Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #16 for 2026...

"Blindman with a Pistol", by Chester Himes, published in 1969.  Harlem Cycle Series #8.

This was the last Harlem Detective novel featuring Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones, New York City police detectives in Harlem. 

The titles of the complete series include:

• A Rage in Harlem
• The Real Cool Killers
• The Crazy Kill
• All Shot Up
• The Big Gold Dream
• The Heat's On
• Cotton Comes to Harlem,
• Blind Man with a Pistol; all written between 1957 and 1969. 

The final entry in the series was to be Plan B, published posthumously in 1983.

It's been far too long since I updated any of these "Album List"...

Having been born in 1962, and liking and listening to music from the early sixties onward, I thought it might be fun to attempt a listing of my favorite albums each year since birth.

The initial post for this series of ideas began on December 26th, 2023.  You can look it up....

This time, I present my "Top Albums released in 1969, #01 through #10" 

... from that incredible Year in Music 1969!

1. Neil Young & Crazy Horse Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

2. MC5 Kick Out the Jams

3. The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground

4. The 13th Floor Elevators Bull of the Woods

5. Captain Beefheart Trout Mask Replica

6. Jefferson Airplane Volunteers

7. The Stooges The Stooges

8. The Soft Machine Volume Two

9. Leonard Cohen Songs from a Room

10. Sandy Bull E Pluribus Unum

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I have video from the Gang of Four Concert from June 23, with the Downtown Boys opening.

Gang of Four:

I have video from the Gang of Four Concert from June 23, with the Downtown Boys opening.

Downtown Boys:

On this day...

Tunxis Trail Marathon II - June 30th, 2006
Barkhamsted & New Hartford, Connecticut

Today I completed my 35th marathon, Tunxis II. 

This was the second time in 5-weeks that I marathoned along the Tunxis Trail...  this time, I used the southern portion down to Satan's Kingdom. 

My time was 6:06:30, and I had Tippi along for company.  It was her 9th completed marathon.

Tippi on top of  Indian Council Caves, along the Tunxis.

 

From the Marathon Archives...

2nd Wapack Range End-To-End

June 29, 1997 - Greenfield, NH to Ashburnham, MA

Second  installment of the "Wapack End-to-End" adventure.

The Gulliver's did another really nice job coordinating the shuttle between points, as well as the aid stations.

Ran with Curt P and Eric M, I didn't get a finish time, but I think it may have been quicker than last year's effort.  This was my 16th completed marathon.

**** Time Update:  4:46:59, with splits of 1:16:00,1:29:00 (2:45:00) and 2:02:00 (4:46:59).

Another Trip to Orthopedic Doctor regarding Left Hip.  

Referral to Surgeon for Replacement is best option.

I am undertaking a Guitar Challenge for June,

The offering is from Bob Harris at Acoustic Guitar Videos Lessons.

This Course is titled "Fingerpicking For BEGINNERS-Play Guitar In 12 Minutes!"

The entire course consist of twelve (12) individual lessons.

There are twelve remaining days in June, and Twelve Lessons.

The schedule or pattern couldn't be simpler... a lesson a day.

Lesson Twelve (12) accomplished!

Visit with Mom and Pop today.

I am undertaking a Guitar Challenge for June,

The offering is from Bob Harris at Acoustic Guitar Videos Lessons.

This Course is titled "Fingerpicking For BEGINNERS-Play Guitar In 12 Minutes!"

The entire course consist of twelve (12) individual lessons.

There are twelve remaining days in June, and Twelve Lessons.

The schedule or pattern couldn't be simpler... a lesson a day.

Lesson Eleven (11) accomplished!

1.7-Mile Hike around Town (North Main Street).

I am undertaking a Guitar Challenge for June,

The offering is from Bob Harris at Acoustic Guitar Videos Lessons.

This Course is titled "Fingerpicking For BEGINNERS-Play Guitar In 12 Minutes!"

The entire course consist of twelve (12) individual lessons.

There are twelve remaining days in June, and Twelve Lessons.

The schedule or pattern couldn't be simpler... a lesson a day.

Lesson Ten (10) accomplished!

1.3-Mile Hike with K2 at Northwest Park!

I am undertaking a Guitar Challenge for June,

The offering is from Bob Harris at Acoustic Guitar Videos Lessons.

This Course is titled "Fingerpicking For BEGINNERS-Play Guitar In 12 Minutes!"

The entire course consist of twelve (12) individual lessons.

There are twelve remaining days in June, and Twelve Lessons.

The schedule or pattern couldn't be simpler... a lesson a day.

Lesson Nine (9) accomplished!

I am undertaking a Guitar Challenge for June,

The offering is from Bob Harris at Acoustic Guitar Videos Lessons.

This Course is titled "Fingerpicking For BEGINNERS-Play Guitar In 12 Minutes!"

The entire course consist of twelve (12) individual lessons.

There are twelve remaining days in June, and Twelve Lessons.

The schedule or pattern couldn't be simpler... a lesson a day.

Lesson Eight (8) accomplished!

Gang of Four with Downtown Boys opening at Space Ballroom, Hamden, CT with DL.

DL and I attended a Gang of Four Concert back in April of 1984, the 19th I believe. 

Gosh that amounts to over 40-years ago.

Setlist:

1. To Hell With Poverty
2. Ether
3. Return the Gift
4. Outside the Trains Don't Run on Time
5. I Love a Man in a Uniform
6. Not Great Men
7. Paralysed
8. (Love Like) Anthrax
9. What We All Want
10. I Parade Myself
11. Natural's Not in It
12. No Kings
13. At Home He's a Tourist
14. Damaged Goods

Encore:

1. I Found That Essence Rare
2. Armalite Rifle
3. Elevator

The Downtown Boys Rocked Loud and Hard.  The Drummer and Vocalist may have worked harder than any performer I have witnessed, ever.

Also, On this day in 2012, Wuzzam and I completed a Metacomet Marathon, with a time of 7:00:00.  

Tippi ran the first section with us, from Route 20 to Phelps Road, and back (about 10.5-miles). 

Weather report was that heating up was very possible - so DL grabbed Tippi early.  

This was my 48th marathon completed.

Our Route for the Marathon Distance.

Another from the Marathon Archives...

1st Wapack Range End-To-End

June 23, 1996 - Greenfield, NH to Ashburnham, MA

First ever installment of the "Wapack End-to-End" adventure.

80-Degrees, Sunny and Breezy.

I drove up to the event with CP, ready to tackle the challenge.  The Gulliver's really did a nice job coordinating the shuttle between points, as well as the aid stations.

Ran with Curt P and Paul F, finished in 4:54:59.  We lost some time on the top of one of the peaks searching for Paul's contact.

1:16:32 / 1:16:32

1:34:08 / 2:50:40

2:04:18 / 4:54:59

I am undertaking a Guitar Challenge for June,

The offering is from Bob Harris at Acoustic Guitar Videos Lessons.

This Course is titled "Fingerpicking For BEGINNERS-Play Guitar In 12 Minutes!"

The entire course consist of twelve (12) individual lessons.

There are twelve remaining days in June, and Twelve Lessons.

The schedule or pattern couldn't be simpler... a lesson a day.

Lesson Six and Seven (6 & 7) accomplished!

On this day in 1998, my Pop and I completed the 1st Greylock Centennial Marathon in Adams, Massachusetts.  Our time was 6:55:38.  

This was a very difficult course, with 5 lengthy climbs.  

The heat didn't help much either, if I remember correctly.

This was my 19th marathon completed, and my dad's first.

I am undertaking a Guitar Challenge for June,

The offering is from Bob Harris at Acoustic Guitar Videos Lessons.

This Course is titled "Fingerpicking For BEGINNERS-Play Guitar In 12 Minutes!"

The entire course consist of twelve (12) individual lessons.

There are twelve remaining days in June, and Twelve Lessons.

The schedule or pattern couldn't be simpler... a lesson a day.

Lesson Four and Five (4 & 5) accomplished!