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Joe Walsh as Joe Walsh

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Not completely unlike youngsters who were amazed that Paul McCartney was in a band prior to Wings, there are those that don’t realize that Joe Walsh had a pretty significant career before he joined the Eagles. In fact, many thought it to be nothing more than a publicity stunt when it was announced he’d be joining the band. I recall being confused, as I couldn’t imagine why he’d want to forgo the obvious creative control of being a solo artist. While I’m certain Walsh was doing fairly well financially (although he has at least 4 ex wives!), the riches of sharing in the Eagles many revenue streams would undeniably lead to a pot of gold. Still, I was a fan of Joe Walsh, soloist, long before there was a Joe Walsh, Eagles guitarist. If you are unaware of Walsh’s pre-Eagles’ days or merely want to refresh your memory of his solo career, the following 10 tracks will confirm Walsh’s greatness in both writing and performing before he soared as an Eagle. Walk Away The James Gang was
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What the Hell is a Kringle? I'll Tell You What a Kringle Is!

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Duane Kuiper was a major league ballplayer, an alum of the Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants from 1974 - 1985; a lifetime .271 hitter with a decent glove. He's one of a few in major league baseball lore to have a substantial career in the number of years he played in the "show" but only a single home run to show for it. Upon retirement from the game he found his calling literally calling games, becoming the Giants TV play-by-play broadcaster teamed with another former Giant, his old teammate Mike Krukow. They've been a tandem since 1993. Although I'm a true blue Dodgers fan, I appreciate the Giants TV broadcast team, and consider them one of the best in the game. Baseball, though, is only peripheral to this story. While not a Giants fan by any measurement, I would watch the Giants broadcasts to get my National League fix, largely rooting against them as a general rule (remember I bleed Dodger Blue). Whether you like a team or not is inconsequential
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How Could Anyone Root For UCLA?

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Authors Note: With college basketball season right around the corner, I hearken back to a simpler time when UCLA ruled the college hoops landscape, and I was fortunate to be a local, a fan, and to have witnessed a remarkable, historical run that may never be repeated. I’m a fish out of water. A stranger in a strange land. The land that I refer to is the San Francisco Bay Area, which is a place where one needs to suppress one's love for Los Angeles sports teams. I’ve lived in the area for nearly 40 years, but was born and raised in Los Angeles. I’ve been defending the Dodgers and Lakers to mostly hostile folks for decades. I’m used to it. Only recently did the question of my college sports allegiance spawn the typical Northern California rivalry reaction: UCLA! How could anyone root for UCLA? For me, the question brought back warm and vivid memories of my youth. Although I love Bruins football, I take more grief about the hoops program, so that'll be my focus. In
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The Holy Trinity of YouTube Wristwatch Content: Theo & Harris, Federico Talks Watches, and Teddy Baldassarre

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I’m a watch geek, always have been one. Got into the habit of wearing a watch at about age 10 when I was given an age-appropriate Timex, and to this day I don’t leave the house without a watch on. Actually, I feel naked without one. I love everything about watches, but mostly the styles, designs, and the respective brands rich history. I’m supplementing my limited knowledge about the inner-workings of watches by subscribing to some good YouTube channels, spending time on the Hodinkee site daily (absolute leader in watch-related content), dedicating my Instagram space to largely watches only, and, general library research. I don’t have a collection per se, and the kings of the social media watch community would not be impressed with the dozen watches in my rotation. But that’s ok, because I’m satisfied with each one. I have none of the fabled "Holy Trinity" of watches (Patek Phillipe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin) although my “Grail” watch is among them.
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Record Store (What's That?) Employment, Forgotten Refrigerators, and That Cutout LP - Part 2

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A close friend, reading Part 1, went into the deep recesses of his memory to pull out a couple of gems from way back when. Mike, his real name, a friend since junior high school, worked with me at the store, and reminded me that Deena had a vicious Doberman that she would often unleash to roam the store. Not sure what she was thinking, but on many occasion the sight of a sleek Doberman, with its tail and ears cropped, running through the aisles would absolutely clear the store, and have us employees seeking safe refuge, usually on top of the counter! Once she realized that an intimidating guard/attack-type dog wasn’t all that good for business, she would lock it in the back room, which was still unpleasant for all of us. Guess it’s good to be the Queen. Eventually we convinced her to leave her “weapon” at home. Mike also reminded me of an extremely-odd colleague and a favored customer, both long forgotten. As I mentioned previously, working at the store had its ups and downs, but
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Los Angeles Kings: A Fan from the Beginning Looks Back

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In 1982 I moved from my hometown Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay Area with only one hardship, the fact that I was abandoning my Los Angeles Kings. I say abandon only in the sense that with no NHL team in the Bay Area at the time, my only chance to see my beloved Kings would be on trips back home. Remember this was 1982 - Al Gore had yet to invent the Internet - so following a team from afar, while not impossible, was somewhat difficult if you yearn for information beyond a box score. I, of course, could see my Dodgers, Lakers, and UCLA Bruins countless times each year when they visited the area, but the Kings never got closer than their own arena until the expansion San Jose Sharks came into existence in 1991. When the Sharks were granted a NHL franchise I was among one of the first to commit to seats and was a charter season ticket holder for 27 years. Still, during the fall and winter my heart pumps “Forum Blue” (you’re not colorblind, it means purple) as opposed to Dodge
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