Happy New Year

[Alan McKendree <amck@thenetdr.com>]

Happy New Year to all the list readers, and a special thanks to Paul for
hosting it.

I just finished a marathon session of reading _Dear Boy_ which took me from
the '76 tour to the end of the book, so I'm in a contemplative mood.  (Let
me, if it's not patently obvious, echo Brian's extremely high
recommendation of the book.)

I sometimes marvel at the far-reaching effects four English geezers set in
motion when they got together in the 60s... could Pete have imagined back
then that in 1998 hundreds would gather in a darkened theatre in Austin,
Texas to share the experience of the stage _Tommmy_ (to name one
elaborately obscure example out of millions)?  I think I've traveled more,
spent more, and arguably had more fun in activities related in some way to
the music of The Who than for any other reason.  Time and again I've seen
it serve as an instant common ground and reference point of goodwill
between strangers and a starting point for some very good friendships.
Here's to many more years of the same for all of us, and health and long
life to us and those we hold dear -- including those same geezers.

Still without a new .sig for the new year, but working on it,

Alan
Be sure to read _McKendree: A Burning Novel of Murder and Revenge_
by Douglas Hirt, ISBN 0-8439-4184-7  (available at www.amazon.com)