Cliffs Riffs - Stuph n Nonsense

  We share a house and business with Otter - a rare Golden Norwegian Golden Beagle - or maybe she is just a brown mutt with a healthy dose of beagle.   She can alternately be a mole hunting, chicken killer of a regular dog.... or a Fairy Princess or Dowager Queen (now that she is getting older.)   CLICK HERE FOR SOOTHING MUSIC   Anyway, Otter asked me to write this on her behalf (paws + keyboards= pain in the rumpus).   Otter has orbited the sun at least 13 times and with each passing year she gets more and more upset at Bad Sonic Moments (BSMs) - like THUNDER or fireworks.   During BSMs she would pant, pace, and worry. It was hard for us to watch and no amount of calming words, petting or scrubbling (vigorous petting) would calm her.   One day life became easier - Julie picked up a bottle of Pet Ease at Chow Hound for a little over $12 US funds. Best 12 bux we have every invested in Otter.   ...

  Lou Reed is gone. Long Live Lou Reed.   I can't say I was a FAN of Lou's because frankly some of his music went right on by me. I did not get, nor did I give a second listen to Metal Machine Music. Some of his stuff was too dark or just beyond me. That being said, I have followed his career since I was a pup and some of his music will be forever showing up on my MP3 player or what ever music device we will have available to us in the next decade or two.   I was fortunate enough to experience Lou live on two occasions. The first was during the Rock n Roll Animal tour in 1974 or early '75. My friends and I went to "The Dome" at Grand Valley to have our minds blown by a wild man who took the stage late, looked like nobody in West Michigan, simulated shooting up heroin, and generally took the top of our heads off with his show and music. The second time I saw him was much more sedate, but every bit as memorable. It was 8-9 years later and he ...