Beta Pi Blog, No.43 - Announcing 1st Annual BYOG Clarksdale

Beta Pi:

Announcing 1st Annual BYOG Clarksdale: A few recent blog inductees (who have not done due diligence reading of Archive Issues of Beta Pi Blog, in the annals) might ask . . .

Q: So what does BYOG mean?

A: "Bring your own guitar"

Q: What is "BYOG Clarksdale"?

A: "Bozo" Lorenzo Simons (who has some kind of obsessive interest in "The Blues" - and has a place in Clarksdale, which is the undisputed place-o-origin of the Blues, which music has morphed into jazz, rock & roll, country, you name it, it all started in Clarksdale. Enough rambling) and wife-o-Lorenzo-ANN, along with Pierce "The Wimp" Hodnette and wife, and Jack "Muenchmon" Muench, et ux (wife) have all committed to descend on ole Clarksdale, Mississippi on the weekend of NOVEMBER 9, 10 & 11, 2007! Frank "Buck" Biller has also committed to attend (which means he’s tentative), possibly with a female in tow.

Q: Uh, why?

A: Well, the BYOG thing means what it says, we are all bringing guitars (or other instruments), to have some ad lib blues. We have "reserve - booked" the entire weekend at four places:

1. The Big Pink Guesthouse (check out the link, on the right) which is an ultra-cool bed & breakfast (decorated a la Elvis, Victorian mansion, piano, guitars everywhere) which sets across from The Blues Museum, the out-door blues stage, and Ground Zero (check out the link, on the right). Big Pink sleeps 3 couples, quite comfortably.

2. Little Pink - which is a Commissary building that Bozo’s brother-in-law, Tommy Polk (Big Pink proprietor) put right next to the Big Pink. It is now a music hall, and really cool place. We intend to also party there. It sleeps 1 couple.

3. Honey Hill. Bozo’s mother-in-law Mrs. Lou Polk (Ann & Tommy’s mom) bought this place a few years ago. It is one of the original Bobo homes, and is a beautiful mansion which overlooks the Sunflower River. Lou and Tommy run it as a bed & breakfast. It is magnificent - It sleeps up to 4 couples.

4. 149 Clarksdale. Bozo and Ann own this, it has a blues apartment in the back which will sleep Bozo & Ann, with room in the building for X-number of Tick-a-lors with sleeping bags.

So, in addition to me & Ann, we can accommodate a total of 8 couples, plus random Tick-a-lors sleeping in sleeping-bags. We will divide the total cost (yet to be determined - but there will be a guaranteed "brother-in-law discount").

Depending on how many Ticks also commit, we will book all those accommodations - or, if its only Pierce, Muenchie, me and Buck (and wives/women) we’ll only book The Big Pink & Little Pink.

Q: What will we do?

A: Well, Friday night we’ll arrive, and probably go eat at Abe’s Bar-b-que (at the Crossroads). Then, we’ll tour The Big Pink, Little Pink, Honey Hill, and 149 Clarksdale (which will only take an hour) then we may go to Ground Zero (Morgan Freeman’s & Bill Luckett’s blues club, see link on right) depending on who’s playing. We might go out to Hopson Plantation, look at Shack Up Inns (shot-gun shacks) and listen to blues in the Commissary (depending on who is playing). The actual "police car" used in "The Blues Brothers" movie is there, Ann's cousin James Butler, proprietor of Hopson, may let us drive it, no joke.

Q: Then what?

A: Saturday, we’ll have breakfast, then we might lay around drinking coffee, then we might have extended library time, then we might drive around, or maybe walk around Clarksdale. We might lunch at Delta Amusement Company (locally famous hamburgers) or we may do Sonic. Saturday night, we might do Mexican food at Atzimba, a.k.a. "Zippies" which is awesome Mexican, or if there is enough momentum (and enough cash) we could do Madidi (see link on right) which is Morgan Freeman’s & Bill Luckett’s plush, up-scale, pricy, gourmet restaurant. We might end up at Ground Zero (juke joint), depending on who’s playing.

Q: With all that, when will we find time to actually play guitars?

A: Who cares! (Kidding) We’ll play whenever.

Q: What blues songs will we play.

A: My personal favorite, Hootchie Kootchie Man (Muddy Waters) and other songs, T.B.A. (We’ll circulate a song list, so guys can "bone-up"). Of course, many verses of "On my way down to New Orleans"

Q: What if I can’t play guitar, banjo, bass, harmonica, piano or other instrument?

A: It matters not, (none of us - except Pedigo - can really play) come thou shalt.

Q: What about ChesterBrewer, wasn’t he born in Clarksdale? And what about Arms Aylward, he was born near Clarksdale, in Pace (I think)?

A: Arms is way, way, way out in Seattle - his hands are full with the Mariners - We’d love for you to come Arms, but understand if you can’t. Chester Brewer, on the other hand, is not that far away, and he and mate can stay with his Uncle Leo. If Chester shows, we’ll certainly add a visit to Uncle Leo and other Brewer landmarks to the tour! Chester, you simply must attend my friend!

Q: What about some of those other, talented, Tick-a-lor musicians, such as . . .

Matt Blankenship (guitar),

Frank Collins (spoons),

J. Neal Crenshaw (guitar),

Marc Darling (the musical whip-that-spins),

George M-LINK Ford (animalistic grunting rhythms)

Matt Hart (blues poetry vocals),

Tison Keel (kazoo),

Art Landry (musical lips),

Ken Linden (subliminal blues vocals, a la Mr. Subliminal),

Clyde Noel (donuts for musicians),

Travis Parr (hand-clapping against Donut’s head),

Ben Pedigo (banjo extra ordinaire, mandolin, guitar, vocals - the man does it all!),

Jeff Perout (the Wet Willie),

Bill Price (boom box),

Mark Reed (the foot),

Chris Regas (stompin’),

Bob Smoot (guitar),

Boss Stein (musical wads-o-cash),

Dick Stoner (will show up stoned!),

Earl "Judge" Stover (hambone),

The Heme ( blues vocals),

Sean "THE F.B.I." Walsh (musical guns),

Chad "Waz" Weiss (submarine saxophone),

Schmeat (bone-a-phone),

Chuck Wharton (musical face),

David Haines (blues sarcasm),

Rod Yanker (will perform, to the musical beat),

and Vinny Starr (hates blues, but loves Johnny Mathis) - that’s the potential Tick orchestra. Kinda boggles the mind?

A: Who knows which of these greats will attend, but if you want to attend, it will be first-come, first served for accommodations. Last resort, Econo-Lodge is next door to Honey Hill.

Q: Where is Clarksdale?

A: About an hour south of Memphis on Highway 61.

I guess you can tell, I’m pumped about this. Hope you can join us.

Check out Beta Pi Blog on the web! The blog address is:

http://journals.aol.com/lasimons4law/beta-pi-blog/

VTL,

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, ‘72

beta Pi Blog, Vol.2007, No.42 - Wharton finds Schwim-baggio Perout!

Beta Pi:

WHARTON FINDS SCHWIM-BAGGIO PEROUT!:

So, Chuck Wharton responded to the ALL POINTS SCHWIM-BAGGIO BULLETIN -FIND PEROUT! - here is what Chuck sent me:

"Larry:

Try this - there's a masters swimmer from Gainesville Florida:

Jeff Perout

4830 NW 43rd St

Gainesville, FL 32606

(352) 338-1502

I love chicks!!

Chuck"

I call the number, and it is, in fact the one-and-only Jeff Perout jeff@perout.com . I had a great chat with Jeff, he is living in Gainesville, in the software business. He has four kids (daughter 27, twin boys 23, son 17) and is twice divorced, and currently has a committed woman-relationship. Jeff said he had kept up with Vinny (when Vinny was in Chicago) and shared a few fond memories of Boss Stien, Jack Muench and Pierce Hodnette. With fanfare and drum roll . . .

BETA PI BLOG WELCOMES JEFF PEROUT!

BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS: The Tick-a-lor Blog roster is now 83 Beta Pi brothers, 70 of whom have e-mail addresses.

Check out Beta Pi Blog on the web! The blog address is:

http://journals.aol.com/lasimons4law/beta-pi-blog/

VTL,

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, ‘72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2007, No.41 - WAZ, unplugged

Beta Pi:

A little blues here, dedicated to WAZ:

     On my way down to New Orleans - Clarksdale, Mississippi /

     I was cruisin’ in the Delta land, (Somewhere between Memphis and Tunica) /

     I called the one-and-only WAZ-man! He’s the man you remember

     Went schwimmin’ widdis fish in his hand!

As I was driving, I was doing an "unsafe" thing - scrolling my Blackberry while driving. Hey, it’s the Delta, what can I say. Anyway, I scroll upon the name "Charles Weiss" a.k.a. Chad Weiss, cweiss@jogcapital.com better know as WAZ. I had the great good fortune to connect . . .

WAZ - unplugged:

Chad is cheerful and grateful - like most of us - a changed man, having children. WAZ is decidedly more cheerful in this conversation - which was nice (my memories of WAZ are mostly: WAZ, the schwimmer who barely had time to do anything except schwim and study, thus WAZ-man was somewhat irritable, as the schwim-baggio’s could be, but I digress). Chad is in the oil and energy business, and in the midst of putting his kids to college. There is a chance that a WAZ-offspring may attend Vanderbilt, Chad said Vanderbilt is on the short list, but his daughter (I think he said daughter) is not yet decided. As to his possible attendance at the big ‘09 Reunion, WAZ-man said he’s going to wait and see who decides to show. I take that as a yes. He also agreed to get me some info on George Wellborn. Chad, great to reconnect with you my brother, and I hope to see you soon.

MATT BLANKENSHIP - update:

On the same cruise, I also made a phone connection with Matt Blankenship mattsb@texas.net . Matt and I are fellow guitar enthusiasts (having spent many hours together at Vanderbilt playing guitars). Matt’s son Matt, III, has a band and plays guitar (I can identify because my son, Andrew has a band and plays bass) so we talked music at length. I tried to talk Matt down from his previous vow - "See you at our ‘50th Reunion" (which will be in 2025)- I said "Matt, you’re an optimist, planning to live long enough to attend our 50th".  Matt and I are both 54, and if we make it, we’ll be 72 years old! (I am hearing the Neil Young song "Old Man" in my head). I’m lobbying Matt heavily to attend our 35th in 2010. Matt, in true style, is keeping his options open. Matt, I love you, old friend.

BETA PI BLOG ROSTER REPORT: The Tick-a-lor Blog roster is now 83 Beta Pi brothers, 69 of whom have e-mail addresses. A verse is appropriate:

It is your solemn duty as Tick-a-lors

To locate and humiliate your lost Tic Bro-thors

Go Ye Hence in search of yon Mighty Tick-a-lor Brethren!

 

Check out Beta Pi Blog on the web! The blog address is:

http://journals.aol.com/lasimons4law/beta-pi-blog/

VTL,

Larry Simons

Beta Pi, ‘72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2007, No.40 - Frank Collins, Guest Blogmiester

Beta Pi:

Blog Correspondent, at large, Marty Martino submitted this excellent piece, which I share with you now . . .

FRANK COLLINS, GUEST BLOGMIESTER - A Tale of the Donut Man:

"Dear Dr. Bonzo:

I am pleased to report that the inestimable Clyde Noel, not to be confused with Dr. Clyde of the New York Knickerbockers, is alive and very well. He resides in Fairfield CT with his wife Eileen, a school teacher, and has of late sent his offspring to various institutes of higher learning such as Colgate and Colby - sorry don't, recall where child number 3 is - which is to say they exercised far better judgment than their father did when he chose Vanderbilt as his institute of higher leaning. He and I suffered through a mediocre meal at the Red Barn in Westport CT one evening after enduring another tri-state version of rush hour in which it took me 45 minutes to travel 12 miles and he trekked probably 50 from his place of business. (With apologies to Brother Hart and other TIC residents of sunny LA who endure far worse I am sure - 'tho Brother Hart may be doing his traveling in a long black sedan these days). The conversation however was bracing and we agreed soon to find a good pool hall to renew old rivalries - many of your nut jobs undoubtedly forget or never knew how much time the Donut man and I spent shooting pool in the game room of Sarratt Student Center back in the day.

"Donuts" looks, well, like Donuts. He has gained a few pounds indeed but shows no signed of his age in the hair line or the hair color, which frankly pissed me off a little bit. He has lived in Reno where he met his wife, San Francisco, Toronto, St Louis and for the last 9 years Fairfield. He also has a great TIC tale to tell - a tale that revolves around the fight of the TIC Century between our Blog Host and his arch nemesis Buck Biller. I write this tonight to encourage his contribution as this is a tale that only he can tell.

One additional note - I also had the pleasure of dining with Brother Conrad Petersen not long ago, but nothing of any real interest came of that meal... other than learning that he had to bribe a graduate teaching aide in order to "get out of jail" in 1997 or be sentenced to one more year hard labor at Vanderbilt. I love my brothers.

Good night.

Frank"

EDITORIAL RESPONSE: Yes, I can picture Donut Man licking his chops at the mere mention of Krispy Kreme. Long live The Donut Man!

BETA PI BLOG GROWTH SPURT SPUTTERS: The Tick-a-lor Blog roster is now a whopping 80 Beta Pi brothers, 69 of whom have e-mail addresses. Ancient voices are calling - Seek Ye yon Tick-a-lor Brethren!

Check out Beta Pi Blog on the web! The blog address is:http://journals.aol.com/lasimons4law/beta-pi-blog/

VTL,

Larry Simons
Beta Pi, ‘72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2007, No.39 - Tick-a-lor Financial News

Beta Pi:

TICK-A-LOR FINANCIAL NEWS SERVICE: The wires were a-buzz, ticker-tape pouring out, the telegraphic ticker clacking, Tick-a-lor news was flying.

Steven B. Starr of RBS Investments (see the link to his website, on the right) forwards a Wall Street Journal article to me entitled "Blackstone to Acquire Hilton for $18.5 Billion, Plus Debt" (click on the link, WSJ Article, Dr. Phibes - to the right).

And, just in from Beta Pi Blog Financial Correspondent Jimmy Grissett . . .

THE GRISSETT FINANCIAL REPORT:

"Dear Larry/Bozo:

Here's the latest on Brother Hart and Hilton Hotels -- fortunately, I and my clients owned a good bit of HLT -- but not enough obviously. At least I can afford some extra fireworks and BBQ sauce tomorrow -- if only I could get a room at the Waldorf for the NAREIT conference next year . . .

Happy 4th Of July,

JAG III

Jim Grissett

* * * *

And now, another episode of . . .

MARLON NOIR, BLOG REPORTER. Featuring Blog Reporter Marlon

It started raining, and I had to finish my cigarette, and get rid of the dame, "Hey Dollface, get lost. I need to log on to Rueters for my news fix, now beat it!" I just wish that damn screen door would quit flapping. Lets see what big news there is on Rueters . . .:

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. private equity firm Blackstone Group agreed on Tuesday to buy Hilton Hotels Corp. for about $20 billion plus debt, the richest in a series of recent private equity offers for hotel companies."

You know, I’d been wondering about this possibility for awhile now. Not that there hasn't been ample - some might say rampant - speculation anyway. I have to say I was particularly intrigued by the somewhat cryptic manner in which The Abominable Dr. Phibes signed off of his last e-mail with "good luck boys." Now we know. . .

Dollface, come in out of the rain, and grab my pack of Camels, its time for another cigarette.

* * * *

Check out Beta Pi Blog on the web! The blog address is:

http://journals.aol.com/lasimons4law/beta-pi-blog/

VTL,

Larry Simons
Beta Pi, ‘72

Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2007, No.38 - Blues Update

Beta Pi:

BLUES UPDATE:

The Sunflower Blues Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi will be on August 11 - 12. (Check out the "Blues Capitol of the World" link, for more info). Ann and I are planning an opening party for our building in Clarksdale - 149 Delta Avenue. It will be an open house party on Saturday August 11th, and friends can come and go during the Sunflower Blues Festival. The building is still being renovated, but the apartment (which we are building to stay in during blues festivals) will be substantially ready - ready enough for a party, anyway. You are all invited, and an invitation of sorts will follow.

I’m headed to the Delta on Friday to work on building the apartment. We have a tenant in the front of the building - a copying business (like Kinko’s) called Affairs. I love going down there to putter around, Delta bound.

THE MANSFIELD MISSION: We have an address and phone number on Mansfield (see Issue No.36) but no e-mail. Frank Biller has agreed to work on calling Mansfield to get his e-mail address.

Check out Beta Pi Blog on the web! The blog address is:

http://journals.aol.com/lasimons4law/beta-pi-blog/

VTL,

Larry Simons
Beta Pi, ‘72