FULL CIRCLE (#fridayslash)

Press play for some mood musicPatsy was born under a bad sign. That was painfully obvious.His mother, a runaway, gave birth to him near a dumpster that she would eventually abandon him in. It worked out, though. She eventually would hitch her way into a cocaine overdose and he was handed over to a nearby soup kitchen on the down low. Turned out Patsy owed his life to a bunch of bums in the alley who, in between whiskey sips, noticed the wails of...

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KEN BURNS' PROHIBITION (watch the first 22 min.)

This one is right up The Basement's alley. No one chronicles America better than filmmaker Ken Burns. If you've never seen any of his work I urge you to rent (or Netflix srteam) his groundbreaking documentaries "The Civil War," "Baseball" and my personal favorite, "Jazz."His next film "Prohibition" is a three-part, five-and-a-half-hour documentary that I'm stoked for -- and documents the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the 18th Amendment to...

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ICE CREAM ON HOT SUMMER NIGHTS (#fridayflash)

Press play for some mood music I remember my baby boy. I remember feeding him and I remember his sweet little laugh every time I tickled under his chin. I miss reading him the funnies and showing him the colorful pictures afterwards.I remember we used to listen to the radio as the wife washed dishes. My lap was a horsey and he would dutifully ride as "The Lone Ranger" trickled out of the Crosley."Hi-Ho, Silver!!" he'd laugh, and I would always pretend...

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HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

Here's wishing everyone in 'The Basement' a healthy, safe and festive Fourth of July holiday. Tw...

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THE BALLAD OF DONNA LETHAL (#fridayflash)

Press play for some mood music She woke up that day on a mission. And meaner than usual.She was looking to snake her way across the country and meet up with Hawthorne, a fellow swindler who had the fix on some new scam in California. Wind energy. That's what they were calling it. She didn't get it but truthfully didn't care. The outfit needed a shape in a drape and she fit the bill just fine.She looked in the mirror and applied her makeup. She was...

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