"Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #04 for 2024...

"Dogs of Riga" by Henning Mankell in 1992, the 2nd in his acclaimed Wallander series.

Swedish:  Hundarna i Riga

The English translation by Laurie Thompson was published in 2001.

Meeting today with our Financial Advisor, planning our future. 

Found this incredible documentary on the tube:

Completed a  48-Lecture Series on "The Great Courses" aka Wondrium tonight.

Very in-depth amount of material, it certainly assisted on our recent trip to Uxmal...

 "Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed"

The lectures were taught by Professor Edwin Barnhart, Director of the Maya Exploration Center.

This was the third series of lectures from Dr. Ed Barnhart at Wondrium.  

I've benefited and learned a great deal from these areas of study. Sometimes the material is enough, other-times they act as jumping-off points for additional study.  Regardless, I spent about twenty-four hours watching the lectures, and I enjoyed all of it.

Maya to Aztec: Ancient Mesoamerica Revealed

LECTURE 1:    The Maya, Aztecs, and Mesoamerica

LECTURE 2:    Olmec Civilization Emerges

LECTURE 3:    Olmec Art as the Mother Culture 

LECTURE 4:    Olmec Contemporaries

LECTURE 5:    Mesoamerican Plants, Cuisine, and Medicine

LECTURE 6:    Early Highland Maya—Izapa to Kaminaljuyu

LECTURE 7:    Preclassic Maya Lowlands—El Mirador

LECTURE 8:    The Popol Vuh—Creation and Hero Twins

LECTURE 9:    The Great City of Teotihuacan

LECTURE 10:    How the Maya Mastered Mathematics

LECTURE 11:    The World’s Most Elaborate Calendar

LECTURE 12:    Tikal—Aspiring Capital of the Maya World

LECTURE 13:    Maya Hieroglyphs—Breaking the Code

LECTURE 14:    Maya Astronomy and Building Orientations

LECTURE 15:    The Dresden Codex

LECTURE 16:    Palenque—Jewel in the West

LECTURE 17:    Sacred Geometry in Art and Architecture

LECTURE 18:    Illuminating Works of Maya Art

LECTURE 19:    Copan—Jungle Dynasty of the East

LECTURE 20:    Calakmul—The Mighty Snake Kingdom

LECTURE 21:    The Mesoamerican Ball Game 

LECTURE 22:    Enigmatic West Mexico and Shaft Tombs

LECTURE 23:    Classic Maya Collapse—Cities Abandoned!

LECTURE 24:    New Cities of the Terminal Classic—Uxmal

LECTURE 25:    Monte Alban and Zapotec Rule over Oaxaca

LECTURE 26:    The Mixtec Rise—Gold and Epic Stories

LECTURE 27:    The Great Pyramid of Cholula and El Tajin

LECTURE 28:    Cacaxtla Murals and Xochicalco

LECTURE 29:    The Toltecs—Role Models or Myth?

LECTURE 30:    Chichen Itza—Maya Capital of the Yucatan

LECTURE 31:    League of Mayapan—Maya New World Order

LECTURE 32:    Mesoamerican Religion

LECTURE 33:    Aztec Origins—Arrival and Rise of the Mexica

LECTURE 34:    The Aztec Capital of Tenochtitlan

LECTURE 35:    Life in the Aztec World

LECTURE 36:    How the Aztecs Expanded Their Empire

LECTURE 37:    Independent Tarascans—Desert Warriors

LECTURE 38:    Paquime—Northernmost Mesoamerican City?

LECTURE 39:    Illuminating Works of Aztec Art

LECTURE 40:    Tulum—Aztecs at the Ancient Maya Port City

LECTURE 41:    First Contact with Europe in Mesoamerica

LECTURE 42:    The Siege of Tenochtitlan

LECTURE 43:    Conquest of the Maya and Landa’s Legacy

LECTURE 44:    Fall of the Last Maya Kingdom—The Itza

LECTURE 45:    The Caste Wars of Yucatan

LECTURE 46:    Echoes of the Past in Mexico

LECTURE 47;    Maya Survival and Revival

LECTURE 48:    Frontiers of Mesoamerican Archaeology

Another rainy day, many in a row it seems.  Hit the Bloomfield Greenway Multi-Use Trail area to make some hopeful connections to Farmington River Park as well as Wilcox and the Metacomet (New England Trail).  It all worked out pretty well, and the sun actually came out for about 15 minutes.

Completed 4.2-miles with some great information as well, for "trail connections".

6th Month Checkup at the Dentists today.  I received an excellent bit of feedback, so cause for a little Celebration is in order!

Historically I have worn out two dentists to retirement since I've been in Connecticut.  Today was my first appointment with another new one since "Dr. R" retired in early fall.  My newest dentists appears young enough that I may not need to worry about another changing of the guard.

"Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #03 for 2024...

"Widespread Panic", written by James Ellroy, first published in 2021.

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.

I didn't really begin to listen to a lot of music until the early '70's, and I began buying records around 1974 or 1975 I guess.  I can still recall many of those first albums I bought.  Many, I still enjoy.

Many of the early 1960's records I found later on in life, some just in the last few years.

I had a period of time from early '90's until the late 2000's that my listening was mostly jazz.  This means a couple of things...  (a) there will be a decent selection of jazz records in my list, and (b) many of the "rock" albums from this time I might have caught later on (a decade or more) from when they first came out.

So, this isn't really a list from any sort of time-machine, of what was #1 during that year.  It's looking at sixty years of music that I can say I enjoy or have enjoyed.  I  listen to each of these, even still.

I am sure I'll fine-tune my thoughts, but, that is for another day...

I present my favorite albums of 1964...

Albums released 1964

1.    The Beatles                                         A Hard Day's Night

2.    The Animals                                        The Animals

3.    The Kinks                                            The Kinks

4.    Bob Dylan                                           The Times They Are a-Changin'

5.    Muddy Waters                                     Folk Singer

6.    Bo Diddley / Chuck Berry                   Two Great Guitars

7.    Bob Dylan                                           Another Side of Bob Dylan

8.    Yardbirds                                            Five Live Yardbirds

9.    Rolling Stones                                    The Rolling Stones

10.   Hollies                                                In the Hollies Style

Honorable Mentions

11.    Rolling Stones                                   12 X 5

12.    Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells            Together

13.    The Beatles                                        Beatles For Sale

14.    The Supremes                                   Where Did Our Love Go

15.    Hollies                                                Stay With the Hollies

16.    Temptations                                        Meet the Temptations

17.    Simon & Garfunkel                             Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.

Jazz Albums released 1964

1.    John Coltrane                                      Crescent

2.    Eric Dolphy                                          Out to Lunch! 

3.    John Coltrane                                      Live at Birdland

4.    Albert Ayler                                          Witches and Devils

5.    Tony Williams Lifetime                         Lifetime

6.    Lee Morgan                                         The Sidewinder

7.    Larry Young                                         Inta Somthin'

8.    Rashaan Roland Kirk             I Talk with the Spirits

9.    Wayne Shorter                                     Ju Ju

10.   Jackie McLean                     Destination... Out!

Jazz Honorable Mentions

11.  Joe Henderson                                    Our Thing

12.  Rashaan Roland Kirk            Gifts & Messages

13.  Jackie Mclean                            One Step Beyond

14.  John Coltrane                                      Coltrane's Sound

15.  Lee Morgan                                         Search For the New Land

Melanie Safka passed today at age 76.

We were so close, there was no room

We bled inside each other's wounds

We all had caught the same disease

And we all sang the songs of peace.

― Melanie Safka

It might have been the singles "What Have They Done to My Song Ma" or "Brand New Key"  that were a first listen, or the performance at Woodstock.  Best of all, Lay Down (Candles in the Rain).  It is a truly epic performance, especially the one from Netherlands with the Edwin Hawkins Singers live.

I've always really liked the Woodstock recording of "Birthday of the Sun",

While not too familiar with the records released after the early 1970's, I have her first 4 or 5 and listen to them somewhat regularly.  My thought is that this was a very talented lady.

Music 2024...

Effort #01,  "Amazing Grace"...  Rev King, as part of Road Warriors for Christ, performing solo.

Granville in some real cold - managed 4-miles.

"Black Lizard / Vintage Crime #02 for 2024...

"A Walk Among the Tombstones", written by Lawrence Block, first published in 1992.

This is book ten of the Mathew Scudder Series.

Mary Weiss, singer with the Shangri-Las passed away at age 75.

And when I told him

I didn't love him anymore

He cried (he cried)

And when I told him

His kisses were not like before

He cried (he cried)

I knew that our romance was over and done

But for him it had just begun

― He Cried / Shangri-Las

It is pretty hard to know anything about music and not be able to recall The Shangri-Las.  They had a series of fantastic singles, and from the New York Dolls onward, Punk Bands have expressed their love of the Shangri-Las recordings.

The "Hits" and influential songs are numerous...

• "Leader of the Pack"
• "Remember (Walking in the Sand)"
• "What is Love?"
• "Give Him a Great Big Kiss"
• "Maybe"
• "Wishing Well" 
• "Out in the Streets"
• "Give Us Your Blessings"
• "Right Now and Not later"
• "The Train from Kansas City"
• "I Can Never Go Home Anymore"
• "He Cried"

Mary Weiss was out of recording music for decades, but returned around 2007 to work with "The Reigning Sound" for the Dangerous Game album.  I recall purchasing it from emusic as it was available on their service.

I really loved that record, still do.

Bands and Live Performances I've been a part of:

#12.

Not much left of the Primitives, Dong Show #4, Late 1984 or sometime very early 1985.

The show had been over, we all knew it, the magic was gone.  

Somehow, a few of the youth were convinced to embarrass and humiliate themselves once more while onstage in front of a hundred plus audience.

Of the original Primitives, only Rollo and I were willing to show that we just didn't give a darn.

Recorded a drum track the day of the event with Skip, we got onstage and made stuff up.  

Resorted to lyrics from Independence Day, which had been written regarding a bad July 4th experience.

At the end of the day, we had won a few dollars.  I can't even recall what other acts were involved.

Independence Day, Fourth of July

Recorded Drums off a Music Box

"Dang Ditty Ditty" Chorus

Borrowed Material from Tom Tom Club - 

"What You Gonna Do When You Get Outta Jail?"  

"I'm Gonna Have Some Fun".

Main Lyrics as follows:

Quarter Cent Beers and Shots of SC

I Can't Believe what's happened to Me

They say What's to Be Will Be

They Locked Me Up and Threw Away the Key

A.P.D.

Cuffed and Clubbed Me, Knocked Me Around

Stuck in a Cage Like a Dog at the Pound

Heads Ringing but I don't Hear a Sound

Something Like Jesus with a Thorn Crown

They'll  Let You Out if You Pay the Fee

I'm Sick of this Place and the Smell of Pee

Their Eyes are Wide Open Yet They Don't See

I'm Not a Criminal so let Me Free

A.P.D.

Quarter Cent Beers and Shots of SC

I Can't Believe what's happened to Me

They say What's to Be Will Be

They Locked Me Up while BM Walks Free

Arrived Galveston, shuttled to Houston Hobby Airport to fly to Baltimore, and from there, Bradley. 

Day at Sea, sailing back from Yucatan toward Galveston, Texas.

Landed at Progreso, Yucatán (Mexico) early morning.

Left the Disney Magic and Boarded our air-conditioned bus with 10 others (very small group, nice) with a guide for a lengthy ride past Merida (the capital city of Yucatan).  Ride was about 1:45:00.

Uxmal was incredible.  Our excellent, knowledgeable Guide certainly helped.

From Wikipedia:

Uxmal is an ancient Maya city of the classical period located in present-day Mexico. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Maya culture, along with Palenque, Chichen Itza and Calakmul in Mexico, Caracol and Xunantunich in Belize, and Tikal in Guatemala. It is located in the Puuc region of the western Yucatán Peninsula, and is considered one of the Maya cities most representative of the region's dominant architectural style. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its significance.

Uxmal is located 62 km south of Mérida, capital of Yucatán state in Mexico. Its buildings are noted for their size and decoration. Ancient roads called sacbes connect the buildings, and also were built to other cities in the area such as Chichén Itzá in modern-day Mexico, Caracol and Xunantunich in modern-day Belize, and Tikal in modern-day Guatemala.

Its buildings are typical of the Puuc style, with smooth low walls that open on ornate friezes based on representations of typical Maya huts. These are represented by columns (representing the reeds used for the walls of the huts) and trapezoidal shapes (representing the thatched roofs). Entwined snakes and, in many cases two-headed snakes are used for masks of the rain god, Chaac; its big noses represent the rays of the storms. Feathered serpents with open fangs are shown leaving from the same human beings. Also seen in some cities are the influences of the Nahua peoples, who followed the cult of Quetzalcoatl and Tlaloc. These were integrated with the original elements of the Puuc tradition.

The buildings take advantage of the terrain to gain height and acquire important volumes, including the Pyramid of the Magician, with five levels, and the Governor's Palace, which covers an area of more than 12,917 sq ft.

Some of the more noteworthy buildings include:

The Governor's Palace, a long low building atop a huge platform, with the longest façades in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica.

With an approximate azimuth of 118°, the building is oriented to the main pyramid of Cehtzuc, a small site located nearly 5 km to the southeast. Observing from there, Venus as evening star, when reaching its maximum northerly extremes, would have set behind the northern edge of the Governor's Palace.  Since these events occur every eight years, always in late April or early May, heralding the onset of the rainy season, it is significant that the decoration of the building's facade contains almost 400 Venus glyphs placed in the masks of the rain god Chac, and that there are eight bicephalic serpents above the main entrance; additionally, numerals 8 in bar-and-dot notation appear on two Chac masks at the northern corners of the palace.

The Adivino (a.k.a. the Pyramid of the Magician or the Pyramid of the Dwarf), is a stepped pyramid structure, unusual among Maya structures in that its layers' outlines are oval or elliptical in shape, instead of the more common rectilinear plan. It was a common practice in Mesoamerica to build new temple pyramids atop older ones, but here a newer pyramid was built centered slightly to the east of the older pyramid, so that on the west side the temple atop the old pyramid is preserved, with the newer temple above it.

The structure is featured in one of the best-known tales of Yucatec Maya folklore, "el enano del Uxmal" (the dwarf of Uxmal), which is also the basis for the structure's common name. Multiple versions of this tale are recorded. It was popularised after one of these was recounted by John Lloyd Stephens in his influential 1841 book, Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan. According to Stephens' version, the pyramid was magically built overnight during a series of challenges issued to a dwarf by the gobernador (ruler or king) of Uxmal. The dwarf's mother (a bruja, or witch) arranged the trial of strength and magic to compete against the king.

The Nunnery Quadrangle was built from 900-1000, and the name related with nuns was assigned in the 16th century because it resembled a convent. The quadrangle consists of four palaces placed on different levels that surround a courtyard. Of the different buildings that make up this palatial complex, several vault tops have been recovered, they are painted and represent partial calendrical dates from 906 to 907 AD, which is consistent with the Chan Chahk’ahk Nalajaw period of government. The formal entrance, the hierarchy of the structures through the different elevations, and the absence of domestic elements suggest that this space corresponds to a royal palace with administrative and non-residential functions, where the ruling group must have had meetings to collect the tribute, make decisions, and dictate sentences among other activities. These set of buildings are the finest of Uxmal's several fine quadrangles of long buildings. It has elaborately carved façades on both the inside and outside faces.

A large Ballcourt for playing the Mesoamerican ballgame. Its inscription says that it was dedicated in 901 by the ruler Chan Chak K'ak'nal Ajaw, also known as Lord Chac (before the decipherment of his corresponding name glyphs). The ball court's condition is very deteriorated, and it’s made of two constructions of medium dimensions that make up the sides of the court with the rings by which the ball was to be introduced. The originally carved stone rings were removed to protect them from the elements and were replaced by reproductions. This game has always been related to mythical and cosmic aspects. The ball symbolized the movements of the stars in the sky and the players, in repeated occasions, symbolically staged the fight of the day against the night or the struggle of the deities of the underworld against the gods of heaven.

Uxmal