What Loudon Wainwright III said...

...still works after all these years...

Hey, Bob Dylan, I wrote you a song.
Today is your birthday if I'm not wrong.
If I'm not mistaken you're fifty seventy one today,
How are you doin', Bob? What do you say?...

The first record album I ever bought with my paper route money was the first one Dylan made. I soon joined the legions with my own boots, cap and geetar. There's still a Dylan song in every set I play.

Happy birthday, Bob!

It's hard to imagine...

...who I might be today if I hadn't had Bob Dylan's music to grow up with. I bet I'm not the only one who feels that way. In honor of his 70th birthday, a special, if not exactly random, random ten...

The Handsome Family - Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Jerry Garcia & David Grisman - She Belongs To Me
Todd Snider - You're A Big Girl Now
Michael Weston King - Simple Twist Of Fate
The Walkabouts - Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands
The Long Ryders - Highway 61 Revisited
Joan Baez - Farewell Angelina
Warren Haynes - I Shall Be Released
Jimmy LaFave - One Too Many Mornings
Rosie Flores - Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You

A random 100 would barely scratch the surface. Happy birthday, Bob!

I can't say it's been the best year...

...of my now officially lengthy life, but I figure any guy who gets to celebrate his 60th birthday with a cake baked by his still healthy and independent mom is a pretty lucky guy.

Some neat news in a birthday call from my eldest son, The Roadie, too. He's stage managing Willie Nelson's show on the Country Throwdown tour this year. Kind of a bummer that they won't be stopping anywhere near here, but one degree of separation puts me as close to Willie's bus as I'll likely ever get.

Meanwhile, the BBBUL is out rounding up some kind of birthday treat, so the day promises to get better and better.

60? Wow. How'd that happen?

It would be unseemly…

…for me to describe it quantitatively, but it's the Brilliant and Beautiful Bride of Upper Left's birthday. Suffice to say she's not as old as I am, hence her other sobriquet, "my Child Bride."

Plans include some quality grandma time with the dynamic duo and a night cap at the perfect tavern when I go off shift tonight.

Thankfully, I have an excellent credit line at the perfect tav, because any other celebration depends on whether that PayPal button gets punched today.

Yeah, I suppose that's a hint. This, on the other hand, is an outright request. The BBBUL's favorite part of the blog has always been the comments (she's been listening to my off-line rants for decades). Take a moment to say hi and wish her a happy day.
Thanks.

Happy birthday, Sweetie!

It's the something-somethingth anniversary...

...of the Brilliant and Beautiful Bride of Upper Left's 29th birthday. Please join me in wishing my best friend and the love of my life the very best day possible.

120 years ago today...

Of course you can click it bigger.
Happy birthday Washington.

Kinda scary, though, to be almost half as old as my state.

Semper Fi…

...to Dad, Uncle Ed and big brother Pat. Thinking of you all on the 234th birthday of your Corps.


A happy one to all y'all old jarheads from this old dogface, and a snappy salute to Gordon for the reminder.

Quote of the day.

Malia Obama, greeting her father with the day's top stories…

"Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday!"

Happy birthday, Bo!

Sláinte!

Happy birthday, Arthur!>

48?

Just a pup.

Hippo Birdies, Barry!

Born July 14, 1912…

Woody Guthrie Archive

"Come back, Woody Guthrie
Come back to us now.
Raise your eyes from paradise
And try to rise somehow.
If you run into Jesus,
Maybe he can help you out.
Come back, Woody Guthrie, to us now."

Steve Earle

From the "Hippo birdie" file.

Any of y'all who've ever read the children's classic "Goodnight Moon" to your kids, grandkids or any kids should track down the parody version (not particularly for kids) titled "Goodnight Bush," which was presented to me by the Brilliant and Beautiful Bride of Upper Left on this, the completion of my 58th trip around the sun.

And a shout out to my pals at the Northwest Progressive Institute Advocate, which turned five yesterday.