Happy New Year

New Year’s Reflections

Looking back on the months gone by,
As a new year starts and an old one ends,
We contemplate what brought us joy,
And we think of our loved ones and our friends.

Recalling all the happy times,
Remembering how they enriched our lives,
We reflect upon who really counts,
As the fresh and bright new year arrives.

And when I/we ponder those who do,
I/we immediately think of you.

Thanks for being one of the reasons I'll/We'll have a Happy New Year!

MISS Foundation Helps The Bereaved

EXTRA EXTRA!

Coping with Grief During the Holidays

MISS Foundation Hosting National Children’s Memorial Day Service

        The holidays are especially difficult for the bereaved.  If you or someone you know is mourning the death of a child of any age, please consider attending the National Children’s Memorial Day Service at the Temple Chai at 4645 E. Marilyn Road, Phoenix, AZ 85032 on Sunday, December 11 at 6:30 pm.  Free refreshments served following the memorial service. Temple Chai is west of Tatum Blvd, approximately ½ mile north of Thunderbird Road.

National Children’s Memorial Day began in 1997, and is held annually on the second Sunday in December. At 7:00 p.m. candles are lit around the world, creating a virtual wave of light in which countless families and friends commemorate and honor the memory of children in a way that transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious, and political boundaries.  Such candle lighting events are held both formally and informally, from hundreds of people gathered together, to small family gatherings.

The MISS Foundation hosts National Children’s Memorial Day in the form of a non-denominational memorial service.  Everyone in attendance lights a candle in honor of the beloved child who has died. The MISS Foundation also invites families and loved ones to bring a photo and/or memento to display in the sanctuary during the service.

The MISS Foundation, a Phoenix based nonprofit organization, serves families after the death of a child at any age, from any cause.  The support services that the MISS Foundation provides are multi-faceted and include crisis outreach, support groups, one on one counseling, online support forums, family grief conferences, research and advocacy.  National Children’s Memorial Day is one of the MISS Foundation’s annual events in support of those families who have lost a child.

MISS Foundation founder, Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, speaks to the importance of the National Children’s Memorial Day Service, “Rituals are a crucial part of healthy bereavement.  NCMD is a way for families to proactively remember and honor their child who died too soon, and reminds us all to cherish every moment we have with our children.  It's a lesson from which every parent on Earth can benefit.”

M.I.S.S FOUNDATION

Some Info from Webmaster
Hello for those that know me,, you are aware of the MISS Foundation for those of you who do not.


The MISS Foundation is a 501 (c) 3, volunteer based organization committed to providing crisis support and long term aid to families after the death of a child from any cause. MISS also participates in legislative and advocacy issues, community engagement and volunteerism, and culturally competent, multidisciplinary, education opportunities
http://missfoundation.org/

Many of you know them by their Random Acts of Kindness Program












I have been working with the MISS Foundation for 8 years since the loss of my daughter Dawn Marie and am a Mentor for other families that have experienced this tragedy  I also have  just asked to become a Facilitator for their support program, This November 6th I will be attending Dawns 10 year Memorial service in Chicago, I am also the 2nd largest fundraiser in Phoenix for MISS Memorial Causes, So if you feel generous please donate to this wonderful organization




HOPE Mentor Profile,Michael Sansone, Phoenix, AZ

I am the Father of 5 children, Ages: (In Heaven Dawn 33), Kristen-30, Nicole-29, Michael Jr.-27, and Michelene- 19.

After the loss of my daughter Dawn in 2001 to a hit and run driver, I was fortunate to learn about the MISS Foundation which has helped reshape my life. I am hoping that this tragic event in my life and the things I have learned along the way have suited me to help other parents cope with this unthinkable loss we share.

CLICK FOR MY PROFILE    ....http://missfoundation.org/bios/msansone.html

On November 6th 2001 My Daughter Dawn Marie was struck and  killed by a Hit & Run Driver here in Phoenix She was 23 yrs old with a smile none can ever forget Born 1/2/1978     Passed 11/6/2001 To donate please click link below http://wishes.causes.com/wishes/390540?bws=fb_stream_wish Thank You To Donors this week Michael raised $20 from Anonymous Donor for MISS Foundation about 1 hour ago Michael raised $25 from Anonymous Donor for MISS Foundation about 2 hours ago Michael raised $25 from Remona Onesti for MISS Foundation 1 day ago Michael raised 50 from Augie Sansonefor MISS Foundation 1 day ago Michael raised $50 from Shawn Roberts Soumilas for MISS Foundation 3 days ago  Michael donated $25 to Michael's Wish Michael raised $25 from Susan Pack  3days ago

Hope Mentor

HOPE Mentor, Phoenix, AZ

MICHAEL J SANSONE


I am the Father of 5 children, Ages: (In Heaven Dawn 33), Kristen-30, Nicole-29, Michael Jr.-27, and Michelene- 19.
After the loss of my daughter Dawn in 2001 to a hit and run driver, I was fortunate to learn about the MISS Foundation which has helped reshape my life. I am hoping that this tragic event in my life and the things I have learned along the way have suited me to help other parents cope with this unthinkable loss we share.




WWW.MISSFOUNDATION.ORG

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Never Forget !!

─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ▄ ▌ ▐ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▌
─ ─ ─ ▄ ▄ █ █ ▌ █ ░ ♥ ░ 9/11 VICTIMS & THEIR FAMILIES ░░ ♥░ ░▐
▄ ▄ ▄ ▌ ▐ █ █ ▌ █ ░ ♥ ░ ░░ WE WILL NEVER FORGET ░░░ ░ ♥░ ░▐
█ █ █ █ █ █ █ ▌ █ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▌
▀ (@) ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ (@)(@) ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀ ▀(@)(@)(@) ▀ ▘
TO ALL WHO LOST LOVED ONES AND TO THE HERO'S

THE FENCE

You can’t get any more accurate than this!


Which side of the fence?

If you ever wondered which side of the fence

you sit on, this is a great test!

If a Republican doesn't like guns, he doesn’t buy one.

If a Democrat doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a Republican is a vegetarian, he doesn’t eat meat.

If a Democrat is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a Republican is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.

If a Democrat is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a Republican is down-and-out, he thinks about how To better his situation.

A Democrat wonders who is going to take care of him.


If a Republican doesn't like a talk show host,

he switches to other channels.

Democrats demand that those they don't like be shut down.


If a Republican is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.

A Democrat non-believer wants any mention of God

and religion silenced.

If a Republican decides he needs health care, he goes

about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it..

A Democrat demands that the rest of us pay for his

Labor Day....Enjoy and Be Safe!

A very Happy Labor Day to everyone, if you happen to visit this site on the Labor day.
Update: The labor day weekend is here and I am looking  forward to it. Like every year, I thought of updating this page a bit,  and add a few Labor day quotes.

Work is less boring than amusing yourself.

 If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.  ~Doug Larson

Labor  Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to  school the next day.  It would have been called Independence Day, but  that name was already taken.  ~Bill Dodds

The end of labor is to gain leisure.  ~Aristotle

Labor  was the first price, the original purchase-money that was paid for all  things.  It was not by gold or by silver, but by labor, that all wealth  of the world was originally purchased.  ~Adam Smith

If You Marry A Chicago Girl

Three friends married women from different parts of the country.....

The first man married a woman from  Utah  . He told her that she was to do the dishes and house cleaning. It took a couple of days, but on the third day, he came home to see a clean house and dishes washed and put away.

The second man married a woman from  California  . He gave his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes and the cooking. The first day he didn't see any results, but the next day he saw it was better. By the third day, he saw his house was clean, the dishes were done, and there was a huge dinner on the table.

The third man married a girl from  Chicago  . He ordered her to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed, and hot meals on the table for every meal. He said the first day he didn't see anything, the second day he didn't see anything but by the third day, some of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye, and his arm was healed enough that he could fix himself a sandwich and load the dishwasher. He still has some difficulty when he pees.

5 Simple Internet Marketing Techniques

Each of the following five internet marketing techniques can be implemented without

a considerable investment (except perhaps time). While some of them might be more accurately described as internet marketing advice rather than internet marketing techniques (most notably #5), each of them can have a positive impact on your internet marketing initiatives.

Track and analyze your web site traffic.
Most web hosts offer traffic analysis data to their clients, and it is arguably the most important tool at your disposal in measuring the effectiveness of your internet marketing techniques and overall website performance. By taking the time to understand this data, you can begin to understand the motivations and interests of your audience. Are many of them leaving on one particular page? Perhaps you should make some changes to keep their interest. Are most of them looking at one particular part of your site? Perhaps you should make it a more featured area. Since this data updates on a regular basis, you are also able to gauge the effectiveness of any changes that you make. These are the most basic examples, as there are many more useful bits of information available- what search terms your visitors are using to find you, what sites are bringing you the most traffic, how long your visitors are staying, etc. Maintaining a successful website is an ongoing process, and visitor data is crucial to getting optimum results.
Request links from non-competing, quality companies related to your industry.
This is a simple but effective piece of internet marketing advice. Links allow you to get quality traffic while increasing the prestige of your business. Visitors that enter your site from a link that they find on another site are predisposed to believe that they will find something of value there (if not, why would the site take the time and effort to link to it?). The added benefit to link building internet marketing techniques is that they can give a tremendous boost to your link popularity, which is a major factor in determining how your site gets ranked in search engines.
Write informative articles about your business or products and make them available to online publications and webmasters.
There are numerous sites that will allow you to offer original informational articles for others to publish. In fact, our own company routinely publishes articles containing internet marketing advice. Such an exchange benefits you in several ways. First, all of these sites require anyone who is reprinting your article to provide a link back to your site, which can provide highly targeted visitors (visitors that most likely already have a good impression of you from your article). This is also another way to boost your link popularity, which is vitally important to your search engine rankings (as discussed above and in our last issue). Moreover, if you offer a service, a reputation is your most valuable asset. Widely distributed articles can help to establish you as an expert in your field and help you to gain credibility with your future clients. Although internet marketing techniques such as these may require a considerable time investment, the payoff can be well worth the trouble.
Give your website visitors a clear call to action.
If your site isn't intended to sell a product or gain a customer, then what is it for? Your internet marketing techniques should have a clear purpose, meaning that every page on your site should focus on getting the visitor to take an action. This could be purchasing something online, filling out a form or sending an email, making a phone call, or even simply moving on to the next step in the process. Your website should be more than a static billboard proclaiming that you are open for business- it should compel your visitors to follow a specific path that leads to a sale. The answer can be as simple as placing a prominent offer on your pages.
When it comes to your site, don't overlook the obvious.
As previously mentioned, this might fall better into the category of internet marketing advice, rather than internet marketing techniques. However, it is important that you compare your website to an actual store. Is everything clean and organized, or is everything messy and cluttered? Many websites give bad first impressions with issues that could easily be avoided. Broken links are a sign of sloppiness that are fairly common. To combat this, there are several websites that will automatically scan your site and identify any broken links. Seeing little red "x's" where a graphic or photo should appear is another common problem that is easily addressed. Does your site maintain its look and functionality with most browsers? People are sometimes dismayed to learn that their site (which looks great in Internet Explorer) doesn't maintain its look or functionality with other popular browsers such as Firefox. The time and resources required to fix these problems are small when compared with the cost of tarnishing your professional image.

Why Woman Should NOT Take Men Shopping !!

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to
Target.
Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get
in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she
loves to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from
the local Target.

Dear Mrs. Samuel,

Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our
store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both
of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Samuel,
are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other
people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute
intervals.

3. July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the
women's restroom.

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice,
'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away'. This caused the employee to
leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that
in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time
and costing the company money.

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on
layaway.

6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children
shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from
the bedding department to which twenty children obliged.

8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and
screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called.

9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a
mirror while he picked his nose.

10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked
the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming
the 'Mission Impossible' theme.

12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by
using different sizes of funnels.

13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through,
yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed
a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'


And last, but not least:

15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile,
then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.' One of
the clerks passed out.

Kindness Project

The Kindness Project

Sharing and Support

The MISS Foundation's Dr. Cacciatore started the Kindness Project in 1996 as a way for families to cope with the tragedy of a child's death. Since then, more than 1,000,000 kindnesses have been committed around the globe in memory of children, gone too soon.

Anyone can participate in memory of anyone!

Here's what you do:

Visit the MISS Foundation's International Kindness Project Day website:

www.KindnessProjectDay.org

between the dates of July 20-27, 2011. Please sign up for our eNews list by clicking here and we'll send you a reminder on July 20th when template are released for you to print Kindness Cards DIY at home yourself. Or as an alternative, send a SASE to The MISS Foundation, PO Box 5333, Peoria, AZ 85385, and we'll send you several cards!

Start thinking about acts of kindness - especially anonymous ones as those are the most powerful - you can commit in your neighborhood and community!

After you get your free templates (available between July 20th and 27th), print your Kindness Project cards in English or Spanish.

Share this event with others! IDEAS FOR THIS: Send email invitation to the Facebook event; print out our Kindness Project Brochure and share them around your town; do your own Kindness Project and send press releases to your local tv, radio, newspapers to spread the word.

Then- drum roll please- on July 27, 2011, go out into this world and help to created more Kindness in memory of your beloved!

Help spread the word by sharing our International Kindness
Project Day press release with your local media!

We hope everyone will join us in this amazing experience! Don't worry- you can commit a Kindness Project act that costs nothing (mow someone's yard, offer a homemade gift, bring cookies to a nursing home), only your time and devotion to another!

Or, you can have fun buying Starbucks for the person in line behind you... or you can leave flowers on a strangers' door... or you can buy someone's meal at a restaurant anonymously, or you can leave a $10 bill on the ground where someone can find it wrapped around a Kindness Project card... the list is endless! See our Kindess Project Ideas page for even more!

Imagine this:
All around the world,
on this one day of the year,
mourners will be transforming their grief into a
powerful message of love, hope, peace, and kindness!

Thank You !!

The MISS Foundation is a volunteer based organization committed to providing crisis support and long term aid to families after the death of a Child, Of which I am a Member and Mentor to other Parents, After the loss of our Dawn Marie ,They supported me !! and countless other families.

These are a list of the Donors I would like to thank for their wonderful donation and support
Stop Hit & Run in Arizona, Augie Sansone, Ramona Onesti, Shawn Roberts Soumilas, Lisa Vautrin-Davis, Vanessa Boffa-Forst, Michele Newton, Margaret Lynch, Kristen Shamoon, Nikki Sansone, Mike Sansone, Debbie Sansone, Elaine Sansone, David Gronke , Anonymous Donor. Thank You All From The Bottom Of My Heart!!

KIDDIELAND / RIP

Kiddieland Closing
After visiting Chicago last weekend and seeing with my eyes NO MORE KIDDLELAND I had to repost

Sadly, Kiddieland  closed for good on September 27, 2009. Kiddieland leases the land that it sits on and the lease has finally come to an end. There will be no renewal of the lease. Addtional information will be posted on the website at a later date. All of us who grew up in Chicago in the 50's 60's and 70's  all remember Kiddieland...Ahhhh the good ole days !!

Donation Of Angels

The MISS Foundation is a volunteer based organization committed to providing crisis support and long term aid to families after the death of a Child, Of which I am a Member and Mentor to other Parents, After the loss of our Dawn Marie ,They supported me !! and countless other families.. Please help me support them and Thank You

*Don’t Tell Me*
Please don't tell me you know how I feel, Unless you have lost your child too,
Please don't tell me my broken heart will heal, Because that is just not true,
Please don't tell me my daughter is in a better place,
Though it is true, I want her here with me,
Don't tell me someday I'll hear her voice, see her face,
Beyond today I cannot see, Don’t tell me it is time to move on,
Because I cannot, Don’t tell me to face the fact she is gone,
Because denial is something I can't stop,
Don't tell me to be thankful for the time I had, Because I wanted more,
Don't tell me when I am my old self you will be glad,
I'll never be as I was before, What you can tell me is you will be here for me,
That you will listen when I talk of my child,
You can share with me my precious memories,
You can even cry with me for a while,
And please don't hesitate to say her name,
Because it is something I long to hear every day,
Friend please realize that I can never be the same,
But if you stand by me, you may like the new person I become someday.

To Donate Click This Link      http://wishes.causes.com/wishes/316477?bws=fb_stream_wish

M.I.S.S Foundation..

CHECK OUT THIS WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION

They Have been my backbone for the last 9 years.....Michael..


About MISS

More than 120,000 children die every year in the United States. Of those, more than 80% die before their first birthday...
The MISS Foundation is a nonprofit corporation committed to helping families discover hope and eventually heal from the trauma of a child's death.

More information on the MISS Foundation visit our information packet link:
http://www.missfoundation.org/news/mediakit/index.html

Vision

That our programs will serve to strengthen families and communities when a child has died, and that through education and research, we will help to reduce the number of child deaths. No family should have to endure the pain of a child family member's death alone: The MISS Foundation is committed to building interdisciplinary communities that provide long-term support to families after a child's death. We are committed to the memory of the children who lived, who died, and who continue- even in death- to matter.


"A community of sorrow is the strongest community of all."

Memorial Donations

You may make a memorial donation in memory of a child. Acknowledgements will be listed in the MISSing Angels Newsletter and acknowledgement memorial cards sent. The monies will be used for our Emergency Services program, which provides free literature, books, and support group brochures to families who have experienced the death of their child. You can sponsor an entire Emergency Packet. We will also include a Kindness Project card signed in honor of your child or grandchild.

Memorial Donations or Emergency Packet Sponsors can send their gift to:

MISS Foundation- Memorial Donations
P.O. Box 5333
Peoria, Arizona 85385-5333

Or Donate Online

All donations are tax deductible

To contact the MISS Foundation:

International Office
1.623.979.1000
1.623.979.1001 fax

Toll Free in the U.S.
888 455-MISS (6477)

Written inquiries:
PO Box 5333
Peoria, Arizona 85385-5333

Email:
info@missfoundation.org

About the Kindness Project
The Kindness Project began in October of 1997 as a way for families to honor their deceased child and to help themselves heal. Now, years later, more than 500,000 Kindness Project cards have been used around the world to perform random acts of kindness in memory of a child, parent, friend, or spouse who died before their time.
The idea is to perform random acts of, usually anonymous, acts of kindness in your community. A little card is left behind so that the person who benefits from the kindness knows that someone's life and death continues to matter. This beautiful movement has helped thousands of families to heal and find positive outlets for their overwhelming grief.

The History of the Kindness Project


The Kindness Project is a worldwide movement to share our children (or other loved ones) with those who never had the honor to meet them. Let me tell you why I am so excited about this project...

My daughter, Cheyenne, died in July of 1994. It was the worst day of my life. I never imagined myself laughing or ever experiencing joy again.

I began to seek out ways to keep Cheyenne's memory alive to my family and to the rest of the world: I wanted to create a legacy. I wanted people to know that she existed and, more importantly, I wanted to help change the lives of others because of her presence on this earth.

So I set out on various missions of random kindness. On a daily basis, I looked for opportunities to reach out and do something unexpected and unusually kind for someone else. Most often, strangers were the recipients of these good deeds. I began to feel a sense of peace in knowing that Cheyenne was the reason for my enlightening.

The Kindness Project blossomed out of the extraordinary experiences I had while doing things for others. Because truly miraculous things happen to our spirit when we reach out to help others, I sought a way to share that movement with others.

It is our hope that through the Kindness Project, we can make incredible transformations within our communities, in our families, and in ourselves. Just imagine if every person touched by death would participate in helping to transform the world into a gentler and more altruistic world! What an impact this would have on so many levels!

The Kindness Project reminds others that our children, and other loved ones, are so very important to us that we are willing to extend the life and love of our child and share it with others! It is a legacy that transcends death. It is a legacy of love.

Joanne Cacciatore
joanne@missfoundation.org







Kindness Stories Read stories about how others have used the Kindness Project to share their lost loved one with the world!

More Kindness Stories! Here you can read more stories of Kindness acts as well as post your own kindness story! Share *your* loved one with the world on the Kindness Project forum board.

Kindess Project Ideas The first step in Project Kindness is to seek out ways, look for opportunities, to do something nice for someone. This takes very little creativity, as I have found kind deeds waiting to be done thousands of times.

Kindness Cards Here are samples of the Kindness cards, available in two styles. Order yours today and start spreading kindness wherever you go!

Articles - Read articles that have appeared in local newspapers about the Kindness Project. Random acts of kindness are showing up all over!



"Above all we must realize that each of us
makes a difference with our life. Each of us
impacts the world around us every single
day. We have a choice to use the gift of our life to
make the world a better place - or not to bother."
-Jane Goodall

Crime of Cowards / Stop Hit and Run in Arizona

After losing my Daughter to a hit and run driver in 2001, , I feel the strong need to have a place for others who have lost someone to this conscienceless crime, As I watch the nightly news here in Arizona, there is not a night that goes by that there isn't a story about another hit and run, And as I watch this I relive our loss...Hoping to build support here to help increase penalty for this horrible crime!

This New Website will feature Hit and Run drivers for all to see \

http://crimeofcowards.com/

Classic...Elvin Bishop

Growing up in the 1940s on a farm in Iowa with a loving but non musical family, Elvin seldom heard music as a kid. "This was before TV," Elvin says, "and on the radio you got a lot of Frank Sinatra and 'How Much Is That Doggie In the Window' type of stuff." The family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when Elvin was 10, in 1952. Tulsa was "totally segregated," says Elvin, "I mean, hard core." However, "the one thing they couldn't segregate was the airwaves. When rock and roll started up in the mid-'50s, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Little Richard showed up on white radio."


And then, late one night when Elvin was 14 or 15, the atmospheric conditions a little rough, Jimmy Reed's harmonica came cutting through the static from WLAC in Nashville, and Elvin Bishop's life was changed. The song was "Honest I Do." "That piercing harp came through, cutting in like a knife, and I said, 'Oh, man, that's it.' I found out that blues was where the good part of rock and roll was coming from." And about that time, he started trying to play guitar. "I wanted to play it from the beginning," Elvin says. "I kept trying and then quitting it. Hurtin' my fingers, playing those old pawn-shop guitars with the strings two inches off the fret board. Nobody I knew played." But he kept after it. "Not being able to dance, and seeing how the musicians did with the girls, and loving the music, I finally stuck with it."


Hooked on the sounds emerging from the radio, Elvin had to find out where they were coming from and who was responsible. When he was awarded a National Merit Scholarship in 1959, he could have gone to pretty much any college he wanted, but chose The University Of Chicago, because that's where the blues were. And so he landed in the middle of one of the richest and most vital scenes in blues history. "Any night of the week you could hear Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Hound Dog Taylor, Otis Rush, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Magic Sam, Bobby King, Eddie King, Little Smokey, Big Smokey, and a whole ton of people you never heard of."


His first week in Chicago, he came across Paul Butterfield, who was sitting on some steps drinking beer and playing blues on guitar. "We fell together right away," says Elvin. "I was amazed to find other white guys into blues." After playing with a lot of different people, including J.T. Brown, Hound Dog Taylor and Junior Wells, Elvin hooked up with Butterfield to form the legendary Paul Butterfield Blues Band, with bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Sam Lay, who'd been Howlin' Wolf's rhythm section. Producer Paul Rothchild of Elektra Records encouraged them to add guitarist Michael Bloomfield. "I'd met Bloomfield before, in a pawn shop," says Elvin, "when I was looking for guitars. We got to talking. He got a guitar out, started playing circles around the world."


In 1965 the Butterfield band went into the studio and recorded The Paul Butterfield Blues Band album, which turned out to be a sea-change record for thousands of rock fans and musicians. An integrated band playing blues music in 1965 was unheard of. It introduced a lot of people to the blues, and to the musicians who had influenced the Butterfield band. After several more albums with Butterfield, including the pivotal genre bending East West, Bishop took off on his own. "I wanted to stretch out, see how far I could take it on my own," says Elvin. Bishop had visited San Francisco with the Butterfield band during the Summer of Love in 1967. "I loved the people, the weather, and not having to watch my back all the time." And like several other Chicago musicians he ended up moving to the Bay Area.


The 70's saw Elvin hit the charts with solo tracks like "Travelin' Shoes," "Sure Feels Good" and what would become his biggest hit, "Fooled Around and Fell in Love," with a powerful vocal by Mickey Thomas (later of Jefferson Starship). During the 1980's, Elvin spent most of his time on the road, "entertaining the people and maybe having a little too much fun myself." Later in the decade he hooked up with Alligator for a number of excellent albums that grew right out of his blues roots.


Elvin's brand new release "The Blues Rolls On" on Delta Groove Music, harks back to Bishop's roots, paying tribute to the musicians who helped give him his start. A who's who of blues musicians support Bishop on the album, including B.B. King, Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, George Thorogood, James Cotton, Kim Wilson, Tommy Castro, John Nemeth, Ronnie Baker Brooks, and Angela Strehli. Bishop handles the majority of the vocals, with Nemeth and others pitching in as well.


Bishop revisits his own '70s solo hit "Struttin' My Stuff" with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks, Junior Wells' "Come On In This House," and the Butterfield Band's "Yonders Wall" and Hound Dog Taylor's "Send You Back To Georgia." He also contributes the autobiographical boogie "Oklahoma," played solo electric. Sessions for the rollicking album ranged from Jacksonville, FL to Clarksdale, MS, and to a cruise ship off the Mexican coast.


Bishop is a slide guitar great with 45-years of blues under his belt. Rolling Stone has tagged Bishop's music as "raucous," praising his "careening slide and razor-edged bursts, all delivered with unflagging enthusiasm and wit. "The Blues Rolls On" is another defining moment in Bishop's long career and a welcome reminder that the blues is still alive and well.

Memory Lane

Too Wild To Tame

DIRTY DAN BUCK OF THE BOYZZ | Myspace Music Videos

THE BOYZZ FROM ILLINOIZZ /TY FOR ALLLLLLL THE GOOD TIMES

Bobbitt Family Update

Crisis runs in the family

Bobbitt Family Update

In a recent news broadcast, it was announced that Lorena Bobbitt's sister Louella was arrested for an
alleged attempt to perform the same act on her husband as her famous sister had done several years ago.

Sources reveal the sister was not as accurate as Lorena.

She allegedly missed the target and stabbed her husband in the upper thigh causing severe muscle and tendon damage. The husband is reported to be in serious, but stable Condition, and Louella has been charged with...?
?

A Misdawiener!

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich

YOU WANTED THE RECIPE ?? HERE IT IS.............
The Italian beef sandwich is serious business in Chicago. We're not fooling around here. Everyone has their favorite place. Once people make up there mind that's it. There's no changing it.
Let's separate the favorites by territory. Taylor Street has Al's No. 1 Italian Beef, Elmwood Park has Johnnie's Beef, River North has Mr. Beef, Buona Beef in Berwyne and Max's Famous Italian Beef on North Western Ave., AND my FAVE Frannies in Schiller Park, just to name a few.Where I come from many of us grew up with Al's. After trying all the rest Al's still remains my favorite.
Now that I touched on the legendary Chicago Italian beef sandwich lets get to my not so famous recipe. You can try it at home. It's good and you'll enjoy it but don't even tell me the ones I mentioned are better, I'm sure they are. They've been making them a lot longer than I have.
Still I guarantee this Italian beef sandwich will be one of the best home recipes you'll make.

INGREDIENTS 5 pound rump roast 6 cloves of garlic chopped fine 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp of dried basil 1 tsp of dried thyme 1 onion slice 2 cups of beef broth 1/2 cup of red wine 1/2 cup of water 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 tsp salt 3 red and green bell peppers Italian Rolls PREPARATION Mix garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Rub mixture into beef. Massage it thoroughly. Like you're on a date. Place the beef in a large plastic bag and add 1 cup of broth, wine and onion. Let marinate in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees Place roast in a roasting pan and pour the marinade over the roast. Add the remaining broth and water. Roast with no lid for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours turning once within that time. Remove roast and let stand till cool. Reserve juice. Slice beef thin on a meat slicer. If you don't have a slicer, get one. You'll use it for a lot more things than roast beef. Place beef in juice. Cut peppers into slices and saute in oil until done.Slice your rolls and pile on that juicy beef. Add sweet peppers or giardinera and eat. Don't forget those napkins. In the summer, try this recipe on a grill. Oh my goodness!

Memory of James Jigg's Kovin

REST IN PEACE MY FRIEND

Well it never gets any easier even as we are all "grown up"  Its been one year sinceI lost my Pal   James "Jiggs" Kovin. I use the term Pal because thats how my friend always referred to me as his Pal.My man Jiggs brought back that word Pal out of retirement and made it a word of value again We we met almost 10 years ago to the date I knew this was a good man, He was my friend, my mentor also as he always said he was my anger management guru....And he was  lol...When ever he would walk into the house he would always greet me the same   "Hows my man pots and pans...It became are regular saying along with some of the other nicknames he came up for me along with the crazy eyetie...We spent 9 great years together and building ourselfs quite a group of friends along the way.All of who always smiled when he came in the room.In life you get to meet a very few people like Jiggs and I realized what a great addition to my life he had become.My man you will never be forgotten as you were my PAL and loved you very much. Now my pal its time for you to rest and know you left a mark on the people that you have touched along the way even more than you could have ever figured.So rest in peace my friend and thank you for being you.....................Love always....... your man pots and pans

Spread the Stupidity

Spread the Stupidity

Only in  America  ...do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

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Only in  America  ...do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a Diet Coke.

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Only in  America  ...do banks leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

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Only in  America  ...do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.

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Only in America  ...do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight. 
 

Only in  America  ...do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.

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EVER WONDER...

Why the sun lightens our hair, but darkens our skin?

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Why can't women    put on mascara with their mouth closed?

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Why don't you ever see the headline 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?

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Why is 'abbreviated' such a long word?

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Why is it that doctors call what they do 'practice'?

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Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

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Why is the man who invests all your money called a broker?

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Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

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Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?
 

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Why do they sterilize the needle for lethal injections?

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You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?!

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Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

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Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

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I like this one!!!
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

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If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

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Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread the stupidity