you want to grab your Instamatic and go hug your family. The singer is Ed Ames.
Don’t Let the Old Man In by Toby Keith
“It’s an interesting story, how this song came to be,” Toby Keith said in a video shared on Instagram on Friday (December 1). “Clint Eastwood, when asked by me, what he was gonna do on his birthday, he said he was gonna go shoot a movie. He was 88 years old, and I said, ‘what do you do to keep yourself going?’ He said, ‘I try to get up and be productive, and don’t let the old man in.’ So, I wrote (the song, and) sent it to him. He put it in that movie, The Mule, and then it exploded on NBC when I sang it on the People’s Choice [Country] Awards when I was getting the Icon (Award).”
A week ago the PBS Newshour included a segment on Male Loneliness. While
this segment features a group of men of working age, it also features the
importance of social activity for older men. The reason that I am forwarding
this is that we know the Old Guard provides an excellent resource for
socialization for retired men . The Old Guard is now made up of over 200 men
who benefit from membership. I am forwarding the link to highlight the
importance and as a testament to suggesting membership to friends and family
members who might also benefit.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/s
hey-are-in-a-friendship-recess
Don Kauke
Electricity Rates
Did you know you can choose other electricity suppliers? If you are using the default of Eversource you are currently paying 14.71 cents/KWH. However, there are several other providers licensed by the state of CT that are around 10 cent/KWH – a $30-40/month savings. There is no downside. You can get to the Energize CT website though Eversource or directly via:
We rebid our power a couple of times per year. Gary Banks