Book 3 Chapter 5

                                                         BOOK III           

                                                                                                            (Chapter 5)  

          10:30 

      

                 

           MID-MORNING SKY          

 

           In this one Encyclopedia that girl Amelia Earhart is described as a "pioneer in aviation" during the 1920's and 1930's.  And in those years almost all of the Pilots were male, like that guy Charles Lindberg for instance.  I'll write more about him a little bit later today.

                                

                                                    AMELIA EARHART (1897-1937)

        

              I'm not scheduled to write about Amelia Earhart now but feel like doing it now instead.  My Encyclopedia says she was the first female to fly "solo," over the whole Atlantic Ocean; from North America all the way to Europe.  Mr. Steve read she learned to fly in Long Beach.  

           Oh!  Daisy and Mr. Steve will be interested in how it says here that girl Amelia Earhart's nickname was "Millie" just like the Dog Millie who I replaced.  Boy, I feel like running up to the front to tell Dais but; I'll wait and tell her after this chapter when I take my big break.

           Thank Everyone up there for giving me this final book to work on.   To a certain extent it will temporarily will keep my mind off of Heathcliff dying.  I can't wait to see what Daisy and I'll bet, knowing her; she's probably up there praying for Heathcliff as she licks her paws. 

  

    

           Oh!  I just picked up the scent of a Rosemary bush.  Hey Blessed Mother!  I'm going to say a quick Hail Mary for Heathcliff.  I see, over there to my left; Charley Company of Quails is moving around the northeast corner of the house.  They're going to eat Bird scratch.

           This is interesting.  It says here Amelia Earhart was a Nurse before becoming a Pilot.  And in 1918 and 1819, when soldiers came home from World War I; she caught the "Flu" in that big "Spanish Influenza" epidemic I've mentioned before.  A Crow is cawing faintly. 

           In 1918 Amelia Earhart caught the flu from one of her patients but she survived.  Millions of people didn't.  But it says here that the "sinuses" inside her nose were "affected" for the rest of her life.  I just noticed Andy and Helen poking their heads out from under Manny. 

                                                           

                                                       GRANDPA / GRANDMA TRUJILLO 

          I've mentioned a few times in my books how Mr. Steve's Grandma Trujillo was only four in 1918 when that big epidemic hit the world.  And yet, for all of her life she really did fear being buried alive.  Blackbeard and Anne Bonny are flying bye and going toward the north.

         Daisy told me our Chief thinks his Grandma, even at four years old; must've sensed all the stress and worry of the adults at the end of the First World War.  Many people died so quickly some were accidentally or "prematurely" buried alive.  Some Crows are cawing faintly.  

         Because he did that College Research Project on the 14th century Black Death Mr. Steve has been aware of how many people fear being buried alive.  No one knows he says, how many were buried "prematurely" from 1347 through 1351.  Oh!  I would hate to be buried alive. 

                                                                

                                                                          GEORGE WASHINGTON (1732-1799)

PAINTING BY CHARLES PEALE POLK

       Mr. Steve says George Washington was also afraid of being buried alive and like Grandma Trujillo had nightmares about it.  When I think about it God I might be scared of being buried alive too.  I can hear two Crows fighting out there in the desert behind the Sheds.  

       I've mentioned before how our boss over the years has prepared legal documents.  Many of his research books are piled out here on the Patio under a big tarp over there to my left.  They're next to all of the Encyclopedia's I've been using for the last three days.

      I wrote the other day how, in 1992; Mr. Steve prepared that Patent application for his dad's  gambling game.  A customer told him about a 1921 Patent "Granted" for a "Device" with a bell hooked to a string. The bell was rung up on a grave by someone accidentally buried.

        

  ANDY AND HELEN    

                         

       I just glanced up and noticed Andy and Helen standing over there on that one big boulder they like so much.  Andy's sniffing the air and just picked up my scent from over here sitting on my couch Elvira.  Their babies are probably down in the burrow sleeping.  

      Because George Washington's birthday was February the 22nd and Mr. Steve's father was born on February 23 Mr. Steve jokes his dad is kind of like our George Washington.  When he's gone it will be really hard, if not impossible; to replace him.  I smell Juniper.

      Hey God!  I've mentioned how Grandma Córdova was born on February 24th so people used to tell her Mr. Steve's father was Your birthday present to her.  Over the last three days I've said a few times how there are a lot birthdays in our family in February and May.   

        

                                                                                           CÓRDOVA FAMILY (1995)

      YOLANDA/ MR. STEVE'S DAD / MOM

       SAM / GRANDMA CÓRDOVA / MR. STEVE

       MATHEW / SAMMY JR. / SAMANTHA

         I'm suddenly thinking of that 1996 picture Mr. Steve has in the Living Room of members of his family.  It shows Mr. Steve in the front row sitting next to his Grandma Córdova with his arm around his Niece Samantha. His mom and dad are right behind him.

      Mr. Steve's brother Sam and his wife Yolanda are also in that one 1996 color photograph.  At that point he and Yolanda had only their two boys Mathew and Sammy Jr., and they were really young.  In 1996 their daughter named Raqquel had not been born yet. 

      I wrote in book one how an "Epidemic" is disease "spreading rapidly."  A "Pandemic" is an epidemic spreading "over a larger area."  I've mentioned a few times in all my books Mr. Steve's College Research Project on the European "Black Death" of 1347-1351. 

       

     "COLLECTING THE BODIES" 

                     

           As I've written before, there have been many plagues in Europe over the years and the one Mr. Steve studied at C.S.U.N. was caused by the "Bubonic Plague."   It's now called the "Black Death."  I just now picked up Libby's scent coming from over there in her Corral. 

         The drawing in my Encyclopedia, that shows the dead body "Trash Pickup;" is so amazing no matter how many times I see it.  As I've said before, when people got the Bubonic plague; the big black bumps on their bodies were called "Bubos."  Boy! That always sounds bad. 

         I'll bet Mr. Steve knows this.  By the time the Black Death had spread over to England, in late 1348; the country had already gone through "famine" so people were weaker.  Wow!  In the city of London alone about "sixty percent" of the entire population ended up dying.

  

                    JUSTINIAN'S EMPIRE                                    JUSTINIAN I / THEODORA

                                                                                                                                                                 PAINTING BY ROGER PAYNE

             

           I've written about the Byzantine Empire in my books.  In the 6th century A.D. a big plague hit the city of Constantinople.  That guy Emperor Justinian I, with his wife Theodora; was ruling what was left of the Roman Empire.  A Train just whistled faintly way out there.

          Just like in all the plagues yet to come, the one that hit Constantinople killed a lot of people in just a short amount of time.  As I've mentioned, Mr. Steve's first girlfriend Sandy's mom was a Nurse and thought there would be another pandemic someday.  Boy!  I sure hope not!     

         Mentioning the Empress Theodora right now makes me think about our white 1993 Lincoln "Town Car" named Theodora.  Right now she's parked up there in the front yard on the cement driveway in front of the garage.  Daisy often lays in the Sun on her side on that driveway to.

                 

     1993 LINCON "TOWN CAR"       

                           

                During the Winter sometimes Mr. Steve puts Theodora in the garage and then closes the door.  I still remember how scared I got the first time our boss used a "Remote Control" device to actually close the garage door.  Daisy thought it was really funny when I jumped.  

          I'm still thinking about Empress Theodora.  I've mentioned before how Mr. Steve thinks she may have been smarter than her husband Justinian who obviously valued her judgement in many things.  Two of the Pigeons just flew out into the eastern desert right now.  

          Empress Theodora was definitely brave that's for sure.  After those "Nika" riots it was her who convinced her husband not to flee from Constantinople.  As I wrote in book one, he decided to stay in the city and ended up killing over thirty thousand people in retaliation.

          

 THEODORA SCOLDS HUBAND                     ISTANBUL ("HAGIA SOPHIA")  

      

      Every time I look at the painting in my Encyclopedia that shows Empress Theodora scolding her husband I get the feeling she was a really strong person.  You can tell from the painting that she's ordering him to go back and fight the rioters.  Dawn and Blinky are barking.

      I've mentioned that giant Church named "Hagia Sophia" that Justinian had built.  It says in my Encyclopedia that it's gigantic dome was the world's biggest until a bigger one was built in Spain in 1520 during the Renaissance.  Hey!  Now old Rosie's barking too.

       Mr. Steve and his Tour Group, as they looked up at the dome from the inside of of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome; were told by the Tour Guide about the Hagia Sophia.  As I've written before, Mr. Steve has also seen the Pantheons in Rome and Washington D.C.  I smell Sage.

                                    

              VATICAN CITY ("ST. PETER'S" BASILICA / ROME)            

                                       

           A photo of "Vatican City," where the Pope lives; is taken from above so I know Dais would like it.  Last night I showed her the picture of New York City's Madison Square Garden and, as I knew; she liked how it was taken from high up in the air.  Some Ducks are quacking. 

          Seeing pictures taken from up in an Plane makes me think about how Daisy says she'd like to fly like Underdog.  In the picture you can see Saint Peter's Basilica and it's dome down below.  Speedy Gonzalez ran into the desert through the left vertical slot on the side of the gate.

          I've mentioned a few times how, back in 1985; Mr. Steve took pictures of Pope John Paul II in Vatican Square.  Someday I want to see his picture of Pope John Paul II sitting on his desk in the office.  Dais says it shows the Pope waving from the chair he was sitting on.

        

          INTERIOR DOME ("ST. PETER'S" / ROME)

                    

           A picture in this Encyclopedia shows the "Interior" of Saint Peter's Basilica.  In 1985, as Mr. Steve and his father stood under the dome looking up; they both thought it's hard to believe how anyone could have even built such a huge thing.  The Ducks are still quacking.

          Hey Lord!  I've mentioned how Mr. Steve would have liked to look up into Istanbul's Hagia Sophia dome.  But he says he probably won't travel much anymore so it's very "unlikely" it will ever happen.  I just glanced up and see a long white vapor trail above the desert.  

         In my other books I've mentioned how Hagia Sophia means "Holy Wisdom" and, if he had won World War II; Hitler was going to build the biggest dome ever.  It would've "Dwarfed" St. Peter's, the Pantheons and Hagia Sophia too.  But Germany ended up losing the war.

          

       THE "PIETA"

              SCULTURE BY MICHELANGELO BOUNERATTI

         

           Blessed Mother!  As You know, on the day before yesterday in book one I totally forgot to write about how amazed Mr. Steve and his mom were in 1985 when they studied that one statue of You holding the dead body of Your son.  I guess it's called the "Pieta."  I smell Sage.  

           Lord!  This picture of the Pieta shows You dead.  Boy!  It makes me feel so sad to see how You were willing to let those Romans torture and kill You for our sake down here.  Cher the Cat just used the right vertical slot on the side of the gate to go out into the back desert.  

           Wow!  It's so hard to believe that guy Michelangelo, who also painted that huge "Sistine" Chapel; carved such a realistic statue out of marble stone.  Daisy says our boss has a miniature Pieta in one of the bathrooms.  That's the bathroom way in the back of the house. 

                                         MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI (1475-1564)

SELF-PORTRAIT

            In my books I've learned about that European "Renaissance" period.  So, of course; I've had to find out about that Italian guy Michelangelo.  Daisy saw a tv show that said he was not a nice person and didn't get along with other people.  He wasn't a good Teacher like Dais is. 

           My Encyclopedia has a black and white drawing Michelangelo did of himself.  Mr. Steve and his mom think doing "Portraits" is hard to do, so admire Mr. Hussein who has that "Coffee and Cream" business in Sylmar.  Dais said Michelangelo seldom washed or changed clothes.

          Oh!  Cher just used the same gate slot to come back in from the desert.  But now she's got a struggling Lizard in her mouth and I can tell her sharp teeth are holding it really hard.  So that poor little Lizard has what Mr. Mike joked one time, "A snowball's chance in Hell."  

          

                                                                    MISS HARRIET

   

           Oh!  This is interesting.  According my Encyclopedia Michelangelo died on February the 18th and, as I've mentioned a few times over the last three days; Mr. Steve's ex-girlfriend Harriet was born on the 19th.  And there are three other people in our family born in February.

           Cher jumped up on top of Moe and will eat the Lizard.  I can tell from over here that the Lizard is either dead or totally knocked out just by how it's hanging down.  Boy God!  This has turned out to be kind of a weird day knowing that Heathcliff isn't around any more.

           Hey God!  I sure hope I live as long as Daisy and that I'm still able to contribute to our job of guarding these two acres.  Oh!  What a coincidence that, just as I mention Dais's age; I picked up in my right nostril old Rosie's scent from next door.  Wow!  And now she's barking!

                

    AUSTIN / SUSAN / DALTON                           STEPH / RICH                            MR. STEVE'S PARENTS /

                                                                                                                                                              GRANDMA CÓRDOVA                                                                                                                                         

      

                I've written about how, other than the 5th month of "May;" Mr. Steve's family has more birthdays in February than any other month.  His Nephew Dalton in Connecticut was born on the 11th while Stephanie's boyfriend Rich's birthday is the 16th.  Dawn's barking.

              As I've mentioned before, Grandma Córdova was born on February the 24th; or the day after Mr. Steve's dad's birthday.  So people always joked about her getting a birthday gift every year.  Hey God!   Daisy and I want to think maybe You made that happen on purpose.    

                I hear small bones crunching as Cher is now eating the Lizard over there on top of Moe.  I can tell that she see's me sitting over here on Elvira.  And I know for sure she's had to notice how much time I'm spending back here in the patio instead of running around as usual.

                                

      "SISTINE" CHAPEL ("VATICAN CITY, ROME)

          MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI   

       

          Hey God!  Right now I'm looking again at the picture in my Encyclopedia of that "Sistine" Chapel.  In book one I wrote about how, in the early 1500's for the Pope; Michelangelo painted it up on that huge, giant ceiling.  Mr. Steve and his family saw it back then in 1985. 

               I can tell by the way the shadows are leaning that it's about eleven.  The Sun will go over top of the house shortly and then the shadows will get gradually longer.  Two of the Pigeons just flew in from the desert and landed on the patio roof right above me down here on Elvira.

          The Pigeons are now walking around up there and I can hear them cooing which makes me kind of feel good right now.  Cher is finished eating the Lizard and is now washing her paws with her tongue.  I see Charlie Company of Quail streaming out into the eastern desert.     

 

"SISTINE CHAPEL" ("CREATION")

 

                 Hey God!  As You know, Mr. Steve once copied how Michelangelo showed You reaching a hand out to shoot life into that guy Adam's hand.  Someday, if I ever learn to draw; I'd like to draw You're hand too.  There's a long vapor trail way up there in the now really blue sky.

           I've mentioned how, in the 1970's; Mr. Steve and Mark Ritter worked at "Laser Images."  Mr. Steve got that job through the Valley College Bulletin Board.   Another job Mr. Steve and his friend Chris got that way was to help a lady clean this warehouse in Van Nuys.

          Daisy say our boss and Mr. Chris spent a weekend helping that nice lady go through and clean up the warehouse where she and her husband had things in "Storage."  She threw away a lot and gave Mr. Steve and his friend things.  I smell the new baby Cholla cactus.

                                                                                                                                            IRVING STONE (1903-1989) WITH WIFE     

          

          Dais says it turned out the lady was married to the Writer named Irving Stone.  At the time Mr. Steve had only heard his name but now he's read some of his books.  I guess, now his mom has also read Irving Stone's books on Michelangelo and that painter Van Gogh.

         Sitting in the Living Room of Mr. Steve's parent's house in Sylmar is a kind of lamp in the shape of a Humming Bird.  Mrs. Stone said our boss could keep it when they were cleaning her warehouse.  Daisy thinks it's more of Humming Bird statue whose wings light up.

         For years that Humming Bird lamp lit up inconsistently.  Mr. Steve knew the power cord was loose inside.  But then that girl Miss Maria, who took care of Grandma Córdova when she was old; got it to work right.  As I've mentioned, that Miss Maria is a pretty smart person. 

  

                                                                     IRVING STONE 

   

           Mr. Steve told Mr. Ralph that Irving Stone's wife seemed very intelligent.  She told he and Chris about helping her husband "Edit" his work and said some "Critics" called her husband's writing "dull."  Mr. Steve and his mom like some of his "Subject Matter" too.  

           As I've said a few times over the last three days, at St. Ferdinand's Mr. Steve's 6th Grade teacher Sister Rita Joseph; taught her class the difference between "Objective and "Subjective."  And liking someone's writing is very subjective Mr. Steve thinks.   A Train just whistled.

          Boy!  I sure hope Mr. Steve will like how I write when he someday reads my books.  I can't wait to see his reaction!  As I've said, Daisy thinks he'll like me a lot just for even attempting it; especially if he knows that I worked hard, gave it my "Best Effort and wasn't lazy. 

                    

                                                         EASTERN "MEDITERRANEAN" SEA AREA  (c.1453)

           

          Well, it's back to writing about the Byzantine Empire.  In 1453, about one thousand years after Justinian's time; Islamic "Ottoman" Turks conquered the capitol city of Constantinople.  A good map shows how really small the Byzantine Empire had shrunk down to by then.

          It says here, for centuries many had tried to capture Constantinople but all failed; mainly because of the really tall and thick walls.  Dais told me a tv show said the Byzantines even had a really giant metal chain they could put in the water to block Ships.  I smell Mesquite.  

         Boy!  The map shows the Ottoman Empire surrounding Byzantium.  One reason 1453 is so important, after Constantinople fell; "Trade Routes" to the east were blocked for Europe.  So, in 1492; Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand were willing to fund Columbus's idea. 

    

                                                                  "VENICE" (ITALY)

      

               I've mentioned a few times over the last three days how Mr. Steve's Niece Samantha and a few of her classmates at the Lutheran school in San Fernando visited the Italian city of Venice.  I guess, until Constantinople fell; Venice was an actual "Empire."  Dawn's barking.  

          As I've said before, there was no such thing as the "Countries" of "Italy" and "Germany" until the late 19th century.  Up until then, in what is now Italy; cities like "Florence," Venice and Rome were kind of like their own countries.  That guy Machiavelli was from Florence.

        After the fall of Constantinople in 1453 "City-States" like Venice went into "Decline."  But, even in the 16th century; they were still pretty rich I guess.  Byzantium's fall made it easier for      Columbus to convince people of his idea once those important trade routes were blocked.                                          

                              

EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA (c.15TH CENTURY)

  

                 A map in my Encyclopedia shows why the Ottoman Turks wanted Constantinople so bad.  In the mid-15th century they controlled the areas surrounding Constantinople and the opening to the "Black Sea."  A Lizard just waddled under a boulder below the Mulberry tree.

           Later today, I'm scheduled to write more about the Ottoman Empire; especially this 16th century man named "Süleyman."  Like Alexander and Constantine, he was called great but in his case it was "The Magnificent."  Dais jokingly called me "Mag the Magnificent."

          It says here, when Turkish soldiers finally did "breach" Constantinople's wall in 1453; a lot of "looting" and "pillaging" went on.  I'll bet they were like berserk Vikings in destroying much of the city.  For about one thousand years the really thick walls had resisted all attacks.       

   GIANT CANON (CONSTANTINOPLE / 1453) 

        PAINTING BY MICHAEL M. HALL

               

            A good painting shows this giant cannon the Turks used in 1453 to blow holes in the thick walls of Constantinople.  You can see those famous walls in the background and you can tell how strong they look.  Fannie and Freddie are flying to the north while talking to each other. 

           I guess, back in 1453 the Ottoman Turks killed a lot of people; and not just the Byzantine warriors defending the city.  Thousands of innocent civilians died too.  It was probably like that time the Christian Crusaders slaughtered all the innocent Muslims in Jerusalem Dais thinks.

          Hey God!  Daisy heard the Turkish leaders decided not to destroy the Hagia Sophia, maybe thinking it was way too beautiful.  So, instead they just took down all the Christian things; and replaced them with their things; then converted it into a Mosque.  What a good idea!  

    

CATHEDRAL ("CÓRDOBA," SPAIN)

   

            One of those good "Aerial" photographs Daisy likes shows that Catholic Cathedral built in Córdoba, inside of what had been that huge Mosque.  It was built in 785 A.D. but turned into a Cathedral during the 13th "Reconquista" period.  Andy's over there guarding their hole.

            Like 1453 but in reverse, Muslim things like "Minarets" were just changed into Christian things like  "Bell Towers."  As I've said before, Muslims don't "Depict" living things.  Hey God! I kind of like how intricate Muslim art patterns try to show the complexity of Your Universe.

           Oh!  I forgot to mention on Thursday how Daisy saw a Rick Steves segment on Southern Spain, or what was Muslim "Al-Andalus" when Córdoba was it's Capitol.  Rick Steves called the Cathedral a "wonder of the medieval world."  He said Córdoba's history was "glorious."  

                                     

COLUMBUS / ISABELLA / FERDINAND

    

               I like the  painting of Columbus trying to convince Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand to let him do his idea of sailing west to reach the riches of the East.  Queen Isabella looks like she was pretty.  I wonder if the Dog in the lower left belongs to Christopher Columbus?

           By 1492, because those trade routes to Europe had been shut off by Constantinople's fall and the seven hundred year long "Reconquista" had finally ended; Isabella and Ferdinand were more "Inclined" to let Columbus try his idea.  Dawn's barking.  And now so is Blinky. 

 

           Daisy says red was Western Rome's primary color when based in Italy.  Yellow and white were often used as secondary colors.  But, after that area fell in the late 5th century A.D.; purple became the primary color of the surviving eastern

           Byzantium; again with yellow and white as secondary colors. 

     When Byzantium fell back in 1453 the last Emperor was most likely wearing a purple cape.  At least that's what Mr. Steve thinks.  Hey Lord!  It's interesting how the first and last Byzantine Emperors were both named Constantine.  I hear some Wrens singing together.  

     Dais says our Chief thinks it's likely the last Emperor Constantine's corpse was just thrown in a big pile of dead bodies.  As I wrote yesterday in book two, in 1936 the Mexican General Santa Anna piled and burned the bodies of the defenders of the Alamo.  A Crow is squawking.   

     

                                                         "AYA SOFYA" (ISTANBUL)

  

      From what it says here in my Encyclopedia the Turks were in such "awe" when they went inside Hagia Sophia they decided not to destroy it.  Instead the re-named it "Aya Sofya" and turned it from a Church into an Islamic Mosque.  I guess today it's like a museum.

      According to this Encyclopedia the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453 is considered to be the end of the Middle Ages.  Ironically, some Greek intellectuals in Constantinople "fled" back over to Italy and later even "contributed" to the 16th century Renaissance .  

      Constantine the Great established Byzantium in the early 4th century.  Yesterday in book two I wrote about how that came about.  So about two centuries later the Emperor Justinian I came into power.  That same Dragonfly that has been here for two days just zipped bye. 

      I guess, from what it says here, besides building the Hagia Sophia, the Emperor Justinian's other big goal was to re-conquer the land the Italian Roman Empire had lost earlier.  I wrote of the century-long process by which the western Roman Empire fell.  I smell Creosote.

      

                                                      "SACK OF ROME BY THE VISIGOTHS" (410 A.D.)

  

                   That painting of the fall of the city of Rome to the "Visigoth" King "Alaric I" shows how scared the people were.  But, as I written about; the real end of the western Roman Empire came later in the 5th century A.D.   German King "Odoacer" deposed the last western Emperor.

             As I've mentioned before, whereas the original western Italian Roman Empire was Latin and Pagan, the surviving eastern Byzantine Roman Empire was more Greek and Christian.  Ah! That Dragonfly just whizzed over the top of the house and I didn't even hear it coming.

            I knew someone was watching me and sure enough, there's Jack the Jackrabbit over there looking right at me from underneath Manny.  He's been near some Sage plants because I sure do smell that on him too.  I can tell Jack's resting and getting some of his energy back.

                                 

                            "BYZANTINE" ROMAN EMPIRE DURING JUSTINIAN'S TIME

    

                    The Byzantine Emperor Justinian wanted to reconquer the western part of the Roman Empire which had fallen.  I've A map in this Encyclopedia shows areas in orange which had been lost.  After some bloody battles his armies started to re-occupy big areas of land.

             As I've written about before over the last three days, the Justinian's wife Theodora was a good partner; and together as a team they accomplished a lot I guess.  I see a Crow flying off into the desert.  And, it looks from down here like a big dead Lizard is hanging from it's mouth.      

            Mr. Steve thinks Queen Theodora, like that Celtic Queen Boudica who I wrote about in book one; was courageous and proved that females can be good good leaders too.  I've mentioned before what she did in 532 A.D. when those "Nika" riots broke out.  Dawn's barking.

 

                            

MOVIE "BEN HUR"

 

              In my books I've learned about the story of "Ben Hur;" written by that American Civil War General Lew Wallace.  Those Nika riots broke out in Constantinople at a Chariot race like the one Daisy told me about from the movie Ben Hur.  I can smell some old Mesquite.

              When those two groups of fans rooting for their favorite Chariot teams began to fight it got "Out of Hand" and people burned parts of the city.  When Justinian was about to abandon Constantinople his wife shamed him into staying.  So he killed thousands of rioters.

              Our boss showed Mr. Mike pictures he took of the 1980's Ice Hockey Kings.  He thinks one reason fighting is "tolerated" in Hockey is it's hard to land a good punch on skates.  Hockey "Rinks" are cold so things hurt more and the players sometimes then get "Chippy" too.

ICE HOCKEY FIGHTS

  

                As I've said in my books, Mr. Steve thinks many people "love to hate" and also enjoy to see "Justifiable" violence.  That's why Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts is still so popular.  Hockey fans like fighting as a "vicarious" way to "release their own pent up aggression" he thinks.

             I really do want to see a Hockey game on tv someday, even though our boss doesn't really doesn't watch sports that much any more.  Daisy and Millie saw a Hockey game on tv, and they thought it was amazing how good of skaters the players were.  Maybe I'll try skating.

            Daisy heard our boss and his brother Rock talking on the phone one time and they were remembering a Montreal Canadians player from the 1970's named John Ferguson.  In Hockey I guess each team has an "Enforcer," who's the best fighter on the team.  A Duck is quacking. 

JOHN FERGUSON (MONTREAL "CANADIENS")

               Mr. Steve says John Ferguson's fights were the "Exception to the Rule" that in Hockey few get hurt.  One of his jobs was to protect the many French Canadian players who were on the Montreal Canadiens back in the early 1970's.  Two of the Pigeons are flying bye.

             One time that kid Michael, who lived near Mr. Steve's house on Hagar Street; asked why the Canadians logo, which Mr. Steve has drawn; has an "H."  It stands for "Les Habitants," the original French settlers who came to Canada in the 17th century.  The air is so clear!

             Mr. Steve and his brother Rock saw John Ferguson play the Kings at the Forum a few times, and he looked very scary and mean; definitely not a person you would ever want to "Pick a Fight" with.  Daisy's told me until the 1980's few players wore helmets.  I'd wear one!  

JOHN FERGUSON

             Wow!  The caption below a picture of that guy John Ferguson says he's holding his son.  He doesn't look that mean but, our boss said when he fought he "clubbed" the other player really hard with his obviously big hands.  I can sort of tell he has big hands by this picture.   

                  As I've written about, in the 1980's, and early 1990's; Mr. Steve took pictures of sports. So he's seen in person how, at Boxing matches; the audience sometimes has that "Blood Lust" that I've written about.  Some people really enjoy seeing two people or animals fighting.

            Mr. Steve is glad people aren't like in ancient Rome where, instead of seeing two men in a "Fistfight;" they stabbed and killed each other for the entertainment of the "Crowd."  But some people still do like to see two males, or now females too; beating each other up.  I smell Sage.    

 

 WALCOT /MARCIANO             LIMON /CHACON                    FRAZIER / ALI         

            Many people still enjoy violence Mr. Steve thinks.  They might not want to see torture and mutilation as entertainment the way the ancient Romans did, but they like watching people try to totally beat each other up.  I smell the little baby Cholla cactus over there in the dirt.                     

          A few times, when Mr. Steve got home after taking pictures at Boxing matches; he noticed little spots of blood on his clothes.  But that was only a couple of times because very often neither fighter gets cut.  Besides, they have good "Cut Men" to clean cuts up between rounds.                   

          I've mentioned that fighting called "Mixed Martial Arts," or just "M.M.A." for short.  As I said on Thursday, Mr. Steve has never been to any of them but, his brother Rock back in Texas was paid to take pictures of some of them a few years ago.  Some Ducks are quacking.                   

    

"MIXED MARTIAL ARTS"

                    One time Mr. Steve and his father talked on the phone about how it seems like Boxing is now considered too "Tame" for some people.  They prefer M.M.A. fighting, where the fighters can kick, elbow, knee and wrestle the other fighter too.  But there are more injuries. 

             I've mentioned before how in M.M.A. they wear those tiny leather gloves to punch.  And you're even re allowed to "Choke" the other guy "Into Submission."  Instead of a "Roped Ring," Dais says they fight in a cage smaller than the one in that movie "Mad Max."  I smell Sage.

            One time Mr. Steve and Gary the Barber, the Boxing historian from San Fernando; talked about the ancient Greek Olympic event called "Pankration."  It sounds a lot like M.M.A. but, in some ways worse; because one fighter often died.  Speedy Gonzalez just whizzed bye.  

      

                     PANKRATION                               "HOPLITE" RACING                     ALEXANDER THE GREAT

        

              According to this Greek Dictionary, Pankration means "All of Power."   Wrestling and "Bare Knuckle" Boxing were events at the ancient Greek Olympics.  And the "Hoplite soldiers in "Full Armor" had footraces.  In Pankration they wrapped leather strips on their hands.

             Oh wow!  It says here, except in "Sparta;" biting and eye gouging were not allowed in Pankration.  Mr. Steve told Gary the Barber Archaeologist's found a carved stone warning the fighters not to break fingers.  Unlike today, there were no "Weight" classes in Pankration.

             Wow!  In Pankration the "Referee" carried a hard pole to "Enforce" the rules by hitting the fighters.  I guess some think Alexander the Great "introduced" Greek fighting to "Asia," and that eventually "evolved" into Chinese "Kung Fu."  And later Japanese "Karate" too.

"HOPLITE" GREEK WARRIORS IN "PHALANX" FORMATION

ARTWORK BY PETER CONNOLLY

               As I've written about, in ancient Greece those "Three hundred Spartans" defending the pass at "Thermopylae" died rather than let the Persians get past them.  Those Spartans even bit and eye gouged like in Pankration when their weapons were useless.  A Crow cawed.   

            Well, now it looks like I have to write about Auto Racing.  I guess Mr. Steve wasn't really a big  "N.A.S.C.A.R." fan but since he got this job in 1999 he, Babette, Susan and Karin had to know who the popular drivers were.   All four of the Pigeons are flying bye right now.

            I've mentioned before how N.A.S.C.A.R. stands for "National Association Stock Car Auto Racing."  My  Encyclopedia says it was "formed" in 1948, three years after World War II ended and two years before the Korean War started.  I can now smell the Twin Joshua trees.

"N.A.S.C.A.R" RACING

             Daisy says one time Mr. Cliff joked how some people watch Auto Racing because, "in the back of their minds;" they wouldn't mind seeing a "spectacular" crash.  This doesn't mean they want to see someone die.  They simply like "sheer power" like in ancient Chariot racing. 

             Mr. Steve has had customers in the State of North Carolina.  He's talked over the years with Parts Managers at the Auto Dealerships who know the "Roots" of N.A.S.C.A.R. are in the 1930's Great Depression.  I just glanced up and see a long white vapor trail up in the sky.

            As I wrote about yesterday in book two, in 1919 the "Sale" or "Distribution" of Alcohol became illegal in the United States.  But people still drank so, during the better economy of the "Roaring" 1920's; people made "Booze" illegally anyway.  It was called "Bootlegging"

          

                                                                                    CARRIE NATION (1846-1911)

     

                  Yesterday I mentioned that one early 20th century lady named Carrie Nation, who was really against alcohol.  She would go into "Bars" or "Saloons" with a Bible, and would destroy things with a hatchet.  In the picture of her she looks very serious and determined.  

             As I said in book two, during in the 1920's; alcohol which was made illegally was called "Moonshine" because it was made "under cover of darkness" in the "light of the Moon."  If they made it during the day "Authorities" would see smoke coming from their "Stills."    

           From what it says here, in "rural" areas of the South like North Carolina; drivers had to be able to "out drive" and  "out run" the Police in order to deliver their "merchandise."  So they "customized" their Cars to go faster and carry more.  We live in a rural area too.     

                                                                                        CLYDE BARROW (1909-1934)                 JOHN DILLINGER (1903-1934)

  

                 During the 1930's Great Depression Gangsters like Bonnie and Clyde, or that guy named John Dillinger; often "Got Away" from Police because they stole Ford Cars with eight cylinder motors.  Andy's over there sniffing the air and guard the entrance to their burrow. 

           I've mentioned how Bonnie and Clyde were killed on May the 23rd in 1933.  During that period of "Prohibition" of alcohol drivers delivering the illegal alcohol were racing on the roads and highways in "Souped Up" Cars.  So they had a lot of experience going really fast.  

          Even though in 1933 alcohol was made legal again, mainly because organized crime like the "Mafia;" was making so much money on the "Black Market."  But even after that there were people who still kept making Moonshine.  Andy just picked up my scent over there.

  

                                         BILL FRANCE SR. (1909-1992) WITH SON JR.

             Daisy once heard our Chief talking on the phone with Mr. Cliff about how, since the mid-1930's; there were some Auto Races in places like "Daytona Beach," Florida.  But they were not "Organized" like the are today.  During World War II there were no races held. 

            After the war racing continued, and one of the drivers was named Bill France Sr.; who was also a "Mechanic" too.  This one Encyclopedia says he moved to Florida in 1935, with only one hundred dollars.  He and others saw there needed to be better organized Auto Racing.  

           I guess, before N.A.S.C.A.R. was created Drivers often got "cheated" by Promoters so Bill France Sr. thought it necessary to create what's called a "Sanctioning Body."  So, back in 1948; Bill France helped "co-found" N.A.S.C.A.R.  Dawn and Blinky are now barking.

   

                           1950'S STOCK CAR RCING                RICHARD PETTY (1959)

              It says here, after 1948 there were "uniform" or "standardized" rules; and also what's called "predetermined" event schedules.  One of Mr. Steve's customers in North Carolina had a Grandfather who met Bill France Sr.  And he also met that guy Richard Petty too.

             The caption below a picture of that man Bill France Sr. says his son Bill France Jr. "took over" leadership of N.A.S.C.A.R in the early 1970's.  That was when our boss was in High School down there in Los Angeles.  Samson and Delilah are flying bye up there in the sky.

             Mr. Steve and Mr. Mike once talked about how, after World War II; there was a black Race Car Driver.  His name was Wendell Scott and, just like that one guy Jackie Robinson; was in the "Segregated" military during the Second World War.   Some Ducks are quacking.

               

                                                       WENDELL SCOTT (1921-1990)

               I guess, just like most Basketball and Football players are black, in Ice Hockey and Auto Racing the people are mainly white.  Wendell Scott, during the 1930's; was one of those guys who ran from the Police smuggling Moonshine.  Two of the Pigeons just flew bye right now.

                 Wow!  That man Wendell Scott must've been a pretty good driver because it says here he made it into the "Hall of Fame."  When he was "discharged" after the war he went into racing.   The scent of some of the Beavertail cactus out there in the back desert floated in to me.

              In my books I've learned a lot about Jackie Robinson, who in 1947 was the first black Baseball player.  As I've said a few times, he grew up in the city of "Pasadena;" which is near to the "Rose Bowl."  Smelling those cactus' reminds me of being homeless out in the field.    

                

                      JACKIE ROBINSON  (1919-1972)            KENNY WASHINGTON (1918-1971)

     

             The sport of Football was also segregated until after World War II when, as I've written about; Rams "Relocated" from Cleveland to Los Angeles.  That's when that guy named Kenny Washington, who also went to U.C.L.A. like Jackie Robinson; was hired by the Rams.

             In 1946 Kenny Washington became one of the first African-American Football players in the "N.F.L."  As I've written before, the "National Football League" was the only professional League until the "American Football League" came into existence until 1960. 

            My Encyclopedia says in 1946 the N.F.L. was "struggling" just to "stay in business."  In the years before 1934 black players were, Duke Slater, Fritz Pollard and Joe Lillard.  But in 1934 the N.F.L. segregated so, for twelve years; "Negroes" were "excluded from participation."                                   

                           WOODY STRODE /  JACKIE ROBINSON / KENNY WASHINGTON

                                                                                     (1939)

            A picture in this Encyclopedia shows three black U.C.L.A. Football players in 1939.  Wait until Wait until Daisy sees this picture. The players have no face masks and the helmets are so small.  Fannie and Freddie are flying bye; moving together toward the northeast.

           From what it says in the caption under the picture of the three Football players, the guy on the left is named Woody Strode.  In 1946 he, along with Kenny Washington; was also signed to be on the Rams.  The guy in the middle is Jackie Robinson and I like those old helmets.

           On Thursday, when I wrote about the Ram's history; I forgot to write about how that guy Woody Strode was later an Actor.  So, now I'll write about how he was in that good movie called "Spartacus."  Dais says he played the part of one of those 1st century B.C. "Gladiators."

  

"SPARTACUS"        

          

         A picture in my Encyclopedia shows a scene from the movie Spartacus.  The caption says Woody Strode is fighting against Spartacus, who is played by that Actor Kirk Douglas.  I notice    how he's using a "Trident" spear like the one the Greek and Roman Sea Gods carried.                  

           I've written about how, from 73 through 71 B.C.; that one guy Spartacus led some escaped Gladiators in beating some Roman "Legions" sent out to kill them.  But, eventually they lost and many of them were killed.  And, those captured were also brutally "Put to Death" too.                   

       Over the last three days I've mentioned a few times how our boss likes a lot of the movies that guy Charlton Heston was in.  Daisy told me she's kind of surprised he wasn't in that movie    Spartacus because it seems like one he'd be in.  Boy! I want to see Spartacus some day.                                                                CHARLTON HESTON (1923-2008)               

    

          Dais is so lucky!  She's seen a lot of those Charlton Heston movies our boss likes, such as "Ben Hur," "Major Dundee" and "El Cid."  And not only that, she and Millie also got to see that movie about Moses too.  Andy's over there alertly guarding the entrance to their burrow.              

       In the movie about the ex-Gladiator Spartacus, after he leads the other Gladiators in a revolt; he then goes on to lead them against the Romans trying to recapture them.  It says in my Encyclopedia they "resisted" that for about two years.  Andy's right now sniffing the air.              

          According to Dais, those Gladiators first had to kill their guards and then take all of the weapons at a Gladiator school they had been training at.  It says here that movie came out back  in 1960, when he was five and his brother Rock was three.  Andy is smelling me.                             

    

     "SPARTACUS" (1960)

 

                Daisy and Millie watched that movie Spartacus one warm Summer night in the Living Room.  It says in this Encyclopedia how Roman armies "chased" Spartacus' army of "ex-slaves" in what is now the country of Italy.  In real life I guess Spartacus was not the only leader.

            Some of the other Gladiator leaders were from "Gaul" which, as I've said before; is now where the country of France is located.  That's where that guy Julius Caesar's Legion won all of those battles and killed all those people.  Some of the Ducks are quacking over there.

           From what it says here, I guess at first it was only those few Gladiators who joined up to follow Spartacus.  But then, when he beat the Romans; thousands of other Slaves showed up to and wanted to help him.  Right now the sound of those Ducks makes me feel better.

 

                                                                                                ANCIENT GREECE

             I guess the real Spartacus was a "Thracian," from this area in northern Greece which I can see on a map.  It says here, he was a good "tactical field commander;" like Robert E. Lee or Erwin Rommel.  But eventually he and his army of Slaves was beaten by the Romans.

                  Spartacus's army did a lot better than anyone thought they could and Mr. Steve and his father have wondered why they didn't escape Italy when they could have?  If they'd wanted to they could have done it so easily.  A flock of Birds is flying bye up there in the sky.

           It says here the man who finally "defeated" Spartacus's men was named Marcus Licinius Crassus, or just "Crassus" for short.  He was mainly a rich Politician back there in the city of Rome, and was that guy Julius Caesar's "Patron."  The air is so clear right now.   

                                                                

MARCUS LICINIUS CRASSUS (115-53 B.C.)

      

                  Daisy thinks a "Patron" means a person who "sponsors" you, usually with money.  So, in a way she says; our Chief is our patron.  I've mentioned before how, in Spanish; sometimes your boss is called, "mi patron."  The scent of Theodora's Creosote bush floated over here.   

            In the movie Dais says, that man Crassus finally beat that Gladiator army he didn't know which one was Spartacus.  And, when he tells Spartacus to reveal himself; before Spartacus can tell him the other prisoners stand up and yell out, "'I'm Spartacus."  I love fresh air!

            Hey Lord!  As You of course would find out later; the Romans really knew how to torture people like You.  So, those ex-Slaves knew what would happen to him if Crassus found out which one of them was the real Spartacus.  Blackbeard and Anne are flying bye right now.

   

                  "APPIAN WAY" (ROME)                                               THE "PASSION"

             Because he couldn't figure out which one of his prisoners was the real Spartacus that guy Crassus just decided to kill all of them.  I wrote on Thursday about how our boss walked on that one ancient Roman road called the "Appian Way."  Dawn's now barking over there.

            Wow!  That guy Crassus ordered a few thousand prisoners be crucified all along the sides of the Appian Way.  Mr. Steve was told the Romans, unlike with You Lord; did not remove all of those dead "Corpses" from their crosses right away.   They just left them there to "Rot."

           Fannie and Freddie are flying bye, which makes me think about how our boss was told the corpses hanging along the Appian Way were eaten by Birds like Crows.  The bad smell of all of those "Decomposing" bodies was a "Reminder."  Crassus wanted to "Send a Message."

    

                                                SPARTACUS SLAVE REVOLT (71 B.C.)

ARTWORK BY BRIAN PALMER

             It says here in real life it's not known for sure how Spartacus died.  It's most likely he was killed in the final battle against Crassus's men. Crassus wanted to use the surviving prisoners to "Set an Example" to any of the other Slaves who might even think about revolting.

        In 1985, when the Tour Group visited the Appian Way; their Tour Guide joked that one reason the Appian Way "survived" is probably because, as the corpses rotted; it smelled so bad    there was "no traffic" on that road for years.  Ugh!  I wouldn't want to run on that road.              

            I've mentioned before how, after World War I ended in late 1918 and Germany lost; some Germans began to fight and kill each other for a few months in early 1919.  That "Spanish Flu"  world epidemic was going on in that year.  I just looked up the "Spartacist Uprising."                    

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"SPARTACIST UPRISING" (JANUARY, 1919)

     

           It says here that, in early 1919 some of the "moderate" people called "Social Democrats" fought "street battles" against the Communist "Spartacists."   It was a "power struggle" to "fill the void" left in German politics.  Speedy Gonzalez just ran bye and left a trail of dust.                

          I notice how, in two pictures from 1919; people in regular street clothes are carrying and shooting guns right alongside some guys in military uniforms.  Because Germany had lost World War I, the economy was really, really terrible.  I've written about that subject before.                   

          Back in 1919, which was in the same general period where here in the U.S. making alcohol was made illegal and females got the right to vote; Government soldiers came in and "crushed" that Spartacist revolt.  I've mentioned how that just means a lot of people were killed.                        

                   "ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW"                   

                                                  

               Andy and Helen are standing near the entrance to their burrow and that reminds me of the "Andy Griffith Show."  I've mentioned how one of the characters on that show, "Goober;" was married to Mr. Steve's mom's friend.  A Motorcycle just went bye back there.

            On Thursday in book one I wrote about how Mr. Steve's mom was a Girl Scout leader for many years, and another Girl Scout leader was Mrs. Lindsey; who's husband "George" played Goober.  To this day our boss has pleasant memories of Girl Scout's singing away. 

            I've mentioned before how the Andy Griffith Show was what they call "Set" in Mayberry, "North Carolina."  Mr. Steve told his brother Sam on the phone one time how North Carolina is now associated with N.A.S.C.A.R.  Andy and Helen just went down into their burrow.

                           

                                                 DALE EARNHARDT SR. (1951-2001)

  

            Over the last few years Mr. Steve has discussed with others about how sad it is that Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in that crash.  Dale Earnhardt's family are from a town called "Kannapolis." Mr. Steve told his brother Sam, for a few years; he had a customer near Kannapolis. 

           Some people think Dale Earnhardt Sr. was the best Race Car driver "Of all Time.  As I've said before, when someone is called the "Greatest of all Time;" their nickname is "Goat."  Boy! It would be so great to be called that name, even though some people don't like Goats. 

          One time a Parts Manager joked that Dale Earnhardt Sr. at times almost seemed able to "see air."  Mr. Steve's friend Tim who learned how to be a Mechanic in part by working on his two Chevelle's; really liked Dale Earnhardt Sr.  Theodora just flew bye right now.

      

                                  DALE EARNHARDT SR. / DALE EARNHARDT JR.   

                     I've written about how hard it is to be a child of a parent who is one of the best at doing something.  Dale Earnhardt Sr. had a son who's still a Race Car Driver.  That really good Boxing Ring Announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. will likely always be measured against his father.

               Dale Earnhardt Jr. is actually the third generation to race Cars because Dale Sr.'s father did it even before him.  Oh!  That's why they say something is "In their Blood."  Earlier, when I wrote about "Roadrunner" Cars; I mentioned that Auto Racer named Richard Petty.

              Richard Petty is now called "The King" of "Stock" Car racing, because of how good he did in his career.  And, just like that other guy Dale Earnhardt Sr.; his father was also a Race Car driver too.  But, in both cases they became way more famous than even their dads. 

      

           RICHARD PETTY / FATHER "LEE"              1970 PLYMOUTH "ROADRUNNER"

                     (KYLE PETTY HOLDING SON)

           My Encyclopedia says Richard Petty's son also "followed in his father's footsteps" so that means three generations of Race Car racers.  I've mentioned how Mr. Steve once built a model of Richard Petty's Race Car.  It was destroyed in that big 1971 "Sylmar" earthquake.                        

          Daisy told me our boss, before this economic recession we're in; had more customers back there in North and South Carolina.  One, in the North Carolina town of "High Point;" is known  for "Woodworking" or making furniture.  Ah!  I smell a Lizard somewhere around here.           

          I've written about how it was "Intelligence," and U.S. "Manufacturing;" that were the two biggest "Factors" in the Allies winning World War II.  The building of war material also was the  thing that finally brought America out of that Great Depression.  I now see the Lizard.                  

     

       "HIGH "POINT," NORTH CAROLINA

              

                 Wow!  A picture in this Encyclopedia shows what the caption describes as the "world's largest Chippendale dresser."  A Motorcycle parked in the lower right hand corner tells you just how huge that dresser is.  And two gigantic socks are even hanging out of a giant drawer!

              The dresser was made in that town of High Point.  I've written about how, from 1945 on  most of the factories that produced all the war material; were "Converted" into making things for a time of peace.  The Lizard is standing over there on the wall doing pushups.  

                   Dais says our boss was told by his ex-customer how that giant wooden dresser at first was only the "Facade" of a building.  But then, in the mid-1990's; it was turned into the way it is now. Boy!  How could anyone have even made such a thing like a gigantic dresser and drawers? 

          

                                                          CALIFORNIA HIGH DESERT

              I just took in a deep breath of fresh air that came in on a slight breeze from the desert behind the Sheds.  Seeing the sky makes me think about how the official "State Color" of North Carolina is sky or "Tar Heel" blue.  I wonder why that town was named "High Point?"             

             Up until "relatively recently" Mr. Steve told his sister Susan on the phone one time, it was very possible to just graduate from High School; and then become middle class by getting a job making something.  You could raise a family and "Get Ahead."  Dawn's barking.

             As I've said before, our boss and his father too; think one bad thing about the economic system of "Capitalism" is it "lends itself to greed."   So, many American companies would rather pay "Slave Wages" to Chinese workers.  Then they can keep way more of the money.

    

                                                                    THERESA / DALE EARNHARDT SR.                                                                                                                                              

            

               

 

      Ah!  I just picked up the really strong scent of one of the Sage plants.  It's coming in from the eastern desert behind the three Sheds.  Smelling that Sage plant makes me remember that one time when Cher the Cat killed a Gopher just over there to the side of Manny.

           All of a sudden writing about that girl Theresa Earnhardt makes me think of the of the Roman Empire his "Renovatio Imperii."  In Latin that means "Restoration of Empire."  But Justinian had to kill a lot of people in order to get almost all of the whole empire back.

      This is interesting.  Justinian "re-made" Roman law and it's still the basis of much of "Civil Law" in western societies today.  I'm looking at the Encyclopedias piled near the couch.  And I see the legal research books Mr. Steve sometimes uses.  I can still smell Sage. 

      One reason I decided to write about the Emperor Justinian was because I remembered that there was also a big plague during his time too.  And just like the one that happened in 1918 and 1919 it killed so many people no one knows for sure just how many died.

      Daisy and I are sure happy we don't live in a time when there's a lot of disease around. We're so lucky to live right now.  Well, I guess that's all I have to write about in the chapter three.  I'm going to take a short break and go drink some water from the bucket over there.

   

  

    This is amazing.  I'm already on chapter four.  I just picked up the scent of the baby Birds up there in the nest above me.  Right now they're really quiet.  I think they might be sleeping.  They don't even know that Heathcliff is dead.  Their lives are just starting out.

     By being so involved in learning new things it has taken my mind off of Heathcliff dying.  But, I keep thinking of him anyway.  Tomorrow morning will be different that's for sure.  I still smell one of the Sage plants.  Oh! Cher the Cat is running bye with a dead Mouse in her mouth.

     Hey Lord!  What made me want to learn about that Christian Emperor Justinian right now is that Mr. Steve knows about the different plagues; including the one in the 6th century.  It wasn't as big as the one that Amelia Earhart got sick from but thousands of people died then too.

   

      I just noticed a Jackrabbit jumping through the air out there in the desert behind the Sheds.  And I also just now  noticed a Hawk hovering above the desert out there.  No wonder the Birds are gone.  I hope that Hawk doesn't see the Jackrabbit but I know it has good eyesight.

       Well, I'm glad I decided to write about the Emperor Justinian.  But I didn't realize just how important he was so I kind of wrote a lot.  But that's okay.  I know Mr. Steve thinks Justinian was important.  Oh!  I think that Hawk might've just spotted the Jackrabbit.   

     Oh!  I just thought of a little bit more that I want to say about plagues.  Dais says our Chief told her and Millie there's probably going to be another really big pandemic someday.  And he     says, for good and bad, things are always getting "proportionately" bigger.                                         

 

          Hey God!  I sure hope we don't have a lot of Rats this year but as the weather heats up the Rats come out at night.  That's when we'll appreciate Cher more because of how she's so good at catching Rats.  She quickly kills them before they have a chance to bite her back. 

          Cher just used the back fence to jump up onto the top of Manny the Shed where she'll eat her Mouse.  But looking behind her toward the east I see and hear some Crows squawking.  Ah! I just now picked up the faint scent of a Lizard who's somewhere around here.

           I've mentioned how, in the 14th century; the "Black Death" plague Mr. Steve studied was spread by Fleas carried on Rats.  If Mr. Steve and Sandy's mom are right someday there may be a "Virus" that's "Transmitted" straight from person to person.  I see the Lizard.

  

ANTHRAX 

          Daisy heard our Chief talking to Mr. Mike about a 1980's New York City "Thrash Metal" band ANTHRAX, who are influenced by "Punk;" and "Heavy Metal" music too.  "Anthrax" is  another "Infectious Disease" that can kill you.  The Lizard is doing pushups over there.                

          As they loaded Rex the Truck with a Joshua tree the wind knocked over Mr. Steve and Mr. Mike talked about how that band ANTHRAX is one of the "Big Four" of Thrash Metal.  Daisy    says the other three are METALLIC, MEGADETH and SLAYER.  Dawn's barking.                      

       I've never heard any ANTHRAX songs but Dais has and says they're "Fast-Paced."  She says our boss really likes the bass guitar on their song called "Caught In A Mosh."   A few years  ago he found out that the bass player was born on July the 9th just like he was too.                         

  

  LONE JUSTICE

           Daisy told me ANTHRAX have a song called "Lone Justice."  The day before yesterday I mentioned how, in the mid-1980's when our boss worked at the Forum with Mark and Helen; a    co-worker "Pinky's" husband was in a band of that name.  The Lizard is now gone.                       

           From what Dais heard our boss tell Mr. Mike, ANTHRAX are from the area of New York City called "Queens."  I wrote about how that was where Mr. Steve and his brother Rock stayed for a few days back in 1977.  Libby's scent just blew in from over there in her Corral.                    

           I guess that band ANTHRAX one time did a song with a "Hip-Hop" band called PUBLIC ENEMY.   That's what Daisy heard our boss tell Mr. Mike that morning.  I just glanced up to see Samson and Delilah flying bye and they're both moving in a northeasterly direction.                            

        DRAGPIPE ALBUM COVER         MAP OF N.Y.C.                           DRAGPIPE                     

         Over the last three days I've mentioned a few times that Heavy Metal band DRAGPIPE.  Mr. Steve's Niece Stephanie's boyfriend Rich was one of three guitarists in DRAGPIPE.  As I've  written before, back in 2001 they signed a one album deal worth one million dollars.                      

         Dais told me that our boss told Mr. Mike about DRAGPIPE and how they were from New Jersey, which is near New York City.  I wrote the other day how Mr. Steve played DRAGPIPE'S  album for that kid Jason who plays guitar.  Some of the Ducks are quacking over there.                 

         According to what Daisy heard our boss tell Mr. Mike, DRAGPIPE at times kind of sound like this band called WHITE ZOMBIE.   And, at other times; they resemble that one band from  Bakersfield KORN who I've written about.  Hearing the Ducks makes me miss Heathcliff.                

MR. RICH

   

          I've mentioned how most people call Stephanie's boyfriend "Richie" but Mr. Steve just calls him "Rich" for short.  As I've said before, he's a really good guitarist.  Daisy says our boss    likes to play his drums along to a DRAGPIPE song about going on a Boat cruise.                            

            Daisy says that kid Jason liked the "heavy riffs" and "metal grooves" on the DRAGPIPE songs.  He and Mr. Steve talked about what's called "Drop-D Tuning."  I guess, that's when the    lowest of the sixth strings on an electric guitar is somehow tuned a little different.                           

            DRAGPIPE'S 2001 album sold 30,000 copies but it wasn't enough because they ended up being dropped by the "Record Label."  I've mentioned how Rich, like Mr. Mike and Samantha's boyfriend Rick; is "Handy."  They're all three very good "With his Hands" so to speak.                

     

                               THE "BLACK DEATH" (ENGLISH GRAVE FROM 1348))

           Uh oh!  I just noticed on my outline how I forgot to mention that "Anthrax" is also what they call a "Bacteria Infection."   I guess it's effects kind of resemble the 14th century "Bubonic" plague Mr. Steve studied in College at C.S.U.N.  Oh!  I smell the baby Cholla cactus.

           Wow!  A picture in this one Encyclopedia shows an "unearthed" grave of people who died in England from the "Black Death" Mr. Steve learned all about.  Oh!  It says here Aldous Huxley wrote about Anthrax in his book "Brave New World.  I wish Heathcliff would crow.

          Sandy's mom once said you can pick up Anthrax from being "in the vicinity" of  things like "Wool" from "contaminated" animals.  Mr. Steve read about a British drum maker dying from inhaling Anthrax from "Skins."  He thought of Sandy's mom who's alive in his memories.

  

                                                                    WORD WAR I

              In my three books I've mentioned a few times how that guy Adolph Hitler, as a "Courier" in World War I; was "Gassed" and went temporarily blind.  Yet he didn't "Authorize" the use of gas or chemical weapons in his Second World War.  As I've said, it's a mystery.

          Mr. Steve and his father think, in the future; "Biological" or "Chemical" weapons may be used in World War III.  Many modern countries like us, China and Russia; have "Programs" to use those things.  And Anthrax is of course one of the "Agents" that will be "Deployed."

          I've mentioned a few times how the reason Adolph Hitler had a weird mustache is because he had to cut the tips off of his "Handlebar" mustache so that a "Gas Mask" would fit tighter on his face.  Oh!  We should invent Gas Masks for animals.  We could make some money! 

    

                                   KURDISH GASSED ("HALABJA" / MARCH 16, 1988)

PHOTO BY AFB

          Daisy and Millie saw a tv show about how that guy Saddam Hussein used gas in the 1980's, first against Ayatollah Khomeini's Iran; and then against the "Kurds" who lived in Iraq.  Ah! A  photo in this Encyclopedia shows two gassed to death Kurds.  I smell some new Sage.                     

       Even though gas and things like that were supposedly "Banned" from use in war Saddam Hussein killed about 50,000 Iranian soldiers and 100,000 Kurds using "Sarin" and "Tabun" gas  to do it.  And Ronald Reagan's U.S. government "Overlooked" it.  Dawn's barking.                       

        Oh!  The caption underneath the picture of the Kurdish man and the child he was trying to protect says they died on March the 16th of 1988 which, as I've mentioned before; is Mr. Steve's  sister Susan's birthday too.  Now Blinky's barking too.  That makes me feel good.                           

      

           I see a vapor trail up there in the sky above the eastern desert behind the Sheds.  For some reason that makes me think again about how Mr. Steve believes someday there might be another huge and bloody civil war in America.  I've written about that over the last three days.                  

          Dais says our Chief told Mr. Mike if biological or chemicals weapons are ever used one way it might be "dispersed" or "introduced" is through Airplanes.  He thinks it's "highly likely" that biological and chemical weapons will be used in the future.  Dawn's still barking over there.         

               One time Daisy and Millie watched a tv show on World War II about Japan's "Unit 731."  This Encyclopedia says, from 1936 through 1945; members of Unit 731 "conducted often lethal germ warfare experiments."   And they used Chinese people to do those experiments on.  

  

                       "UNIT 731" IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY ("JILIN" PROVINCE / CHINA)

                Daisy heard our boss talking on the phone one time with his friend Mr. Ralph.  And they discussed about how, at the end of the Second World War; the U.S. got all of Unit 731's "Data." I guess Unit 731 was Japan's "Chemical Warfare Division" during World War II.

           Mr. Steve and Mr. Ralph talked about how, after the Second World War was over; none of the people of Unit 731 were ever "Prosecuted" for killing thousands and thousands of Chinese.  It says here Unit 731 pretended to be working on "water purification."  I smell Creosote.  

           Boy God!  Daisy is so right in being thankful the Germans and Japanese lost World War II because of how mean they were to other people.  She says if they'd do such bad things to people, "odds are" as they say; they'd do even worse to us Dogs.  Thank You God for our lives.

  

                                                                           WERNHER VON BRAUN (1912-1977)

           

            Over the last three days I've mentioned "Operation Paper Clip."  That's where the U.S. brought Nazi Scientists like Wernher von Braun to America to help us in the "Cold War" against Stalin's Soviet Union.  I've written about how his knowledge got us to the Moon in 1969. 

                 As I just said, Mr. Steve, and his father too; think biological and chemical weapons will be used someday in war.  And they believe "it's entirely possible" it will be the U.S. who uses them.  We've probably used the information acquired from Unit 731 in our own experiments.

           Well, I guess that's enough writing about plagues and things like that.  So far today, except for Heathcliff dying yesterday, this has been a pretty good and productive day.  Dais is so right of course in saying life doesn't stop for anyone and things just go on no matter what.  

  

           Oh!  I just glanced up and see this Hawk flying bye with either a dead Mouse or Gopher in its mouth.  It's sort of hard to tell from this far away which one it is but I can see that whatever it is it has no head.  Boy!  I'd sure hate to have my head eaten right off from my body.   

           Seeing that Hawk suddenly reminds me of the time when another Hawk killed a Rabbit up there in the front yard.  I still remember the sound of the Rabbit squeaking in pain as the claws on the feet of the Hawk stabbed deep into its back.  It must've been so painful I'll bet!  

           The way Hawks streak down to the ground to attack things makes me think about one of those German "Stuka" Dive Bombers from World War II.  Daisy says when our Chief was going to College at C.S.U.N. in the 1970's he met an older Polish lady.  A Duck is quacking.

   

JUNKERS JU-87 ("STUKA" DIVE BOMBER)

   

            Daisy told me the Polish lady was a teenager in 1939 when the Germans attacked Poland which started World War II.  Three of her Uncles were killed trying to defend their country; but it was "To no Avail" as they say.  The scent of that old Mesquite plant just blew in.

            I guess the Polish lady still remembers how scary it was when she and her brothers heard the shrieking sound getting louder as "Stuka" Dive Bombers came down to bomb them in their city of "Warsaw."  I've mentioned how Stukas had "Sirens."  I like how Mesquite smells.  

             I've written about how the Nazi Germans knew the power of fear.  It really worked in all of the different Blitzkriegs they did back in 1939 and 1940.  As I written about over the last three days, both Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Mao Zedong all used terror effectively.

                                "WARSAW" BOMBED ( POLAND / SEPTEMBER, 1939)

 

                I guess that Polish lady told Mr. Steve what it was like to "live through" or "survive" the Second World War II.  She has bad dreams about those days sometimes and is very thankful to have made it through until now.  Boy God!  I'm so glad we live in a time of peace. 

                     I'm still thinking about how Germany used Dive Bombers in World War II.   That all of a sudden makes me think of that San Fernando Valley band called the DICKIES and their funny album called "Stuka's Over Disneyland." 

    

"STUKAS OVER DISNEYLAND"                                              THE DICKIES                                                                                                   

               I wrote on Thursday about how Mr. Steve and his girlfriend Sandy got introduced to the DICKIES through Mark Ritter and Mr. Doug and saw them play a few times.  Daisy says they're kind of an unusual "Comedy / Punk" band.  I want to hear their song about the Gorilla.

          says at times his friend Mark Ritter had the DICKIES same "off beat" and "twisted" way of looking at things.  

      Looking at our three Sheds reminds me about how Mr. Steve says the DICKIES have a song called "Manny, Moe and Jack."  I'll write more about the DICKIES later today when I deal with that other band from the Valley called QUIET RIOT.      

   

            H-1 "HERCULES" ("SPRUCE GOOSE" / LONG BEACH HARBOR / NOV. 2, 1947)

            According to my book three outline I still have more to write about Aviation and also the city of Long Beach.  In the 1980's Mr. Steve took pictures of Long Beach Boxing matches held in the "Hangar" which "Housed" a Plane called the "Spruce Goose." 

            On Thursday I mentioned how Long Beach Harbor, where the Spruce Goose made its one and only flight back in 1947; is where you take a Boat to Catalina Island.  A "Promoter" named "Peter" set up a Boxing "Ring" under the Spruce Goose's huge wings. 

         the Spruce Goose is one of the biggest Airplanes ever built.  And, uniquely; it's made from wood instead of metal.  A picture taken from above Long Beach Harbor shows it near its round Hanger.  You can tell how big it is.

             

                                                "SPRUCE GOOSE" / "QUEEN MARY" 

 

           In the aerial photo of the Spruce Goose you can see a big Ship called the "Queen Mary" in the water nearby.  Mr. Steve and all of his three girlfriends Sandy, Emily and Harriet have over the years visited and walked around the Queen Mary.  It kind of looks really big too.

               Daisy says our boss many years ago drew the logo for the city of Long Beach.  It says in my Encyclopedia the Queen Mary was a "Passenger Ship" used as a "Troop Carrier" during World War II.  It "transported" soldiers to England before the Normandy invasion of 1944.

          Because of the danger of Ships being torpedoed and sunk by German "U-Boats" crossing the Atlantic Ocean, that man Howard Hughes thought of the idea of making the Spruce Goose.  It could carry men and equipment over to England above the ocean which was safer.

   

 Howard Hughes.  He was one of the richest people in history Dais told me.  And then I can learn about the Spruce Goose because it was Howard Hughes' company that built it during the Second World War in the 1940's.

       

        Cher the Cat is still up on the top of Moe.  She's finished eating so is now grooming herself.  Mr. Steve calls it her "Ritual."  Daisy says using your own spit to wash down seems kind of nasty but it must work or Cats wouldn't do it for no reason.  

       Howard Hughes was what's called a business "Tycoon."  And like Amelia Earhart, he was also a famous Pilot who set some aviation records during the 1930's Depression.  I guess he crashed his Plane a few times but survived them. 

  Spruce Goose, like the Queen Mary; was meant to carry men and equipment over to England during the Second World War.  This was necessary because at the beginning of the war the German "U-Boat" Submarines were sinking many valuable supply Ships. 

       the "U" in U-Boat stands for the German phrase "Unterseeboot;" in English "Under Sea Boat."  Mr. Steve says that people have been trying to go under water since ancient times.  

       first time people tried to stay underwater and actually do things was in the 16th century when, in 1562; two men from Greece did a demonstration for Charles V of Spain.  They  "submerged" in something with lit candles.  

      In 1562 those two men stayed underwater for a long time and then "re-emerged" with their candles still lit.  In 1620 an underwater "Oar-Propelled Ship" was shown to King James I of England.  But no one knows what either one of these looked like.

       

     Spruce Goose was the biggest "Flying Boat" ever built.  And it had the largest "Wing Span" of any Plane in all of history.  Dais says our Chief once told her and Millie that it's so big.  He went inside of it and saw what it looked like.

     real name of the Spruce Goose was the "H-4 Hercules."  Oh!  And it was Howard Hughe's critics who named it the Spruce Goose; even though it was made mainly out of Birch wood.  They were making fun of it.  

      But, it says here that by the time the Spruce Goose was finished the Second World War had ended.  Some people accused Howard Hughes of stealing money from the Federal Government because they said the Spruce Goose probably couldn't even fly.  

      Even though it's not on my outline I just thought of something I could write about here.  In World War II there was another famous Airplane that was made out of wood.  It was called the    DH-98 De Havilland "Mosquito."  Mark Ritter knew all about that Plane.                                       

                                                    DE-HAVILLAND "MOSQUITO"

AVSPECS LTD. / MILITARY AVIATION MUSEUM

   

       Mark Ritter knew about the Spruce Goose and also the Mosquito.  From what it says here in my Encyclopedia, being made of wood meant the Mosquito was one of the fastest Planes when it first came out in 1941.  But bullets probably went through it a lot easier too Dais joked.

    the De Havilland Mosquito is now considered to have been one of the most "versatile" operational Warplanes of all time.  I like the picture of the Mosquito here in my Encyclopedia.  

       one of the Mosquito's nicknames back in World War II was "The Wooden Wonder."  And I guess that's mainly because it was used for so many things; everything from scouting behind the German lines to bombing.

                                              GEOFFREY DE HAVILLAND (1882-1965)

     Hey God!  From what it says in this Encyclopedia the guy who designed the DH-98 Mosquito was named Geoffrey de Havilland.  And his father was a "Clergyman" so I'll bet he believed in You.  

     in 1938, one year before World War II started with Germany's attack on Poland, the Mosquito Plane was designed as what they call a "Reconnaissance" Aircraft.  That means it could spy from high up in the air.

     I guess the British thought the Mosquito would be able to fly up so high and go so fast that it wouldn't even need to have any weapons on it.  It had the "Maneuverability" of a Fighter Plane but could also go four hundred miles per hour.   That Horned Toad dug into the ground.

     Wow!  The Mosquito was built out of "Plywood."  Our boss keeps these three eleven foot tall "Sheets"  of plywood on the south side of the house; next to the Garage.  On really hot days he uses them to cover the windows so it will be dark inside the house.  

      The first time I ever went inside the house to watch cartoons on Saturday morning I noticed how the windows had these things called "Curtains."  They hang in front of all the windows; but from the inside.  So they help keep the heat and bright sunlight out on hot days.

      over there in the Middle East, where his Nephew Jacob was stationed for a year; the houses have no windows.  This is so on extremely hot days no sunlight will penetrate and it will be dark inside.  They sleep on the roof at night. 

     British Mosquito Plane had a "Range" of one thousand six hundred and fifty miles.  That means it can go that far on the gas carried in its fuel tanks.  

     Now wonder back in the 1940's so many people "Thought Highly" of the Mosquito.  At first it was "unarmed" but later four 20 mm cannons were added.  And, in the nose 4-4.7 mm Machine Gun was installed.  Later the Mosquito dropped bombs and even shot Rockets too.      

     This is sad God.  I guess Geoffrey de Havilland and his wife lost all three of their sons during World War II; all killed in Planes.  So she became very depressed.  In 1949, four years after the war, that guy Geoffrey de Havilland designed the first "Commercial" Jet Airliner.

            

                                       JOAN FONTAINE / OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND

    

     two of Geoffrey de Havilland's Cousins were Actresses; Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland.  I guess Olivia de Havilland was in that one famous movie I mentioned yesterday called "Gone With the Wind." 

      Well, back to my outline.  I'm kind of glad I added in the subject of the Mosquito Airplane. But now I'll discuss that guy Howard Hughes again.   He lived an interesting life Mr. Steve says. His dad was a mechanic who invented a "Drill Bit" which made him rich in Texas. 

      Howard Hughes was seventeen years old when his mother died and nineteen when his father "Passed Away" as they say.  So he took over his father's company.  

     Hey God!  As You know, Mr. Steve says "Favoritism" is normal in life.  That's just the way it often is he told us.  He's been a victim of what they call "Nepotism" a few times.  That's okay he told us.  He's also practiced favoritism too.  Boy God!  It's too bad life isn't fair.   

     Howard Hughes was fortunate enough to be given unbelievable opportunities that few ever get.  But, like Mr. Steve says, he turned those opportunities into something even bigger.  Another person might've "Fumbled the Ball" so to speak.  

     Mr. Steve read that as a small boy growing up in Houston, Texas, Howard Hughes wanted to  impress his father.  So he built his own "Wireless" Radio and did things like that.  He even built a "Motorized" Bicycle.  Boy!  He kind of sounds like that guy Nikola Tesla.

     Howard Hughes must've been a pretty good businessman.  He eventually owned a few different business's; including some that made movies. Daisy told me that one good movie Howard Hughes made was about World War I.

     I guess Howard Hughes ended up leaving Texas and moving his "Operations" out here to Los Angeles.  He became a Movie Producer and in 1930 made this movie called "Hell's Angels." Dais says it's mainly about the Fighter Pilots of World War I.  

     Mr. Steve met this nice lady who showed him a big leather book which had been given to her by an Aunt; who attended what they call the "Premier" of Howard Hughes movie Hell's Angels.  

     The fancy book that one lady showed to Mr. Steve was the "Program" given out to everyone who was there on that night in 1930; about a year after the Great Depression started.  Daisy says our boss has a few things like that too; but nothing as impressive as that ladies book.

   

                                                        JEAN HARLOW (1911-1937)

 

       Because of his father's involvement in the Marilyn Monroe case back in 1985; Mr. Steve has learned about other blonde Actresses.  One of the "Stars" of the movie Hell's Angels was named Jean Harlow.  She was a "Platinum" blonde.  

     There's a picture of that one girl Jean Harlow in my Encyclopedia.  The caption says she was "most popular" and famous during the Great Depression of the 1930's.  She died in 1937 at the young age of only twenty six; in a year when Adolph Hitler was testing the world. 

     Oh!  I'll bet Mr. Steve will be interested to know that the Actress Jean Harlow is buried down in Glendale at the "Forrest Lawn" cemetery.  Later today I'll write about that cemetery when I discuss his friend Helen who is also buried there too.  

       Howard Hughes was what's called a "Maverick."  He was probably like the Baseball owners Bill Veeck and Charles O. Finley I'll bet.  He thought "Outside the Box" so to speak.  

      Hey God!  That guy Howard Hughes set records as a Pilot but in the 1930's and 1940's also "miraculously" survived some crashes.  Dais says our boss thinks this definitely affected the way he looked at life from then on.  He probably knew he should have died a few times. 

                HOWARD HUGHES (1905-1976) IN COCKPIT OF THE SPRUCE GOOSE

 

        Howard Hughes spent the last part of his life in what they call "Chronic" pain because of those Plane crashes.  He got addicted to pain pills and may have had this thing called "Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; or "O.C.D."  

        I wonder if Mr. Steve knows this?  Howard Hughes, who was tall, was a really good Golfer.  Mr. Steve told us how Golf is not as easy as it looks.  He's never been any good at it.  Nowadays he just likes to "drive" Golf balls; right and left-handed.  

                                                        SPRUCE GOOSE "FLYING"

 

      This is so interesting!  The Spruce Goose only flew one time and that was in early November of 1947; two years after World War II ended. It was in Long Beach Harbor and Howard Hughes was the Pilot.  They weren't planning on actually flying it on that particular day.

      In 1947 the plan was to just "Taxi" around the Harbor.  But then Howard Hughes decided to "Lift Off."  This surprised everyone who was there; including those on the Spruce Goose.  Then it flew for a mile; seventy feet above the water in the Channel facing Cabrillo Beach.

      My Encyclopedia says that in 1955, when they first flew the Spy Plane U-2, it was also kind of an accident too.  They were just supposed to be driving it around on the ground when suddenly it started to take off.  So, like in 1947, they decided to just go ahead and fly it around.

 

                                                                                 U-2

 

      As I wrote yesterday in book two, it was a big surprise when in 1960 the Russians shot down a U-2.  It was thought to be impossible because it flew up so high in the air.  Mr. Steve says the United States was embarrassed.  

     Aha!  I had a feeling I was being watched.  I just noticed a Thrasher Bird underneath Manny the Shed.  I can tell by its long curved beak what it is; even though I can't smell it right now.  It's hiding in the shadows.  

 

                                           KELLY JOHNSON (1910-1990)     GARY POWERS (1929-1977)

         I was originally going to write about this guy named Francis Gary Powers yesterday in book two.  But Daisy thought it would fit in here too.  Gary Powers was the Pilot who's U-2 was shot down back in 1960.  My Encyclopedia has a picture of him with that man Kelly Johnson.

      The picture of Gary Powers shows him and Kelly Johnson talking and behind them you can see one of those U-2's.  I wrote about Kelly Johnson yesterday in my second book.  Oh!  I can see a long white vapor  trail way up high in the sky.  I hear some Wrens singing.

      Gary Powers was put on trial over there in Russia and it was a really "Big Deal" as they say. But, eventually he was traded for a Soviet spy the United States had caught.  So Gary Powers came back to America.  

      Mr. Steve once met a guy at the U.C.L.A. Library who said he thought that guy Gary Powers should have killed himself rather surrender to the Russians in 1960.  By allowing himself to be a part of the "Show Trial" he damaged the United States. 

      That man at the U.C.L.A. Library told Mr. Steve Gary Powers was probably issued what's called a "Cyanide" pill.  This is poison which kills you instantly.   After the Second World War some Nazis like Heinrich Himmler and Herman Göring used them to kill themselves.  

      a place in the San Fernando Valley called the "Sepuveda Basin."  It's where Gary Powers died in 1977 when a Helicopter he was flying crashed.  Mr. Steve met a guy whose Cousin witnessed the crash.  

       Sepulveda Basin was built in 1941 because of a really bad 1938 flood that killed many people. 

SEPULVEDA BASIN     

         

        I'm beginning to understand why Daisy would like to be able to fly like Underdog.  There's a picture in this Encyclopedia of the Sepulveda Basin.  It's one of those aerial views.  Mr. Steve has been to the Sepulveda Basin many times over the years.  

       Sepulveda Basin is intended to be an "overflow" area in case the Los Angeles River ever floods again.  Mr. Steve told us "Balboa Lake" is part of  the Sepulveda Basin.  With Sandy, Emily and Harriet Mr. Steve has been to that beautiful Lake.   

 

                                          DON JOSE ANDRES SEPÚLVEDA (1801-1875)

      On the book three outline that Daisy and I prepared the next thing to talk about is this one family whose last name was "Sepúlveda."  In this one Encyclopedia there's a painting of a man named Don Jose Andres Sepúlveda.  

      in the mid-19th century one of the richest men here in California was Don Jose Andres Sepúlveda.  He raised Cattle on his gigantic Ranch called "Rancho San Joaquin."  It "sprawled" over fifty thousand acres.

     1821 Mexico broke away from Spain.  In 1842 that man Andres Pico "granted" Don Jose Andres Sepúlveda land which is now a part of "Orange County" called "Irvine."  Oh!  I just noticed Jack the Jackrabbit sitting under Manny the Shed. 

      Cows from Rancho San Joaquin fed the Miners who flooded out here to Northern California in 1849 for that big Gold Rush.  In 1864, the second to last year of the American Civil War; all of Rancho San Joaquin was sold to James Irvine.   

       Mr. Steve told us the Sepulveda Basin's Lake has many Birds who live around it.  Some are "Pelicans."  Daisy says before I came to live here this one long-legged white "Egret" landed in the northwest corner of our land; up near Oasis Road.  

       Oh my God!  Wait until Dais sees the one picture of a Pelican in my Encyclopedia.  Wow! It's eating another Bird with a mouth that opens just like a bucket.  Another picture shows a flying Egret.  I sure wish I could smell, hear and see a real Pelican or one of those Egrets.

       Miss Susan, who used to run the local Newspaper, thinks it's possible that Egret who landed in our yard might've been headed for the Sepulveda Basin and Lake Balboa.  That lady Miss Susan knows a lot about Birds and things like that.  

      I guess Miss Susan thinks that one white Egret was flying above Piñon Hills and may have glanced down and saw the reflection coming from the water Mr. Steve puts in the Bird Bath.  So for some reason that Egret just decided to fly down and rest for a few minutes. 

  

 FRANCIS GARY POWERS (1977)

            The guy who's Cousin saw Gary Powers die said he was playing Baseball on a field where the Helicopter came down.  Mr. Steve has played on those fields.  That kid said Gary Powers was either thrown or jumped out of the Helicopter about fifty feet above the ground.

       It turned out that guy told our boss; Gary Powers' Helicopter ran out of gas and that's why it crashed in early August of 1977.  Two weeks later Mr. Steve and his brother Rock went back east on the trip I wrote about yesterday in book two.  

      Mr. Steve says another thing named after the Sepúlveda family is the longest road in all of Los Angeles; "Sepulveda Boulevard."  When Mr. Steve's family first moved to Los Angeles there were no Freeways so people had to "take Sepulveda" to get to the San Fernando Valley.

      One time Mr. Steve and his friend named Chris drove the whole forty two miles of Sepulveda Boulevard; from Mission Hills to near Long Beach.  Sepulveda "for a short stretch" even goes under some of the Runways of International Airport he told us.  A Wren is singing.

      Well, I still need to write a little bit more about that guy Howard Hughes; and then the city of Long Beach.  I can also see that according to this outline there's still more things to write about that one girl Pilot Amerlia Earhart.  

       I guess he kind of went crazy later in life.  And because he was so rich he could do anything he wanted to do and no one could do a thing about it.  At least that's what Mr. Steve told us that one time.  

          Howard Hughes eventually became a "recluse" and didn't even wash his hair or cut his finger and toe nails.  No one ever saw him in person.  Mr. Steve told Daisy and myself that Howard Hughes was afraid of Germs.

   

       Oh my God!  There's a black and white drawing in this one Encyclopedia that's shows what Howard Hughes looked like in the last years of his life.  He had a long beard and his fingernails are really long too.   His room looks kind of dirty and cluttered with things.

       It says here that even when Howard Hughes stayed hidden in his room he was still one the richest people in the world.  So  his companies made millions of dollars and did things like buy big tv Networks.  And Howard Hughes still made all those decisions.   

    MICHAEL JACKSON

     Mr. Steve thinks that guy Michael Jackson was one of the most talented dancers and singers ever.  But, like Howard Hughes, he became so wealthy he could do things no one else could "get away with" so to speak.  

     When Mr. Steve told a Nurse friend of his that Michael Jackson died of an overdose of this one drug called "Propothol" at his house she didn't believe it.  And that's mainly because only certain trained people are allowed to "Administer" such a strong drug.

     Propothol is an "Anasthetic."

      Long Beach Harbor called the Queen Mary.  According to my Encyclopedia it was a "Passenger Ship" that was huge like the Spruce Goose.  It weighed seventy five thousand tons!  

    

       QUEEN MARY IN LONG BEACH HARBOR / SPRUCE GOOSE DOME BEHIND

                                                                      PHOTO BY STEVE CÓRDOVA

 

       The company that built the "R.M.S. Queen Mary" in the early 1930's was English but built it in Scotland.  The Queen Mary's first voyage was in 1936 and during World War II she was used to carry troops.  After the war she carried passengers again.

      once passenger Jets came in at the end of the 1950's there wasn't as much need for the Queen Mary any more.  Mr. Steve has been inside the Queen Mary and says it's so amazing how "luxurious" it still is.  He says it has a really huge propeller that you can see.

     story is that the company who built the Queen Mary wanted to name their ship after Queen Victoria.  But somehow, when they asked the "reigning monarch" King George VI for permission he thought they were asking to name their Ship after his wife.

                

                  QUEEN VICTORIA (1819-1901)                KING GEORGE VI (1895-1952) WITH WIFE

 

      King George's wife was named Victoria too but most people called her "May." And because the company who built the Queen Mary was too embarrassed to say anything they just decided to go ahead and name their Ship for the King's wife.  

      This is interesting.  That lady Queen Victoria was born on May the 24th.  And in looking at my list of birthdays in Mr. Steve's family I see that Mr. Steve's Wedding Anniversary is on the same date.  Two of the Pigeons just flew back in from being out in the eastern desert.

     The people who built the Queen Mary ended up naming the new Passenger Ship after King George's "Consort."  the Queen Mary was "retired" back in 1967; when our Chief was twelve.  

      Long Beach's "San Pedro" Harbor is where you take the boat to go over to Catalina Island Mr. Steve says.  Long Beach is where that girl Amelia Earhart first learned to fly a Plane.  Mr. Steve has a good friend name "Pam" who lives in Long Beach with her older sister. 

      I just noticed that I forgot to write a few things about Amelia Earhart.  According to this one  Encyclopedia, in 1937, about seven weeks after she seeing the Dionne Quintuplets up in Canada; Amelia Earhart died trying to be the first female to fly around the world.

 

    on Amelia Earhart's famous trip her Plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean and she was never heard from again.  To this day it's still a big mystery as to what happened.  Some say she was captured by the Japanese and "taken out" as an American spy.

      when they say taken out they just mean "killed."  She says our Chief thinks Amelia Earhart probably just ran out of gas and then crashed into the ocean and drowned.  On one of her last radio messages she did say; "Gas is running low."

      Mr. Steve says after she disappeared Amelia Earhart's husband asked Edgar Cayce to do one of his psychic readings.  But, sadly he had to  tell him his wife was dead.   Our boss told us some people always want to believe that famous people who die might still be alive.

                                              AMELIA EARHART WITH HUSBAND

       From what Mr. Steve says there are those who think Adolph Hitler faked his own death with his wife Eva Braun and escaped to South America like other Nazi's did after the Second World War.  And some say Elvis Presley and Amelia Earhart are still alive too.

      Later today I'll write about a man named Otto Skorzeny.  He was Austrian like Hitler and I know Mr. Steve thinks he's still influencing the world.  One of the things he supposedly did was establish "Odessa" which helped Nazis escape Europe after the Second World War. 

      Our boss's ex-girlfriend Harriet lives in "North Hollywood;" where for years she lived with her mother.  Harriet's mom died.  North Hollywood Park is kind of near there and has a bronze statue of Amelia Earhart in front Mr. Steve says.  Dais and I like our statues.

PHOTO BY STEVE CÓRDOVA

 

      Mr. Steve had a dream one time where he drove past North Hollywood Park and looked at the statue of Amelia Earhart.  Then, he saw Harriet's mother walking by and stopped to talk to her.  They then hugged each other ant then got "reacquainted" as they say.

      In that one dream our Chief asked about Harriet.  He told her mother that he still sometimes thinks about Harriet and the good times they had together.  Mr. Steve was sad when Harriet told him her mother had died.  He still fondly thinks of her as a decent woman.  

      Over the years our boss used to drive past North Hollywood Park.  He always looks at that  statue of Amelia Earhart.  But now that he lives way up here in the desert he never goes to North Hollywood anymore.  But at times he still thinks of that statue; and Harriet too.      

       Amelia Earhart knew how to play this musical instrument called a "banjo."  It sounds kind of "twangy" Dais told me.  She says she heard it on songs by Pete Seeger and also on the theme song of that tv show The Beverly Hillbillies.

         MODEL 10 "ELECTRA" 

 

      Oh!  This is interesting.  My Encyclopedia says in 1937 the Plane Amelia Earhart was flying was a Lockheed Model 10 "Electra."  And that man Kelly Johnson, whose Nephew Mr. Steve's sister Susan used to go out with, and who designed the U-2, worked on it. 

     On my outline I have written down that I want to mention this other girl Pilot who was also from the 1920's and 1930's.  Her name was Elinor Smith and according to this Encyclopedia in 1927 she was the youngest pilot in the world when she was only sixteen years old.

 

                                                                                     ELINOR SMITH (1911-2011)

  

  Elinor Smith was involved in the first time a ever Dog parachuted.  There's a picture of it here.  Like that girl Amelia Earhart, Elinor Smith was what they call an "Aviatrix." 

      Elinor Smith broke speed records and one time flew a Plane under all of the bridges on the East River in New York City; where she was from.  For a time she was even as famous as Amelia Earhart.  I hear Ducks quaking away next door.  Their quaking makes me feel good.

      Dais says one time our Chief told her and Millie that some people thought that Elinor Smith was a much more talented pilot that Amelia Earhart.  But she quit flying in order to get married and have children.  She and her husband raised four children during the Depression. 

      I guess that girl Elinor Smith was lucky her husband was really smart too and had a pretty good job so could "support" their family.   Elinor Smith really didn't care about being famous.  She preferred to go and be a good mother. 

      Wow!  Elinor Smith lived to be almost one hundred year old!  She died the year I was born.  It says here after she raised her kids and her husband died she became a pilot again. In 1934 she was the first female shown on a "Wheaties" box.  

     According to my outline the next thing I want to write about Aviation is how, in World War I, American blacks were not allowed to be Pilots.  And the Army didn't really want them either.  So the blacks were kind of "lent" to the French who needed men.  

 in 1917 when America entered the First World War the military really didn't want any blacks; except as servants or laborers.  But they were eventually   allowed to join so were "pawned off" on the French so to speak.                              

                                                        EUGENE BULLARD (1895-1961)

 

     One of the African-American Pilots who flew for the French during World War I was named Eugene Bullard.  The picture in this one Encyclopedia shows him wearing a French uniform and a "prestigious" medal given to him by France.  That's what it says in the caption.

      I guess that guy Eugene Bullard is now considered to be the very first black "military pilot." He proved that blacks were capable of flying Airplanes.  Mr. Steve says, even though the French could be just as prejudiced as the Americans, they accepted men like Eugene Bullard. 

      by 1917 the French army had lost close to a million men.  So they really needed more "bodies."  But, just like Mr. Steve told Daisy and Millie; the black Americans turned out to good fighters and were really brave. 

     Some time back our Chief did some artwork for an older man from New York City.  He told Mr. Steve that his Grandfather fought for the French during World War I as a member of the 396th Infantry Regiment; or the "Harlem Hellfighters" as they were called. 

     That man told Mr. Steve the Harlem Hellfighters ended up being a highly "Decorated" unit. And during the First World War the 396th band also introduced "Jazz" music to Europe.  Jazz is considered to be an American form of music.  

   

                                                         JIM EUROPE (1881-1919)

      James Reese Europe; or "Jim" Europe as he was known.  He was a member of the 396th Infantry Regiment.  Some people call him; "The Martin Luther King of music."  He was a "Band Leader" and "Composer." 

     In Mr. Steve's opinion, from what he knows now, that guy Jim Europe would have gone down in history as one of the most famous musicians ever if he had not died so young.  Instead, he's a trivia question about the history of Jazz.  

     Mr. Steve had not known who Jim Europe was until he met that one man he did the artwork for.  At first he thought the name "Europe" might have been a gimmick name but I can see in this Encyclopedia that it wasn't.  Jim Europe died at the young age of thirty eight.

     Wow!  In 1919, the year after World War I ended, that guy Jim Europe was stabbed to death backstage by a drummer whose playing he criticized. Oh!  Jim Europe's birthday was February 22.  Mr. Steve's father was born on the 23rd.  

     Later this afternoon I'll write about "Arlington National Cemetery" which Mr. Steve's family visited in Washington D.C. in 2008.  This one guy named Audie Murphy is buried there and I'm going to write more about him later too.  Jim Europe is buried there.  

     

                                                                                 BESSIE COLEMAN (1893-1926)

    Bessie Coleman.  She was the first black female pilot.   she was inspired bye that one guy Eugene Bullard who was a pilot for the French in World War I.  

      This is kind of sad.  According to what it says here in this Encyclopedia, that Airplane pilot Bessie Coleman was only thirty four years old when she died in a Plane crash.  Mr. Steve says in those days flying was way more dangerous than it is now.  

   In the 1920's and 1930's the most famous pilot in the world was named Charles Lindbergh. He was even more famous than Amelia Earhart.  And looking at the picture of him here in this Encyclopedia I think he looks like he could be Amelia Earhart's brother. 

 

                                                                           CHARLES LINDBERGH (1902-1974)

 

       Charles Lindbergh was the first person ever to fly by himself from here in North America over to Europe.  He did it irlesn 1937, six years before Amelia Earhart did it.  They both must've been brave.  

       Charles Lindbergh was an "Isolationist" in the years leading up to the Second World War.  That means he didn't want the United States to come into the war.  He said America should just stay to itself and not "get involved" in a second European war. 

                                              CHARLES LINDBERGH IN GERMANY

      during the mid-1930's Charles Lindbergh went over to visit Nazi Germany.  Mr. Steve told us he, like a lot of people then, admired the German Luftwaffe or Air Force.  He later thought England would lose in a war with Hitler's Germany.

     Well, it looks like I'm finished with chapter four.  The day is going pretty fast You Guys.  But I still have a long day ahead of me.  I'm still sort of thinking about Heathcliff but focusing on my third book is helping a lot. 

                                                                                            I can see that I still have more to write a little bit more about the Depression and World War II era.  And then I'll write about sports and music.  Yesterday in book two I wrote about that guy Charles O. Finley; who owned the Oakland A's.  I'll write more about him today.   

      Mr. Steve has had conversations with people who lived in the early 1940's.  A few have told him they thought that many, if not most, Americans did not want to go to war right up until the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese.  But then everything changed quickly. 

 

                          JOSEPH KENNEDY (1888-1969) WITH WIFE AND CHILDREN

        Kennedy family.  According to what it says in the caption; "Joseph Kennedy Sr. and his wife sit with their nine children."  I guess "Joe" Kennedy was what they call the "Patriarch" of his large family. 

      Yesterday when I wrote about the Kennedy's I mentioned how they were Irish Catholics and lived in New England to the east of where Mr. Steve's sister Susan lives with Dalton and Austin. A Train just whistled faintly to the north of us.  

       Mr. Steve's father knows a lot about the Kennedy family.  As I wrote in book two yesterday, Joe Sr. was a very powerful person.  He wanted his son Joe Jr. to be President but as I mentioned yesterday; he was killed in World War II.  So John had to be the one to do it.

      Daisy jokes that Mr. Steve is sort of like our patriarch.  His father is the leader of the whole family.  He's the one our boss often looks to for advice.  Mr. Steve's father is getting older but is still at times very tough.  As that old saying goes; "Once a Marine, always a Marine." 

       I guess during the 1930's Great Depression Joe Kennedy Sr. was Ambassador to England. But he and President Franklin Roosevelt didn't like each other that much Mr. Steve says.  One reason was because Joe Kennedy was one of those Isolationists like Charles Lindbergh.

      in 1932, the year Mr. Steve's father was born, Charles Lindbergh and his wife had a baby kidnapped.  Lindbergh's baby was stolen and "held for ransom" as they say.  

      Mr. Steve thinks that when people are really poor they do things and take chances they never would would have.  During the Great Depression kidnapping started happening more and more.  The man who stole Charles Lindbergh's baby boy was eventually caught.

      man who kidnapped the Lindbergh baby got his money but then killed the baby anyway.  After that Lindbergh and his wife decided they didn't like it here so moved their family over to Europe.  

    I'll bet Mr. Steve is in his office working on that lady from Quebec's frame.  She told our boss that, with her husband and three children, they moved from Canada to the state of Maine; where our boss has customers.  Then a few years later they came here to California.

      That lady said her family still goes back east to visit their family in Quebec but now feel like "assimilated" Americans. One thing that makes that lady from Canada feel American is that her husband was in the U.S. Army.  

      Another thing that made that lady feel American was when her teenage daughter represented the United States in ice skating competitions over in Japan.  I've never seen anyone ice skate but Dais has.  She says it's amazing.  I wonder if a Dog could learn to ice skate?  

      I told Daisy about trying to make money being the first professional Dog skater.  I really do think others would pay to see a good Dog skate.  But Daisy says we'd have to pay to have special custom skates made and besides; we have no ice to practice on anyway.  

     On that Canadian ladies frame, to the left of the Fleur de Lis is a Canadian "Maple Leaf" flag  and on the other side an American flag.  Under the American flag  is California's "Bear" flag and to the side of that the city of Los Angeles official seal. 

     On the left side of the Fleur de Lis shield, below the Canadian flag, is a gold Maple Leaf image.  Below this are logos of the three Ice Hockey teams her family likes.  Growing up in Quebec this lady is still as much a Montreal Canadians fan as we are Oakland A's fans.

         

                                                                                      

        

     On that lady's frame the Montreal Canadians logo is in the center.  On each side are smaller logos of the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks; her kids favorite teams. Mr. Steve puts logos  that he says are "appropriate" to that particular person's life.  

      One time he had to find a logo for that Mexican soccer team Guadalajara called the "Goats." That was the team our worker Mr. Esteban liked.  Just "for the heck of it" as they say, I used my Spanish Dictionary to look up the word "Deportes" which is "Sports" in English.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

                                                             MARCEL DIONNE (1985)

PHOTO BY STEVE CÓRDOVA

     When Mr. Steve worked for the Kings Hockey team in the 1980's he took pictures of a really nice man named Marcel Dionne who played for the Kings then.  Like that lady, Marcel Dionne was also from Quebec.  

      Marcel Dionne was one of the best French Canadian Hockey players in history.  He was one of the highest scoring players ever when he retired.  But he played for a lot of really weak teams so never got the full credit he deserved our boss thinks.    

     In the 1980's National Hockey League teams wore their lighter colored uniform at home.  The Kings usually wore their gold uniforms for home games.  But at the end of the 1984-85 season the Kings and Vancouver Canucks agreed to reverse this for one game.  

     On that night the Kings wore their purple "away" uniforms at home; while the Canucks wore their yellow "home" uniforms.  My boss gave that lady from Canada a picture he took of Marcel Dionne from that game.  He actually took a few pictures of Marcel Dionne that night. 

                         MARCEL DIONNE                                               BERNIE NICHOLS

PHOTOS BY STEVE CÓRDOVA

 

      Mr. Steve told that lady Marcel Dionne was a very friendly person.  After the game he even stopped and posed for our boss.  So did this guy named Bernie Nichols.  During the 1980's and early 1990's our Chief met some professional athletes.  

      In his subjective opinion Mr. Steve says, even though most athletes are nice people, it seemed to him that Hockey players were the friendliest; even this man named "Tiger" Williams who at times looked really mean.  Daisy says he was what they call the team "enforcer."

                                    

                                                                "TIGER" WILLIAMS

      In Hockey if you break a rule like tripping an opponent or "slashing" at him with your stick, you get what they call a "penalty" and then have to sit in this thing called a "penalty box" while your team plays "short-handed" for two minutes.  You get five minutes for fighting.

    Tiger Williams, even thought he set the record for career "penalty minutes," was also a good scorer over a fourteen year career.  From 1984 through 1988 he played for the Kings but they weren't good teams.

      Mr. Steve says Tiger Williams was very friendly even though he looked sort of mean.  He sure was a good fighter; which is hard to do on skates.  He later wrote a cookbook and this Punk band from Canada called the Hansen Brothers "lobbied" to get him into the Hall of Fame.

      Whenever Mr. Steve makes a Frame he makes everything look "just right" as they say.  After the logos representing a person's life are in place then the sheet is put in a glass frame. That lady from Quebec picked red to match the Canadian flag but almost picked "royal" blue. 

          Last Summer Mr. Steve drove west on the main Highway toward the town of Pearblossom. He stopped and took some pictures of the open southern desert and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond.  

      Our Chief will probably finish that ladies Frame today.  It's Saturday so he usually doesn't make phone calls to his customers.  But sometimes he does because many Parts and Service do have to work on Saturday.  I hear the faint sound of two Wrens singing to each other.

      Mr. Steve's job used to be a lot better Dais says.  Many Car dealerships have been "slow" for a few years so it makes Mr. Steve's job harder.  And, as I mentioned yesterday, with gas more expensive people don't have as much pocket money.  

      Since about 2008 Mr. Steve has lost a lot of customers.  And so has those two girls Susan and Babette.  That's why Mr. Steve tries to make some extra money doing artwork like his Frames and plastic Cards.  Daisy thinks that's what he'll be doing today.  

       Oh!  I see a little blue Dragonfly going bye.  I didn't even hear it coming.  It's small so must be a baby Dragonfly.  I see a few Flies in front of Jack the big Shed and hear some of the Ducks quacking next door.  Hey!  That little Dragonfly landed on the Coffee Table. 

                        

 

         That little Dragonfly walked over to the edge of the Coffee Table and seems to be looking at me.  That's weird.  Dragonflies usually don't get this close.  I see that little Dragonfly's big eyes.  I'll stay perfectly still so it will stay here and I can study it. 

      I wonder if Dragonflies notice things like Roosters not crowing in the morning.  Ah! I just now thought of something.  Is that you Heathcliff in a new form?  Wow!  Dais and I talked about reincarnation just this very morning.  I wish Daisy were here to see this too.

      Dais says at times she feels as though she has some empathy for Bugs.  Maybe she was a Bug at some point in the past?  Maybe I was a Bug too because there are times when I think I could  be a good Insect and find enough food and avoid being eaten by something else too. 

         Dragonfly's have such big eyes.  Daisy told me one time in his Bedroom our Chief played her and Millie a song called "Big Eyes" by an American band called CHEAP TRICK.  She says that song starts out slow and gradually builds up.  

           

                                                                                                      CHEAP TRICK

 

       Daisy said she and Millie looked at the cover of a CHEAP TRICK album while they listened as Mr. Steve played drums along to it.  That album is called "Live in Budokan" and is a concert.  I guess Budokan is a place over there in Japan.  

       According to what Daisy told me, that band CHEAP TRICK has two guys who have short hair and two with long hair.  She thinks they have catchy songs and all four of them are talented but she likes the guy who wears a Baseball hat.  He's so handsome she says.

      Another reason Mr. Steve likes CHEAP TRICK is because they covered two of the MOVE'S songs.  One was that song about the new dance called the Brontosaurus and the other one was called "California Man."  Daisy told me Millie sort of liked CHEAP TRICK. 

      Sometimes our Chief plays along to Live at Budokan Daisy told me.  But one thing Daisy says Millie didn't like was all of the screaming by girls in the audience; especially at the beginning of the concert.  

      Sometimes when Mr. Steve plays drums along to music Dais says; he wears these old German Sennheiser "Headphones."  He bought them all the way back in the 1970's I guess.  Daisy told me our boss has a few different headphones but likes the Sennheisers the best.

      When Mr. Steve plays along to Live at Budokan he has to hold the headphones away from his ears at the beginning of the concert.  Dais says this is because the sound of the girls screaming is so loud it hurts his ears.  But then he puts back on as the drums introduce the song.     

      Daisy says one reason why our boss likes to play along to CHEAP TRICK'S Live at Budokan album is because it has a good pace to it.  It has some fast-paced songs but also these other songs where a drummer can rest a little bit and catch a Second Wind. 

     one thing about the young Japanese.  They will like anything American so when a band brags about how great they did playing over in Japan some people kind of smirk.  Daisy says our boss recently saw a concert video of JUDAS PRIEST at Bukokan.

      Looking out into our back half acre behind our Sheds and seeing all the beautiful green and yellow makes me think of the Oakland A's.  Green is now not only our boss's favorite color but  mine too.  I just like how green looks!  Daisy prefers blue but likes green too.

       A while back our Chief read a good magazine article about that man Charles O. Finley who owned the Oakland A's.  He was disliked by other owners but a lot of his ideas that were made fun of then are normal now.   Charles Finley was "ahead of his time" as they say.

                                                                                                            CHARLES O. FINLEY

     

        I just loked up the word "Empresario."  That's because my boss used that word to describe  Charles Finley.  He read it in a magazine article.  According to my English Dictionary it means; "the manager."  Someday I'll be manager.  But right now Daisy is!     

      Not only did Charles Finley go against tradition by putting the A's in white shoes and their colorful uniforms our boss says, he also was the person who first proposed night Baseball games during the World Series and what they call the "Designated Hitter." 

      Mr. Steve for a time had a customer in Main who knew a lot about the history of Ireland. He was a Service Manager and his last name was Finley too.  He and Mr. Steve had nice talks on the phone about Charles Finley and other things like that.  

      That Service Manager knew a lot about Saint Patrick; the patron of saint of Ireland.  He did not know who Charles Finley was so Mr. Steve told him.  Then he and his teenage son went out and read about Charles Finley.  

     Parts Manager's son later thought someone should make a movie about Charles Finley; and that other guy Bill Veeck too.   After Charles Finley bought the A's in 1960 he changed their color scheme.  He made green the new primary color.      

Irish he changed the A's primary color over to  green and

      during Spring Training the A's  celebrated March 17th; "Saint Patrick's Day;" the day Saint Patrick may have died. 

     

                                                           SAINT PATRICK  (347 A.D.-?)

  

       Many details of Saint Patrick's life are unknown our boss says.  He lived in the 5th century A.D. and may have died on March 17th.  Mr. Steve "associates" Saint Patrick's Day with his sister Susan's March 16th birthday; the day after Julius Caesar's Ides of March.

     Saint Patrick in part converted Celts to Christianity by using a shamrock leaf with it's three sections.  This is probably because he knew many pagans considered 3 a "sacred" number; representing  life, death and eternal life. 

       

      Our boss says Celtic Druid Priests taught about the "Triple Goddesses" of Brigid, Ériu and Morrigan; who was the war Goddess.  Lately Daisy has been telling me about when our Chief used to tell her and Millie about Amazons or the Viking Valkyries.  

      Daisy has also been telling me about this great tv show with a girl called "Xena."  She's what they call a "warrior Princess" and her best friend is named Gabrielle.  Xena used to be bad but now uses her amazing fighting abilities to help the poor for the "greater good."  

 

                                                                                 

       Xena is like a female Hercules Daisy says.  She uses this blade that comes back just like one of those boomerangs.  Her friend Gabrielle starts out inexperienced but learns to be a "Bard" or poet.  Daisy says Gabrielle met Homer before he was famous; and fights with a staff.  

       Mr. Steve once met a girl who was a big Xena fan.  Daisy says she once invited him to go with her to a Xena convention in Pasadena.  But he had a wedding to photograph on that day or he would've gone with her.  Now she goes every year with her husband and three kids.

      Over the years Mr. Steve has been invited to events where people "Dress Up."  He'll go but is not interested in dressing up in what's called "Period Garb."  He prefers just to watch people in costumes.  I guess a few times he's lent things to people for their costumes though.  

       I mentioned the ancient Greek female Amazon warriors back in book one.  And I was going to write about Xena and Gabrielle then.  But Daisy said to put it here in my third book instead.  The day before yesterday I also mentioned those two Amazon Queen sisters.

                       PENTHESILEA                                                       HIPPOLYTE                                 

 

       In book one and two I mentioned how Mr. Steve nicknamed Daisy and I after the Amazon sister Queens Hippolyte and Penthesilea.  Hippolyte fought that guy Hercules because he wanted her precious belt.  And Penthesilea battled Achilles outside the walls of Troy.

      Hey Blessed Mother!  As you know, if I could go back in time using Mr. Peabody's Way Back Machine I'd like to see a real Amazon fight.  That would be so great!  But Mr. Steve says there probably wasn't really a tribe of girls like the Greeks described.  

      Mr. Steve once met a man who knew about Archaeology.  He believed the stories of Amazons in ancient Greece were based on the fact that, as the Greeks moved away from Greece, they met cultures like the "Scythians" where females fought alongside the males.

     That man told our Chief in places like the Ukraine, South Asia and Central Asia Scythian graves have been discovered where females were buried with weapons.  Not only that he says, they had combat wounds on their bodies just like the men.  

 

                                                      SCYTHIAN WOMAN WARRIOR

PAINTING BY KEVIN MCDOWELL

  

      Mr. Steve says some people study bones.  That man said some of the female skeletons in those grave mounds had bones that indicated a hard life of riding on Horses; just like Attila's Huns or Genghis Khan's Mongols.  And their hands had obviously been used to shoot a bow.

      The biggest reason why females would have to fight alongside the males is necessity.  That's what that man told Mr. Steve.  Scythians lived difficult lives in a harsh land.  They were forever on the move or fighting off other hostile groups.  

      For the ancient Scythians to survive everyone had to "Pitch In" so to speak.  From what that man told our boss, the Scythians used the Horse and bow in the same way the Huns and Mongols did later.  Females can be just as agile on a Horse.  Look at Mr. Steve's sister Susan.        

   

                                                                                        ANCIENT GREEK WOMAN

                        

(Chapter 6)

12:30

      No matter what I do I still keep thinking about Heathcliff.  Dais said it would be a challenge to write today and she was so right.  But I also remember what Sister Rita Joseph said; "There are times when overcoming challenges is what what makes life meaningful."

      So You Guys, I'll just have to try harder not to think so much about how Heathcliff is gone.   Instead I'll just focus on finishing this third book.  That will be a real challenge that's for sure.  But I'll do it in memory of Heathcliff and all of those who have died in Mr. Steve's life.  

        Well, according to my outline I still have one more thing to write about Saint Patrick.  It's probably a myth he got rid of the Snakes in Ireland because there are no Snakes in Ireland our Chief says.  But there is a big legless Lizard that sort of looks like a Worm! 

      Mr. Steve one time read that some people think Snakes in the story about Saint Patrick and the Snakes might be symbolic of Druid Priests because sometimes they were "represented" by a Snake.  

        The Major League Baseball teams are all in Spring Training right now.  The A's usually have good teams even though it's hard to compete financially with teams like the Dodgers or Yankees.  But they have a good General Manager our boss told us.  

      Both Daisy and myself would like to go back in time to see the Oakland A's play during the early 1970's.  Mr. Steve says he now looks back on that time as the "Good old Days" as far as his interest in the A's.  He told us he now appreciates that man Charles Finley more.

           

         

     some of Charles Finley's ideas were never "adopted;" like using orange baseballs.  But some of his "Innovations" are now "taken for granted" as I wrote about in book two yesterday.  Charles Finley was a "Showman" or "Maverick" in the 1960's and 1970's.

      Something I sure wish I could've seen is that mechanical Rabbit who used to come out of the ground near home plate to give the umpires new balls at the A's home games. What an ingenious idea!  If I could go back in time I'd definitely go back to see that!

                                                                                   

 

    when the A's were in Kansas City, Charles Finley used to have some Sheep grazing beyond the right field wall.  Boy I'd like to see that too.  I'd like to have a Sheep but Daisy told me it wouldn't be practical.  But we could sell the wool!   

      That man Charles Finley sure sounds like an interesting person Daisy thinks.  I think so too.   Our Chief told us he was the first Baseball owner who hired pretty girls to get and then throw back all the foul balls after they were "hit down the line."  

             

  

      Mr. Steve says one of those  "Ball girls" that Charles Finley hired as a teenager later started   "Mrs. Fields Cookies."  And one of the A's "Batboys" during the 1970's later became this famous "Rap" singer named M.C. Hammer.  Daisy likes his song called "Can't Stop This."

      When our Chief first heard that M.C. Hammer song Can't Stop This he thought it sounded "vaguely familiar."  Then he thinks it was his girlfriend Harriet who told him M.C. Hammer was using the melody from an earlier song called "Super Freak" by this guy Rick James.

                            

                                                       M.C. HAMMER ON FAR RIGHT

  

        During the 1970's when that guy M.C. Hammer was a Batboy for the A's their home stadium was called the "Oakland Alameda County Coliseum."  Mr. Steve told Daisy and me that about ten years later, in the 1980's, is when he had a hit song with Can't Touch This.

     in the 1960's this guy named Rick James was in a Canadian band with Neil Young.  But Rick James was originally from the city of Buffalo in "Up-State" New York.  Mr. Steve has an Auto Dealership customer near to Buffalo. 

         

                                                         NEIL YOUNG / RICK JAMES

    Rick James lived here in Southern California until his death in 2004.  In the 1990's he took too many drugs so went to jail.  Mr. Steve told Daisy and me that his trial was held in the San Fernando Court House near Sylmar.                                                                                                                 

    Rick James was a mentor to this girl singer named Teena Marie.  She was one of Mr. Steve's ex-girlfriend Harriet's favorite singers.  Dais says our Chief used to tell Harriet she should write a book about Teena Marie; who died in 2010.                                                           

 

                                                       TEENA MARIE / RICK JAMES

 

     Our Chief says he read that Teena Marie lived all over Los Angeles.  She died while living in Pasadena but had lived in other places like Venice and Inglewood; which is where the Forum is located.  But she grew up in Mission Hills right near the San Fernando Mission.

      Teena Marie died in 2010 and people like Stevie Wonder went to her funeral.  Even though she was white Teena Marie appeared on that show Soul Train many times.  Like Mr. Steve, she was a Catholic and it was Nuns who taught her to play the piano.

      Our boss read that Teena Marie was in a Beverly Hillbillies episode.  She made fourteen Soul, Funk and Rhythm and Blues albums and was Godmother to Marvin Gaye's daughter.  She also "took in" this guitar player named Lenny Kravitz when he needed help. 

      Oakland A's stadium where M.C. Hammer worked is actually a Football stadium built for the Oakland Raiders.  In the 1980's they were the Los Angeles Raiders and our boss took pictures of them.  But now they moved back to Oakland.

          

OAKLAND ALAMEDA COUNTY COLISEUM

  

    because the Oakland Coliseum was built for Football the "Foul Areas" are much bigger than most other Baseball stadiums.  This has been both good and bad he says. Over the years it has won and lost the A's some games.  n the A's were still in Kansas City, he paid the BEATLES $150,000 dollars to play one concert at his Baseball Stadium.  Up to then this was the highest amount ever payed to a musical act. 

                                                          

      1964 was the year the BEATLES first came over here to America.  By then they had a few hit songs on the Radio.  When their Plane arrived in New York City they were met by screaming and "hysterical" fans; mainly girls.  

       I was supposed to write more about the BEATLES yesterday but Dais and I decided to put them here in book three instead.  Mr. Steve thinks, just as Muhammad Ali was more that just a Boxer, the BEATLES were more than simply entertainers.  

 

    in 1964 one of the most popular tv shows was the "Ed Sullivan Show."  It was kind of like that Lawrence Welk Show.  But it was filmed in New York City.  The BEATLES made a now famous appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

      In New York City the BEATLES did a concert at "Shea Stadium;" where this Baseball team the "Mets" play.  Mr. Steve's ex-girlfriend Emily's older sister went to that concert.  Emily grew up on Long Island and came to California for College.  Mets is short for "Metropolitans."   

       on that first BEATLES American tour they played a concert at the Hollywood Bowl here in Los Angeles.  Mr. Steve has been to the Hollywood Bowl a few times. 

      I guess the BEATLES toured the United States three times; 1964,1965 and 1966.  Then they quit doing concerts or "playing live."  Instead they concentrated on making music in the Studio and did some of the most important music of all time.  

      One way that the BEATLES changed the music industry forever was how they wrote their own songs.  At least that's what Mr. Steve thinks.  Until then singers just sang songs written for them by someone else.  You make more money if you write your own songs I guess.

      The BEATLES quit playing concerts after 1966.  And from what Mr. Steve told us one of the biggest reasons was all those screaming girls at their concerts.  Daisy and Millie saw this show on the BEATLES and told me that you couldn't even hear them playing their songs.

      Dais says one time she and Millie were in Mr. Steve's Bedroom and watched a good show on that guy Adolph Hitler.  They showed how women reacted to seeing or hearing him.  It looked just like what happened in 1964,1965 and 1966 when the BEATLES played concerts.

       Daisy says a lot of times bands or singers really don't play live on tv.  They just pretend to do their songs but it's really only a tape playing.  And Daisy told me, some bands even fake playing in their concerts too.  It's called "Lip Syncing."  

          

                                                                  MILLI VANILLI

PHOTO CREDIT TIME & LIFE PICTURES / GETTY

 

       MILLI VANILLI is the name of a band but also two singers.  In 1990, when Mr. Steve was thirty five years old I guess, those guys MILLI VANILLI won these things called "Grammy" Awards.  

     turned out that MILLI VANILLI really didn't do any of the singing on that album which had their hit songs on it.  The real singers didn't look as good as MILLI VANILLI so were kept hidden.  

      So MILLI VANILLI ended up having to give back their Grammy awards in 1990.  Returning those trophies must've been so embarrassing Mr. Steve says.  I just looked up "Photogenic" and it means; "likely to be more attractive." 

       Too bad about those guys MILLI VANILLI.  One of them is already dead now.  Mr. Steve was told he might've died from drugs.  Daisy thinks he was probably so sad he willed himself to death.  She says that happens a lot in life.  

      According to the book three outline Daisy helped me assemble, the next thing I'll write about is that one guy John Lennon of the BEATLES.  Mr. Steve has noticed how often the number 3 has effected his life.  And John Lennon noticed the same thing with the number 9.

                                           JOHN LENNON (1940-1980) WITH FAMILY

  

      Hey God!  As you know, Dais jokes that You gave me a photographic memory. But when she was helping me put together my three outlines I couldn't believe how good of a memory she has. She's the one who helped me write down the things in 9's that influenced John Lennon. 

     read a Magazine article about how the number 9 was involved in John Lennon's life.  The first house he ever lived in was his Grandfather's and the address had a few 9's in it; "#9 Newcastle" in the "Wavertree" area of "Liverpool."

  

 

      Daisy told me the Magazine article on John Lennon said he was born on October 9, in 1940.  October is the ninth month of the year.  In 1940 Germany's Blitzkrieg conquered most of Europe and then the Battle of Britain began.  I wrote about that yesterday in book two.

      Mr. Steve has sometimes wondered if World War II had any influence on the BEATLES.  He thinks it must have; seeing as how the four members of the BEATLES were British.  Oh!  Jack the Jackrabbit is now sprinting bye right in front of the three Sheds.  

       Mr. Steve's brother Rock was born in October and so was his Niece Cristina.  Mr. Steve has known a few people whose birthdays were in October.   Mr. Cliff was born in October.  As I said yesterday in book two, Grandma Trujillo was born on Halloween, or October the 30th.   

       as a teenager John Lennon's best friend was named Stu "Sutcliffe."  He wasn't really a musician he played bass guitar in John Lennon's band the QUARREYMEN; which is what the BEATLES were called then.  He's now called the "Fifth BEATLE."

                                                                  THE CRICKETS

       Stu Sutcliffe and John Lennon liked Buddy Holly's Texas band the CRICKETS.  In fact, it may have been Stu Sutcliffe who suggested they make the band name the "BEETLES."  And then later it was changed to the BEATLES. 

      some of the first consistent jobs the BEATLES were hired to do came in German Nightclubs in the city called "Hamburg."  Later John Lennon said it was where they really learned how to be a good band. 

          picture of the BEATLES playing in Germany. The caption says Paul McCartney's playing bass and the drummer is Pete Best; later replaced by "Ringo" Starr.  The amplifiers are so small!  

       This photograph from Hamburg shows Stu Sutcliffe sitting and not even playing his guitar.  Daisy says he was a painter who was in the band only because of John Lennon.  I guess he died young.  I can see George Harrison too in this really early picture of the BEATLES.  

      When that kid Jason brought his guitar over to our house so he could play with Mr. Steve he used a little amplifier called a "Pig Nose."  He bought it used at a "Pawn Shop" in Victorville. It had plenty of power Daisy told me.    

      Daisy told me that she had to get up and leave our boss's Bedroom because it was so loud in there.  She went into the Guest Bedroom and just listened in there instead.  Drums are kind of loud she says, especially the cymbals. 

 

      Jason and Mr. Steve like that movie I wrote about yesterday called Spinal Tap.  Dais says one symbol of power now with some bands is when they use big amplifiers called "Marshall Stacks" up on stage.  That band SPINAL TAP used those.  

     I just thought of something I feel like learning about; even though it's not on our outline.  Mr. Steve is interested in the subject of Marshall amplifiers.  In that one picture of the BEATLES in  Hamburg they had such tiny amplifiers.                   

     A few years ago Mr. Steve met this guy who knew about the history of the electric guitar.  So of course he had to also study amplifiers.  They talked about the movie Spinal Tap and Marshall amplifiers.                

      Steve has wondered about what it would be like to play with a guitar player who was using a Marshall Stack.  It must be unbelievably powerful.  He's been to a few Sound     Checks of bands who used Marshall's.          

   

     "Lemmy" from that British band MÖTORHEAD.  He's standing in front of a Marshall amplifier playing a "Rickenbacker" bass guitar.  Daisy says that our boss likes the "crunchy" sound those kind of bass guitar's make. 

   Like Mr. Steve, he collects military things like hats and helmets.  Mr. Steve met Lemmy once and told him his brother Rock was a "Summer      Camp Couselor" at Griffith Park years ago.  He used the nickname "Hawkwind."                        

 Hawkwind was a "Space Rock" band from the 1970's.  Lemmy was in Hawkwind before he formed his own band Hawkwind.  I'll write about Hawkwind later this afternoon.                                   

       British man named Jim Marshall "created" the Marshall Stack.  An "Electrical Engineer;" he's the "Father of Loud." I know Mr. Steve thinks he's just as important as those "pioneers" Leo Fender and Les Paul to the history of the electric guitar.                                                         

JIM MARSHALL ( 1923-2012)

       a picture of that man Jim Marshall.  He looks friendly.  I know he must've been smart.  Oh!  Jim Marshall died two years ago.  He was from England and guitar players like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page used his amplifiers I guess.                            

      Oh wow!  When he was a kid that guy Jim Marshall got really sick and almost died.  He was in Hospitals for a long time.  So when World War II broke out he couldn't help fight the Nazi's.    He became a musician instead.  At least he wasn't lazy.  Mr. Steve would like that.                          

   I'll bet Jim Marshall really wanted to fight!  But he was only sixteen and had bad health so probably couldn't have been an effective soldier anyway.  This is interesting.  It says here that      during World War II Jim Marshal "devised" a "portable amplification system."                           

      It says here that once the Second World War started in 1939, when Germany and Russia attacked Poland; there was a shortage of gas in England.  So that probably made it a lot harder to get jobs and do things like that.  I can hear Dawn over there barking next door.                          

     I guess Jim Marshall could only get a job as a singer but knew he had a weak voice.  So he built an "amplification system" to make it easier for him to be heard when playing live. 

      I wonder if Mr. Steve knows this?  It says here that during World War II Jim Marshall used a Bicycle to pull a little Wagon carrying his "primitive" amplifier to the jobs.  Then one day the   drummer didn't show up and he filled in.  He became a drummer.                

     After the Second World War ended in 1945 Jim Marshall gave drum lessons in order to make some money.  And he did so good that he saved up his money and started his own business in the western area of London.  He sold musical equipment like drums and later guitars too.                  

JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE

                   

       Wow!  It says here that guy Jim Marshall gave drum lessons to Mitch Mitchell.  He was the drummer who ended up being in Jimi Hendrix's band when Jimi Hendrix went to England.    

     by the early 1960's that man Jim Marshall had a good business going.  He knew the father of Pete Townshend; who was in that band the       WHO.  Pete Townshend asked him if he could make an "Amp" with more power.                                                                            

PETE TOWNSHEND

  

        I guess that man Jim Marshall ending up building what would evolve into the Marshall ?Stack.  And then bands kept using more and more of them to get louder and louder.  Some of the bands even piled fake Marshall Stacks on stage to make it look more powerful.

        One reason why I felt like writing about amplifiers right now is because I remember when Mr. Steve told us about that guy he met from Texas.  He told Mr. Steve that band PANTERA in the 1980's, before they became famous; stacked some "Randall" amplifiers.

       I guess that guy from Texas knew a lot about musical equipment.  He and Mr. Steve had a discussion about "Dummy" amps.  Those are the fake amplifiers which are just hollow shells that only look real from the outside.  

 

 

       Mr. Steve told us during the 1980's and 1990's a typical stage set up or "wall" would be four Marshall Stacks for each guitar.  Most of them were dummies or just empty "Props."  They were meant to give the impression of power.  

      That guy from Texas and Mr. Steve agreed that after a while the walls of Marshall amps got to be ridiculous.  You know he says, they can't all be real because it would be way too dangerous for everyone.  That much power would quickly blow your ears out permanently.

       Oh!  Mr. Steve will probably be interested in this.  It says here in my Encyclopedia that John Lennon himself realized how often the number 9 seemed to enter and then have an influence on his life.  There's even a quote he said; "It's a number that follows me around."

              

         when the BEATLES returned to England from over there in Germany; they were soon "discovered."  Their new Manager changed their image and began to "promoting" them.  That means getting more attention Dais told me.

      Pretty soon the BEATLES went from wearing dirty leather jackets to "matching" suits with no collars.  They even wore BEATLE boot shoes that influenced everyone Mr. Steve told us.  He and some of his friends convinced their parents to get them BEATLE boots.

 

THE KINKS

.y dressed better and so did the other bands like the KINKS and 

       John Lennon wrote a few songs that used the number 9 in the titles.  That's what it says here in this Encyclopedia.  One of the earliest ones he wrote was called "One After 909" which could even have been written way back in the late 1950's.  

      This is interesting.  That song One After 909 was not "released" until 1970.  And I guess the main reason was because John Lennon did not like the original recorded version from the early 1960's.  

      The BEATLES, who quit playing live in 1966, did a final concert up on roof. 

      He I guess he wrote a song called "9Dream."

     

 read recently in a magazine article that the last words John Lennon said were; "Yes, I am."  This was because a New York City police officer asked him if he was John Lennon right; after he arrived on the scene when John Lennon was shot.

        

      I wonder if that Cow Bird is too young to realize that Heathcliff the Rooster is now gone?  I'll bet it doesn't.  But we sure do.  I wonder what it's going to be like tomorrow morning?  I don't even want to think about it.  Oh well.  As our Chief says; "life goes on."

     t the green in our often brown desert makes me think of the Oakland A's.  Daisy and I hope someday to wear one of Mr. Steve's many A's hats. 

      In 1968, when he was thirteen years old, Mr. Steve asked his parents for white "cleats" for Christmas.  This of course was because the Oakland Athletics were wearing white shoes which made them totally unique.  Our boss just loved the way white shoes looked!

     Mr. Steve's mom looked "high and low" for white Baseball shoes but there was only black.  It was like when a lady asked  Henry Ford if she could get a "Model T" car in her favorite color.  He said to her; "Of course you can, as long as your favorite color is black."

     In 1968 our Chief's mother finally found some white Soccer shoes and gave them to Mr. Steve for Christmas.  He was so happy and couldn't wait for the next Baseball season; even though his team wore red and not green.  He "overly polished" those shoes he told us.

     When my boss thinks about wearing white shoes he chuckles.  He says he was a victim of that old Japanese saying; "The nail that sticks up gets pounded down." Just because he was the only player in white cleats some called him bad names and pitchers threw at him.

     Our Chief can play any position but for the 1969 season he played "first base" because he was the best player on the team at catching what they call "short hops."  One time, because he was wearing white shoes, another kid spiked him on purpose.  A big fight broke out.

     Mr. Steve was cut on the side of his right calf.  It was a big cut and bled a lot.  Mr. Steve, as a First Baseman, was "holding on the baserunner" who had "made it to first."   The Pitcher threw over to first base to "keep the runner close" after he took his "lead."  

     As Mr. Steve caught the "pickoff" throw and tried to "tag" the runner he felt some pain as that kid's spikes tore downward on his leg.  Mr. Steve punched the kid in the cheek and that kid swung back but missed.  Both benches emptied and a "Brawl" broke out.

     For years Mr. Steve had a noticeable scar on his shin; and all because he wore white Baseball shoes.  Now teams wears colored shoes; the Dodgers royal blue and the Angels red.  But not back then in 1969.  It literally was black or white he jokes. 

      Sometime back in the mid-1980's our Chief was at the Forum for an event and met this one Football player named Joe Namath.  They were in a restaurant called the "Forum Club."  Joe Namath was a Quarterback and was the first Football player to wear white shoes.

 

                                                                      JOE NAMATH

 

      When Mr. Steve told Joe Namath about wearing white shoes he chuckled and said;  "I know how you feel.  At that time wearing anything other than black shoes was like having a Bull's eye on your back."  

      Joe Namath is originally from the state of Pennsylvania.  Mr. Steve's friend Rick's family came to California from Pittsburgh which is about thirty miles to the southeast of this town called "Beaver Falls;" where Joe Namath grew up.

      Our boss has a number of Auto Dealerships as customers in Pennsylvania.  One of them sells Ford cars and is in Beaver Falls.  Looking at this map of Pennsylvania here in this Encyclopedia it looks like a big State.  

     I just thought of something I feel like writing about even though it isn't on my outline; the  history of what's called the "Forward Pass" in Football.  Writing about Joe Namath, who was a great passer, makes me recall that Mr. Steve told us about a documentary he saw.

 

   in the late 19th century Football was more like that other sport called "Rugby."  It was just blocking and running.  But it was so dangerous that people at times died.  So right at the turn of the 20th century many people wanted to "Ban" Football.

      history of the forward pass, it was President Teddy Roosevelt who helped save Football.  He liked Football because it was very violent.  He thought violence was good for building character in a boy.  

   

                                                 PRESIDENT TEDDY ROOSEVELT

     President Roosevelt wanted to save Football so he suggested to the people in charge of Football that allowing the forward pass and changing some who other rules would make it less dangerous.  But those people didn't really want to do it.

     Reluctantly, the forward pass was allowed but back then the ball was so big and round it was hard to throw.  In the first decade of the 20th century the pass was was hardly ever used.  

     in 1913 Notre Dame used the pass to surprise and beat the Army team in a College game.  And it was this guy named Knute Rockne, who was later their Coach, who was the "Receiver" and caught those forward passes.

                                                                                  KNUTE ROCKNE

                  

        pictures of Knute Rockne in this Encyclopedia.  The caption says that after he stopped being a player, Knute Rockne helped design better Football uniforms and equipment.  

     In the picture of Knute Rockne as a player he's wearing a tiny helmet and he doesn't have any shoulder pads on either.  And of course back in those days no one wore face masks.  No wonder so many of the players got badly injured.  

     at Notre Dame Knute Rockne was a "pioneer" in figuring out ways to "incorporate" the forward pass in a Football offense.  Hey Blessed Mother! My French Dictionary says that Notre Dame means "Our Lady."  

                      

       According to my outline I still have things to say about the Oakland A's.  In the 1970's they were one of the best teams in Baseball our Chief says.  But then this thing called "Free Agency" came in and many of the A's  best players left the A's so they could go make more money. 

     Mr. Steve told us, unfortunately for the A's, the city of Oakland is considered what they call a "small market."  This is true even though San Francisco is right across this Bay.  So it's hard to attract good players now because they can get paid more in bigger cities.

       Until the late 1960's the owners of the Major League Baseball teams controlled the players by using what Mr. Steve called "Reserve Clauses" in their contracts.  In effect, this meant that they owned the players for life if they wanted to.  It was not fair.  

      In 1969 this one Baseball player named Curt Flood challenged the system by refusing to be traded from Saint Louis to Philadelphia.  But he lost his case up at the Supreme Court and then his life went way down after that.  He ended up going "bankrupt" and lost everything.

 

CURT FLOOD (1938-1997)

 

         looked up the term "Stare Decisis" in one of Mr.s Steve's legal books next to the pile of Encyclopedia's.   That means "To stand by things previously decided" in Latin.  That's what the Supreme Court used as their reason to rule against Curt Flood.  

     Curt Flood was one of the best players for over a decade but his life was kind of ruined after that.  And the sad part was that none of the other Baseball players tried to help Curt Flood.  Only Jackie Robinson "testified on his behalf" as they say.

        When Curt Flood sued the Major Leagues not a single other player was willing to "publicly" support him.  But even though he lost Curt Flood was the "martyr" who started the ball rolling toward the more "equitable" system now being used.  

     During the 1978 season Curt Flood was a "color analyst" on Radio for the Oakland A's.  He died in 1995 and Mr. Steve read he's buried in Inglewood, near the Forum.  In his later years he painted a "portrait" of Joe DiMaggio which sold for ten thousand dollars! 

      After Curt Flood started the process of "breaking the chains" other players came to agree with him.  Other players sued Baseball too.  And in the late 1970's the Oakland Athletics paid the highest price.  One A's pitcher who left Oakland was Jim "Catfish" Hunter. 

   

                                                                       JIM "CATFISH" HUNTER (1946-1999)

 

      "Catfish" Hunter was one of the first players to "play out his option" and leave for a better deal.  He pitched for the A's in Kansas City and for Oakland once threw a "perfect game." That means he "faced" twenty seven batters over nine "innings" and got them all out.

      Mr. Steve watched and studied how Jim Hunter pitched over the years.  He was not at all overwhelming but moved the ball up and down and inside and outside.  He changed speeds on his pitches and was just a smart pitcher who "played Chess" with the batters.

      Because our boss at one time in his early twenties used to umpire in order to make money he watches Umpires closer than most people.  So he noticed how that guy Jim Hunter had such good control of his pitches that it even effected how the Umpires "called" his games.

      What they call "Home Plate" is seventeen inches wide Mr. Steve says.  And he saw on many occasions how, by the end of the game, Jim Hunter seemed to be pitching to a Home Plate that was twenty inches across.  The Umpires were giving him the "benefit of the doubt."    

    But once the new system came in the mid-1970's the Yankees offered Jim Hunter a lot more money than Charles Finley could ever have paid him to stay in Oakland.  And over the next few years most of the A's good players also left for more money.  Too bad our boss says.

      Babe Ruth, because he made the fans come back after the "infamous" 1919 "Black Sox" gambling scandal, and then Jackie Robinson for "integrating" Baseball, are the two most important players in the history of the Major Leagues.  

     most important "non-player" in the history of professional Baseball is this one man named Marvin Miller.  He's the one who "organized" the players into what they call a "Union" so they wouldn't be controlled and dominated by the League's owners.

  

                                                       MARVIN MILLER (1917-2012)

 

         Mr. Steve thinks that the high paid modern professional Baseball players should be grateful for Marvin Miller.  But he suspects that many if not most of them don't even know who Marvin Miller was.  

        Marvin Miller was from New York City and was a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Before working for the Major League players he'd "organized" Unions for the steel workers and also auto workers like Mr. Steve's brother Rock.

      when that guy Marvin Miller began working for the Major League Baseball players in 1966 the "average" salary was about $19,000 a year.  When he left in 1982 it had risen to about $320,000.  And now it's in the millions our boss one time told us.

       Of course he's "biased" Mr. Steve admits but, in his subjective opinion the Oakland Athletics of the early 1970 's were one of the best teams ever "fielded."  He thinks that they had an almost perfect "collective lineup" in the nine batters they sent up to the plate.

      There's an old saying; "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts."  Our Chief told us he thinks that would apply to the 1970's Oakland A's.  As a unit they were one of the best in history but each on their own on other teams didn't do as good; except Reggie Jackson that is.

     

  

      Bert Campaneris was a good leadoff hitter who could "bunt" and had a "good eye" to get "walks" and get on base.  Joe Rudi could then "move him over" so Sal Bando, Reggie Jackson or Gene Tenace could "drive him in."  The second half of their lineup was good too.

      Mr. Steve says in 1975 Bob Dylan wrote a song called "Catfish" about Jim Hunter; who died in 1999 of A.L.S. or Lou Gehrig's disease.   After Jim Hunter "Broke the Ice" other players from small markets "Followed Suit" and left for more money. 

     Unfortunately for Oakland A's fans like Mr. Steve, "Free Agency" hurt them the most.  They lost more good players than any other team.  A lot of the A's players were being underpaid by Charles Finley.  Too bad Mr. Steve says.  They could've had a longer dynasty.

     I wrote a lot about that guy Muhammad Ali yesterday in the afternoon.  I intended to do that here in book three.  But I still want to write a little bit about him here too.  Mr. Steve believes it was also Muhammad Ali who helped professional athletes to make more money.

      thinks Muhammad Ali, from a "Sociological" point  of view, was important.  Mr. Steve has read Newspapers since he was about fourteen.  So he notices when sports, race, politics, religion and foreign policy merge.  It's sort of rare he says. 

     Hey God!  Last night in discussing today with Dais You know I thought I might've written too much about Muhammad Ali yesterday.  But now, in looking at my outline for book three I notice that I still have a few things I can write about that haven't been crossed off. 

     In Mr. Steve's subjective opinion Muhammad Ali "Paved the Way" but "Paid the Price" for for the possibly overpaid athletes of today.  Sometimes he wonders if they appreciate what he did so they could make what they make.  There are times when he thinks they don't. 

    for most of the 20th century professional athletes were almost like Slaves.  But Muhammad Ali "redefined" things he told us.  And now, ironically, the athlete is making so much money they're part of the very system that at one time owned them.

      When Muhammad Ali refused to go into the military, even though people like Jim Brown did support him, some black athletes like Jackie Robinson didn't.  Jesse Owens and Joe Louis went into the army; as did Elvis and Baseball players like Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio too.

 

                                  ATHLETES SUPPORT MUHAMMAD ALI (1967)

PHOTO BY TONY TOMSIC

       There's a good picture in this Encyclopedia that shows a "Press Conference" just like the ones Mr. Steve has been to.  According to the caption Muhammad Ali is "surrounded" by other athletes who "supported his decision to refuse induction into the military."

     Muhammad Ali's Press Conference.  It shows the Football palyer Jim Brown to Ali's left.  And on the other side of him the Basketball player Bill Russel is seated.  Mr. Steve once shook Bill Russel's hand.

      in the back row of this photograph a guy name Willie Davis is standing.  He was a Football player back then.  He's the third person from the right.  In 1984 Mr. Steve met him a few times at the Olympic Headquarters in Westwood; near the U.C.L.A. campus.

      Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is sitting in the front row at the Press Conference.  In the 1980's when Mr. Steve and his friend Mr. Mark worked for the Lakers he was one of their best players.  Mr. Steve took pictures of him a few times back then in the 1980's.  

                              

                                                             KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR  

                                                                                      

    Mr. Steve told Daisy and I that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who grew up in New York City, was like Muhammad Ali in wanting to change his name.  When he came out here to California so he could play Basketball for U.C.L.A his name was Lew Alcindor.                 

      Muhammad Ali inspired other athletes to become "Activists" in other areas of society.  And Mr. Steve thinks once they acquired power in areas like religion or politics those athletes turned their attention to the real power in American culture, money.  

      After the time of Muhammad Ali other professional athletes, black and white, became more confident and began to give their opinions on things.  And they also eventually started to want more money for themselves and their families.  

     In Baseball guys like Curt Flood really lost out at first.  But, because of them todays athletes are paid well; maybe too well Mr. Steve jokes.  And now the players at times seem to almost have too much power too.  The "Tables have been turned" as that old saying goes.

     Mr. Steve thinks an ironic thing about today's modern professional athlete is that now most of them will never "Speak truth to power" as they say.  Because they make as much money as they do they've become part of the very establishment that was once their adversary.

                                       

                                                             MICHAEL JORDON

                                                                     PHOTO BY JEFF HAYNES

 

       One of the best Basketball players in history was named Michael Jordon.  Daisy says he was able to jump so high up into the air.  He's from North Carolina but played for the Chicago Bulls as a professional.  Mr. Steve used to sell apparel to one of Auto Dealerships.

     Because the professional athletes are making so much money you will hardly ever hear them say anything controversial Mr. Steve says.  And you will rarely see them do something which is unpopular.  Michael Jordon is now one of the richest people in the whole world.

     I remember when I ran back here to the Patio that one time; to write down that one quote by Michael Jordon.  When asked why he didn't support a Liberal North Carolina politician against a Conservative he said; "Republicans wear sneakers too."  Michael Jordon sells shoes. 

     Mr. Steve says Michael Jordon is not just a "Millionaire."  He's a "Billionaire."  One Billion is one thousand millions Mr. Steve told us.  Our Chief has wondered if Michael Jordon would give up three years like Muhammad Ali did for "a matter of conscience."  

     Wow!  It turns out that even though I wrote so much about him yesterday afternoon; I still wrote a lot about Muhammad Ali today too.  That's mainly because I know Mr. Steve thinks he's important.  Daisy completely agrees with me on that.  Well, back to my outline.

      I can see that I still have a few things to write about that guy Charles Finley; who owned the Oakland A's.  For a while Charles Finley also owned this one Hockey team called the Oakland "Seals."  I'm going to write about them now.  I hear the neighbors Ducks. 

     for many years the National Hockey League had only six teams or "Franchises;" the Montreal "Canadians," New York "Rangers," Boston "Bruins," Toronto "Maple Leafs," Detroit "Red Wings" and Chicago "Black Hawks."

     Mr. Steve drew the logos of all the first six Hockey teams when he was a kid.  He thinks the Detroit Red Wings emblem was the most difficult but he did it.  In 1968 the N.H.L. "expanded." Mr. Steve was thirteen.  A lot of things happened in 1968.  

     Two of the new teams that came into the N.H.L. in 1968 were the Los Angeles "Kings" and the Oakland Seals.  The Seals original uniforms used green as the primary color with white and royal blue as the  secondary colors.  Mr. Steve drew the Kings and Seals logos too.

   

      by 1970 the Oakland Seals were about to go out of business.  So Charles Finley decided to buy them and keep from moving away from the Bay area.  And of course he did things that some traditionalists didn't like.  The Seals wore white skates!

     another thing Charles Finley did when he acquired the Seals was change their color scheme.  Like the A's, the Seals would keep green as the primary color with white and yellow as the secondary colors.  Sometimes the Seals wore green skates!  

      After Charles Finley bought the financially struggling Oakland Seals he changed their name to the "California Golden Seals."  they were not very good and didn't have many good players.  Daisy says she'd like to see a Hockey game in person.

        

       Mr. Steve has seen a lot of professional sporting events in person over the years.  He says you can see good or bad games in every sport.  But, in his subjective opinion, if you happen to see a good Hockey game that's the most exciting; especially when both Goalies are good.

   there are times when two Hockey teams are equally matched and both go up and down the Hockey Rink making good passes.  Or it could be that both teams are good at what they call "Checking."  I'd be afraid to get hit with one of those "Pucks."

     collection of rubber Hockey Pucks.  A while back he bought another one with the Anahem "Ducks" logo on it at a Garage Sale   He has some real N.H.L. Pucks.  I guess Pucks are hard even though they are made out of rubber.      

              

    She told me that in the 1970's when Charles Finley owned the Seals few players even wore helmets.  Now of course they have to wear a helmet whether they want to or not Dais says. 

      t in 1970 the only player on the Los Angeles Kings to wear a helmet was named Butch Göring.  He was short.  But Mr. Steve said his helmet was small and didn't give much protection.  Butch Göring was a good skater and passer 

                                                                JACQUES PLANTE

     As I wrote about in book one, even as late as the mid-1970's many Goalies still didn't wear a mask! three pictures of Jacques Plante.  The first two show him on the Montreal Canadians; one without a mask and the second of his very first mask.

     I'll bet the Goalie mask in Mr. Steve's Bedroom looks like the one shown in this third picture of Jacques Plante when he was on the Oilers.  That mask would give good protection.   Dais says there are now no Goalies in the N.H.L. who don't wear a mask.  

                                                    GLEN HALL / JACQUES PLANTE

     Jacques Plante says he's standing with another Goalie named Glen Hall.  They were on the Saint Louis Blues.   picture from the early 1970's.  Neither one  wearing a mask.  

     Mr. likes the uniforms of teams who use royal blue as a primary color; with white and yellow as secondary colors.  Serrano High School in Phelan uses that color scheme.  Of course, he also like green, yellow and white too because of the Oakland A's.

     Chief has drawn the Saint Louis Blues musical note logo so many times he can do it from memory.  The same is true with the logo of the Football Atlanta "Falcons."  

    Jacques Plante and Glen Hall they're wearing leg pads made out brown leather.  The gloves are the same.  Nowadays Mr. Steve says, Goalie pads and gloves are "color-coordinated" with the colors of the uniforms. 

     Now,  Daisy says Hockey players use gloves, sticks and masks and everything else in the team colors.  This is an idea that Charles Finley would have liked since he encouraged the same thing. Charles Finley knew how to "market" things our Chief told Daisy and Millie. 

      Before Charles Finley owned the A's all Baseball catchers wore orange chest protectors and black and orange shin guards.  Now they wear those things in the color scheme of their teams. This is called "color-coordinated."   Mr. Steve's sister Susan is good at color-coordinating.

   

     But, sadly Mr. Steve says, the Seals were not very good.  And then, in 1971, they traded away their First Round Draft pick to the Montreal Canadians for players who ended up not doing that good.  That trade is now famous for being one of the worst trades in Hockey history.

      From what our boss says if the California Golden Seals had kept that First Round Daft pick they would have gotten this guy named Guy La Fleur.  Many years later he ended up going into the Hall of Fame.  So the Seals never became a good team while Montreal did.

           

                                                                      GUY LAFLEUR

                                                                                                                                     

     So, the Montreal Canadians got Guy LaFleur and the Seals got almost nothing.  Too bad that guy Guy LaFleur didn't go play in Oakland!   Mr. Steve jokes that if he had gone out to Oakland there would be pictures of him wearing white skates.

     I guess the Seals ended up moving to Colorado a few years after that terrible trade was made. At least that's what Mr. Steve told Daisy and Millie.  Mr. Steve said when the Seals moved out to Colorado they changed their colors to red, white and blue.  Not very imaginative.  

  

(Chapter 6)

               

 

     I love our land!  Oh!  Max and 99 are back!  It's so good to see 99!  Maybe I should run to the garage and tell Daisy.  Maybe later.  Right now I just want to keep on writing and try to keep my mind off the fact that Heathcliff is dead.  Max and 99 are eating out of the feeder again. 

       

   Rudy the Roadrunner.  He's standing on the branch of a big bush and has a Lizard in his mouth.  He'll jump down on the ground and then slam in on the ground.  That's what all Roadrunners do.  Poor Lizard.  I guess it was just too slow.  

     Rudy caught a pretty good sized Lizard.  But he can't let his grip go for even a second or that Lizard might get away.  Yup!  Rudy just floated down to the ground and is now standing just to the side of Moe.  

     Poor Lizard!  Rudy just body slammed it on the ground.  And he'll do that as many times as it takes to knock the Lizard out.  Mr. Steve says in Wrestling that's called "Pile driving"  Oh! that must hurt.  Oh! I just thought of something I forgot to write about yesterday.

     In book two I wrote about that Mexican worker named Esteban.  But I forgot to mention how he and Mr. Steve talked about a special Mexican form of Wrestling called "Lucha Libre."  That guy Mr. Esteban said Licha Libre means "Free Style;" because "anything goes" he says.

     Mr. Esteban told our boss, Lucha Libre style Wrestling started during the Great Depression of the 1930's.  To this day it's still really popular down in Mexico.  The Wrestlers are usually poor and are called "Luchadores." 

     She thinks our boss will be impressed when he sees how much I remember about what he learned from that worker Esteban.  That's going to be so great!  I can't wait to see what he says when he realizes what I've done.  

     Mr. Steve was interested to find out that many of the Lucha Libre Wrestlers today come from families who have been Luchadores for three generations.  Someday I really want to see one of those Wresting matches.  Daisy and Millie saw Wrestling on tv a few times.

      

PHOTO BY DAN GAFFNEY

 

     I'm curious to see what those masks the Mexican Wrestlers wear look like.  Dais told me that Millie liked the royal blue and silver mask this one guy wore.  She preferred the green and gold mask another Wrestler had on.  That's because she knows our boss likes the A's.

     Mr. Esteban told our boss how down in Mexico the life of a Wrestler is not as great as it seems to others.  One day you can perform in front of big crowds in Mexico City and a few days later in a small village with an audience of a few dozen.  

      Esteban told us, Mexican Wrestlers lead kind of a lonely life.  And it's not easy.  They sometimes have to wear a mask for most of the day.  Even though it's fake Wrestlers have died in freak accidents.  

     "What you get from Wrestling is a lot of injuries but a lot of love from the people.  It has to be great making children smile."  That's what Esteban told us and Mr. Steve thinks he's probably right about that.  Besides making some money; you can make others happy too.

      Mr. Esteban told us about this other newer form of Lucha Libre called "Perros del Mal."  I think that means "Bad Dogs" and I guess the Wrestlers are kind of mean.  They call them "Rudos." 
 

                Our Chief's "perfect day" is when he gets up early and makes enough money so that by mid day he can then spend the rest of the day working on his personal projects.  I kind of like doing this writing because it makes me feel as though I'm not wasting time!

          It's at times like this that I really appreciate the desert more.  As my boss says, the 3 of us are lucky to be able to lead a "less hurried" lifestyle.  We're not rich but we control our own destiny way more than most are able to do.  Thank you Everyone up there in Heaven!

 

      Centipede again! 

      Centipedes walk in such a steady and determined way.  All of those legs are so amazing the way they move like a team.  Mr. Steve jokes that the legs move like the Slaves rowing the Roman Warships in that movie Ben Hur.  They have to be what's called "coordinated."

           

      Hey!  That Centipede just stopped and is lifting up on it's back legs the way Rabbits do.  And it's sniffing the air like it did yesterday and the day before that.  I wonder if the Centipede knows I'm looking at it.  I wonder if it has good eyesight?  

       Centipedes usually sleep during the day and move around at night. He says Buddhist's joke if you like scaring others then in your next life you'll come back as a Centipede because Centipedes often run out of the dark at your feet.

      

         Sometimes Daisy and I have wondered what it would be like to live under the ground like a Gopher or Ground Swuirrel. We wouldn't need eyesight as much.  We'd have to develop claws for digging.  Mr. Steve says he could never be a coal miner.  

      Hey Lord!  Remember in 1985 when when Mr. Steve went to the Tomb where You raised that one guy Lazarus from the dead.  As I mentioned in book one, he only made it halfway down the narrowing tunnel before he felt "Claustrophobic."  He couldn't make it all the way.

      Even though some made fun of him, Mr. Steve had to get out of Lazerus' tomb.  "Logically," he knew the tunnel would not collapse; but "emotionally" he couldn't help but think about it.  So he went back up to the surface and then felt he had to make a joke out of it to his father.

      Daisy and I have wondered Lord if You ever raised a Dog from the dead?  If You do we'd be so happy if raised Lucy, Millie and that other Dog Blackie from the dead.  We'd have five Dogs to guard our two acres.  If some invaded us we could bite him from all angles.   

      Even before 1985 our boss knew he doesn't feel comfortable in "tight spaces."  He jokes that he now  empathizes with my not wanting to be "enclosed."  And in 1977, on their trip back east he says, he didn't like being near the top of the World Trade Center and looking down.  

                                            

   

      As Daisy says, Worms and Bugs sure doesn't sound appetizing to us!  But, if we were starving we'd just have to "grit our teeth" as they say.  If ever something happens to our Chief I would be the one to smell out our food even though Daisy can still smell things too.

      Well, life goes on!  Poor Heathcliff.  Dais and I wish we would've been nicer to him.  We did bark at him as if he wasn't our friend at times.  But, You know Lord that we were just trying to show that we were good guards of our property.  It was nothing personal!  

    in the late-1970's he and Mark Ritter, and their friend Doug, went to "Punk" music concerts.  Our Chief first met both Doug and Mark Ritter after graduating from Sylmar High back in 1973. 

      In September of 1973 Mr. Steve started at Valley Junior College in Van Nuys.  There he and his girlfriend Sandy met people who had gone to Van Nuys and Grant High Schools.  It was then that he got that job at Laser Images; where Mark Ritter already worked.

      One time, in 1981 he thinks, our boss and Mark Ritter saw this Punk band called BLACK FLAG play at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.  Mr. Steve says it was "pretty good" but he likes music with "melody" and many Punk bands just play high energy "sprints." 

       At some Punk concerts they have an area in front of the stage called a "Mosh Pit."  This is an area where people, mostly guys, slam into and hit each other really hard.  Mr. Steve, Doug and Mark Ritter were not interested at all in going into mosh pits he told us.

      Mr. Steve thinks in early 1981 BLACK FLAG at that point had a Puerto Rican singer; the same singer who was interviewed in this movie "Decline of Western Civilization."  Some day I want to see that movie!  

      My Chief thinks it was 1981 when they saw a good band called X play for the first time.  Both BLACK FLAG and the band X were from Los Angeles.  But my boss says people from all over come here to live.  The band X were also in that movie The Decline of Western Civilization.

BLACK FLAG

     A magazine our Chief reads is called "LA Weekly."  In every issue is a "column" by a later singer for BLCK FLAG named Henry Rollins.  Mark Ritter, our boss's friend from the 1970's, saw Henry Rollins once do a "spoken word" show in Tucson.  

     Mr. Steve says he sometimes likes when a guitarist plays in an "atonal" way like the guitar player for BLACK FLAG sometimes does.  Frank Zappa at times played his music in a sort of atonal way.  But a lot of times it can sound "flat" and "not that good" our boss says.    

     one of the most talented Punk band he saw is called X.  They play Rockabilly-Punk Dais says.  Their songs were "melodic" and took skill to play.  Someday I really want to hear the band X's songs.  Daisy told me that the band X is so good.

      feel like learning about the history of the guitar.  Dais and I know the difference between an "acoustic" and an "electric" guitar.  We like the sound of both.  

    

 

      My Encyclopedia says the first known "guitar-like" musical instruments were from ancient Egypt.  Oh!  I wonder if Mr. Steve knows this?  In 711 A.D. it was Muslim Moors first brought the guitar to Europe.  And one of the places they brought it to was the city of Córdoba! 

      I wonder what this means?  It says here that for many years the strings on acoustic guitars were made out of "Catgut."  I hope that doesn't mean they killed Cats to get out their guts for the guitars.  Some Sparrows just flew bye way up high in the beautiful blue sky.

      This is interesting.  The first electric guitars were invented in the 1930's during the years of the Great Depression.  From what it says here electric guitars turn the vibrations of the strings into electric signals that are strengthened by an amplifier before being sent to speakers.

           gui9tar history

     Well, back to my outline.  I kind of got off on a tangent again but I jut felt like writing about the history of the guitar.  It wasn't on my outline but now I'm glad I did it.  It took my mind off of the fact that Heathcliff is dead so that's good.  Thank All of You Guys up there.

     I still have to write more about Los Angeles Punk music from the late 1970's.  A famous Punk band from that peeriod was called the GERMS.  Mr. Steve says in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization they came off as sort of "sloppy" and "amateurish." 

     From what Mr. Steve told us, in Punk music it's often not really the skill of the musicians but the "attitude" and energy they show.  I guess many, if not most, of the Punk bands really weren't that talented he says.  If he can easily play their songs then they can't be that difficult.       

     My Chief knows that the GERMS guitarist went on to play in NIRVANA.  But in The Decline of Western Civilization Darby Crash, the GERMS lead singer, was so high that someone had to yell at him to sing into the microphone!  I hear some Crows squawking at each other.

     I guess Darby Crash was so "loaded" up on stage in that movie he sang in a "slurred" voice.  Our Chief was told that the producers of Cheech and Chong's movie "Up in Smoke" decided not to use "Footage" of the GERMS playing at the Whisky A Go Go in their project.

     Out of curiosity Mr. Steve went and listened to the GERMS album from 1980 called "GI."  He thinks that some of the songs are "okay."  But, a few of the songs are not that good.  And the singing is kind of weak he thinks.  He says he's going to listen to it again.

                                                                                                               THE GERMS                                                                                                                     

     Later today I'll write about how Mr. Steve thinks there's still Fascist or even Nazi influence in popular culture entertainment.  In this one picture of the Germs in my Encyclopedia two of the    members are wearing Nazi-type armbands.  Michael Jackson liked armbands too.                         

Mr. Steve told us that the GERMS have now become really famous.  Sometimes he wonders why.  One reason he thinks might be because Darby Crash killed himself a few years after The     Decline of Western Civilization came out.  A Thrasher Bird is running bye right now.                    

   Our Chief thinks the GERMS are an example of how music is subjective and not objective.  But just because he doesn't think the GERMS were as talented as other bands like X, the DEAD  KENNEDYS or SEX PISTOLS doesn't mean others can't have a different opinion.                        

                                                                                                                                                            

DARBY CRASH  

      Oh!  There's a good picture in this Encyclopedia of that guy Darby Crash.  He's holding one of those things they call a "Skateboard."  Daisy told me that Skateboards have small wheels on them and people ride them like little Surfboards.  It looks like it would be kind of fun.  

     In the Darby Crash picture he's wearing a "Maltese" Cross medal around his neck.  It's like a German military "Iron" Cross.  Later today I'll write about a band called MÖTORHEAD.  This guy in  MÖTORHEAD is named "Lemmy."  He wears Maltese Cross's too.

     When he was a kid Mr. Steve and his brothers and friends used to ride Skateboards.  So did his Niece Stephanie's boyfriend Rich.  His other Niece Samantha has a boyfriend who likes to ride Skateboards so now she does too.  I'd like to try Skateboarding some time. 

      Mr. Steve told Daisy and Millie that when he thinks about Darby Crash he remembers how the day he picked to commit suicide was the day before the Beatles John Lennon was also killed.  So his obituary was totally lost the next day.  A Crow is cawing out there in the desert.

     Just like Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis's deaths were completely "drowned out" by dying on the same day as John F. Kennedy; Darby Crash's suicide got "Lost in the Shuffle" by the fact that John Lennon was shot to death back east in New York City where he lived. 

     One Punk band who did have talent was the the DEAD KENNEDYS.  They were from the Bay Area and Mr. Steve thinks they wrote good songs.  At least that's what Dais told me. The three piece unit that "backed up" the singer was what Mr. Steve calls "tight."

     From what Daisy says, the DEAD KENNEDYS music was more complicated than most other Punk bands.  One time in his Bedroom she and Millie watched as our boss played drums to their album about rotten fruit.  I just picked up the strong scent of a Lizard around here.

     A few years ago Mr. Steve met someone who told him that the DEAD KENNEDYS played a concert at the Olympic Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles.  That's where they used to have Boxing, Wrestling and this other sport called "Roller Derby."  I smell some Sage.

                                                                   ROLLER DERBY

       One of Mr. Steve's friends at Saint Ferdinands was named Paul.  He's been a Police Officer for many years now.  One time Paul's father drove them down to the Olympic Auditorium to see the Los Angeles "T-Birds" Roller Derby team.  I see the Lizard near the big tree. 

      Mr. Steve told Dais and Millie that Roller Derby is fake like Wrestling but was entertaining.  Each team on Skates races around a big circular wooden track.  Points are scored when players pass each other.  The players are good Actors in falling and things like that I guess.

      If Mr. Steve had known about the DEAD KENNEDYS concert at the Olympic Auditorium he would've gotten tickets.  In a few minutes I'll write about a Punk show down at the Olympic Auditorium that Mr. Steve did see.  I just noticed the Lizard looking at me.

      Daisy says she noticed that at times the DEAD KENNEDYS even had some Jazz influences. And sometimes the guitar player sounded like Dick Dale's Surf music.   Mr. Steve says that the DEAD KENNEDY'S bass, drums and guitar players even do "stop and go" techniques. 

      The DEAD KENNEDY'S not only had "above average" musicians compared to other Punk bands, their lyrics were also better.  Daisy noticed that some of the DEAD KENNEDYS words are kind of "mean-spirited.  That Lizard just ran under a rock near the big tree.

     Daisy told me that the DEAD KENNEDYS had songs called "Let's Lynch the Landlord" and "Kill the Poor."  My boss says you have to just ignore the DEAD KENNEDYS lyrics and listen more to the music itself.  Two Crows are squawking at each other out there in the desert.

             

                                                                    DEAD KENNEDYS                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Daisy says the DEAD KENNEDYS, who are from San Francisco, have a good song called "California Uber Alles."  It's a satire about a left wing "Autocracy" our boss says.  The Nazis had a song called "Deutchland Uber Alles."  And that means "Germany Over All." 

       In the song California Uber Alles Liberal California Governor Jerry Brown is the head of a "Progressive" dictatorship.   But in Jerry Brown's government the "Happy Face" logo is used instead of the "Swastika."   Oh!  Jack the Jackrabbit just zoomed bye right now. 

      Mr. Steve told Daisy and Millie that the singer of the DEAD KENNEDYS wrote the words to their songs.  In California Uber Alles, and other DEAD KENNEDYS songs, the lyrics are clever. They're as clever as Ron Mael's SPARKS songs; but dark and aggressive I guess.

   

       Oh my God!  In my Encyclopedia is the picture Daisy told me about!  It shows this one man swinging a "Folding"chair at a dead body hanging from a tree.  This has to be the photo that the DEAD KENNEDYS used on their album cover.  I hear some Crows cawing faintly.

     Daisy says the DEAD KENNEDYS have this other song about a man named "Pol Pot."  He was from the country of "Cambodia" and was really mean.  According to this Encyclopedia he killed over one million Cambodians in the years after the Vietnam War ended.

     Wow!  It says in the caption below the picture of the man swinging the chair that he kept on hitting the body until the head popped off.  Then the crowd cheered.  Daisy told me the words to the DEAD KENNEDYS song "Pol Pot" are good.  At least that's what our Chief thinks.

      Another Punk band Mr. Steve never saw play but wishes he could've was the SEX PISTOLS. Just like BLACK FLAG, the GERMS or the DEAD KENNEDYS, the SEX PISTOLS came out in the latter 1970's  But the SEX PISTOLS were from over there in England. 

     Like X and the DEAD KENNEDYS, the three musicians in the SEX PISTOLS could actually play their instruments and wrote "catchy" songs to go along with "biting" lyrics written by their singer named John Lydon.  Daisy says our Chief has their one and only album.   

      Mr. Steve told us even though he never saw the SEX PISTOLS play he and his friend Mark Ritter did see this band called PUBLIC IMAGE LTD; or "PiL" for short.  This was in 1980 and PiL was the band John Lydon formed after the SEX PISTOLS "self-destructed" he says. 

                 

SEX PISTOLS

       Daisy told me that the first song on the SEX PISTOLS only album is called "Holidays in the Sun."  It's a really good song Dais says.  It starts with what sounds like "Goose-Stepping" Nazis marching along.  Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!  It's kind of intimidating Daisy says.

       A few years ago our Chief read a magazine article about the SEX PISTOLS.  It said that one of their most "controversial" songs called "God Save the Queen" was musically influenced by a MOVE song Roy Wood wrote called "Fire Brigade."  I smell some Oleander flowers.

     Mr. Steve admires Roy Wood Daisy says.  As talented as he was he never made it as big as the ELO which he helped start with Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan.  The first album by that band KISS called "Fire House" was also influenced by the song Fire Brigade.  I smell a Mouse.

     The band PiL didn't sound like the SEX PISTOLS Daisy says.  John Lydon sang for both and his newer music was nothing like the SEX PISTOLS.  PiL is described in this one Encyclopedia as "post Punk" and was more "experimental."  They even played Reggae I guess.

      Dais says our Chief told her and Millie he read where John Lydon said, unlike many Punks, he liked some "Disco" music.  In fact he said, he liked KOOL & THE GANG.  Mr. Steve said he prefers KOOL & THE GANG when they were more jazzy.  I see the Mouse.

                             

                                            "ATOMIC" CAFÉ ("LITTLE TOKYO," L.A.)

     

              In the late 1970's our boss and Mark Ritter saw a Punk band called the BAGS at a place in "Little Tokyo" called the "Atomic Café."  I guess, from what Dais heard; the Atomic Café was a restaurant and also a nightclub.  Inside, it looked kind of like back in the 1950's.  

          I've mentioned a few times over the last three days how Mr. Grant and his family, including "Miggie their blind Dog; have a "Condominium" in Little Tokyo.  Punk fans from Hollywood, Pasadena, Downey and East Los Angeles "mixed" at the Atomic Café.  I smell Sage.

          On some of Atomic Cafe's walls and ceilings were Punk fliers and posters.  The first time Mr. Steve ever saw a picture of the CLASH was on a poster there.  He still remembers seeing a flier for the SCREAMERS and some really wild-looking people at the Atomic Café.  

      

                                                                     THE GO GO'S

 

           Mr. Steve was once told that all girl band the GO GO'S, who I've mentioned before; took their name from the "Gogo" or "Goo Goo" Chicken on the Atomic Café's menu.  But the main thing they made there was "Noodle" soup.  Boy!  That makes me kind of hungry.  

           One time Dais heard our Chief on the phone with Mr. Doug.  Mr. Steve said they had good food at the Atomic Café.  They even had baloney and noodles mixed into the soup.   Boy!  That sounds so good and makes me hungry, even though I'm still sad about Heathcliff. 

          Mr. Steve says many Punks in the late 1970's and early 1980's really didn't hang around with people from other areas that much but, I guess at the Atomic Café they did.  I've mentioned how Mark Ritter died in 2002.  The Atomic Café closed in the late 1980's our boss says.   

               

                                                                      "JUKEBOX"

          Someday I'd like to see and hear one of those astounding machines called a "Jukebox."  I guess, from what Daisy explained to me one time; it plays those little vinyl records I've written about.  You just pick the song you want to hear and the machine plays it.  Wow!

         Dais says there have been jukeboxes around for many years and our Chief's parents, in the late 1940's after World War II; danced to records played on one in Belen.  But what was kind of unique about the Atomic Café's jukebox was it played Punk music.  I smell Mesquite.

        Our boss told Mr. Doug on the phone one time how the first time he and Mark Ritter ever  heard a GERMS' song was on the jukebox at the Atomic Café.  Daisy says the Atomic Café was run by a Japanese-American girl named "Nancy."  Two of the Pigeons just flew bye.                                                                                                                            NANCY  SITTING IN ATOMIC CAFE BOOTH     

PHOTO SUPPLIED BY NANCY SEKIZAWA

 

            A while back Mr. Steve had this dream in which he and Mark Ritter met and "caught up on old times" as they say.  They talked about Gila Monsters and the 1979 trip in Mark's Truck to New Mexico.  Mr. Steve told him he has his book on the Northrup Flying Wing.        

           In the dream Mr. Steve jokingly told Mark Ritter it was dismaying getting mail from that group called "A.A.R.P." now.  Mark Ritter joked back that maybe he should just believe in the Buddhist idea of a, "Third half of life."  A long vapor trail is up there in the sky.  

          Dais says another thing our boss and Mark Ritter talked about in the dream was the 1970's when they worked for "Laser Images."  One time they towed a Laser machine down to the Long Beach Arena so BLUE ÖYSTER CULT could use it in their concert.  I smell Juniper.

                                                                                                        BLUE ÖYSTER CULT

    

          Later today I'll write about BLUE ÖYSTER CULT when I talk about Fascist "Imagery" or "Iconography" in "Popular Culture."  As I wrote yesterday, B.Ö.C. are from New York City and Mr. Steve first saw them at the Hollywood Palladium.  I smell some old Sage. 

          Mr. Steve told Mark Ritter in the dream he now lives here in the High Desert.  A few times over the years, as Mark Ritter was interested in "Geology" and "Astronomy;" they had driven up here to the desert looking for "Fossils" or see "Meteor Showers."  Sage smells good.

          One night, as they used binoculars to watch a Meteor Shower; they listened to Mr. Mark's cassette's of those two other New York City bands, TALKING HEADS and BLONDIE.  I wrote before how Mr. Steve likes to play along to TALKING HEADS' "Life During Wartime." 

    

                    TALKING HEADS                                                          BLONDIE                                   

  

           I've mentioned how in 1983 Mr. Steve and that girl Nancy, not the Nancy from the Atomic Café; saw a TALKING HEADS' concert at the "Pantages" Theater in Hollywood.  They were so good that night I guess.  As I've said before, Mr. Steve really likes the girl bass player.

          Daisy says one time in April of 1981, Mr. Steve and Mark Ritter drove up here to see a big  Meteor Shower.  They came in this Ford "Van" Mr. Steve's dad owned for their business.  Andy just used the right vertical slot on the side of the back gate to go out into the desert. 

          As they sat in the Van waiting for the Meteor Shower to start Dais says our Chief and Mark Ritter listened on the radio to a Boxing match taking place to the northeast in Las Vegas.  It was a fight at "Caesar's Palace."  Boy!  I can't help hoping I'll suddenly hear Heathcliff.

  

                      TREVOR BERBICK / LARRY HOLMES (APRIL 11, 1981 / LAS VEGAS, NEVADA)

          One time Daisy and Millie heard our boss talking on the phone with that guy Mr. Gary.  In my books I've written about how Mr. Gary's a "Barber" but also a Boxing historian too.  Daisy says they talked about the fight Mr. Steve and Mark Ritter listened to on the radio.

          That fight was between "Heavyweights" Larry Holmes, the "World Champion" who was from the State of Pennsylvania; and Jamaica's Trevor Berbick.   Mark Ritter was never much of a sports fan but listened to the fight anyway.  I guess Larry Holmes won that fight.

          My Encyclopedia says a Meteor Shower happens because; as the Earth "revolves" around the Sun; it "collides" with small pieces of dust and other things.  As they hit the atmosphere then "friction" burns them away.  That creates a "shiny tail" made out of hot gasses.

                     

 "METEOR SHOWER"

     

            The caption below a picture says that "glowing" tail is called the "Meteor," while the "solid object, before it "burns away" is the "Meteoroid."  Mark Ritter says what it says here too, the areas where the Meteors come out of is called the "Radiant."  A Duck is quacking.

         According to what it says here in my Dictionary, a "Comet" is defined as a; "Heavenly body with a star-like nucleus and often with a long, luminous tail."  Comets, like our planet; also move in "Orbits" around the Sun.  I can smell the little baby Cholla cactus over there.

          Daisy and Millie saw a tv show about "Halley's" Comet.  My Encyclopedia says how it was named after an early 18th century British Astronomer named Edmond Halley who, in  1705 saw the Comet which would eventually be named after him.  I smell Jack the Jackrabbit.

      

                                                         EDMOND HALLEY (1656-1742)

                                                                  PAINTING BY GODFREY KNELLER

      

             This Encyclopedia says Edmond Halley was the first person to figure out that the Comet everyone saw every seventy five years was the same one.  It just took three quarters of a century to revolve or go all the way around the Sun each time.  Boy!  I really like his wig.

            I guess Edmond Halley lived at about the same time as Jonathon Swift and Isaac Newton. I wonder if he ever read that book "Gulliver's Travels?"  Jack just zoomed out into the desert by using the left vertical slot on the side of the gate and left a trail of dust behind him.

                This is so interesting.  It says here that, since ancient time; many cultures have "observed" and "noted" the "existence" of Halley's Comet but I guess they just didn't know it was the same one coming around every seventy five years.  The dust Jack raised is still lingering.

 

"COMET"

IMAGE BY SOLARSEVEN / GETTY IMAGES

 

           Daisy told me the tv show said what it says here.  The ancient Babylonians, and Chinese; have records of seeing what we now know was Halley's Comet since way back in the 3rd century B.C.   And many different societies described seeing it during the Middle Ages.

          Boy!  I wish Daisy and I could see Halley's Comet but we'll be dead before it comes back in 2061.  The last year it flew past was 1986.  Oh!  It's sad Edmond Halley didn't live long enough to see if his prediction was true.  He used math to figure out that it would be back in 1780. 

          Wow!  Halley's Comet was seen right before Mark Twain was born in "Missouri."  And, he died seventy five years later; in the exact same year it came back.  Hey God!  That tv show said Mark Twain used to tell people he was hoping to die when Halley's Comet came back. 

       

                                                                                           MARK TWAIN (1835-1910)

 

           Mark Twain said, "It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don't go out with Halley's Comet.  The Almighty has said, no doubt; Now here are these two unaccountable freaks, they came in together, they must go out together."  I smell new Sage.  A Crow cawed.

          Hey God!  It's amazing how Mark Twain did die right after Halley's Comet went bye.  Did You grant him a "Gift of Grace" in allowing him to go ahead and just will himself to die?   Rudy the Roadrunner is over running in little, short spurts as he looks around for some food.

          This is interesting.  The last thing I'll write about Halley's Comet is how, as it says here, in 1066 A.D. that guy William the Conqueror "believed" it was a "good omen" before his invasion of England.  I've mentioned how, in the 11th century; he "Ruled" over "Normandy."    

                

   HISTORICAL "INVASIONS" OF ENGLAND

             

           A map shows how England was invaded a few times even before William crossed over the "English Channel" in 1066.  That was about thirty years before that first "Christian Crusade."   A big flock of Birds is streaming bye way up there in what is right now a high blue sky.

          The map show how Vikings began "Raiding" what is now England in the late 8th century.  "Normandy," as I've said; is on the French west coast and was another area Vikings conquered. It's also where, in June of 1944; the Allies landed on "D-Day" back then in World War II.   

          In 1066 William the Conqueror, who had been a "Duke;" decided to go ahead and invade England so he could replace the English King.  My Encyclopedia says he was "descended" from some Vikings who had "colonized" Normandy.  I can smell Dawn, Blinky and Rosie.  

         

                                                WILLIAM II "THE CONQUEROR" (1028-1087)

           

              Boy!  William the Conqueror seems like he was kind of a mean person.  It says here that he one time even "punished" a town by cutting off the hands and feet of all the men he captured.  Ugh!  That really sounds so terrible to have something like that happen to you.

           Woh!  William the Conqueror used to have prisoners' eyes "gouged out."  In 1066 King "Harold," who was killed by an arrow in the eye; ended up losing to William at the "Battle of Hastings."  Samson and Delilah are flying bye right now, moving to the northwest.

           It says here, three weeks before the Battle of Hastings; King Harold and his army fought two battles against invading "Norwegian" Vikings.  They lost the first one but beat the Vikings and killed their leader in the second battle.  I smell a Lizard somewhere around here.

 

                                                                    LIZARD IN DIRT

          Aha!  A Lizard is doing pushups in the dirt just to the right of the Mulberry tree.  Dawn's barking.  Oh!  I'm having one of those "Déjà Vu" moments I've mentioned before because there was another time Dawn barked while a Lizard did pushups in that same exact spot.

          I'll bet back in 1066 King Harold's men were really tired after fighting two battles and then having to march all the way from up north back south.  They "confronted" William's army near a town called "Hastings."  I can hear two angry Crows squawking at each other. 

          King Harold also "gathered new recruits" for his army as he "hurried south" so had about seven thousand soldiers to meet William's ten thousand.  I guess King Harold's men were mainly just "foot infantry."  And his "archers" only had regular bows and arrows.

   

                                      "BATTLE OF HASTINGS" (OCTOBER 14, 1066)

PAINTING BY DUANE HURST

 

           A painting shows one of King Harold's men swinging a club at an opponent who's trying to kill him with a spear.  The caption says William's army was "equipped" with those "Crossbows" I've mentioned before.  Another Norman soldier is holding a bloody axe I notice.

          I guess William's Cavalry had saddles with those "Stirrups" I wrote about on Thursday in book one.  So the riders could almost stand up to use them as "Platforms" to more easily kill the enemy.  Oh!  By coincidence I see Libby over there in her Corral looking in this direction.

          It says here the "bloody" Battle of Hastings began at about nine in the morning and took most of the day to complete.  During that day Norman "assaults" were "repulsed," or "driven      off with great loss;" a few times during that really violent day.  King Harold's lines "held."           

                                          

            BATTLE OF HASTINGS

                           ENGRAVING BY GEORGE ROUTLEDGE   

                                  

        Wow!  One of those "Engravings" I've written about shows British arrows flying toward the Normans at the Battle of Hastings.  It looks like King Harold's soldiers are getting ready to stab rows of charging Horses with their spears.  I can smell Libby really clearly right now.                    

        Toward the end of the day the Normans pretended to retreat just like Genghis Khan's 13th century Mongols used to do.  Falling back as if defeated, hoping to lure King Harold into chasing them; at the right moment they turned and fought.  I wonder if Libby is sad today too?                 

          Like Genghis Khan's Mongols, William hoped to draw his enemy into one of those "Killing Zones" to "Envelop" and attack them "Simultaneously" from many directions.  And that is what did happen at the Battle of Hastings.  After King Harold was killed his men ran away. 

                                                         DEATH OF KING HAROLD

ANN RONAN PICTURE LIBRARY

                Ugh!  A painting shows King Harold with an arrow sticking out of his eye and the caption says when his army was beaten at the Battle of Hastings it was "the end of Anglo-Saxon rule" in England.  Oh my God!   It must hurt so much to be hit in the eye with an arrow.

                  Daisy says, in the 1970's when our Chief was in College at C.S.U.N.; he met a girl named "Susan."  She was interested in the Middle Ages or Medieval period, especially things having to do with Europe.  Dais thinks that girl Susan sounds like she would be really smart.

                  Oh!  Dawn is sad howling again over there and I think I know why.  She's probably like me in thinking about Heathcliff dying so just feels like saying something about it.  Boy!  It's going to be so weird tomorrow when Heathcliff won't even be around to announce the day. 

                                             "RENAISCANCE" FAIRE

PHOTO BY DEBORAH GROSMARK

           I've mentioned historical "Re-Enactors" and how Mr. Steve likes watching them but not dressing up like them.  I guess, here in California; some people like re-enacting the Renaissance period.  Boy!  I'd dress up like a Renaissance Dog and I'll bet Daisy would do it too.

          One time in the 1970's Mr. Steve and that girl Susan, who ended up becoming one of those "Librarians;" went to this thing called the "Renaissance Faire."  Dais says they drove to it in our boss's first dark green 1968 Chevelle.  All four Pigeons are flying toward the northeast.

          I guess that girl named Susan was in some of our boss's classes at C.S.U.N.  She knew all about those two Writers Will and Ariel Durant, and even read some of the things they wrote.  I just inhaled a full deep breath through my nose and that makes me feel so good right now.  

                       

   "BAYEAUX TAPESTRY"  ("BATTLE OF HASTINGS / 1066 A.D.)

               Because that girl Miss Susan studied the Middle Ages, she knew about Chaucer, and also that thing called the "Bayeaux Tapestry."   Wow!  My Encyclopedia says it's over two hundred feet long.  That Dragonfly just whizzed bye and I heard him coming from far away.

          The caption below two sections of the Bayeaux Tapestry says they "depict" the "Battle of Hastings" of 1066.  The first section shows William the Conqueror's Soldiers sailing across the English Channel to go attack England.  Libby's walking slowly around her Corral.

         You can really tell by the Boat in the first "panel" how William the Conqueror's "Norman" Soldiers were descendants of some Vikings.  The Bayeaux Tapestry is a "visual representation," or "story board;" of one of the "turning points" in European history.  A Raven croaked.

     

                                                               KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

     PHOTO BY MARINA CHAVEZ

                  Daisy heard our boss tell his mom how, when they were walking around the Renaissance Faire; he and Susan met and shook hands with that Musician Kris Kristofferson.  He was with what looked like his kids, and was very friendly and nice.  Daffy's quacking over there.

             Mr. Steve and Miss Susan also shook hands with this Actor named John Davidson, who was dressed up in the brown robe of a Franciscan Priest.  Boy!  What a good idea to have a fun thing like the Renaissance Faire.  Oh!  Maybe we should start one for us Dogs and Cats?

           Daisy and Millie saw a tv show about Kris Kristofferson which said he was way more than just a Musician.  He was also in movies and things like that too I guess.  The man on the tv show said he was born in "Brownsville," Texas.  Mr. Steve used to have a customer in Brownsville.    

 

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON                               JIM MORRISON       

                                                                  PHOTO BY LYNN GOLDSMITH

                  Dais told me that tv show said Kris Kristofferson and the DOORS Singer Jim Morrison both had fathers who were Generals in the military.  And neither one liked the idea of their son's becoming Entertainers I guess.  A Motorcycle just zoomed bye out there in the desert.

             Kris Kristofferson, who wrote that song I've mentioned before called  "Why Me;" must be smart because he graduated College "Cum Laude" like our boss's mom.  And he was asked to be a Teacher at that military academy at "West Point."  I can see the Motorcycle dust. 

             Mr. Steve was told by a lady from "Malibu" he sold things to that Kris Kristofferson has "Dementia" like his mom is starting to develop too.  In the early 1960's, like Mr. Steve's Uncles Celedon and David; he was in the military and stationed in West Germany.  I smell Sage.    

                                                             THE HIGHWAYMEN

                                             (L-R / KRISTOFFERSON, CASH, JENNINGS, NELSON)

ARTWORK BY PAUL SPELLA            

          

                     A good collage painting shows the HIGHWAYMEN, a "1980's Outlaw" Country" band Kris Kristofferson was in with other famous Musicians.  I guess he wrote "Hit" songs for himself and other people too.  Mr. Steve remembers shaking his hand and looking him in the eye.

                   Even though he was born in Texas Dais says the tv show said Kris Kristofferson's family ended up moving out here to Northern California.  Their town was called "San Mateo," and it's located below San Francisco.  Blinky, Dawn and Rosie's scents just floated over here.  

             San Mateo is Spanish for the name "Saint Mathew."  I've mentioned a few times over the last three days how Mathew is the name of one of Mr. Steve's Nephews who lives over there in Littlerock.  Frida and Diego just flew over Libby's Corral and she's watching them go bye. 

            

             (1960)             JANIS JOPLIN (1943-1970)         (1970)                 

                                                                                                                                PHOTO BY DAVID GAHR

            

              The tv show said Kris Kristofferson wrote a song that girl Janis Joplin made a hit, but it was after she had already died unfortunately.  A picture of her in High School shows the type of "Hairdo's" girls wore in those days.  And another photo shows her right before she died.  

                  I guess Janis Joplin, like Kris Kristofferson; was originally from Texas too.  But she was from "Port Arthur" instead of Brownsville.  Both cities are near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. But Brownsville is way to the south right near the border going into Mexico I notice.

             Dais says the tv showed a few "Highlights" from some of the different movies that Kris Kristofferson was in.  In one, which we both really want to see; he even played Billy the Kid.  I've mentioned before in these three long books how sometimes Dais calls me "Maggie the Kid." 

                   

                                                              BROWNSVILLE STATION 

            

                 Daisy says, back in the mid-1970's; our Chief and Sandy saw a concert at the Hollywood Palladium where one of the bands playing was called BROWNSVILLE STATION.  I guess they were one of those Three-Piece bands Mr. Steve likes.  I can smell the Twin Joshua trees. 

              From what Dais heard our boss tell Mr. Dave, BROWNSVILLE STATION weren't from Texas.  They grew up in Michigan and their shoes make them look "Glam" in this one picture of them.  I notice how their Drummer has one of those "Maltese" Cross's on his shirt.      

                   Dais told me BROWNSVILLE STATION did a song about sneaking smoking cigarettes in the boy's bathroom at a High School.  In the 1980's that later band MÖTLEY CRÜE covered it.  I guess Mr. Steve, before the recession; used to have a customer in Brownsville, Texas.

      

                                                                                                        RICK STEVES

                            

              I'm still thinking about that Bayeaux Tapestry, and that makes me remember how Dais saw an episode of that guy Rick Steves travel show where he visited Normandy in France.  And in one segment he even talks about the Bayeaux Tapestry I guess.  Dawn's barking.  

              Daisy thinks that guy Rick Steves is so friendly and nice.  You can tell he's a really good piano player according to some of the episodes he's filmed she says.  Speedy just ran through the right vertical slot on the side of the gate, and then disappeared out into the back desert.  

              For that girl Susan who went with our boss to the Renaissance Faire, the most amazing thing about the Bayeaux Tapestry was not its size; it was how it was "Hand-Embroidered."  I've mentioned how Mr. Steve's sister Celina who died was good at sewing.  I like Dawn's voice.  

   

              (WITH DAUGHTER "MABEL")                          MR. JULIO                       (WITH A YOUNGER MABEL)

               I've mentioned Mr. Julio.  He actually does the embroidery on the hats and things Mr. Steve and Miss Babette, Susan and Karin sell.  As I've said; he puts all of the different logos and images onto the clothes by using those computers to operate the sewing machines.  

              Having used these pencils and pens so much, and learning how to write without a thumb; I wonder if Dogs could learn to sew?  I've mentioned how in our family some of the females; like his mom, dead sister Celina and Niece Stephanie too; sew well.    Dawn's barking.

          Well, the next thing Dais has me scheduled to learn and write about are these things called "Trilobites." According to this one Encyclopedia they lived about five hundred million years ago during the "Cambrian" and "Paleozoic" periods.  Mark Ritter knew about Trilobites.

   "TRILOBITES"

       ARTWORK BY ZDENEK BURIAN

      

            Mr. Steve used to come with Mark Ritter out here to the desert to dig for "Fossils" of the dead Trilobites who lived in the Oceans millions of years ago.  When they died the mud covered them up.  Then, over five hundred million years; their bodies turned into kind of a rock.

            It says here that when alive there were three types of Trilobites, "predators" who ate the other Trilobites, "Scavengers; and a few that were what they call "filter feeders."  They ate that "Plankton" I've written about.  A Lizard standing on the wall is doing pushups. 

            At times Mr. Steve thinks about how Mark Ritter loved the desert.  So he could've stayed with us in the Guest Bedroom.  Mark Ritter liked going to this area near "Death Valley" called "Nopah."  Two angry Crows are arguing about something right behind the Sheds.

                           

                                                                   "DEATH" VALLEY

         

             Hey God!  I've mentioned before how Daisy and I really wouldn't want to live in a place called Death Valley, unless our boss moved there of course.  Mr. Steve met a lady whose relatives, in the 19th century; lost Oxen pulling Wagons through Death Valley.  Dawn's barking.

             I guess, from what Miss Susan who ran the local Newspaper told Mr. Steve; Death Valley gets even hotter during the Summer than it does here.  That must be really hot because it gets hot here sometimes.  Aha!  I just noticed a little Lizard standing on the wall over there.

          Before I came over here to live Daisy, Millie and our boss saw a Meteor Shower and Daisy says it looked almost magical.   Watching it made Mr. Steve think about Mark Ritter.  Hey God!  As I know You know, I really, really would like to see an actual Meteor Shower someday.

  

                                                                    PLANET "EARTH"

     

           This one Encyclopedia says Trilobites were "one of the most successful" of Earth's early animals. I guess they "died out" in a "mass extinction," at the end of the "Permian" era; or two hundred and fifty million years ago.  They "flourished" during the Paleozoic period. 

                It says here that Trilobites have three "Lobes."   And, according to my Dictionary; a lobe is defined as being, "Any rounded projection, as in the lower section of an ear."  Andy and Helen used used the two vertical slots on the side of the gate to go out into the desert.

             Oh!  I missed saying a few more things about the Atomic Café.  In that dream I mentioned before Mr. Steve and Mark Ritter chuckled about the fried baloney Chop Suey they ate there.  In the dream Mr. Mark jokingly said you didn't go to the Atomic Café for the food.  

                    

                                                                        DR. MARY ODA

                                       (IN FRONT OF MURAL OF HER AND BROTHER / PACOIMA)              

                                                                                 

           In my books I've written about Japanese-American people who were kept in prison camps during World War II, such as Mr. Steve's family Doctors when they were growing up, Dr. Oda and her brother Dr. Sakaguchi.  I smell new Sage.  That kind of makes me feel better.

           I mentioned how it was a Japanese-American girl named Nancy who operated the Atomic Café.  I guess her parents also spent the war years at one of those "Internment" camps that I've written about.  Boy!  I sure do wish I could hear Heathcliff's voice one more time.

         Back on Thursday in book one I mentioned how it was on February the 19th of 1945 that President Roosevelt signed that "Executive Order."  That sent all Japanese-Americans to those Internment camps.  And February 19th is Mr. Steve's old girlfriend Harriet's birthday.

      

                                                "LITTLE TOKYO" (LOS ANGELES)

           I guess, after the Second World War ended in 1945; that girl Nancy's parents came back to Los Angeles.  They started the Atomic Café as a "Noodle House" down there in Little Tokyo.  In the 1970's, when Nancy's father got sick; she took over running the family business. 

                Daisy heard our Chief and Mr. Doug talk about the concept of "Rhêma" that I've written about over the last three days.  Mr. Steve read how that girl Nancy said she, "draws energy and inspiration from music."  In the Bible Rhêma can mean, "The Living Word."

               Mr. Steve was once told that when that girl Nancy sold the Atomic Cafe, for a few years; it was a place where people could go to hear some of that "Chicano" music I've mentioned before. Dais told me she's pretty sure Mr. Dave in New Mexico likes playing that style of music. 

             

                                                              "PUNK" HAIRCUTS

        

                Daisy says she heard our boss and Mr. Doug talking on the phone and remembering how that girl Nancy wore thick black eye makeup and had an unusual haircut.  Some Punks in the 1970's cut their hair in the way "Mohawk" Indians used to do.  I smell Mesquite. 

               Over the last three days I've referred to those two German words "Weltanshauung" and "Zeitgeist."  The first means "World View" while the second one would be translated as being, "Spirit of the Times."  Leo and Cleo just flew over top of the house going west.

          In the 1970's Punk music, to a certain extent Mr. Steve thinks; reflected the spirit of the bad economies.  I've written about the gas shortages and unemployment during the four years when President Jimmy Carter was the U.S. President.  One of the Ducks is quacking. 

           

"MOHAWK" INDIAN

               My Encyclopedia says the Mohawk Indians were one of the five "Iroquois" groups living back east when the British first showed up in the early 17th century.  I guess, in their language; they call themselves "Kanien' kehá:kal."  That means, "Keepers of the eastern door."

           In looking at this picture of a Mohawk Indian, I notice how he has hair only on part of his head; and has feathers in it too.  The caption says Iroquois mainly lived in what is now northern New York State and southeast Canada.  Frida and Diego landed on top of Manny.

          I've written before about what happens if you pick the losing side in a war.  The Iroquois "allied" with the British during the Revolutionary War so, after the war; the Americans took all  of their land and they had to go live up in Canada.  Boy!  I'd sure hate to lose our land.    

  

                                                       DARBY CRASH  (THE GERMS)

       Daisy says Mr. Doug asked our Chief who was the first Punk musician to wear a Mohawk haircut.   He told him about a guy he met a while back who was one of those "Roadies" and one    band he worked for was the PLASMATICS.  Andy's guarding the entrance to their hole.               

        I guess that guy said some of the PLASMATICS, including that girl singer; wore Mohawk haircuts.  And he says, at about that same time in the mid-1970's; Darby Crash of that band the    GERMS had a Mohawk too.  Andy's now sniffing the air and looking all around.                            

     Our boss told Mr. Doug of a Magazine article he read one time about "Fashion."  It talked about Mohawk haircuts and how some of those Russian Cossacks I've written about had them.  And so did the ancient Scythians too I guess.   

  

"COSSACKS"         17TH AIRBORNE"     "PAWNEE"

         Yesterday I wrote about how, in World War II; the Germans used those "Paratroops" who jumped out of Airplanes.  Daisy saw a tv show that said, during the Normandy Invasion in 1944;  the American     

         A while back Mr. Steve met a girl who had also been to the Atomic Café.  And she also saw concerts, and ate; at a place in "Chinatown" called "Madame Wong's."  Mr. Steve told her how  he and Sandy went to that restaurant / concert hall way back then in the late 1970's.                      

                From what Daisy heard, Mr. Steve went with Harriet; and took pictures of bands she was assigned to review at this other place in "Santa Monica" called "Madame Wong's West."  One of those bands was DREAM FRONTIER.  I wrote about that guy Mr. Andrew this morning. 

             

                                                 "MADAME WONG'S" CHINATOWN

                                          (SECOND FLOOR / BUILDING WITH GREEN RAILING ON BALCONY)

     

               Dais says our boss and Mr. Doug also reminisced about the "Hong Kong Café."  Mr. Steve said that , even though he never went in there himself; he walked bye as it was within "walking distance" from the original Madame Wong's downtown.  Dawn and Blinky are barking. 

                From what Daisy heard Mr. Steve say, eventually the Madame Wong's in downtown L.A. was closed but the one in West Los Angeles continued on.  Mr. Steve says those two places were named after this lady who really was originally from China.  I smell new Spring Sage.

           I guess that lady Madame Wong, in 1949 when Mao Zedong's Communists took control in China; "fled" with her family and came over here to live in America.  That's what is says here in this one Encyclopedia.  All four of the Pigeons just flew bye over the top of the house. 

  

                                                              ESTHER WONG (1917-2005)

PHOTO BY IRIS SCHNEIDER

              Oh!  It says here that lady Madame Wong died in August of 2005, which is the same exact time when Mr. Steve moved up here to the desert.   That was also the month when Mr. Steve and his Nieces Cristina and Samantha saw the Avril Lavigne concert.  A Duck is quacking.

          Wow!  The caption below a picture of Madame Wong calls her the "Godmother of Punk" in Los Angeles.  I guess, before she let Punk bands play at her locations; she and her husband at times "Booked" some "Polynesian" groups.  But it wasn't nearly as "Profitable." 

              In the late 1960's, when he worked at City Hall for Mayor Yorty; before going into work Mr. Steve's dad would give him some money and let him walk around downtown.  One time he, with his friend Chris; browsed through Chinatown.  Now a few Ducks are quacking too.

        

                          "MAIN STREET" GYM                       HOWIE STEINDLER (1905-1977)

          I wrote about Mr. Steve's father dropping him off at downtown's "Main Street Gym" and how that man Howie Steindler ran it.  Mr. Steve would just "Hang Around" and watch all of the different Boxers "Work Out" as they say.  All four of the Pigeons just flew bye. 

              Daisy says our boss told his brother Sam on the phone one time about Howie Steindler.  Mr. Steve said Howie Steindler was mainly nice, unless you broke a gym rule.  In 1977, a few months before Mr. Steve and his brother Rock took that trip back east; someone killed him.  

          I mentioned before how the Main Street gym began in 1933, a year after Mr. Steve's dad was born and two years before his mom "Came into the World" so to speak.  That was the same year Franklin Roosevelt and Adolph Hitler "Assumed" power too.  I smell Mesquite.

        

                             ROCKY I                                                                    DICK BUTKUS

    

               On Thursday I wrote about how scenes from the Boxing movie "Rocky I" were filmed at the Main Street Gym.  I'd really want to watch that movie, especially to see that Dog "Butkus."  I mentioned how Mr. Steve took a picture of the Actor who played "Rocky Balboa."

          As I mentioned back in book one, Rocky Balboa named his Dog after that Football player Dick Butkus.  Dais says he was one of the hardest-hitting "Tacklers" ever and, looks really mean in this one Encyclopedia picture.  Mr. Steve jokingly calls Daisy "our Dick Butkus."     

             Since 1933 famous Boxers like Jack Dempsey, "Sugar" Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali for example; have trained down at the Main Street.  Mr. Steve and his friend Armando watched "Pipino" Cuevas and Roberto Duran work out there one time.  A Duck is quacking.

  

                                                    "SKID ROW" (LOS ANGELES)

PHOTO BY BRIAN BRUG                                                                                                                                    PHOTO BY MARK RALSTON

          When Mr. Steve used to spend the day at the Main Street Gym his dad told him not to ever leave the gym because it was a "bad area."  He never did and Mr. Steindler kind of "Kept an Eye on Him" so would've said something.  That neighborhood is called "Skid Row" I guess.  

          Skid Row is where some of the homeless people live in tents and trash is littered all over the place.  That's what Dais told me.  And instead of pushing a wheelbarrow around like that skinny man out on our road, they use bigger "Shopping Carts" to move all of their things. 

          As I wrote the other day, Mr. Steve heard that Rocky Balboa's "Trainer" in the movie was based on Howie Steindler.  Mr. Steve and Gary the Barber talked about how Howie Steindler's body was found in North Hollywood, near where Miss Harriet lives.  He was "Robbed."

                         

                     CLAIRE ROTHMAN                                                       THE FORUM 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 PHOTO BY STEVE CÓRDOVA

           I guess Mr. Steve never met that lady Madame Wong but those who did said she was nice but no "Pushover" as they say.  Mr. Steve thinks she sounds kind of like his Grandma Córdova and that other lady Claire Rothman who ran the Forum.  The Duck is still quacking.

           I've written a few times how Grandma Córdova and Claire Rothman, like that man Howie Steindler too; were small in size but commanded respect.  They were not the type of person who "Suffered Fools Easily" as I've said before.  Sandy's mom was kind of like that too.

                I guess both Madame Wong's are closed.  Most bands who played there never "Made It."  But X, the RAMONES, BLACK FLAG, the GO GO's and OINGO BOINGO did.  The J.GEILS BAND, who I've mentioned Mr. Steve's brother Sam likes; also did a concert downtown.     

                                        

                              THE POLICE (1979)              MADAME WONG'S           GUNS N' ROSES (1985)

                      PHOTO BY DEBBIE SCHON                                                                                                                            PHOTO BY MARC S. CANTER

         

              Mr. Steve did artwork for a guy who's friend's Punk band BLUE LIP, in 1985; played with GUNS N' ROSES at Madame Wong's in Chinatown.  The POLICE played at Madame Wong's in West L.A.  Mr. Steve noticed the POLICE'S drummer plays "Tama" drums too.

          One time, when he wasn't there, our boss says Mark Ritter and his girlfriend noticed these two Asian guys eating near them at the Atomic Café.  Later, a girl told them they were Japanese gangsters.  Rudy the Roadrunner, going from left to right; jogged bye in front of the Sheds.

         The girl, who was Japanese-American like that other girl Nancy; said those two men were missing the tips of the little fingers on their left hands.  But you couldn't really tell it because of how real the fake fingertips looked.  I just now picked up Rudy's very unique scent. 

ROADRUNNER WITH LIZARD

        "Oh!  Now Rudy's running bye but this time going from right to left.  A squirming Lizard is now hanging out of his mouth.  If I know Rudy, which I do; he'll find a hard place to body slam it on the ground which will knock it out and then make it easier to eat and swallow.                           

         My Encyclopedia says Japanese "organized crime" is called "Yakuza." I wonder if they're like the American "Mafia" but I guess, like Samurai warriors; they follow the "Bushido" Code" and other rules called "Enkozume."  I've mentioned how Mr. Steve sets our rules.

          I've written about Bushido a few times over the last few days, and learned how important it's been in the history of Japan.  Our boss is interested in that subject.  If we had to die in order to protect Mr. Steve, as I've said before; Daisy and I would do it without hesitation. 

    

                                                               ROCKY JR. / AMBER

           Dais and Millie saw a tv show about "Post-War" Japan which said the members of Yakuza have a lot of those tattoos I've written about.  I've mentioned how Mr. Steve's Nephew Rocky Jr. over there in Arlington, Texas is a really talented tattoo artist.   I smell old Juniper.

               As I've said before, Mr. Steve's Nephew and his girlfriend named Amber; have tattoos like those Yakuza guys.  According to Daisy the tv show said sometimes, when they break a rule; the Japanese gangsters have to cut off their own finger.  Boy!  That would hurt so much! 

               I've written about the subject of "Sepuku" where the Bushido Code says you have to kill yourself, rather than live "In Shame;" and "Lose Face."  Oh!  This Encyclopedia says that the name Enkozume would be translated into English as meaning, "Shorten Finger."  

                                          

                        "SAMURAI" WARRIOR                        TOMOE GOZEN (c.1157-c.1243)

        

               Over the last three days I've learned about Japanese Samurai and Ninja warriors like that one girl Tomoe Gozen who I wrote about in book one.  She was so brave and ever since I've been finding out about her I want to be like her too.  Blackbeard and Anne flew bye.  

          All of sudden I just thought about those "Mohawk" haircuts again.  Mr. Steve jokes that, because of her really thick fur; he could cut Daisy into a Mohawk.  My hair is way too short to be cut into any kind of a haircut but, I wonder what I'd look like with a Mohawk wig?  

          Daisy heard our boss on the phone talking with Mr. Doug about this other Punk club called the "Brave Dog."  I guess it was within walking distance from that girl Nancy's Atomic Café.  As I glanced up, it was just in time to see Speedy Gonzalez zoom bye; in front of the Sheds.      

             

                             REMOVAL (1942)                                  "MANZANAR" INTERNMENT CAMP.                                                                                                                       PHOTO BY ANSEL ADAMS

                                                                               

                 This one Encyclopedia has a black and white photo from 1942.  The caption says it shows some Japanese-Americans being "removed."   Another picture, taken by that guy Ansel Adams who I've written about; actually shows one of the camps they were taken out to. 

                As I said a few minutes ago, that girl Nancy, who I guess was nicknamed "Atomic Nancy;" was Japanese-American.  Her parents, like Dr. Oda and her brother Dr. Sakaguchi too; were in those camps during the Second World War.  But three years later they were released.

          On Thursday in book one I wrote about how, back in the 1960's when they couldn't afford "Health" insurance; Dr.'s Oda and Sakaguchi allowed Mr. Steve's father "Credit" to make some payments until the bill was "Paid Off."   That really helped out the family.  I smell Sage.

    

                                        J.F.K. ASSASSINATION (NOVEMBER 22, 1963)

           I've learned a lot about President Kennedy being killed in 1963.  As I wrote on Thursday, Mr. Steve was eight years old then and reading a Magazine in Dr. Sakaguchi's Office when it was announced that the President had been shot.  Dawn and Blinky are both barking.

           Over the last three days I've mentioned a few times how our boss Mr. Steve knows well the inside of Dr.'s Oda and Sakaguchi's office.  He broke his arm that time and on another occasion I guess broke a wrist.  He says Dr.'s Oda and Sakaguchi had "calming manners." 

           Daisy says our Chief had a dream about when he broke his arm at St. Ferdinands.  In the first book I wrote about how, when his mom walked into the office where he was waiting with his broken arm and was calm; so was Mr. Steve.  Cher the Cat's around here somewhere.

          

                                                                     CHER THE CAT

           Aha!  I see Cher underneath the clump of Joshua trees over there near the fence around Libby's Corral.  Right now she's licking her paws and then wiping the top of her head so usually that means she just finished eating something.  I can see Libby walking around slowly.

           I'm still thinking about Mr. Steve's family doctors.  On that day when he broke his arm on St. Ferdinand's asphalt playground he remembers his sister Susan, who was a little kid; saying to their mom, "Steven's arm is squishy."  My right nostril just picked up Libby's scent.  

            Daisy says our boss told Mr. Ralph about laying on his back on the cushioned table in Dr. Sakaguchi's operating room.  He knew something painful was coming when a Nurse went behind him and pushed down on his shoulder.   He's had some dreams about that table. 

           

                                                                "NIGHTMARE FIGURE"

             

            Daisy says one of Mr. Steve's bad dreams, besides the ones with that scary Preying Mantis shadow in them; are about this time laying in the doctor's office.  I guess, it was the one and only time when the pain was so bad he actually "Passed Out" as they say.  Cher's gone.

            Just before Dr. Sakaguchi was about to start working on him, he'd tell Mr. Steve, "Okay, you know what to do."  That meant look at this one clock on the wall to his right.   Mr. Steve says he had a few "delusions" or "hallucinations" studying that clock as a kid growing up.

            I keep on hoping God that, all of a sudden; somehow it was all a really big mistake and it turns out that Heathcliff really didn't die after all.  It would be so great if You, for some reason; brought him back.  Daisy says just focus on my work today and we'll see what happens.

         

                                                            JOAN OF ARC (c. 1412-1431)

          

            Daisy says one time, as he focused on the "Second" hand moving around on the clock in Dr. Sakaguchi's office; our boss thought about that French girl who they burned to death back in the early 15th century.  I smell new Spring Sage.  That sort of makes me feel better.

           Oh!  I just noticed how, in this Encyclopedia; it says "Joan of Arc" died on May the 30th.  And, in looking at my list of dates; I see that Mr. Steve's Niece Raqquel was born on that exact same date too.  I guess they're not exactly sure in which year Joan of Arc was born.

           One time talking on the phone with Mr. Ralph our boss said, for some reason; thinking of being "Burned at the Stake" like Joan of Arc somehow made him feel better.  He joked you think of some really weird things as they "Set" your broken bones.  Oh!  That must hurt!

 

                                                      DAISY / MAGGIE CÓRDOVA

           Dais and I have never broken any bones and really don't want to know what it's like.  But, as Daisy told me, as long our Chief was around to help us it would probably be okay because he'd know what to do.  I did really cut my back paw deep that one time last Summer.

                I'm still thinking about that girl who they called Atomic Nancy.  Daisy says Mr. Steve and his friend Dave one time on the phone talked about how bands from all around the world used to want to go to the Atomic Café when visiting in Los Angeles.  A Duck is quacking.

           I guess the RAMONES, BLONDIE and TALKING HEADS at one time or another ate at the Atomic Café.  Mr. Steve was once told about the time when that guy Sid Vicious started a big "Food Fight." He thinks that was stupid because it's dumb to waste food and I agree! 

           

                  RAMONES                                 BLONDIE                          TALKING HEADS

    

            Over the last three days I've mentioned a few times how the RAMONES, BLONDIE and TALKING HEADS all first became known in the 1970's.  Someday I'll be able to hear a lot more of the music.  Two Pigeons just flew over the top of the house in moving to the west. 

           A few bands have written songs that mentioned the Atomic Café our Chief says.  One was this  band from East L.A. called the PLUGZ  and another one was the MOTELS who I guess are also from Southern California too.  He's seen them both play live in some concerts.

          Dais noticed how our boss one time told Mr. Doug on the phone he thought the lead singer of the MOTELS is a really pretty girl.  In the early-1980's Mr. Steve and his girlfriend Emily saw the MOTELS play in the gym over at C.S.U.N.  I just heard a Train whistle faintly.

             , 

       THE MOTELS                                                THE PLUGZ

                                                                                                                             PHOTO BY ANN SUMMA

          I guess the PLUGZ are Mexican-Americans and our boss heard they did a "faster-paced" version of Ritchie Valens' song "La Bamba."  Mr. Steve and Mark Ritter saw them "Open Up"    for PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. play down at the "Olympic" Auditorium.  I smell Sage.                        

         Daisy heard that in 1984, the same year our boss "Flunked Out" of Law School; that band the PLUGZ were Bob Dylan's backup band for a while.  I've mentioned how 1984 was the same    year Mr. Steve met Mr. Mark and Miss Helen when they worked for the sports teams.                   

       According to what Daisy overheard our boss tell Mr. Doug on the phone, he was told some PLUGS' songs were used in a movie he's never seen called "Repo Man."  Oh!  Speedy Gonzalez  just ran bye in front of the Sheds.  Now he went around the northeast corner of the house.             

                       

          CELINA CÓRDOVA (1963-2003)

            

               Mentioning the movie the PLUGZ' songs were in reminds me how Mr. Steve's sister Celina, who died; worked for a company that "Repossessed" vehicles.  Daisy says if you can't pay what you still owe on a Car, they come and take it back.  Another Train whistled faintly. 

          As I've said before, Daisy says our Chief's sister Celina sounds like she was a smart person.  She began working for that Repossession company as what they call a "Dispatcher" but, because she was smart; ended up just about running the company.  That was in "Long Beach." 

           It seems so unfair that, like Mr. Steve and his dad talked about on the phone one time; if a Car or Truck is taken back you still owe the "Balance."  So it's one of those "Lose / Lose" times I've mentioned before.  Not only do you not have a vehicle, you're now "In Debt" too.

                                   

                                                                        THE GO GO'S

        

             I've mentioned a few times how someday I really want to hear some songs by that girl band the GO GO'S.  Daisy told me our boss likes the way the GO-GO'S blonde-haired guitarist seems to be influenced by "Surf" music.  He enjoys playing their songs on drums.

            Daisy heard our boss and Mr. Grant talking on the phone one time.   I guess the GO-GO'S rhythm guitarist also bought a Condominium in the same "complex" where Mr. Grant lives with Lori and Miggie.  A flock of Birds is flying bye right now up there in the blue sky.

          Among other things, as I've said over the last three days; Mr. Grant is a "Lawyer."  Also, as an "Attorney;" he can "Represent" other people in court too.  One time he worked on a "Case" where that one girl from the GO GO'S sued their "Condominium Association."

   

                      AT RESTAURANT                 "ATOMIC" NANCY                 WITH DAUGHTER

               I just noticed on my outline that I still have a few more things to say about that Japanese- American girl Atomic Nancy.   Daisy heard our boss tell Mr. Doug he was told that her job is now to "Counsel" people about not taking drugs and things like that.  Dawn's barking. 

          Daisy and Millie heard our boss talking on the phone with his brother Sam and they were remembering this guy named John Garcia.  I guess he's been Sam's friend since they were kids in Sylmar.  And he's now also a "Substance Abuse" counselor too just like Miss Nancy.

          I've mentioned before how Mr. Steve and his brothers Rock and Sam all played Baseball as they grew up.  And, just like Mr. Rick played Little League at S.I.B.L. with Mr. Steve; that guy John Garcia played on hardball teams Sam was a member of.  Now Blinky's barking.

                

                                                        "HIROSHIMA" (AUGUST 6, 1945)

           

               According to what Daisy heard Mr. Steve say, that girl Miss Nancy at one time sang in this Asian-American Jazz band called HIROSHIMA. Mr. Steve was told by this guy he met from the "South Bay" their music was "Experimental."  Samson and Delilah flew bye right now.

          Hiroshima was that Japanese city I've written about, where the U.S. dropped the world's first "Atomic" bomb on it at the end of World War II.  Mr. Steve heard Miss Nancy now sings in one of those Gospel music "Choirs" I've learned about over the last three days. 

          I guess, after the Second World War finally ended back in late 1945; that girl Miss Nancy's parents decided to return to Los Angeles.  That's when they started their restaurant down there in Little Tokyo.  Bonnie and Clyde just flew in and are now up there near their nest.

   

          MISS NANCY'S PARENTS                                             MOM AT THE RESTAURANT

    

              According to what Dais heard our boss tell Mr. Doug on the phone that one time, he really admires people like Miss Nancy's parents and Dr.'s Oda and Sakaguchi.  They were strong and did not let life's often unfairness destroy them.   They did what Nietzsche said.

          Mr. Steve and Mr. Doug talked about how, from 1946 all the way through the late 1970's; Miss Nancy's parents ran the Atomic Café.  But then her father, who I guess was the person who actually named the restaurant; got sick.  So, he retired; and Miss Nancy took over.

               Yesterday in book two I wrote about that one movie Daisy saw called "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome."  It's what a possible "Dystopian" world of the future might be like if there was ever a huge and giant Nuclear war.  Boy!  I really can't wait to see that movie someday. 

            

                  "MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME" (1985)   

   

                 As I said yesterday, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome is one of Daisy's favorite movies so I wrote a lot about it.  I guess in that movie there was a restaurant called the "Atomic Cafe" where you could have Lizard soup.  Bonnie and Clyde are feeding their new babies up there. 

          Mr. Steve saw a 1982 "Documentary" called "Atomic Cafe" about that "Cold War" period I've written about.  I guess it shows what it was like during the years after World War II as the U.S. and Stalin's Soviet Union developed nuclear weapons.  I like how baby Birds sound.

               I've written about how Mr. Steve and his classmates at St. Ferdinands did a "Drill" called "Duck and Cover."  In the 1960's that "Cold War" I've been writing about was still going on.  So the kids had to practice hiding under their desks "In the Event" of a nuclear war. 

                  

                                              ("TRINITY" / JULY 16, 1945 / NEW MEXICO)

                                  

           I've written about America's World War II "Top Secret" atomic research program called the "Manhattan Project."  On July 16, 1945 the first ever "Nuclear Device," or "Code" named "Trinity;" was "Detonated over in New Mexico.  Two of the Pigeons just flew bye. 

              Boy!  It's so amazing to think how a single bomb, like those "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" bombs dropped on "Hiroshima" and "Nagasaki" in August of 1945; were about equal in power to 21,000 tons of TNT.  I can smell Bonnie and Clyde.  And now their babies too. 

      One time Daisy and Millie heard our boss on the phone with Mr. Ralph and they discussed how that Trinity detonation took place in a New Mexico desert called "Jornada del Muerto."  It's southeast of "Socorro."  In Spanish Jornada del Muerto means "Journey of the Dead."                

          

                                          "FAT MAN" ("NAGASAKI" / AUGUST 9, 1945)

        two types of Atomic bombs the U.S. had in August of 1945.  The first type, used on Hiroshima; had "Uranium" in it.  A black and white photo shows the second type, which was called "Fat Man;" and you can really see just how huge those bombs were. 

         The caption under the picture of those two men using a Tractor to move the Fat Man bomb in 1945 says it was made with Plutonium.  As I've said before, that guy Mark Ritter knew about the history of  nuclear power, especially bombs.  

         On their 1979 trip in Mark Ritter's Truck Mr. Steve saw "White Sands" New Mexico.  Dais says it's kind of near where, during World War II; the U.S. developed those nuclear weapons in that "Manhattan Project"

   

"WHITE SANDS," NEW MEXICO

 PHOTO BY MARK RITTER

 

            boss and Mr. Doug talking on the phone about that  "Missile Range" at White Sands I wrote about.  The U.S. tested weapons there after World War II and that guy Wernher von Braun worked there.  I'd really like to see and smell some white sand.

           place where the Manhattan Project Scientists worked on those Atomic bombs is called "Los Alamos."  There are thousands of nuclear bombs in the world now, all more powerful than those used in Japan.  But, in 1945; only the U.S. had nuclear weapons.

           our boss tell Mr. Doug, there are now nine countries in the world who have missiles with nuclear "Warheads" on them; although Israel has never, ever admitted to actually having them.  

        

                                           STEPEHN HAWKING     MICHIO KAKU

           Stephen Hawking.  And Daisy told me about this other Japanese-American Scientist named Michio Kaku  a "theoretical physicist."  

               Chief was disappointed when that guy Michio Kaku's Radio show was taken off the air up here.  He listened to him on Saturdays while doing yardwork, and almost called to ask a question a few times.  Michio Kaku is really against nuclear war Daisy noticed. 

          Michio Kaku got to meet Stephen Hawking.  His "String Theory" of the universe is hard to understand Dais says, and his parents were put in a Concentration Camp during World War II.  

                                                                                                                    

MR. STEVE'S MOM 

          Michio Kaku went to College at "Harvard" just like Mr. Steve's Uncle Marty.   Wow!  He graduated "Summa Cum Laude" which is even higher than Mr. Steve's mom's "Magna Cum Laude."  

                   

      Mr. Steve says the Soviet Union "fell" in 1989.  He and his father think it was one of the most amazing events in history; especially because there was very little bloodshed.  That fact, "in and of itself" as they say, makes it so unique. 

     That one man at the Library told Mr. Steve he thinks President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II will go down in history as the ones who, along with that man Mikhail Gorbachov, peacefully ended Communism in the Soviet Union.  It's was a miracle he thinks.

                   

          MIKHAIL GORBACHOV            RONALD REAGAN                POPE JOHN PAUL II

  

      Hey God!  Was it You who allowed the Cold War to end without very much violence?  That man at the Library said if it wasn't You then the world sure is lucky.  But he thinks it was You.  If it was You God then thank You for saving us.  

     Mr. Steve and his father would agree with that man at the Phelan Library.  He thought it was President Reagan threatening to develop a "Star Wars" defense system up in space that got the Russians to finally realize they could not compete financially with the U.S.

     Mikhail Gorbachov was the leader of the Soviet Union back in 1989.  He was smart enough to know there was no way they could keep up economically if they had to spend so much money in order to not let the United States have the capacity to totally destroy them. 

   Mr. Steve thought about Mark Ritter when the man at the Library told him even though the Cold War is over, we and the Russians still "maintain" about eight thousand warheads each.  He says France and England each have about three hundred Nuclear warheads.

     I guess China is in fourth place in how many Nuclear warheads they have.  Mr. Steve thinks it's possible someday a Nuclear war might happen between India and Pakistan.  Or North and South Korea might blow each other up.  

      As far as developing nuclear bombs the United States beat the Germans and Japanese "to the punch" as they say.  Both Germany and Japan had also been working to create Atomic bombs.  But they never finished.  We used two Atomic bombs on Japan.  

    some people are still mad at the United States for dropping two atomic bombs on Japan in August of 1945.  But it ended the war.  The Japanese people would have most likely fought "to the death" as they say.  

    

       Japanese soldiers, like Samurai warriors from the past, rarely surrendered during World War II.  They usually committed suicide rather than give up.  If the United States had invaded Japan some people said there would have been at least a million American casualties.   

      Mr. Steve thinks that in 1946 if the United States had tried to physically conquer Japan the people would most likely have fought just as "fanatically" as the Germans did in 1945 when the Russians took the city of Berlin.  Even little kids and old men fought the Russians. 

     Adolph Hitler's Nazi Germany attacked it's former ally, Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union, in June of 1941.  At first things went well but the "Tide Turned" in 1943.   By April of 1945 the Russians had pushed the Germans all the way back to the area east of the city of Berlin.

     Berlin was Nqzi Germany's capital in 1945.  By 1945 millions of Russian and German soldiers had died in what Mr. Steve thinks is the mot brutal war ever fought.  There will never again be a war in which so many men faced each other.  The scale of the battles was huge. 

         

        April of 1945 when the Germans and Russians fought desperately for control of Berlin.  One shows Adolph Hitler "patting" the cheek of a young member of the "Hitler Jugend" or "Hitler Youth." 

     The teenage members of the Hitler Youth organization were some of the most fanatical in the defense of Berlin.  They wanted to die for Adolph Hitler.  That's what it says in the caption below the photograph of Hitler patting the boy's cheek.  They were called  "Warewolves." 

     Hitler Youth member with this thing called a "Panzerfaust."  It's a "single-shot, shoulder-held" artillery piece.  During the battle for Berlin it destroyed many Russian Tanks and killed their crews.  I see the Mouse over there.

     Mr. Steve once met an older German man whose two brothers died defending Berlin back in 1945.  All three of them had eagerly joined Warewolf units he said.  Dais says that man was the youngest of the brothers.  He was fourteen.  He used those Panzerfaust's.

     German man said they were told to dig holes and then wait for the Russian Tanks to show up.  When the Tanks exposed their vulnerable bellies the Panzerfaust was fired into the expose area.  

   In the Iraq wars of 1991 and 2003, and also the ongoing war in Afghanistan, American soldiers have come to know well the deadly effect of  an "R.P.G."  This is the most current version of the  original German Panzerfaust.  R.P.G.  means "Rocket Propelled Grenade."                                    

"KATYUSHA" ROCKETS

     During World War II one of the scariest weapons was the Russian "Katyusha" Rockets. The caption calls them "self-propelled artillery" shot from the back of Trucks.  The caption says the   "screaming" sound they made was "as terrifying" as the siren of a diving Stuka.                            

  Katyusha Rockets were not as "accurate" as other artillery like the German 88's I mentioned yesterday when I wrote about that guy Erwin Rommel.  But they were easy and cheap to produce and were easy to work on or as they say to "service."                            

      before the Russians attacked a position they would first "soften it up" by bombarding the area "mercilessly."  Hey God!  That man who was a Warewolf said all     you can do is "hunker down," pray and ask for Your protection.          

                                                       FALL OF BERLIN (APRIL, 1945)

       what happened in early 1945 when the Russians had pushed the Germans all the way back to Berlin.  To take Berlin the Russians had to fight a vicious "hand-to-hand" battle.  

    

      Some of the most fanatical German fighters in April of 1945 as the Russians went "house to house" were teenagers called "Werewolves.  Many of them were killed in the brutal contest for control of Berlin but they also "took thousands of Russian soldiers with them."

 

  Even though they were technically Allies, the Germans had attacked the Soviet Union back in June of 1941.

     From 1943 on, after the Battle of Kursk, the Russians began to go from the defensive to being on the offensive.  They had way more men than the Germans; to fight a long war.  It says in this Encyclopedia the Russian "Juggernaut" began to "relentlessly" push to the west.     

   shows "Operation Barbarosa" in 1941.  That's when Adolph Hitler's Germany attacked Joseph Stalin's Soviet Union.  There were three "prongs" or "fronts" it says here.  At First it looked like the most successful Blitzkrieg Hitler would have.                      

 From June of 1941 when the Germans attacked Russia, to mid-December of that same year, about three million Russian soldiers were taken prisoner.  And almost as many were wounded or killed.  The German "Wehrmacht" made it right up to the "outskirts" of Moscow.                

 

RUSSIAN PRISONERS (1941)

     Hey God!  As you know, Wehrmacht is what Nazi Germany called its army in World War II.  Some say You caused Germany to lose that war and even Mr. Steve says it is kind of weird what   happened.                                           

   Because Benito Mussolini's Italy was having trouble with Greece and that other area called Yugoslavia, Hitler had to postpone his attack on Russia for a month.  He then "mopped up" both Greece and Yugoslavia but it delayed his timetable.  He might've taken Moscow God.                    

     Then God, just as the Germans got to Moscow, one of the worst and most terrible Winter's in history sets in.  Machines and weapons froze and were useless.  The Germans had not planned      on such a cold Winter so didn't have the right clothes.  Many on both sides froze to death.            

  delay gave Stalin what's called "breathing space."  It gave him more time to get  Moscow ready for the "inevitable" German attack.  He brought in, and then used, special      troops that were trained to fight in cold weather; to counter attack and "buy him time."               

   While the Germans were delayed millions of Russian civilians built what they call "Earthworks" to protect Moscow.  Many died doing it.  Hitler was eventually forced to   delay his attack on Russia until the following Spring.  That turned out to be huge                    

    in 1942 and into 1943 the Germans and Russians fought in the largest war in history.  But slowly the Russians "Turned the Tide" and then pushed the Germans back to Germany.  Millions died on both sides.  

 

           

  

      It says here that the Russian Katyusha Rockets were not nearly as accurate as some other artillery.  But I guess they were much easier and cheaper to produce and then "service."  And the sound they made was terrifying to

    

  The Germans were forced to fight like a Rat that gets trapped in a corner.  I myself hate to be cornered and get mad.

    But that guy Stalin didn't care if he took half a million casualties taking Berlin the way he did.

       was Albert Einstein, a German so he knew, who first warned President Roosevelt about nuclear power.  Even before the war he mailed the President a letter telling him of the German Physicists who were working for the Nazi's. 

  

 

      The United States had "fire-bombed" Tokyo and other Japanese cities even before dropping Atomic bombs on "Hiroshima" and "Nagasaki."  Thousands were killed yet they hadn't given up.  The picture of the destruction of Hiroshima in this Encyclopedia is unbelievable!

      estimated that "well over" 100,000 were killed at Hiroshima and "at least" 80,000 at Nagasaki.  In 1945 America was the only one who had Atomic bombs but now more countries like Russia and China have them too.  Israel has them our boss says.