Is it too late for this post to become a Jeopardy question?
Channeling the late Alex, who was very smart, even in death, but never a Smart Alec.
So here we go again with prominent passings, and they do have a thing in common, plus what is reported by local fans. Charley Watts who drummed the Rolling Stones and Dusty Hill as a stalwart with ZZ Top are no longer wih us — aside from their enduring music and trademark surnames, think voltage and then a country field in a bad year, for any little ‘ol rock ‘n roll band. And playing in a honky tonk, as in Honky Tonk Woman, could be the theme for a song by either band.
Karaoke hounds take heart, as both many-decades-long members of the two bands, almost their entire music lives, have been with the same outfit in a time where so many come and go in the lineups. And they’re encouraging their bandmates to keep the tunes rolling forward as stones — and not gather moss — and not stop playing under the same beloved names. One of the groups even has continued a world tour with a player of a different name filling in the gap, and mostly well received by fans from many nations. And ZZ Top rubber-stamped those wishes, saying they had a “directive” from Hill himself, revealed in in-concert banter during their first show without Dusty on bass. More than just Dust In The Wind.

— For an anti-Sturgis segue to death on the highway, via what it brings or does not, see Notes From The Beat–

Two local people can frame some of the draw of the bands — in a choice that might be odd bedfellows. My former boss is about the same age as Watts and had to sneak off upstairs to watch certain PG-13 things of a video nature, long before streaming was a big thing. He and his wife are, as reported before on these pages, very conservative but he needed his Stones fix and made sure he made the trip into The Cities to take in their concerts whenever they were in town — sometimes along with one of his sons, who had gone on to become music majors in college and were far more likely to be seen at karaoke outings at places like what is now Pier 500, (more on that later in this post), and doing selections that at that time were more limited, we might have to settle for whatever classic rock you could find on the playlist. On the theme of family, my brother heard me do Miss You and said “it sounded just like on the radio.” And the pointy haired boss, actually with a major crew cut, adds that even if you don’t agree with their over the-top, rock ‘n roll lifestyle, you can learn something from their lyrics.
And as far as ZZ Top, a biker chick friend of mind who has all the trappings of a metalhead, said instead her fave to see has to be ZZ Top and its southern rock, as their stage shows are/were so tight in composition. So after all, she will be able to see them in concert again. Minus one member.
But the shows, in a way, must go on …
Some things also forge onward, like the benefits for a pair of stalwarts on the scene who are battling cancer.
Shalice and Michelle are household names in enough of a way to merit one word names. I have known the former since the opening of what was then Guv’s Place in Houlton, and all this while, she has been fighting the good fight, and always more concerned with the needs of her friends then herself, which is why her hugs were always so unusually tight. And the latter as a co-owner of the Hudson Bowling Center, has been prominent for even much longer. Her benefit at Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse continues on this weekend. I even saw a sign about the fundraiser in River Falls
Other local people, too many for any sense of comfort, have been briefly eulogized online.
This isn’t Jack Black at Ronnie James Dio’s funeral, a two-hour remembrance, as recalled by a 40-something woman and passing-though-Hudson as a Dick’s Bar patron. Her brother was at the affair, as so many people speak of their story of Dio, the ultimate people person and a total empath, with a price as I will delve into later. You will continue to see the tales presented on these pages.
And then there was one of the original one-hit-wonders who passed on, Tom T. Hall, in a timing that was smack dab in the middle of Derby Days in Bayport and their ducklings that float on the small stream. “I love little baby ducks … pickup trucks … and you.”
Another recent event, which saw winds escalating in a straightline, storm did not bring any deaths, but as I heard it told by a man in yes, Bayport, it took the roof off Pier 500 and moved it closer to Dick’s Bar. So I checked it out. Not quite that serious, but workers aplenty were up there, rehabbing what was left up there. The wind gust apparently then headed northward, doing much the same type of damage to the Hudson Public Library, and forcing a lingering closure for all but curbside. You can’t read about it there, so read about it here.
Lastly, in a post a month or two ago, I noted the similarity in looks of the recently deceased actress Tawny Kitaen, and a neighbor friend named Darcy — so much so that I inadvertently called the LA woman the NH woman, as far as where residing, in a parting shot. That means there’s got to be a real resemblance.

Breaking news that the (usually early in the month) Oktoberfest at The Sidetrack in Roberts will not be held this year, but head west to Hudson for a show and fundraiser that will indeed go on, and will continue its battle, against stark odds.
This is about much more than blank stares, the flyer says to underscore a point, while perhaps being a bit glib. So I don’t feel quite as bad about being a little silly concerning the frequent reminders — and I think most would concede there is an irony here — to attend local fundraisers for Alzheimer’s awareness. Now are you sure you put them on your calendar? Or need a prompting to go? Or post an ad to promote it (that might be me right now). But hit Ziggy’s nightclub for all of tonight (Thursday) for a night of Tim Sigler and country music (most prominently) and promotion of understanding about the disorder, as they say music is the universal language.
The previous night, a handful of people were busy coming in and out and bringing in guitars and other instruments, as a solo act was playing in the next room over, so you know this event is large in scale.
Late last year, a man I saw while out for a walk was pulling up a sign advertising a different although related event, a distance run to benefit Alzheimer’s. It had been held the previous weekend and the man’s grandma, who has the disorder, had won a major prize. Only now had he recalled the need to remove the sign from his yard, but perhaps this was an intentional remembrance on his part. Good for them.

Take Me To The River. Or two (wordings intentional and see below) the nearest venue having Minnesconsin pro football games, but without the rowdiness, so it might not be within just blocks of the St. Croix.
So to the Next Door online reader with a two-fold question in that regard, here’s to you. Might want to head up the hill into a newer section of Hudson.
At Green Mill, it is a crowd that evades the 21-year-old, bucket of beer brigade, although they do have Game Day specials are just as inciting. The clientele is a little older and wiser, and more mature and well behaved, and you can even engage them in conversation as the volume of either the jukebox or sports TV channel is not prohibitive, and everyone around the big circular bar rail is within earshot, and you don’t have to yell. Granted, come the fourth quarter some of the regulars might be a bit tipsy, but they typically can handle their liquor well, so this may go unnoticed because they don’t pour it down like at some places downtown catering to the young crowd.
On Friday, a group came in sporting Green and Gold sweatshirts and were led to the dining area. A man at the bar quipped it might as well be Game Day. The response? We’re traveling, on our way over there. Green Mill is known for catering to business travelers, some of them upscale but unpretentious, staying at nearby motels, or just those passing through enroute to a bigger city.

— For three key matchups to view at GM and BWW, and make it your own, see Notes From The Beat. They start with the Pack but don’t turn back when it comes to the rest of the NFL–

Across Carmichael Road is Buffalo Wild Wings, which caters as much to families with children of all ages, spread out around the generous supply of tables in two huge rooms, as those at the front bar. It can be a haven for youth sports teams, both athletes and parents and their coaches and even trainers, and bartenders are more likely to take the time for a bit of well-honed analysis about strategy. A big flyer in the foyer stresses that patrons enjoy the game but be respectful. Forego the Bronx Cheer.
And then there are those specials.
You can load up on more than baked potato during football games. A current offer that takes on a tailgating twist provides 20 wings, amped up on chicken tater tots, and for now a secret item that likely has a secret sauce, like at an old Milwaukee Brewer game at County Stadium.
Another newer offering is a mouthful. It boasts spicy sweet chili sauce on its wings, and Doritos (the name brand not a generic) with you might have guessed, spicy-sweet-chili-sauce-flavored tortillas crumbled and piled on top.
Lastly there — and you have to keep in mind BDubs is a chain with more of a presence in Minnesota — you can get a free appetizer whenever the (up and down) Viking defense produces two snacks — OK again a Freudian slip, as I meant sacks. (You do have to produce a separate $20 purchase, but as far as getting to that point, its still cool on those hot apps because you will bring your legions of friends with you, right?) Just as long as the Viking to Packer ratio among them is not greater then 50/50. Just kidding. After all, this is not Dick’s or Ziggy’s downtown that can cater to the hoards coming over from the Cities to get their football fix.
But if you can’t wait until Sunday, on Saturday there is the marching band competition dubbed Rumble on the River, which is actually held at Hudson High School and is a joint effort with River Falls, where they do have the carefully careening creek that’s called The Kinni for commonality sake. The lingo is lots like a major concert, doors at 11 a.m. and music at noon. There is a $10 entry fee, since after all, the event is a fundraiser.
(Like this post? Consider joining the Next Door online family from whence the question came, or even its 51-and-counting member “group” for my HudsonWiNightlife website, thus joining those who are “bookmarked” for me — and you might even see a joke about Area 51, now that the gov has come clean — on that village of North Hudson alone end of the online offering.)

Partying, whether it feature sports contests or karaoke or creepy creatures, continues to be where and how you find it.
One of the attractions seen on a walk along the Hudson-to-North Hudson construction zone, as the midnight hour neared and I’d bet turned into Living After Midnight, was what appeared to be a karaoke party at a two-story private residence — the upper floor, presumably, could be used as a respite if singers were really bad.
Garage parties, especially those double-dipping at duplexes and thusly double the space means social distancing is followed, have now more than ever filled the nightlife void, as a way to confront virus-based restrictions.
The first of the Halloween decorations went up at one of those North Hudson houses, in mid-September. It had a (fitting) Ghostbusters theme. Slimer was on the left side and the decked out hotel butler on the right, overseen by not a plasma machine on the upper floor, as in the movie, but by a stream of orange lights hung from overhanging branches. Other party-makers have left their drapes open well into the evening to show big-screen TV sports and orange lights both in big globes and small strings, and thus entertain late night walkers. A property along Sommers Street North was making full use of a new big tent out back to watch Big Ten games.
And Packer games were attracting people at sports bars down the way, even though there were lane closures and you had to read between the lines, and the signs, to know that you could still drive to places like The Village Inn. Its lot was full for a recent game, now that the regular season is here and patrons can finally watch the regulars take the field, but there was not the often-seen need to create a few more feet to have a parking space, or have drivers resort to the typical overflow parking area that is the adjoining Zappa Bros. lot. Frank in-concert would be dissed. And across the street, Kozy Korner has been known to close quite early, as customer traffic has only been in streaks because of the construction that has the pizzeria right in the midst of its zones.

— Like what you are reading here? Many of you have said you do. So to those who have contacted me — and there have been quite a few — and asked for permissions to, in various forms, reprint small portions of my posts and refer the attribution back to my site, go for it! Hey its extra traffic to my site, so why would I mind, as it could even be seen as flattering that so many of you would find this worthwhile. And speaking of traffic, note the content in many parts of this post —

Longing back for the days when it was just the virus to combat and we were single-minded of worry, as when pro baseball fields finally opened up not this year but the last, and the only concern was if all the hard throwers could find the strike zone consistently. These were not your typical household names at that point, and they could paint the corner carefully to get the count to say, 0-2, then also in Cleveland Indians style throw one to the backstop ala Charlie Sheen. And the team that those from Minnesconsin would play right off the bat were those same Indians. But Bob Uecker was not in the press box, no matter how many boxes of disinfectant were applied, rather relegated to a virtual location not in the front row.

Tuesday’s gone with the wind. But the impact will always be there.
But on that fateful day 20 years ago this past weekend, arguably the most devastating Tuesday in the country’s history, we are prompted to remember things and emotions and conversations, so I am doing so right now, on Wednesday — this being after a day or so of reflection with yesterday’s starting day of the week of what transpired in my life on that Tuesday, a deadline day all day at the local weekly, The Star-Observer, where I wrote the sports page(s) for 16 years. Monday night was always a near all-nighter, to get a jump on things, and this is how the popular column I wrote on nightlife, which later became this blog, had its origins.
I would try to get to the office as early as possible after a quick breakfast, usually just a quickly scarfed doughnut, then stop first at Hudson High School to pick up any last sports submissions and scoresheets. This was before the advent of most social media, and I’d race to get together without the local TV news on. So I was not tuned into the carnage and chaos as I drove the three miles to get to HHS. But I did know upon waking, in what way specific to that morning I do not exactly remember, (more on that later), that something big and bad was afoot.
When I got to the athletic directors office, a clearinghouse for anything that had not earlier been faxed (this was before the heyday of email), I floated the idea of hey did you hear, there is some kinda way, way out there, in the news, not yet knowing anywhere nearly how big, thinking I had an ill-formed scoop.
The various staffers, in short order, let me know that this was far beyond even the latest weather disaster.
Back at the office, things were already hopping even more than usual. Everyone there had heard, long before me, that this was a megastory and plans to cover it would not wait until the 10:45 a.m. editorial meeting. We all had the idea to try to wrap up our regular stuff fast, put on hold anything that could wait until the next week, and insert some local reaction and connection to what has been called, unfortunately, the story of a lifetime. The first of a series of hourly deadlines, depending on the news department or section on which it is found, was 1 p.m. That’s when my sports stuff was due, although I often ended up pushing the deadline back a bit, just to try to sneak in Monday night’s game results — with the editor occasionally standing over my shoulder for a few moments if that last headline took too long to compose.

— But enough seriousness. Let’s rock out and roll forward fast in Ellsworth. See Picks Of The Week. And for a tad of trivia on observances from last weekend, dial up the Where Did You See It department. A hint: The answer also involves trucks from fire departments —

Aside from political stances, the fact that the crashing planes would do their evil deed should not have been a big surprise to me. I had been doing karaoke at the old Sports Club with a friend of mine, a gifted psychic, the late Joe Miller. I share with him much of this same ability, which plays out especially with musical out-there-ness and which be written about at length once other more immediate topics are off the plate.
While waiting for the air to clear and Air Supply singing to be concluded, so we could get up there and wail, we looked at each other, then looked away, and then checked out each others eyes even further. Something struck both of us at once. We collaborated a bit and agreed that there was something horrific afoot, and though all was still OK on that particular evening, that it would not be so just days down the line. We also concurred that this joint premonition did not involve any of the usual suspects in our lives, the typical source.
That fateful night that transcended karaoke, was the Saturday before the following Tuesday, which was 9/11.
The rest is history.

With the likes of Zepp, whose namesake band was known for playing all sorts of this and that, you know there will be musical diversity.
Join Brian Zepp of KQRS from 6-8 p.m. at the St. Croix Valley Riders 31st annual chili feed on Saturday, Sept. 11th.
This Ellsworth motorcycle outing is held at The GasLite Bar and Grill.
This is a 21-plus event. The motorcycle activities will include a bike show on Friday night, free chili and more. Camping will be available, just see their website photo for spaciousness, and it is encouraged for those who want to spend the full weekend.
Hit Faced will be the band, in a two-faced way – and that’s a good thing. The favorite rockers and more will be at The Feed for two straight nights, Thursday and Friday.
Let them tell it: “Spanning over four decades of music and covering material from the most recent pop to classic rock, Hit Faced also covers over a dozen ‘crossover country’ artists as well as ‘dance/funk’ and even some ‘disco’. Finally you can hire a band that is as musically diverse as your audience is. Old, young, dancers, pop music fans, cowboys and rockers and even headbangers will all find something to enjoy spread throughout the show.”

Got plenty of those meats that make Labor Day a labor of love for those who appreciate your grilling, but what of all the stuff still in your refrigerator? Here I go, to the rescue of all hidden foods again.
For you see, so many things can be mixed together and put out, en masse, buffet style because I think – and this isn’t a universal opinion – that everyone will love something. And salad and its toppings lead the way. And what can you not throw on top of a baked potato, or mashed, even a drizzle of leftover BBQ sauce, and mixed veggies can become whatever you – reasonably – want them to be, so just give plenty of options in different bowls via a little extra cutting and dicing and combining.
But back to the situation room — your kitchen and deck — with salad.
Joe’s go-to place for groceries, Family Fresh Market in River Falls, and New Richmond, has Labor Day prices on more than a dozen things that can be chopped up and made available in small bowls on a big table next to your grill.
These next three paragraphs might reveal usages of these things you have not thought of.
For a different twist on “we have the meats” inserted into your salad, try a bit of summer sausage, or other such flavors that are many, chopped into nuggets, like smaller versions of the popular chicken ones. (OK they can be put alongside). Again, the sausage is right now on sale at Family Fresh. Drizzle a little extra tangy French dressing where these nuggets tend to clump together.
And as far as that asparagus? It’s a different take on your taking on of salad, but put it on the side for the adventuresome to try. And here’s the rub for many of these suggestions. Many of us like something, but only in small doses, especially if its quite spicy, so have one half of the bowl boast bigger pieces and the other half those of half-size. And a tip to that cook who is looking at their credit card bill after all that back-to-school shopping and needs to cut back until, say Thanksgiving (installment payments?): Mix in with very small slices, cut both vertically and yes horizontally, some of your also-ran stuff, oh ye of lesser taste, just to use it up so you don’t have to buy more until … say Thanksgiving. Then do it again?
And those pistachios? Some other nuts can serve the same purpose, and they don’t have to only be cashews, but I have to invoke the conversation with my sister-in-law over the big family meal, at The Forum. This was the nature of that “forum.” We agree almost any veggie from your crisper can be thrown into stir fry and made tasty, one of the topics of this post. Where do we both draw the line? Water chestnuts and other such nutty things. Why? The texture does not match the only slightly crisp items browned and put into a stir fry. But hey, this variation could be part of the joy. If needed, meet halfway and pick out nuts that are a little softer, a kinder and gentler nut. Watch out for those filberts though. But take some of those cocktail peanuts from the dish atop the TV and plop them on top.
And then there again at Family Fresh is the ground beef at 80 percent lean at only $2.49 a pound, six cobs of corn for $2, and the other things you will need to round out your Labor Day. And a bit of that crumbled burger could even be put on your salad. Along with the stuffing pieces — uncooked — that could pass for croutons?

— More on Labor Day and what it means, as a summer last gasp, under Uncategorized. And for more tips on grilling and more, see my pre-Father’s Day post on the home page under the heading, Where’s The Beef? And Just As Importantly, Where’s The Sauce?–

And now before summer officially closes, get the most of those summer salads, and do we see a theme here? If you can’t get them in good as a part of your grillin’ here is an option. Go to a few select places that either have kept their killer salad bars open through most of the pandemic or have reopened them, so get them while the gettin’ is good.
Ruby Tuesday leads the way. As I’ve written before, I judge a salad bar for starters by the number of greens offered, going beyond both iceberg and even romaine. Ruby Tuesday has added two more options to their lettuce and more lineup, bringing to four the sets of the tossed greens arranged in a square nearly half the size of a square yard. And their toppings range upward to two dozen, including some you might not guess, so this is the clear choice, if there is one in your city. There is one in Greendale, Wis., where I am currently visiting, and they did not have any kind of salad bar prohibition because of the pandemic. That and their special of a $2 draft beer after 3 p.m. is valid EVERY day.
And you can always go Greek. Or could have. Like the aforementioned Forum, and across the byway in these Milwaukee suburbs, Genesis. The former really packed them in for their salad bar, which took the length of counter that you normally see and added a second wing to form an L for easier serving, and also a side area shooting out. But these days, weeks and months it is shut down, even to the point of having yellow “caution” signs across the front areas. But the nearby carpet still reads “salad bar.”
This is where some grocery stores have seized the opportunity, and Family Fresh right now offers various salad kits from Taylor Farms, not just the national big boys, for two for $7 in case a glance at your fridge is uninspiring.
Moreover, such places have set apart in prominent areas the things that set them apart, such as olive bars with often a dozen or so options that go beyond Greek, hot broasted chicken and tenders and beyond stations, and even their own salad and soup bars, although the choices can be fewer.
But hey, that’s where you can, again, supplement with your own stuff that’s lurking about in the fridge!

What is higher, the temperature these days on the thermometer in your mouth, or outside, on your body’s killer clothes, and possibly paradoxically, on your shades? So I mix topics, again, like the ingredients in those gonzo Brandy Old Fashions that are again becoming the purchasing rage in many parts of Wisconsin and paying their due as part of the economic stimulus — like they ever left?
So, this is the summer of my loving. The second season I’m to know. Since Robert Plant was known in more than one way for his “microphone,” it’s in the 90s for temps, as opposed to the ‘70s in music, so I’ll wrap up the latest sweaty styles and anything in summer skimp that can’t be left go, then catch up with the rest come the fall fashions. So I Put My Bid In to Ramble On ….
Come the Fourth of July, and continuing on, the fireworks are not the only things blazing, except for those babes who are little more than knee high, as yet other turns were given to all things fashionable and boldly going where no man, or woman, had gone before – or at least since the 60s, 70s and 80s. Yet again over-the-top as the revealing wear hiked it up a notch, both in sexy and in positioning upwards on the body.
But back to another kind of sheen far into the summer — starting with but not limited to sparklers, the shooting off was extended and overblown by the strongly vertical up-shoots after wins by the Milwaukee Bucks to take a title — for more than their flash and noise, although they had that on the court also. This went on until games well after The Fourth, and fans in the Milwaukee suburbs continued playing it out until almost After Midnight on those last four straight victories. And the pop-goes-the-weasel-and-worse form of cager worship continues to light up the sky in the southern metro – Milwaukee now, not the Twin Cities. And the fireworks shops, like the one still seen on a big billboard heading back to western Wisconsin, continue to cash in.
So money talks. But it can’t sing and dance and it won’t waltz. So we need to go elsewhere for those forms of entertainment. An online commentator asks it this way, as I start with that woman’s – I’m assuming here — whole line of questioning: Can someone recommend (inexpensive) Fishnet Tights and Suspender Tights? Cheers xx.
Then backing up again, another top online post from local late last month, about fireworks, following up on others that tied in the effects on animals of many kinds, sleep of many kinds of quality and even the nicked windshields of cars of many kinds, was simply, “please stop.” At this late hour, we’re all in our nighties, which in these days of finally getting groovy in teddies, means you can’t go outside to grab the matches of alleged offenders until your tank top is on just right.

And Then It Came Around To Fashion, She Said …

The style changes go to the top, as indicated, and thus the eyes have it, as the big rounded glasses of the ‘80s have made a big comeback, going back months and adding different types of tints as we progress, and make progress, through time. Moreso, this conversation: “What about those glasses?” Pink! “What color?” Lastly, the woman in Walmart, who had the biggest and best looking if not over-the-top, tear-drop shades. I wanted to tell her so, but then assessed her way-pulled-to-the-side-hair and the way of the rest of her dress and thought maybe she was a diva. Then went boldly where … But I accidentally said, “heart-shaped glasses,” like the Nirvana “heart-shaped box?” Still, she liked the compliment.
And leading the rest of the way is this recap of the caps, (but there were none, or few except for that on the one obligatory female cop in the shop, that being T-Buckets with their killer contest), of the many in-costume parties that can be an indicator of where fashion trends are going. These were seen when the pandemic in its first blush allowed some normalcy to come to prevalence, and that of course was Halloween. And we love The Guv’nor, so we all did what we can do, in my case a synopsis of what shook out at Guv’s: And again, the leading lady was in a costume that was recapped for New Year’s there.
It showed great-big-holed fishnet stockings, freckled tank-top-type thing just above belly level; and all-around just lots of Gaps in clothing. And oh, the (stocky) footwear … Fishnets are no surprise to Guv’s, as a good friend stole the show with hers at a previous Halloween at their original Northern Exposure location – although telling me she felt quite self-conscious — but then two years later to the day, at Woody’s in Bayport, sauntered up and offered at redux.
But there were more celebrations of style that governed that night, last year on the 31st which I think was also a full moon. Back at Guv’s, way on the late end, there was the lovely Lana, sporting again her flapper costume. But seen when first walking in were others more unusually creative then something fueled by prohibition at last call, an interesting juxtaposition.
One of the ownership mainstays had a shirt showing how to shoot a combo — mesh featuring holes bigger than that fishnet stocking babe, and scads of suction-cup-type-things tacked on here and there. With logo to boot.
Across the way, there was a woman singing a song, but not for long. She was pushing herself against another lady that evening, seated, then pulling up and then down over the top of her. Another way to get your rocks off as a culture that for months had gone stir crazy. Waltzing by was a man who would be standard at open-mic nights, as they could be found, in the coming months, sawing on a fiddle and playing it hard. Other extended play versions of songs, this time not just string instrumental solos, was featured by the band, almost to the point of some Led Zeppelin live albums where it is a song a side.
Then on New Year’s, drumming home the point of robust style: Seen outside to start the eve off was a woman, one of a trio that was given their distance, walking down Walnut Street (south side) sporting extra-clunky heels that were still strappy with many strings, way up her ankles. This set that particular ensemble apart from all those soon-to-be-trite, ripped-cut-sideways jeans seen that night, and later was pre-empted by views of shoes composed only of several leather straps on each that were not even the width of a man’s belt.

An ongoing CNN series on the history of the sitcom had this to say: When things get more serious, Americans get silly. So here goes more gallows humor. Is this me being warm and fuzzy, with forked tongue or that utensil stuck in it, and would that lead to another infection? So ever listen to Pantera and their version of tough love? It takes all kinds, especially in today’s world.

So here‘s my take, again, on The Ways Of The World, that I hope will bring a sort of dark-humor cheer. I just hope I don’t go for that wide open neck that has a jugular, as rigidly as say, Stephen Colbert.

The new form of fake ID is to prove not your age, but your vaccination or testing status, as these figments of fictionalizing your position are popping up in many places. And we can’t say this one is from us being, geographically, close to the border But south of the border? From Canada? Can we learn a thing or two?.
And could we pump up the prize that’s an incentive for getting a shot, by offering a shot when going out in the areas where masks are needed most, pull one down and scarf up a chaser of whiskey? I do realize that these days, a free drink like the one your favorite barkeep used to throw toward a regular like you, so they could throw one back on the house, went out the window in about 2007 – remember what happened then!
But bring back the banana brigade, that is like the one that got you inside Dibbo’s for free back in the day, as a form of charity to replace the fourth stimulus check, but I’m afraid would only be allowable if you got tested first. Or twice, as in a Friday-Saturday night.
Could hospitals that are less taxed by the virus, if only to a degree, like those up our way, fill in some of the slack? But if those chose to be this noble, would people rebel, with a pushback like that seen when Hudson weighed in on becoming a sorta super sanctuary city? Think that would have out-strapped capacity for services. And then add on Haiti and Afghanistan.
It is kind of fitting that the place the Delta variant is making the most headway is a place where there is indeed a delta, and because of lack of vaccinations a state of emergency – the state of Louisiana. And in India, where the new Delta variant got much of its start, there is New Delhi. Lord knows, it might be safer there now.
A new school of thought on schools where there should be such thought. The School of Rock should disallow body surfing if not vaccinated. And this time around upping the ante to provide enforcement, by bringing in security by the Hell’s Angels, is a legitimate need. Does their leather mandate apply to masks? Only symbolic death at the death metal concert.
Another school going all out gonzo in their take on whether masks should be mandatory. After, and maybe because of, such a long run at the box office, the Old School superheros will soon retire from the rigors of film-making, instead setting up their own all-star academy to teach the lessons learned from all those sequels to those who will pick up the torch and run with it. But all will be required to wear masks, whether in the classroom or more likely, doing their good deeds out on the street, saving the world in two different ways over which to marvel. That mandate goes 24/7, as you never know when a damsel will be in distress. And who is in a better position to lead social distancing by example then Spiderman, who isn’t near anyone when swinging between skyscrapers. But as far as vaccinations? This is the one thing Ironman could not get done, as his unpierceable skin is obviously made of, what? Metal.
And not matter what your status of “motivation” is at concerts, forget about pulling off your panties, and even more importantly, don’t you dare throw your mask at the lead singer. A saving grace involving the lotsa people at Lollapalooza, most of those singers are just too scrawny and aren’t that hot anyway.
The kill count from the Deer District crowding is rising, surpassing that of the November hunt even though we’re not to that month yet. Need more of the doe than dough, feet on the floor, to lead the effort at nursing care – is that sexist?
And then there is the Boston Symphony and the million people it attracts on the Fourth of July. Word has it that even before the show went on, they could only scrounge up two people well enough to play the trumpet. Forgot the chances with the bassoon. And to get that number of players with the almost infinite amount of lung capacity needed, they had to reach out to Wisconsin for – drum roll please – a tuba player. I hope that didn’t offend too many of you, as it is meant to be a slam not on those who are ill, but those who slam dance to the polka, and there are many. Ever see how big some of those old meat and potatoes Germans are when they fly around the floor, and careen out of control too close to Whoopie John? And we all thought moshing was dangerous.
The pope has chimed in more sternly than some of those in various flocks, calling getting vaccinated “an act of love.” So the Lutherans and other denominations – the Evangelicals are dragging – otherwise quickly weighed in, issuing statements saying that they for a change are one with those Catholics, at least their fearless leader, after listening to Schism by Tool several times through. “I’ve seen the pieces (of vaccination) fit …” Why can’t we not be sober? Just want to start this over. And as far as the Flock of Seagulls, it’s likely percentagewise that most everybody in the band but the girlfriend that broke it up has gone with the shot. Even Ozzy sang about that Shot In The Dark (pun intended).

They said that on the medal stand, the Olympians winning gold would have to stand alone, and the silver stand alone, and the bronze stand alone, and the brass – well they can have the delusions that they are actually titanium and merit such treatment. And that they would have to place these over their own necks themselves? That’s where the “rusty” old Irons Up (again on these pages, see the Iron Maiden video) veterans of Games Past pinch-hit.

And that stellar skier from the area whose Winter Games glory were, and I have to say it was tragically, cut short by the Covid? That really does bring tears, but where there’s that life-giving water, there’s a way, and if anyone has the talent to pull off such a Switchfoot, then it’s this Afton athlete. Seems with her skill-set, she could have added to her globe-wide glory by training in a slightly different way and putting her bid in as a water skier! But unlike synchronized bowling (see a past post) it is not a sport yet, so let’s get behind her even though she’s from The Enemy State and start a write-in campaign for official worldwide inclusion, all you Wisconsin Up-North Vacationers …

All of them noticed that in the life-span of a typical teen to get through high school, if they graduated on time and now that might be harder then ever, a newer bug has returned, and it is not another virus variant. The cicadas are back! But upon further review, seeing what new threats have come about in 17 years in our virus-laden world, they hedged their bets and decided they might be far better staying underground! Oh wait. Was that a different vermin?

I hope you all gained a laugh or two from this post, as that is what was intended, and it really helps these days. I also hope that no feelings were hurt in the production of this piece, although sometimes I could use a bit of monitoring.

But with all chuckling aside out there, be safe! And get home and may it be a safe haven, wherever that is. Joe.

(Can’t find as much live music these days, as the grand reopening is not that grand or consistent everywhere? Don’t pout. Go see Poot tonight! Visit Picks of the Weeks to see where).

If you are going back to school in another state, these are tips to do your laundry for less than half the normal cost, as it can’t always be on mom’s dime and using her machine. They could also go for most anyone living in an apartment complex. And if you are not a college-aged male, you might not want to tell your wife about these tips. Kind of like a guy’s way to do the shirts and pants, but hopefully not boxers and briefs, quick and easy. But the creative person is never revered in his own country – or domicile. But still, discuss it over a beer with your (new?) roommates.
We all have been there, the laundry is a little dingy but not really dirty. And there is a scant odor, but not odorous. After all, few of us are pro athletes, as we just watch them on sports TV and don’t break a sweat unless there’s an upset. And not many of us are construction workers either. For us grunge is a music form, not the state of the laundry. Simply put, we don’t get that dirty, even if rained on during the walk/run back to our student housing. So the following is for my niece Hannah, halfway through college, and the need more than ever these days to conserve as much as you can of that quarters fund for doing laundry.
Take that stuff you’d worn for a day and give a quick sniff to places like the pits. Unless they are actually smelly, or stained mildly, consider just placing them into the dryer with those fragrant laundry sheets. And you can reuse them a time or two, or even three, by combining their numbers into what’s put into a single spin – of only about five minutes. And add to their productive life by freshening them up with a bit of cologne (don’t need much at all, mind you, and don’t be that guy), or just a touch of fabric softner or air freshner, then give a couple extra minutes, or maybe even a few less, in the dryer. You also can have added value via freshner or even a bit of Shout if using a color catcher sheet as the base for All Those Many Ways To Spruce Something Up Now That Mom Has Abandoned You.(Just kidding mom). And she might not like it, but wipes, flushable or not, will serve a similar purpose.
Why is this important? If you have a coin operated machine, either onsite or at a laundromat, it can eat enough quarters after a week of clothing wear, to tear your hair out. My method, for each time through, will cost you only 25 cents. And when done, or so you thought, stuff them into your shoes and wipe as you go, for more overnight freshening power, as dirty socks just won’t work with my method, and in walking to class the shoes may get a bit stinky.
And how to get things dry, if you indeed wash them first? Top it off by placing the item on the barred face of the air conditioner in the room – and a lot you students probably do need the services of that air machine, as you are “central” to your friends and family, but not necessarily the landlord. You may need to keep the clothing item in place by doubling it over and thus flip-flopping it once you get to the next chapter of your biology homework, as the basics of home ec were for back in high school. If the lid on the AC is flat, you might have a chance to weigh it down and keep it from falling, with the armpits laid strategically on the blower right below. I know that you as a college student possess just the right weighted ingredient to keep the drying process going, it’s called Miller Lite doing double duty. And if you have a whole six-pack, you can separate it out and place the cans in a line parallel to the wall, and get a second clothing item, or maybe a third, dry all at the same time.
And don’t buy what your new bartender friend down the road from the dorm might tell you, that if you purchase dark beer for such a noble purpose, you can get more weighted-value than light beer. How is all this noble? You save energy as well, that would normally go for running a washer and to a certain degree, a dryer.
On the topic of drinks, and this is Joe procrastinating like a college student on a Saturday with an exam first thing on Monday, I will soon – hopefully sometime in the fall semester – get back with some of the caffeine tips you will only find in places like this. Been there, done that.

Craig Clark’s bluesy voice has been called the best in the U.S.in its genre, and that national appeal will be brought to Muddy Waters nightclub in Prescott late Sunday afternoon. They continue to be bringing it, now that the music scene in at least some fronts has reopened, and in the cases of many other clubs is only slowly going forward..
Clark belts out the blues rock – deep and rich and southern — along with a whole big heaping cup of soul that will rival as a play-on-words namesake, The Lovin’ Spoonful, to bring to the table a style all his own.
He started singing Gospel at age five, when most of us were trying to master tying their shoelaces. Since moving to Minneapolis from Pennsylvania in the ‘80s, and being part of a scene that saw some great music of all kinds, Clark added gusto to his self-taught and compelling guitar style, and dynamic vocals. He has performed with Big Brother and The Holding Company, Jimmie Van Zant and Big John Dickerson, and at the Broken Spoke in Sturgis. (See that, Forrest and friend). Clark is influenced by the likes of Sam Cook, Bobbie Bland, Robert Cray and Buddy Guy, his bio says.
He can also play with his full band, and a sidekick has also been around for decades and got going on the bass and vocals at a very early age. The show goes on from 4-8 p.m. on the 22nd.
In a variety of sub-genres within the Gospel and folk music scope, the willingness of Minnesota groups with big musical ties – think along the lines of sharing the stage with a Grammy winner — to travel to get gigs has been amped up. In a number of cases this summer, such acts have trekked down Hwy. 29 as far as central Wisconsin to perform rather high-profile shows that are things a bigger, local church has hung its hat on as a key fundraiser.

Do you believe time is fluid? And so can go backward and forward, and vise versa?
So here I come again, and here I go. I wrote yesterday that there would be more coming on the front of shows that could be no-shows because of stuff like hurricanes. It was posted under Notes From The Beat, saying more was coming of the sort as a lead item, but here it is as the second one down so you guys can read both (I think I needed to give myself that one more plug).
When your rock show goes electric, watch out for the electricity in the air, in the form of thunder and lightning, very, very frightening. Thus was the case way back when, when I saw Styx play just weeks before their first album (yes Old School term), put them on the map in more than the Midwest. So as they toured to support the soon-to-be groundbreaking effort, what was the venue? In their greatest coup ever, the Lincoln County Fair in north-central Wisconsin, in a county where there are more cows then people, not exactly a hotbed of anything artsy.
But not a name act just yet, so the show simply had to go on, come hell or high water. Black Oak Arkansas opened and was able to do their whole set, as a band that again was first popping themselves up on the musical map. But before Styx got too far into theirs, the electric eye in the sky storm was well on its way, then right overhead. This was about the time Styx, although still forming its sound, was starting to riff on the electric guitars and they wouldn’t want the high-amped-up jolt for their fingers to come from a lightning strike .. rather a killer solo. So the show went on to close, and although potentially in harm’s way, the solos were not cut short.
(An aside. The fairgrounds where the show was held had great seating capacity, even though not a venue in demand but for one thing, mainly … thank God for the demolition derbies and any auto racing that could be booked. Still, people such as myself ran to the hills, or actually the midway cul-de-sac thing nearest the stage area, to catch the first-loud-sound-to-be-found show as the skies grew dark, and not from nightfall).