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Listmania

Have you notice the blogs and social networking sites are just loaded with lists. Lists everywhere; the best, the worst, the do’s and dont’s, 10 places I’d like to go, 25 random things about me, favorite movie lists, bucket lists, and on and on.

I don’t listen to music very often these days, but I went out for a short run today with my MP3 player, which has many of my favorite songs on it. So, of course I thought of making a list. A favorite song list could be very long… should it be my top 10 favorites, top 20? I decided to cut my growing list down to a Big 30 list.

Those of you who grew up in the Boston area in the late 60’s / early 70’s will remember radio station WRKO’s “Big 30” song lists. WRKO and DJ Dale Dorman were very popular at that time. I remember looking forward to walking down to the local music store to pick up a new Big 30 lists, which came out once a week. And if I was lucky enough to save some baby-sitting money, I could buy a new 45 record. 45’s actually out-sold albums at that time.

So, here is my Big 30 favorite songs list, in alphabetical order. These are songs that I’ve listened to over and over without getting tired of them. Feel free to comment with your favorites. I might have to update this list if I think of a song or two that I’ve forgotten, which could bump one of these songs off my list.

1. American Dream – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2. American Pie – Don McLean
3. Angie – Rolling Stones
4. Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes – Jimmy Buffet
5. Eclipse – John Denver
6. Eighties Ladies – K.T. Oslin
7. Forever And Ever Amen – Randy Travis
8. Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
9. From A Distance – Bette Midler
10. Greatest Love of All – Whitney Houston
11. Hallelujah – Rufus Wainwright
12. Harvest – Neil Young
13. Hey Jude – Beatles
14. Hotel California – Eagles
15. Imagine – John Lennon
16. In the Year 2525 – Zager and Evans
17. Kokomo – Beach Boys
18. Landslide – Stevie Nicks
19. Love Can Build a Bridge – The Judds
20. Lyin’ Eyes – Eagles
21. Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin
22. Middle Ground – Mary Chapin Carpenter
23. Same Old Lang Syne – Dan Fogelberg
24. Spilled Perfume – Pam Tillis
25. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
26. Stay – Jackson Browne
27. Teach Your Children Well – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
28. That’s What Friends Are For – Dionne Warwick
29. Total Eclipse Of The Heart – Bonnie Tyler
30. Turn The Page – Bob Segar
31. Wonder – Natalie Merchant
32. It’s Gonna Be Okay – Theresa Andersson

Stay – Jackson Browne added 04/30/09; It’s Gonna Be Okay – Theresa Andersson added 05/24/09, now need to remove two song…which ones, which ones?

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New England Shivers

New England shivers without power after ice storm

(CNN) — At least 800,000 customers in New England are still without electricity on Sunday after an ice storm ravaged the region, officials say.

President Bush has authorized federal aid by declaring a state of emergency in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Full Story

There is devastation all around us, but luckily we were spared here in the Blackstone Valley.  My sister is still without power; day 4 for her.   Here are a couple more photos.

Backyard, she lost all but one of her trees:

Backyard

 

Road
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Bush declares emergency in icy Massachusetts

A severe ice storm prompted President Bush to declare Saturday that a state of emergency exists in northern Massachusetts, a move that authorizes the use of federal aid to help the recovery effort.

Gov. Deval Patrick declared a statewide state of emergency on Friday in response to the storm, which struck Thursday and continued into Saturday.

By Saturday night, there were 180,000 customers without power, said James Mannion, deputy public information officer for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

In addition, 750 National Guard troops were deployed in the affected area, he said.

“The big problems here are, obviously, the power outages,” he said.

Officials were working to clear roads so that power crews could get in.

Full story

Below is a photo of my sister’s driveway.  We were spared the ice here in Grafton as the temperature hovered just above freezing.  But folks north and west of us were not so lucky.  We had 3 friends stay with us Friday night and my sister and brother-in-law stayed over last night.

Ice Storm
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National Day of Mourning

This monument stands on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Cole’s Hill overlooks Plymouth Rock and the waterfront. Every Thanksgiving since 1970, Native people and supporters gather at 12 noon on Cole’s Hill for a “Day of Mourning”. This is a solemn day in mourning of their ancestors, the genocide of their people and the theft of their lands.

National Day of Mourning monument, Plymouth, MA

 

Plaque reads; “Since 1970, Native Americans have gathered at noon on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth to commemorate a National Day of Mourning on the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Many Native Americans do not celebrate the arrival of Pilgrims and other European settlers. To them, Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of their people, the theft of their lands, and the relentless assault on their culture. Participants in the National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native people to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.”

Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and celebrate all the things we have to be thankful for, but I think it’s also important to remember the true history of Thanksgiving.

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Massachusetts Proposal Would Repeal Income Tax

New York Times Article
Published: September 27, 2008
By Pam Belluck
Read Article: Massachusetts Proposal Would Repeal Income Tax
Grafton, MA

I had no idea such a stupid question would be on the ballot in November! Boy, I wish I was picking up a pizza when they were interviewing, I would have given them an earful, LOL! I remember people at the Stop and Shop hounding shoppers as they left the store to sign this petition.
I said, “no way!”
The petition lady said, “you don’t want less taxes?”
I said with a smile, “that’s right; I’m a liberal.” 🙂
You should have seen the dirty look she gave me. But then everyone else they asked was signing the thing. Less taxes? Ya, that sounds good to me, Duh! It’s very easy to get ignorant people to sign something like this. You know, smaller government and less taxes always sounds fine and dandy, unless you happen to need help, want good schools, decent roads, etc. And of course, nothing will turn a republican into a democrat faster than a disability.

Plus, the state will just get the money somewhere else, like real estate taxes. We will pay one way or another. I’d rather have an income tax then higher property taxes. I’m sure that retired elderly folks on fixed incomes will agree.

Massachusetts Voters: VOTE “NO” on Question 1

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