St. Louis Area 2014 Fall Events, Festivals and Venues

There are many other events that happen in the St. Louis Metro area other than the ones listed below.  These are my favorite fall cultural events.  On-going attractions, such as The City Museum, etc, are indeed 'another show for a different day'. .....

BELLEVILLE, IL's 200th ANNIVERSARY....

Featuring:
(Highlights, but not limited to...)Friday, September 19,  9:00 PM- 10:30 PM
The Beach Boys

Saturday, September 20, 9:00 PM
The Roots & Boots Tour
Featuring Sammy Kershaw, Aaron Tippin, Darryl Worley

Sunday, September 21, 7:30p-9:00p
Craig Morgan

Please keep in mind that those are the headliner bands in the evening, and on only stage.  There are multiple stages (at least 4) at this event with other genres from classic rock to German music, with a lot of other activities

For more information, please visit:
http://belleville200.com/

Event map:


Missouri Festival for the Arts

 

When:
2014 dates...
Sept 19, Friday, 4:00 to 9:00 pm
Sept 20, Saturday, 1:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sept 21, Sunday, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Where: Historic Main Street St Charles, MO

Fantastically, detailed art, music and food!
The MOSAICS Missouri Festival for the Arts – hosted annually by the Art Festival Association – offers a free, family-friendly community arts event that has provided art appreciation, live entertainment, children’s art education activities and enjoyment for the past 18 years.

This free festival in the City of St. Charles, held on North Main Street in the Historic District, appeals to artists and visitors of all ages – from individuals to families, to those who appreciate art to the serious art collector, as well as aspiring artists and working arts professionals.

The MOSAICS Festival draws from across the St. Louis metropolitan region and surrounding states. The festival is also accessible to individuals of all abilities.

114 juried artists exhibit, sell their art, and compete for cash prize awards.

For more info: 
http://stcharlesmosaics.org/home/
The Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and...The Great Forest Park Balloon Race


The oldest and most well-attended FREE Hot-Air Balloon Event in the World

When: Fri, Sept 19 (evening) - the Balloon Glow

When: Sat, Sept 20 (afternoon) - the Balloon Race

Where: Forest Park, St. Louis, MO

Admission: FREE!

(Bring $$ if you want to purchase  food / drink from vendors, or you can bring your own in a cooler, backpack, etc.)

The Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Race is the second-largest Hot Air Balloon event in the United States, second only to...well...you know who!  :)

The Great Forest Park Hot Air Balloon Race's web site:

(After this page loads, click on the "Experience the website: Click here for a ride.  After a few seconds of a digital hot air balloon ride, you will see pics of both the balloon glow and the actual race from the same ride you would get if you were in a helicopter - or a hot air balloon!)

http://greatforestparkballoonrace.com/

Admission and parking for this event is free. There is a large midway area that has food, other sponsors, as well as a Purina Pet area, live bands, and much, much more.  Most people 'make a day of it' by bringing lawn chairs and / or a blanket and they spend a few hours relaxing under the trees down over the hill from the ball fields where the events are held.  You can buy food and drink from the vendors, or bring your own.

On Friday evening (the night before the actual race), they do the 'Balloon Glow'.  You can walk up to the balloons, and go feel the heat from the burners when they all Glow in the Dark!  The ring leader has an air horn, and every 5 - 10 minutes, he blows that air horn as a signal to the balloon captains. All at once, 40 - 60 balloon captains add turn up the gas, and the resulting flame is bright, but somewhat inefficient:  It produces a brighter, prettier glow  The entire area glows, the crowd cheers, and cameras flash!

You can find many more pictures and video of this event on YouTube (search "Great Forest Park Balloon Race or Glow"), and more photos on sites like Flickr.com.  This YouTube video is a good example of the atmosphere at the Balloon Glow :

This link is to Flickr.com, and some pics of the race and Balloon Glow:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Great+Forest+Park+Balloon&f=hp

It gets a bit crowded at both the balloon glow, and the actual race the day after the glow (Saturday), but with some planning in advance, it is a very enjoyable experience.

**DO NOT DRIVE INTO THE PARK ON EITHER DAY!**

You will be stuck there, and never get out!
We always park out of the park and walk in.

On the day of the actual race, we like to 'park out and walk in', and we find a  little spot under a tree, just down over the hill behind the launch area, about Noon - 1:00 PM. 

The largest hot air balloon in the world, St. Louis' own Energizer Bunny is the 'hare' the leads the 'hounds' (the other 69 balloons!) in a make-shift race, lifting off about 4:30 PM.  It isn't really a race, at all, but more of a competition.  The captain of the Energizer Bunny drops a bag of bird seed from his balloon.  The remaining captains have their own bags of bird seed. They drop theirs as close as they can to where the Bunny dropped his, thus declaring a winner.  (It's not all about the competition - it's all about the beautiful balloons going up on an early fall day, a large, energized crowd, and a good day to be out and about, in general!)

The Taste of St. Louis
(Not to be confused with the Taste of Clayton - a very different event!)



2014 DATES & TIMESFriday, September 19, 2014 – 4pm to 10pm
Saturday, September 20, 2014 – 11am to 10pm
Sunday, September 21, 2014 – 11am to 9pm
LOCATION:
Chesterfield Amphitheater in Central Park & Chesterfield Village.

ADMISSION:
Free to the Public - open to all ages

(Bring $$ for food, drink, and merchandise that you might want to buy)

At 2012's Taste of St. Louis, they had over 350,000 patrons.

This event is a bit different this year, because the ridiculous St. Louis dick heads forced this venue to the county, but it should still be welt worth attending.  I, for one, certainly will!


http://tastestl.com/about-the-taste/


THE STRANGE FOLK FESTIVAL





WHEN:
Saturday, September 27, 2013 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday,   September 28, 2013  10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Where:
401 E. 5th St., O'Fallon, Illinois 62269


Featuring 150 indie vendors selling handmade, upcycled, and vintage wares. 10 bands, unique exhibits and DIY activities for kids and adults, a variety of concessions, and new this year:
the Running with Scissors 5K on Sunday morning!
You can find everything at this event from handmade furniture to handspun yarns. jewelry and findings that would be **GREAT** on your own upcoming projects.  I could have loaded up on watch parts and other 'parts' to be used in future projects. One entire section of this event was wool sheering, spinning, etc.  It's a great event that I am looking forward to.  I bought several things at this festival last year.

For more info:
http://www.strangefolkfestival.com/

The Best of Missouri Market & Shaw Art Fair

When: The first weekend in October each year.

Friday, October 3
6 - 9 p.m. First Look Friday

Saturday, October 4
8 - 9 a.m. Members' Hours
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Market Hours

Sunday, October 5
8 - 9 a.m. Members' Hours
9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Market Hours

Where:  The Missouri Botanical Gardens and Shaw Park, right across the street from the Gardens

Go early!  This event is 4 HUGE tents that are packed with vendors featuring products that are hand made in Missouri...

These products range from many food products to wools, yarns, candles, wood products, artwork, jewelry, lawn ornaments, plants, and much, much more.

Adults (ages 13–64)    - $12
Seniors (ages 65+)      - $10
Children (ages 3–12)   - $5
Garden members        -  $5
(free for members' children 3–12)


There are TONS of free sample at many of the vendor's booths.  Additional items are available for purchase at each booth.

THE HISTORIC SHAW ART FAIR

The Shaw Art Show is held directly across the street from the Gardens, and it is held at the same time as the Best of Missouri Market.  This show features fine artists from all over the country, and occasionally - from around the world.

When: (Located right across the street from the Best of Missouri Show & Sale, the times and dates are pretty much the same.)

Admission:
$7 per person – good for both days. Children 14 and under enjoy free admission when accompanied by an adult.


For more information about The Historic Shaw Art Fair:
http://www.shawartfair.org/

For more information about The Best Of Missouri Show & Sale:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/things-to-do/events/signature-events/best-of-missouri-market.aspx

THE GROVE FEST


While the Grove Fest is the smallest event out of all that I have listed in this blog entry, it is well worth a visit.  Last year, I entered - and won - my first beard contest!  :)



When: October 4, 2014 at 2:00 pm until Midnight

Where:  Manchester Ave between Boyle Ave. Sarah Ave.
GroveFest is an outrageously eclectic FREE street festival in the Grove, a vibrant commercial district here in St. Louis located along Manchester between Kingshighway and Vandeventer. Last year the festival drew over 12,000 attendees, was likened to funky New Orleans street festivals, was praised for the diversity in programming and turnout, and won Best Event Entertainment Concept and Best Public Event Planning ISES awards. At this year’s GroveFest, expect a diverse set of live music, live and interactive art, fashion shows, street performers, and of course, local food, drinks and wares of the Grove’s and St. Louis’ finest establishments.http://www.thegrovestl.com/events/grove-fest/

After your evening at Grove Fest, you can visit one of the nightspots on Manchester - maybe catch a female impersonation (translated: Drag) show at Meyer's Grove?  If you go to Meyer's for a show, plan on being there at least by 8:30 PM (or earlier!) for a 10:00 PM show if you want seating in the stage area.

Just call me "Julie, the tour guide" !  I have gone to these events every year since the late 1980's.  If you want to go, but don't want to go by yourself, give me a holla!

THE LAST OUTDOOR ART FAIR OF THE SEASON:
Friday, October 17, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
October 19, 2014


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Below the solid line are past events.... but you can attend them next year!

The Festival of the Little Hills

**FREE ADMISSION**

2013 Festival Dates

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17
9:30 AM - 10:00 PMSUNDAY, AUGUST 18
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
This huge event is held in in the Historic district of St. Charles, MO, just a few minutes drive from downtown St. Louis.

Lots of arts, crafts and vendors.

(I bought the hat you see in my pics at this festival from the representative from Head'n Home Hats.

( http://www.headnhome.com )

I just got a memo from Head'n Home, and they confirmed that they are going to have their booth at this year's festival.  The same spot as last year:  Booth # 910, which is closer to Old Millstream Inn Restaurant and Beer Garden.  I'm gonna pick out another hat!

You will find many vendors selling products ranging from key chains to fine jewelry to not-so-cheap hats, fine art and much more.  Live entertainment. Great food, and an early fall good time.  


For more info on the Festival, itself:

http://www.festivalofthelittlehills.com/index.html


The Festival of Nations



When:Saturday, August 24, 2013 - 10am - 7pm
Sunday, August 25, 2013   - 10am - 6pm

Where:
St. Louis' Tower Grove Park,  located near Grand and Arsenal on the City’s South Side, only steps away from St. Louis' famed International District!

Admission:
FREE!

(Bring $$ if you want to purchase food or merchandise from the many vendors at this event.)

Founded as recently as 2000, our annual Festival of Nations has QUICKLY grown into the St. Louis region's largest multicultural festival.  The first few years, this Festival was relatively small, located in a tight circle within the park, and having only a few vendors, etc.  The festival continued to grow at a modest rate each year since 2000, and in 2010, it suddenly exploded, expanding exponentially into the large festival that it is today.

With over 140,000 annual visitors, this festival has over 40 ethnic food booths, non-stop dance and music, arts and crafts, and an international bazaar with unique gifts from around the world.

Providing food, entertainment and education all day long during both Saturday and Sunday, this festival features:

	Stage Performances & Entertainment		World Religions
	International Food Court		Global Corner
	World Bazaar		Village Green
	Family Arts & Crafts		Highland Games
	Citizens Corner		Our Green Efforts

For more information, please visit:
http://www.festivalofnationsstl.org/ 

The Greek Festival

WHEN: Held every year on Labor Day Weekend
(This year - 2014 - this event will also be held on Fri. afternoon before Labor Day weekend)
Friday, Aug 29 (5 PM) - Monday, September 1, 2014
WHERE: St. Louis, MO - Forest Park at Kingshighway, just off I-40
Admission:  The admission is free, the food is not free!

There is a gift shop on-site, a small band might be playing Greek music in the corner of one of these massive tents, and on-the-hour, you can take a tour of the Greek Orthodox church - if you want to, but not of these extracurricular activities are required.

THIS FESTIVAL HAS BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE 'ALL ABOUT THE FOOD!'
The food is all Greek, and it doesn't get any better than this.

For more info:
http://www.sngoc.org/content/welcome-st-nicholas-greek-festival-2014

The Japanese Festival

WHEN: (every Labor Day Weekend)Saturday, August 29 - Monday, September 1, 2014
WHERE: The Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110

From the Opening Ceremonies to the Lion dance, the food court and other vendors to the many demonstrations and displays, this festival continues for 3 days.

I always start my day at this festival by eating at the Food Court (before the crowd hits hard!), then I grab some good Sake, and walk through The Gardens, soaking up as much Japanese culture as possible.

GOTTA HAVE SAKE! (That's not *Sake* as in "For Chrissake!", but is is "SAKE" (SAH-KEY), as in good Japanese Rice Wine

I have a Member's Pass to the Gardens, and our price of entry is greatly reduced.

The Admission is as follows (it is well worth the price!):
Admission (ages 13–64) - $15
Seniors (ages 65+)     - $10
Children (ages 3–12)   - $5
Garden members         - $5

(free for members' children 3–12)

For more info:

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/things-to-do/events/signature-events/japanese-festival.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/events/114178962122203/

- Michael

Bye, Bye Borders (and books!)

Starting this Friday, July 30, 2011, all Borders Books stores started their Going-Out-of-Business sales.  They are "selling everything not nailed down", including the fixtures and cafe equipment.


By their own admission, there are several factors that have lead to these store closings. 


1) The economy
2) eBooks


I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't elaborate!  :)


Any catastrophic failure is usually the result of a series of combined events, rather than a single circumstance.  For example, let's consider the sinking of the Titanic.  Yes, I am an amateur sleuth, at best, but off the top of my head, I can name several issues that, when combined, led up to the sinking of the Titanic.   The Titanic could have most likely survived any ONE of these concerns, alone by itself, but in combination, they resulted in the sinking of the Greatest Ship on Earth (at the time).


a) Questionable craftsmanship of the rivets used in the construction of the hull.


b) Only after the sinking of this ship was a double-hull mandatory.  The Titanic's hull was a single thickness.


c) After the sinking, shipping routes were changed to a more southerly route, to avoid iceberg flows.
d) It was night time!  Icebergs could be easily seen during the day.


e) The lack of moonlight made visibility almost impossible.  This was a totally moonless night. Any other phase of the moon would have been more helpful!


f) The night of April 11 - April 12, 1915 was unusually calm.  Even during the night, if there were any waves at all, the foam from the waves crashing on the surface of an iceberg would have been an early warning sign to the men in the crows nest.


g) This ship had, at best, poor maneuverability for it's size.  Emergency maneuvers or hastened moves were out of the question.


h) Even though they still had two boilers that remained unlit, this ship was moving at an excessive rate of speed.  If they were going a bit slower, they would have had more time to react to an emergency situation.


i) There was an iceberg directly in their path!  No iceberg = no sinking!


j) They did not heed iceberg warnings sent via wireless radio from other ships in the area.


....and this list could continue for quite some length.  Here, I have listed just the most obvious circumstances that led to the Titanic's sinking.  Granted, several of these circumstances could not have happened without the presence of another.  For example, if there was no icebergs in the area, iceberg warnings from other ships would have not been issued, in the first place. 


At any rate, had only ONE of these circumstances been true, but the remaining circumstances had not taken place, there is a really good change that the story of the Sinking of the Titanic would not have been told, because it wouldn't have happened.


Another good example would be the Terrorist attacks that were directed at the United States on September 11, 2001. 


(When referring to the events that occurred on September 11, 2001, I **WILL NOT** follow lazy suit and say, "9/11".  How incredibly disrespectful! Can't we honor those that died on that day by at least giving them the dignity - and your TIME - by not bastardizing this tragedy by shortening or abbreviating it's title, TOO?  But the bastardizing and shortening of everything on the damned planet is another topic for another blog!)  Happily continuing......   :)


There are several factors that contributed to the tragic loss of life and property on the morning of September 11, 2001. It wasn't one event of circumstance - it was several.  The obvious events were the attacks on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and in a field over rural Pennsylvania.  Less obvious, but equal contributors are (at the time) the general lack of airport security, and many, many more factors. 


More elaboration on the multiple factors that brought down Borders is necessary:


1) The economy


I will try my damnedest not to wax political, so I will just leave it at this:


During the duration of recent past Presidential tenures, the economy took a serious downturn.  Even though many people are trying to blame it on the current administration, his job is to make an honest effort at cleaning up the gargantuan-sized hot mess created by his predecessor.  I will readily admit that personally, I would not want to take on that job!


Many of today's young adults have not experienced anything but a bad economy (that started at least 12 years ago!)  They have lived with financial 'hard times' all of their recent memories.


When compared to the average American's income, and unless a serious sale is running, books are by no means an inexpensive adventure.


I have spend thousands of dollars on new books at the long-defunct Walden Books (owned by Borders!), Barnes & Nobles, and Borders.  The subjects that interest me are, minimally stated: VARIED!


I have purchased books on everything from Inderior Decorating (Divinely Decadent by Stephen Calloway) to many, many books on knitting, probably 200 lbs of music books and two books on computer modeling and graphic rendering (for the free downloadable "Blender" modeling program), and a couple cookbooks.


The least expensive books that we have purchased from these book sellers were close-out sale items, at $4.99 - $7.99 each.  The average full-priced book that I have purchased starts at $25, and goes up in price quickly.  Most of my music books were at least $20 - 25, and one that I can recall off the top of my head was $50.  The two books that I bought for the FREE Blender program were $45 each.  With tax included, these books were  $105.  One hundred and five dollars for two books to learn how to use a free program! I don't know why the hell I am complaining, because the prices of many of the other books are much higher than $45.  There is a Lego model version of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" house.  I was interested until I noted the price: $129!  $129 - for a box of Lego bricks that isn't a foot square, total.  If one was in the least bit creative, you could get the Lego blocks, yourself, and construct this project for a mere fraction of the cost of that kit.


Please do not misunderstand the intent of this blog. I am the last person that will bitch about the price of QUALITY items.  For example, I go to national award-winning art shows in the St. Louis area several times a year.  While walking through every show, I will always hear somebody mumbling - or NOT so mumbling! - about the price of the art work. Without a doubt, I know that they aren't aware. nor do the complainers care about:


1) The artists are out of work for 6 months while touring the country, pedaling their wares.


2) The entry requirements for any major art show are simply **unbelievably** difficult.  It is not as simple as signing up and paying your entry fee, my good friends. In fact, I don't know of a single art show where the requirements are that simple!


3) Once you get accepted by the panel of judges (!!!), the price of entry to the St. Louis Art Fair, for example, is $1,500 - $2,000, depending on where the booth is located. 


4) Have you stopped at an art store and looked at the price of materials lately?


5) Most of these artists have spent many years experimenting and refining individual techniques that got them to the Art Show level, in the first place.  Is there any compensation for these years, please?


6) The majority of artists at any art show have to travel across the country - and some from around the world - to get to the shows.  We then have to consider the cost of travel: Wear and tear on a vehicle - including the trailer used to tow your art work, lodging, food, fuel for the vehicle, and any other expense incurred on the road.


Admittedly, I am an amateur artist. I have probably inadvertently overlooked half of the items that should be on this list!


Considering these facts, I think all artists that enter art shows should DOUBLE the prices of their work, and start going up from there!  The only downside of that action would be that the murmurs from the idiots would increase continue, and they would be eliminating more possible sales.  


The moral of this segway: I am the last person that will complain about the price of handmade QUALITY.  I do, however, have a beef when I know most books are mass produced using paper and machines, both of which can function fairly inexpensively. 


In an era where we have to worry about feeding ourselves, health care, housing and general living expenses, you will find that "purchasing an expensive book" to be way down that list of priorities.


2) eBooks


Are you kidding me? Both Barnes & Nobles and Borders sell eBooks - Nooks, etc. 


Call me "old", if you want to, or if you will have it that way, but calling me "old" is better than calling me "dead", if you know what I mean. 


Don't knock on my door asking me to buy an eBook (or asking me to pay for on-line games), or virtually anything that I cannot **HOLD IN MY HAND**.  I will tell you here and now that the answer is, "Thank you, but no THANK YOU!"


In 2 - 3 years, your eBook will be horribly outdated and worthless. Ten years after I am dead, the books that I buy will still be on their shelves. The only effort that has to be applied to get them to be useful is to take them off the shelf, and open the cover!  The money that I spent on those books can be spread over a lifetime.  When your eBook is outdated, or becomes obsolete, all that money you spent on downloading 'books' (that you can't hold in your hand!) will go to waste.  If you really, *really*, need to spend your money, and you would rather spend it on a worthwhile cause, please send it to ME!  I still have the things that I buy. I can still hold them in my hand.  And I can still use them on a daily basis.


Example:  An MP3 player.


The 2 year extended warranty on my 2 gig MP3 player expired 3 years ago!  I bought my 2 gig MP3 player (an iRiver) 6 years ago - for $169  I just checked BestBuy.com for comparable players.  The smallest player that Best Buy offers now is a 4 gig - for $39.  


$39 for 4 gigs will get you twice as much memory on the MP3 player that I have for 1/4 the price!


The only computer that is still compatible with this device is my laptop, which still runs Windows XP.  This MP3 player has no updates that are available, so when my XP-run laptop dies (and it is also 6 years old!), I will have to replace my MP3 player. I use this player 45 minutes a day, every-other-day, and I have since I bought it.


However....


Can I confide in you, because you're my favorite confidant?  OK.  Here goes:


Mark, my significant other, has 4 MP3 players that are sitting on his desk even as we speak, and he has used them a combined total of maybe one hour.    They are all of much newer vintages, and have at least 3 - 4 times the capacity of my MP3 player.  His MP3 players have to be charged via a USB connection, and do not have removable batteries.  They *all* hold a charge for only minutes at a time before needing to be recharged.  MY old MP3 player still uses a single AA battery, and my digital camera uses two AA batteries.  When the charge in the batteries in my camera get so low that the camera won't even power-on, I remove them and save them.  I can run MY old MP3 player for 4 - 6 MONTHS, 45 minutes a day, every-other-day on the run down batteries that I have discarded from my camera!


What is the point of all these numbers, and all of this ranging and raving?  My point is:  My old technology, even though a bit outdated, still functions as it was expected to do so from the day I bought it to this very second. Your newer technology is being produced with considerably less care and quality, and I will be using mine long after you have discarded yours in the trash (or abandoned it in the junk drawer!)


My minor point:
Books:  Will still be functional hundreds of years into the future.
eBooks: (Understated) Uh -  Not so much!


Making matters worse, Borders sold the very device that helped to put them out of business.


Class, can I have a volunteer, please?  C'mon!  Raise your hand!  OK...OK.. You... In the front row... Go ahead.. Give me your answer to this question:


"How very intelligent of a business decision do you think it is for a book store (Barnes and Noble - are you LISTENING?) to sell the very device that will predictably run them out of business?"


(Teacher pausing, waiting for the student to answer the question)
(Students looking blankly at the teacher, because they are more worried about the cell phone vibrating in their pockets, rather than actually learning something......)


Teacher:
"OK, I'll give you a little hint:  An example of a good business model would NOT be to sell the very item that would soon put you out of business, and to make the minds that use them even more mushy. That, my good students, would be better examples of laziness and GREED!"


In Summary:


There are (were) at least 2 two-story Borders stores that are on the route that I use to commute to virtually anywhere in the St. Louis area.  One is in the same shopping center as a Whole Foods Market. On a very regular basis, I would go to the Whole Foods Organic Market, get my lunch from the hot food bar, and sit in the window seat in the cafe in the front of the store, eating my adventuresome lunch and watching folk walk by, about their daily business.  After my lunch, I would usually walk 2 stores down to Borders.  Like several other Borders stores in the St. Louis area, this store was 2 floors tall, with a cafe inside.  I didn't just use this establishment as a library, I shopped there. As I said in this blog, I have spent several thousand dollars on many different genres of books and merchandise from Borders stores. I not only lived there, but I shopped there, too! 


Removing major book sellers can't possibly serve to help today's society, and the diminishing levels of education, morals, values, and energies, in general, of the American public, and specifically our youth. 
The fibers of the fabric of our society are becoming unraveled at a rate that is alarming.  Withing ONE generation, our youth went from "glad to be here / eager to learn something" to "You owe me, and you know it / I don't give a crap about you / What can you do for me?" 


To make matters worse, lazy-assed adults are following in their KIDS footsteps. They have learned from their children on how to get by (for now!) by thinking and DOING less, and being incredibly lazy in every aspect of their lives. Neither generation is aware of the long term ill effects that this behavior (or lack, thereof!) will produce. I can tell you one thing that is certain:  When other countries beat your pants off, and kick your ass in technology, art, skill, education - and virtually every-other issue on the damned planet, you only have yourselves to blame.


There is something to be said for the old children's song, "Make new friends, and keep the old!  One is silver, and the other - Gold!"  A well balanced society keeps a F-I-R-M grip on their past, while bravely charging forward. Please note that I didn't say that you need no grip at all on the past, OR a death grip on the past, I said a FIRM grip on the past.  Likewise, nothing was said about having a weak grip on the future, or a strong hold on it, either. BALANCE. 


Closing bookstores is NOT included in this balance.


Closing bookstores = an increased lack of education


Lack of education produces BLOCKHEADS.


I hope to God that fate chooses one of these BLOCKHEADS to administer a pain shot, for example, to those who think it is a good idea to further diminish our country.  My guess is that at that time, it will be a bit too late to hope that the person filling that syringe paid attention in class, and that they are observant, and detail oriented.  BOOKS help to achieve those qualities. BLANKNESS - not so much!


- Michael             

Free to Good Home! (Green thumbs, please apply!)

(PICTURES OF EACH PLANT ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE!)
The bad thing about taking good care of your plants is that they never stop growing! I have come to the conclusion that I can no longer provide an adequate home for this tree, and I am not the type of person that will put all that hard work, sweat, love and care into them, and watch it die because it has outgrown its space. 

Through much deliberation, I have come to the conclusion that I need to find this Cherimoya a new home.

I would like this plant to be established in its new home before winter arrives.  I know most people are probably not thinking about winter when today's temps are 100 degrees or more, but please rest assured that winter is approaching at a regular, predictable rate.

Contrary to popular belief, I am not dumping all my valuables before I commit suicide, and  I haven't just thrown my hands up in the air and said, "To Hell With it!".  Neither am I the type of person that will fall in love with something, buy it, and in two months, I have moved on to the next thing.  I don't behave in that manner, and I don't much care for those who do. 

A Cherimoya tree

I planted this tree from a seed that I got from a Cherimoya fruit at a local International Food Market.

More information can be found on the Cherimoya by Googling the name on the internet, or by going to this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherimoya

**The interest in this plant is it's uniqueness.   It might flower and bear fruit at some point in the future, but don't hold your breath waiting for it to do so, if you know what I mean.**

If it DOES flower, the fertile period for the flowers is very short.  Each individual flower is male by day, and changes to female at night!

These fruit are somewhat rare in the Midwestern markets, but when they are available, ripe fruit are described by many people as having a variety of tastes.  "Bubblegum Flavored Yogurt" best describes the flavor, in my opinion.  Please note that this particular tree has neither flowered nor bared fruit. I am just giving you general facts about the plant.  The reason you would want this tree is as a curiosity, more than anything.  Any future fruit-baring would be an added bonus, and definitely unexpected.

Even though I have this tree outside during the summer, and it is listed as a "tropical tree", it is actually a "Mountainous Sub-Tropical tree".  It can't stand the snow, but it does like to see it in the distance!

While under my care, this tree is located in a spot where it does get some afternoon sun, but does get partial shade.  Even though it is listed as a "Sub-tropical" tree, it doesn't like the horribly hot temps that the St. Louis area has been getting lately (summer - 2011).  In fact, this tree requires a few weeks with the temps at least in the 40's - 50's, or it will go dormant.  This is the issue with the Cherimoya that is in the Climatron Tropical Rain Forest at the Missouri Botanical Gardens.  That particular Cherimoya is exposed to a constant 85 degree temp, year-round, and doesn't really get enough light.   The Cherimoya that I am trying to relocate is 1/5 the age of the one at the Botanical Gardens, yet it is 4 times it's size, and is much more robust.  The problem is that the horticulturists that placed the Cherimoya in the Climatron read, "Tropical" on the description, and didn't investigate further.  The tree at The Gardens is not allowed to experience a few weeks of cooler weather, and sadly, it is going dormant. 

Cherimoyas can be the first plant you take out of the house for the summer in mid-April (in the Midwest), and the last you bring inside, in the fall.  They like a bit of cool weather - but NOT freezing!

When crushed between your fingers, the leaves and branches of this tree have a "peppery" fragrance.  The tree that I have available had a serious pruning early in the spring - and it has completely grown back to its original size. 

Dragon Fruit Cacti - climbing cacti - miniature pineapples on the right.

More Dragon Fruit Cacti - climbing cacti

Miniature Pineapple plant - will produce another mini pineapple.

Miniature Pineapple plant - will produce another mini pineapple - with more cacti

I will give away two of these various citrus trees.

A full-size Dole pineapple plant.  In another year, it should produce a full-size, edible pineapple.

Another full-size Dole pineapple plant with a 4 - 5 ft. tall avocado tree on the left..  This pineapple has already produced one fruit, but might produce another.

The Cherimoya tree - I put the 5 gallon bucket next to the huge make-shift pot to give a comparison for the size of this tree.

(Because the Cherimoya tree blends with it's background in this pic, I outlined it for clarity.)

Another Avocado tree.  Not guaranteed to fruit, and not the prettiest of trees, but they are interesting, fast, easy growers (but week wood!)

I knew when I began growing these plants from seed and from small starts that the day would come where I would have to find them new, bigger homes.  The day has arrived, and life goes on.

If you are interested in any of these plants, or you know anyone who might be, please send them my e-mail address, or have them contact me at information:

MJKeller568@aol.com

- Michael

To Hell with that, he says! (And Conrad recycles junk mail!)

Those brave few who have been following along know that I have a 16 yr. old African Gray Parrot, "Conrad".  African Grays are arguably the most intelligent and best talkers of the entire parrot world.  The uninitiated person might ask, "Then why haven't I seen them on Talent Shows on TV, or in animal shows at Zoos?"  Or they might add, "My uncle has an African Grey, and that thing never talks!"  The rebuttal to both these statements is straightforward:  The same intellect that allows African Grey parrots to learn complex tasks and to be the best 'talkers' of the parrot world allows them to know when they WANT to speak, and when they want to remain quiet.  If everything they said was a "knee-jerk" response, they would be perfect candidates for animal shows.  The trainer would say a trigger word, and the parrot would answer with whatever response that he has been trained to do so.  Instead of repeating phrases that an African Gray has learned in response to a trigger.  Not in an unhumanlike fashion, Grays speak for several reasons:

1) To vocalize their wants and needs
2) To communicate with their flock (ME!)
3) To entertain themselves.
4) To entertain others!
5)  To get attention!

Note that "mimicry" is not in that list.  Most Greys do have a daily 'song' that they may perform when communication with others is not required. They will recite this 'song' until they feel the need to interrupt it for more pertinent speech, stop the song to utilize their voices in a manner that is consistent with the matter at hand, and often, will return to the place in their 'daily song' where they stopped to speak.  This 'song', mind you, is not the 'song' that most people imagine to be a 'bird song'.  African Greys don't really have voices of their own, but their voices are borrowed from any other sound source around them.  Conrad's daily 'song' consists of speaking (in my voice!), whistles, human sounds (laughter, belching, passing gas, sneezing, coughing!), many, many household sounds, and the list can continue forever.  The sounds included in these songs remains fairly consistent, but will change over time.    When I bought Conrad from his previous owners in 2001, his 'song' consisted of human baby sounds, and conversations between Marnie / Billy, the couple that owned him.  His song even included a wide range of sports sounds" "How 'bout them Cowboys?" - "Go, Rams! Go, Rams!" - "Cardinals, Cardinals, Cardinals!", and crows cheering, and even the "Charge" music and theme.

Although Conrad's daily song still includes a tiny baby crying (that tiny baby would now be 12 - 13 years old!), I only occasionally hear the once-more-common sports themes.  Mind you, I haven't watched or listened to a game on TV or radio in my entire life!

African Grays have more insight into their lives than most people understand.  They have the average IQ and emotional needs of a 4 yr. old human child.  Any of you out there that has spent any time at all around a 4 yr. old child should readily admit that they are advanced little creatures!  They are capable of using tools, forming fairly complex sentences, and expressing their wants and needs, as well as play activity, etc.  They are also capable of learning, using and retaining the information they have acquired.  Everything that can be said for the development of a 4 yr. old child - including potty training! - applies to an African Gray parrot.  For more insight on the subject, pay close attention to this video. Many more videos featuring Alex and Dr. Pepperburg can be found on YouTube.  They only issue I have with Diane Sawyer's narration during the video is that, on at least two occasions, she says that "Alex was more of a genius in the parrot world."  Not so. Alex was purchased quite randomly from a pet store for the purpose of this 30 year experiment:  To determine the level of parrot intelligence. My issue is that Alex was no more of a genius among his peers than id any other African Gray parrot.  With slight varying degrees to allow for individuals within the species, **ALL** African Gray parrots are capable of mastering the same techniques that Alex has mastered.  Alex was just the "poster child!"  he he he 

When I have guests over to the house, I try my best to educate those who approach Conrad and talk "stupid parrot talk" to him. I will kindly say to them, "Please don't talk that way to him!   That is really an insult to Conrad, who talks in either my voice, Billy's voice (from the family that owned him before I did - pre-2001 !), or Mark's voice. He speaks in a HUMAN voice, and not a stupid voice-over you hear when a parrot 'speaks' on Television.  If you talk to him in that voice, in TWO days,  I will hear that same stupid voice come out of him!"  Then, again, there are the stupid bastards that actually try to poke at him, move his toys, or his swing.  I have run more than one person out of my home that wouldn't stop picking at Conrad through his cage. I tell them, "Since he doesn't come to your home and harass you. I will kindly ask you to respect him as a being that is as intelligent, and maybe even more than yourself, and I will ask you to not come to HIS home and harass HIM."  You would not believe some of the blank looks I have received over the years!


To continue:


When toys are bought for an African Gray parrot, the procedure for placing the new toy in the existing cage is very different than most people would imagine.  They can't take the toy home from the pet market and place the toys directly in the cage.  They African Gray would throw SUCH a fit that the toy would have to be removed immediately to avoid having the entire room messed up, and possible injury done to the bird.  I know....I know... The question presents itself, "How can such an intelligent bird be so maladjusted?"  The answer is the same for "Why won't they speak in front of strangers / at animal shows?"  The same intellect that allows an African Grey to clam up at the most inopportune time also allows them to worry themselves to death over any change in their environment or their routines.   African Grays have a strong sense of 'worry'. Worry, in itself, is a complex thought process.


So....


I bring home this toy a YEAR ago.  A lot of African Gray owners will tell you that they have to place the new toy in the same room as the cage, but across the room from it!  Every day, the owner will move the new toy one to two INCHES closer to the cage, until the toy is hanging on the OUTSIDE of the cage. THEN, they let it hang on the outside of the cage for a couple weeks before moving it one-inch-per-day closer to the door of the cage!  Finally, the 'big day' comes, and the toy is moved INSIDE the cage door, but as close to the original spot as it was on the outside of the cage!  Inch-by-inch, day-by-day, the toy is moved closer to the place that it will occupy on a permanent basis in the cage.  If you overlook or hurry any of these steps, I guarantee you that you will live to regret your haste.


The toy pictured below is a "foraging" toy. It requires forethought and action from the bird to retrieve treats that are inside the toy. In this instance, the plastic rings on the toy have a couple holes in the bottom of each ring, opening to the next ring below. According to the bird's achieved skill level, treats can be placed in higher and higher rings, until the treat is ultimately in the clear blue ring at the top - the highest level


Up to this point, Conrad and I have reached the orange level, after graduating from his fear of the thing, then placing treats in the lowest level, to give him the general idea of the thing. 

Conrad will often indicate to me when he 'wants to play' by pecking at the empty chambers of the toy. That is my cue to "get busy", and fill the lower 2 levels with peanuts.


Today, he pecks at the empty chambers, and I get the peanuts to put in the chambers.  Conrad then proceeds to wrestle a peanut out of the appropriate chamber, then hurls the peanut across the room at me!


I said, "Oh, you little ass!", and I picked up the flung peanut from across the room, and refilled the chambers. As quickly as he could, he wrestled the same peanut out of it's chamber, and flung it across the room at me again, all the while glaring down his bill at me!  He was pissed at me for some reason.  Even though he thought it was necessary, he didn't really need to tell me twice!  I left the peanuts out of that toy for the rest of the day.


RECYCLING JUNK MAIL:


Conrad was potty trained before I got him from his previous owners.  I would sit him on the rim of the toilet while I took my morning shower, and he would potty without prompting. After the deed was done, he would announce his accomplishment by saying, "I shit! I shit! huh huh huh (a dull laugh) I shit, I shit!"
When I get him out of his cage, I can have him sitting on my hand, and I can hold him over the bowl of the toilet, and say, "Go Potty!"  He will take a birdie dump and say, "Shit, bird!  Shit, bird!"  It is pointless for me to say that one of his previous owners - over 10 years ago - didn't like him.  That would be Billy, the husband


Conrad was a college graduation gift for the woman that raised him from the time he hatched from an egg. Her father gave her a choice: A car or a parrot. She chose Conrad. 


Marnie, his 'birth mother',  raised Conrad from an egg and fed him with an eye dropper because his eyes were still closed. That is TOO young to adopt a baby parrot, but I digress. In any case, he survived his early adoption, and was raised by a woman until her marriage.  As another point of interest, out of the thousands of phrases that Conrad says, he speaks only one word in a woman's voice: "Hello!", and he can say "HELLO!" in many different ways, all but one of them is in a man's voice.  The clincher:  The woman's voice that he speaks in for that ONE WORD is **not** the woman that raised him, but it is her best friend's voice!


Anywho....Conrad is somewhat potty trained, but that cannot be relied upon 100% of the time.  All birds are influenced by evolution, one way or the other.  Most parrots eat away from their nests, and don't really care where scraps of food fall.  They are VERY messy little beings!  I often change the layer of paper on the bottom of Conrad's cage once and often twice a week. If you look at his cage between cleanings, you would be inclined to think that I hadn't touched it in months. They are, indeed, messy.


As luck would have it, I do not have to use any type of new paper to line the bottom of his cage. I use junk mail!  Is it a bad 'sign of the times' when we get more junk in the mail than I possibly use to line the bottom of a parrot's large, messy cage with twice-a-week cleanings?  I can only imagine all the millions of tons of paper that could be saved by not sending any of that crap to our doors!


- Michael

Cut their salary and Hire them back!

This is the Facebook post that I am responding to:

"Salary of the US President. ..$400,000
Salary of retired US Presidents ...$180,000
Salary of House/Senate...$174,000
Salary of Speaker of the House.. .$223,500
Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders... $193,400
Average Salary of a Soldier DEPLOYED IN IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN.... $38,000
I think we found where the cuts should be made! If you agree... repost"

My refutation:

You know I love you, God knows I do ("I luz Harpo, God Know I do!....)  But.... I am going to have to respectfully offer a more broad perspective on the situation.

We live in the zip code in Missouri with the most income per capita in the state of Missouri - 63124: Ladue, MO 

The suburbs that surround us can't be far behind: Clayton, Frontenac, Huntleigh, etc.   All these areas are immediately west of the St. Louis City limits, and are considered St. Louis County.

Ladue, MO is #20 per capita in the entire United States, and as a comparison, Beverly Hills, CA is #99.  Another interesting fact is that August Busch of Anheuser-Busch lives less than a mile from our house, and he lives in the next "burg" over - Huntleigh, not Ladue.

There is a house that is less than a quarter of a mile - a few blocks from our house, where the UPKEEP and TAXES on their home is more than the combined income ($1,170,938) of the individuals you listed above. Please don't misunderstand me. I didn't say the value of this home is $1,170,938, I said the yearly costs of running and maintaining this home is $1,170,938.  Mark and I went to an estate sale right across the street from this house. It was one of the smallest homes in the area, and is up for sale: $4.1 million.  The house where the upkeep is $1,170,938:  $20 million.

Compared to the average doctor, CEO, business owner or business man, in general, that lives in our area, **ALL** of the people that you have listed above have embarrassingly low incomes.  And they run our country, or keep us protected.

Another fact that goes in this category is the fact that many of the past Presidents of the United States have forfeited their salaries.  How can they do this?  They were independently wealthy before being elected.

I am honestly and truly not the jealous type. I have learned to avoid jealousy like the plague. The result of not doing such will cause people to morph into my family members!  I don't care one way or the other whether they are independently wealthy, or not.  I would be living in the wrong area if people with money made me jealous, if you know what I mean. 

HOWEVER..... (Don't you just love "Howevers" ?....)

Since our government is known for underpaying our leaders, only the wealthy can afford to run for the position, leaving only the wealthy and their ideals to make decisions for the rest of the country.  If we RAISE their salaries, it makes these positions competitive for all, allowing more of a wide range of the population to occupy these offices, rather than a rich, elite group.  It really isn't in our best interest to allow a group of rich people to run a country where most of us are "financially embarrassed", if you know what I mean.

While I am on the 'Alice In Wonderland' tour, please allow me one more segway.

Many people are strongly opposed to self check-out lanes in supermarkets.  Their argument is that the this invention is taking away jobs that could be filled by unemployed humans. 

(Open your tough little noggins and be ready to accept NEW and exciting information!)

1) Self check-out lanes are NOT replacing humans. An increasing work load will have to be accomplished by the number of cashiers that the store already has employed.  If they take out the self check-out lanes, they are NOT going to hire more cashiers to replace the removed self check-out lanes.  Self check-out lanes are not REPLACING anybody, they are assisting those that are already there!

2) If these lanes were not in our markets, you would be waiting in long lines for the same number of cashiers as the store employed BEFORE the self check-out lanes your wait in a check out lane, in a longer line, waiting for a human to ring up your purchases -  would be much longer.

Unfortunately for those who share my world, my thoughts are never 'linear'. Likewise, trying to explain the monkeys juggling knives in my head is no real walk in the park, either.

I don't know if crossing the Government Salary debate with the Self Check-Out debate made anything more clear, or confused the Hell out of my dear readers.  While you decide, I will summarize:

1) Don't cut government employee's salaries.  They are already so low that they are embarrassing the Hell out of our country in the eyes of the rest of the world.  Don't cut the government employee's salaries - RAISE ALL THEIR SALARIES, INCLUDING THE SOLDIER'S!

2) You will not like the outcome of the situation if our retailers remove the self check-out lanes. They should add more!  The predicted outcome would be that more of your most valuable, non-renewable resource (TIME!) would be wasted while waiting in longer lines.  I know denial runs deep in some individuals, but I, for one, am well aware that my life is finite.  One day, it will come to an end.  I do **NOT** want to waste **any** of that remaining valuable non-renewable resource (TIME!) waiting in long lines because somebody else with more power and money than I have is the one that refuses to see the big picture. 

3) And pay those government employees MORE.  In my mind's little eye, it is a 'bad thing' that the *upkeep* on a man's house that lives just a few feet down street is more than the combined salaries of several major government officials.  Remember:  I didn't say the value of his house was more than their combined incomes.  I said the UPKEEP:  Taxes, utility bills, lawn care, maid and cleaning service, etc. 

Capish?  :)

- Michael

I am expecting a new baby, and I am about to (take delivery) at any time now!

I just bought a new piano, a Kawai 506N,  just a few minutes ago.  Counting this instrument, I now have 26 keyboard instruments and 3 guitars.....
My latest acquisition is a new, acoustic institutional piano that has the heavy touch of a new piano, and the big sound I'm looking for. It is in a ebony satin finish.

This piano, except with a black satin finish:
http://www.michellespiano.​com/Kawai/506N/172

A vid:
http://www.youtube.com/wat​ch?v=k5AGC1XpY-g


I had two Steinways that were thrown in my general direction, and even though the temptation was great, I passed on them both. One was a 1984 Steinway spinet for $6,500 that felt and sounded beautiful, and the other was a Steinway grand that had some restoration work, for $7,995.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why, but Mark still wants me to get a Grand. And he doesn't even play! I want a grand, but future moves, humidity, and general space issues has to be taken into consideration. It feels odd that I have to be the 'heavy' on this issue, instead of Mark, for a change. Ya know?  That one grand (not a Steinway!) was only $1,700. I might have to add that one on to the collection.

My collection now Includes:

...3 amplifiers.
...2 mixers
..20 speakers
...(1) 1888 reed / pump organ
...(1) hand-pumped Indian Harmonium
...(1) Early 1970's vintage rare Baldwin Syntha-Sound synthesizer
...(1) 1983 Hammond Composer spinet organ
...(1) 1969 Hammond E-100 console organ with an attached Leslie 122 speaker
...(1) 1963 Hammond A-100 console organ with an attached Leslie speaker
...(1) 1966 Wurlitzer electric piano
...(1) Yamaha Digital piano - full 88.
...(2) Axiom MIDI contoller keyboards - (1) Axiom 49 and (1) Axiom 61
...(1) Korg MS-20 MIDI modeler synthesizer. complete with the Korg Legacy Software package
...(3) J Chein toy player pianos that really play their own proprietary piano rolls.
...(3) Shoenhut toy pianos
...(2) full sized Accordions.
...(1) 2011 Kawai 506N upright acoustic piano.

I am not a dealer - I am a hoarder!  he he he

"They" say that hoarders always have psychological issues that drive them to hoarding.  As much as I hate "They", and I don't even know who the Hell "They" are, "They" might be right!

My issue, you might say, stems from my mother buying me a 1979 Kimball piano as my only Christmas gift in 1980.  Little did I realize that she bought it as a weapon, but both then and now, I turned it against her. 

She told me that when I moved out, and I found a place of my own, I could take my piano with me. It was, after all, a Christmas Gift to me.  She couldn't then, and she can't now play a tune on a toy piano without someone holding her hand and guiding each finger.

A few years after she "bought me the piano", when I moved out, and I told her that I want to take my piano with me.  She told me "It's not yours to take", and she gave it to the Pentecostal Church in Quincy, where they placed it in the basement. The last time I saw that poor piano, the front board was **GONE**. and so were many of the keys, hammers, etc. It was HEAVILY damaged.  I am here to tell you that one of the pianos that Mark wanted me to buy while shopping for my new piano was an early 1900's (1910's, to be exact) grand piano that is in PHENOMENAL shape. With the only exception of out-right abuse, there is no way in Hell that a piano built in 1979 should have any mechanical issues at all, and it should not have been ripped to shreds by individuals who simply do not give a shit about any quality or talent.

I hope and pray that the individuals (including my mother, and my father, who let her do it!) are held accountable for such a display of disrespect of beauty, talent and hard work.  Actually, they ARE paying for it, even as we speak.  Their punishment is to continuing living the lives they are living. I wonder if they are smart enough to figure why "what had been coming at them is still being hurled in their direction?)  To quote my own mother (God, don't make me quote that woman!):  
"Does a skunk smell his own hole?"  The answer:  No
 
Likewise, most folk who have been given an extra dose of Karma actually know why it has been aimed at them!
If she tries to take **this** one from me, I might have to go to jail.  I will leave my debit card on the kitchen counter so Mark can get the money out of my account to bail me out!

To quote Sophia Petrillo during the episode, "MidWinter Night's Dream" - the last line,:
"Well, Pardon me while I go play the Grand Piano!"  :)

- Michael