Archive for the ‘Class Warfare’ tag

She’s Crazy Like a Fool. What about Daddy Cool?   1 comment

Posted at 7:06 am in rivercityvibe

We had another of those bar conversations last night – one of the ones in which I speak about a well-known cult musician and my buddies stare at me blankly. I then have to go to other patrons to conduct a straw poll to prove that A. I am not making it up, and B. my friends are idiots.

Last time, we were at Harpos, but yesterday we had repaired to The Secret Bar. I can’t remember if I have mentioned it before, but this is the bar that we have sworn a blood oath to keep secret from the various female stakeholders in our lives. It means we can camp out, with our phones off and be certain we will not be disturbed. All I can reveal is that it is on the Westside and does not require teeth. Imagine the scene last night as I went around the various denizens and asked them if they were familiar with the works of Boney M….

Of course they were. They were as hip to it as I am. Here is their flagship anthem Daddy Cool:

By the way, Class Warfare has broken out in the comments section for one of our posts. Check it out.

Written by Joe Bones on October 8th, 2009

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Bettes Estate RIP   19 comments

Posted at 5:30 pm in rivercityvibe

I meant to post about this at the time, but I was busy. I ran past the Bettes Estate this weekend (as I do nearly everyday) and it reminded me. It’s a sorry picture. The house was recently consumed by fire after a careless worker involved in its restoration set it alight with a blow torch. Seriously. How mad would that make you, if that was your home? It is a total loss, apparently.

Anyway, the house was built in 1912, not necessarily old for 32210 (parts of Bones HQ date from 1904, but I added the hollowed-out volcano in the ’90s). Also, it is not on the river – but I am told it once was – it has just had houses built between it and the river since.

Irritated homeowner

Irritated homeowner

First Coast News reported:

…the historic structure was destroyed. However, the owners tried to salvage what they could, and plucked dripping wet portraits from the first floor of the house.

“From the very onset, firefighters never really had a fighting chance,” said JFRD Spokesperson Tom Francis.

Francis said the fire spread quickly and took more than 60 firefighters to control it. “It’s heart breaking,” said Sawyer, who watched with dozens of neighbors from the blocked off street.

Sawyer showed First Coast News pictures she took inside the home in the 1970s. She said the more than 5,000 square foot estate had beautiful staircases and polished, wooden floors.

So that’s that, then. Shame. Terrible shame.

Written by Joe Bones on September 1st, 2009

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