Music Monday- 80's Bubblegum Pop

Music Monday: Just some good old fashioned bubble gum pop:

Old School Football Books

Written in 1971

The NFL is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season. I have always been a reader and a collector of books since I was a little kid. Here are some football books that I have managed to keep with me since I was a kid or young adult throughout all of life's changes. The book above someone  gave me and I think I did two or three book reports on it during my elementary school career. Here are some others that I have managed to keep a hold of:

First Down and a Billion (1987): This was written by former San Diego Chargers owner Gene Klein and it introduced me to the business side of the game:

Monday Night Mayhem (1988): I was taking a mass communication class when I first went to college in the late 80's (I think in 1989) and this was one of textbooks for the class:

Open Field (1974): Another one of those go-to book report books back in my elementary school career. Again, someone gave it to me to encourage me to keep reading. The cool thing about this one is it most likely my first autographed book:

Len Dawson-Pressure Quarterback (1970): Another one of those book report books back in the day.

Coach-A Season with Lombardi (1970):- This is a detailed account of the great Vince Lombardi's only season with the Washington Redskins. The interesting thing is that one day I was at work (at a school I don't teach at anymore) and I was seated at an event with some people who worked at the school. We started talking about books and I told them I had re-read this book. Turns out that one of the people I was talking to was the daughter of the author of the book. Pretty cool deal.

Out of Their League (1971)- I found this book in my high school's library and loved it. It is the autobiography of Dave Meggyesy who played for seven seasons in the NFL in the 60's and retired because he thought the game was dehumanizing to him. Meggyesy was very radical in his politics and involved in lot of the movements of the 1960's. I found this my freshman year and loved it. I had checked out so much during my four years of high school that when I graduated, the school librarian gave it to me:

The cool thing is that I was able to meet Dave Meggyesy in 2015 at the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley. Talk about a thrill:

Just some old school football books, I have lugged with me during my life.

Battle of the Bay Art Show

When I went to Giants-A's game a couple of weeks ago, they also had an art show at the Oakland Coliseum. It was an exhibit that had a baseball theme that featured the two Bay Area teams-The San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A's and featured local artists:

This is of the legendary Bill King the great Bay Area announcer. If you grew up in the Bay Area when I did in 70's and 80's, Bill was the man. He did the Oakland Radiers, Golden St. Warriors and the Oakland A's. He was great.

After the 1989 Earthquake which happened right before Game 3 of the World Series. 

It was really cool to see all of this amazing art work. It was better the game.

The Oakland LDS Temple

I went up to the Latter Day Saints (LDS) Temple in the Oakland Hills. The Oakland LDS Temple was 15th constructed and 13th operating temple of Church of Latter Day Saints when it was dedciated in 1964. I wasn't allowed inside the actual Temple because I am not a Latter Day Saint but I was allowed inside the vistor center (which I learned a lot about the Latter Day Saints) and genealogy center (which I will be going back to) and I was able to walk the beautiful grounds:

The Oakland LDS Temple was beautiful and it had a wonderful view:

Music Monday: From the Farm Aid Stage

Music Monday:  Thirty Four years ago, an important benefit concert took place and that was Farm Aid. It was a benefit to help family farmers in the United States, it has become an annual event in the United States. Here is some music from the artists who appeared at the first Farm Aid:

Randy Newman:

The Beach Boys:

Brian Setzer:

Huey Lewis:

Alabama:

Foreigner:

It was an electric day with many great artists. The cool thing is that Farm Aid is still going on today and helping American family farms which is the backbone of this nation.

Oakland Chinatown StreetFest

Recently I went to the Chinatown StreetFest held in Downtown Oakland:

It was a small StreetFest but fun.

Flight 93 Memorial

I go shopping at Smart and Final for groceries in Union Landing Shopping Center in Union City near where I live. I drive by this memorial a lot. I finally decided to stop and pay my respects.  It has been 18 years since that terrible day. The passengers and flight attendents who attempted to regain control of that flight are true heroes:

It is a very simple but elegant and powerful memorial to some heroes who died tragically.  In your busy day, please say a prayer for all of those who lost their lives on that sad day.