fuzmeister: Chuck Berry Endorses Obama

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Obama rocks harder than McCain. It's a proven fact now that the great Chuck Berry has given his endorsement for the democratic presidential nominee.

Apparently, McCain was interested in using Berry's tune Johnny B. Goode during his campaign as well.

Well, Mr. McCain, hopefully you'll consider using something more up your alley, like Scott Joplin. Actually, he probably would've endorsed Obama too. Tough luck, ol' buddy.

Mood: Rockin
Music: Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode


Tags (beta): music, politics

Comments (1)

fuzmeister: Remembering My Great Great Grandfather

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I was just thinking about this earlier... my dad posted on a message board back in 2001 regarding this...

Howard Cameron Bleasdale (1853-1925). This man was my great-grandfather on my father's mother's side, and I am named after him.

My dad's mother was born in Ogallala, Nebraska in 1886. Howard Bleasdale lived in Ogallala from 1879 to 1887.
In 1999, I took my family west for a long vacation to visit Salt Lake City, Utah, where my dad was born and raised. We also planned a side trip to Ogallala, NE. The AAA tourbook for that area describes that town as "a rowdy and often violent cowtown known as the "Gomorrah of the Plains". Fights were frequent and often unprovoked. Many unfortunates were buried hastily in the Boot Hill Cemetary at 10th and W.C. Streets."

On our visit to Ogallala we stopped at Boot Hill to find a headstone for a Mary McMurdo Bleasdale and at a visitor display a multi-page writeup of Mary McMurdo and Howard Bleasdale. I took numerous photos, including a copy of the text, which in part reads as follows:

"Mary McMurdo Bleasdale
Note: Although local legend strongly supports a belief that Mary McMurdo Bleasdale died, probably in childbirth, in 1883 and was buried at Boot Hill, no records of her death and few records of her life remain . She was the wife of Howard C. Bleasdale, who at various times between 1879 and 1887 was precint assessor, county clerk, probate judge, superintendent of instruction, district county clerk and Ogallala justice of the peace. He was, apparently a real estate broker by profession.

From the records of Keith County, Nebraska Marriage Record, Book A: February 9, 1880, Howard C. Bleasdale to Mary McMurdo, Howard C. Bleasdale, age 26, born in Delaware, Mary McMurdo, age 19, born in Lanockshire Scotland."
The text goes on to describe various jobs held by Howard during the years, and no further word of Mary is mentioned. There is also no mention of a surviving child from their marriage.

In 1884, Howard married Lida Fisher. In 1886 my grandmother was born. Howard and Lida had two daughters; my grandmother was the eldest. In 1887, Howard and his family left the area. Leading up to this, he was involved in a notorious land scam deal where he was paying off assesors to undervalue land which he and a partner were buying up. Although he was never indicted, his image was tarnished and he left in 1887.

We know nothing of his life prior to his arrival in Ogallala prior to 1879. After leaving, we do not know where he moved on to. My father thought he may have moved on to Colorado Springs, CO. About 1900, he came to Salt Lake City, Utah and worked at the city-county building as an accountant, according to my grandmother. Howard's nickname was "Bleas". He died in 1925, the year of my dad's birth. Howard and his wife Lida are buried at the Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Salt Lake City. We were also fortunate to be able to find their graves (buried next to my dad's parents) and take numerous photos. My dad was not aware that Howard had a first wife who died, or that he was involved in dirty land deals, so this was interesting news to him.
I have made additional prints of the photos taken at Boot Hill in Ogallala and of Howard's headstone, which I would be happy to send you a copy of, if you supply your snail mail address. My brother has a photo of Howard, probably between 1910 and 1920 which I made prints of. I can also include a copy of this. - Howard Thompson

Mood: Intrigued
Music: The Mars Volta - Inertiac ESP


Tags (beta): family

Comments (2)

fuzmeister: Celeb. Obit. x

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Tim Russert of NBC news has died. While a lot of folks could give two shits on this man, I feel quite sad at the loss of someone who seemed to embody W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G. Russert was the moderator of Meet The Press every Sunday and a man who seemingly embodied the American everyman. I can only hope he is in a better place.

Mood: Sad

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fuzmeister: Star Wars Sucks

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That post title might be a bit drastic, but, seriously, George Lucas is a crackhead in his older age. The trailer for the up and coming Star Wars Clone Wars CG animated feature was released today.

To be frank, it looks atrocious. Why is Lucas continuing to try and remind us of his sub-par prequel universe. Look, if they had made a CG film based on Timothy Zahn's Heir To The Empire trilogy of novels, I wouldn't have half the problem I have with the new Clone Wars film.

Come to think of it... why didn't they look to Zahn's acclaimed novels for some prequel inspiration?

Mood: Irritated
Music: LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous!


Tags (beta): film

Comments (6)

fuzmeister: Aura of Geekiness

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The 90's were really quite geek-centric when all is considered... at least in terms of what was acceptable socially speaking. I only wish I could've lived in my twenties during those years...

Mood: Can't Complain
Music: Soul Coughing - Blame


Tags (beta): nostalgia

Comments (2)