Sheryl Crow Birthday Drive raises $14K+

Our Sheryl Crow Correspondent, Ann, reports the annual Sheryl Crow Birthday Drive raised more than $14,000 to benefit the Delta Childrens Home in Kennnett (SC’s hometown). Ms. Crow posted the following thank-you on her website forum:

“I can’t tell you how much your generosity has once again touched me and my community. The birthday gift of contributions made in the name of the Delta Children’s Home is the most precious gift I could receive and I am deeply grateful.

I am working on a new record as we speak and am really enjoying the process. I hope you will enjoy the outcome. Much, much love and gratitude.”

Our thanks to Ann for letting us know this was taking place.

Sheryl Crow Birthday Drive

Every year for the past six years, Sheryl Crow fans gotten together (on her website forums) to give Sheryl a special gift for her birthday on February 11. The idea to do this originated with a fan and it involves raising money for the Delta Children’s Home.

The Delta Children’s Home provides an emergency shelter for children that are removed from their own home by the courts or who need shelter for other reasons (family problems, etc.). It’s the only facility of its type in the area. The Delta homes do not receive money from the Federal or State government and rely on the community for support.

Sheryl Crow and Grand PrizeI’m a little fuzzy on just how this works but I think those who contribute to the fund drive are eligible to win a prize. This year it’s an autographed guitar. If I’m wrong about the mechanics, we’ll rely on Sheryl Crow fan Ann to clear it up.

Thanks to Ann for alerting us to this worthy effort. The drive ends a midnight Pacific on Monday, February 12.

Be my Valentine (Scott Brandon)

Scott rummaged around in his long-abandoned blog for this inspirational Valentine which is, I think you’ll agree, timeless:

“The day every single, available, looking, scouting the territory, exploring your options, on the market, in the market, playing the field, non-committed, searching (whatever you choose to call yourself) person dreads…is here. Valentine’s Day has returned. Bringing withering flowers, deflated balloons, frilly cards and the shattered self worth of the un-attached with it.

Is there another holiday as cruel as this one? Christmas says that if you are alone, we will love you. Thanksgiving says that if you are alone, we will share with you. News Years says that if you are alone, we’ll get snockered with you. But Valentine’s Day says that if you are alone, hide…because we will flaunt our relationships in front of you, see your pain and then pity you for a brief second between our butt naked, hand in hand, slow-motion trots through fields of sunflowers.

At first, I thought I hated the questions the most…”Who is your Valentine?”, “What did you get your Valentine?”…then I thought it was the look you get after you answer the question. That “awwww” look. You know the one…where their head tilts like a dog when it hears a high pitched noise. But, I soon realized it was the blind optimism they spout afterwards that makes my teeth grit, my ears turn red, and my trigger finger twitch. “Well…don’t you worry. There’s a woman out there for you.” Yeah, she’s out there. She’s washed up on a beach in Mexico after an all night Tequila party gone sour…but hey she’s out there!

Do me a favor, take your unsolicited advice and your positive outlook, stick’em on the end of Cupid’s arrow and shove the whole thing right up your ass-orted box of chocolates.

Today, as the army of “I heart you” Teddy Bears comes marching down the hall, all I can think of is why isn’t there an “Ain’t Gettin’ None” Day? You know, a little day (say in mid-March…right after the Madness wears off) set aside just for those who aren’t bumping nasties. It would be a national holiday for the single person (or the relationship challenged). We could have special songs, a mascot and traditions like taking pot shots at the “dreamy” couple as they’re lip-locked in the Romance Classics aisle at Blockbuster.

Until that day arrives, I will have to be content with my own Valentine’s Day ritual. I walk around the office after closing and pop all the heart shaped balloons and eat the candy. Hey, I’m single…what else do I have to do tonight?”

Upon re-reading Scott’s essay, I thought to myself (because it’s almost impossible to think to anyone else), if only there were some kind of online answer to Scott’s delimma…

Kennett expats in environmental face-off

Rock star Sheryl Crow and movie producer Laurie David, who helped work on Al Gore’s Oscar nominated documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” are teaming up for a two-week bus tour across North Texas and the Gulf states. The tour is designed to fight global warming and save the environment.

The tour hopes to stop TXU’s controversial plan to build 11 coal-fired power plants across the state of Texas. Governor Rick Perry’s plan to fast-track the coal plants has been attacked by environmentalists and a coalition of cities.

C. John Wilder, 48, is chairman of the board and CEO of TXU Corp., one of the nation’s largest electric energy companies.

Brother-in-law Lew connects the Kennett dots in this story. Not only are Ms. Crow and Mr. Wilder from Kennett, they lived in the same house (on Emerson Street), although not at the same time.

Sounds like the beginning of a pretty good screenplay, doesn’t it?

If bitten by a dog, stand perfectly still

I emailed a story about how to avoid getting bitten by a dog to my blogging vet pal, Dr. T. Everett Mobley, thinking it might be fodder for his blog (it wasn’t). Here is a portion of his reply:

“I have had a few very severe wounds, as well as many minor ones. Fortunately, most dogs in my situation simply want me to go away, so they bite and let go (pretty soon, anyway). The part about not jerking back is absolutely true. However, one’s first experience probably won’t allow you to avoid that reflex. Unfortunately, I am now able to stand still (while yelling at the top of my lungs) until the dog lets go. The crushing is much more painful and damaging than the punctures. Adding a tearing component is certainly undesirable. Afterwards, I sometimes have to lie down before I fall down.”

Local artists exhibit new works

Lichen

For some really amazing photographs, stop by the Rozier Gallery here in Jefferson City for a tandem show by Dr. Henry Domke and his good friend Vaughn Wascovich, a Professor of Photography at the University of Missouri. The opening is January 6 but their work will be exhibited through February 24. Henry has captured some beautiful images of lichen, while Wascovich “celebrates the power of photography and the land in our backyards.”

The Rozier Gallery (map) is located in the Union Hotel at 101 Jefferson Street. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Christmas in Kennett

Barb and her brothers and sisters grew up attending the First Presbyterian Church in Kennett. When she and I started dating (1972) I attended a few services with her. The Big Event is the Christmas Eve service. Dr. Everett Mobley (Your Pet’s Best Friend) blogs this update:

Seated in the choir, we noticed what appeared to be an outlaw biker in the back of the balcony. It proved to be Trent Tomlinson, seated in an unobtrusive spot, but wearing black leather and a do-rag on his head. My guess is that this is an image thing, just like never seeing Roy Rogers without a cowboy hat, or the Lone Ranger without his mask and silver bullets.

Since Sheryl Crow and Lance Armstrong split, Sheryl is back in Kennett for Christmas. She helped anchor the soprano section with her sister and her mother. Despite being a glamorous rock star, she pulled out the reading glasses to see the music. One of the middle-aged (my age) ladies in the choir commented that it showed Sheryl was just like the rest of us. What she was really thinking (as she looked out over her own bifocals) was, “I look like a rock-star.” Maybe she does. I look more like Barney Fife, myself.

It remains one of Kennett’s endearing charms that such well-known musicians can sing in the church choir (or sit in the balcony) and not be bothered.

Favorite blogs and podcasts

Henry wants to know my ten favorite podcasts and blogs. I read a lot more than 10 blogs a day, but if I had to pick 10, they would be:

Scripting News, Boing Boing, Dilbert Blog, Doc Searls, Jeff Jarvis, Mark Ramsey, Micro Persuasion, Podcasting News, Seth Godin, and GrowLearfield.com + all of the Learfield blogs. Links to the right.

As for podcasts, I don’t think I listen to 10 on a regular basis, only because I don’t have time. I sample others from time to time bu the ones I listen to regularly are:

MacCast, Keith and the Girl, Podcast 411, This Week in Tech, Diggnation, NPR Technology, This American Life, Cutting Edge (Business Week).

All are weekly except Keith and the Girl which is daily. Usually an hour.