Thursday, March 31, 2016

"Night bars, guitars -- misty green & blue .... " 24 hours / 3

Hmmmm .... where to go, what to do .... a contest, of sorts .... what is the name of the bar in the photograph and where is it located? I am certain many know of it, but few who pass this way have been there, I am near certain. It is a long, long way from where I usually hang out -- almost five thousand air miles. Since my blog is under lock and key most of the time, it is a bit foolish to have a contest, but I will keep it open for a day or two and try to discover if there are any saloon connoisseurs in the crowd. Maybe, there will be a prize for the first one to name it. Maybe, the winner could name the prize, he says with a smile. The photograph is my usual technical miscarriage, but one cannot be serious about all things all of the time and it serves my purposes. Here, also, is a pair of songs from a band named UFO. Like many bands, it has had some very talented musicians come and go, but no magical composers in the mix, which are those who separate the good bands from the great bands. Anyway .... here are the two songs from UFO -- "Love to Love" and "Try Me" -- which, I think, soared to the exosphere while most of its music just sort of fluttered in the troposphere. The guitar work is rapturous (which is pretty much extinct these days .... think about it) .... I saw this guitarist -- Michael Schenker -- perform a year ago in a saloon just down the road a piece .... or, was it two years ago ?? Hmmmm .... I am too lazy to figure it out. So .... I hope all is well for you in whatever world in which you reside and/or exist and that you have a dream which you are pursuing ....

And, in passing: Happy Birthday today, Benny, AKA Beniamino, and B.J., AKA Buddy Boy ....




22 comments:

Anita said...

Hello and goodmorning to Fram from Norway :)

What a nice picture of that bar!

I dont know where it is but something says me San Francisco?
I hope you enjoy your stay and vacation!
Very nice music too you are a really rock and roll guy!!

Big hugs from snowy Bergen, Norway!

Fram Actual said...

No, not San Francisco this time, Anita. That destination is only about sixteen hundred air miles from here to there, but the bar in the photograph is more like five thousand miles and the language of choice there is not English. This was not a vacation per se, rather like a very brief bit of bar hopping and a desire to swim in unfamiliar waters and to sleep in an actual bed. I think I will be pulling more stunts like this until I get my act back together again.

You might appreciate this: Both my son and I have March birthdays, and we just concluded our annual party. I gave him a rifle and he gave me a replica Viking sword. I was on a fencing team as a college boy, but that was nearly exclusively competition with foils .... you know, "En garde, monsieur" .... like in the films. I "played around" a bit with sabers, too, but no medieval weapons. I need to think more about what I will do with my Viking sword -- play with it or display it -- but, in the least, I now am ready for Ragnarok .... hmmmm ....

Yes, rock 'n' roll forever .... rock on, baby.

Thank you, for your visit and your comment, Anita. I see you have a new post, so I will "travel" to it in a while.

Anita said...

where is the place then Fram??

so you got a good reproducton of a viking sword!!Wow!!

Is there any runes on it?Age?country?

I got many shoots of real viking swords..maybe i will post it some day:))

ready for Ragnarock?

Well you should think of this then.

Be brave and aggresive
Be direct.Grab all opportunities.Use varying methods of attack.Be versatile and agile.Attack one target at a time.dont plan everything in detail Use top quality weapons
Be prepared.Keep weapons in good conditions.Keep in shape.Find good battle comrades.Agree on important points.Choose one chief.
Be a good merchant.Find out what the marked needs.Dont promise what you cant keep.Dont demand overpayment.Arrange things so you can return
Keep the camp in order.Keep things tidy and organized.Arrange enjoyable activities which strengthen the group Make sure everybody does useful work.Consult all member of the group for advice
Useful thoughts for a Høvding!

I am glad you are enjoying yourself.With son and family

See you soon!

Fram Actual said...

It is too soon for me to reveal the location of the bar, Anita. I like to stretch things out and to have a bit of mystery.

By the way, these birthday jaunts and similar trips are not frequent, but neither are they unusual for me. There was a similar "long weekend, birthday getaway" in April 2014, for instance. I had been unable to do it in March and I was able to combine it with business in April .... so, I did it then. I was more vague about that excursion than I was about this one, I guess, but it reflected my taste for a bit of mystery. It surprised me at the time that no one asked where or when the photograph in that post was taken. But most people do not read my posts or look at them very thoroughly or take them very seriously, I think, which is another reason why I often lose interest in the blogs.

This sword is a contemporary reproduction, Anita. It is steel, and constructed to the same dimensions and weight of a typical Viking-era sword. There are no runes on it, only a single maker's mark and figurine patterns on the hilt. I suppose if I wish to name it and mark it with runes, I will have to do it myself. I will include a photograph of this sword in a post at some point in the future.

I undoubtedly have mentioned in a past post, but cannot recall specifically when, that I have an axe head which is believed to be a genuine Viking relic found in North America. It has been written about and photographs of it have appeared in a few books. It would require a considerable number of words to explain how the axe came into my possession, so I will not tell the story in this note.

Oh, yes. The sagas and other literary works of the Old Norse contain much wisdom and sound advice. I think you know the writings of Snorri Sturluson and "The Poetic Edda" are among my favorites, not to mention books and articles regarding Old Norse history and archaeological findings. By the way, are you aware another possible North American Norse site has been found at a place called Point Rosee in Newfoundland?

Thank you, Anita, as always, for coming to visit me and writing a comment for me. I hope life is going well for you and Alexander. Take care ....

Kaya said...

Hey Fram and Anita,

Recently I am not much around blogs. Just post my photos and that's it. No true inspiration with everything and feel bored also.

Hmm, don't remember when last time I went to bar. Not sure I like to go there unless they would serve something delicious to eat. Actually, I have one favorite bar in Salt Lake - Squatters. Like the atmosphere there and fish and chips.

Well, Fram you are lucky that you have the greatest friend Anita who is always on your side and in a good time and bad also. I didn't have a great virtual friend for a long time. But after so many years of blogging I got only recently a wonderful girlfriend; she is from Georgia which once upon a time was a part of ex Soviet Union. Right now I consider myself also lucky.

Fram, thank you very much for your wonderful and thoughtful comment on my blog. It made me think about life.

Well guys take good care of yourselves, enjoy the spring and remember that that only we are CEO of our happiness and BE HAPPY.

Fram Actual said...

I do not think the blogs have had much meaning for me during the past two or three years, Kaya. I began wandering the sea of blogs for a specific purpose; the purpose has faded away, and now seems like a memory of someone I used to be, rather than the person I am today. Six years -- the length of time I have had this blog -- is a long time for me to remain focused on anything. My nature is something like that of a nomad.

I seldom go into bars these days and, when I do, it usually is to meet someone for lunch. Bars -- saloons, as I usually refer to them, keeping with an Old West flavor -- now have personnel changing so fast that being a "regular" has lost much of its meaning. But, I have had favorites over the years: A Veterans of Foreign Wars club bar in one instance; a hippie / biker / college hangout in another case, where occasionally a motorcycle would race in the front door, circle round and head on out; another sort of indescribable place which recently banned anyone under age forty from entry in an effort to cut down on the number of fights there. Really .... no exaggeration. Places with a "colorful atmosphere," in a manner of speaking, seem to attract me.

Bars are wonderful places to observe people, to learn about them. I have mentioned in past posts that when I hired people to be reporters, I took them to bars in the evening to discover "who they were" when they had been drinking for a while. Unfair of me, probably, but there were absolutely fascinating discoveries made at times ....

Yes, Anita has been a reliable, steady friend for me. In many ways, you have, too, Kaya, but I think you get angry at me at times.

So, I will not be visiting any other blogs this evening. I am on the road, this time looking at a few automobiles in other cities which are listed for sale on "car soup." I have an urge to buy another vehicle, something fast, although I doubt it would lift me from my doldrums.

Thank you, Kaya, for coming to visit me and for your comment. I will be home on Wednesday and catch up on things then ....

P.S. Joseph Stalin came from Georgia, if I recall correctly. It could be an intriguing place to visit. I have read a couple of biographies about him. Generations pass, but, perhaps, there would be a "sense" of him present yet even today if one looked far enough beneath the surface.

Kaya said...

Fram, you are back.

How was your trip? Did you enjoy it?

That is nice to hear that you consider me as a friend. I am truly pleased with it. You mentioned that I am sometimes angry at you. I am not. Probably, some people also think the same about me. It's probably my inconsistency; I turn off comments on my blog very often. It's not about you or other bloggers, it's only about me. Why am I doing it? Perhaps, frustration with myself: don't like what I am doing but don't have a courage to throw some pictures into garbage.

Yes, Joseph Stalin was born in Georgia. I don't know much about Georgia but I know that people there enjoy a good wine, singing and dancing, and their songs are long and very, very sad.

Do you know Fram, we all have changed since we began blogging. Some quit after so many years and close their blogs, other still continue but not with the same enthusiasm ( myself ).

You write often that you came to blogosphere for a purpose to find someone. Fram, I believe you found someone... You are just scared to say it to yourself. I hope you will not be mad for these words at me.

Anyway, have a nice rest after your trip and enjoy spring.

Kaya said...

Fram, you are back.

How was your trip? Did you enjoy it?

That is nice to hear that you consider me as a friend. I am truly pleased with it. You mentioned that I am sometimes angry at you. I am not. Probably, some people also think the same about me. It's probably my inconsistency; I turn off comments on my blog very often. It's not about you or other bloggers, it's only about me. Why am I doing it? Perhaps, frustration with myself: don't like what I am doing but don't have a courage to throw some pictures into garbage.

Yes, Joseph Stalin was born in Georgia. I don't know much about Georgia but I know that people there enjoy a good wine, singing and dancing, and there songs are long and very, very sad.

Do you know Fram, we all have changed since we began blogging. Some quit after so many years and close their blogs, other still continue but not with the same enthusiasm ( myself ). I try to keep my blog going and tell myself very often, that most important not let your blog die.

You write often that you came to blogosphere for a purpose to find someone. Fram, I believe you found someone... You just scared to say it to yourself. I hope you will not be mad for these words at me.

Anyway, have a nice rest after your trip and enjoy spring.

Fram Actual said...

I was a bit surprised to find you here, Kaya. Thank you.

I think your two comments are made up of the same, exact words, but one has an extra sentence. I will leave them both here for now in case I missed something else.

Yes, I am back. It was a vehicle shopping trip, in a sense, but I did not buy anything. I test drove a Ford Mustang (I have owned two Mustangs and other Fords in the past); a Dodge Challenger (I have owned a Dodge previously, but not a "hot" one); a few Audis, A4s and S6s (I have owned an Audi A4 previously). I am getting hooked on speed like a teenager again .... speed, as in miles-per-hour .... but I can come up with two or three reasons why I should not go with a real runner like a Mustang or a Challenger. I need to think more about this topic.

Yes, it is evident many of us change in context with our lives over time, which includes our blogs. Before I came to the sea of blogs, I participated in a few chat rooms which were firearms and/or military and/or survivalist oriented. I "met" a number of fascinating people and carried on independent conversations with a few, but gradually I slipped away from them.

Most people, especially women, become angry with me periodically, and I seem to recall you dropped the "follower" category with me sometime in the distant past. I assumed then I had written something which had upset you, and this is why I now wrote that I thought you had been angry with me in times past. Along those lines, I have had more than one person tell me that I am the only man they have known who does not care if he is liked or not. And, after a personnel evaluation for a work-related "situation" once upon a time, one of the findings was this: "Everyone either seems to love him or to hate time; there is no in between."

By the way, it seems evident someone we know is angry with me right now.

No, I have not found anyone, Kaya. I traveled to Warsaw because I thought I had, but that did not work out, partially because I learned I cannot live permanently in a country other than the United States at this stage of my life. There have been a few others where email communications went on for a while, but events ended before an actual meeting took place. And, there are reasons not to pursue some who interest/attract me at this point in time.

My former wife No. 2's reoccurrence of cancer has affected things, too. I give her financial and moral support, and feel an obligation to her, but our marriage and romance ended with a divorce in 2007 -- if not before. Sometimes, life catches up with us in ways we do not expect and all that is to be done is to react to it and to live with it.

I have written in posts that I am becoming accustomed to living alone and, essentially, enjoy it in many ways. Obviously, my days are argument-free and I can make decisions without needing to discuss them with another, but neither is there anyone with whom to enjoy a dinner and a film or a walk with on a summer evening.

At the risk of sounding silly, intellectually I am changing, too, in more ways than with seeking reckless speed in fast cars. I am more willing to step into psychological regions I have not gone before. No one, I would assume, would be on the same pathways I am on in that regard. It would take much time and many words to explain that completely, so I will let it go for now.

Yes, I have been enjoying spring today, and I collected my first sun burn of the season by raking leaves which were buried by early snow last autumn. I usually experience a sun burn in March, so weather-luck has not been with me this year.

I will let this note go now. I am tired, and some of what you noted is too complicated for my tired mind to respond to adequately. I hope summer, contentment and interesting experiences are coming your way, Kaya .... thank you, for being here ....

Fram Actual said...

P.S. No more mystery:

The "car search trip" mentioned in my last comment took place this past weekend. The photograph which accompanied my March 31 post was taken inside Harry's Bar during a five-day weekend in March. It is the second time there has been a photograph among my posts of this particular bar. I assume most people know the city and the country in which Harry's Bar is located. If you are unaware, do a bit of research and start by visiting your local library and reading a bit of Ernest Hemingway, he (meaning me) says with a smile on his lips ....

Anita said...

I never meant to cause you any sorrow
I never meant to cause you any pain
I only wanted to one time to see you laughing
I only wanted to see you
Laughing in the purple rain

Iam so sad about it

Anita

Kaya said...

Sad, so sad what happened... He was the One among millions!

Fram Actual said...

I will begin with the same words I used at your post earlier, Anita:

Prince was, indeed, a musical genius and virtuoso in any number of ways and, far beyond that, has a reputation here around "The Cities" of being exceptionally kind and generous. His studio/home complex -- "Paisley Park Studios" -- is fewer than twenty miles from my home. I have driven by it at times, but never at "the right time:" He had a reputation for throwing open the gates and having an impromptu, open party on occasion. No cameras, no cell phones, no drugs, no liquor, no tobacco -- just music and dancing. It would have been fun to have been there for one .... or two .... or ....

I would add to that these words:

Prince also had a reputation around here for being a strong and determined individualist, who "did it his way," and whose efforts accomplished much to influence the music industry and to change it in ways beneficial to the artists, especially in terms of artists maintaining their intellectual property rights. He also was a religious man and he contributed to many charities, often behind the scenes. In total, he was quite a guy ....

Anyway .... I am glad you came to visit me again (finally) and left a comment for me. The words from "Purple Rain" are very appropriate. I have seen the film a few times, the first time on a rainy afternoon in a city I had never been in before while killing time and waiting for the day to pass to catch a connecting flight later in the evening. It was a strange film for a strange day in my life.

Take care and see you around, Anita ....

P.S. I will lock the doors here again on Sunday ....

Fram Actual said...

I agree, Kaya. Prince certainly was the One among millions, in many, many respects. He had his vanities, as we all do. But, he had a talent in the creation and the performance of music that few possess and, so it would seem, a sense of goodness and of generosity that few display.

Thank you, Kaya, for coming here today and for leaving a comment. Your presence always makes me happy.

A Cuban In London said...

Gutted that HE is gone. Part of the soundtrack to my teenage years. Along with Freddie and Bowie he displayed the sort of campness that straight blokes are not afraid to embrace. In fact, it earned me a few girlfriends. When you are the only one in a party who knows the lyrics of "Kiss" or "When the Doves Cry", you're quids in, as we say on these shores. :-)

Greetings from London.

Anita said...

Yes glad iam back before you lock the door..Iam still very sad aabout Roger Wilson..He was one of my first pop idol love...Yes he gave me soo much..I loved his sexy style..thats just me..love that way..how he expressed himself in the music..And i do love funk music..

But ..Ihave heard he was cremated,,soo very soon..God he died on Thursday and creamted on saturday!!Very strange!!Soo fast!

Well i guess he is with his beautiful son now..So i only listen to his music over and over again..

I haven not been on my blog lately to read the comments..I have experienced some trouble personal..So well I just upload shoots and are gone again,,Looking forward to my destinatin 22 july at Cypruz..Cant wait to have two pleasant weeks there with Alex.

Hope you are all very well..and that things are going good for you..

Your friend

Anita

Fram Actual said...

I am running far behind schedule this weekend, and have no excuse to offer other than two days of constant rain and wind have kept me indoors and melancholy.

I suppose I am more in time and tune with Freddie and Bowie and their "style" of music than with that of Prince, but all three rose to the same heights of excellence. Another of my many regrets in life is that I never saw either of them or Prince in live concert. But, then, too, I never attend Sunday church services, either. I think that makes sense in a symbolic sort of paradigm.

There have been massive public street dances on First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis every night since Prince's death . Much of the motion picture, "Purple Rain," was filmed there. It really is something: He lives almost invisibly in suburban Minneapolis, but his death brings out many thousands of admirers and mourners. Yes, that really is something.

Well, thank you, CiL, for your appearance and your comment. I appreciate them.

Fram Actual said...

Do not forget, Anita, you can enter my blog at anytime, no matter if it is locked or not, as long as you are signed in to your blog account. Essentially, I offered to give anyone who I "know" access to my blog if they wished it. A few turned me down; so much for them, he says with a smile on his lips !! Anyway, it is locked only to "the general public," in a manner of speaking, and not to people I like and who like me.

As I mentioned in my note to CiL, people have gathered by the thousands here since Prince's death. There have been all-night, every-night street parties / dance parties on First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis and thousands have gone every day and night to stand outside the gates of his home -- "Paisley Park Studios" -- to demonstrate their affection for Prince and his music. It really is quite something.

I have no idea why the family service and cremation took place so quickly. Perhaps, Prince had left instructions what he wanted to have done; perhaps, there were some "legal" reasons; perhaps, there were some religious reasons, again going back to Prince's beliefs and requests. I would like to think things are being done the way he wished them to be done.

I am sorry to hear you have been experiencing some personal problems. I hope Alexander is not having any difficulties. If you need a shoulder to lean on, figuratively speaking, do not hesitate to let me know. Just whistle, as the cliché goes.

It will be fun for you and Alexander to return to Cypress, I am sure. I will remember the dates. That island must be like a second home to you now. How many times have you vacationed there? Three, four, five?

I worry about conditions and travel in Europe at the moment. I have associates who were scheduled to arrive in Brussels a week after the airport bombings took place. Plans were changed because of that event, obviously, and business was conducted in Darmstadt / Frankfurt, Germany instead.

Yes, all is well with me other than I am restless and could use some time either on the water or in the woodlands. You take care of yourself and Alexander. I hope your personal problems disappear quickly and that your life becomes all you wish it to be in every way ....

Thank you, Anita, for coming to see me and for staying with me here in this maze ....

Anita said...

Thanx to you Fram for the answer!you say i can go to your blog any time??some days or a week ago I could not..The link San fransico fan club was gone..So thats why -i did not visit you!

Personal problems..No dont afflect Alex..its that old landlord that accuse me for something I have not done..What a bad man!I got two lawers on the case and they say i have been to kind payinghim alot of money that he should not have..we will see what the judge says!
Well there is always something to struggle with right?

I have been living on Cyprus for seven years summers holidays..Now will be the eight..Yes i do love the warmth..the people,,the ruins..the lack of many poor people begging on the streets..the new richrussians that appears there for there for their also summer vacations.(.Call them russina mafia but they are kind to me)

Just saw Killing seasons with Robert De Nero and John Travolta..Beautiful hunting nature..and sad war in Bosnia..Menec..

Ok..I have to go to do my daily things..dont now when iam back on the blogs..Until then,,see you around handsome!xxx

Fram Actual said...

I am at a loss for an explanation about why you would have trouble finding and/or entering my blog, Anita. Even when it is marked "private -- only these readers," you are on the list of approved readers so there should be no problem accessing my blog as long as you log in using your email address. Others seem to be entering without any difficulty. If you have more problems in the future, let me know. I will be locking it up again soon, probably tonight.

Yes, for sure, there is always something to struggle with .... and, the struggle usually is with people who are selfish, greedy and want something for nothing. In any case, I am glad the problem does not involve Alexander and is a matter you have attorneys to handle for you.

I guess I should have realized you have been going to Cyprus more than three or four years. I just was not thinking. I recall now that you were going way back when -- even way back before I went to Poland. I remember thinking about flying to Cyprus for a few days when I was in Warsaw to get away from the January cold. I only thought of Cyprus because I remembered you writing about it on your blog.

Yes, Cyprus really has become a second home for you. My own habit is to look for new places. I sometimes go to a particular place for a second time because I enjoyed it the first time or because I am looking to relive certain events or emotions .... but, the results usually are disappointing, so I rarely return a third time. Someday, maybe, I will get to Cyprus, too, and wander the Crusader fortresses.

I had not heard of the film, "Killing Seasons." I did a bit of research, read a couple of reviews and watched a couple of clips. It apparently was judged harshly by the critics and was not successful at the box office. Never-the-less, I would like to see it and I will watch for it. It was filmed mostly in state parks in Georgia, and the scenery there is fantastic. I also like the story concept of men hunting each other in a wilderness area. I could tell some interesting tales about such things, and I enjoy critiquing both books and films involving these so-called hunters.

As always, thank you, Anita, for your visit and your words. Take care, good luck resolving your landlord situation to your satisfaction -- and, I hope your days are filled with sunshine and good fortune. Later, baby ....

Anita said...

Thanx dahling!

Yesterday when I tried to reach you..I google you and the blog came up..just to say!

I hope you have some plans for the summer !

And show us some pix!!It would bee soonice!!

No Alex is doing great..We are rehearsing?!Every day maths science.religion history..about two hours every day!

Well you know Fram..i have only him to adore so why not spend some time with the boy!gives good results!

Sometimes i think of you..how you are..what you do..your work..your writing..

I wish you have much sunshine in your time.

Well i logg of now..So see you around somewhere ,sometime:)

Fram Actual said...

The blog has been unlocked since I posted the songs by Prince, so anyone has been able to come and to go as they please .... but, it soon will be locked again, so that is when you will discover if you can enter or not, Anita. There is no reason you should not be able to enter as long as you are signed in to your blog account.

No, no plans for the summer. I have told a few people, and probably mentioned it here in a past post, that I hope to return to Europe for an extended stay -- two, three, four months -- in the autumn. Then, too, I also have thoughts of relocating elsewhere here in the states before the snow flies again. I probably would not be able to accomplish both of those things. Well, we shall see which urge is the greatest ....

I seldom have a camera with me these days and the photographs taken with my Blackberry seem to have lost much of their clarity, so any photography from me is not likely for the present. I have been considering a new Blackberry-size device -- one which houses a better camera -- for five or six months now, but I am indecisive about what to get and too lazy to do much research. Any suggestions ??

It is good that you spend a great deal of time with Alexander. I like that. You may or may not recall, but I have mentioned in past posts that I was without a father's presence during my boyhood, so I have a sense of what he is experiencing. My grandmother's brother taught me to shoot and to hunt, and my grandfather contributed in many ways, as did a few other men. I would say more, but I do not wish to do so in the form of a comment .... some other time, perhaps.

Think of me at times, do you ?? Hmmmm .... well, I like that, too .... and, perhaps, I will say more about that, too, another time ....

So, Anita, here we are again .... take care and, yes, see you around somewhere, sometime .... sounds like the lyrics of a song, does it not ??

Something special ....