Danny's Dozens

	*MONK RULES* *WELCOME to the Thelonious Sphere Monk* Memorial WebLog** Play "Some Other Toonz" by Monk You're listening to Just A Gigolo by Thelonious Monk. Go to MacDries Design.
	*September Y2K5*
	Aaron's & Gretchen's Birthday Click HERE for the latest totals. There is now reason to believe that this tally is not accurate by about a third. Go HERE. I ♥ Aaron & Gretchen My twins are 35 years old today. Happy Birthday to you and your mom. Only Reason Roberts Confirmation Is Good News Antonin Scalia will have to serve the rest of his career knowing he will never be Chief Justice. This Just In Cop cops a feel as war protester, Cindy Sheenhan, is arrested in Washington, DC on Monday. MacDries says, "Have they no shame?" Overheard Guy #1: How was it? Guy #2: It was cool. Paris was fun, except for a few days we spent at museums...We went one day to this place...The Love or something...I guess it was all right. There were definitely a lot of people there...Julie was freaking out about this one painting, though. Guy #1: What painting? Guy #2: The Mona Lisa. Guy #1: ...huh. Don't think I know it... I'm not really an art person though. Guy #2: Yeah, I didn't know it either. It's by Michelangelo I think. But I didn't really get it...it's really small. MacDries says, "Yeah, and it's behind bulletproof glass to boot, in case some Art Person wants to kill her, like they did to Leonardo diCaprio's Pieta a few years ago." Headline 'Father Of Valium' dead at 97. MacDries says, "All his millions of brain-dead kids must be depressed." The Republican Way Of Thinking "If you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose -- you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down. "That would be an impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down," William Bennett - Former Secretary Of Education MacDries says, "Notice, he did say that would be a bad thing. Most likely because Republicans don't favor abortion."
	9/29/05 2-28-64 TIME catches up with Our Man I Predicted... the vote for Roberts would be 80-20. Actually there were 2 more Dems with a bit of conviction. Meanwhile, Constance Baker Motley, the first black woman appointed to the Federal Bench has passed away a couple blocks from here. Judge Motley was also the first black woman elected to the New York State Senate. As a lawyer from 1961 to 1964, Motley won nine of ten civil rights cases she argued before the Supreme Court. As a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, she prepared the draft complaint for what would become Brown v. Board of Education. The much maligned LBJ was the President who appointed her. History will eventually treat him with the respect he deserves comparative to the Twerp currently usurping the office. Worth Repeating Almost all paint. Republican Melt-down? Why is it so hard to believe that DeLay and Frist will ever go to jail? Or that Dubya is actually a two-term President? Or that Cheney won't run for President? Or that history will ever get it all straight? MacDries says, "So call me Mr. Pessimism." Why FEMA Never Got The Message
	9/28/05 New Hamilton Isn't this against the law? Go for it all you digitartists. As We Used To Say... What's happening? Who are all you newcomers? We had been averaging about 20, then 50, regular hits a day but recently it's been going up to over 100!!!!!!! Awesome. I have no way of knowing who actually comes around to lap up my dribble. I should probably be doing something more productive but... Busted!!! House majority Leader, Tom Delay (R-TX) indicted in Texas for conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme. And, in the interim he steps down... hooray! MacDries just loves great news. Pit Bull Attacks 8 Year Old TAUNTON, Mass. -- An 8-year-old boy is recovering Tuesday after a pit bull attack in Taunton. The dog also bit the boy's father. The dog was killed by the police. MacDries says, "Ontario, CA recently banned Pit Bulls from the entire province. Verbum sap." Count 'Em! Donald Rumsfeld is giving the President his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed in an accident." "OH DEAR GOD NO!!!" George W. Bush exclaims. "That's terrible!!" His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the president sits, head in hands. Finally, the President, devastated, looks up and asks.......... "How many is a Brazillion ??!" MacDries says, "A Brazillion here, a Brazillion there, pretty soon you're talking big numbers." Gotta Play At 3-feet, 112 pounds, Bobby Martin is a backup varsity noseguard and plays on the punt and kickoff coverage teams for Dayton's Colonel White High. It's Wednesday That's all I know, so far. My little machine is getting a lot of spinning beach balls these days.
	9/27/05 Can't Do The Time... Sorry Lyndie but do the time... Monk & Trane Just scored the newly discovered Carnegie Hall concert by our hero Monk and his acolyte Coltrane. Both giants are in true form and well worth the 10 bucks. Holy Shee-it!!! Been listening all day to this album and it keeps getting better and better... Sweet & Lovely may be one of the greatest jazz tracks ever recorded. Get it!!!! Painting In Process Details of latest work bench. 80" x 30"- paint on hollow core door. Latest Painting Bush Presidential Library Destroyed By Fire Crawford, Texas -- A tragic fire this morning destroyed the personal library of President George W. Bush. The fire began in the presidential bathroom where both of the books were kept. Both of his books have been lost. A presidential spokesman said the President was devastated, as he had almost finished coloring the second one.
	9/26/05 What Goes Around... First change of leaves around the pond. We're soon coming around to a full year on Angell Hill Road. The leaves were pretty much changed when I first found it. Busted!!!!! "Well, I think really for our viewers it should be understood that I put this into a blind trust. So as far as I know, I own no HCA stock" -- Senator Bill Frist, Republican Majority leader from Tennesee and 2008 Prez candidate. MacDries says, "Then, perhaps, Bill, you can explain how you sold off all your stock just before it tanked." Second That! Chick #1: One of my earphones on my iPod is completely busted. Chick #2: Why? Do you listen to it really loud? Chick #1: Yeah, on the subway. I try to drown out the noise. Chick #2: I wish they made iPods for the nose so you could drown out the smell. Augustana Show Over And of course I didn't sell anything. Cost me money but it was still fun. Got to see old friends and family and will probably never go to the midwest again. Looking In (again) I know this guy. Also Know This Guy Jimmy Jungers, from my old home town, a couple years older, sends me this sort of thing and worse every other day or so. Have no idea where he gets them. Peeve One of the worst things that arrived with the advent of CDs (in addition to the lesser sound quality) is this god-awful practice of adding outakes to classic albums. Motion by Lee Konitz, Sonny Dallas and Elvin Jones was a ground-breaking and perfect LP when it was first issued. (Jim Munce hated it and passed his copy on to me. He also passed along my favorite Rollins, Our Man In Jazz). Fine, I rebought the CDs recently. Now they have a 3 disk CD with all the outakes and 2nd takes etc. No thanks. Don't need it! I also don't need the extra takes on Birth Of The Cool, nor do I need alternate takes on Kind Of Blue, Fuck you very much. If you want to issue alternates for the clone heads who will buy anything, please also issue the album as first issued. There are so few perfect albums that one can put on and be assured of not hearing some asshole in the producers booth adding commentary, let us have them as they were conceived. We don't need your garbage... Would You Believe...? "Sorry about that Chief, but Maxwell Smart has left the building". Bye bye Agent 86, R.I.P. Don Adams. at 82. And Don't Forget... he's still Too Stupid to Be president. Go HERE.
	9/25/05 Go HERE for a virtual tour of the Augustana College exhibition. Last day if you wanna fly on out. Bunker City Still Sucks $5 bargain mentioned yesterday. Back Home and the air stinks. Subways still suck on weekends. #2 was running on local tracks but of course there were no notices posted. One was left to figure things out for oneself. Then at Park Place a scratchy voice came on to say something about switching to the C at Fulton Street but that this train would not be stopping there. I dashed off and walked the rest of the way home. Two hours from Hudson to Sean Penn Station and another hour to get from 34th Street.
	9/24/05 Update Went Tag-Sailing and scored a two-drawer hand-painted chest for Emma's room for $5. Took some cleaning and a bit of repair but kewl. Also scored a VCR for another fiver. Heading back to Bunker City tomorrow, just when I was getting into the rhythm of Fall up here. But, at least, perhaps, maybe, I hope, my resurgent sleep-apnoea will abait a bit. It was triggered by Fall allergies, thank you very much. If you've never had it, it's a feeling of suffocating that keeps waking you up all night. I thought my Pacemaker and by-pass had cured me of it... so much for thinking. Carl has it too and he has to sleep with a postive pressure mask. Not a whole lot of fun.
	9/23/05 Update Want one of these. The leaves are turning and falling a little more each day, the grass is drying out and the pond has evaporated 2 feet from it's summer level. Can't say I've accomplished much today other than being shocked at Willie Nelson's reggae CD Countryman. I didn't think he could make such bad bad music. Shame on you Willie. Da Ganja has pickled you brain, mon. Thankfully, iTunes just switched to Bill Henderson. Do I really want to see the new Jarmusch movie with Bill Murray? It's in town @ $4 which is a great deal these days. Great theatre, The Crandell; it has curtains at the concession bar so you can get up mid-movie and not miss a minute. Do you want to bet that there will not be a single Republican voting against Roberts? Everyone up here has those yellow magnet ribbons telling us to Support Our Troups and Proud To Be An American. I'm thinking of producing one: Ashamed Of Being An American & No, I'm Not Leaving.
	9/22/05 Update Perfect 1st day of Fall, weatherwise. I loafed all day then mowed the small lawn around the house. Movie in town is that 40 year old virgin thing and I've decided to pass. Broiling a couple small steaks for supper with some of the last tomatos of the year. Then a DVD for bedtime. Whoops! Almost burned my steak. This allows me to eat it the way I want. Everyone else, it seems, likes theirs med/rare. Later. Oh, yeah, forgot to tell you, Fish market move has been delayed once again. October, at the earliest, they say. They'll never leave.
	9/21/05 Outta Here 3 more days for the fishmongers downstairs and I'm heading north.
	9/20/05 Mommy's Boy Oldie butt goodie. Latest Painting Spirits Colliding (for Paul Brady) 18.5" x 19" Land Of The Free NEW YORK (AP) -- Police cut short a speech by anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and arrested a rally organizer, saying he hadn't obtained a permit for use of a loudspeaker. My Sentiments, Exactly "Opera is to music... what a bawdy house is to a cathedral." -- H.L. Mencken Sad, But True Bunker City will have to do without me for a few days. Heading up north tomorrow. Deal with it! Who's In Charge Hell is about 10 steps closer now. Europe is experimenting with allowing cell phone usage on planes. Is there nothing we can do to stop this? The following is a repeat from a while back to illustrate the point. Open Letter To The Woman On Her Cell Phone Seated Behind Me On The Full-up 10:35 AM Amtrak Train from Hudson, NY to Penn Station On Tuesday, December 7th, (The 63rd Anniversary of The Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor) Who Repeated Non-Stop The Exact Same Daily Details Of Her Pathetic Life To Four Different People, Ignoring My Frequent Dirty Looks Over The Seat Meaning To Intimidate Her Into Shutting Up It didn't work. Thus, I hope she dies a lonely, painful and extended death. Sincerely, MacDries Ever Wonder...? I've always wanted to know what certain phrases mean; i.e. "by and large", "to boot", and so on. Now there is a site for such things. Type a phrase in Google and you will come up with a LINK to this site. The author also provides an excellent newsletter at no cost. Gotta love the internet. Real Democrats At least we still have two. Harry Reid and Teddy Kennedy announce they will vote against Roberts for Chief Justice. I predict the vote will be in the range of 80-20 FOR the jerk. Democrats, like Lieberman and Koch (and some like Bloomberg actually join the Republicans) are spineless, especially when they know they will lose anyway. They just wanna be on the winning side once in a while.
	9/19/05 Oh Yeah! "Psychoanalysis is the disease it purports to cure." And "They pick our dreams as though they were our pockets." --Karl Kraus Dream On Arlen "I hope that we'll have somebody who is modest like Judge Roberts says he is..." -- Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. MacDries says, "I'd prefer honest arrogance* if he has to tell us he's modest"? Frank L. Wright once said, (paraphrase) "When I was a young man I had to choose between false modesty and honest arrogance. I chose arrogance." The Year Of Hell* We knew this was coming and here it is. Kate has to find and be accepted at a good University, one that has a good music program and a swimming program. It must also not demand her first born child and one of our grandchildren. It should also offer plenty of financial aid. Emma has to find and get into a good public High School in NYC. This is less of a problem. Emma will test out fine, but we still have to go through the countless boring open houses at a few other places (just in case). Emma also insists on considering Bronx Science in case she doesn't get into Stuyvesant. Stuyvesant is numero uno and is in our neighborhood. Bronx Science is numero due and is two hours on the subway daily. Is this a no-brainer or what? Brooklyn Tech is 20 minutes subway away and is numero tre but Emma says she doesn't want to go there. Meanwhile, I'm trying to get back up country and would really prefer to fuhgedaboutit. Nome sain? Sorry, I thought you wanted honesty. Wasn't able to get a good color shot of this painting but here it is in B&W. Maybe you can get an idea of it along with the color details on the link above. As Malraux long ago said, we are all walking through a museum without walls. You all know what the Mona Lisa is, right, but did you ever see the Mona Lisa? Did you ever see it when it wasn't behind bullet proof glass. Did you ever see Seurat's La Grande Jatte without seeing yourself reflected in the glass?
	9/18/05 South Dakota Judith Jones Leo, Carl Grupp & himself at Carl's retrospective at U. of So.Dak. Himself & gallery director Adrien Hannus at Augustana show with Jewels in rear. Coffey & Company played at the opening. Pretty good pickers.
	9/17/05 Happy Birthday Sis My sister, Madonna Dries Christensen, who is today 70 years old, has a book out called Swinging sisters, about some cousins of ours. Go HERE (Amazon) to read about it.
	9/16/05 Christine Albert You owe it to yourself to check out the French singing country babe. Go HERE to hear some samples. Sister LaVerne also recommends Lisa Tingle. Go HERE to hear some samples. Fulton Fish Market Confirmed by our neighbor, Friday is bye bye day. Still skeptical. The Portable Curmudgeon Anonymous says, "The Shrub is a born-again Christian. The trouble is, he suffered brain damage during rebirth." Overheard In NYC Guy #1: Isn't that festival around here somewhere? Guy #2: Yeah, it's down that way. What do they call it? Guy #1: Cinco DiMaggio. Da' Preacher "As we clear away the debris of a hurricane, let us also clear away the legacy of inequality," the president said. "As we rebuild homes and business, we will renew our promise as a land of equality and decency." -- The Shrub MacDries is shocked to say, "He really does think he's a moral man."
	9/15/05 Gaydumb What's a guy supposed to think? Massachusetts rejects a bill to eliminate gay marriage. Brava! Meanwhile, the Vatican is scouring their seminaries for gay men; to "weed them out", as it were. Bravo????? Monk & Coltrane Newly discovered recording at Carnegie Hall is being released by Blue Note on September 27th. Be there or be square.
	9/14/05 Dem Damn Dems What a lackluster bunch. Even my wife is going to vote for Bloombush which doesn't please me at all. In fact it disgusts me; as does he, billionaire, Shrub Supporter, that he is. Don't particularly care for politicians buying into their offices. September is still summer in NYC. The latest word is that the 21st is the last day for the Fulton Fish Market. As Emma says, "I'll believe that when I see it." Or, rather, when I don't see it. Already plotting when I can get up country again. Had a nap dream a while ago that a lawn mowing gang had taken over my 20 acres, uninvited and were mowing all the acres I let go wild this summer. They didn't want to leave and thought I was ungrateful because I didn't want to pay them $1300 for their efforts. What does this mean, Sigmund? I love the big sky in the midwest and the great agricultural architectural structures. These Ethanol plants are new since I last drove around my old home town. Here Come De Judge Except for his contact lenses and blood shot eyes, this guy Roberts is a pretty smooth character. I can't see any way he will be stopped, short of being caught with his pants down in a two-man toilet booth. And if he is not a liar, he will probably be proven to be a decent judge. The upside is: Scalia will never be Chief Justice and I'm ecstatic how pissed he must be about now and for eternity. We Wanna Know Q: What is George W. Bush's position on Roe v Wade? A: He really doesn't care how people get out of New Orleans.
	9/13/05 Bush & Shrub On Vacation In The Big Easy Back from Sioux Falls show and a good time was had by all. Got lots of "stuff" to do but will update soon. Jack Nicholson is quoted by Jim Harrison* as having said, "Only in the mid-west is over-eating still considered an act of heroism." And I can vouch for the accuracy of his statement. I had 4 meals offered to me one day in 12 hours and two is my usual 24 hour intake. *The Raw & The Cooked The show could have used two or three more paintings but I was happy to see it sparce since my studio is always way too filled with paintings. Jewels was the big hit of the show and I tried to photograph it but to no avail. The lighting was not right and I didn't feel like fussing with it. Aaron and his squeeze Lanae came for the opening as did my first childhood friend Doug Mauch and Steve Ellerbroek, fellow Sinatra fan from High School. Brother Mike came but brother Dennis wimped at the last minute. This is The Donut Man (Brian Leo) trying an incantation to spur on his fave Football team who got stomped the next day anyway. We were on our way back from Vermillion where we saw Carl's retrospective at USD. Brian's wife Judith Jones Leo and our fellow classmate Katie Phillips Howard had an opening the night after mine at Carl's longtime squeeze Carol Wright's studio Hands On Creativity Center Then on Sunday (9-11, 9-11, 9-11) Carol had a birthday brunch for Carl (66) before we all hit the road back to Mpls. and myself on to Bunker City on Monday. This is Aaron's new BMW and his new Magnum. He's not sure he can afford the boat but says he can always sell it. As I was leaving, Aaron said he was impressed with my show. He also said, "I'm proud to be your son." That sort of made my life. I'm very proud of him too, doing what he wants to do. All my children are unique and incredibly talented. Those are bragging rights, backed up by the facts. Passed the polling place twice today and couldn't work up any enthusiasm to step inside and pull the lever for any of those Democrats. Bloombush will win in a landslide anyway.
	9/6/05 Go HERE for a virtual tour of the Augustana College exhibition. Outta Here One of the benefits of a trip to the midwest is the taste of Walleye Pike and I intend to take advantage of that perk Wednesday night. Shopping for some comfortable shoes today, filling Rx, and then I'm outta here. Gonna have dinner with sister Shirley and bro-in-law Cy Fitterer, Aaron & his squeeze Lanae and check out his new motorcycle and new boat? Guess his business is doing well. Then on to Sioux Falls for my reception on Friday. See brothers Dennis & Mike and sis-in-law Lee, maybe nephew Scott. Then Carl's retrospective on Saturday down in Vermillion. Then old MCAD friends' Katie Phillips Howard & Judith Jones Leo have an opening on Saturday night at Carol Wright's gallery. Carl's 66th birthday is on Sunday (he's older than me by a 23 months). Party party. Then back next Monday in time to not bother voting in the Democratic primary on Tuesday. Have you ever seen such a bunch of losers? You won't however catch me voting for the Billionaire-Dwarf-Republican-Bush-Supporting-Bloomberg in November. Nuff said?
	9/5/055 @64 Labor Day Big deal since the labor movement means very little these days. And lucky for me cuz I got a flight to Mpls/St.Paul on Northwest whose mechanics are on strike. So far all flights are taking off but who knows the condition of the planes. Am I scared? Scary item in NYTimes today: White House could "conceivably" nominate Clarence Thomas for Chief Justice?????????? Don't even think of it Shrub. The girls and I went to see Suzy Bogguss (great) and Ricky Scaggs & Kentucky Thunder (awesome) last night at Damrosch Park. Beautiful night, great concert and FREE too boot. Skaggs brought a guest mandolin player named Andy Stadtler for one tune; an Hassidic Jew from NYC who was even more awesome than Skaggs, if that is even possible.
	9/4/05 Back In Bunker City Amtak was on time for once and made it back in record time. Plus I'm back on DSL, hooray!. Got to watch a couple matches of the U.S.Open. Maria just won her match, looking good in straight sets. Gretchen is in town and the girls and I are going to see Suzy Bogguss and Ricky Scaggs tonight at Lincoln Center. Free. Eat your heart out. Heading to the midwest on Wednesday for a few days so the blog will again be on hiatus. Deal with it.
	9/1/05 Dries Exposes Himself Go HERE for a virtual tour of the exhibition.
	*August Y2K5 Archives* *July Y2K5 Archives* *June Y2K5 Archives* *May Y2K5 Archives* *April Y2K5 Archives* *March Y2K5 Archives* *February Y2K5 Archives* *January Y2K5 Archives* *Decemnber Y2K4 Archives* *November Y2K4 Archives* *October Y2K4 Archives* *September Y2K4 Archives* *August Y2K4 Archives* *July Y2K4 Archives* *June Y2K4 Archives* *May Y2K4 Archives* *April Y2K4 Archives* *March Y2K4 Archives* Back at'cha Shrub. You little twerp! Go HERE to see the whole tape. Turn the ballot box into a shopping list. These are the stores that supported The Shrub and those who supported the Dems. Buy Blue!!! For The Latest Dries Art GO HERE For The Latest CyberToonz GO HERE I've never actually watched an episode of The Simpsons (I'm more of a Pixar kind of guy) butt... *Dislaimer Go To: MacDries Design Your # is: