UWA 46: New Year's Rockin' Attic II

New Year's Eve is a time of review and renewal and resolutions, and I share some of my big plans for Ought-Eight in between fun shtuff, including:

Auld Lang Syne, Rockosaurus Rex
Hi-Diddle-Diddle, Guy Lombardo
Wildroot Cream commercial, King Cole Trio
Anybody Here Remember Radio?, Stan Freberg
The Boogie Woogie Flying Cloud, Hank Snow
Just Today, w.p. bluhm
Re: Your Brains, Jonathan Coulton
A Wee Deoch an' Doris, Harry Lauder

Hit "play" on the player to your right, or download here or by clicking on the podcast icon.

Gilchrists are right again

UWAttic45: Scandinavian Zombie Holiday Greetings

Actually, no, Mary Woronov (pictured) does not appear in this episode, but we do share several clips from one of her greatest cult hits, when she played conflicted scientist hero Audrey White.

I spend most of the show rummaging through the Attic in search of this thing I saw in the newspaper once - UWA 45 is sandwiched between "A Laptop Like You" and "Podsafe Christmas Song" by Jonathan Coulton. Featured tunes include "Deck the Halls" by Rockosaurus Rex ... "Giggling Gertie" from Vaughn de Leath ... "O Lutefisk" by Molly and Sonny Boy ... "Emilia Polka (Laughing Polka)" by Lawrence Duchow ... my dramatc reading ... and "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas" by Yogi Yorgesson.

Download here or press play over there at the top of the right column.

UWA 44: Life at 78 rpm

I emerge from the Attic covered with dust and shellac. We begin on a serious note, bringing renditions of "Trees" by John Charles Thomas and Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours."

Moving from the sublime to the ridiculous, here are "I Want to Be Bad" by Helen Kane, who was boop-boop-a-dooping before Betty, and in fact she boops in this song at least once ... the immortal "I'm My Own Grandpa" by Lonzo and Oscar ... and "Yingle Bells" by Yogi Yorgesson.

If you're feeling a little down - we had six inches of snow over the weekend so I understand - The Revelers remind us that "Just Around the Corner" could be sunshine. And Jonathan Coulton offers the sounds of the season from "Chiron Beta Prime."

Download here, click the pod icon, or press "play" to your right.

A little longer wait

Call it my ahtistic temperament. I finished Uncle Warren's Attic #44 and just decided it wasn't what I was shooting for. Hate to leave so much space between shows, but I'm going back to square one on this one. See ya soon - sorry about this!

Uncle Warren's Attic 43

Back to rummaging around the Attic. In addition to some lovely clips from It Happened One Night and other flicks, UWA 43 includes:

"Don't Blame Me for What Happens in the Moonlight," from Perry Botkin Jr. and friends ... "Hello Again" by Herb Oscar Anderson ... the immortal "Pachalafaka" from Soupy Sales ... "Great Balls of Fire" from the New Grass Revival ... a showdown between The Shadow and a nutcase ... "Sweet Potato Piper" with Bing Crosby featuring John Trotter's Pan Fried Five ... and our beloved Aileen Stanley and Billy Murray round it off with "When the Leaves Come Tumbling Down."

Listen on the player in the righthand column, or here's your download pod:

UWA 42: Remember, remember

Hi folks, I turn the microphone over to a special guest host in order to get out a Fifth of November edition of Uncle Warren's Attic. I hope you enjoy the change of pace!

Featured tunes:
"Free the People," Los Gallos
"Guy Fawkes Day," Paul Melancon
"1812 Overture," Amsterdam Concert Orchestra
"Ballad of Serenity," from the film of the same name

And if you don't own V for Vendetta yet, well, click here.

Download podcast by clicking podcast icon or here.

UW Attic 41: Back to the 78s

In addition to the usual collection of odds and ends, this edition brings you:

"March of the Toys," from Babes in Toyland, by the Victor Concert Orchestra conducted by Nathaniel Shikret

"Phonograph Blues," Robert Johnson from the Internet Archive

"Mama Don't Rush Me Blues," Willie Jones (whom you can also hear singing "Sweet Patunia" in UWA #19)

"You Blacked My Blue Eyes Once Too Often" by Lonzo and Oscar

"Chicken Reel" by Les Paul

"Oh! Sweet Mystery of Life," Bing Crosby

All of it brought to you by Fruity Oaty Bars - they'll make a man out of a mouse, etc. Download here or click on the "pod" icon.

Happy Halloween - again

Click here to download the now-famous Uncle Warren's Attic #6, featuring my hookup with an online news network that goes terribly wrong when Mars invades.

Where'd he go?

UWA 41 coming soon. Really! Would I make that up?

I don't know why I've been away from the microphone. No excuses. Just ... well, no excuses. When you hit a lazy streak, you're just lazy. That's all.

I've been accumulating a lot of them thar old-fashioned CDs that spin at 78 rpm and have only one song per side. Don't be surprised if the next show (or several of 'em) is (are) a bit heavy on those. But that's a good thing, I think.

Talk to ya soon.

Songs From The Attic

It's long past time I sent my tunes out into the big ol' world to see if they can fly, so as an experiment I have posted links to four of my mid-1980s recordings that I've played on the show - over there on the sidebar. Pull 'em onto your hard drive, click 'em to play 'em, and/or feature them on your own podcasts (let me know if/when you use them).

The first set is "Seems Like Old Times" (the show's theme), "First Date" (from UWA #1), "I Wonder How You're Doing" (UWA #16) and "Outside Lefty's" (UWA #3).

(hard sell) I'm offering them gratis, but if you have a PayPal account want to drop 89 cents per song (or whatever you think they're worth) into the "Tip Jar," I certainly wouldn't object and would be tickled and encouraged, etc. My main desire is to share the songs, but, well, you know. (/hard sell)

If you'd like to possess other w.p. bluhm pieces you've heard on the Attic, send me an e-mail or leave a comment here, and I'll add to the list as appropriate. Thanks for listening!

UWA 40: Beedle-bees and rum-a-doodle-dum

Uncle Warren unplugged: Red and I on the road, a couple of my old folk tunes ("You Can Tighten My Belt" and "Hi Horse Tweedledum Ladies"), and a taste of what the Attic might sound like if I paid the license fees and played non-podsafe stuff.

You'll hear "fair use" clips from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Judee Sill, Tommy James and the Shondells, Leahy and Copper Box, and a complete tune from podsafe bluegrass gods The WhizBang Shufflers. Enjoy!

Download here or click on the "pod" icon.

I have returned

Red and I are back from a much-needed vacation. We met with various family and friends along the way, including my podcast-author friend Mr. Richardson, of whom more shall be said in the near future. I'll also have an announcement or two once the dust settles.

In the meantime, I hope to be up in the attic in a few days and we can resume our adventures together. Here's hoping you're well.

UWA 39: Webby Wanderings

It’s long past time I gave you a little more taste of Maria Daines with her partner and guitarist guitarist Paul Killington. After launching the show with Carne Cruda’s “Amazing Artichoke of World Peace,” we dive into Maria’s “Tear Down the Walls” and “Alright When The Morning Comes.”

After we sing the praises of the 1960 Studebaker Lark, it’s time for Aileen Stanley and Billy Murray and the 1924 classic “You’ll Never Get to Heaven With Those Eyes.” Then, from the Internet Archive, Warren Zevon sings “Veracruz” - thanks Kirsten for the heads-up on this terrific recording.

We extol the wisdom of saving Top Value Stamps, and then it’s time for a little Boo Boo Davis. The tasty blues tunes “Tell Me What to Do” and “Boo’s Boogie Woogie” close out our 39th adventure together. By the way, Maria and Boo Boo were last heard back in the legendary Episode #20.

Download

Nothing personal

Most folks know I live in the general vicinity of Green Bay, Wisconsin, so there's a tendency to keep an eye on the television set with some urgency around noon Sundays in the fall - especially that first Sunday of the NFL season. It was an entertaining afternoon - Packers 16, Iggles 13. Sorry, Philly fans.

Well, then I went off and puttered around the house, and when I returned to the TV, the Chicago Bears were clinging to a 3-0 lead at San Diego somewhere in the third quarter. No sooner did I sit down when all hell broke loose and the Bears said collectively to the Chargers, "Here, you can have this game, we didn't really want it anyway." Final score SD 14, Chitown 3. Now I feel obligated to watch the Bears every chance I get this season, as my presence in the audience clearly sent the team down the tubes.

When the Packers win and the Bears lose, everyone's happier in Green Bay Monday morning. Nothing personal, that's just the way it is.

UWA 38: I Like Ike - Jan. 17, 1961

We start out the show with an authentic recording of the Uncle Warren's Attic show from Jan. 17, 1961, as President Dwight D. Eisenhower presents his farewell speech to the nation. It's a historic address, and it provides a lot of room for thought about what's happened in the past 46 years or so.

Also on the show are a 1966 ad for the film "Lady L" from the Jean Shepherd show ... "Liar Liar" by singer-songwriter Julie Harris ... "Grow" by singer-songwriter April Start ... and "I'm Beginning to Remember" by Jimmy Lee and Johnny Mathis - no, not that Johnny Mathis.

It comes with a promise to be back in a week - what am I thinking?!?

Click the podcast icon or here to download - or just push "play" on the player to your right.

State of the Podcast Address

Um, hi there, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for stopping by to see if there's anything new. As you can see, well, here's something new.

I keep wandering up to forage around in the attic and I've found some cool stuff. I just haven't had time to put together a podcast.

You may have noticed that I've been keeping a steady dose of Ikthuscasts going, and maybe you suspect that I care more about that show than Uncle Warren's Attic. No, no, this is my first podcast and my first love, and if you're familiar with both you know the Attic is a much more complicated production. It takes 2-3 hours to finish a 30-minute UWA, compared with a matter of minutes for Ikthus. I often have a few minutes available, not so often 2-3 hours.

What I'm planning at this stage is to return with a weekly dose of UWA no later than early September. My best guess is "the new season" of UWA will start just before the regular season of the NFL opens. I'll try to keep you updated with a note or two or three here.

Thank you, and God bless America. We now turn to CNN, Fox News, et al, for instant analysis of how many times this speech was interrupted by applause and what that all means.

UWA 37: Featuring Sir Cedric Faintingmode

It's another dip into my pile of platters that spin at 78 rpm, including two peeks at the "Flying Saucer" mania of the mid-1950s.

I reprise Buchanan and Goodman's marvelous "Flying Saucer" record from 1956 to set you up for a (to any family members, I apologize) remarkably unfunny knock-off called "Out of This World With Flying Saucers" by Dave Barry and Sara Berner, who I'm sure were nice people.

Surrounding those are such lost gems as "Hotta Chocolatta" by the De John Sisters ... "Who's Sorry Now" by Les Stevens' Clover Gardens Orchestra ... "Hi Ho Trailus Boot Whip" by Anita O'Day ... "Oh Baby What a Night" by Billy Murray and Walter Scanlon ... and "Look Who's Talkin'" by Ted Daffan's Texans.

As usual the show is also peppered with other great moments from pop culture history. Download by clicking the pod icon and enjoy!

UW's Attic #36: Pretensions of immortality

I'll give you eclectic, my pretty -- and your little dog, too!

The lineup:

"Immortality," William Jennings Bryan (1908)
"Welfare Blues," Josh White (1934)
"Address to American Indians," President Woodrow Wilson (1913)
"Asleep in the Deep," William F. Hooley (1911)
Live PSA for safe driving (1953)
"Minor Swing," The WhizBang Shufflers (2004)
"The Radio Guy," Warren Bluhm (1996; recorded 2007)
"Destination Unknown," The Rebel Soul Band

Click Pod icon or here to download; or just play the player.

UW Attic #35.5: The Radio Guy

This short story will be part of UWA 36, but I'm releasing it separately for those of you who like your tales to stand alone.

Click the icon or this link.

UW's Attic #35: The Aileen Stanley Story

From the wild and wooly 1920s comes the story of one of the era's biggest recording stars, who apparently lost a fortune in the 1929 stock market crash but is making a modest return to the spotlight thanks to intrigued fans like moi. I've been contemplating "The Aileen Stanley Story" ever since I started finding other tunes in the wake of the big reaction to "Keep Your Skirts Down Mary Ann" way back in UWA #3.

Here's the jazzage1920s.com biography that I lean on for much of the info in this episode ... and here's another interesting source. And if you'd like to explore more of her music, here and here are a couple of links to the Internet Archive.

Click on the podcast icon or here.

Mangled lyrics

Yeah ... I could see it ...

More WhizBang Shufflers

Rick from the WhizBang Shufflers says thanks for the plays in UWA 34 and points to a video the group made. "We made this video during our mandolin player's bachelor party. We conceived the idea, shot all the footage, and edited it within 24 hours," Rick says. Well, it kind of shows, but that's part of the charm. "The Stag" is an homage to bad slasher movies, and it also has some fun picking. Enjoy, but fair warning - remember the part where I mentioned slasher movies? No musicians were harmed in the filming of this video, but, well, I warned ya.

UWA 34: Give me liberty or give me 'Wildflower Man'

For this Independence Day edition of Uncle Warren's Attic, and to make up for the long silence, this show features two dramatic readings - one many of you have heard before is my short story "Wildflower Man," and the other is a reading of a speech you may have heard some of, but may not have ever heard in its entirety - Patrick Henry's address to the Virginia House of Burgesses on March 23, 1775. It's still pretty electric.

Musical friends include the WhizBang Shufflers, who present the opening and closing tracks of their absolutely free album "Baffle the Bird of Death" - the irrepressible "It's All New" and the bonus track "bonus track."

We also hear from Five Star Fall and The Kokoon, whose work you can find at Magnatune, where the slogan is "We Are Not Evil." And we also have a reprise of Giles' rousing version of "Freedom." Oh, and thanks to Kirsten of Enjoy Every Sandwich for her kind words and actions.

I tried to make it worth the wait - let me know how I did!

Direct download here.

While you're waiting ...

While you're waiting for a new edition of Uncle Warren's Attic (hey, it's summer, have you been outside lately?!?), here's a fantastic video of a fantastic Jonathan Coulton tune ...

UW Attic 33: The Sealed Weasels etc.

What has happened here is something which, up until a few days ago, was entirely beyond the scope of man's imagination ...

You have heavy doses of a sixties-style band called The Sealed Weasels (Remember "Zen Hot Dog" in UWA 20?), along with seasonings from movies and TV, a little Andy Partridge, Anna Burck, Eisenhowers, Carl T. Sprague and John Charles Thomas ... but not a great deal of Uncle Warren ... at least not Uncle Warren's voice, just Uncle Warren the sound editor.

What does this episode mean? Philosophers will be debating that question for centuries. I wonder why the wonder falls ...

PROMISED UPDATE: So what all was in there? Well, the Sealed Weasels sang "Cold Turkey Sandwiches," "The Illuminati and Me" and "Bionic"; That was the first verse of Carl T. Sprague's "Oh Bury Me Not On the Lone Prairie"; Andy Partridge sang the theme from my second-favorite TV show of all time, "Wonderfalls"; Sonny Rhodes sang the theme from my all-time favorite, "Firefly"; and the Eisenhowers sang "Everything is Not Enough"; John Charles Thomas wanted to be "Home On The Range"; and a Marvel-style no-prize goes to anyone who can tell me where the "Alice, will you marry me?" clip comes from. There's other stuff in this show, but I hate to give away all my secrets ...

Oh! One last acknowledgement: Anna Burck's Music iQuiz is one of the funnest podcasts out there!!

To download, click on the Pod icon or here.

Uncle Warren's Attic #32: Claim the Moon

Goodies I unearthed this week in Uncle Warren's Attic:

"The Mining Ship the Red Dwarf," by Marc Gunn & The Dubliners
"Excelsior," Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, dramatic reading by moi
"Get Happy," Raymond Scott and his Orchestra
"Let's Claim the Moon for the U.S. - Now!" by Pierre J. Huss, Mechanix Illustrated, February 1957. Sharp-eared listeners will note that your humble host, who performs the dramatic reading, managed to throw in a sci-fi element by reading the headline as "Let's Claim the U.S. for the Moon." Not sure why moon beings would want to annex a piece of earthly real estate, but there you have it.
"We'll Be Dancing On The Moon," Trade Martin
"Ingrian Polka - Kuppari Eeva," Off to California. Yes, the reason the title isn't mentioned on the show is I wasn't sure how to pronounce it!
"Jasper Tabby Kitty Cat-y," Marc Gunn & The Dubliners

Uncle Warren's Attic #31: Name that voice

Can you identify the voice in the Peter Pan commercials? No big prize awarded, just the satisfaction of knowing his name before I tell you at the end.

Speaking of peanut butter, much tasty stuff in this edition, along with a semi-promise to drop by more often again!

The musical numbers: "Glow Worm" by Homer and Jethro ... "Ghost Riders in the Sky" by the Sons of the Pioneers and by Scat Man Crothers ... "Listening House" by Lazarus and the announcement of Ikthuscast ... "It's a Bloody War" by Homer & Jethro and "28th of January" by the Piney Creek Weasels ... "Pull the String" by Jonathan Coulton ... and "Bye Bye Blackbird" by Gene Austin.

Click on the POD icon or here to download, or hit the "Play" button to stream.

Coming soon!

It's been a busy couple of months, but I expect to be back more frequently again soon. I apologize to the ever-shrinking but supportive bunch of you who keep checking back and stay subscribed. Coming soon, the long-awaited Aileen Stanley story, a look at the work of Scotty MacGregor, and a dramatic reading of an important 1957 essay about why the United States should claim the moon as its sovereign territory. What fun!

I also plan to debut a new project very soon, which I'll tell you about in Uncle Warren's Attic #31. Watch for UWA 31 sometime next week.

Have fun in the meantime!

UW's Attic #30: Digging through the 78s

A half-dozen gems uncovered during a trip to the antique store last week.

"Behind the Clouds (There's Crowds and Crowds of Sunbeams), Gene Austin
"Sailing Down the Chesapeake Bay," Pete Daily's Chicagoans
"Limehouse Blues," Curly Hicks and his Taproom Boys*
"O Sole Mio," Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orchestra
"Little Rock Getaway," Les Paul
"Over the Rainbow," Del Courtney and his Orchestra

Make sure you check the links this week ... lots of fun info!

*Couldn't find a link for these guys - best I found was a phorum entry where someone asked (at the bottom, "Anyone know anything about this group? They recorded a dozen or so discs
for Bluebird around 1940. Can't decide whether they're a country band, a jazz band, or a polka band. Features accordion and vibraphone leads with guitar, bass, washboard and drum rhythm. Kind of addictive."

UW Attic #29: About that day job

Your Uncle Warren and Dave Slusher have thoughts (separately) about the value to the creative process of having a day job. Dave, of course, is the guy behind the Evil Genius Chronicles and other important endeavors, and in this particular episode he refers to Hugh MacLeod's "Sex and Cash Theory."

Along the way we bring you music from the Podsafe Music Network and myself: "Write About Me" by Jeff Coffey ... "The Future," an aural collage by w.p. bluhm ... "Slugbug" by The Egerton Boyz ... "The Maid on the Shore" by Ceili Moss ... "She's Wild" by People Coyote ... and finishing with "Sweet Sarah Wilde" by w.p. bluhm.

UWA 28.5: Special Edition - Farewell Sanjaya

If you haven't been watching "American Idol," this little seven-minute tribute will make no sense to you. If you have, it speaks for itself.

Back soon with a "real" episode.

Shoppers beware!

I just noticed that Amazon is selling Linda Perhacs' Parallelograms for more than $37 a pop, so as much as I'd love for you to visit my UWA A-store, if you liked the taste in UWA #28, I strongly encourage you to order the disk off Linda's own site for $14.99 plus shipping. In fact, I'm going to go in and delete her from my store as a preventive measure. It's a wonderful album, but I have an inkling Linda will get the same amount of revenue anyway if you buy at the lower price.

UW's Attic #28: Parallelograms

Linda Perhacs made one of the great "lost" albums that has recently been found and re-released to great acclaim. This week's UWA gives you a mini-tour of Parallelograms. Then it's off to the late 1930s and Pretty Kitty Kelly. A little Ames Brothers ... a little Zax ... another taste of "The Dog Song" ... a Piney Creek Weasels encore ... and before you can say "Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters," we're outta there again. Have fun!

Click the podcast icon or download here.

Luann's musical mom and dad

Uncle Warren's Attic 27: First Week of Spring Blues

A bevy of blues and other goodies off the old 78s and such. The show launches with a mystery track, though, followed by "If You Don't Somebody Else Will" by Jimmy Lee and the "other" Johnny Mathis.

Then there's the legendary Kelly Harrell recording of "I Wish I Was A Single Girl Again," recorded a half-century before Prince, retrieved from the Internet Archive.

It's mostly blues the rest of the way: Josh White and the "Stormy Weather Blues," Furry Lewis and "Mean Old Bedbug Blues," the "Phonograph Blues" from Robert Johnson, and finally "Whoa Back Buck" by Leadbelly with the Golden Gate Quartet. Which reminds me: This episode contains a small dose of "adult language."

The show closes with "The Vamp" from 1919, performed by the Joseph C. Smith Orchestra with Harry MacDonough and Billy Murray.

Click the podcast icon or download direct here.

Oh, darn

The delightful Dylan Hears A Who site has been replaced by a note that says "At the request of Dr. Suess Enterprises, L.P., this site has been retired. Thank you for your interest." I suppose it was inevitable, but my goodness, what a wonderful parody that was. I must say (well, I don't have to but I will) someone out there needs to develop a sense of humor.

Uncle O'Warren's Attic #26

After a montage of great movie moments, Dennis Day sets the stage with his celebration of a jolly Irish hooligan, "Clancy Lowered the Boom."

In a track the Internet archive labels "Edison machine rehearsal (1914)," Harry Houdini offers a $1,000 reward to anyone who can reveal a certain one of his secrets.

I had a very odd dream the other day, and the only memory that lingers is the haunting melody in the background, which I recognized at once as "The Prisoner's Song," the 1924 Vernon Dalhart recording that (I'm told) was a huge hit in its day.

Another nod to March 17 is the Podsafe recording of "Leis A Lurrighan" by Ceili Moss, which oddly enough is a Belgian band. Then it's off to the instant classic "Green Eggs and Ham" by, um, Bob Dylan. I first heard this incredible recording on Jawbone Radio. Thanks, Len and Nora.

From there it's off to "Summertime" by Peach Stealing Monkeys - very compelling, says I - and all of a sudden we're out of time and all that's left to do is dance a "Night Dance" with Green Druid.

Click the "pod" icon or direct download here.

UW's Attic 25: Free The People

Freedom's on my mind a lot, and I got to thinking about freedom after reading about the Copyright Royalty Board and its ridiculous new fees for Webcasters. So this show includes a lot on that subject, including a huge tip of the hat to everyone participating in ventures like the Podsafe Music Network.

I have become an instant fan after hearing the Rebel Soul Band, and UWA 25 has two great tunes from this "groovin' rock 'n' roll band" devoted to "creating music with a message." I kick off the show with "Where You Going?" and move into a celebration of freedom with their song "Big Brother."

After a quick reminder about a certain important document of freedom, if you've listened before, you already know "Free the People" by Los Gallos, one of the best songs I've heard on this theme in a very long time.

Giles then wraps up the cycle by reinventing Richie Havens' classic tune "Freedom."

After I rave about the new TV show "Heroes," time has already run out, but not before we close with a cover by podsafe guru Jonathan Coulton. This edition also includes a small pile of goodies culled from old Mets broadcasts ... enjoy!

Download by clicking on the podcast icon or here.

Uncle Warren's Attic #24

This week ... odds and ends ...

"I Found a Million Dollar Baby" by w.p. bluhm (1991)

"How'd You Like To Spoon With Me" by Franklyn Wallace (1905)

An interesting report from the early days of radio (1937)

"The Touchables," a seldom-heard novelty record by Dickie Goodman (1950-something)

"To Be An Angel," an often-played podcast hit by Uncle Seth (2006)

And Elmer Davis with news and commentary circa 1939.

#23 - Uncle Warren: The Early Years

Once upon a time there was a lovesick college student named Warren, his guitar named Herbie, and a pair of stereo cassette machines. The four of them spent quite a bit of time together.

For reasons I have yet to fathom, I hauled the old tapes out this week and decided to inflict some of my earliest songwriting and recording efforts on my small but patient audience. Here, then, are 1973 recordings of:

Bacon in the Jell-O
Pretty Baby
Emerald
Wish You Were There
Baby Baby
Do You Believe in Magic
Pleasant Mary

You may be able to detect, in these tapes, hints of what would come later, after I became an uncle and all. It'll either be interesting or excruciating, hopefully not boring. I will completely understand if you flee for your life - but please come back for #24.

As always, click the podcast icon or here to download. Or hit the play button on the player at the top of the right column. Have fun!

What a pretty Speedbump

It has been a while since I provided an update about Pumpkin a k a Speedbump, the kitten whose discovery at 4 weeks along U.S. 41 I have chronicled here and here and here. With the hibernation of the Green Bay Free Radical, I move these musings into the Attic.

This morning I chased Pumpkin off the top of the fish tank, where he was nudging his nose along the 1-inch gap between the edge of the lid and the side of the tank. I thought I'd stop him before he realized his paw could fit in there - not that his declawed little appendage could cause any damage, but why tempt fate?

A remarkable side effect of having a new kitten is that the former kitten, 3 1/2-year-old Hemi, has become even more affectionate. Always a lover, Hemi has made more frequent trips to available laps, where he purrs as if to remind us that the orange one is not the only cute little friend in the house.

They say staring at fish for a time lowers blood pressure and relieves stress. I say the same thing about a houseload of cats. I don't necessarily say that while cleaning the litter box or investigating a 3 a.m. crashing noise, but on the whole I'm healthier for the feline companionship. At least I feel healthier. They're so cu-u-ute ...

Speaking of stress, while worrying about the podcast being late, I came to the sudden conclusion that Uncle Warren's Attic is not on a schedule. UWA 23 will be up soon. What does "soon" mean? It means "soon." I'll get back to you on that one!