Bosch - Official Teaser Trailer

Get a first look at Bosch, a new Amazon Original Series based on Michael Connelly’s best-selling books coming to Amazon Prime Instant Video in 2015. Starring Titus Welliver, Annie Wersching and Jamie Hector.  Read the novels as they are great books.  Lots of good music references in each book.

My sweet yellow Labrador Retriever named Abbey has turned 14 this month.  She is also known as "girlfriend" as she is my couch snuggler and gives me the gentlest little kisses each night before bedtime.

Her registered name is Dutch Hollow’s Steal A Heart, JH and was born on 12-11-2000.  She was my 2nd Labrador Retriever and a member of a pack of 4 labs. 

Always a hard worker, obedient and eager to please, Abbey has been a joy to live with over the years.  She loves small children, retrieving waterfowl or just retrieving anything for me.  Always a good companion and traveler she has visited 6 states with me.

She was my yellow lab male (Casey) sweetheart and they grew up together only being 2 years apart in age.

Thanks for all of the good times over the years and I'm glad we have grown old together.

Abbey's cake is made from wheat flour, diced apples, banana, shredded carrots, 3 nut butters, oil, egg, water and baking powder.  The icing is a thin layer of whipped cream cheese.

Darlene Love's last performance of Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Set your DVR because this Friday 12/19, Darlene Love will sing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" for David Letterman one last time. She has announced that after this performance she will retire the song and not perform it on TV.  The holiday tradition started in 1986, and Love has spent the last 27 years performing the holiday classic on Letterman's shows, "Late Night" and now "Late Show."

Darlene Love is 76 and was born on July 26, 1938 and she sang lead on a string of Phil Spector-produced hits from the early Sixties, including “He’s a Rebel,” “He’s Sure the Boy I Love,” “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,” “(Today I Met) The Boy I’m Gonna Marry,” “Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home,” “Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Hearts?” and the seasonal classic “(Christmas) Baby Please Come Home.” In addition, she sang background vocals on numerous other hits that Spector produced for his Philles label, including the Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron,” the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

Here is a link to YouTube and a compilation video http://youtu.be/RfurmGiKZ5k put together by CBS showing her performances on Letterman’s show over the years.  Watch the stage and notice over the years how the numbers of singers has grown to include choirs and other backup singers. 

Do a search for Darlene Love and read about her musical career and her resurgence in the 1980s.  The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has a great biography of her as well as several other sources.

A holiday classic --- SNL Christmas Schweddy balls Dec 7th 2003

Saturday Night Live Steve Martin's A Holiday Wish

Enjoy!    Steve Martin's A Holiday Wish

RESPECT for the American Flag

You didn't see this prominently broadcast on TV and as a lead story as it should have been - RESPECT for the American Flag by National Guard members.  The photographs tell the story.

From David Carson, photographer STL Post-Dispatch ---

Here's your start to the Christmas holidays - enjoy - Turn It Up!

Do You Have A Plan For Your Pets In An Emergency?

Disaster Preparedness

Think about this.  When a tornado is bearing down on your community, how much time will you have to get the kids, yourself and your pets into a safe shelter?  And, how will your pets behave when the winds are howling, your home is creaking and the roof is blowing off?  What about flooding?  How quickly can you evacuate your family and your pets?  How will you transport your pets?

When disaster strikes what are you going to do for your pets, and most importantly with your pets?  Where will they stay?  Do you have food, water, bowls, medications, identification, collar, leash, portable crate/pet carrier, medical history, vaccination records and sanitation needs (poop bags, litter box) and familiar toys? 

Have you included them in your families emergency escape plan? Does your home have an Animal Rescue Alert sticker by the main entry door?  How about a photo of you and your pet together for easy identification and proof of ownership?  And speaking of ownership, are your pets micro chipped?

Now is the time to put together this information before you need it in an emergency.  Have you thought about gathering up the information you will need about each pet and turning the documents into PDF files that you can store on your smart phone and/or in cloud storage accessible from anywhere?  Many word processing programs can automatically turn a document you create into a PDF file or you can scan vaccination records into a PDF document.  I know that I can load and store PDF files in the iBooks app and access them on an iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Paper copies of your pet’s information should be stored in waterproof containers or clear plastic zipper type bag.  Maybe you can keep extra copies in your vehicles glove box.

Check now with family and friends for who can temporally house your pets in case of an emergency or disaster.  What about hotels, motels and other housing?  Now is the time to find out who will accept pets and any fees associated.

Prepare a “go bag” for your pets using an inexpensive duffel bag with extra supplies already inside and label it as the “pet evacuation bag” and store it in an easy to find location.  Do you have a Pet First Aid Kit and Pet First Aid Book?

6 Steps from the ASPCA -

·         - Get a Rescue Alert Sticker

·         - Arrange a Safe Haven

·         -  Emergency Supplies and Traveling Kits

·         - Choose “Designated Caregivers”

·         -  Evacuation Preparation

·         - Geographic and Climatic Considerations

S     - Special Considerations for Birds, Reptiles and Small Animals

Rather than redo information and checklists already prepared by others, here are some links to organizations that have prepared printable documents and PDfs to assist you.  All of the suggestions made above can be read about in detail by using the links below.

Disaster Supplies for Dogs from Red Rover

http://www.redrover.org/disaster-supplies-dogs

The CDC

http://www.cdc.gov/features/Petsanddisasters/

American Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/pets

ASPCA

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/disaster-preparedness

Ready.gov – Caring for Animals

http://www.ready.gov/caring-animals

Ready.gov – PDF list

http://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1392389819026-75460345a2f4adcc5418a1da7cb25eef/2014_PrinterFriendly_PetOwners.pdf

Great Radio on the Internet - The Digital Showgram & JCs Backtracks

Great Radio on the Internet - The Digital Showgram & JCs Backtracks

Are you tired of what is on the radio these days? Want to listen to something interesting from a guy who has had a 30-year career in radio and TV. Then give this a try for a few days.

My favorite radio personality, JC Corcoran has a newish venture, live from 6:00 to 7am CST, Monday thru Friday – 

The Digital Showgram at www.jcontheline.com The show runs one hour commercial free and goes direct to podcast and rebroadcast immediately afterward.

JC is based in St. Louis, grew up in Chicago and worked in radio all over the country.  He also does guest fill-ins on WLS in Chicago.  You can find his complete history at his web site www.jcontheline.com

Afterwards listen for free to JC’s Backtracks. Great music that runs daily for about 23 hours. You’ll hear some of the best music that broadcast radio isn’t playing anymore. It's free and there are no ads.

The Digital Showgram - Great talk and the daily features, no commercials. No suits. No FCC.

The Digital Showgram app has been published in both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. You can get them for FREE, right now.

Digital Showgram for iOS

Digital Showgram for Android

Both Android and iOS apps are designed to look best on phone devices, but should still run on tablets with no problems. A tablet version for Android and iOS are in the works.

If the links don’t work just go here to the web site for active links www.jcontheline.com  Look at the menu and you’ll figure it out.