Talking to the Enemy

[Content Disclosure: 0% Poker, 86% Politics, 34% Evil Empire, 3% Stem Cells, 4% Abortion, 5% Taxes, 6% Iraq and/or Afghanistan, 7% Economy, 19% etc.]

It seems the Republican Party is writing itself a platform and it also seems they have decided to take open comments from the public. I know they may not listen but what the heck it is really an amazing release to express yourself to the enemy. Now if the Democrats would only do the same I could be doubley satisfied. Anyways, you have to register and I am sure you will get some email solicitations from the RNC but what the heck you get those internet jokes from your relatives anyway, so why not get a laugh care of the Republicans.

You sign-up here. And after they send you a password, they also prompt you with all of the issues you really want to yell at them about, it's so handy that way. I got to tell them about stem cell research and abortion... Oh and gay marriage, the war, immigration and faith-based programs. It really was an interesting release, sorta like yelling into a cyclone. And some poor young staffer is going to have to read those and think the devil incarnate has internet access.

Fastest Barber - World Record

Amazing World Record for Fastest Hair Cut

RACINE, WI, USA -- Helping to set a new world record is an opportunity that doesn’t come along often. You can assist Ivan Zoot, director of education and training at Andis Company, in breaking the World Record for the most haircuts in a 24-hour period.

Zoot is staging a haircutting marathon at Roosters Men’s Grooming Center, at the Anderson Arbors Center, 13343 U.S. Highway 183 North, in Austin, TX on Friday, August 22.

Beginning at 3:00 p.m., he intends to break the current record of 300 and is looking for shaggy haired volunteers who like their haircuts fast and for supporters to cheer them on while enjoying free food and live music.

Sponsors include the Andis Company, Woody’s Men’s Grooming Products and Roosters Men’s Grooming Centers. Proceeds will benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas and Children With Hairloss. Anyone interested in participating should call Roosters at 866-242-2625.

“While we attempt to break the record of 300 haircuts in 24 hours,” says Zoot, “we are going to go the extra mile and take a shot at two more records—the fastest haircut in the world and the greatest number of professional haircuts executed in one hour.”

Zoot says he devised a super-efficient system of cutting hair, which eliminates wasted motion and even conversation. He calls it "revolution cutting."

Faster hair-cutting means more customers in a given period and more money, he said: "This is why the beauty industry has latched onto me."

A licensed cosmetologist and barber, Zoot’s background includes experience as a hairstylist, salon manager and owner, hair care product manufacturer, salon chain technical trainer, regional sales manager and consultant in the professional beauty industry. He has previously broken three Guinness World Haircutting records. In his position with Andis, he identifies, recruits, trains and manages Andis’ team of professional beauty industry educators. He is often a featured presenter at industry shows and events where he shares information, education and his enthusiasms for clipper cutting and for the professional beauty industry.

World's Fastest Barber's Video

100 Things About Me (2008)

[Content: poker 8%, me 100%]

As some but not all of my readers know, bloggers often "out" themselves with a list: "100 Things About Me". I recommend this exercise to everyone, even if you only share the results with your cat. This is actually my updated 100 things about me, revisited from just over a year ago. Further tweaking is in progress.

1. I do not have a tattoo or any piercings.

2. I was All-League in football in high school, so were all three of my brothers.

3. I was born in Detroit but only lived there a year and a half.

4. I grew up in a rural village of 1200 in Michigan near Ann Arbor (Dexter for those who care).

5. I have lived with four women in my life; this total does not include lesbians, my mother or my sister.

6. Only one relationship ever got anywhere near the conversation that begins: “4½ yellow gold with….”

7. I got my undergraduate degree in political science from Kalamazoo College in 1969.

8. I received a Ph.D. in East-West Psychology in 1999 from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.

9. I have been quoted in Business Week.

10. I will be a published co-author before this time next year.

11. I was Jane Fonda’s bodyguard for a day.

12. I once grew my hair for two years, it never reached my collar.

13. My beard used to be dark red, now it would be dark red and white-grey.

14. The title of my novel in process is: “All My Friends are Nearly Normal.”

15. That has been the title for over twelve years.

16. I went to a Catholic grade school. The school, church, rectory and convent were all on the same block as our house.

17. I skipped from the 4th to the 5th grade in the middle of the year.

18. I rang the “Angelus Bells” at the church three times a day for five years, got paid $20 a month.

19. I don’t wear jewelry, cologne or chartreuse.

20. I volunteer at the SPCA shelter in the cat wing.

21. 99.4% of my clothes are cotton.

22. A google search for me will find a lot of papers presented to the Society for the Anthropology of Consciousness.

23. My academic friends think that same google search finds a lot of strange poker references.

24. The most important feature of a car is head room.

25. I taught real estate in LA in the late 70’s.

26. I once sat next to a perfect Madonna wannabe at a dance performance, this was during the underwear-on–the-outside phase; she had the costume down perfect. Later, I noticed the guy she was with was Sean Penn.

27. There were seventeen academic awards for boys given out my senior year in high school. I won them all.

28. I write under several pseudonyms.

29. I won $4800 in my first ever major poker tournament. That remains my second biggest win ever.

30. The first hand I was ever dealt in a live poker tournament was pocket Aces, the game was later busted by the Ohio State Police.

31. When working for a major Japanese corporation the president of the division laid off 25% of the employees one morning, called everyone else into a meeting and gave a 90 minute lecture on our new austerity plan. When he finished he said: “I will take questions now.” Then he looked at me and said: “If you ask a question, you’re fired.”

32. I once received a job evaluation that read: “I have no idea what Tim does; we prefer not to ask. Overall rating: Excellent, perhaps.”

33. I have run several political campaigns in the 70's, none of my candidates won but none of them ever served time in prison either.

34. I have voted in every presidential election I was eligible for. I have never voted for a winning presidential candidate and I won't in 2008.

35. I have only voted for one democrat and no republicans for president; McGovern of course.

36. In the 1972 election, I voted for ten different parties.

37. I have a lengthy rant/tirade on third party voting, which no one is required to hear more than once; on all future renditions you may leave the room or shout me down.

38. The last presidential speech I heard was Richard Nixon’s resignation. I enjoyed it way too much.

39. I don’t believe in the Cartesian mind/body split.

40. I got my first passport to study in Germany in 1968.

41. I used my second passport to go to Antarctica in 1980.

42. Third passport took me to Singapore & Bali in 1997.

43. I was using my fourth passport in Australia in January 2007, when I wrote the first draft of this list.

44. The have an deeply repressed attraction to redheads.

45. I have about six dozen favorite quotes. Among them: "An ass is but an ass, even though laden with gold."

46. I think that The Simpsons is a brilliant commentary on American culture.

47. When anyone says their family is dysfunctional, I ask if they have ever seen The Osbournes.

48. I have many qualities that resemble a hibernating bear.

49. I love my friends more than my family, except for one wonderful brother.

50. I have never been arrested. Once a young, eager officer considered it (1971 anti-war demonstration) until his more seasoned partner said: “…that guy outweighs you by fifty pounds and I'm not helping you if he resists.”

51. I have only three addictions: chocolate, oxygen and that other one.

52. Apocalypse Now is my favorite movie but not the director’s cut.

53. Catch-22 was once my favorite book.

54. Annie Lennox is my favorite female singer.

55. I really love cats and I am fond of manatees.

56. Microsoft Word is sheer brilliance; its creator is a chauvanistic ass.

57. Three of the most remarkable women I have ever met, all live in Texas.

58. The other three I met in San Francisco.

59. I have lived in Michigan, Massachusetts, Germany, LA, San Francisco and Las Vegas.

60. I am the middle child of five; I am typical of a middle child.

61. I am an Aquarius, double Capricorn.

62. I read Tarot.

63. I have some limited shamanic abilities.

64. The best vacation of my life was in Bali.

65. The second best was Key West.

66. Favorite Band: Genesis before Peter Gabriel left.

67. Favorite Music: Nessa Dorma from Turandot.

68. Susan Sarandon, Steve Buschemi, Val Kilmer, William Hurt

69. I discovered I was buddhist in Singapore.

70. I write about poker better than I play poker.

71. The most important part of a movie is the dialogue.

72. After the writing comes the music, except Koyaanisquatsi.

73. I am fascinated by images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

74. I prefer Charlie Rose to Bill Moyers, most of the time.

75. “It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all” is empirically true.

76. I do not watch nor follow team sports.

77. I do watch the Super Bowl commercials.

78. I eat the M&Ms by color, dark to light.

79. I can’t skate or ski.

80. I don’t believe in sports where your legs often go in opposite directions.

81. I was employed for several years as a demi-god in several virtual reality worlds. It was type-casting.

82. No matter what some relatives say, I am paternally Italian.

83. My mother’s maiden name was Gillespie, which has got to make me part Irish.

84. Is my favorite number but not my lucky number.

85. Grey is my favorite color.

86. I have made love in hell.

87. Until I was 35 everyone thought I was older than I was.

88. After I was 35 everyone thinks I am younger than I am

89. I lived in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach but I never, ever lay on the beach.

90. 1984 was the first book I ever stayed up all night to read.

91. I owned a mortgage company in Manhattan Beach, CA.

92. I lived with a woman named Faith.

93. I got hit by a car driven by a woman named Hope.

94. I was asked to have coffee with a hooker named Charity and she really did want to have coffee.

95. I do not eat fast food of any kind.

96. I will eat a hot dog, no matter how many snouts and lips are in it.

97. I will eat chocolate anything and will do most anything to acquire it.

98. I once camped for a weekend with 7 gay men, 6 lesbians, and 4 newborn kittens.

99. I have only one prejudice; I abhor voluntary stupidity.

100. I will listen to almost any thoughtful position, unless it violates the limits referenced in ninety-nine.

Largest Parade of Mitsubishi Lancer - Amazing

Mitsubishi Lancer sets world record

CIRENCESTER, UK --On Saturday July 12th 2008, the UK based organisation for EVO owners and enthusiasts, the Mitsubishi Lancer Register (MLR) created a new World Record for the largest ever parade of EVOs.


Despite the fact that less EVOs showed up than initially expected, the 273 Lancer Evolution cars that congregated in the paddock of the Castle Combe Racing Circuit in Wiltshire, England, were enough to earn them place in the Book of World Records.

On the day, 273 Lancer Evolutions congregated in the paddock, grouped together by colour.

At 5:00 pm the cars started to be ushered onto the track to drive the required 2 miles of the circuit at a constant speed - in colour co-ordinated formation - making this a truly incredible sight.

Darin Frow, MLR Chairman said, “The World Record attempt came about after one of our members asked what had been the largest number of Evo’s ever seen in one place? That was a year ago, and since then the idea has captured the imagination and enthusiasm of everyone within the MLR, and beyond.”

Thanks to the generosity of the MLR members and Mitsubishi Motors UK, the event raised £7,459.27 ($15,000 or €9,400) for the Richard Burns Foundation.

The event was also supported by: SJS Design, Xtreme Sports Photography and RC Developments.

Highest Air Jump - Amazing World Record

Amazing World record of highest air on a quarterpipe from US

SANTA MONICA, CA, USA --Freestyle motocross star Ronnie Renner jumped 59 feet, 2 inches on a quarterpipe on the Santa Monica Pier. setting the world record for the Highest air on a quarterpipe.


Photo: Ronnie Renner hit the height on his sixth jump in front of an estimated 20,000 people.

"I'm totally blown away that I went 59 feet," said Renner, who was shooting for at least 50 feet. "I can't believe the fan turnout. Everything was absolutely perfect. The fifth and sixth ones, I was giving it everything I had."

Ronnie Renner went just over 54 feet on his third jump, then was just under 53 feet on his fourth attempt.After going just more than 53 feet on his fifth jump, he decided to do a last jump for the crowd.

"All or nothing," he said. "I knew what I needed to do on the last one, all for the crowd. Way past my goal of 50 feet. I'm just pumped on this. Never jump when they say, 'One more time.' But I'm glad I did it — five feet higher and I rode away to talk about it."

Renner rode up an 18-foot quarterpipe and made a sweeping, 180-degree arc that brought him down onto a landing ramp measuring 25 feet high and 64 feet wide.

The progression of Renner’s jumps is as follows:
Jump 1) 45 feet 9 inches
Jump 2) 50 feet 6 inches
Jump 3) 54 feet 7 inches
Jump 4) 52 feet 9 inches
Jump 5) 53 feet 2 inches
Jump 6) 59 feet 2 inches

The custom quarterpipe and landing ramp used by Ronnie Renner were designed and built specifically for Renner’s Red Bull Experiment. The ramp was modeled on the traditional dirt-based quarterpipe design, and built to specifications calculated from a dirt test site.

Ronnie Renner is a respected freestyle motocross veteran, whose credentials include a gold medal in Step-Up at the 2007 Summer X Games and until recently, the Step-Up world record (35 feet high). Step-Up is similar to a high jump, with riders attempting to jump their motorcycles over bars at ever-increasing heights.

Maddison jumped the length of a football field on New Year's Eve, clearing 322 feet, 7 1/2 inches at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. On June 12, Robinson soared 27 feet above the lip of a huge quarterpipe in New York's Central Park to set the BMX big air world record.

World Record Highest Jump video

A Rooting Interest

[Content Disclosure: 96% Poker; 17% Being a Fan; 15% The Book; 47% Life]

For the poker fans in the reading audience, I am going to be a lot more detailed, explanatory and even simplistic in this post because some of the readers of this blog are not hard core about our game, in fact, some of them can't tell a straight flush from a post oak bluff.

For the last six days I have been watching Mike Matusow play poker. This means standing at the rail (the rope that keeps the fans back) or grabbing a seat in the crowd when Mike was playing at the feature table or worming my way into back areas that my media badge did not exactly give me access to. Watching poker live means seeing only some of the hands, a few of the cards and less than a satisfying amount of the action and table talk. I assume everyone who comes anywhere near this blog knows that I am working on Mike's biography along with my Austin writing partner Amy Calistri. So you see my interest in what has played out the last two weeks.

To be fair "watching poker for the last six days" is actually a temporal anomaly. The Main Event of the World Series of Poker is playing over two weeks and for the uninitiated this is how it goes. There are four first days, the huge field (6,844 this year) is divided into four flights because there simply is not facility able to deal poker to more than about 2,000 players at a time. In fact, only the World Series has fields that go over 1,000; just consider the math of space, tables, dealers, chips, even playing cards and you have some idea of the scale of such an event. So I did see Mike play on his "day one" but there was really no need to watch him all the time or as it is called in the parlance: "sweating a player."

After the first flights the field was down to something under 3500 but still there were two Day Twos and as with the first day, I watched Mike on and off during the 12 hours of play each day and did some other work and yes, I went home to bed earlier than the players who begin play at noon and end around 1 AM. Finally, on Day Three all of the remaining players 1300+ players are all in one room playing at the same time. Still thirteen hundred players is a huge tournament, I got more time with Mike beginning on this day, I spent more time at this table getting updates and comments from him. Earlier in the tournament a single phone call or quick conversation before the following day's start was sufficient but now the details of the poker and Mike's mental and physical state are becoming more significant.

Beginning on Day Four (474 players), I was at the table all day every day with Mike. We took breaks together in the VIP players lounge and he would come over to the rail to discuss the other players at the table and his state of mind. By Day Five (189 players) the noise in the media was higher, Mike was still in. All of the name professionals, about 20, still in the field were getting a lot of notice. On Day Six, yesterday, with 79 players left in the field; the media attention was reaching a low roar. Again, for the non-poker readers, this is a special year at the World Series. The final table of nine players, that would in past years be played out later this week, has this year been moved to November. The reason, of course, is publicity. The World Series is attempting to break through into more of a mainstream "sports" interest to the general public and this November event is the current linchpin in that move. Everyone in the poker orbit was pulling for just one well known player to make the "November Nine". By late last night, Mike was the only surviving big name professional in the field.

Two really nasty bad beats (your opponent comes back from long odds to win the hand) ended Mike's run in 30th place. And while 30th out of 6,844 seems like one hell of a good run, even the non-sports drenched among us know what non-winning is all about. Of course, the pressure of the November media event was also a huge factor this year.

So for Mike and for me the 2008 World Series of Poker is over. A quorum of my poker buddies are in town this week, so I am going to hang out with them and actually play some poker and then I have a newly minted final chapter of a book to write. Amy and I will be back to the editing process in a few days and those who have been promised chapters to read will be sated soon.

Largest pedalboard-Amazing World Record

Amazing World Record set by Jaux King for Largest pedalboard

NASHVILLE, TN, USA -- With 142 different pedals, 13 loaded pedal boards and truckload of guitar cable, Jaux King's pedalboard sets the world record for the Largest pedalboard.


The device performed as expected, without any glitches or noise problems, before a crowd of approximately 300 invited industry professionals.

"The night was a smashing success," says Jaux King, one of the founders of GearTrap.com.

"We had a little bit of noise when we first fired it up last night, and it was a little worrisome. But we were able to reconfigure a few things and it all worked great.

It actually sounded as good as my little setup at home. We had two noise suppressors in the chain and they made all the difference.

" King and GearTrap managed to secure several prominent sponsors to help make the pedalboard a reality, including Seymour Duncan, George L's cables, Creation Audio Labs, Visual Sound, and Pedaltrain.

Now that he's achieved one goal, King says he's already thinking big about next year. "We're already working on breaking our own record," he says. "We have an undisclosed goal in mind. Suffice to say, it's going to be ridiculously bigger than this year's board."

World Amazing Driving

Driving a car through the smallest gap-Amazing world record set by Dave Ackland

PLYMOUTH, UK -- In a 1968 Vauxhall Viva. driver Dave Ackland, aged 39, from Keyham, drove on two wheels through a gap 67cm wider than the height of the car, at the Barbican Leisure Park, setting the new world record for driving a car on two wheels through the smallest gap.


The 39-year-old drove his black 1968 Vauxhall Viva through a 2.02m gap, beating the previous record by 1cm.

The difficult move, known as skiing, is considered the 'Holy Grail' of car stunts and has been used in two Bond films, and the US television series Knight Rider and the Dukes of Hazzard.

Mr Dave Ackland, a professional stunt driver from Plymouth, Devon drove over a ramp at around 8mph to flip the vehicle onto its rightside wheels.

Using finely-judged movements of the steering wheel to keep the car balanced and moving in a straight line, he passed through two columns of cardboard boxes just 2.02m apart.

"It's not so much a dangerous stunt for someone who's been doing it for years, and distance is not a problem - it's precision that's key."


The record is calculated in relation to the car's size because when the car is tipped on its side the height becomes the width.

Dave said his ambitions for the future included touring the country with his own show, introducing new daredevil stunts with blindfolds and perhaps even getting members of the public involved in the exciting action.

If you would like to find out more about Dave Ackland's stunts, visit his website at www.daveackland.co.uk

World Amazing Driving Video

Smallest Helicopter-A World Record

Smallest Helicopter- Amazing World Record set by GEN H-4

MATSUMOTO, Japan-- 75-year-old Gennai Yanagisawa, who runs an electronics equipment company in Matsumoto, central Japan, has created a 75kg (165-pound) one-man aircraft which sets the world record for the smallest helicopter.


In this photo released on by Japanese helicopter manufacturing company Gen Corporation, the company employee Yasutoshi Yokoyama flies in the air by GEN H-4, a compact single-seater helicopter developed by Gen Corporation, during its test flight in Matsumoto in central Japan's Nagano Prefecture.

Yanagisawa developed the GEN H-4 helicopter — with rotors, a chair, footrest and handle bar — in the late 1990s.

Yanagisawa's helicopter is the smallest model in the world in terms of weight and its rotor length of 3.9 metres.



The GEN H-4 has two rotors turning in opposite directions to maintain stability, and four engines that enables a 30-minute flight with a top speed of about 56 miles per hour.

The helicopter has two identical rotors that turn in opposite directions making the need for a tail rotor obsolete. Each rotor counteracts the others torque keeping the helicopter free of any unwanted spin.

The entire rotor head is supported on a gimbal, which is slanted towards the direction of travel by the control bar. The pilot can therefore change their direction by shifting their weight.

It has four twin cylinder engines and can remain in the air even if two of the engines of malfunction. However, they have attached a parachute above the mast just in case...

Da Vinci designed what is thought to be the first vertical flight machine, "an aerial screw," in the 1480s, according to Italy's National Museum of Science and Technology.

Yanagisawa, who was named after Hiraga Gennai, an inventor during the Edo period (1603-1867), by his father, became hooked on making helicopters after turning 50.

Yanagisawa has sold five GEN H-4s in Japan and two in the U.S. for recreational use. The helicopters sell for about $57,140. "I hope someday this can be used just like a scooter," he said.

GEN H-4 -the World's Smallest Helicopter Video

Biggest hand-written Quran -Amazing World Record

Biggest hand-written Quran -Amazing World Record set by Najmul Hasan Chishti

AJMER, India--Sayeed Najmul Hasan Chishti, 56, has prepared a 63 pages, 8 feet broad and 5 feet long. Quran-setting the new world record for the Biggest hand-written Quran.


"It's the biggest Quran in terms of size and font, which was compiled in one volume," Chishti said, adding, "It has 63 pages and the size of each page is 60x88 inch."

"Each page has a colourful border around the text, featuring flowers of different sizes and seasons," he said, adding, "At the beginning of each surah (verse), the word ‘Bismillah' (in the name of God) is written in a different calligraphic styles, which go back to the Prophet Mohammed's time," he said.

Chishti, a Sufi research scholar and a khadim at the dargah, said the Quran represents the true essence of Quranic calligraphy. "I feel honoured after accomplishing the gigantic feat," he said, add-ing that every page has an average of 40 lines.

Chishti said he began his professional life as an Urdu teacher in a government school, but gave it up in 2003 for the devotional endeavours. "Thereafter, I dedicated my life to this Quran," Chishti, who is also a Urdu poet and writer, said.

He has used a special kind of paper that absorbs the ink and does not get smudged. The letters measures 2 to 3 inches. He has used golden lettering in all those places where the word Allah appears.

He said the moral support of his family was crucial in accomplishing the extraordinary feat. "My family supported me with creative ideas to enrich the style of writing. Valuable suggestions from my daughters helped me in coming up with innovative styles of calligraphy," he said.

On the occasion of 796 Urs of Khwaja Garib Nawaj Chisti the devotees will be able to see the biggest Quran of the world which will be kept in the dargah premises. The dargah committee agreed to display the Quran for Zayreens who will come here to participate in the Urs.

Najmul said that the dargah committee agreed to display the Koran in the premises and for the book the committee is constructing a glass display cabin. Proper lighting will be done inside and a security guard will be deputed in front of the cabin.

Largest US Flag - Amazing

Superflag - Largest US Flag - world record set by "Ski" Demski

Long Beach, CA, US-- The "Superflag", made by "Ski" Demski, measures 505 feet by 225 feet and weighs 3,000 pounds, takes 500 people to unfurl, and sets the world record for the Largest US Flag.


"Ski" Demski had this flag made of cloth and sewn together in Pennsylvania (his home state) and delivered to him on Flag Day June 14, 1992. Superflag's website says "The primary focus of Superflag is to bring patriotism, nationalism, and American sentiment back into our society. Superflag is but just one of many avenues available to do this.


" Superflag is a whopping 255 x 505 (ft) version of "Old Glory" and was hung on cables across the Hoover Dam to mark the 1996 Olympic torch relay. "It wasn't easy," was Demski's comment.

...In 1980 "Ski" Demski decided to install a 120 Ft flagpole in front of his home. In July, 1980 on the christening day, "The Pole" flew a 30 x 60 Ft "Old Glory" on her staff.

In 1996 his World's Largest Superflag (255 x 505 Ft), 2.8 football fields large, was hoisted on Hoover Dam for the Olympic Torch Relay Crossing. "Ski" and the Superflag made it into the 1997 Guinness Book of Records ® for the Largest Flag in the World.

Superflag has been unfurled at Superbowls, in front of the Washington Monument, even dangled from Hoover Dam for an awe-inspiring photo opportunity.

Mr.Demski passed away on 19 January, 2002. Superflag will continue to be displayed across this great county for the Thomas L. Demski Trust, by Jim Alexander, as was direction in his Thomas L. Demski Trust; according to his own wishes, he was cremated and his ashes placed inside the 7-foot eagle atop the 132-foot flagpole outside his home.

Why flags? Demski said "Because it represents our country and what it stands for. It means freedom to me and there's no sweeter word."

World's Largest Flag Video

Largest guitar ensemble

Concordstock sets world record for Largest guitar ensemble

CONCORD, CA, USA--On Tuesday night at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord, 2,052 people came from all over to play Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" simultaneously, setting the new world record for "largest guitar ensemble."

The record-breaking performance was part of Concordstock, a bevy of events all summer to celebrate 20 years of music in Concord. Photo by Contra Costa Times.


"We got 2,052 and it's all documented," said Jim Ocean, producer of Concord's "Music in the Park" program.

Country Joe McDonald, a Bay Area 60's iconic musician, led the crowd in "This Land is Your Land" by Woodie Guthrie. The Berkeley musician says he chose “This Land is Your Land,” because he needed a simple tune to lead an expected crew of more than 2,000 guitar-toting guests in song.

“It’s socially significant but not considered radical,” McDonald said in an interview about the Woody Guthrie song that was written more than 65 years ago. “It’s a song that most people know,” McDonald said, adding that some consider the ditty to be the “unofficial national anthem of the Untied States of America.”

An enthusiastic crowd filled with professional musicians and novices alike sang and loudly strummed along.

The previous world record for the "largest guitar ensemble": 1,802 people played Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" in June 2007 in Leinfelden, Germany.

Concordstock '08: Largest guitar ensemble video

115 degrees

[Content Disclosure: 24% Poker; 37% Life; 45% Change; 3% Smother Brothers reference]

Its warm in Las Vegas, hmmmm... No! Its damn hot in Las Vegas and I am moving residences. Not the best timing but survivable. Bill and Kathy are finally actually retiring, well at least Bill is; so their retirement home where I have been living the past 20 months will soon be full. I have signed a seven month lease on a furnished condo a bit closer to the Las Vegas Strip. The Canal Walk house where I have been living is about 10 miles from the south end of the Strip here in Henderson, I am in the process of moving a couple of miles closer. For those who know the greater Las Vegas area, I am now on Silverado Ranch Blvd., which is the I-15 exit at South Point casino.

Fortunately, other than clothes and books, I don't own a lot anymore, so I just fill up the car each day when I go over to the condo to meet: the rental agent or the cable guy or the refrigerator repairman (My Old Man's a Refrigerator Repairman Whaddaya Think About That?) or the Maytag Repairman or ... well you get the idea. So by the time all the electronic gizmos work, I should be moved in and have strategically avoided heat stroke.

It really was 115 today, only 112 yesterday, and maybe 116 for the 4th of July, but of course its a dry heat.

Tomorrow is also Day 1A of the World Series of Poker Main Event, for the non-poker readers the Main Event has four Day Ones to accommodate all the players. So I will be at the Rio each of the next four days to catch up with some of the poker professionals I have missed over the last five weeks. There are a couple of writing projects I am working on and I need to have a bit of face-to-face time with some of the poker players I want to join me in those ventures.

That's it, stay cool and for those in the Midwest, stay dry!

Largest champagne glass

Largest champagne glass-Vini nel Mondo sets world record

ROME, Italy --Weighing in at 203cm tall and with a diameter of 46cm, this glass has set the world record for the largest champagne glass.
Photo: The glass is 203 cm tall and with a diameter of 46 cm (80 x 18 inches)!
It took 11 magnum bottles (16,5 litres) to fill this huge cup; filled with spumante Asti DOGG of course.
At a recent festival known as The White Night, which is an annual celebration of wine in Spoleto, Italy, for all those who can hold their liquor, the world’s largest champagne glass made its debut.

The Asti spumante is produced in Piedmont; actually in a smaller area which includes only 52 municipalities; 9 in the province of Alessandria, 27 in the province of Asti; 16 in the province of Cuneo. Ten hectares divided into four areas: Santo Stefano Belbo, Canelli, Nizza Monferrato, Acqui terme.