Right Hand Red

As a kid, we played board games. This combined coordination, strategy and thought, and most important, IMAGINATION. As long as somebody didn’t cheat, it could go on for hours of fun. My family only had a few games. We had Monopoly and Scrabble. Then there was TWISTER. It was not exactly a board game, but an action game. There are four rows of large colored circles on a large white plastic mat. Each row has the same colors. First there are six RED circles. Then there are six BLUE circles. Then there are six YELLOW circles. And finally there are six GREEN circles. You need at least two players, but more is better. You also need a spinner. This player is important. Without this player, nobody would know what to do. This player is The Spinner!!! The Spinner has to skillfully spin the dial and tell the players where to put their hands or feet and all had to obey The Spinner. The players would stand with each foot on a separate circle. The players would put their feet side-by-side on the outside edge of the mat. The Spinner would spin the dial and wherever it landed, all the players would obey. “Right hand RED”, The Spinner might yell out. All the players would put their right hand on a RED circle. The more players there are, the harder it might be to put your right hand on red. All players leave their right hand on RED as The Spinner spins the dial again. Next The Spinner might yell out “Left foot BLUE”. Now the players might have to reach over or under another player to reach their right foot on the BLUE circle. The game goes on, moving their hands and feet around the mat. The players get TWISTED up. The players want The Spinner to spin faster so they can go to the next move until there are no more circles to move on until one or more players fall down. The player or players that fall down is out of the game and it continues until there is only one player is standing. He would be The Winner!! I had a little problem. I was quite a bit younger than my sibblings. I was young enought that I didn’t quite know my left from my right. I remember somebody writing a large “L” on my left hand and a large “R” on my right hand with a large permanent black marker. That way I would know which was my left and which was my right. I was all set. Of course at that age, I was never The Winner as I couldn’t always reach the colored circles. As I grew older, I got bigger and was able to reach the intended colored circles.

 

Groovy Guys

I just saw the greatest band today in the park, called “James”!! This band reminds me of my teenage years of the 1960s and the 1970s.They were playing all the songs I knew and sang. I have known about this band for about a year. I first heard James, the lead singer, when he was singing last summer at lunch hour in the park. I was walking near where he was singing, when I heard him. I thought this sounds good and I had to find out who was singing. Then when I sat down to listen to him, I was blown away. I left “feeling that groovy feeling”!! I still feel great when I think of him and his band. Later on last summer, his whole band played a concert in the park just like I just went to today. I thought he was great, but then with his whole 4 piece band played…I was speechless.

Today I sat down to talk to the lead singer, James Buckley. Here is his story:

He grew up in the project in the city. They didn’t have much money, but he did manage piano lessons. Like all kids, he hated practicing and would rather be playing. Then after joining the school chorus, something clicked. This experience influenced the rest of his life. He had been making up songs from a child, and later it would pay off. In 1976 he joined a band with 3 other guys forming the rock band “Paladin”. They would play mostly original music where he helped write songs. He went on to another band called “The Features”. They played mostly new wave. They played in local places and had a small following, but the bands were flooded in the Pittsburgh area, so they played in other states like Ohio and West Virginia. James was discouraged and left the music business. He then drove a taxi for years. Then in 2003, somebody asked for a copy of a CD that he had made from old tapes. They loved it!! And that is when he rekindled his love for writing and singing music.  Now 6 years later, he is the lead singer for the band called “James”. He sings and playes acustic guitar and the harmonica. He sometimes playes the guitar by himself like when I first heard him play in the park but, he usually plays with 3 groovy guys!! The other members of “James” include guitar player Johnny Carlino who sings harmony, John Casciato, drummer and harmony singer, and Tim Hadley who also sings and plays base guitar. This group plays classic rock songs like the Beatles, Elvis, The Rolling Stones, Led Zepplen, Elvis, Tom Petty, Neil Diamond. And don’t forget their original songs like: This is the Best Day, She’s all Mine.

Now the group is complete. I wouldn’t change a thing about them, except more fame!! Now I have become their #1 local fan!! If you are looking for a fun night of music and laughter, look no farther. You will usually find them playing at Neids Hotel in Pittsburgh, when they aren’t playing for benefits. They are playing at Neids Hotel this Friday, July 31 at 7:00pm. Hope to see you there!! I’ll be there. Go to www.rockonjames.com for future performances and general information about the group.

Update: JAMES the band will be at the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh on October 14 from 7-11.

The Games Kids Play

Etch-A-Sketch

After a recent trip to visit my family in Ohio, a treasure trove of memories were found. I found many hours of fun still left in my old toys. There on the shelf was my old companion, the Etch A Sketch, magic screen. Who couldn’t be entertained for hours with this magic screen? There is a bright red frame surrounding the screen with two white knobs. You turned one knob to draw straight up and down. The other knob drew left to right. With careful turning of the knobs and many hours of practice, you could even draw at a slant and circles!! You must be careful not to shake the screen while drawing for your drawing creation will be lost. You see the screen has powder in it that is used to make the drawing. Whenever you shake the screen with your drawing on it, all of the powder is removed until the next time you venture to use this magic screen. Many works of art could be found on this take anywhere toy. No cord or plugs needed for this toy. No wireless hookup. Mothers loved this toy. There was never a mess to cleanup, unlike other creative outlets for kids. Such is the case with water color paints. No extra supplies were needed, either. No paper, crayons, water or paint brushes to carry along. Writing your name was quite a challenge which I didn’t quite master, even after years of practice. Writing a name with many curves was next to impossible for me. What appeared, looked like a monkey wrote it, quite unreadable. My father says that my hand writing is unreadable also, but you can never read an artist’s hand writing. Using this toy is like a dance. To paraphrase words of a song, you just turn to the right, then you turn to the left. Then you go to the middle, and you go out once again. Adults still make masterpieces today.

The Boob Tube

Hi! I am planning a birthday party for someone that was born in the 1960’s. This got me thinking about my own childhood in the 1960’s.  Many things happened then to remember, like televison programs. First they were black and white. Then they were colored. I remember “The Red Skelton Show”.  Do you remember these characters: Clem Kadiddle opper, Freddy Freeloader, The Mean Widdle Kid, Sheriff Deadeye, Willy Lump Lump, Cauliflower McPlug, Bolivar Shagnasty, and San Fernando Red? That show was so funny. It really used his imagination and mine. My bedroom was acorss from the living room. I had to go to bed during the show, but I could hear what was going on.  I had to imagine what was going on. It was funny in my mind too!! I did see it when he mimed making a cake. I used to try and do that. It was fun. I am not much of a cook, so I still mime cooking!!