text:
DBAs regularly need to keep an eye on the error logs of all their SQL Servers, and the event logs of the host servers as well. When server numbers get large, the traditional Windows GUI approach breaks down, and the PoSH DBA reaches for a PowerShell script to do the leg-work.
"I know I'm searching for something
Something so undefined
that it can only be seen
by the eyes of the blind
in the middle of the night."
Billy Joel
- Reading the Windows Event Viewer
- Get-EventLog examples
- Getting entries from the Windows Error Log into Excel
- Listing the last day that an entry was made in the Application Event Log
- Listing the System Event Log for the past two hours
- listing the Event Log between two time-periods
- Filtering the error log by the Error types
- Reading errors from just one particular source
- Reading all messages containing a specific string
- Selecting events according to a variety of conditions.
- Selecting the event logs of a number of servers and instances?
- Reading the SQL Server Error Log
- Applying Filters to the SQL Error Log
- Summary
One of the everyday tasks of any DBA is to look for errors in your database server environment. With SQL Server, we have two major sources of information for doing this: the SQL Server Error Log and the Event Viewer.
When a problem occurs in SQL Server, ranging from a logon failure to a severe error in database mirroring, the first place to look for more information is the SQL Server Error Log. Similarly, if we have a problem related to physical hardware, the disk for example, we will look in the Event Viewer.
Both the SQL Server Error Log and the Event Viewer are designed to be used via their respective graphic user interface. This is fine for one or two servers, but painfully slow for the average DBA who has to read and filter information in many servers. Even when you're focusing down on a problem with a single busy server, the added weight of the graphical tool in terms of resources can slow troubleshooting down considerably. It is very important in the day-to-day life of a DBA to have a mechanism to read and filter error messages quickly and unintrusively; a technique for "mining errors".
This is where PowerShell comes in handy. With a relatively simple script, you can read, and filter out just those error messages that you need in a multi-server environment and moreover, format the output to make the information stand out. In this article we will show how to do this, and, if required, include warnings or any other type of event, using the SQL Server Error Log in both an Online and Offline mode as well as messages in the Windows Event Viewer.
Reading the Windows Event Viewer
We are going to want to check the server logs automatically for problems or warnings. If, unlike us, you have the time to routinely 'remote' into each server in turn, then the Windows Event Viewer is the classic way of reading this information.
The official documentation states: "Windows Event Viewer is a utility that maintains logs about program, security, and system events on your computer. You can use Event Viewer to view and manage the event logs, gather information about hardware and software problems, and monitor Windows security events." In other words, the event viewer collects the information about the health of your system.
Every process that starts within the Windows OS opens a communication channel with the OS informing it of its most important actions and events. This means, for example, that if the disk subsystem has a problem or if a service stops, this fact will be viewable in the Windows Event Viewer. In the same way, every SQL Server error message with a severity of 19 or greater is logged in both the SQL Server Error Log and the Event Viewer. Therefore, it's important to have a mechanism to constantly monitor/read the Event Viewer, especially remotely, so you can find information about problems and take any necessary action; perhaps to even prevent a system crash.
PowerShell has a built-in cmdlet to make it easier to access information recorded in Event Viewer, but before we use it, let's discuss some basic concepts that will help us to understand how to use it better.
The Event Viewer is a repository for the event logs. With the Event Viewer we can monitor the information about security, and identify hardware, software and system issues. There are three basic Event Logs:
- System Log: Stores the events related to the Operational System, as a problem with a driver.
- Application Log : Stores the events related to the Applications and programs
- Security Log : Stored the events related to security, as invalid logon attempts
You can also create a custom event log. There are several third-party tools that have their own event log.
The built-in PowerShell cmdlet to access the Event Viewer is Get-EventLog. Figure 7 shows the output when using Get-EventLog to read the application event log:
Get-EventLog -LogName Application
The Get-EventLog cmdlet has a parameter that allows you to read the Events remotely by passing in the name of the Server. Here we are using Get-EventLog to read the Security log on server ObiWan:
Get-EventLog -ComputerName ObiWan -LogName Security
Get-EventLog examples
Getting entries from the Windows Error Log into Excel
Two weeks ago your company bought a monitoring software for the SQL Server Servers called ContosoMonitor and installed the agent on all servers. This morning you realize that The Servers are not sending monitoring messages. In the installation manual says that every event is recorded by the software in the local Event Viewer, at the Application log but with a specific source named ContosoMonitor. You decide to check the Event Viewer for all servers and look for errors from the installed agents, again exporting the output to an Excel spreadsheet with the Servers split into worksheets . You open a PowerShell session from your desktop and type :
Get-Content c:\temp\Servers.txt | ForEach-Object { #A
Get-Eventlog -ComputerName $_ -LogName Application -EntryType Error -After (Get-Date).adddays(-1) |
Sort-Object Time –descending |
Export-Xls c:\temp\ContosoMonitorError.xlsx -AppendWorksheet -WorksheetName $_ #B
#A – Loop in the Servers inside the file Servers.txt
#B – Filter the Event log in the current server of the loop, sorting by descending Date Time and exporting to a xlsx splitting the servers in worksheets
To perform this operation using the Event Viewer GUI, You will need to connect to each Server and filter the Event Viewer by GUI, export to CSV file...etc. It is a painful process that will leave us wishing we could do it with two command lines of PowerShell. Let's talk a little more about the PowerShell solution.
In order to read the Event Viewer, PowerShell has a built-in Cmdlet called Get-EventLog. There are some parameters in the Get-EventLog that can perform the filtering operation without needing an additional Where-Object and using it is faster than using the pipeline. Let's take a look.
Note You can check out a complete help by typing Get-Help –full Get-EventLog
Listing the last day that an entry was made in the Application Event Log
This is just a matter of using the –after parameter and subtracting 1 day from the actual date :
Get-EventLog -ComputerName Obiwan -LogName Application -After ((Get-Date).adddays(-1))
Listing the System Event Log for the past two hours
To do this we also use the Get-Date methods, but use the –Before Parameter:
Get-EventLog -ComputerName Obiwan -LogName System -Before ((Get-Date).addHours(-2))
Listing the Event Log between two time-periods
To do this, we can join the parameters –after and –before as well. Imagine if we need list all Securities event logs in the last day, but for the 3 hours ago from the current date/time:
Get-EventLog -ComputerName Obiwan -LogName Security -After ((Get-Date).adddays(-1) -Before ((Get-Date).addHours(-3))
This Table shows the parameters to filter by date/time:
Parameter Name
After <Datetime>
Gets only the events that occur after the specified date and time. Enter a DateTime object, such as the one returnedby the Get-Date cmdlet.
Before <Datetime>
Gets only the events that occur before the specified date and time. Enter a DateTime object, such as the one returned by the Get-Date cmdlet.
Get-EventLog has a parameter to filter the event type according to whether they are errors, warnings, information or Audit States, There are also parameters to specify the source of the error and filter by the contents the message itself. This table describes these parameters:
Parameter Name
EntryType <string[]>
Gets only events with the specified entry type. Valid values are Error, Information, FailureAudit, SuccessAudit, and Warning. The default is all events.
-Message <string>
Gets events that have the specified string in their messages. You can use this property to search for messages that contain certain words or phrases. Wildcards are permitted.
-Source <string[]>
Gets events that were written to the log by the specified sources. Wildcards are permitted.
Filtering the error log by the Error types
If we were looking at the Application Log for the ObiWan Server :
Get-EventLog -ComputerName Obiwan -LogName Application –EntryType Error
Reading errors from just one particular source
If you want to filter by the Source of the all event types. See that wildcards are allowed , so we can use for example , *sql* to filter all events from SQL Server.
Get-EventLog -ComputerName Obiwan -EntryTpe Error -LogName Application -source '*sql*'
Reading all messages containing a specific string
We can filter by the contents of the message itself. Imagine if you want to filter the word '"started" in the message property :
Get-EventLog -ComputerName Obiwan -LogName Application –Message '*started* '
Selecting events according to a variety of conditions?
You can combine the selection of several properties. you may want to filter only the Event Log Application, type Error and source SQL Server in the last day :
Get-EventLog -ComputerName Obiwan -LogName Application -EntryTpe Error –Source '*sql*' -After ((Get-Date).adddays(-1))
You may need to query not only the Error entry type, but also Warning. In the table above we see that the EntryType is a STRING[] type and this means that I can pass an array with 'Error,Warning' to the -EntryType parameter :
Get-EventLog -ComputerName Obiwan -LogName Application -EntryTpe 'Error,Warning' –Source '*sql*' -After ((Get-Date).adddays(-1))
This technique also applies to the -Source Parameter.
Selecting the event logs of a number of servers and instances?
Get-EventLog does not accept pipeline input,so I cannot use "ObiWan" | Get-EventLog.
However, , the–Computername parameter is a STRING[] type, so I can use it with an array. If you want to perform the above operation on the ObiWan and QuiGonJinn Servers it is just, as the -EntryType and –Source parameters, use the comma between the names of the servers:
Get-EventLog -ComputerName @('Obiwan' ,'QuiGonJinn') -LogName Application -EntryType Error –Source '*sql*' -After ((Get-Date).adddays(-1))
Even better, using a txt file with the name of the servers, you also can do it with the Get-Content Cmdlet
Get-EventLog -ComputerName (Get-Content 'c:\temp\MyServers') -LogName Application -EntryTpe Error –Source '*sql*' -After ((Get-Date).adddays(-1))
Reading the SQL Server Error Log
Not only does the SQL Server error log write error information but it also records some information about successful operations, such as recovery of a database; and it also includes informational messages, such as the TCP port that SQL Server is listening on. The SQL Server Error Log is simply a repository of events. All these events are logged in order to assist in troubleshooting a potential problem and also to provide key information about the sequence of steps leading up to the problem.
You can view the SQL Server Error Log using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
As it is a plain text file you can view it in any text editor From TSQL you can view the results of executing the
xp_readerrorlog extended stored procedure. By default, the error log is
stored at ...
Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.n\MSSQL\LOG\ERRORLOG....
The current file is named ERRORLOG, and has no extension. The previous files will be named ErrorLog.1, ErrorLog.2...etc. and the SQL Server retains backups of the previous six logs. Figure 1 shows a view for the SQL Server Error Log by the SSMS log viewer.
The SSMS user interface works when the SQL Server instance is online, but even works with offline instances in SQL Server 2012 or 2014
The advantage of using PowerShell to read the SQL Server Error Log is that you can filter only the errors and format the output for later reference, for example, writing it to a CSV file or storing it in a SQL Server Table. We'll use this technique in some of our DBA checklists in a subsequent article.
Accessing SQL Error logs in Online SQL Server Instances
When the SQL Server Instance is online, we can use the SQLPSX Get-SqlErrorLog function to read the Error Log. This is part of SQLPSX, but for your convenience I have a stand-alone version that doesn't need SQLPSX installed. Let's start by using the Get-Help cmdlet with the –full parameter to see how this function works:
PS C:\> Get-Help Get-SqlErrorLog -Full
Returns the SQL Server Errorlog.
Get-SqlErrorLog [-sqlserver] <String[]> [[-lognumber] <Int32>] [<CommonParameters>]
The Get-SqlErrorLog function returns the SQL Server Errorlog.
-sqlserver <String[]>
Required? true
Position? 1
Default value
Accept pipeline input? true (ByValue, ByPropertyName)
Accept wildcard characters?
-lognumber <Int32>
Required? false
Position? 2
Default value
Accept pipeline input? false
Accept wildcard characters?
This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
OutBuffer and OutVariable. For more information, type,
"get-help about_commonparameters".
Get-SqlErrorLog returns an array of System.Data.DataRow.
C:\PS>Get-SqlErrorLog "Z002\sql2k8"
This command returns the current SQL ErrorLog on the Z002\sql2k8 server.
As we can see in the help text we've gotten via the Get-Help cmdlet, we can pass in the SQL Server Instance name and the number of the log file, and the default of 0 corresponds to the current log. The –sqlserver parameter is mandatory. The SQLPSX version doesn't accept pipeline input, so if you use this version you need to use foreach loop statment or foreach-object cmdlet from an array of the SQL Server instance names . So to list all events in SQL Error Log in the SQL Server Instance R2D2, using either version of Get-SqlErrorLog, we can use the form:
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver R2D2
Or using foreach loop statment :
ForEach ($Server in $servers) {
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver $Server
And foreach-object cmdlet
Get-Content c:\teste\Servers.txt |
ForEach-Object {
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver $_
Note If you want performance, avoid the pipeline and the foreach-object cmdlet approach. Use the foreach loop statment. We will discuss this approach in later articles.
Figure 3 illustrates the output:
Because the event description is truncated to fit the screen in this format, we can improve the formatting by piping the output to the Format-List cmdlet, as shown in Figure 3:
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver R2D2 | Format-List
In the same way, if we want to list the SQL Server Error Log events in log file number 2, we can just use the –lognumber parameter:
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver <SQLInstanceName> -lognumber 2
Accessing SQL Error logs in OffLine SQL Server Instances
SQL Server 2012 introduced a new feature that allows the Error Log to be read even if the instance is offline. SQL Server has two WMI providers, for Server Events and for Computer Management.Two new WMI classes have been added to the Management provider: the SqlErrorLogFile and SqlErrorLogEvent classes.
To access these two classes you need to connect to the ...
... WMI namespace. Unlike the WMI for Server Events that has a namespace to each instance, the provider for Computer Management covers all SQL Server instances on the machine. You will need to specify the correct instance within the WQL (WMI Query Language).
The account under which the script runs needs to have read permissions, locally or remotely, on the Root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement11 WMI namespace. It also needs permission to access the folder that contains the SQL Server Error Log File.
The SqlErrorLogFile WMI class contains information about the log file itself as we can see in the table 7.1:
The number of the file. Corresponds to the extension of the ERRORLOG file, as 0,1,2…etc.
SQL Server Instance Name
Date and time the file was last modified, using WMI date/time format
The size of the log file in bytes
Name of the file, ERRORLOG.X
This WMI Class is interesting if you want to know about the physical log file, but this is not our focus. Because we want the event descriptions and information, we need to use the SqlErrorLogEvent WMI Class. Table 7.2 shows the properties from the SqlErrorLogEvent class:
Name of the SQL Server Error Log file, ERRORLOG.1,.2,.3..etc
SQL Server Instance Name
Date and time the event was recorded in the LOG File. Using WMI date/dime format
The event message
Source of the Event (SPID)
To access the SQL Server Error Log for the default SQL Server instance in the Server R2D2, let's use the Get-WMIObject cmdlet:
Get-WmiObject -computername R2d2 -Class "SqlErrorLogEvent" -Namespace "Root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement11"
Figure 5 display the cmdlet's output :
You'll see that, as well as the error log date and message, we're also being distracted by some irrelevant information. As we can see in Figure 4, there are some properties that start with "__". They are called WMI System Properties and are in every WMI Class. Unfortunately the Get-WMIObject cmdlet does not provide a parameter to suppress them in the output. An alternative is to select the properties you want to show, piping the output from Get-WMIObject to the Select-Object cmdlet :
Select-object Filename,InstanceName, Logdate,Message,ProcessInfo
But we still have a problem. The LogDate is incomprehensible. Unlike the Get-SQLErrorLog where the property LogDate is a System.DateTime type that uses the OS date/time format, the LogDate property in the WMI Class is a System.String and has its own format. You can read more about this in "Working with Dates and Times using WMI" at Microsoft Technet. Figure 6 illustrates this:
This means that we need to convert the WMI date/time format to the system date/time format. Fortunately WMI has a method to perform this operation called ConvertToDateTime. We can just use it in the Select-Object step:
Get-WmiObject -Class "SqlErrorLogEvent" -ComputerName R2D2 -Namespace "Root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement11"|
Select-object FileName,
@{Expression={$_.ConvertToDateTime($_.LogDate)};Label = 'Logdate'},
Uhaa!!! Now we have a friendly-view format to the Logdate property, as the Figure 7 shows :
This has now given us a way of gathering information about a SQL Server instance even if SQL Server is offline. We have accessed the log remotely in PowerShell by using WMI. This greatly increases our chances of solving a problem server even if the instance is offline.
Applying Filters to the SQL Error Log
If SQL Server does not start, or users have problems logging in, then you really have to search for possible errors. It is a good practice to check for errors and warnings just to be proactive and look for problems before they happen.. So far we saw how to read the events in the SQL Error Log and the Windows Event Viewer, but, as a DBA, we are interested on filtering these events, to look for specific errors and warnings or events that happen at a specific time. This covers how we filter the log messages.
SQL Error Log in Online SQL Server Instances
Imagine the situation, where you have been informed that two hours ago the SQL Server ObiWan, part of a simple active/passive cluster, was refusing connections from an XPTO. The Server in question is extremely busy and therefore it is likely to be a bad idea to use a resource-intensive graphic-user interface to diagnose it. You need to find out about what may have happened by filtering the Error Log looking for any error messages from two hours ago. You need to urgently inform your boss of the problem once you have enough information to be able to give an estimate of how long it will take to fix the problem. But the use of SSMS is out of the question. In fact we not only have to read the Error Log from two hours ago, but the filter the information looking for specific errors, but let's approach the problem in stages.
PowerShell can easily work with date/time intervals because we can directly use the Get-Date properties. We already covered the Get-Date cmdlet in article 2, but let's take a look a bit more deeply on it.
As everything in PowerShell is an object with its properties and methods, Get-Date returns an instance of System.DateTime and this class has a method named Adddays. If you don't know about this method, Figure 8 display the output of only the methods that start with "ADD" (using the PowerShell cmdlet Get-Member) because it is all the matters to us now.
Get-Date | Get-Member
In section 7.1, "Reading the SQL Server Error Log", we saw that this function returns the properties SQLInstanceName ,LogDate, ProcessInfo and Text . To filter by date/time we will use the LogDate property and to list the SQL Error Log in the last five days we'll just use the Where-Object cmdlet , filtering the LogDate property using Get-Date and a negative number of the days, in this case, -5 , in the Adddays method :
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver ObiWan |
Where-object { $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).adddays(-5)) }
But if we want the events from the last 24 hours only? Just use the AddHours method:
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver ObiWan |
Where-object { $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).adddhours(-24)) }
The process to filter for Errors is similar, but we will need to pipe to the Where-Object Cmdlet to filter the errors but in this case we will use the Text property to look for strings that signify an error:
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver ObiWan |
Where-object { ( $_.text -like '*Error*' `
-or $_.text -like "*Fail*"`
-or $_.text -like "*dump*"`
-or $_.text -like '*IO requests taking longer*'`
-or $_.text -like '*is full*' `
) -and ($_.text -notlike '*found 0 errors*')`
-and ($_.text -notlike '*without errors*')`
You can see the difficulty that we've had to 'code around', can't you? Although the Event Viewer has a property that specifies whether the event is an Error, Warning or Information message, the Get-SQLErrorLog does not return this information and the error messages are embedded within in the message itself. The warnings sometimes contain text which contains the word 'error' but which aren't actually error events. We don't want to see those. This means that we need to filter "Error" but exclude "found 0 errors "or "without errors" and include some messages that do not have the "error" inside it, but characterizes an error or warning, as "is full" or "IO request taking longer"
'In this example the trick is to use the operators –or and –and to filter exactly what you need. We can, however, produce neater code by using a RegEx string.
PowerShell works very well with Regex and, generally speaking, most of the string comparisons can be turned to a Regex Expression. It isn't easy to understand the Regex patterns, but the result is clear code, without a bunch of the –and/-or operators. The same filter conditions used in the example above can be rewritten as:
Where-object {$_.Text -match '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)' -and $_.Text -notmatch '(without errors|found 0 errors)' }
We see how to filter by date/time and by errors/warnings separately, but most of the time we prefer to have both type of events together so we just put the two together. In the next example, we filter by errors/warnings in the last 24 hours on ObiWan SQL Server Instance, the code is:
Where-object { ( $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).addhours(-24)))`
-and $_.Text -match '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)' -and $_.Text -notmatch '(without errors|found 0 errors)'}
Now if you are checking for errors on all the servers that you're responsible for, you will want to perform the same process, but for more than one SQL Server Instance. In our case let's do it to the servers ObiWan and QuiGonJinn. Remembering the Get-Help from Get-SQLErrorLog in the first section of this article we noticed that the parameter –sqlserver accepts pipeline input and it is a STRING [] type. This applies to the version attached to this article: I've already shown how to use the SQLPSX version. In the rest of these examples, I'll be using the enhanced version which can be downloaded from the head of this article.
I can pass a list of the servers:
... by pipeline ...
| Get-SqlErrorLog
Where-object { ( $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).addhours(-24)))`
-and $_.Text -match '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)'`
-and $_.Text -notmatch '(without errors|found 0 errors)'}
... having a txt file with the servers and using the Get-Content Cmdlet by pipeline
Get-SqlErrorLog |
Where-object { ( $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).addhours(-24)))`
-and $_.Text -match '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)'`
-and $_.Text -notmatch '(without errors|found 0 errors)'}
... or having a txt file with the servers and using the Get-Content Cmdlet by array in the –sqlserver parameter because it is a STRING[] , just type:
-sqlserver (Get-Content
Where-object { ( $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).addhours(-24)))`
-and $_.Text -match '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)'`
-and $_.Text -notmatch '(without errors|found 0 errors)'}
You can also obtain the list of SQL Server instance names from rows in a database table. In this case, I'm using a database called SQLServerRepository with a table called tbl_SQLServerInstanceNames on SQL Server instance R2D2. The table structure is pretty simple, just one column called SQLServerInstanceName.
In this case, you first need to query this table to return the SQL Server instance names using the Invoke-SQLCMD2 function that is part of the SQLPSX toolkit, and pipe the information to the Get-SQLErrorLog cmdlet:
"Select SQLServerInstanceName from tbl_SQLServerInstanceNames"
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver (Get-Content c:\temp\Servers.txt) |
Where-object { ( $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).addhours(-24)))`
-and $_.Text -match '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)'`
-and $_.Text -notmatch '(without errors|found 0 errors)'}
You will notice that the output is sorting by ascending date of the LogDate Property . But what if we want to display the messages in descending order? To do this, we can just pipe the Where-Object cmdlets output to the Sort-Object designating the LogDate property and using the –descending switch parameter :
"Select SQLServerInstanceName from tbl_SQLServerInstanceNames"
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver (Get-Content c:\temp\Servers.txt) |
Where-object { ( $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).addhours(-24)))`
-and $_.Text -match '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)'`
-and $_.Text -notmatch '(without errors|found 0 errors)'}| Sort-Object Logdate –descending
Now, to return to our scenario where that SQL Server was refusing connections, we need to filter messages from two hours ago and search for some error that might give us a clue as to what the problem is. To be more accurate, we will filter the time to ten minutes before two hours, or 130 minutes. From your desktop, you type:
Where-object { ( $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).addminutes(-130)))`
-and $_.Text -match '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)'`
-and $_.Text -notmatch '(without errors|found 0 errors)'}
In the output you see some interesting messages. As we can see in the Figure 9, the date/time of the errors are suspiciously close together and they are close to the date/time you were informed that SQL Server starts to refuse connections. The Text property displays the exact date/time that SQL Server stops responding to connections (logon error) and it was after the Dump Error.
At this point the cause of the problem will become obvious just from reading the output, the question has been answered by a PowerShell one-liner.. The server ObiWan is part of a cluster and because of the Dump error, it experienced a failover. For the duration of the failover, where the mechanism stopped the SQL Server service in one node and started it in the other, the connections were refused. It is a normal behavior during a failover. Your job now is to research why the dump happened, but that task is out of the scope of this article.
I've described the bare bones here. In fact, the text message is truncated to fit the screen and as so you'd usually want to pipe the command line above to the Out-GridView Cmdlet to get a better way of inspecting the errors:
Where-object { ( $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).addminutes(-130)))`
-and $_.Text -match '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)' -and $_.Text -notmatch '(without errors|found 0 errors)'}Where-object { ( $_.logdate -ge ((Get-Date).addminutes(-130)))`
-and ($_.text -notlike '*found 0 errors*')`
-and ($_.text -notlike '*without errors*')`
-and ( $_.text -like '*Error*' `
-or $_.text -like "*Fail*"`
-or $_.text -like "*dump*"`
-or $_.text -like '*IO requests taking longer*'`
-or $_.text -like '*is full*') `
} | Out-GridView
The text messages are easy to read as the Figure 10 shows:
The Out-GridView Cmdlet has a plus. It has the filter options. This means that you use it as well. The Figure 10 is also displaying these options.
The SQL Server Error Log is a repository of events, whether they are errors, warnings or simple information messages. To filter for errors we need to include and exclude some messages at the same line as we did in the conditions above. The message "is full" was added, but "Without Errors" was added to our exclusion list. This means that if there is a line with both expressions it will be discarded. You may want to add more expressions on that condition to filter your needs more accurately. At some point, your filter conditions could become a bit unmanageable because you could find yourself changing the filter whilst exploring errors in the log. You really need something a bit more simple than the code we've done above. Possibly the best answer to this is to use a Regex but hide the complexity. By using PowerShell's feature of variable-substitution in a string, we can keep things simpler. you can create a variable to -Match and -NoMatch operators, add all the conditions that you want, and use this in the Where-Object. This way it is easier for you understand, remove and add new filters for messages whatever you want or need and the search conditions for the Where-Object Cmdlet are clearer to read. The code would look like:
'(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full)'
$nomatch = '(without errors|found 0 errors)'
Get-SqlErrorLog -sqlserver ObiWan |
where { $_.Text -match $match -and $_.Text -notmatch $nomatch }
To add a new message to the match condition, for example "Warning" it is just put it at the end of the string:
$match = '(Error|Fail|IO requests taking longer|is full|warning)'
The same process is used for the -nomatch conditions.
SQL Error Log in Offline SQL Server Instances
Imagine it: You're at your desk analyzing the new 'Always On' project and you notice a report that , for some reason, the Servers R2D2 and ObiWan stopped start to refuse connections. After you solve the problem and not stop the production, your action could to consolidate the Error Log of the two Servers in the last half hour in an excel spreadsheet, each server in separate worksheets so that you can analyze the events.
From your desktop you just type:
"R2D2","ObiWan" | ForEach-Object { #A
Get-WmiObject -Class "SqlErrorLogEvent" -ComputerName $_ -Namespace "Root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement11"| #B
Where-Object {$_.ConvertToDateTime($_.LogDate) -ge (Get-Date).addminutes(-30)} | #C
select InstanceName,
@{Expression={$_.ConvertToDateTime($_.LogDate)};Label = 'Logdate'},
Processinfo |
Sort-Object LogDate -Descending | #D
Export-Xls -Path "c:\Log.xlsx" -AppendWorksheet -WorksheetName $_ #E
#A – Loop for R2D2 and ObiWan Servers
#B – Accessing the SQL Server Error Log WMI at the server in the current loop
#C – Selecting the properties to display and changing the Logdate property from WMI Date format to the OS date format.
As the Figure 11 illustrates, an excel spreadsheet called Log.xlsx is created with the Servers R2D2 and ObiWan split into worksheets, with the last half hour events in descending date/time order:
The same operation by SSMS would be to:
- Create a CSV File to each Server
- Turn the CSV into an Excel spreadsheet
- Sort the date/time in descending order
- Copy each Excel spreadsheet to a new one as a worksheet
This is a relatively complex task if compared to just two command lines of PowerShell
We already covered way that you can read the SQL Error Log when the instance is offline by using the WMI class SQLErrorLogEvent, which is part of the WMI Computer Management Provider, and Get-WMIObject Cmdlet. The process by which one would filter in this case is a bit different to date/time and to choose the SQL Server instance. First let's see the date/time process.
In the section of this article on offline SQL Server Instances, we saw that the WMI Classes have their own date/time format and so we need to convert this format to have a friendly-view format, or the system format. To filter by date/time we need to do the same to the LogDate Property but now using the Where-Object Cmdlet. In the example below, we are filtering the last one day event messages:
Get-WmiObject -Class "SqlErrorLogEvent" -ComputerName R2D2 -Namespace "Root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement11"|
Where-Object { $_.ConvertToDateTime($_.LogDate) -ge ((Get-Date).adddays(-1))} |
select FileName,
@{Expression={$_.ConvertToDateTime($_.LogDate)};Label = 'Logdate'},
We also noticed that the WMI Computer Management Provider, unlike WMI for Server Events, reports on all SQL Server instances in the Server. This means that, so far, we only read the Error Log from the default SQL Server Instance. The –computername parameter in the GET-WMIObject refers to the name of the Server, not the SQL Server Instance.
Now imagine that you have five SQL Server Instances in the Server ObiWan and you need to read the Error Log from the fourth instance called ObiWan\INST4, which is, of course, offline. How to perform this operation? In this case, my friend, the Windows Query Language (WQL) is your best and only friend.
In order to read the Error Log in the Server R2D2, specifically the SQL Server Instance R2D2\INST4, we first need to query the InstanceName Property 'INST4' and so we will use the –Query property :
$WQL = "Select * from SqlErrorLogEvent where InstanceName = 'INST4'"
Get-WmiObject -Query $WQL -ComputerName Obiwan -Namespace "Root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement11"|
select Filename,
@{Expression={$_.ConvertToDateTime($_.LogDate)};Label = 'Logdate'},
To filter errors, we can do the same process with the Get-SQLErrorLog cmdlet using Where-Object, or we can use the WQL as well. In this case we need to create the conditions in the WQL using the Message property:
$WQL = "Select * from SqlErrorLogEvent where (Message like '%Error%' or Message like '%Fail%' ) and (not message like '%Found 0 Errors%') and (not message like '%without errors%')"
And to query only the SQL Server Instance INST4, it is just a case of adding the condition in the WQL:
$WQL = "Select * from SqlErrorLogEvent where (Message like '%Error%' or Message like '%Fail%' ) and (not message like '%Found 0 Errors%') and (not message like '%without errors%') and (InstanceName = 'INST4')"
To sort by date, it is also the same process. Just pipe the Sort-Object by LogDate before Select-Object and after Get-WMIObject.
In this article we discuss how to read and effectively filter errors, warnings or any other type of event, using the SQL Server Error Log in an Online and Offline SQL Server Instance. We also discovered how to use the Event Viewer and its parameters to filter the events searching for possible issues in the System, Security and Applications Event Logs.
In the example code, we use the enhanced version of Get-SQLErrorLog that does not require the installation of SQLPSX, and which accepts both string arrays and pipleline input. The SQLPSX version can, however, be used for most examples and can be made to operate on several instances by means of the techniques described in the article. The Get-SQLErrorLog can be downloaded from the link at the head of the article


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A report released yesterday June 1, shows that Samsung are continuing their push for complete Android domination by releasing yet another smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy W, however this time one could argue that it is not a smartphone at all. The Samsung Galaxy W is a follow up to the South Korean tech giants' 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega, and for those of you who like big screens, you will be overjoyed to know that the Galaxy W has a whopping 7-inch display.
Samsung apparently wants to be known for having the largest smartphones on the market, and with the Galaxy W, one would have to think that they will hold that title for quite some time. Last years Samsung Galaxy Mega never really took off quite as much as they thought it would, simply because consumers were not impressed with the overall size of the 6.3-inch device, so quite why Samsung thinks a 7-inch version of the phone will win people over is not clear.
The Galaxy W does feature a relatively compact design for a large phone, and Samsung claim it is thin enough to be held in one hand while making a phone call. For a flagship device though, the specifications are a little disappointing. The massive Galaxy W's 7-inch screen will only have a resolution of 720p, and the quad-core processor is clocked at just 1.2 GHz. The Galaxy W will come with just 16GB of internal storage (expandable with SD cards), which seems small considering this is targeted at audiences who want to take all of their media with them. On the back of the Galaxy W you will find a 8-megapixel camera, and around the front you will find a 2-megapixel front facing camera. Even more disappointing is that fact the the Galaxy W will not even ship with the latest version of Android (4.4 KitKat), and will instead ship with Android 4.3 Jellybean.
The Galaxy W might have mediocre specifications, but the price does not reflect this at all. The device will be selling for 499,400 Won in South Korea off contract (roughly $490), so one can assume that that will likely be the price when the Galaxy W is released on these shores. Obviously Samsung are expecting customers to treat this phone as a two-in-one purchase (both a smartphone and tablet), but just how many people will want to hold a 7-inch device up to their head to call their mom remains unclear.
Source: Samsung

subset: commoncrawl


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We have a Graco MyRide 65 that is only 2 years old but our second car seat expired. My daughter is around 38 pounds and I'm not sure on height. She will be 7 on the 27 but I want to keep her harnessed. She's tiny, lol.
What is a good affordable harnessed seat? The one that expired was a Cosco Scenera. The other one is going to expire in August and it's a Graco CarGo or something like that. We're looking for something $100 or less, and it'll be the "extra seat" for our second car and for Nana's car sometimes. Is there a seat for less that $100 that's good?


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John Porter could not have drawn a tougher assignment to start his career as a sophomore quarterback.
The first time Porter took a snap, he faced traditional defensive menace Pampa. Porter's third start came against defending Class 1A state champion Stratford.
To make matters worse, a lightning storm delayed the kickoff of the Pampa game about two hours.
"Against Pampa I was really excited, but the game was delayed and all I had to do was sit and think about it for two hours," Porter said. "I had tons of time to get nervous.
"All I remember about Pampa is that they had really, really fast linebackers. The first time I dropped back to pass, I just got creamed by these two linebackers. Then I remember seeing their faces all night long."
In the third game of the Golden Wolves' season, Porter suited up against Stratford and the Elks' mammoth line. Although Stratford downed Dalhart 41-2, Porter made a major step forward as a quarterback.
"That first series, I remember they had these huge linemen," Porter said of Stratford. "I think their line was better than Pampa's. But they were huge and they were pretty much mauling our guys.
"But the one time I remember seeing their end coming off the ball and everything just went into slow motion. I saw him and I knew I could either throw the ball away or tuck it under and run so I ran and I gained about 30 yards. After that, I felt more comfortable at quarterback and things didn't seem like as much of a blur."
Porter passed for 1,100 yards and ran for more than 450 yards last year.
"I don't remember how many touchdowns I had, but I remember I threw 13 interceptions. That was pretty brutal," he said.
Porter and the Golden Wolves also had to make an early-season offensive adjustment when top rusher Alan Bean missed much of the non-district schedule with a rib injury.
Over the summer, Porter took a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park. The sites and the scenery of Yellowstone made a major impression on Porter.
"The land is so amazing," he said. "The route we took to get there was through the desert at first, then you get into the mountains. There's lakes and rivers all through it, and it's not anything like it is here. Things are actually green.
"Just the beauty of the place is amazing. You see these animals running around all over the place. All different kinds of animals running around like we're not even there. Then the geysers are amazing too. You see all this hot water and steam just going off. Seeing something like that kind of puts things into perspective."
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Video Industry News Video Company News Technology Industry News Technology Company News Novelty Industry News Novelty Company News Gay Industry News Gay Company News Legal Industry News All Company News
Released: Dec 18th, 2007
Running Time: 114 Min.
Director: Jim Powers
Companies: JM Productions, Powersville, Inc.
Cast: Alex Sanders, Keeani Lei, Lee Stone, Ariel Alexus, Buster Good, Dirty Harry
Critical Rating: AAA 1/2
Powers fans will feel right at home with a number of his usual suspects and a quartet of young cuties, all of whom take it in the pooper.
Retailing: Squirter to add to the Jim Powers section.


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Sometimes the world does not seem to make sense. We are placed on this planet earth with only each other to get along for survival and yet, there are many who want to find ways to hurt the innocent.
That is what happened this cold day in April on the 13th of the month at the Jewish Community Campus and Village Shalom. A shooter, for really unknown reasons, decided to use up some of his violent tendencies and anger at the world and shoot some innocent victims. Later he will have his lawyer give him a cause, usually "by reason of insanity" and he will live his life in some form.
However, those whom he has victimized will always remember, and the victims will not only be the friends and family of those who lost their lives but all of us in this small space we inhabit on earth. We will remember, not the shooter, but the violence behind the shootings and the injustice of this senseless action to take the life of another human being.
In order to honor those who fell because of this horrendous violence, Governor Sam Brownback "has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from sun-up to sun-down on Thursday, April 17 and Friday, April 18 in honor of Dr. William Corporon, Reat Griffin Underwood and Terri Lamanno."
We think we live in a war-free zone; nevertheless, the war of inhumanity, lack of respect for our fellow human beings, will be with us creating a potential hazardous habitation for everyone across the planet. That will not end. However, Jewish or Christian or Muslim or capitalist, we need always to remember, we live here together; we inhabit the earth; only we can decide what our segment of this small space will be.
God bless and prayers for the family and friends directly affected by this tragedy. We are all with you during this time.
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How to make my 22month old daughter eat?
my daughter doesn't eat anything. Whatever I give her to eat she just plays with it. Not even a single she puts in her mouth. I have tried almost everything but nothing worked. I consulted with doctor too but didn't get any satisfactory answer. She doesn't drink milk too. She is totally dependent upon breast feeding. What I do is feed her solid food when she is asleep. I know this is not safe but have to survive my child. i am desperately looking foreward for effective suggestions. Please help me.
Posted: 05/05/2013 by divyadhakal
Answer this question


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Royalty Free Music & Incredible Ways To Customize It
Royalty Free Music » Production Types » Action-Drama » Hectic » Documentary
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How to send the Outlook Messenger to system tray of Microsoft Windows 7 when its is minimized ?
Simply, use Tray It! (free) or Actual Window Minimizer (not free). It'll work with Outlook LAN Messenger too...
Although I am using Outlook 2007 but I think this option was available in 2007 already:
This will hide the Outlook taskband entry when Outlook is minimized.
Edit: Just discovered that indeed Outlook 2007 seems not to have this option. Instead you would have to use a tool called "HideOutlook" or similar. See here for example.
Edit: I just noticed now that the question was rather about Outlook Messenger (Outlook LAN Messenger?) which seems to be some 3rd party software. Of course it does not have to follow the same guidelines as Microsoft Outlook itself.
Although there is a very generic tool called RBTray. Once startet it allows you to simply right-click any minimize button to send the application to tray. There are a couple of other "minimize-to-tray" applications out there but RBTray is very small, simple and I personally like the "right click minimize" feature.


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"Run over me, Ricky! Please, please, I love you, I love you!" During the height of Rick Nelson hysteria in the late '50s and early '60s, teenyboppers regularly screamed their intense, definitely ill-advised desires while the legendary singer-songwriter performed in cities across America and abroad. In an unprecedentedly wide-ranging interview, the Master of Telecaster, James Burton, relives those heady days spent on the road and just about everywhere else with his longtime guitar compadre.
Achieving a staggering 26 Top 20 hits on the pop charts during a six-year period (more came later), Nelson is one of the best-loved purveyors of the archetypal rock 'n' roll era, regularly scoring with ballads and rockabilly nuggets alike including "Believe What You Say", "Lonesome Town", "It's Late", "Hello Mary Lou", "It's Up to You", and "Fools Rush In."
Fellow luminaries John Fogerty, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, and Keith Richards sing the praises of the "Garden Party" songwriter's effortlessly cool records ably supported by the distinctive string bending of Burton. In fact, the venerable Rolling Stone once famously uttered, "I didn't buy Ricky Nelson records – I bought James Burton records."
Both inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [Nelson was inducted posthumously], Burton perfectly encapsulates why his six-string brother's legacy continues to reach millennials: "A lot of it is in feeling, because he had a great feel for the type of songs he sang and what he enjoyed singing, as well as a soft, smooth voice. Rick could sing a lot of different styles of music." With over 400 master recordings to his credit – Burton played on approximately sixty percent during his 11-year tenure – Nelson's lasting impact on rock 'n' roll is assured.
Burton, a charter member of L.A. studio wizards the Wrecking Crew, has assisted a who's who list of preeminent movers and shakers in a nearly 60-year career – notably Elvis Presley, John Denver, The Beach Boys, Simon and Garfunkel, Merle Haggard, and recently Brad Paisley.
Not one to rest on his laurels, the elder statesman is currently touring to sold-out audiences in Europe with the TCB Band. Burton also contributes guitar solos to new records whenever the mood strikes him. However, his most significant passion is giving back to local communities, especially via The James Burton Foundation, which secures musical instruments, state-of-the-art recording techniques, and scholarships to children in need. And without further ado, the chicken pickin' extraordinaire celebrates his late friend, Rick Nelson.
The Complete James Burton – Rick Nelson Interview
Before we dive in, did your friend prefer "Ricky" or simply "Rick?"
Oh, tricky Ricky [laughs]… for much of his adult life he preferred just Rick. During the early run of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet everyone called him Ricky [Author's Note: Imperial Records created significant waves of publicity with the release of the "Rick is 21" album, strategically timed to arrive on store shelves for the artist's 21st birthday on May 8, 1961]. Regardless, being called Rick was his choice.
How did Rick enter your life?
I was working with a rockabilly gentleman named Bob Luman who was signed to Imperial Records, the same record label as Rick. Bob's group was called the Shadows, also featuring James Kirkland on bass.
Horace Logan, Bob's manager and the producer of "The Louisiana Hayride" – I played many shows there with Dale Hawkins – got us a part in a Roger Corman B-movie about rock 'n' roll called Carnival Rock. We hung around in Hollywood after Logan got us a semi regular gig on Town Hall Party, the most popular country and western music series in Southern California during the 1950s.
If memory serves, we were rehearsing a Billy Lee Riley song called "Red Hot" in October 1957 at the Imperial Records offices of Lew Chudd, the owner of the label. Jimmie Haskell was also present. Jimmie was a musical arranger who worked for both Imperial and Ozzie [Rick's dad] on the television show doing recordings and such.
Anyway, Rick came in on business and said, "I hear music in the next room. Who is that?" Chudd and Haskell replied, "That's Bob Luman and the Shadows from Louisiana." "Would you mind if I go in and say hello and listen to 'em a little bit?" "Nah, go on in." So Rick came in and listened to us play for about three hours, and we just had a great time.
The Shadows had a home out in the valley in Tarzana – in Canoga Park. The next day James Kirkland jumped up and ran outside to get the newspaper. When he came back inside, he noticed a telegram hanging on the door, so he grabbed it and brought it in.
It was from Rick, who had invited me over to the General Service Studios, where The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was filming. Rick recommended we bring our instruments, so James and I immediately went over and met his mother and dad, along with everybody involved with the show.
Later, we were in one of those little bungalows, setting up and playing, when Ozzie, Harriet, older brother David, Wally (portrayed by actor Skip Young), and all the gang came over. We met them and played a little bit, and Ozzie loved it.
He said, "Do you boys wanna do something on the TV show? Perhaps a couple of songs?" Everybody said, "Yeah, sure, why not?" This was actually just before I joined Rick as his lead guitar player. We did a few television episodes and had a great time. Rick turned out to be a cool guy to be around and play music with.
Ozzie wanted to film a lot more songs and show-related stuff, but we got homesick and wanted to return to Louisiana and be home for the Christmas holidays. Ozzie offered us a lot more money to stay, but we said, "No, we wanna go home." So that's what we did.
I was home maybe two weeks, and I got a phone call from Ozzie. He invited me to come back and be Rick's official lead guitar player, which I thought was pretty cool. Ozzie said, "If you accept the position, I'll send you a telegram. Just sign on the dotted line and send it back to me."
Rick then got on the phone and we talked for an hour or two. He wanted me to come out the next day (laughs). I said, "Wait a minute! I've gotta make arrangements and get all my stuff together here." I was only 18 years old and leaving home. I lived with Rick and his family for the first couple of years we worked together in their beautiful Camino Palmero home in Hollywood. Ozzie and Harriet treated me like their third son.
Did Bob Luman take the news of your impending exit very well?
Bob was happy that Rick was interested in hiring me to be his guitar player. He wasn't really thrilled about it, but Bob took it in stride. He said, "Boys, that's a great thing. I wish I could offer you more." Bob was a great guy to work with and a great talent. We were young and things were going fast with a lot of things happening. Bob gave us his final blessing: "Boys, I'm gonna miss you."
What was your first official session with Rick?
The first session I did with Rick was for the "Stood Up" b/w "Waitin' in School" single [Nov. 18, 1957]. Before I joined Rick, studio veterans Howard Roberts, Barney Kessel, and Joe Maphis alternated as lead guitarists. Joe was already booked for the session, so I supplied rhythm guitar only. The drummer was Earl Palmer, a big guy who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a sideman before his death in September 2008. Richie Frost soon took over and became our permanent drummer.
Is it true that Elvis' original band – guitarist Scotty Moore, bassist Bill Black, and drummer D.J. Fontana – auditioned for Rick just before he met you?
Rick told me that story after I went to work with him [Author's Note: During the first week of September 1957, Moore and Black turned in their resignations over Colonel Tom Parker's interference in financial matters].
When Rick was interested in putting a band together, Scotty and Bill were looking for a job, and they had contacted Rick and Ozzie. So they met and went in the studio for a short time. Drummer D.J. Fontana (Elvis hired him after Scotty and Bill) also accompanied them.
Once James Kirkland and I had signed our contracts and officially joined Rick's band shortly after New Year's 1958, we went to eat lunch at the old Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel with Scotty, Bill, and D.J., who were in town since Elvis was filming King Creole. Over the course of the conversation, we excitedly mentioned that we had joined Rick's band. The news caught them totally off guard, and they had these funny looks on their faces. Still, they congratulated us.
Evidently, their sound wasn't what Rick was looking for, or Rick didn't want to upset Elvis by hiring them. They're all excellent musicians, but Rick must have wanted something a bit different. It's difficult to know for sure exactly what happened, but it all worked out in the end.
[Author's Note: Moore and Black were rehired by Elvis in mid-October 1957 after a homecoming performance at the Mississippi-Alabama Dairy Show in Tupelo didn't go that well for Elvis and their temporary replacements. Black left permanently after Elvis' induction into the Army, soon forming his popular instrumental group the Bill Black Combo. However, Moore returned as Elvis' lead guitarist upon the singer's Army discharge in March 1960, staying through the celebrated Comeback Special in June 1968. Later, the Jordanaires began doing backup vocals on the majority of Nelson's hit singles, beginning with "Poor Little Fool" in April 1958. Their name never appeared on Nelson's original records, but any listener can easily detect their classic harmonies].
Were Rick and Elvis similar in any aspect?
While Elvis was number one in the late '50s, Rick got up to number two. That's pretty d--n good. Anytime somebody can run neck and neck with Elvis – that's pretty d--n close.
Numerous Memphis Mafia members have told me that Rick and Elvis became buddies in the early '60s and played tag football together on Sunday afternoons in De Neve Park (near Sunset Boulevard) whenever Elvis was in L.A. filming a movie. I didn't actually meet Elvis in person until 1969 when I put the TCB Band together for him.
We were traveling doing sold-out tours just like Elvis, although we played around the world and Elvis never did. In 1959 we took our first major intercontinental trip, visiting Australia. We also played London and the Far East, and the crowds were just as wild over there. They loved Rick, and it was great. Most of the time we did a full-on show, normally about an hour.
We were present in Hawaii during 1959 for the official ceremony establishing Hawaii as the 50th state. Rick and I stayed at the famous Royal Hawaiian Village Hotel, and Ozzie and Harriet and everybody came over to join us.
In Rick's heyday, it was a regular occurrence if the crowds numbered anywhere between 30,000 or 45,000. We played Steel Pier at Atlantic City five years in a row to incredible audiences. There would be six or seven 20-minute shows daily on these package tours with artists like Les Brown's Orchestra, Bobby Rydell, Jimmy Clanton, or Dion and the Belmonts rotating in and out.
The screaming kids would yell, "Run over me, Ricky! Please, please, I love you, I love you!" You know how some of the die-hard fans can be…they'd just as soon have Rick or Elvis run over 'em in a car. They didn't care [laughs].
Did any of those die-hard fans mistake you for Rick?
I remember one time in San Diego we played a ballpark. The fans were crazy, man. We had this truck bed at the pitcher's base where the stage was set up, and the fans were a little-ways behind a fence. They were dying to get over that fence and come attack us.
We had these little trailers at the back of the stage where we could hang out, get dressed, and keep our instrument cases. We were onstage, and boy, here they come. Our management hollered, "Get off the stage, get off the stage, go get in the limousine!"
I unplugged my guitar, and I had to run to my trailer and throw my guitar in its case. I came out of my dressing room, and I got caught in the middle of those screaming fans. They were tearing my jacket off, my shirt – they just wanted to rip my head off. They didn't know what they were doing, and it was downright scary.
I was trying to make it to the limousine. The security guys came back to get me. They grabbed me and my guitar and threw me in the car to get away from the fans. They were trying to tear the car up, turn it over, but we managed to get out alive.
If you think about being in a position like that, not realizing how dangerous and scary it is, you hear stories where people go to these shows with 60,000-seaters, and people out there go nuts. They have riots, folks are stomped, trampled, or even killed. We went through all that with Rick, and a little more of it with Elvis. Looking back, traveling with Rick was an awful lot of fun. We were like brothers through the whole thing.
With a rigorous television shooting schedule and constant touring, how did you find time to record?
We simply had to make time and block time out for when we knew we weren't doing any live shows or in-between filming. Then we'd go into the studio. Sometimes it was tough, but we did it. We recorded mostly at night, sometimes in the afternoon. Most singers like to record at night. I guess it sets them up in the right mood.
Did Rick tell you what to play?
He was never dictatorial or overbearing like some artists tend to be. Rick and I pretty much worked the songs up, and we would put our ideas together. I would tell Rick what I liked and vice versa.
None of the musicians on a Rick Nelson session were ever limited. We could do what we wanted to do and make suggestions to improve a song. Executives couldn't really tell us what to do or what to play 'cause we had it down.
We had a good music arranger in Jimmie Haskell, who worked very closely with us. We would give him an idea of what we wanted, and that was cool. I remember Jimmie wrote the notes out for my solo on "Hello Mary Lou." He explained that was what it looks like on paper, and I innocently replied, "My God, that looks like a bunch of blackbirds on a fence. Who could figure that out?" [laughs].
Was Ozzie a major guiding force while you were recording?
Not really. Ozzie would come in and mainly be interested in the song selection. He was very knowledgable and could tell you right from wrong pretty fast. Even though he was from the Big Band swing and dance era, Ozzie still possessed a winning ear decades later, picking old standards like "Fools Rush In", "For You", and "The Nearness of You" for us to put our spin on.
Sometimes he suggested to Rick how to sing, but we would usually end up doing it the way Rick wanted to do it. Never one for confrontations, Rick usually kept quiet until Ozzie left the studio, but I can vividly remember him saying at least one time, "Dad, it's my record. I gotta do it my way" [laughs]. Rick appreciated his dad's opinion and ideas, but Rick thought that to do the type of music he really wanted to do, he didn't want to emulate his dad's big band sound.
When we recorded the solo for "Fools Rush In," Ozzie came to me and said, "Man that solo you played was so good it reminded me of a solo my saxophone player would play in my old orchestra." I thought it would have been cool to have replied with something to the effect of 'Gee, that sax player had pretty good taste' [laughs]. Regardless, there was almost nothing that Ozzie couldn't do successfully – he was a brilliant businessman, producer, director, writer, bandleader, and vocalist.
Why did original bassist James Kirkland leave the band in early summer 1960?
James Kirkland wanted to do more country and rockabilly-type stuff, and he had a job offer from Jim Reeves, another legend I probably played behind while I was on the Louisiana Hayride (I was only 14 years old then).
Anyway, James took the offer, moved to Nashville, and worked with the crooner until Reeves' sudden death in 1964 from a plane crash. Today James lives in a little town outside of Dallas. I would love to see him again and catch up on old times.
Rick and I were having lunch one day, and we both had the same idea at the same time. We looked at each other and exclaimed, "Wow, man, we've only got two weeks, and we gotta get a bass player. We're going on tour in Australia and all over Europe."
I told him I had a friend in Shreveport, Joe Osborn, and I would give him a call. I called Joe and I talked to him a little bit, and I later told Rick that Joe was interested. Rick then talked to him, and before you knew it, we had a new bass player, and we were ready to go. I still see Joe every now and then – he only lives about 15 minutes away from me.
Was there a reason why Rick never had a permanent piano player?
We didn't use piano players on the road – we wanted to keep the sound down to a basic combo. For doing sessions, you could use a variety of guys well-versed in their respective field.
Gene Garff, a great jazz pianist, was on the earlier rockabilly sides. One of the last guys that played with us was Ray Johnson, Plas Johnson's elder brother. Plas was an African American who played great saxophone. Ray played piano with us on a lot of stuff, including "Travelin' Man."
How would you characterize Rick's personality?
Rick was wonderful. If you met him for the first time, your impression would be, 'Boy, this guy is really quiet and shy'. He was the type of guy that once you got to know him, you understood more about his personality. There were just certain things you couldn't talk about. He was easy to blush.
A lot of times when I do interviews, people ask, "How come Rick closes his eyes when he sings?" A lot of it is in feeling, because he had a great feel for the type of songs he sang and what he enjoyed singing, as well as a soft, smooth voice. Rick could sing a lot of different styles of music.
We did a lot of old ballads like "Fools Rush In," which we hopped up a little bit. Instead of one carburetor, we had three carburetors on it [Author's Note: Burton later suggested Elvis record "Fools Rush In" during sessions at Nashville's RCA's Studio B in May 1971, which he promptly did after running through 25 takes of it].
It just seems like our music really went together well. We were a good team who worked closely, and we made some really nice music in our time span. Rick's music is still very popular, and it's just as good today as the day we recorded it.
What memories spring to mind when you hear the following songs featuring your patented Telecaster notes?
- "Believe What You Say" [No. 4, also No. 10 C&W, No. 6 R&B April 1958]
That was the very first song of Rick's that I played the lead guitar solo. What was it that Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones said? "Hell, I didn't buy Ricky Nelson records – I bought James Burton records" [laughs].
Rick loved that song and kept that in his set list until he passed away. Dorsey and Johnny Burnette wrote "Believe What You Say." Dorsey was a good friend of mine. I played on records by both of them as well as their children, Billy (Dorsey's son) and Rocky (Johnny's boy).
- "Travelin' Man" [No. 1 April 1961]
"Travelin' Man" was the very first music video played on television, a remarkable accomplishment for a cool song. Jerry Fuller composed it. He was also an excellent singer who sang background vocals with Glen Campbell and Dave Burgess on a good number of our early '60s sessions with Rick.
Jerry later became an in-demand producer for people like Johnny Mathis, and I was on many of those sessions as well. Fans of Paul Revere and the Raiders might not know, but Jerry guided lead singer Mark Lindsay's early solo hits such as "Arizona" and "Silver Bird."
- "Fire Breathin' Dragon" [A-side January 1966]
We played "Fire Breathin' Dragon" during our first and only appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. We also performed the B-side, "Your Kind of Lovin'". To quote Sullivan's famous introduction, "And now, ladies and gentlemen…" (laughs). Sullivan was one-of-a-kind, very business-oriented, but a fun guy to talk with. I met and shook hands with him, and he was very nice to me.
Doing his show was a cut and dry experience. You went in, turned the radio on, and that was it [laughs]. We were there 30 minutes. I do remember that it was cold and snowy in New York City that January evening. I don't think I've seen our guest appearance in decades [Author's Note: After playing the YouTube video over the phone for Burton, he remarked, "That sounds good!"].
Rick seemed to lose much of his creative edge by 1964, and his hit singles consequently started drying up. Coupled with the onslaught of the British Invasion, "The Very Thought of You" was his last Top 40 hit until a sublime cover of Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me" five years later. Simultaneously, you received a unique offer to join an innovative musical variety series on ABC. How did that come about?
Johnny Cash called me to play slide dobro with him on the very first pilot show for Shindig! Soon I met Jack Good, the series' producer. A big fan of mine, he casually said, "Oh man, I love all your solos on Rick's records. I want you to be on the show every week." "Gee, Jack, what would I do?" "We'll form this group, and you'll be called the Shindogs." "Okay."
Delaney Bramlett sang and played bass, Joey Cooper sang and played rhythm guitar, Glen D. Hardin was on piano, Chuck Blackwell on drums, and myself on lead guitar. That was the Shindogs. We did 90 percent of the recording for the show with all the artists that came on. I remember I bought a brand new '65 Buick Wildcat convertible [laughs].
Chuck came out from Oklahoma with future Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Leon Russell. The pianist was working at Sun Valley Rancho with some buddies of mine. We became real good friends and still are. I would go out and visit or take him to work (Leon didn't have a vehicle then).
Leon and I started doing studio work together. I played on his records, and we both played on a number of Rick's mid-'60s recordings, including "Mean Old World" [Author's Note: The song has received much critical praise in recent years but inexplicably had no commercial impact when released as a single in March 1965]. Leon also arranged and produced a lot of classic singles in the '60s for many artists – i.e. Gary Lewis and the Playboys and The Byrds – before he became a star in his own right.
While we were on Shindig!, Joey wrote several tunes that Rick covered [Author's Note: Along with Memphis Mafia member Red West, Cooper co-wrote the poppy "I'm A Fool," available on the November 1964 LP "Spotlight on Rick", as well as the fuzz rocker "Love Is Where You Find It," released exactly one year later on the otherwise lackluster "Love and Kisses"]. I haven't heard anything or any rumors regarding Joey's whereabouts.
I kept working with Rick during and after my 18-month Shindig! stint, although the cancellation of Ozzie and Harriet in 1966 and Rick's declining popularity curtailed much of our activity. I especially have fond memories of a highly successful April 1966 tour of the Far East with Glen Campbell substituting for Joe Osborn on bass.
Joe, deathly afraid of flying, broke out in hives as the plane got ready for takeoff [laughs]. Glen had played rhythm guitar and sang background vocals for us in the studio for the past five years, so he had relatively little trouble adjusting to Rick's repertoire.
My career as a session guitarist with the Wrecking Crew in L.A. grew busier and busier – I was doing five to six sessions per day – seven days a week – working with every artist you can think of. Still, I fit in recording sessions with Rick on such cool albums as Bright Lights and Country Music and Country Fever.
[Author's Note: After finishing his groundbreaking initial forays into country, Nelson started chasing trends on his two subsequent albums – Another Side of Rick and Perspective. The elaborate psychedelic arrangements, combined with Nelson's often uncomfortable-sounding vocals, represented the arguable nadir of his career. Burton actually composed the "turn on, tune in, drop out" pastiche "Marshmallow Skies" with his longtime buddy. Sadly, after an April 13, 1968 session at Wally Heider Studios for "Hello to the Wind" and "Stop By My Window" – both destined to be album cuts on Perspective – the duo's legendary partnership ended with minimal fanfare. The Stone Canyon Band was formed the following year, marking the birth of a creative renaissance for Nelson. For audiophiles, Burton's chicken pickin' is plainly discernible on the extended outro of "Stop By My Window"].
What did you think of Rick's decision to form the Stone Canyon Band in 1969?
I was just so happy that he was still out working. He seemed to be contented doing it. I only wished the best for him. Rick eventually became quite the songwriter.
"Garden Party" was one of the nicer things he did during that era. There's a story behind Rick's final million seller – some strange things happened when he went up to New York City and played a rock and roll revival package show spearheaded by promoter Richard Nader at Madison Square Garden [Oct. 15, 1971]. Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, the Shirelles, and other artists past their prime were on the bill.
Rick had hair down to his shoulders, an embroidered western shirt, and played a different type of music – country rock – and the crowd wasn't ready for it. They wanted to hear Rick's original hits played the way they remembered them. Some of the audience apparently booed him, as they weren't quite sure how to accept him. Of course, that was after I had left, and Tom Brumley, who unfortunately passed away in February 2009, had taken my place on steel guitar.
I admire Rick for exploring different musical directions that mattered to him, whether his longtime fans accepted it or not. Rick was such a great artist that he should have been able to do anything stylistically, and his fans would have accepted him unconditionally. I'm not sure why, but whatever music suited Elvis' fancy, his fans tended to buy it. In a perfect world, this should have happened in a similar manner with Rick.
It was quite hard for him to break away from his classic sound and image, but he persevered and did things his way, even if it meant performing up to 300 shows per year, often in small clubs near the end of his life. By the early '80s, he was finally persuaded that it was okay to revisit his past rockabilly hits from the '50s and early '60s. Those songs have stood the test of time, and I'm glad Rick came to recognize their legacy.
Did you consider rejoining Rick's band at any point?
Our paths simply went in different directions. I had to make a tough decision to go with Elvis when he called for the second time and asked me to put a band together and go to Vegas with him in 1969 because I didn't want to lose all my clients. Elvis actually called me while he was making the '68 Comeback Special but I was too busy on sessions. Thankfully, I didn't actually lose anything, and I gained another wonderful person to work with doing live shows. Elvis was an incredible person to work with.
I also worked with Jerry Lee Lewis after Elvis' death. We were at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas on New Year's Eve 1984. Rick opened the show, we closed the show, and we would do another set of shows that same night. They weren't very long, probably 45-minute shows.
I never got onstage again with Rick because Jerry Lee's band would never be backstage until maybe Rick's closing number. Once in awhile, I would go down early and hang out. I don't know if Jerry Lee would have liked that. It would be like working with Elvis – you wouldn't want to go onstage with somebody before Elvis' show – it wouldn't look good [laughs].
Still, Rick and I spent two great weeks together – talking, visiting, just hanging out. We were always friends and very close. That was exactly a year before Rick's plane, engulfed in flames, landed in De Kalb, Texas, very close to my hometown in Shreveport. Ironically, the 1944 Douglas DC-3 airplane had originally belonged to Jerry Lee, but he realized the plane was unsafe and refused to fly in it.
Rick was returning to his rockabilly roots on his final, still-unreleased album for Curb Records. Would you consider overdubbing guitar if the family had a change of heart and decided to release it?
While we were in Vegas with Jerry Lee, Rick asked me to come and play on what turned out to be his final album. I told him, "Absolutely, I'd love to." Unfortunately, it never happened. Jimmie Haskell also called and asked me if I would play on it, as Rick had asked him to contact me.
I really don't know the status of the recordings – whether it was finished or if they would consider releasing it. I could find out real easy, though. It's possible that I could be called in to overdub my guitar parts after all these years. If his family called me, I would be more than happy to do that.
Where were you when you received the awful news of Rick's untimely demise?
My wife, Louise, and I had a home in Las Vegas since I had worked with Elvis for so long [1969–1977]. We were there during that New Year's Eve 1985 weekend. My son's ex-wife called to tell us the news, but I didn't take the call. I answered the phone and gave it to Louise. Minutes later, I heard a chilling scream.
I ran back into the room and yelled, "What happened?" Clearly upset, Louise replied, "Turn the TV on. Rick and his entire band just had a plane crash!" That's how I found out about it. The band, including road manager Donald Clark Russell, guitarist Bobby Neal, bassist Patrick Woodward, drummer Ricky Intveld, and keyboardist Andy Chapin, were all good friends of mine.
It was such an incredible shock and sad time for us, especially being in Vegas and thinking of what might have been had I been able to reunite in the studio with Rick. When you lose somebody that close, they're like family to you. We lost a wonderful entertainer and an all-around great guy.
Can you fathom how much time has transpired since Rick's passing?
It doesn't seem like it's been nearly 30 years at all. I think about him so often. When I go out and do shows, those old tunes like "Hello Mary Lou", "Travelin' Man," and even "Mystery Train" and "I Got a Woman" are top of the line [Author's Note: Elvis also had early hits with the latter two].
Rick was a talented individual who had a wonderful career. All the music we did is just as good today as when we recorded it. Rick was on the verge of being a real gigantic superstar.
He was one of the sweetest, finest guys I've ever worked with, and the whole family is unbelievably fantastic. He loved his kids. Rick's twin sons, Gunnar and Matthew, performed at my very first James Burton International Guitar Festival in 2005. I still sit in with them occasionally on Ricky Nelson Remembered, a show they do in cities throughout the USA. His youngest child, Sam, is a great singer, too.
I did a thing with Sam, Matthew, and Gunnar for the documentary Ricky Nelson Sings [2005], which was released to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Rick's passing. We went in the studio and played live together on "It's Late," "Believe What You Say," and "Garden Party." Hey man, it was cool. We also got together for an amazing evening on Larry King Live to remember Rick during that same anniversary. I remain the absolute best of friends with his whole family.
What are some of your favorite recordings by Rick?
Probably my two favorites are "Travelin' Man" and "Hello Mary Lou." If you can believe it, those two songs were the A and B side of the same single. "Lonesome Town" – that's one I love. I played the sole acoustic guitar part on it. An obscure one is Hoagy Carmichael's jazz standard "The Nearness of You," a really cool album cut on Rick Nelson Sings "For You" [December 1963]. And remember "That's All," a fine ballad [June 1959]?
What would you like to say to Rick's many worldwide fans?
I'd like to tell all the fans hello and may God bless each and every one of them. Every place I travel around the world, someone always mentions Rick's name. His music truly lives on. I miss him, and I hope to continue doing great work with his kids – Tracy, Gunnar, Matthew, and Sam.
- DON'T GO ANYWHERE YET! Jimmie Haskell won his first of three Grammys for arranging chanteuse Bobbie Gentry's mysterious "Ode to Billie Joe" in 1967. But before Haskell received widespread recognition in the recording industry, he earned his musical chops in a decade-long partnership with Rick Nelson that yielded a ton of essential hits. In "Just Go in the Studio and Make Hit Records..." Haskell examines his role in the "Lonesome Town" balladeer's career, revealing what instrument he played on the iconic "Hello Mary Lou", the day Rick nearly got in big trouble with his father for smoking in the studio, the singer's surprise cowboy expertise on the set of Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin, Glen Campbell's largely unrecognized guitar and vocal contributions to Rick's music, a premonitory conversation about the unsafe 40-year-old Douglas DC-3 airplane that the singer refused to sell, and where he was when he received the news of Rick's cruel date with destiny on New Year's Eve 1985.
To interact via social media with Jeremy Roberts, visit Twitter (@jeremylr) or Facebook.
Exclusive Interview: Rick's youngest child, Sam, had a complicated relationship with his dad. While he recognized that his famous father loved him, they rarely had a chance to see each other due to drawn out, often nasty divorce proceedings. Just when it seemed like things were getting back to relative normalcy, "Pop" was inexplicably gone forever. Sam was only 11 years old. Now manager of his grandparents' estate and a fine musician, Sam has broken his silence to remember what it was like to grow up the son of a deceased rock 'n' roll star in the touching "Rick Nelson Was Really My Dad..." Don't miss it!
Exclusive Interview No. 2: One aspect of Rick's legacy that is rarely explored or given proper credit is his songwriting. And if it is, his only claim to fame is the autobiographical "Garden Party." While never a prolific wordsmith, the artist reached his critical zenith during the early '70s, ultimately penning approximately 44 compositions that were released on various records through 1981's "Playing to Win." In an extensive series of conversations ["Rick Nelson, Songwriter: A Candid Take..."], Sheree Homer, author of the engrossing "Rick Nelson: Rock 'N' Roll Pioneer", unearths the debut song composed by the singer about an unfortunate break-up with his girlfriend, and why it took nearly eight years before he gained enough confidence to release a second composition. The sublime country rock tune "You Just Can't Quit", the ethereal ode to making one's own destiny, "Easy To Be Free", and Nelson's highly underrated debut studio album, "Rick Sings Nelson", are reviewed track-by-track and placed in proper historical context, too.
- Exclusive Interview No. 3: Philip Bashe wrote one of the first books on Rick's meteoric trajectory in 1992. In his 40-year journalism career, Bashe can still recall the moment when he first heard the singer on early '70s AM radio. Instantly rooting for Rick's moral victory after being booed at Madison Square Garden and refusing to compromise, the author began a decade-long quest to uncover the man behind the myth. In the splendid 11,000 word conversation entitled "Teenage Idol, Travelin' Man...", Bashe refutes the misnomer that Ozzie didn't understand rock 'n' roll, explains why Rick is often lumped in with teen idols, the singer's acting aspirations, contextualizes the vastly neglected work of the Stone Canyon Band, and reveals why legends including Bob Dylan and John Fogerty still idolize the gifted artist.
Further Reading: Rick was on the verge of a mini comeback when his plane tragically caught on fire en route to a New Year's Eve gig on December 31, 1985. A rockabilly-themed album was in the final recording stages, and the singer had found a new record label in Nashville named Curb Records. Unfortunately, the project was promptly placed in the dustbin whilst various figureheads argued over rights, whether Rick's vocals were satisfactory, and if the project deserved to see the light of day. Wrangling beyond the so-called myths revolving around the project, an in-depth feature ["True Love Ways: A Glimpse Inside the Tangled Web of Rick Nelson's Final Album"] sheds light on the ill-fated Curb sessions nearly 30 years later.
*****CLICK HERE to get your free email subscription to Jeremy Roberts' regular column. Authentic interviews, original commentary, news, and reviews from the wide world of pop culture will be delivered directly to your inbox. And whether you enjoyed or disliked this article, don't hesitate to leave a comment below to join the discussion. Thanks!
© Jeremy L. Roberts, 2010, 2014. All rights reserved. An earlier version of the James Burton interview debuted in this column as four installments marking the 25th anniversary of Rick Nelson's death on Dec. 31, 2010. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed in full without first contacting the author. Do not copy or paste the article text—please share the URL instead. Headlines with links are also fine. Posting any links on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, or Google Plus is sincerely appreciated.
Suggested Links
- Living in the shadow of a teenage idol: David Nelson enters the limelight
- On the brink of becoming an artistic phenomenon: Elvis meets Tommy Edwards
- More thunder on the piano: Ronnie Milsap relives Memphis days with Elvis Presley
- One hit wonder flashback: The timeless allure of Smith's 'Baby It's You' cover
- Pianist Chris Nole remembers the masterful John Denver on his 70th birthday


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"Farm Animals for Kids: Amazing Pictures and Fun Fact Children Book" by Betty Johnson, is a detailed and informative book about animals who live on farms. This a great children's book about animals. Each page is chock full of detailed information about each farm animal. I like how the important facts were broken down into different subtitles. Children will really be able to glean a significant amount of information about the animals from this book. I also found the illustrations to be cute and very colorful, they added a fun element to the book., they show how the animals look using cartoon-like graphics.
This book would be a great teaching tool. It could be used in many different aspects of the classroom. I like that the book asks the readers questions, this ensures that the book was read thoroughly and the information was retained so that it can be recalled to answer questions later. The book allows the children to really work their reading skills and absorb the context. Children's metacognitive abilities will be worked will reading this book also. Teachers will find the setup of the book to be favorable.


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Surveillance video shows Lathrop car wash attackUPDATED 5:31 PM PDT Jul 03, 2014
San Joaquin County sheriff's deputies are looking for three people who attacked a man at a Lathrop car wash. ***Warning: This video could be disturbing to some viewers.
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Foot Locker debuted a new commercial on Tuesday starring James Harden and Anthony Davis. The new spot is called "Disguise" and features the two stars getting into a discussion about who is famous and the lengths they will go not to be mobbed by fans when they go out shopping at Foot Locker.
The campaign is part of Foot Locker's highly successful "Approved" series, which has starred athletes from all sports getting into hilarious situations that manages to tie into their personas on and off the court. Harden has been a part of Foot Locker's commercials for a while now and Davis recently starred in his own spot for Kid's Foot Locker.
Among the products featured in the commercial in the Nike HyperRev, Nike LeBron 11 NSW Lifestyle, Nike Air Zoom Flight '98 "The Glove" and the "D.C." Nike KD 6, all of which will be releasing this month.
Follow me on Twitter and on Instagram be sure to check out and like the Examiner Kicks Facebook page and subscribe to our Youtube channel which is full of updates and commentary you won't see here.
Check out the reveal of the adidas Basketball All-Star Collection here.
Suggested Links
- Adidas Basketball debuts special edition 2014 NBA All-Star Game shoes
- First Look: Nike LeBron 11 NSW Lifestyle 'University Red'
- Nike reveals 2014 NOLA Gumbo League Collection for the NBA All-Star Game
- Nike Sportswear Crescent City All-Star Collection celebrates New Orleans style
- Available: Li-Ning Way of Wade 2 'Announcement'


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Three people have died and more than 20 were injured in a giant accident on I-94 in Indiana on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014. ABC News reported that the I-94 pileup involved tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles in northwestern Indiana, and has whiteout snow conditions to blame.
The Indiana State Police said that one injured person actually remained trapped for several hours after one crash led to another then to another and so on.
"They're still trying to get to all the vehicles. They are cutting and extricating the vehicles," LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan told The Associated Press amid the rescue effort.
It was around 3:30 p.m. that the I-94 pileup began near Michigan City, Indiana, between Exits 26 and 40. All in all, police say there were about 15 semis and 15 other vehicles involved in the crash, and the whiteout conditions ended up being the primary cause.
All eastbound lanes of I-94 were closed, and a number of state roads were either closed or blocked in what police were calling a "critical disruption" of traffic.
Traffic was being rerouted on the westbound lanes, but very slowly.
Indiana State Troopers said that a number of other crashes on I-94 caused other pileups that made the major highway virtually "impassable."
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Today's recipe is a healthy but delicious type of meatloaf. We are making 'Vegetarian Tofu Meatloaf' The contents of this meatloaf just to name a few include shiitaki mushrooms, chili flakes, and Tofu. 'Tofu, also called bean curd, is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks.' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu It takes about an hour and a half to make. Here is the recipe link if you want to try making it at home. http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/special-dietary-needs/vegetarian/vegetarian-tofu-meatloaf/
At 'Rock bottom' located on 115 Stuart St in Boston, Massachusetts they offer a similar dish called turkey meat loaf. If you don't live near Boston you can find a restaurant near you.


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911 Dog and Cat Rescue will be holding a second adoption event on Sunday, June 1, 2014 at George and Martha's American Grille, 67 Morris St, Morristown in the back parking lot. Dogs will be available on site for viewing from noon to 4 pm; photos of adoptable cats will be present.
911 Dog and Cat Rescue held its second annual Put Up Your Paws event last weekend also hosted by George and Martha's American Grille, where many dogs available for adoption were paraded by volunteers, many who were fostering the dogs and were familiar with the dogs' personalities. A few dogs were adopted; many had applications for adoptions taken on site.
Donations can also be made at either this location or sent to 911 Dog and Cat Rescue.
The rain did not keep potential adopters away last weekend. If you are thinking of adopting your next furry friend, this is the place to come. Animals for adoptions from this rescue come mostly from animals picked up as strays from Morristown or as owner surrenders.
Some of the animals still available can be seen in the slideshow above ane on the 911 Dog and Cat Rescue Facebook page.
For further information about this event or any animals available for adoption, contact 911 Dog and Cat Rescue.
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This Tuesday, NYC was on winter storm watch throughout the night, but that had no apparent effect on Plan B's New York debut at Bowery Ballroom. The place was packed and full of energy, with a crowd that was at least half British folks "on holiday." Before Plan B, the crowd was treated to a beatboxing extravaganza from Faith SFX, complete with layered drum beats broken down, live instrument imitations and sing-a-longs to hip-hop classics, including DMX and Lil Wayne. He riled up the crowd for Plan B, who came out strong with a full backing band: two guitarists, back-up singers – the works.
Plan B played a mixed set including many tracks from his upcoming release The Defamation of Strickland Banks. First his soulful ballads had the crowd swaying, then he got into his more upbeat songs like "Prayin" and the crowd got jumpy; couldn't get enough. Of course Plan B added a bit of flavor to his set, sprinkling in some classic covers, medleys, and switching to a reggae groove mid-song. Overall Plan B nailed it in our famously snobby city on a bitterly cold night. By the end of the show, there were nothing but warm smiles inside.
LA: Plan B is in the States for one more night, playing at Troubador (LA) with DJ Luke Top (Fools Gold) tonight. Hope you already got tickets, cuz it's sold out.
More Videos & Streaming Tracks from The Defamation of Strickland Banks


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A child's family and parents are the most powerful influence in a child's life. Before he or she significantly interacts with others in the world, a child does so with his family members. Parental interaction is most important to the child. This is especially so in instances where a child is born with a disability.
When a child is born with or it is discovered he/she is disabled, the parents, in general, will first experience a period of emotional crisis characterized by shock, denial, and disbelief. This initial reaction is proceeded by periods of anger, guilt, depression, shame, lowered self-esteem, rejection of the child, blaming each other, rejection of God and overprotectiveness. It is at this stage that one of the parents will seek a divorce and/or the abuse of the disabled child or a sibling will occur. If family members and parents come together, the third stage in which they accept the child will generally arrive. Researchers who have studied families with disabled children in them report that having a member of the family with a disability will experience, often life-long periods of confronting, adjusting and adapting to the child through their developmental stage progressions to adulthood and beyond.
In 1993, Florene Steward Poyadue, a Registered Nurse and the parent of a Down's Syndrome child, conducted research and suggested a stage beyond acceptance and adapting to a disabled child. She proposed the notion of appreciation for and positive aspects the presence of the disabled child bring into the family in many instances. She reported among the positive responses was that parents/caregivers had given her were: 1) couples coming closer together creating a stronger bond among family members; 2) being more responsible parents; 3) having unexplainable and unexpected pleasures while working with their disabled daughter or son. Researchers following the Poyadue studies arrived at similar conclusions.
Though positive experiences can offer a great deal of hope for families with a disabled child, taking care of a child with a disability is a demanding task. Children with disabilities, especially those child with chronic illnesses, can entail tremendous amounts of time, strain on family resources, medical costs as well as cause added stress to parents and other family members. In some cases, a child with a disability can result in mental and physical stress on family members and on the parents. Much of this is due to a lack of income. One parent, if it is a two parent family, must work while the other family member must remain at home caring for the child. One parent families are unable to work at all depending entirely on public assistance and other means of support. Respite care can reduce a great deal of these stressors. Church and community oriented programs for these families in the way of time off, volunteers to run errands, as well as parenting information have been found highly useful for these families.