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Read "Gone and Also ... A Work in Progress" | Claude Hall
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Commentary January 17, 2011 It’s a bit chilly and a bit snappy outside this morning. These are the days when I think with great passion that I’d rather be floating in the balmy bay at St. Marteen, an island in the Caribbean. Barbara loved swimming in that bay; the water was right out of an Esther Williams movie. One of the color films, of course. In the old days, Barbara and I would have hopped into the car and headed down into Mexico. There was a motel halfway down to Ensenada from Tiajuna. I can’t remember the name. Rooms were about $18. The beach was always vacant. At night the sound of the waves came into your room and you slept as if tomorrow was going to be a sensational day. Food in the adjacent restaurant was good and there was a phenomenal view of the ocean. Bill Huie of TRAV in Atlanta raved about the place when I sent him down there for a couple of days. Or we might have driven down to San Felipe on the Sea of Cortez. A raunchy, fun place in the years gone by. As Montague used to say: A place where you could let it all hang out. No longer, of course. It’s not feasible now to drive into Mexico. Sad. I just read a short story by an old friend of mine, Raul Cardenas, about the time Fernando Corral caught a bull by the tail that had leaped into the stands. Kept more than a dozen aficionados from being gored. The picture of his stunt went AP to newspapers around the world. Fernando deserved a Purple Heart from Vietnam. He deserved at least an ear from the bullring across from Laredo. No matter, these memories. The sun is up now and in two or three hours it will be around 60 degrees here in Las Vegas and there’s little need, except for the wishes of the heart, to go anywhere. Yet, my heart longs to be in St. Marteen. THANKFUL MATTERS While I’m thinking about it, I owe a great deal of thanks to a wide bevy of people for the things they did to help me and others this past week. Don Barrett and Scott St. James, good men. Bob Sherwood and Rick Frio for other matters. Dale (Dan) Tucker, too. And especially Larry Shannon, whom I consider another me. But I’m afraid to tell him that; he might consider it an insult. MEDICAL MATTERS Ted Atkins, Pittsburgh: “Would you believe I've received over 200 get-well wishes the past two weeks. Simply amazing and very gratifying. Lots of classmates, old radio friends and even complete strangers. God does work in mysterious ways, huh? Need I say Karen has been a blessing? Won't even let me do the cat litter anymore. I love her more everyday. Now if I can just get out of doing the dishes. This morning, the 12th, I had my 2nd chemo injection at the Hillman Cancer Center. Those folks are truly outstanding. Even brought us ham sandwiches while I was hooked up. I go back again in two weeks to start the cycle all over again. Taking five horse pills daily. The initial prescription was for 70 pills and the retail cost is $2,100. My copay? Just $38.00. God help me if I didn't have great insurance. The chemo injections are only a $5.00 copay. Go figure.” Just FYI, several people wrote Ted through Commentary. General advice: Fight this damned thing! Art Vuolo after a visit: “Nice stuff, Claude ... you're good with words! Great to see you after FAR too many years. BTW I don't bill myself as ‘Radio's Best Friend’. That's a moniker bestowed upon me by Scott Shannon back around 1983. Best to you and Barbara. PS check out www.vuolovideo.com.” Larry Shannon, Jesse James country: “Great column this week! If you can do this well when you're not feeling well, imagine the possibilities when you're roaring like a tiger after a Kellogg's Corn Flakes breakfast! Last time I saw Joey was in Fort Worth in November 2003 at Rod Roddy's funeral. I wrote a piece about that day: http://www.radiodailynews.com/onthisfirstnovemberday.htm “Art's a real jewel in the radio crown. Who else has chronicled in video the greats of radio and radio stations? He was in Fort Worth in 2001 when I had the DFW media reunion which was the genesis of the first Texas Radio Hall of Fame event the next year. See www.kfjzreunion.com “We're snowing today here in Mid America. The beginnings of a three-day snow that will end on Tuesday, they say, and accumulate to around 6-9 inches. High time it snowed big. We've been getting an inch or so each weekend, but we need the big snows to seal the moisture in the corn and soybean fields that surround me at 14 Pines Farms. We'll be in the teens and low twenties for highs most of this coming week. Lows on Tue and Wed are predicted to be 4 below zero and 5 below zero. I interviewed several people from the CES this past week and posted them on my www.aminutemore.com website. Seems to me that the big talk of the CES is 3-D TV. Too early for me, though. I haven't even moved up to Blue Ray video, still on regular DVD viewing on my 42-inch big screen Vizio TV.” Russ Oasis: “I'm a good friend of Joey's. I guess I'm part of the extended family (the whole mishpukah). Joey forwarded your blog to me and you wrote of Lee Simms. I worked with and was good friends with Lee back in the 70s and have lost touch with him. I figured he was in SF but since then have not been able to dig him up. Any chance you could give me his email so I can reconnect?” So, I did that and, glory, a couple of notes from Lee Baby Simms himself. Made my day! One of the great aspects of my Billboard days was knowing people such as Jimmy Rabbitt, Lee Baby Simms, Jay Blackburn and Bruce Miller Earle, Reggie LaVong, the Magnificent Montague, Joey Reynolds. Several others. Some I know found Murray the K “troublesome.” I found him fascinating. And although Rick Sklar looked like and operated like a bookkeeper, he had one of the great radio minds. These, and others, made each day at work fascinating. I guess I owe career to people such as these. Thank you. Lee Baby Simms, San Francisco Bay: “Lee Baby, back again. Having slept ... having dreamed. My goodness! What are these dreams that we dream? I am a very clever guy. Buuuuut, I’m awake. I could never, in a million years come up with the things that ... I Dream. No scoop for you, my friend. I live. I dream on. What wonder is this ... life/dream? I wonder.” Later, in a note by Lee Baby to George Wilson copied to me because I’m part of the conversation … or maybe it was George who was copied (with Lee Baby, it’s sometimes difficult to know): “Good afternoon My Good Friend. A few weeks ago you questioned my continuing affection for you, considering your politics. I assure you that we are as one as concerns The Madness that has permeated our Country in recent years. Like you, I wonder what has happened to an intelligent and reasoned response to the events, large and small, that take place in our lives. Bombast and bullshit, Rules, so much of the daily discussion. People, knowing full well, that they are wrong, demanding that they get what they want. for If they get what they want it will prove they’re wrong. Right! It’s Madness! Or, am I just becoming an old curmudgeon and losing my sense of humor about the absurd situation that we bits and pieces, we detritus of the of The Big Bang, find ourselves in? Maybe I should just smoke a another joint of this great new medicine that I prescribed for myself the other day when I ascertained what my true affliction is. Maybe have a beer and a ham and cheese sandwich on good crusty San Francisco Sour Dough, a few potato chips, sliced tomatoes kimchi salad. Then a big glass of ice cold milk and a couple a brownies. I just made them. A little 30-minute nap, (old folks you know) to awake refreshed and ready to face the fray once again. Or ... maybe I will not awake. If you do not hear from me in the next six hours, you can break the news in your column. 'Lee Baby passed away in his sleep on a beautiful Saturday afternoon up on his hill after enjoying a delicious lunch. ‘He told me to say: Dear Boys and Girls. All The Best’. Ha Ha! Claude! Still love You? You bet I do! You`re My Man. PS. George sent me yet another of his perceived funnies. I didn't think it was funny and told him so. He has not yet replied. Maybe he does not know how to speak to such love. You guys comin’ up to see me? It’s so beautiful here. Yur pal.” Lee’s note to George Wilson: “George Bush should not be in a bar, planning his next stupendous stupidity. He should be in prison on death row awaiting his reward for heinous crimes against humanity. I would be only to happy to pull the switch on that miserable cocksucker.” Just FYI, Lee Baby and I can poke fun at George Wilson these days. In the old days, he would have hit us. Today, we’re too old and he’s aware he might hurt us. Just one of the advantages of getting old, I guess. PASSING MATTERS Bernie Torres, one of two second louies for Bill Drake, died Jan. 12, 2011, in a hospital. We come, we do, we go. CRN MATTERS So, I tried once again to listen to Scott St. James on CRN.com. I’ve got the web radio site earmarked. Click, I’m there. And it’s 4 p.m. and Scott St. James isn’t there. Then I realize, hey, dummy, he’s on the air tomorrow! So, I’ll try again this afternoon, which is already “tomorrow.” Mike Horn sounded good. Good voice, pleasant delivery. Good work. He’s on with Paul Stern and Pam McNeely. Hi, guys! Later: Sorry, Scott, but I tried for about 20 minutes and never got the show. Even downloaded a program called Flip4Mac. No help. BOOK MATTERS Continuing to work on “Rocks Don’t Matter” for the short story collection “Radio Wars.” It concerns L. David Moorhead and my research has revealed some things that I wish I didn’t know. But I’m trying to write the truth. I think I owe David at least that. e-mail claude@claudehallonline.com |
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