WA2K Radio is now on the air

Cloudy but fair..

Awesome, Francis. I never see that fantastic tower that I don't recall Y2K and the grandiose fireworks that told us all that we were still lit up. I stood alone on that New Year's Eve with a glass of champagne and watched the fire works from my back yard.


Speaking of "lit up", every check that I write I now put the date in full. I think it's a slight hang over from that non-event.

Let us not forget that Gustave Eiffel was partly responsible for our own Statue of Liberty, given as a sign of friendship by France to America.

Gustave Eiffel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (December 15, 1832 - December 27, 1923; French pronunciation /ɛfɛl/ in IPA, in English usually pronounced in the German manner /'ajfəl/) was a French engineer and entrepreneur, specialist of metallic structures.

Born in Dijon, Côte-d'Or, France, he is most famous for building the Eiffel Tower, built from 1887-1889 for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris, France. It is less well known that he designed the armature for the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, USA. He gained his expertise in construction by designing ironwork for bridges.

Gustave Eiffel also designed La Ruche in Paris, that would, like the Eiffel Tower, become a city landmark. A three-storey circular structure that looked more like a large beehive, it was created as a temporary structure for use as a wine rotunda at the Great Exposition of 1900. He constructed the Garabit viaduct, a railroad bridge near Ruynes en Margeride in the Cantal département.

Eiffel's reputation suffered a severe setback when he was implicated in financial scandals round Ferdinand de Lesseps and the entrepreneurs backing the failed French Panama Canal project. Eiffel himself had no connection with the finances, and his guilty judgment was later reversed.

In his later years Eiffel began to study aerodynamics.

Eiffel died on December 27, 1923 in his mansion on Rue Rabelais in Paris and was interred in the Cimetière de Levallois-Perret, also in Paris.

Yes, Bob. I have often thought about the multi-ethnic contributions to our Lady Liberty--Jewish--French--and just recently learned that Norway had a hand in the metallurgy. Another aspect of the statue is that Emma Lazarus died of child bed fever; that was a contribution by Setanta.

Some links on Thom Mayne winning the Pritzker Prize in Architecture -
(I think one has to register at the first three to access the articles, but not the last)

http://www.calendarlive.com/architecture/la-et-mayne21mar21,0,7565368.story
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/03/21/DDG6QBRQU31.DTL
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52620-2005Mar20.html
http://www.slate.com/id/2115137/

Well, WA2K listeners, we are quite taken with the fact that we have news, weather, music, and now a Pritzker Prize recipient--the first American in fourteen years to achieve such an honor.

Thanks, osso, for that info.

This is cyberspace, WA2K!

Dys: I understand President Bush was in your fair city today (johnboy cleverly dodges having to spell the name). Were you invited to the event? I hear that, when you were in radio, you used to "interview" important people. How about one today for WA2K?

RJB, I am literally rofl re "interviewing important people" what a hoot. (who has been talking in their sleep?) anyhoo, all my interviewees were in my radio imagination, I "pretended" they were there and proceeded with my "interview" Gen Westmoreland was a popular guest. I was ineed a dispicable news director. I lied constantly, I had an attitude.(some say I still do) now working on developing a sense of humour. re today in "A_L_B_U_Q_U_E_R_Q_U_E everyone I know is avoiding towntown as all the streets are closed so I went to the casino and played poker all morning (I lost)

Big time thunder storms here in Florida, listeners. Just got on line and am now back in the studios.

Well, dys. You can lie here if you want to. How about a quick interview with our president. Should be interesting, and take your mind off your gambling loses.

it's only gambling, i walk in knowing I will lose.

Well, listeners, it seems as though our cowboy recognizes the adage:

Las Vegas where the business is known as gambling; Wall Street where the gambling is known as business.

Time for a song:Rovin' Gambler
I am a roving gambler. I've gambled all around.
Whenever I see a deck of cards, I lay my money down.
I lay my money down.
I hadn't been in the city many more days than three
When I fell in love with a pretty little girl and she fell in love with me.
She fell in love with me.

This train don't carry no gamblers, this train.
This train don't carry no gamblers, this train.
This train don't carry no gamblers,
no crap shooters, no midnight ramblers,
This train don't carry no gamblers, this train.

She took me to her parlor. She cooled me with her fan.
Cried, "Daddy, Daddy, oh, Daddy, dear, I'm in love with a gambling man.
I'm in love with a gambling man.

This train don't carry no gamblers, this train.
This train don't carry no gamblers, this train.
This train don't carry no gamblers,
no crap shooters, no midnight ramblers,
This train don't carry no gamblers, this train.

I am a roving gambler. I've gambled all around.
Whenever I see a deck of cards, I lay my money down.
I lay my money down.
I lay my money, yeah, I lay it down.

Hmmm, audience. Just remembered a great short story by Bret Hart called "The Outcasts of Poker Flats." Wow! quite like many places today.

The gambling man, the card game. Two threads of a popular theme in American folklore....

"You gotta know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away, and
Know when to run
You never count your money
When the cards are on the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealing's done."

Indeed, McTag. Somehow, it was the test of manhood and the origin of the poker face. I believe that Kenny Rodgers sang your song.

See if you can guess where this came from:



Who is the tall, dark stranger there?
Maverick is the name.
Ridin' the trail to who knows where,
Luck is his companion,
Gamblin' is his game.
Smooth as the handle on a gun.
Maverick is the name.
Wild as the wind in Oregon,
Blowin' up a canyon,
Easier to tame.

Riverboat, ring your bell,
Fare thee well, Annabel.
Luck is the lady that he loves the best.
Natchez to New Orleans
Livin on jacks and queens
Maverick is a legend of the west.

Riverboat, ring your bell,
Fare thee well, Annabel.
Luck is the lady that he loves the best.
Natchez to New Orleans
Livin' on jacks and queens
Maverick is a legend of the West.
Maverick is a legend of the West.

We had Maverick, Gunsmoke, the High Chapparal, all these cowboy soaps in the '60s and '70s right here in li'l old England.
Little House on the Prairie. Dallas. Gosh, I'm nearly American. Definitely mid-Atlantic.

Well, McTag and listeners, it's quite interesting to me how the Brits have become Americanized.

I am still curious about the following short story:

http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/PiecStri.shtml

Any of our audience read it?

I sadly sit and listen to Peter Jennings talk about the terrible situation in Minnesota. Is this a new wave of horror, or has it always been here and we are just beginning to take notice.

We're still reeling here in Florida with Jessica Lunsford.

Well, it seems that the weather is angry as well. Very odd how things are unpredictable.

I am oft accused of being "cowboy" as is GWB. I decline the nomination. I tend to think of meself as "honest" in a rudimentry way, not all that smart but sensible in my simple sort of way. I know horses, dumb as they are,(mules are smarter) but I must admit I grow tired of the stings (my hat, my nose) I may withdraw. By think not the less me friends, I love thee dearly.

Sing with me, dys.

I know I'd enjoy the company.


I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty,
I feel pretty and witty and bright!
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me tonight.

I feel charming,
Oh, so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real.

See the pretty girl in that mirror there:
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face,
Such a pretty dress,
Such a pretty smile,
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing,
Feel like running and dancing for joy,
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!

i don't care what the p.c. police say



I feel pretty,
Oh, so pretty,
I feel pretty and witty and bright!
And I pity
Any girl who isn't me tonight.

I feel charming,
Oh, so charming
It's alarming how charming I feel!
And so pretty
That I hardly can believe I'm real.

See the pretty girl in that mirror there:
Who can that attractive girl be?
Such a pretty face,
Such a pretty dress,
Such a pretty smile,
Such a pretty me!

I feel stunning
And entrancing,
Feel like running and dancing for joy,
For I'm loved
By a pretty wonderful boy!

why am i happy being me today?
i don't blinkin' know, but it's one of those days


"I Enjoy Being A Boy"

[Banana Splits cover]

I live in a cucumber castle
On the banks of a cranberry sea
And starfish dance under my drawbridge
And blackbirds make nests in my tree
I enjoy being a boy, in love with you
I enjoy being a boy in love with you
In love with you girl, oh yeah

I live in a purple plum mansion
In the mist of a strawberry stream
And mellifluous bells ring out softly
From a hill of vanilla fudge cream
I enjoy being a boy, in love with you
I enjoy being a boy in love with you
In love with you girl, oh yeah

dys, in my way of thinking, calling you a cowboy is a compliment, since my father was one, and you are joking, of course. and for God's sake pay no heed to rayban.

Ah, ehBeth. West Side Story. Don't you love the score from that, listeners?

Now for McTag, a gospel song of the very rudimentary type.

Twas an old fashioned meeting in an old fashioned place,
Where some old fashioned people said some old fashioned grace,
As an old fashioned sinner I began to pray,
And the Lord heard and saved me in a old fashioned way.

That was from The Old Fashioned Gospel Hour that my mom listened to on old fashioned radio.