The Day the Music Died 50 years ago this week

With the cold weather around West Chester and flying on my mind this week, I'm often thinking to myself when I hear an unseen airplane overhead, "Geeze, who's out flying in this weather? It's definitely zero/zero conditions, I wouldn't fly with all the IFR and deicing fluid and radar in the world." Well, turns out, 50 years ago this week, somebody did decide to fly in some crappy weather, and that was the pilot of a Beechcraft Bonanza B-35 V-tail, and his famous passengers, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Richy Valens, and Buddy Holly.

We all saw "La Bamba" with Lou Diamond Philips, probably fewer of us saw "The Buddy Holly Story" with.....Gary Busey???....(did you know he got nominated for an Academy Award for his role in that movie? Yea, hard to imagine now I know) and we've all....at one time in our lives, when really drunk, stood with arms draped over the shoulders of our best buddies, drinks of Whiskey or Rye in our hands, sang, "The Day the Music Died" by Don McLean. Don't even say you never did....

Anyway...I often wondered about the "decision chain" that lead up to that crash, it's a fascinating thing when analyzing aviation accidents, (which of course doesn't make you morbid, it makes you a better pilot) it's rarely one single catastrophic mistake or failure, but a series of tiny little errors that lead to the big one. We often say to ourselves it can never happen to us, but don't be to sure. Especially if Alcohol is entered into the equation. Watch the first 2:44 of this video, to see what our friends from the Great White North "The Kids in the Hall" think what might have happened that fateful night in Iowa, the day...........the mu......sic.......died



Consider this my blog tip of my hat to Dr Zibbs, who always manages to integrate topical relevance to You Tube videos with biting, satirical comedy that's first rate!

42 is the new 72 and 32

I've got to say, after over a week of snow and temps in the teens, (I won't go into windchill, it always seemed so subjective, "with the wind chill it will "feel" like 5 below", well excuse me, I'm from Florida, so it "feels" like 0 Kelvin, ok?) on a day with sunny blue skies and 40 degrees, being outside is like enjoying a spring day in the 70's (the temperature, not the polyester puke producing decade)

So that's exactly what I did, I got up, late....(another weird night's sleep of going to bed at 11:00 PM, waking up at 1:30 AM, taking a Tylenol PM, and waking again at 10:30 AM) but made my way to Penn's Table for breakfast. (No sign of a recession going on there, packed, had to wait for a stool at the counter)

Then I had been meaning to buy the latest album by Blues Traveler "North Hollywood Shootout" so I went across the street to the Mad Platter to pick it up. It's pretty good, but I'm biased. On another musical review note, I finally got Ben Folds latest work, "Way to Normal". My opinion, not so good. A shocker review I know, given the kind of drooling fan of his that I am, but it seems he's working out his 3rd divorce on this album, and well, I guess I'm not in the same place at the moment where he is in life, so I have a hard time relating to the music on this album .

So after my musical purchase, I made my way to Carlino's, the closest thing WC has to a supermarket. It's a great place, for all your catering needs as well as fresh vegetables or pasta!
I was going to maybe pick up a nice steak, as recommended by mom, as she wanted me to treat myself to a nice steak for my birthday. Oh, did I mention today is my birthday?

Yes....it is......oh, thanks.....oh nothing, I'll just watch the Superbowl, and hope for a wardrobe malfunction....oh Bruce Springsteen is playing the half time show? Oh then forget the malfunction thing then...
(Imaginary conversation with the person who finds out today is my birthday)

Anyway....they only stock steaks during the summer months, for all your outdoor grilling needs. So as I made my way back to my perch above Gay and High, I noticed some clearly insane

people gathering on the corner of Market and Church, so I took photos of them. Turns out they were "runners" running in a "5K". I'll have to check out Wikipedia later to find out the deal on that.

Actually, at 42, I may join them. I find myself feeling pretty good lately, and you know living in the USA is not a bad thing. I'm reading, "Why We Hate Us" to understand why we who live in this country are so unhappy, what with the material riches, education, access to information, Disneyland on both coasts, and the myriad of other things we've got going for us. If I figure it out, I'll let you know.

On second thought, there are plenty of other blogs you can go to read up on that. I'll just keep it to the things going around here, and keeping a smile on my face. (Which isn't as easy as it looks!)