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Great Songwriter Show...Snoop Rakin' It In...Normandy Heroes

BILL BLOG

Monday August 5, 2024

 

Monday morning be here. And it’s going to be a scorcher with sun and a high of 96.

 

THE WEEKEND

Friday night I had the great pleasure of playing the Jim Parker Songwriters show down in Huntsville, Alabama alongside Jim Parker, Irene Kelley, and Darrel Clanton.



 

The show is held inside the beautiful VBC Playhouse theater…a wonderful venue to play.



 

I was reminded that the last time I played there was in 2020. And it was the last show they held there for a couple of years because COVID hit the country the week after we had played there…and everything changed. So it was truly great to be back on that stage and seeing nobody wearing a mask.



 

This was maybe my 5th time to get to play Jim’ wonderful show which is always first class. It’s dinner and a show, and everything from the sound to the staff, to the dinner is just first class and a lot of that is due to the detail that Jim puts into these once a month shows that he’s been doing for years that has featured almost any songwriter you can name.



 

We had a great crowd of listeners who were such fun to play for. 


 

 

The entire evening was a reminder to myself of how lucky I truly am to get to do what I get to do. Thank you Jim for having me again. 

 

 

NEXT SHOW

That would be this Wednesday night here in Nashville at McNamara’s Irish Pub and Restaurant. Come have a pint of Guinness with this songwriter group and enjoy the show.



 

And then Friday and Saturday of this week will find me in Shiloh, Illinois with Freedom Sings USA writing songs with veterans. Last time we were there they had a tornado! 



 

OLYMPICS

I did watch quite a bit of the Olympics over the weekend. Some exciting swims and track events to be sure. But here’s the Olympic tidbit that jumped out at me. Snoop Dogg has been adding some fun covering the Olympics. And he’s been paired up with Martha Stewart a couple of times and those have been fun segments to watch. Talk about people you never thought would go together…but they do.



 

And while Snoop is having fun in Paris I’m sure it makes it more fun to know that NBC is paying him a half a million dollars each day plus expenses! Talk about great work if you can get it now.

 

HEALTH NOTES

Officials warn that two dozen beaches in Florida are under contamination advisories. Pick your beach carefully. And this was before the tropical storm rolled in over the weekend down there.

 

Sales for women’s flats (shoes) have spiked since the COVID pandemic. Experts think that’s because so many were at home wearing slippers, and flip-flops and got used to it. So sales for stilettos are down.

 

How about an under the desk treadmill to get your steps in while you work? You can get one for about $130 at Walmart.


 

 

GOOD TO KNOW


 


NORMANDY

Over the weekend my sister Vickie texted me about a video that was shown during a break in the Paris Olympics titled “In The Company Of Heroes”. It’s a 20 minute or so film that features our World War II veterans returning to Normandy beach that many of them stormed all those years ago. All of them are in their 90’s and 100’s these days…soon to be gone period.



 

Matt Damon narrates this great piece…it’s moving and inspiring to say the least.

 

I don’t have a lot of things on a bucket list…but seeing Normandy is on that short list. What heroes those men and women from the “Greatest Generation” truly are and were. Thanks to my sister for letting me know about it.

 

If you’re curious…here’s the LINK so you can watch it as well.

 

MORE OLYMPICS

One of the truly FUNNY segments of this year’s Paris Olympics is the show that comedians Kevin Hart and SNL’s Kenan Thompson are doing having fun with Olympic events on Peacock. For me…laugh out LOUD stuff. Now, the language is raw, so if you are offended by bad language…skip. But if not…you’ll laugh. Their segments are up on You Tube…and here’s just ONE of those funny segments.



 

DON’T WORRY…BE HAPPY

The World Happiness Report just came out…yes…they have one of those. They listed the happiest places to live in the country based on health care, financial stability and health care.

 

The happiest state in the union is Hawaii followed by Maryland, Minnesota, Utah and New Jersey.

 

The least happiest? That would be Mississippi followed by Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

 

A lot of folks have moved to the south over the last several years, but apparently some of them ain’t all that danged happy.

 

INFLATION

The Denny’s “Lumberjack Slam” breakfast platter that one used to pay $5.99 for just jumped to $18 for the same plate.



 

Just one more sign of how expensive things have gotten I suppose. But here’s the good news about inflation.



 

CHEAP STATES TO LIVE IN

That top 25 list was released from the folks at Stacker. Tennessee where I live now came in as 10th cheapest, and Indiana and Missouri where I’ve also lived came in at #8 and # 6 respectively.

 

But here’s the Top 5 cheapest states to live in according to the.

 

5…Georgia

4…Alabama

3…Kansas

2…Oklahoma

 

And the CHEAPEST state to live in?  Mississippi.

 

HEADLINE OF THE DAY

Nebraska Police Stop Ford With Huge Bull In The Passenger Seat. Must have been a really interesting conversation with the cop who pulled the driver over. "License, registration, and what that !"

 

TODAY

I’ll be writing with my Pennsylvania bluegrass friend Troy Engle once again who’s new album “Back Home” will be released this Friday August 9 that I’m blessed to have two songs on including the title track and the song “Never Too Lost” which is the current single and in the top 10 still in the Bluegrass Gospel Charts. Congrats Troy!


 

 

Have a great Monday!

 

 

 


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