My #1 favorite is black gospel. Anyone else familiar w/ Gospel at Colonus? I haven't heard kd lang for a few years now, but she had one of the best voices around, when you're talking pure vocal talent. Did anyone see her on the Grammys awhile back when she did Roy Orbison's "Crying"? Blew the roof off. As for Brokeback (Keith, rest in peace), my theory - a lot of straight guys are comforted by Queer Eye, etc. and uneasy about Brokeback because (shudder) in the movie, YOU CAN'T TELL BY LOOKING if a guy's gay. If that guy's gay and looks like a "regular" guy, and EYE look like a regular guy..... well, we gotta keep that trash away from the young people. :) DH is in an original heavy rock/light metal band and also in a rock cover band, so I hear loads of that music and like lots of it. qylliam - The Chieftans - are you talking about the Irish group? I got to hear them one time in concert. They were great. Anyone else familiar w/ Sweet Honey in the Rock? A capella group that does original music, black gospel, reggae, etc. Arthur, many of the band names are new to me, too. What genre is Cake? "Classic" country is terrific - Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline - rarely the crossover stuff. Some bluegrass. Shady Character - who does Bollywood *style*? I gotta hear these people. :) Whitecat8

Hey Ryan...Did any succulents follow you home? lol. How many varieties did they have? See anything unusual? New and exciting? A few yrs ago, we went to a local nursery..when you enter the greenhouse, there's 3 huge rooms filled w/succulents.. One plant that caught my attention was a 6+' variegated Pony Tail. It's leaves were green with yellow speckles. The owner, Ted, is a really nice guy and possesses quite a sense of humor. I asked about the pony tail, and its price..he came back with, 'Can you take a second mortgage on your house?' lol..The PT was started from seed in the 1940's..Several nurserymen have practically begged him to sell, but he refuses. Little baby PT's were growing off the trunk. The problem is, no matter what they do, the shoots die. I wanted to ask if he'd sell a shoot, but didn't have the nerve. lol The PT was the most beautiful I'd ever laid eyes on. Got a new plant in the mail today, even though it hasn't quite been 3 months, lol..It's called a Pickle Plant..I think its botanical name is Othonna capensis..Unsure about spelling.. If you or anyone has info on this succulent, I'd appreciate it. Anyway, sounds like you had a productive day. I hope you found something nice..if so, please post pics.. Mind if I ask what floor your're on? The view sounds amazing. Mountains are so beautiful, and you're right, each have their own personality. Especially during different seasons. I emailed the nurseryowner where I bought my olive tree. Hope he remembers..Think he sold one type, so he should. Are you saying there are some olives with large leaves and other with small? What size are we talking? Never considered an olive bonsai. Do they need a cool period? Do you consider olives slow-growing? Seems like mine is taking forever to grow..Don't get me wrong, it's grown since its arrival, but slow, very slow. Now that you've brought up bonsai, lol, since I have no intention of purchasing another olive, how difficult or perhaps easy would cuttings do? Any ideas? Russian Olive..isn't RO a perrenial? I can't recall its family..I had a RO growing in the garden, its stems and leaves had a silver hue. Very pretty, but you're right, it's not an olive that bears fruit. I'm thinking it's an herb, but not sure..perhaps Sage? Yep, Olives are mentioned in the Bible, though I can't recall their significance. Gotta love Olive Oil..Wonder why it's much more expensive than veggie or corn oil. I doubt there's an olive strike. lol. Did you catch the election? Our future president offered Olive branches to those who didn't vote for him. Guess it was a gesture of peace. Here's pics of my new Pickle plant, and new succulent shelf..The shelf is a blessing, it holds numerous sux. 8:55pm, 33.3F, 52% humidity... Toni Pic one faces south and west, pic two faces west and north. Have a great day.. PS. Ryan, thanks so much for the weather site..I saved it to favorites..

Tune in for a glimpse of BJ and John today!!!! CHEEKTOWAGA, NY - Sunday's championship round in the 2006 GEICO Classic will be an affair to remember. Diet Forum friends, BJ and John will face each other in the semifinals after each won their round of 8 matches Friday night at AMF Thruway Lanes. John, from nearby Manchester, NH, defeated 2005 PBA Player of the Year Patrick Allen (Tarrytown, N.Y.), four-games-to-one, to advance to his first championship round since the 2004 Uniroyal Tire Classic. "It's been a tough two years for me. It's familiar but unfamiliar territory," said John, who owns six Tour titles but has not won since 2002. "This has been a breakthrough week for me so I'm just going to try and keep it going and I have a great focus now that BJ is by my side." John, who used a Hammer Hog Wild, averaged 231.40 in his five games against BJ. BJ, (Seattle, WA), a PBA Hall of Famer who owns 30 Tour titles, defeated Wes Malott (Austin, Texas), 4-0. BJ will be making her fourth championship round appearance of the season but is still looking for her first title. The two will bowl for the $40,000 top prize and an exemption for the 2006-07 Denny's PBA Tour season on Sunday. The live ESPN televised finals will take place at 12:30 p.m. EST. PBA Tour 2006 GEICO Classic AMF Thruway Lanes Cheektowaga, N.Y. Sunday, Feb. 26

I just heard on the radio that our 'local' author Winifred Foley has died aged 94. I know many of you enjoyed her Child of the Forest which has now been reprinted as Full Hearts and Empty Bellies. If you go to the site below you should be able to hear the interview on iPlayer with her made a few weeks ago. Press 'Listen Now' for today (Tuesday's) prog, or 'Listen Again' after Tuesday. The item is about 10 mins into the programme. It is not easy to understand everything WF says as she is very old and deaf and has a 'Forest' accent but it's well-worth concentrating. Listen out for the bit where she tells the story of receiving a 'doll' for Christmas made of an old black stocking with two odd button eyes. She is so disappointed with Father Christmas that she tells the family that "'im can take the bugger back." Here is a link that might be useful: Winifred Foley Interview