Who is "The Piano Man"?

Hello to all, there's been an interesting news story lately that seems to have been made up of bits and pieces of recent movies, take "The Bourne Identity" (with a nameless man being fished out of the ocean), mix it with the movie "Shine" (with a concert pianist battling with the effects of a nervous breakdown), add a Billy Joel song title ("The Piano Man"), with one part "Awakenings" (of once catatonic patients exhibiting ingenious skill under the right circumstances), and you have the real-life story of a man found washed up on a beach while dressed in full dress tails. Unable to speak, or communicate beyond his uncanny ability to draw an image of a piano, as well as his ability to actually play one with the skill of a classically trained concert pianist. The true identity of the man simply known as "The Piano Man" continues to be a mystery.

Ahhh, Summertime in Texas....

Took this photo from my backyard one Summer's day.

The "Runaway Bride"?

Hi Folks, one thing that has been buggin' me lately is all the news coverage of that so-called "Runaway Bride" story. For those of you who don't know what that is...... first of all, I'm surprised, LOL* but it is the story of a woman who (and this is just opinion formed from news reports, so don't think of suing me, because opinion is still protected by the First Amendment, at least for now) ran away to another state just days before her marriage. Her disappearance prompted a police investigation and search, several press conferences, and a media storm. Days later she turned up in another state, called 911 emergency services, to report her abduction and assault, complete with a description of a "hispanic man with rotten teeth in a blue van". Her story unraveled after she was picked up and questioned by police, as she admitted to orchestrating a hoax. I do feel sorry for the girl, as she might have had problems of a personal nature, but I can't help but consider the trouble she might have made had she persisted in her story and description. Imagine some hispanic man driving down the highway, perhaps in a blue van or SUV, rotten teeth or not (sheesh, that was lame of her to say), such a person might have been stopped by the police. Factor in the possibility of a language barrier getting in the way of that man not responding to commands in a timely manner at a felony stop, and the result could have been tragic. That is the source of my most pressing question of "why?", though it is countered by compassion for a person who has exhibited signs of being desperately in need of help. While I'm at it, I might as well go into the whole name given to this sad situation, "The Runaway Bride", kinda catchy as it evokes images of Julia Roberts running away from some male actor in a romance-comedy movie of the same name. How unfortunate, as we are left wondering, "will things work out?", "will they get back together?", "where is the happy ending?". I sure dunno the answers to those questions, but this particular real life situation reminded me more of another movie, "Rosewood", where a blonde woman falsely claims rape at the hands of an African-American man in her community, with tragic results. This bride might have run away, yes, but when she made up a story which involved fictitious accounts and descriptions, at least in my opinion she broke the law. Time will tell what the outcome of this story will be.

Say No to Grandpa Joe

Good afternoon all, just wanted to pass along an interestin' and funny link I found the other day after watchin' the movie "Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory". Yeah, I know.... but I admit that I still enjoy that movie, as it takes me back to when I was a kid and life didn't seem to rush by at the pace it does now. Odd tidbits of wisdom can be found in that movie, as ol' Willie was the source of my first exposure to any sort of philosophy. LOL*

"We are the makers of music, and the dreamers of dreams" -Gene Wilder as Willie Wonka

Good words to live by, in my honest opinion.

Now to explain the title of this latest installment, "Say No to Grandpa Joe", I found a website called "Say No to Grandpa Joe: Exposing the Truth", someone took great levels of investigative care in explaining why Charlie's grandpa is as they call him "a ratbag, and an industrial spy". LOL* The whole site is worth reading, and even the comments placed by visitors are entertaining, the site is safe for viewers of all ages. (unless they're a big fan of ol' Grandpa Joe in the movie)

"Deep Throat" Revealed

Hi Folks, seems that today has brought a little light to the shadowy subject of "Deep Throat". (nah, not that one... the one of Watergate and the movie "All the Presidents Men" fame LOL*) Seems that old feelings persist for those who were around Washington at that time, I just saw an interview on MSNBC where true anger was being directed at the individual who has admitted to being the inside source for reporters Woodward & Bernstein. It made me wonder, would we have known anything about Watergate today, if he hadn't come forward? Maybe we would, but maybe we wouldn't....... I guess it all depends on who you ask.

Star Wars Fever Again

Well, it's the second week since the latest installment of the Star Wars story hit the theaters, maybe I'll go see it, or maybe just wait until the DVD comes out, I dunno. Might be interestin' to see how ol' Darth Vader emerges from the story. For all you fans out there, check out a site I found a few years back when Episode 2 (Clones) came out, the site is called "The Chopped Off Hands of Star Wars" LOL* Someone put good thought into documentin' all the limbs lost in a galaxy far far away. Not to worry, the site is written in a funny way, is safe for viewers of all ages. Have a good day out there everybody