Friday, July 27, 2012

To FB or Not To FB

Should I Really Join Facebook? (Priceless) 
 

Read it all the way through! It's a good laugh! AND really quite true!!

A good laugh for people in the over 50 group !!!

When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter. I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grand kids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting World.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead. Well, it was not a good relationship..
When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them with me.

Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look. I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do fart a lot."

P.S. I know some of you are not over 50. I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are.

Us senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets. The TV remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle.
and I say Amen to that
    

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Family Affair

Family Affair :-

The "Family Affair" started in England in 1965 with the Sri Lankan brothers Hermon Fernando (keyboard) and Herb Fernando (Drums) and Noel Cream (Guitar/Vocals). 
The Group was joined by Sri Lankan Ralph Reid (Guitar/Vocals) and American Steve Whitman (Bass Guitar), known then as "The International Five" , they recorded 3 songs at EMI Manchester Square Studios, London W1 in August 1967 with recording engineers Ron Randall and Ron Hill , two original compositions: 'Hanging Around' ; 'World of Sunshine' ; which were two of their best recordings by the Group and 'Just as Much as Ever' (a Cover version of a Nat King Cole song) 

The band line up changed with Noel Cream's sister Linda Cream replacing Ralph Reid as a vocalist and Annie Keefer replacing Steve Whitman as Bass Guitarist. The group name changed to "Family Affair"

Hermon Fernando was replaced in 1969 by another brother Milroy Fernando. Milroy and Herb were joined by Ralph Reid , who returned to the Group, Sri Lankan Valentine Manikkavasseger (Bass Guitar / Double Bass) and American Dan Armstrong (Guitar) concentrating on Jazz, Latin and Baila Music.The group recorded Sri Lankan Music and Baila at EMI Manchester Square Studios in 1976 again with Ron Hill as the Recording Engineer.

In 1969 Family Affairs backed C.T. Fernando and Patrick Denipitya at the BBCs Bush House Studios for the program Sandeshaya. They released a number of LPs including Loving You under Saga label, and most recently released their latest CD of 60's music titled "Hanging Around".

Sadly Hermon Fernando passed away on the 07th June 2004. BBC Radio 2 paid tribute to him on Brian Matthewss Saturday morning show Sounds of the 60s, by playing their songs.

This is the English version of the famous Mignone and The Jetliners
s Kadallae Athiwu recorded by Family Affair. Lyrics and music by Mignone herself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WRQUjWPCr0&feature=relmfu

posted by Jude Goonewardane on FB July 22 2012
---
Response:

Thanks Jude for the post on FAMILY AFFAIR. May I add some info on some members of 

Family Affair.Ralph Reid is the elder of the Reid Brothers that you featured a few weeks 

ago.Valentine Manikavasagar is the elder brother of the late great bass players Nesan and 

Lucky.Valentine has gone on to issuing his own Jazz recordings as Val Manix. in London.

Valentine is also an accomplished modern jazz pianist.Milroy was earlier with Gabo 

playing Tenor Sax and Piano with distinction.From London he proceeded to Switzerland 

and was active playing with several groups.Due to serious illness he returned to Colombo 

and unfortunately passed away without recovering.One of the brothers presented me with 

copies of all their CD''s and cassettes The Fernando brothers were really talented.


posted by Kumar Molligoda on FB - July 22 2012