The Back Part Of The Basement

NHL '08-'09

2008-10-03T12:50:00.002-04:00

Finally - the start of another NHL season is upon us!

After signing up for a partial plan last season, we decided to become Washington Capitals season ticket holders. And, we are new subscribers to NHL Center Ice, assuring there will be more than enough hockey on TV in our household every night.

The Capitals outlook is pretty good this year. They have supportive, committed ownership, a terrific head coach, a wealth of talent at the forward positions - but some aspects of their defence and goaltending may be suspect. I think they are assured to make the playoffs this year - if they don't it will be MAJOR dissapointment to the local area fans (who signed up for season-ticket and partial plans over the summer) - but maybe don't have quite enough to win the Stanley Cup, at least this year. We'll see!

LET'S' GO CAPS !!!!

I'm Baaaaaack!!.............

2008-10-03T12:45:00.001-04:00

I haven't been here in quite some time. Maybe I'll start blogging again!

Lionel Layout for "The Sopranos"

2006-03-08T21:55:00.000-05:00

The Train Station, a mostly-Lionel train dealer located in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, is auctioning off a train layout it custom built for an episode of "The Sopranos" scheduled to air this season. Details and photos right here. Bada-bing, bada-boom!

Yanni Arrested for Alleged Domestic Abuse

2006-03-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

"New-age" musician Yanni (pronounced "Yawn-ee") has been arrested down in F-L-A for alleged domestic abuse. Details and mug shot are linked here courtesy of The Smoking Gun.

If these allegations are true, his punishment should be confinement in a locked room, forced to listen to his own music. (Hell, even if the allegations aren't true!)

CSNY in 2006? (Update)

2006-03-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

It's all but official that Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young (pictured here in 1974 - can't you just get a 'contact high' looking at this picture?) will be touring this year.

The Orlando Sentinal reported that Graham Nash broke the news at a recent media event for the Photographers Who Rock. "We're likely going to do 15 dates in Europe and then 35 in the states and the tour likely will focus on outdoor sheds and arenas'' Nash said. The U.S. portion is likely to start in late June.

Last month Neil Young also hinted at a new CSNY album and tour for 2006. Some die-hard Young fans on The Rust List detest CS&N and don't understand why Y wastes his time with them. The think Neil can do no wrong and would much rather see him tour with Crazy Horse.

All I know is, I'm in for CSNY'06 (and the' Horse' if it's gonna happen).

Sealed With a Kiss? - NOT!

2006-03-04T11:34:00.000-05:00

Paul and Heather McCartney (photo left, with seal) squared off with Newfoundland and Labrador(Canada) Premier Danny Williams last night on "Larry King Live" in a heated debate over the hunting of seals.

"This is about propaganda. This is about using superstars like your husband," Mr. Williams said during one heated exchange with Mrs. McCartney.

"We're not here for propaganda," she replied, cutting Williams off mid-sentence. Ouch!

John Gleeson has a biting criticism of Sir Paul's latest cause in the Winnipeg Sun. Ouch again!

Sex Pistols to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:"Sod off!"

2006-02-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

I never did care their for music, but the Sex Pistols came along in 1977 and gave rock music a long-overdue kick in the pants. Now they have impolitely declined the invitation for induction into the overblown, self-important Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.

Good for them. Read about it here in Undercover.

Separated At Birth?

2006-02-27T09:13:00.000-05:00

Mayberry is a little sadder now, as we all are, with the death of actor Don Knotts, a/k/a Deputy Barney Fife.

However, if and when the biopic of his life is to be made, I know the perfect person (above) to portray Don (right).

Team Sweden Captures Gold

2006-02-27T06:41:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the Swedish hockey team, coached by popular ex-Washington Capital star Bengt-Ake Gustaffson, on its upset of Team Finland to capture the Olympic gold medal in Turin.

Some eyebrows were raised last week when Swedish coach Gustaffson was quoted saying it might benefit his team to lose against Slovakia to ensure a matchup with Switzerland, rather than Canada or the Czechs, easing the path to the medal round.

Be that as it may, Sweden still won when it counted, besting the undefeated Finns in a 3-2 thriller.

Washington Capital rookie sensation Alex Ovechkin scored five goals in eight games for Team Russia which, along with Teams USA and Canada, came home without a medal.

Prediction: the 2010 Games, which will be held in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, will be the last that the NHL will participate in. UPDATE: Caps' owner Ted Leonsis take on the NHL in the Olympics here.

Stop! Hey, What's That Sound?

2006-02-24T17:20:00.000-05:00

Folk music has always been considered to be associated with more left-of-center ideology. But why should the lefties have all the coolest music and performers on their side? Without further adieu, I present to you the newly-released "Folk Songs of the Far Right Wing". (Not available in stores.)

Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" Concert Film

2006-02-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

Mrs Blog and I went to the new "Heart Of Gold" Neil Young concert film over the weekend. Filmed by Jonathan Demme last August at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Neil and friends perform all but one of the songs from the recent "A Prairie Wind" CD, as well as a good number of past Neil Young favorites. The all-acoustic program is a delight for guitarists, as we get some extreme closeups of chord positions and picking. (When I try to play Neil songs without a pick like he does, it sounds like a muddled mess.)

For a roundup of stories and reviews, I direct you to Thrasher's website.

Now Whippet.......Whippet Good

2006-02-16T17:33:00.000-05:00

Newsday reports:
"The formal search for the award-winning show dog named Vivi, who bolted from her cage Wednesday at Kennedy Airport, was officially called off at midday today.In the past 24 hours, 'the searchers covered the entire airport property of nearly 5,000 acres but did not spot the dog,' said Alan Hicks, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. "

I'm not sure how Vivi can survive the other creatures prowling in the marshes around Jamaica Bay, including the human ones. Seriously, I hope this story comes to a happy conclusion for all concerned.

Lionel Acquires K-Line Electric Trains/ Opens NYC Office and Showroom

2006-02-16T16:24:00.000-05:00

It was announced today that Lionel will take control of the K-Line brand, its tooling, its inventory of unsold products, and other assets from Sanda Kan Industrial, the Chinese manufacturer that was K-Line's principal supplier of trains and related products. Lionel will make new products under the K-Line brand, and market and sell those products as part of the Lionel line.

Lionel also announced its return to its historical home of New York City, opening an office and showroom at 33rd Street and Madison Avenue.

Read the official announcement here.

NHL Out of Olympics?

2006-02-15T21:29:00.000-05:00

I'm a hockey fan who enjoys the Winter Olympics every four years as well. But I'm not too crazy about the NHL taking off these two weeks to enable professional hockey players to play for their representative countries in the Olympics. It interrupts the "flow" of the season (OK, so my favorite team isn't flowing anywhere except last place), exposes key players to injuries and fatigue, and also deprives the NHL much-needed exposure during the post-NFL, pre-MLB spring training sports season. (I could care less about the NBA, and to me March Madness means drinking Guinness at a crowded Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day).

In this article, Michael Farber makes a compelling case for the NHL to rethink its alliance with the Olympics. The 2010 Olympics will take place in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Will that be the NHL's final appearance at the Olympics?

Five More Weeks of Winter - That's Cool!

2006-02-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

After a ridiculously mild winter, the past weekend saw this region experience its first measureable snow in months and most significant snowfall totals in three years. It was a nice, user-friendly snow, as it mostly fell from Saturday evening into early Sunday morning. I, of course, prepared by procuring all the basic necessities for the "snowed-in" weekend - firewood, bourbon, cigars, and extra smoke fluid for my toy train steam locomotives.

Although officials felt it neccesary to close area schools on Monday (the decision was made as early as Sunday afternoon) the region, not known for coping with any amount of snow, generally handled this storm fairly well. In New York City, which received 20-24" of snow on Sunday, schools were open on Monday and it was pretty much business as usual. You think two feet of snow is gonna shut down New York City? - Fuggeddaboudit!

Meanwhile, we're back to temps into the low 60s with cold temps returning for the President's Day weekend (need some more of those basic "necessities"!) and an outside chance for a snow "event" Monday night into Tuesday.

I love the snow - as long as I don't have to go driving in it - and wouldn't mind a few more weekend snowfalls of the 2-4" variety before spring.

Site Highlight: Forgotten New York

2006-02-09T19:15:00.000-05:00

Your blogmeister was born and spent his early years in the Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. I hold many great memories of that time and place, and still maintain an interest in all things NYC.

Through words and pictures, Kevin Walsh's outstanding Forgotten NY site takes us on a tour of the city, past and present. We visit neighborhoods in all five boroughs, exploring the alleys, streets, landmarks, trains and subways, and "street futniture" such as lamposts, traffic signals, and street signs, which define New York.

So why not spend awhile visiting Forgotten NY? I guarantee that you will spend hours at this site, which Kevin updates almost every week.

And, if you still haven't gotten enough of New York, check out Steve Anderson's NYC Roads, which explores the expressways, parkways, bridges, and tunnels of metro New York. Included are comprehensive histories, current conditions, recommendations for improvements, and historic photographs. Steve is expanding into Boston, Philly, and Baltimore/DC area roads as well.

McCartney Rocks The Grammys

2006-02-09T18:57:00.000-05:00

I quit watching or caring about The Grammy Awards many years ago, but thanks to You Tube, we can watch Paul McCartney and his current touring band showing the youngsters how to rock at last night's presentation. Click here to watch the video.

Lionel 2006 Vol. I Catalog Online

2006-02-07T21:41:00.000-05:00

The recently-issued Lionel catalog can be viewed here. It contains in innaresting mix of modern-era trains, re-issues of postwar classics, ready-to-run starter sets, a classic "tinplate" set, and NASCAR-licensed items. A truly diverse, if pricey, product line.

Mrs Gretzky Implicated In Gambling Ring

2006-02-07T21:03:00.000-05:00

Janet Jones (Mrs. Wayne Gretzky) , along with possibly a dozen NHL players or associates, has been named as a participant in a betting ring financed by ex-NHL tough guy and current Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet (nee Tocchetti) and a New Jersey state trooper. Mr. Wayne Gretzky is the Coyotes' head coach. We'll be keeping an eye on this evolving story, as reported by ESPN here.

Possible "Prairie Wind" and CSNY Tour in 2006?

2006-02-07T06:40:00.000-05:00

Neil Young on "A Prairie Wind", "Heart of Gold" move, the Rolling Stones, a possible tour behind "Wind", as well as a new CSNY album and tour, courtesy of The Toronto Star.

March 12, 2026

2006-02-02T16:19:00.000-05:00

This is going to be the date of my death according to calculations performed by The Death Clock.

It bases its prediction on your birthdate, sex, "mode" (normal, optimistic, pessimistic, or sadistic), smoking status, and body mass index (BMI), which is determined by your height and weight.

Curiously, it doesn't take into account your "drinking/drug-taking status", race, family health history, or your own personal health issues. (Uh oh, I just shaved another ten years off my life!)

The purpose of the site, I think, is to try to scare you into examining how you take care of your health.

It also links to Find Out How Famous People Died. A perusal of some of the celebrity obits on this site reveals some sordid tales about their lives as well as their deaths, sort of like a tabloid-stained obituary column.

So, go ahead and check out The Death Clock - if you dare!

Caps Shutout Tonight

2006-01-31T20:51:00.000-05:00

Or should I say, fans who wanted to watch tonight's Caps-Islanders game were shutout by NewsChannel8, one of three local cable networks which rotate game broadcasts, determined by I-don't-know-what.

Tonight was NC8's turn to broadcast the game, but they decided to pre-empt the game in order to broadcast the (shaky) State of The Union address (yawn). Apparently, it wasn't enough that the SOTU address could be seen on at least fifty-six other channels on our local cable outlet. It just so happens that NC8's owner, Joe Allbriton, is an influential Republican and Bush family friend.

The game actually is being carried locally on something called MHz 2, which sounds like one of the elements that fell off the periodic table.

What this means for NC8's viewership is that probably 0.0003 percent of all DC area households will be tuned in to watch the speech on NC8. Dang, they would have had twice as many viewers if they carried the game instead!

Site Highlight: YouTube.com

2006-01-30T19:21:00.000-05:00

Youtube.com is a year-old video hosting website that enables people to upload and share video over the web. The site contains amateur video as well as video obviously uploaded from commercial sources. My main interest in the site is that it contains a treasure trove of vintage music videos and performance clips from TV shows of the '60s such as "Shindig", "Hullabaloo", "The Ed Sullivan Show" and more. Not to be missed: The Rolling Stones campy send-up of "I Got You Babe", and a video mashup "Paperback Believer" featuring The Beatles and The Monkees together in 1966. Also, check out a 1976 Saturday Night Live performance of George Harrison and Paul Simon on acoustic guitars duetting on "Here Comes The Sun" and "Homeward Bound", and you will understand why I will forever be playing guitar in the "back part of the basement"!

Go the YouTube main page and enter your favorite band, song, TV show, or whatever in the search box. (NOTE: The site is "clean", but be forwarned: your search may return some results that you may find objectionable or inappropriate. Viewer discretion is advised.)

Washington Capitals 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 1

2006-01-29T21:51:00.000-05:00

Enjoyed the Caps 2-1 defeat of the Lightning this afternoon, five rows up from the ice (thanks John and Marianne!). Both goalies were solid throughout (although the Caps only registered four shots in the opening frame), and the Caps scored the game winner on a quick passing play with about three minutes left in regulation. They then held off the Bolts' power play flurry around the net in the waning seconds of the game. The skating was very fast and the hitting was hard and clean. The Caps now have 13 wins and no losses this season when they surrender two or fewer goals per game.

Famous Lionel Fans

2006-01-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

It's cool to know that some very famous people are Lionel Train fans, or model railroad enthusiasts of any scale. (Not that my hobby needs any validation or justification!). Some famous Lionel fans of the past and present include Joe DiMaggio, Roy Campanella, Arthur Godfrey, Frank Sinatra, talk show host Tom Snyder, Mandy Patinkin, PGA golfer Ed Dougherty, and rock icon Neil Young. In fact, in 1995 Neil became a twenty precent owner of Lionel and has worked extensively to develop state-of-the-art control and sound systems for Lionel Trains. He brought along a huge layout for concertgoers during 1997's H.O.R.D.E. tour, and often attends the Train Collectors Association semi-annual train meet in York, PA.

Here is a long list of famous model railoaders with their gauge preferences. (Photo: Neil and me at York, Oct. '99)

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?". "To the back part of the basement to run the trains, of course!"

Will It Go 'Round In Circles?

2006-01-29T08:10:00.000-05:00

Ran the trains for a solid hour after dinner last night, accompanied by some Elijah Craig bourbon and a Padron 3000 cigar. Since I ran diesel engines and not smoking steam engines, my cigar only set off the smoke detector once, briefly. Dang! This afternoon, it's off to the Caps game at MCI center. Since my wife is a feeling a bit under the weather, I'll be taking my son on this rainy Sunday.

Added Some Links Today

2006-01-26T20:38:00.000-05:00

Today I added some links to this blog. The titles of the links should be self-explanatory.

Watching the Caps tonight who just gave up the go-ahead goal with 39 seconds left in the second period. Last night, versus Pittsburg, the Caps went into the third trailing 3-1 and then gave up 5 goals. We're going to Sunday's game versus Tampa Bay. Looking forward to seeing Ovechkin play in person; we've got fifth-row seats, which is a helluva lot closer than our seats for Paul McCartney last October, where our seats were more like fifth-row from the roof!

It Works From Work!

2006-01-26T06:56:00.000-05:00

Good morning. Just arrived to the job a few minutes ago. Checked to see if I could access this site from my work PC, which is heavily filtered for naughty stuff like gambling and sex. Looks like I can login, update, and post with no problem from my desk. Cool! Of course, I will be posting before work hours, not during!

Welcome To "The Back Part Of The Basement"

2006-01-25T21:06:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my new blog, "The Back Part Of The Basement". I was trying to come up with a catchy name for this blog and that's the best I could come up with. But it is true that "the back part of the basement" is the area of my house where all my important "stuff" is - my Martin 6-string, Fender 12-string acoustic guitars, Squire Stratocaster electric guitar; my 4x8 foot Lionel Train layout; my CD and DVD collection; and collection of toy train and music books and magazines. My stuff shares this small space with the furnace and hot water heater, with the washer and dryer close by. I like to turn off the lights back here and run the trains, the only illumination coming from the headlights of the locomotives and accessories on the layout. My enjoyment of this activity is enhanced with a nice cigar and a good bourbon. I get a kick when the smoke from my cigar and the steam locomotives sets off the smoke alarm! Weird, I know. The back part of the basement easily converts to the "Club L", where my wife and I hang out, have a few drinks, and sing (she's the singer, I'm the guitar player) after the kids are asleep. Well, that's about it for now. Please feel free stop by again and leave a message.