About Stephen Pate

Journalist, publisher, disability advocate and musician and lifetime tech geek.

Solar Eclipse 2012 Ring of Fire

The May 20, 2012 Solar Eclipse from Flickr


Click on the image to start the slide show.

For a detailed explanation of this years solar eclipse, see Solar Eclipse Sunday May 20 2012

Thanks to all the photographers in the western United States, Japan and the far east for sharing their photographs.

All photographs Creative Commons posted on Flickr, some rights reserved. See individual photographs for the details.

Blues Brothers Bassist Donald Duck Dunn dead at 70

Famed member of Stax Records and Booker T & the MGs passes away

Donald “Duck” Dunn playing bass behind The Blues Brothers, ‘Everybody Needs Somebody’

Donald “Duck” Dunn one of R&B and rock and rolls best bassist died on May 13, 2012 in his sleep on tour in Japan. Donald “Duck” Dunn was well known in the music business and became famous as the bass player in the John Belushi – Dan” Aykroyd comedy and tribute to Stax R&B, The Blues Brothers.

The nickname came from watching Disney cartoons on television and his bass playing was self-taught which gave one of the unique and best bass lines in the business. His love for pipe smoking created the iconic image of a pipe smoking bass guitar player seemingly in his own world on the stage.
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Travel Insurance – Don’t Leave Home Without It

Inter-provincial or out-of-country travel can put a big dent in your wallet

Ambulance NB is not free if you are from out-of-province

Before Christmas I was visiting in New Brunswick and needed an ambulance for a midnight trip to the hospital.

My heart almost did a flip when a $650 bill for ambulance services came a month later.

If I had been traveling in a province that didn’t have reciprocal medicare coverage, the bill could have been more than $10,000.  Continue reading

Hendrix does Dylan All Along The Watchtower most popular cover

Song voted most popular cover by Jimi Hendrix – Dylan still performing the song at 71


‘All Along The Watchtower’ – Bob Dylan, Santiago Chile 2012

Readers of Rolling Stone Magazine voted Bob Dylan’s ‘All Along The Watchtower’ covered by Jimi Hendrix the most popular cover of all time.

On May 23, 2012 Bob Dylan will celebrate his 71st birthday and he’s still rocking it out, here recorded in Chile on April 30, 2012.
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Searching for the Perigee Super-Moon

The biggest full moon of the year is a wild ride

Perigee moon May 5 2012 (photo Peter Asquith, New Zealand rights reserved)

Last night I saw the Perigee Moon when I fell asleep early but not at 3:50 AM when I awoke on the east side of the house.

I jumped in my wheelchair and zipped to the west end of the house and there it was, big and butter yellow shining through the trees.

I had to get dressed and go chase the moon for a better picture than from a kitchen window. I would get a picture of the moon, but not as good as the by Peter Asquith from New Zealand.  Continue reading

Super Moon coming on May 5 – 6

Catch the biggie-sized moon near the horizon on May 5th but watch out for the hound dog barking

Perigee super moon rising (photo Bill Watson Hamilton Ontario)

I knew something magical was happening last night. When I was going to sleep, the almost full moon was streaming light through the blinds.

I opened them up and fell asleep bathed in the moonlight. When I awoke at 2:30 AM the night was alive with moonlight.  Continue reading

Pete Seeger keeps Woody Guthrie flame with Union Maid

May Day Song – Woody Guthrie wrote ‘Union Maid’ as a woman’s point of view in supporting unions

On the eve of May Day 2012, it’s interesting to remember one of the great American folk and protest songwriters – Woody Guthrie.

Guthrie wrote this song back in 1940 to give a woman’s point of view about the union. Some of the comments are perhaps anachronistic today but the main point is “I’m sticking with the Union.”  The title is a pun on the “Union Made” label.
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Pete Seeger a hit with Where Have All The Flowers Gone

Anti-war song was hit for The Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary and Johnny Rivers


‘Where Have All The Flowers Gone’ Peter Paul and Mary (Live)

While Pete Seeger has yet to chart # 1 for his own performances, he has written many hit songs. Pete Seeger wrote this gentle, anti-war song in 1955.

Please support the effort to give Peter Seeger a # 1 song as he reaches his 93rd year of spreading music and peace in the world.
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