Earl Snyder🇺🇸
@crazyuncleEARL

🇺🇸American Husband/Brother/Crazy Uncle-Nostalgia Sherpa-Smile Instigator-Late 20th Century Music Lover-Golden Rule Champion -Anecdotalist-Optimist.

 St Charles, MO
Joined May 2025
7 Photos and videos
From Crazy Uncle Earl: Happy Friday!!! Welcome to October! Can you guess our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year????? Here are some clues: * The U.S. and the People’s Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations. * In Super Bowl XIII, the Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys 35-31. * This Old House premieres on PBS. * Nickelodeon debuts on cable, providing 24/7 children’s programming. * Following Burger Chef’s “Fun Meal” lead, McDonald’s introduced the “Happy Meal” catering to kids. * The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin is introduced. * President Jimmy Carter signs a law establishing the Department of Education. * In Iran, 3,000 Iranian radicals, mostly students, invade the US Embassy in Tehran and take 90 hostages (53 of whom are Americans). They demand that the US send back the former Shah of Iran to stand trial. * President Jimmy Carter signs a law establishing the Department of Education. * Star Trek: The Motion Picture is released. Any idea of our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year?????? . . Wait for it… . . Did someone say 1979? You are correct! Your wisdom is only surpassed by your taste in the post you read! How about a “Dig-A-Hits Focus Year” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure? FROM 1979: 1. “Makin’ It” by David Naughton - This song peaked at #5 for this actor who gained fame for his betrayal of a werewolf in An American Werewolf in London. This would be his only hit. The song was the theme song for a short-lived sitcom that starred Naughton. But he did have more musical fame moments for a series of commercials for Dr. Pepper where he sang about “Being a Pepper and asking wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper too?” David is the younger brother of the actor James Naughton. 3:10 2. “Spooky” by Atlanta Rhythm Section - This cover of the Classic IV song reached #17 for Atlanta Rhythm Section. The tune was co-written by James Cobb Jr., who was a member of the Classic IV along with fellow ARS member Dean Daughtry. Several covers of this tune were recorded. Both Dusty Springfield and Martha Reeves took a crack at it. 4:59 3. “Cruel to Be Kind” by Nick Lowe - This song peaked at #12 and would be Nick’s only US top 40 hit. This tune was written by Lowe and Ian Gomm, inspired by “The Love I Lost” by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and even shares the bass line. The title of the song is borrowed from a quote from Hamlet, “I must be cruel only to be kind.” In the video for this song, there is a wedding re-enactment that featured Lowe’s wife, Carlene Carter. The limo driver was portrayed by Dave Edmonds of “I Hear You Knockin’” fame. 3:27 If you put these 3 fine treasures into a playlist, you will enjoy 11 minutes and 36 seconds of Tune-L-Edge that will raise your level of “happy cells” to the nth degree! Besides, you can’t play these three tunes in a jukebox. It doesn’t take Susan B. Anthony dollar coins. Always……… Aspire to Inspire!
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From Crazy Uncle Earl’s Attic: A Hump Day Chuckle!! The other day I pulled my car into the garage and proceeded into the house, passing through a room my wife calls a mudroom, but I call it my man cave. My man cave has all the amenities necessary to sustain “manly life”. A couple of recliners, a couple of chairs, and a refrigerator to keep my adult beverages chilled. But what would a man cave be without a gutsy sound system? My Tune-R-Ator consists of a Denon receiver/amp, a wireless HEOS pre-amp, two Cerwin-Vega powered towers with subwoofers and a turntable. Not over-powering, but still loud enough to make the neighbor’s teacup poodle wet itself. And if I crank up the subs, I can make the spiders in my garage spin crooked webs. I use the man-cave to decompress and lose myself in music. Regardless of the day I’ve had, my man cave is always a place to “get tuned to improve your ‘tude”. The man cave has a “Technology of the Past” shelf. This shelf is a homage to media that the world has deemed no longer relevant. Some media types, like vinyl, are enjoying a renaissance. Right now, vinyl is the fastest-growing media category after a 30-year decline. The shelf contains examples of almost every audio media type: * 78s (Introduced 1925) * 33 LP’s (Introduced 1948) * 45s (Introduced 1949) * Reel-to-Reel Tapes (Introduced 1949) * Cassette Tapes (Introduced 1963) * 8-Track Tapes (Introduced 1964) CDs (Introduced 1979) This shelf also represents my ability to make money disappear through the “keeping-up-with-the-Jones’” monetary theory. I had to be on the cutting edge with technology. When I was a teen, I always had to have the latest 45. In my mid-teens, I had to have the 33 LP albums that contained the single I had on the 45. Then I had to buy the 8-track version of those albums so I could play my albums in my car. Then I had to replace my 8-track tapes with cassettes. Then I had to replace my cassettes with CDs. Then I bought downloads of specific songs. According to my calculations, the 45 I bought in 1969 of “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond for $0.99 has cost me around $75.00 when I add up all the costs of the various iterations I’ve owned over the years. If I had a garage sale and sold all my versions of “Sweet Caroline”, I could probably get $0.25. Nice!!! A minus 300% ROI! Point me in the direction of Wall Street. I am a frickin’ financial wizard. But you know what? I may have spent thousands of dollars on music over my lifetime, but I still enjoy listening to music. I still enjoy searching for the “deep-cut”. With the technology of today, you are never more than 2 seconds away from millions of songs. That amazes me. Music is kind of my time machine. As soon as I tap that “play” triangle on my device….the Fender Rhodes begins to play and then the horns ooze in to start the intro…..and then…..“Where it began, I can’t begin to know, but then I know it’s growing strong”………BAM, thanks to Neil, it’s 1969 again! Yes, I have spent a lot of hard-earned money over the years on music, but I have enjoyed listening to most every track. Most every song created a memory. The money may not be in my bank account, but the memories are compounding interest in my nostalgia banks. Now, off to the Man Cave…I need to queue up a couple of memories. I’m leaning towards 1977…Throw on your leisure suit, lace up your platform shoes, and drop the needle on the Bee Gees… “Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk…” Aspire to Inspire!!!!
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Happy Monday! From Crazy Uncle Earl: A Special Common Thread “Dig-A-Hits” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure. Normally, I would give you three songs with a common thread and ask that you guess what they have in common. This week is a little different. All three songs have the same title. Song titles cannot be copyrighted. 1. “Runaway” by Del Shannon (1961) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1. 2:17 This tune hit #1 in the US and held that position for 4 weeks. This was Shannon’s debut single. Del Shannon, whose real name was Charles Westover, had 9 top 40 and 3 top 10 hits. This song was written by Shannon and Max Cook. It features a solo performed by Cook on a Musitron, which Cook also invented. It was a modified clavioline electronic analog synthesizer. 2. “Runaway” by Jefferson Starship (1978) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #12. 5:22 The song hit#12 in the US and was a follow-up to their hit “Count On Me”. Singing lead vocals was Marty Balin, who was one of the founding members of the mother group Jefferson Airplane. Balin left the group in late 1978 to pursue a solo career. 3. “Runaway” by Bon Jovi (1984) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #39. 3:51 This was Bon Jovi’s first Top 40 hit, peaking at #39. It was off his self-titled album. The song was actually recorded in 1982 with session musicians at the Power Station recording studio. The song was written by Jon Bon Jovi and George Karak. Though all three songs have the same title, each song has its own special take on “Runaway”. I am asking you not to “runaway”. Bringing these 3 hits into a playlist that will bring you 11 minutes and 30 seconds of Dig-A-Hits Tune-L-Edge listening enjoyment will free your mind. After that 11 and a half minutes, you’ll say, ‘That Crazy Uncle Earl ain’t so crazy’. ….and as always……….. Aspire to Inspire!
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From Crazy Uncle Earl: Happy Friday!!! Can you guess our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year????? Here are some clues: * President Johnson proclaims his “Great Society” during his State of the Union Address. * The Sound of Music premieres at the Rivoli Theater in NYC. * 3500 U.S. Marines arrive in South Vietnam, becoming the first combat troops in Vietnam. * Gemini 3 launches with astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young for the first manned mission of the Gemini program. * The Harris County Domed Stadium (or Astrodome) opens in Houston. * The first of many draft card burnings takes place at the University of California at Berkeley. * President Johnson signs a Social Security Act that establishes Medicare and Medicaid. * The Gateway Arch is completed in St. Louis, MO. * The first Subway sub shop opens in Bridgeport, CT. * The Pillsbury Doughboy is created. * “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, the first Peanuts television special, premieres on CBS. * Ralph Nader publishes “Unsafe at Any Speed”, that brings focus to the lack of safety in designs of American cars. The book signals the end of the Chevy Corvair. Any idea of our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year?????? . . Wait for it… . . Did someone say 1965? How about a “Dig-A-Hits Focus Year” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure? FROM 1965: 1. “Nowhere To Run To” by Martha Reaves and the Vandellas - This Holland/Dozier/Holland song reached #8 for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas. Like Martha’s previous hit Dancing In the Street, the Motown house band The Funk Brothers delivered a diving percussion instrumentation with snow tire chains, tambourines, and drums. Starting out in 1957 as the Del-Phis, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas would have 12 top 40 and 6 top 10 hits. 2:50 2. “It’s The Same Old Song” by The Four Tops - The Holland/Dozier/Holland tune reached #5 for the Four Tops. While having a cocktail with Tops’ Abdul Fakir and listening to the radio, Lamont Dozier kept changing the stations on the radio when he said, “It sounds like the same old song”. That was 3 p.m. in the afternoon. By 3 p.m. the next day, they shipped out acetates to DJs across the country. 2:47 3. “Stop! In The Name of Love” by Diana Ross and The Supremes - This song hit #1 in the US. Written by Holland/Dozier/Holland. Dozier got the idea after he got cheated on by his girlfriend. In the heat of the argument, he said, “Baby please stop. In the name of love before you break my heart”. The song brings back the memory of seeing the Supremes’ choreography of one hand on their hip and the other outstretched in a “stop” gesture. 3:00 If you put these 3 Motown-powered songs into a playlist, you will enjoy 8 minutes and 37 seconds of Tune-L-Edge that will have you clapping your hands, stomping your feet, and dancing in the streets. Always……… Aspire to Inspire!
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From Crazy Uncle Earl’s Attic: A Hump Day Chuckle!! And for those folks that wanted to prematurely put a “fork” in summer, welcome to autumn. There is a leaf rake calling your name. ENJOY! I am the proud owner of a new iPhone. Unlike every other Mac-ite, I do not see the need to buy the newest version every September. Spending $1500 a year for the latest and greatest goes against my grain. Giving me a fully loaded smartphone is a waste. It’s like giving a snake a pair of shoes. My approach is I don’t need a Lamborghini when a well-appointed shopping cart will do. I make calls. I text (only when threatened with bodily harm). I store all my tunes. That’s it. I bought my fancy-schmancy phone on the Internet. It took me all of 10 minutes to make the purchase, and the following day I had my phone. It came in an envelope. You’d think a $1500 purchase would deserve a nice box, but no, it came in an envelope. It wasn’t even padded. When it arrived, I was warned by my Ring video doorbell. Watching the video, the driver stood in the middle of my front yard and “sailed” the envelope to my front door. He then took a photo on his phone of my envelope lying on my stoop for proof of delivery. I guess “handle with care” and “fragile” means “abuse me, please” to some delivery drivers. I opened the plastic 10”x14” envelope and dumped out a small white box with a life-size picture of my new phone on one side and the familiar logo of a silhouette of an apple with a bite out of it. (I think, considering the $10,000’s of dollars I’ve given them over the years, I deserved an uneaten apple.) It’s just my opinion, but I think the talent for creating meaningful company logos is a lost art. You don’t want me to get started on my take of the Amazon logo……….But, I digress. I opened the box, and there, in all its glory, was my shiny new iPhone. I pulled the phone out, and underneath was a charging cable and…………..that was it. No wall charger or earbuds. For 1500 bucks, do you think I could get a $2 wall charger and a 25¢ earbuds? I lied; there was something else in the box, a quick start guide. The guide was the size of a Cheez-it. It was folded like an origami project from hell. I unfolded the guide to its full size of about 3”x5”. At first glance, it looked blank until I popped on my reading glasses. There were instructions, but it was printed in light gray and in 3-point font. What kind of sadistic trick is this? I can appreciate we are trying to be as environmentally sensitive as possible, but this was nuts. How much ink was saved by printing in 3-point font and in light gray? Does that savings offset the cost of me firing up my magnifying craft light so I can read the instructions? People making these decisions should take into account us old codgers. I am not asking for the darn thing to be printed in the same-sized font as the “E” on the top line of an eye chart, but come on, my electron microscope is in the shop. Also, understand the concept of contrast. You need to have some significant differences in the color of the paper and the color of the ink. If not, you may as well print it in Braille. Oh well, enough angry old man energy. My new phone works fine, and it will give me something to do for the next 600 years as I explore all the whiz-bang stuff it has. Or maybe just two years as the technology passes this model by. Or until my phone is no longer relevant. Aspire to Inspire!!!!!!
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Happy Monday! From Crazy Uncle Earl: A Common Thread “Dig-A-Hits” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure…… 1. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by The Righteous Brothers (1964) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1. 3:45 2. “Feelin’ Alright” by Joe Cocker (1969) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #69/33. 4:48 3. “Indian Reservation (The Lament of a Cherokee Reservation Indian)” by the Raiders (1971) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1. 2:52 What is the COMMON THREAD??? . . Wait for it………….. . . The great session bassist/guitarist Carol Kaye played bass on all three tunes. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists as a member of the LA-based Wrecking Crew. Her work can be heard on over 10,000 records in a career that has lasted more than 65 years. She started out as a guitarist working for Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. After a bassist failed to show for a session in 1963, she was asked to switch to bass, where she found her calling. 1. This tune peaked at #1 for the blue-eyed soul duo. This song was written by Phil Spector, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. It was produced by Phil Spector and was considered by some to be the ultimate expression of his wall of sound technique. The recording features the great session musicians, The Wrecking Crew, featuring the great Carol Kaye on bass as the base musical track, and the Spector layers dozens of instruments on top of one another. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys considered this recording the greatest record ever. The song was used in the movie Top Gun. 2. This song only peaked at #69 in 1969 for Joe Cocker and was off his “With a Little Help from My Friends” album. It was rereleased in 1972 and it hit #33 for Cocker. This was a cover of Dave Mason’s song first recorded by Traffic in 1969 that failed to reach the Hot 100. This song has been recorded by many artists. In 1971, Grand Funk Railroad covered it and it reached #54. John Goodman did a version of this song for his appearance in Muppets Tonight in 1996. Cocker’s recording featured several LA-based session musicians, including the great Carol Kaye on bass. 3. Reached #1 and was Paul Revere and the Raiders’ only #1 - This was a cover of John D. Loudermilk’s tune that was first recorded by Don Fardon in 1967, a song that reached #20. The Raiders chalked up 15 Top 40 and 5 Top 10 hits. They knew how to hit big when they appeared as themselves on the November 2nd, 1966 Batman TV show as entertainment for an event when The Penguin ran for mayor of Gotham City. Bringing these 3 hits into a playlist will bring you 11 minutes and 25 seconds of Dig-A-Hits Tune-L-Edge that will spark memories and solid bass lines from a great studio musician. ….and as always……….. Aspire to Inspire!
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From Crazy Uncle Earl: Happy Friday!!! Can you guess our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year????? Here are some clues: * In Super Bowl XVIII, the LA Raiders defeat the Washington Redskins 38-9. * The US Bell System is broken up into 24 separate companies as ordered by the US government. * While filming a Pepsi commercial, Michael Jackson’s hair catches fire. The following month, he earns 8 Grammy awards. * The Soviet Union boycotts the Summer Olympics in LA. * Prince releases his monster album “Purple Rain.” * Vanessa Williams becomes the first Miss America to resign after nude photos of her appear in Penthouse magazine. * John Schnatter opens his first Papa John’s Pizza in Jeffersonville, IN. * On TV: Jeopardy! begins in syndication with Alex Trebek as host; Miami Vice premieres on NBC; American Movie Channel, AMC begins. * The Detroit Tigers defeat the San Diego Padres in 5 games to win the World Series. * Aboard Space Shuttle Challenger, astronaut Kathryn Sullivan becomes the first US woman to perform a space walk. * Ronald Reagan defeats Walter Mondale to be reelected as President in a landslide victory; Reagan wins 49 states. Mondale wins Washington D.C. and his home state of Minnesota but only by 3761 votes. Any idea of our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year?????? . . Wait for it… . . Did someone say 1984? Fantastic! George Orwell and Big Brother are proud as hell of you! How about a “Dig-A-Hits Focus Year” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure…… FROM 1984: 1. “The Heart of Rock and Roll” by Huey Lewis and The News - This song hit #6 in the US for Huey Lewis and The News. While playing a gig in Cleveland that at the time was known for its rock scene, the band remained defiant that their hometown of San Francisco had just as strong a rock vibe. After the show, they changed their mind and the heart of rock and roll is in Cleveland. When Lewis wrote the song, he changed it to the heart of rock and roll is still beating. He felt there was real rock and roll all over. He later calls out various cities in the end of the song. This song was the third single off their 1983 album “Sports”. 4:06 2. “Never” by Moving Pictures - This song was written for the movie’s angst-ridden punch dance scene in an abandoned warehouse by Kevin Bacon’s character, Ren McCormack. The song was never released as a single and was performed by the Australian pop rock band “Moving Pictures”. Though the song was an intricate part of the storyline, the song and the band never achieved the commercial success of a hit song. 3:47 3. “Misled” by Kool and The Gang - Reached #10 in the US. It was written by the entire group and was a very nice move into the rock and pop genre. Starting in 1964 as the Jazziacs, Kool and the Gang had 21 Top 40 and 12 Top 10 Hits with one charting at #1. 4:06 If you put this 3-pack of Tune-L-Edge into a playlist, you will enjoy 11 minutes and 59 seconds of Tune-L-Edge that will relieve the constraints lashed on you from not hearing great tunes since our last Dig-A-Hits session. Always……… Aspire to Inspire!
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From Crazy Uncle Earl’s Attic: A Hump Day Pondering!! May I have a word with you? For some reason, that question raises the hair on the back of my neck. Maybe I have a permanently guilty conscience or maybe I have no clue as to what I’m doing and am doing it wrong. No, this is nothing ominous. I have a question about a word or two that I want to verify my lifelong pronunciation of. First off, the yellow part of an egg, how do you pronounce it? Think about this for a second. Do you annunciate the “L” in the word? Or do you pronounce it like I do, yoke? I’ve been around since the Eisenhower administration and I’ve always pronounced it, yoke. You know like the wooden beam used to pair oxen. This question suddenly popped up when I was talking to a teenager the other day and I asked her about how she liked her eggs. She lowered her phone down from her face, rolled her eyes, and said the YOLK can’t be runny. That hit my ear and it was like, what the….. there IS an “L” in yolk? Where in the hell has that been for the last 70 years of my life? I just got schooled by a girl that had the annunciation skills of a wild boar. But, YET, she so succinctly pronounced yolk. How did I miss that? I must have used the word yolk a million times in my life and now I realized I WAS WRONG. That really rattled my maracas. The following day, I was watching TV and there was a lady reading Treasure Island to children in a classroom. She was talking about what pirates do to their treasure to keep it hidden……… How do you pronounce bury? Does it rhyme with flurry or does it rhyme with cherry? Again, I was wrong!!!!! Well DAMN! I got that wrong too! Even when I read it, in my mind it’s berry, but on the page it’s bury. What?? Am I like what my teacher’s used to call me, the village idiot? Now every time I say those words, I second-guess myself. I’m like a 3-pound Chihuahua shaking and peeing on the rug. What else have I been saying wrong? Am I saying the difficult words like Worcestershire incorrectly? I called my buddy in Boston and asked him how he pronounces the town outside of Boston, Worcester. He says “Woosta”. HUH???? I said there’s a frickin’ “R” in the middle and at the end of the name. Oh, that’s right, there are no “R”s in their language. Well, guess what? I’m gonna berry my head in the sand and make up a couple of soft-boiled eggs with runny yokes on wheat toast like my dear Ant Ida used to make……D’oh! Maybe I’ll just get a scoop of ice cream with carmel or caramel….. CRAP!….with chocolate sauce! It wasn’t broke!!! Kiss my ass, I ain’t fixing it! ….as always……..Aspire to Inspire!!!
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Happy Monday! From Crazy Uncle Earl: A Common Thread “Dig-A-Hits” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure…… 1.“Badge” by Cream (1969) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #60. 2:43 2.“It Don’t Come Easy” by Ringo Starr (1971) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #4. 3:02 3.“Handle with Care” by Traveling Wilburys (1988) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #45. 4:18 What is the COMMON THREAD??? . . Wait for it………….. . . All songs were written or co-written by “the quiet” Beatle, George Harrison. Harrison’s impact on the music world was irreplaceable. Known as the musician’s musician, Harrison was a producer, writer, vocalist, and a very underrated guitarist. In addition to his success as a Beatle, he had 8 Top 20 hits as a solo artist and 4 Top 10 US Mainstream Rock hits as a member of The Traveling Wilburys. 1. This song is off Cream’s final album, “Goodbye”. Though in the top 20 in the UK (#18), the song did not break into the Top 40 in the US. It was written by Clapton and George Harrison. While writing the song across from each other, Clapton was trying to read Harrison’s lyrics. He saw the word “bridge” and with Harrison’s poor handwriting, Clapton read out loud as “Badge”. Clapton laughingly said, ‘What’s Badge?’ and the title stuck. George Harrison played rhythm guitar on the track but because of contractual reasons, he is listed as “L’Angelo Misterioso”. Felix Pappalardi played piano and mellotron on the tune. 2. This non-album single hit #4 in the US for Ringo and was his second solo song released in the US. Ringo is credited with writing the song but has acknowledged that George Harrison was a huge contributor to the song. Harrison produced the song as well as played guitar. On piano was Gary Wright (“Dream Weaver”) and on backing vocals were Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger. 3. This debut single from the supergroup only hit #45. The group consisting of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne of ELO, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty was put together to record this song for George Harrison’s album. Harrison’s record company thought the group should continue as the fictitious group The Traveling Wilburys. The grouping was the brainstorm of Harrison and Lynne and has been considered the biggest supergroup of all time. The group released one album before Roy Orbison passed away in December 1988. These 3 Harrison-forward gems will bring you 10 minutes and 3 seconds of Dig-A-Hits Tune-L-Edge that will leave you wanting more George. ….and as always……….. Aspire to Inspire!
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The end of summer is only a week away in the Northern Hemisphere. The autumnal equinox will be upon us as it ushers in fall. The trees will be dropping their foliage and showing us their twigs and bits. Daylight will slowly be slipping away. And temperatures will start to diminish. It is a GREAT time for a good book! And being the type of guy I am, I have the perfect book for you, MINE! “Crazy Uncle Earl’s Illogical Amalgamations” by Earl Snyder. It’s the perfect mental candy to escort you into the new season. Imagine, sitting in a comfy chair in front of a window as leaves waltz to the ground in the fleeting amber sunlight, sipping on your $20 pumpkin-spiced latte, and reading my funny take on life. Perfection. Treat yourself. Use the Amazon link to buy my book, “Crazy Uncle Earl’s Illogical Amalgamations” by Earl Snyder, TODAY! And the leaves, don’t worry about those. That’s what neighborhood kids are for! a.co/d/0eYKoFve

Crazy Uncle Earl’s Illogical Amalgamations

Crazy Uncle Earl’s Illogical Amalgamations: A tome of decades of inconsequential journeys.

amazon.com
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From Crazy Uncle Earl: Happy Friday!!! Can you guess our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year????? * Cigarette advertising was banned from American television and radio. * Intel released its 4004 microprocessor, making personal computing theoretically possible. * We learned Jeremiah was a bullfrog, according to Three Dog Night’s “Joy to the World”. * Billy Jack and Dirty Harry were kicking everyone’s ass at the movie theaters. * We were learning the world according to Archie Bunker on the TV show “All in the Family”. * The Quotes: “Is it live or is it Memorex?”, “You deserve a break today.”, “Marsha, Marsha. Marsha!”. * The 26th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18. * D.B. Cooper jumps out the tail door of a 727 with $200K in ransom and is never seen again. * The first Starbucks opens on Western Ave in Seattle, only selling roasted coffee beans. * Astronaut Alan Shepard hits two golf balls on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 14 mission. * And the Crock-Pot slow cooker was introduced by Rival Manufacturing. Any idea of our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year?????? . . Wait for it… . . Did someone say 1971? Congratulations! You’re so smart. I bet your Weebles will wobble but they won’t fall down. How about a “Dig-A-Hits Focus Year” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure…… FROM 1971: 1. “Day After Day” by Badfinger - This song peaked at #4 for Badfinger and was their highest charting song. The tune was produced by George Harrison, who also played slide guitar on the recording. Leon Russell played piano on the cut. Badfinger started out as the Iveys. Apple Records insisted they change their name. Badfinger was suggested. The name came from the working title, “Bad Finger Boogie”, for an earlier version of the Lennon and McCartney’s “With A Little Help From My Friends”. Badfinger had 4 top 40 hits in the US. 3:12 2. “Never Can Say Goodbye” by The Jackson 5 - This song peaked at #2 for the Jackson 5. The song was written by the actor Clifton Davis. In addition to the Jackson brothers helping Michael out with the track’s vocals, little sister Janet added her voice to the background. This song has been covered many times. The most successful was Gloria Gaynor’s version in 1974 that hit #9. 3:00 3. “Footstompin' Music” by Grand Funk Railroad - This single hit #29 on the US charts and was the highest charting song from Grand Funk’s 5th studio album E Pluribus Funk. The album jacket design was unique in that it was shaped like a large silver coin. On the “heads” side were the die-cast profiles of the band, and on the “tails” side was an embossed image of Shea Stadium. An homage to when the group, in 1971, sold out Shea Stadium in 72 hours, faster than the Beatles. All songs on the album were written by Mark Farner @REALMARKFARNER. 3:48 If you put your Klackers away and put this 3-pack of Tune-L-Edge into a playlist, you will enjoy 10 minutes of serious Tune-L-Edge that will have the memories come flooding back. Always……… Aspire to Inspire!
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From Earl Snyder 9/11/2001 I had been thinking about what I would post to pay tribute to those we lost on 9/11, 25 years after that fateful day. It seemed nothing I scribbled down gave it the credence and respect this historical event deserved. Everything I typed seemed to fall short of satiating my desire to express my feelings. All my writings seemed hollow and unreal. Knowing there are a lot of people that weren’t yet born or were too young to remember that horrible day, I felt obligated to at least shed some light on those events and their impact on the average person. Those in the category of too young, please keep in mind, the iPhones were still 6 years away and social media was an embryo. All immediate information came from radio and TV. My experiences on September 11, 2001. It was Tuesday morning the week after Labor Day, and I was getting used to having summer give way to fall. I remember driving to work listening to the radio. As I pulled into the parking lot, the DJ interrupted a block of Styx songs and said a plane had flown into the World Trade Center towers. I immediately thought this couldn’t be right. I brushed it off and walked into the office. There was an odd sense of vacancy in the building. I was wondering where everyone was. I grabbed my mug and headed to the break room for some coffee. The break room was jammed-packed with all the missing workers huddled around a 20-inch TV watching the news. No one was saying a word. There was a video showing smoke billowing out of one of the towers. I thought to myself, ‘that is a lot of damage from a small plane’. I grabbed my coffee and went to my desk and began to work. About 20 minutes later, I heard someone say a second plane had hit the second tower, and this was an airliner, not a private plane………My mouth dropped……What were the chances of this being an accident?????? I couldn’t connect the dots. Then word came that a third plane slammed into the outer ring of the Pentagon. What? My disbelief turned into fear. There was an anxious pit in my gut and a level of panic I had never experienced. My boss came into the office and said we were closing and we should go home to be with our loved ones. In a daze, I started to drive home attentively listening to the news on the radio. The commute was surreal. There was no traffic. My normal 15-minute commute only took about 7 minutes but in my mind, it seemed to be an hour. At the time, I was living about ½ mile from the St. Louis Airport. I had lived by the airport most of my life and had gotten used to the noise of jets taking off and landing. In 2001, St. Louis Airport was the major hub for TWA. Southwest was constantly expanding its service. There was never a break in the noise level from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.. That day on the ride home, I heard nothing!….. I rolled my windows down in the car and there was nothing but the sound of my tires rolling on the highway. The silence was deafening. I pulled into my driveway and ran into the house. My wife and my mother-in-law were watching the TV. A look of horror was on their faces as the first tower collapsed. My wife looked at me for answers as to what was happening. I tried to assure her we’d be alright, but that was futile as I had no clue whether we were going to be or not. Just then, the newscaster announced a fourth airliner had been hijacked and it was on its way to Washington DC. The military was scrambling fighters to shoot down anything in the sky that was in a rogue trajectory. We were under attack. Then the second tower collapsed. Then we heard the fourth plane had crashed in rural Pennsylvania. Our world would never be the same.
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Part 2 Over the next 2 weeks, I spent every spare moment down in my basement watching the news. There was nothing else to watch on the 100 or so cable channels we had because even the entertainment stations paired up with the news channels. It was constant news. The longer I sat, the angrier I became. The constant droning of the talking heads on the news cast with the same information over and over made me think, 24-hour news coverage sucks. The innuendos and speculation from these morons trying to fill time was pathetic. I finally had enough! I took a shower and got dressed. I was going to go out and talk to actual people. I wanted the camaraderie of my fellow Americans. I needed solidarity. No one was going to do this to my country, to my family, to me, and get away with it. I broke out the flag and flew it proudly. I would wave at anyone that drove down my street and gave them a thumbs-up. They would do the same. I hugged more people in the following weeks than I had in the previous 30 years. Cars were driving with the flag flying. I have never seen so much Red, White, and Blue. I have never seen so much patriotism. We were all united. We were all Americans regardless of any physical, mental, or philosophical differences. People openly thanked all front-line folks and the military………….. And there it was……..My funk and accompanying writer’s block was due to the fact that I was pissed at myself. I did not carry forward the lessons I learned 25 years ago. The malaise and melancholy I had was directly in proportion to my failure to remember what I learned on a Tuesday morning in September in 2001. For the younger folks, I understand you not feeling the need to connect to an event from 25 years ago. In a way, I was the same way when I was young, and my parents talked about Pearl Harbor. But the adage, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”, is true. Learn and remember, but do not be fearful. Fear needs to be tempered with rationalization. If we do not live our lives, the sub-human excrement wins. AND THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN! To all the Military, Veterans, Police, Firefighters, and First Responders, Thank You for Your Service! God Bless the USA and Every American! Keep the American Spirit Soaring! United We Stand! And…..”Let’s roll!” (Todd Morgan Beamer 1968-2001 United Flight 93) As Always……Aspire to Inspire!!!
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From Crazy Uncle Earl’s Attic: A Hump Day Chuckle!! I have realized I am not wine. I don’t get better with age. I’m closer to a car from the 50s. And not the cool cars that everyone wants to fix up like a ’57 Chevy. I am like a beige Rambler still running, but nobody is fighting to drive me. The years have not been kind to my body. But like the Rambler, I keep plugging along. Like most experienced folks (See what I did there? I could’ve said old fart), my eyesight is not as it was. I did not need glasses until I was in my late twenties when nearsightedness snuck up on me. I used to be proud of my 20/20 vision. It was quite a blow to my ego when I had to wear glasses. Then in my late forties, my ego took another hit on a visit to the ophthalmologist. I was told I would need trifocals…..Huh????? Did I skip right over bifocals and go directly to trifocals? My eye doc said since I work on a computer for my job, I would need near-mid-far range help. I gave in and ordered my trifocals. A week later, I went to the eyeglass store to pick up my new glasses. I sat down in the chair, and the technician put them on my face and fine-fitted them on my head. She pulled her hands away from my face, and immediately I could see her so clearly. I looked out the window, and I could read the license plate numbers of the cars in the parking lot. The technician handed me a business card with very small printing on it. I could read every line as if it was the top line of an eye chart. It was a miracle. I was grinning from ear to ear. Then, I had to stand up and walk…………….I thought where did this staircase come from? This was a flat floor when I came in. Every step I took, I could not judge where my foot was at. My depth perception was gone. I was raising my knees way up to make sure I made the next stair, and then my foot would slam down on the floor because there was no stair-step. I must have looked like one of those prancing ponies in a circus. After about eight steps, the technician grabbed my elbow to help me out the door. No, THAT wasn’t embarrassing. My car was right outside the door of the eyeglass store, so a few more steps and I was home free. I thought……until now I was on a flat surface thinking I was on a staircase. I had adjusted and was starting to smooth out my gate and picked up speed. Now I am about to encounter a curb that appears in my new-fangled trifocals as a flat surface……..The next thing I know I am flat on my face in the parking lot looking under my car. I could see so clearly, the undercarriage of my car. Close-up, mid-distance, and far away, those trifocals were working like a champ. How embarrassing? I slowly pulled myself to my feet. I was too embarrassed to turn around. I thought I’d look back and see people gawking out the windows of the eyeglass store laughing or holding up signs giving me my score for the “face-plant” I just performed like some sort of sick Olympic event. I just got in my car and drove away, never to return again. Every day is a new adventure with aging. What was once a non-event now can be a challenge. But what were once bad decisions through the eyes of youth are now smart choices through the eyes of experience. Do I still make ill-advised decisions? Yes, I do. Do I learn from my mistakes? Most of the time, and that is OK. No matter your years, you are your age. Stay young! ….as always……..Aspire to Inspire!!!
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Happy Monday! And Happy Labor Day! From Crazy Uncle Earl: A Common Thread “Dig-A-Hits” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure…… 1.“Doctor My Eyes” by Jackson Browne (1972) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #8. 3:20 2.”Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins (1989) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1. 5:22 3.“Hold My Hand” by Hootie and the Blowfish (1994) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #10. 4:18 What is the COMMON THREAD??? . . Wait for it………….. . . All three songs had David Crosby singing back-up. Crosby co-founded the Byrds and later became part of all the variants of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and sometimes Young. He was emblematic of the counterculture of the 60s and 70s. He was a two-time Hall of Fame inductee. Once as a member of the Byrds and once as a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Crosby lent his voice to numerous artists, including Dave Mason, James Taylor, Carole King, Elton John, and Gary Wright, just to name a few. 1. This song was off Browne’s debut album and would peak at #8 in the US. Browne would not see another top 10 hit until 1982 with “Somebody’s Baby”. Though a very pessimistic tune, Browne gave the song a very bouncy feel through orchestration and strong beats. Singing background on the tune were Graham Nash and David Crosby. Fun fact, Browne was once roommates with JD Souther and Eagles’ Glenn Frey. 2. This tune was written by Collins. It was Collins’s seventh and final #1 on the Hot 100. The song had the honor of being the last #1 of the 1980s and the first #1 of the 1990s. The song is about a homeless individual with two kids trying to survive. David Crosby lent background vocals on this tune. 3. This was the debut single for this group of college buddies from South Carolina. This peaked at #10 and was off their monster debut album, Cracked Rear View. The group would have 5 top 20 hits. Singing background on this song was David Crosby. These 3 ear excursions with David Crosby’s vocal enhancements will bring you 13 minutes of Dig-A-Hits Tune-L-Edge of toe tapping, finger snapping, dashboard keyboarding, air guitar riffing, and thigh drumming joy. ….and as always……….. Aspire to Inspire!
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From Crazy Uncle Earl: Happy Friday!!! Can you guess our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year????? *Monsanto invents AstroTurf to be installed in the new Astrodome in Houston. *Ford makes 8-track tape players available as a factory option for automobiles. *Star Trek premieres on NBC. *The Monkees premiere on NBC. *Batman premieres on ABC. *The Miranda warning became mandatory for law enforcement. *Spirograph, Twister, and a Barrel of Monkeys were introduced. (Naked Twister was not yet invented by that weird dude in the van.) *The Flintstones final episode airs. *The Dick Van Dyke Show final episode airs. *The Beach Boys release the album Pet Sounds. *The Beatles play their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. *WPIX-TV in NYC broadcasts The Yule Log for the first time. It becomes a Christmas tradition. *Groundbreaking takes place in NYC for the new World Trade Center on 8-5-66. It will stand for 12,821 days. Any idea of our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year?????? . . Wait for it… . . Did someone say 1966? Well you’ve Twisted the night away and come up with the correct answer! Congratulations! How about a “Dig-A-Hits Focus Year” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure…… FROM 1966: 1. “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” by Jimmy Ruffin - This song reached #7 in the US and was originally intended to be recorded by The Spinners when they were with Motown. Ruffin, whose younger brother David was the lead singer of The Temptations, pleaded with the writers and was given the song to record. Ruffin, with backing vocals by session singers and Funk Brothers instrumentation, recorded it and launched his modest career. 3:02 2. “Sunny” by Bobby Hebb -Reached #2 in the US. It was written by Hebb to remind everyone “to remember to look on the bright side” as a tribute to his older brother who had been killed the day after JFK was assassinated. This song was Hebb’s only top 20 hit. Hebb once appeared with Roy Acuff on the Grand Ole Opry, and in 1966, he toured with The Beatles in the US. 2:45 3. “Last Train to Clarksville” by The Monkees-Reached #1 in the US one month after The Monkees TV show premiered. The song features vocals only by 3 of the group. Mike Nesbitt was not on the recording. All instruments on the recording were played by the writers Boyce and Hart’s band, The Candy Store Prophets. The song’s lyrics reference a call by a guy to a girl to meet him at the station because he’s hopping on a train to Clarksville and may never be coming back. The Monkees had 10 top hits and 6 top 5 hits. 2:46 “Mash Potato” this 3-pack of Tune-L-Edge into a playlist and enjoy 8 minutes and 33 seconds that will make you realize that “Beam me up, Scotty” was never uttered by Captain Kirk. He always said, “Beam me up, Mr. Scott.” Great! 60 years of being wrong. Dang! Always……… Aspire to Inspire!
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From Crazy Uncle Earl’s Attic: Hello September!!!! A Hump Day Chuckle!! I had a chat with a couple of friends the other day while killing brain cells with a couple of Daddy-Pops, and the question was posed, ‘what is the most demeaning job?’ We sat there and thought about it. One guy says, “What about a manicurist for a plumbing company?” Laughs ensued. Next guy says, “What about a teller at a sperm bank?” Laughs erupted! After the laughs died down, we pondered the question. I said, “We used to have an ice cream truck that came around from a company called Mister Softy. The truck had a caricature of a soft serve ice cream cone with a face on it and a service hat. That driver must be humiliated all day driving around being called Mr. Softy. Can you imagine going into a bar and trying to pick up a girl? ‘So what do you do for a living?’ Soul crushing.” The guys chuckled, and then the conversation veered off into another topic. Later on, that question about the most demeaning job stuck with me. Pretty much every job has some sort of not-so-nice public perception. Professionals, the trades, restaurants, retail, anything can be perceived as demeaning, lowly, or negativity attached to it. I have had jobs in my life that were not exactly “special,” but it was about that ‘ends-means” deal. That’s an adult thing: you do what you do to provide for yourself and your loved ones. If you don’t like it, find something else and move on. My first job was a curb boy at Steak’n Shake. At 14, I carried trays of hamburgers and shakes from a window on the side of the restaurant to cars parked in the lot. For 90¢ an hour plus tips, I humiliated the hell out of myself by sporting a paper “C” cap, a clip-on bow tie, a white shirt, black pants, and a frickin’ cummerbund just to haul food out to rowdy delinquents in muscle cars. These jack-wangs were NOT kind to curb boys. The laughs and taunts were brutal, but I endured foraging for nickel and dime “tips” in a partially eaten burger or shake glasses that were turned into makeshift ashtrays. I wanted to earn to have spending money and help the family. At 14, I knew curb boy was not my career. I also knew a paycheck was not an entitlement; it was a system of work-earn. I knew I was not entitled to the same pay and benefits as my superiors. I knew curb boy was not a career, but a first step. It was ENTRY LEVEL! Oh well, I’m retired. Am I rich? I am loaded when it comes to faith and happiness. I am filthy rich with the love of family and friends. So, yes, I’m rich. Would I want more money? Well, duh! Do I want more stuff? Maybe. But my days of accumulation are behind me. When it’s all said and done, I don’t think U-Haul has a trailer drop-off at the Pearly Gates, and there are no closets in caskets. To paraphrase the 1984 Wendy’s commercial, ‘Stuff is stuff.’ Yeah, I know……just call me Mister Softy! ….as always……..Aspire to Inspire!!!
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Happy Monday! From Crazy Uncle Earl: A Common Thread “Dig-A-Hits” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure…… 1.“Stand Back” by Stevie Nicks (1983) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #5. 4:48 2.”I Feel for You” by Chaka Khan (1984) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #3. 5:43 3.“Manic Monday” by The Bangles (1986) U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #2. 3:05 What is the COMMON THREAD??? . . Wait for it………….. . . All three songs were written or co-written by Prince (in a “Prince” sort of way). 1. This Stevie Nicks tune hit #5 in the U.S. and was off her second solo album. Nicks wrote this tune based on the melody of Prince’s song Little Red Corvette, which she had heard on the radio when going on her honeymoon. When Nicks went into the studio to record the song, she reached out to Prince and told him the story of the song. He came over to the studio and played synthesizer. He and Nicks agreed to split the publishing royalties. Playing guitar on the tune was Steve Lukather of Toto. 2. This song hit #3 on the Hot 100 for Chaka Khan and was her highest-charting solo hit. This recording features Stevie Wonder on chromatic harmonica as well as several samples of Wonder’s hit “Fingertips”. Prince wrote this song and originally recorded it for his album “Prince” in 1979. Khan’s version was awarded a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female in 1985. 3. This tune reached #2 in the US for the Bangles and would be their first of 8 top 40 hits for this all-female American band. It was written by Prince under the pseudonym “Christopher”. The song is kind of a take of the Mamas and Papas hit, “Monday, Monday” with some quirky rhymes like Sunday and “I-don’t-have-to-run-day”. If you put these 3 Prince-penned tunes into a Dig-A-Hits playlist, you’ll party like it’s 1999 for 13 minutes and 36 seconds of purple majesty Tune-L-Edge. ….and as always……….. Aspire to Inspire!
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From Crazy Uncle Earl: Happy Friday!!! Can you guess our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year????? Here are some clues….. The world is introduced to Star Wars with Star Wars Episode IV. Silly me. I would think episode one would be first. Other movies of note: Saturday Night Fever, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Smokey and the Bandit, and Annie Hall. Elvis Presley dies at Graceland in Memphis, TN. A song with more sap than a giant sequoia, “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone, is the best-performing song of the year, sitting on top of the charts for 10 weeks. A plane crash claims the life of Lynyrd Skynyrd lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines. Alex Haley’s Roots miniseries is aired for eight consecutive nights in January, drawing an audience of 80 million viewers. The Atari 2600 is released in September, bringing programmable home video games into American living rooms. And the biggest event: Chia Pets go on sale. Any idea of our Dig-A-Hits Focus Year?????? . . Wait for it… . . Did someone say 1977? Well, aren’t you the smart one? You get a lifetime supply of Slime. Not the toy, I have a bunch of snails in my yard and I need to get rid of their trails. How about a “Dig-A-Hits Focus Year” 3-pack for your Tune-L-Edge listening pleasure…… FROM 1977: 1. “Baby Come Back” by Player - The tune hit #1 off their debut album. The follow-up hit “This Time I’m In It For Love”, hit #10 and was their last Top 20 hit. The group would only have one other tune in the Top 40. This American/English band toured with acts like Eric Clapton, Gino Vannelli, Kenny Loggins, and Heart. 4:14 2. “Don’t Worry Baby” by B.J. Thomas - This song hit #17 for Thomas. The song was written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian and was originally recorded in 1964 by the Beach Boys and charted at #24. Wilson had originally written the tune for The Ronnettes as a response to their hit, “Be My Baby”, but they turned it down. That’s when the Beach Boys recorded it. 3:03 3. “It’s So Easy” by Linda Ronstadt - This song hit #5 for Ronstadt and was one of 22 top 40 hits. While in the Top 5, her recording of Roy Orbison’s Blue Bayou was occupying the #3 spot of the charts. This was a remake of the Buddy Holly and The Crickets song that had failed to chart for them. 2:27 Put this 3-pack of Tune-L-Edge into a playlist and enjoy 9 minutes and 44 seconds that will “light up your life” and bring back great memories of 49 years ago. And if it doesn’t, like the great philosopher Steve Martin so eloquently stated, “WELLLL EXXXXCUUUUUUUSE MEEE! Always……… Aspire to Inspire!
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Check out my new video for my book Crazy Uncle Earl’s Illogical Amalgamations. The Amazon link is below: a.co/d/0bnKJQDN
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