Rest In Peace, Michael Jackson

August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009[

The "Dog Days" Of Summer Are Finally, Here!

This is the time when tourists roam the streets of the Financial District and sidewalk cafes are crammed and instead of ordering Lattes, you're ordering Frappuccinos. . .and dogs are wearing sunglasses. Well, at least pigs aren't flying! LOL

Seriously - thanks Kelly and Alx for this adorable submission.

What will your pooch be wearing this summer?

"Mercury In Retrograde"

Overheard in the food aisle at Walgreen's on Drumm Street. . .Paula Froelich (Page Six)has a new book on the New York Times' Best Seller List.

I'm going to pick up my copy this weekend.

Check it out at:

http://www.amazon.com/Mercury-Retrograde-Novel-Paula-Froelich/dp/1416598936#


xoxo

Pardon Me, Miss - Is That the "Catahoula" Choo-Choo?

Oh, sorry - that was the "Chattanoga" Choo-Choo. Anyway, this coffee is so good, it will conjure up favorite songs, tunes, jingles - you name it.

According to Wikipedia (TM), "Catahoula" means:


The Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog or Catahoula Cur, is named after Catahoula Parish in the state of Louisiana in the United States. Of remaining dog breeds, the Catahoula is believed to have occupied North America the longest, aside from the dogs descended from Native American-created breeds. The breed is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the "Catahoula Hound" or "Catahoula Leopard Hound".

Well, this coffee is NOT a dog. Far from it.

The best part is -- this is not any of that big company coffee. We're talking independently owned, operated and roasted.

This stuff is part of the new wave of "small roasteries." My favorite blend is the "Lola," but there are many to choose from and "Timber" is always experimenting and coming up with roasts that are sure to make you howl "NOW, that's a good cup of coffee!"

Catahoula Coffee
12472 San Pablo Ave
Richmond, CA 94805
510-235-0525

Call for hours.

"OIL" That And A Loaf of Bread

This olive oil is definitely "All that" and then some. My friend, Greta, bought me this lovely Arbequina Stonehouse Olive Oil (and a bottle of Stonehouse Balsamic Vinegar) for my "39th" birthday. Then she threw in the fresh lavender just to see me blush!

Greta knows how much I love this stuff, because whenever we go to the Ferry Building, I stop by their store and have a "sample" taste. So. . .I guess, she thought that they might begin to notice that I'm a "frequent sampler," and kick me out of the place. That's why she got me my very own bottle.

This stuff is good! Thanks, Greta. You know how to make an old girl smile.

Love, peace and olive oil!

Sale Alert - The Body Shop

Time to stock up!

The Birds In San Francisco - No, this is not a Hitchcock Movie

Thanks to Ana Costa for the "heads up." (Pardon the Pun)

This seems like something out of the movies, except it isn't. A blackbird is "swooping" down on unsuspecting pedestrians at California and Front Streets in the Financial District and giving them a surprise "kiss."

Not exactly what I would call a "love bird."

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRp_D1g7Bv0

Be careful out there. . .

Beverly Johnson's New Single Featured This Weekend

Greetings friends & Family!
My new single has been released and will be featured on two radio shows this weekend, 6/6/09. See the links below. If you miss the show "live" it will be recorded so you can catch it throughout the week as well. Thanks for all your Love & Support!


Cheers,
Beverly

JAZZMATRIX RADIO

All radio shows will be automatically updated every Sunday evening in Southern Cal

http://www.jazzmatrix.com/wonderbev

EARLY A.M. ATTITUDE SHOW

This program is aired each Saturday from 6-8 am in Australia Please listen in!! and also recorded for later listening. Just go to the website!
http://www.smoothjazz905.com
SATURDAY 6 JUNE 2009

Smooth Jazz 90.5 Australia Program
Gregg KARUKAS - Manhattan
Sonia EDEN - Never Play The Fool Again
Dave KOZ - All I See Is You
Oli SILK - This Was Then, That Is Now
Sammy MORALES - How Could You Walk Away
Torquato MARIANO - So Far From Home
FOURPLAY - The Yes Club
James COLAH - Say It Back (voc. Rachael Bell)
Daniel DOMENGE - Smoothjames
Patrick YANDALL - Full Force
Tim BOWMAN JR. - All I Need Is You
Jeff KASHIWA - The Lucky One
Richard ELLIOT - People Make The World Go Round
Beverly JOHNSON - Betcha By Golly Wow
RIPPINGTONS - Age Of Reason
Cecil RAMIREZ - Grasshopper
BASIA - Blame It On The Summer
Chris STANDRING - That's What I Thought You Said
Mindi ABAIR - Lucy's
J.P. DeLAIRE - The Game Of Love
Keiko MATSUI - Bridge Over The Stars
PIECES OF A DREAM - Soul Intent
BASIA - Love Lies Bleeding
BONA FIDE - Club Charles

We All Have Our Limits - "Miss Otis" really regrets. . .

I don't think I would take a page from this during such bleak economic times, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. . .if the letter below is true. . .this gal has chutzpa! Check out this letter allegedly written by a former Bingham legal secretary in New York.


Before I go on, I need to say that I have enjoyed and mostly still enjoy working at Bingham. Through some early rough patches, and over mergers, there were times when I did not think I would stay. What has kept me from straying? You may say DUH, the economy - well that's now. Let me digress for a moment. I am a fierce believer in competence, loyalty, integrity and values, truly to a fault. I have been told that I hold people to such high standards that I cannot handle it when they fall from grace (hey, it's hard to be me). Why am I telling you this? It relates directly to why I have remained with Bingham for so long. The quality of the majority of Bingham's people. CHARACTER.

So why had I been asking myself lately if I am the "non-Stepford employee"? Admittedly, I am not a natural conformist (maybe it's the "Sag" in me). Perhaps, my time out on leave shielded me from this defensive personal change, or maybe (which would be typical of me) I had taken a SPE day when the alien pods arrived and snatched bodies. I then became completely disturbed by this entire notion. Our category, the mid to upper-middle class, and the up, up and upper class who are still employed must be cataleptic. Otherwise, we would merely be shallow, self centered and slightly morally twisted.

I was not alive during some of humanities more troubled times, plagues, WWI, WWII, including the Holocaust or The Great Depression. What little I do know about these times has been from documentaries or stories told from elders who gathered for card games on cardboard boxes by candlelight. Stories that echoed the character of the people of those times. There was no pretense of the "greater good" but the actual desire. People were grateful for clean water and to break a simple loaf of bread.
Now in "these" trying times we whisper our fears while sitting over our three dollar lattes, on our high-speed computers, yapping on our cell phones and blackberries, watching hours of garbage television and reality shows, playing video games and exercising with our Wii, and feel sorry for ourselves because we eat sushi one less time per week.

Laboring coal workers and factory line workers in small towns rightfully "fear" the loss of their jobs. We are fortunate to have superior upper tier management and a stable company (and health benefits). Although what we do is of importance, in most cases and with only a few exceptions, please let us not take ourselves so seriously as to think that we are boldly impacting the greater good and positive evolution of the human race or the planet.


So, although I am grateful for my job and middle class life, I realize that living daily in fear and conforming to play a Stepford role will not ensure either. Besides, I value and respect too many of the people at Bingham. I'll stick with good old CHARACTER.