I won a key to the Harley that The Buzz is giving away next month.

That's something, isn't it?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Bo Diddley, a founding father of rock 'n' roll whose distinctive "shave and a haircut, two bits" rhythm and innovative guitar effects inspired legions of other musicians, died Monday after months of ill health. He was 79.



Diddley died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., spokeswoman Susan Clary said. He had suffered a heart attack in August, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.



The legendary singer and performer, known for his homemade square guitar, dark glasses and black hat, was an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, had a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, and received a lifetime achievement award in 1999 at the Grammy Awards. In recent years he also played for the elder President Bush and President Clinton.



Diddley appreciated the honors he received, "but it didn't put no figures in my checkbook.

"

"If you ain't got no money, ain't nobody calls you honey," he quipped.



The name Bo Diddley came from other youngsters when he was growing up in Chicago, he said in a 1999 interview.



"I don't know where the kids got it, but the kids in grammar school gave me that name," he said, adding that he liked it so it became his stage name. Other times, he gave somewhat differing stories on where he got the name. Some experts believe a possible source for the name is a one-string instrument used in traditional blues music called a diddley bow.



His first single, "Bo Diddley," introduced record buyers in 1955 to his signature rhythm: bomp ba-bomp bomp, bomp bomp, often summarized as "shave and a haircut, two bits." The B side, "I'm a Man," with its slightly humorous take on macho pride, also became a rock standard.



The company that issued his early songs was Chess-Checkers records, the storied Chicago-based labels that also recorded Chuck Berry and other stars.



Howard Kramer, assistant curator of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, said in 2006 that Diddley's Chess recordings "stand among the best singular recordings of the 20th century.

"

Diddley's other major songs included, "Say Man," "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover," "Shave and a Haircut," "Uncle John," "Who Do You Love?" and "The Mule.

"

Diddley's influence was felt on both sides of the Atlantic. Buddy Holly borrowed the bomp ba-bomp bomp, bomp bomp rhythm for his song "Not Fade Away.

"

The Rolling Stones' bluesy remake of that Holly song gave them their first chart single in the United States, in 1964. The following year, another British band, the Yardbirds, had a Top 20 hit in the U.S. with their version of "I'm a Man.

"

Diddley was also one of the pioneers of the electric guitar, adding reverb and tremelo effects. He even rigged some of his guitars himself.



"He treats it like it was a drum, very rhythmic," E. Michael Harrington, professor of music theory and composition at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., said in 2006.



Many other artists, including the Who, Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello copied aspects of Diddley's style.



Growing up, Diddley said he had no musical idols, and he wasn't entirely pleased that others drew on his innovations.



"I don't like to copy anybody. Everybody tries to do what I do, update it," he said. "I don't have any idols I copied after.

"

"They copied everything I did, upgraded it, messed it up. It seems to me that nobody can come up with their own thing, they have to put a little bit of Bo Diddley there," he said.



Despite his success, Diddley claimed he only received a small portion of the money he made during his career. Partly as a result, he continued to tour and record music until his stroke. Between tours, he made his home near Gainesville in north Florida.



"Seventy ain't nothing but a damn number," he told The Associated Press in 1999. "I'm writing and creating new stuff and putting together new different things. Trying to stay out there and roll with the punches. I ain't quit yet.

"

Diddley, like other artists of his generations, was paid a flat fee for his recordings and said he received no royalty payments on record sales. He also said he was never paid for many of his performances.



"I am owed. I've never got paid," he said. "A dude with a pencil is worse than a cat with a machine gun.

"

In the early 1950s, Diddley said, disc jockeys called his type of music, "Jungle Music." It was Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed who is credited with inventing the term "rock 'n' roll.

"

Diddley said Freed was talking about him, when he introduced him, saying, "Here is a man with an original sound, who is going to rock and roll you right out of your seat.

"

Diddley won attention from a new generation in 1989 when he took part in the "Bo Knows" ad campaign for Nike, built around football and baseball star Bo Jackson. Commenting on Jackson's guitar skills, Diddley turned to the camera and said, "He don't know Diddley.

"

"I never could figure out what it had to do with shoes, but it worked," Diddley said. "I got into a lot of new front rooms on the tube.

"

Born as Ellas Bates on Dec. 30, 1928, in McComb, Miss., Diddley was later adopted by his mother's cousin and took on the name Ellis McDaniel, which his wife always called him.



When he was 5, his family moved to Chicago, where he learned the violin at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. He learned guitar at 10 and entertained passers-by on street corners.



By his early teens, Diddley was playing Chicago's Maxwell Street.



"I came out of school and made something out of myself. I am known all over the globe, all over the world. There are guys who have done a lot of things that don't have the same impact that I had," he said.

Rest in peace Bo...and know that your music and your influence plays on.

My baby girl is graduating from high school tonight.  Neither of us can believe it's come so quickly.  I'm so proud of her.  She's so smart, so artistic, so talented.

I know I'm going to cry.

And I get to go through this again in eleven years.

Funny stuff here

This was so meaningful that I had to swipe it from my friend popfiend.  I am so very glad that he posted it.  I hope you are too.

The Six Angers

 Copyright 2004 Nor R. Brunschwyler

She gave birth to eight children, lost one as an infant and raised seven in the midst of The Great Depression and a world war. During those years the Brunschwyler matriarch, Margaret, made patience an art, deepened her insight and added extensively to the sum of her wisdom. Her children grown, she foresaw in a dream there was one more to care for and awaited my arrival. As her ninth progeny I became the recipient of that patience, insight and wisdom. It was the way of this female Solomon to turn dissonance into a life lesson. So it was on a day when I threw a teenage tantrum.

Shouting the age-old "You never let me do anything!" I slammed the door to my room and threw myself on the bed. In the teen mind portraying oneself as a victim is supposed make the adult come running with an apology. An hour later no one had come pleading for entry or begging forgiveness. I couldn't wait any longer. Ending my self-imposed exile I went downstairs to find grandmother Margaret reading in the living room. Stomping past her and flopping into a pouting posture on the couch to the right of her chair I waited for her to break the silence. Five minutes was all I could take.

"Why did you ruin my Saturday?"

Lowering the book she removed her glasses but kept them in her hand.

"How did I ruin this day for you?"

If she was going to engage in lengthy conversation she would have closed the book and placed it with her glasses on the table beside her chair. I knew that if I quipped back the glasses would return to her face and the book to reading position.

"I missed seeing the movie. It's already started and the theatre will not be showing it again."

"How is it you missed the movie?"

"You wouldn't give me my allowance so I had no money."

"Why did you not receive your allowance?"

"Because I didn't finish my chores." Before she could reply I added, "I know the rules but I promised I was going to finish them after the show."

"You work at the library part time, where is that money?"

"In my savings account. The bank closed at noon. I was counting on my allowance."

"Does the library pay you before or after you do work for them?"

"After." It was clear to me that I was the maker of my own misery. Had I got started on my chores earlier I would have finished on time. "Okay, it was my own fault."

I arose from the couch to complete the work that entitled me to a stipend when she said, "Before you leave we need to examine the way you acted." Apparently there was more than one lesson to be learned. She closed the book in her lap, folded her glasses and set them both on the table as I returned to the couch.

"What were you feeling when you went to your room?" She was careful not to describe my emotional exit in a judgmental manner.

"I was angry."

"Sit with me." Having heard this request many times I took my place on the footstool of her chair.

"There are six angers. To understand each is to understand their origins. To understand their origins is to understand what leads us to anger. I will share them with you and when I am finished you can tell me which was yours today.

The first anger is displeasure. When humans have a strong feeling of dissatisfaction this is the anger within them. It comes from a forceful desire for reality to be something other than what it is.

Next is the anger of resentment. Dissatisfaction smolders within us and is not brought to satisfaction causing this anger to live in our hearts.

The third is jealousy. Born in the fear of or an actual loss, this dissatisfaction can hold within it the angers of displeasure and resentment.

Fourth is wrath, the sum of the lower angers with a desire to punish.

The most dangerous is rage. Dissatisfaction in a person who does not know how to guide dissatisfaction to acceptance will engage in uncontrolled destruction."

She waited as I considered her words. "Which of these angers was yours?"

"I was displeased. I had no resentment." A flush came over my face." I am ashamed." I stuttered. "I… I wanted to… punish you. I wanted you to feel bad. And… I was not in control of myself so I slammed the door to my room." I looked down in disgrace.

Grandmother took my chin and raised my face. With a soft voice she said "In your shame you have found wisdom." Tears came to my eyes for having even the slightest feeling of ill for one who loved me. She handed me a tissue from the box on the table beside her.

Drying my eyes I asked, "What am I to do when I am angry again? I do not want to be out of control."

"Desiring control is the first step." The word "first" triggered a realization.

"You said there were six angers." I recited them back to her. "Displeasure, resentment, jealousy, wrath and rage… what is the sixth?"

She grinned in delight that I had been listening. "When the awareness of a negative consequence to another causes you discomfort, uneasiness, or pain then you will experience enlightened displeasure. You will be dissatisfied but rather than wanting to blame, penalize or strike out you will seek solutions. Such solutions will be focused on the well-being of the other. If there is no solution, accept how the universe as it is.

All anger rises from selfishness. It is the emotion of a child that does not get its way."

Leaping from the footstool I hugged grandmother. Her unspoken forgiveness came from unconditional love as much as from wisdom. Kissing her cheek I told her I better finish what I was paid to do.

From that time I have reflected on each instance of anger and identified which I had been in accordance with. This allowed me to know its origin and frequency. I discovered that when we want for others what we want for ourselves, the first five angers have no place to live.

Stolen from my friend, the 'fiend'...

LETTING GO TAKES LOVE

To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off,
it's the realization I can't control another.
To let go is not to enable,
but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means
the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it's to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for,
but to care about.
To let go is not to fix,
but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective,
it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny,
but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.

To let go is to fear less and love more
Remember: The time to love is short


------ author unknown

I have many friends in the military, and have lost many of those friends in this stupidity in the Middle East.  A friend sent this to me, and I wanted to pass it to others who may care to share it with yet others. 

http://www. gratitudecampaign. org/fullmovie. php

Shelly sent these to me and I thought they were so adorable that I had to share.

WHY GOD MADE MOMS

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.


How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.


What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice inthe
world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men’s bones. Then they mostly use
string,I think.


Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We’re related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s moms like me.


What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.


What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on
beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to
chores?


Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.


Who’s the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dad’s such a
goofball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.


What’s the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power ’cause
that’s who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend’s.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.


What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don’t do spare time.
2. She says she cleans and pays bills all day long.


What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of
plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I’d diet, maybe blue.


If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of
that.
2. I’d make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it
and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of
her head.


WHEN YOU STOP LAUGHING --
SEND IT ON TO OTHER MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS,  AUNTS, ETC.