"One good thing about music: when it hits you, you feel no pain." ~ Bob Marley
I've decided, in the interest of reconciling my multiple music personalities, to post influential music from my past that relates to all my siblings, friends, etc individually. It's a type of therapy you see.
First up, my mom and her collection of 50s music. Whenever we were in the car together I was regaled with the pop classics pre-Elvis and the Beatles.
Here's one I remember well from Del Shannon.And, just for the hell of it,
here is a song from the Scissor Sisters, a band Lou recently introduced me to. Glad to see the BeeGees influence lasted past the 80s. Don't feel like dancing, dancing....
Sensory extremes
The Washington Times is reporting that World leaders are embracing Bush's statement about slashing gasoline consumption because they believe "climate change poses the most serious threat to the planet."To the planet? Really?
I'm reposting a speech Michael Crichton gave back in Nov. 2005 that deals with the cult of environmentalism. I'm not saying that humanity shouldn't take pains to protect the planet -- it'd be like neglecting to fix your roof if there's a leak -- but I still think that checking the collective ego and realizing, as George Carlin so succinctly puts it, that the Earth will one day shake us off and she'll still be kicking around in space, probably developing new life forms from her primordial muck that can survive nuclear winters and dangerous levels of UV rays. In other words, we're just not powerful enough to destroy something as magnificent and miraculous as a planet. We can, however, destroy ourselves. And I think that's what this is really all about, don't you?
I saw this movie yesterday -- it was beautiful and fascinating and brutal and upsetting. I like to live most of my days without the reminder that there are times in history and places in the world where children are shot and left to die. For 2 hours Sunday, I was reminded what a delusion that really is. Difficult to watch -- but probably important, too. Best line = "To obey without question ... that is something, Captain, that only people like you can do..."
And, just because he, along with my mother, is one reason that I cannot exist without music in my life, here's a new song my Dad shared this past weekend. He's been going to New Orleans a lot lately. It shows.
If you can't listen to it, go out and find it -- Doc Watson's version of St. James' Infirmary. Stirring.
Freddie on a Monday
Was told about a new timewasting site called
Damn Interesting. It looks, well, damn interesting.
The Somber one sent me this:
It's a friend of ours one Halloween playing a show as the late, great, Freddie Mercury.
Here's the real thing:
And here's something just kind of funny:
Piglet with Tigger tendencies
Lou and I had a great conversation the other day about a Psychology class she took in college that placed every personality type within the confines of a Pooh character (this sounds like that cool book
The Tao of Pooh but is slightly different so bear with me).
We decided that I was Piglet (who's sort of a 'fraidy cat...er, pig) with Tigger tendencies (bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, bouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!). She, on the other hand, is Tigger with the maternal Kanga tendencies.
Both of us decided that the Eeyores in our lives ("I guess I'll rebuild my house but it'll just fall down again anyway..."), while charming and you just want to hold 'em and make 'em feel better, have got to go.
It was a really great conversation.
Consequences? ... What're those?
Don't mess with Mother Nature. That's all I'm sayin'.Happy Friday to my peeps.
Those nutty Help Desk guys
Okay, so some of the folks I work with like to leave sticky notes on the Coke/candy vending machines for the guys who come to restock them. "This machine owes me $1"; "What happened to the Snickers?", etc.
So, this morning I walk into the kitchen and my gaze wanders over to the Coke machine and there, illuminated from behind, is this:
The best is the follow-up in ballpoint. I totally live for this kind of thing.
I'm sorry but it's true...
As a responsible member of my national community, I really want to talk about politics. Really, I do.
Like the recent news reports on how the Dems in the House Majority have proven what I suspected all along -- they are the party of subversion. In other words, a liar's best defense is preemptively calling someone else a liar. The Dems are pretty much doing this in the House -- using tactics they've been accusing Republicans of for years. Maybe, if we call Jimbob a bastard
we can act like bastards and no one will know... Pathetic.
But rather than get into all that -- because it depresses me a little you see -- I'd rather talk about how I disagree with VH1 that "Livin' on a Prayer" is the epitome of arena rock.
I think this song is. I know this because my sister Lou was a HUGE fan in high school while I was more into R.E.M., Howard Jones, The Cure, etc. I thought I might beat someone down if I heard "Foolin'" one more time.
But then, a few years back, Lou invited me to a show in the ATL where the DL was playing outside. They played this song. It was total arena rock. The epitome of, in fact. Crank it up, ya'll. In the vernacular, this shit rocks dude!
Back into the swing
I saw
Little Black Book last night on the teevee. I never wanted to see it thinking it was a sappy romantic comedy but it turned out to be much deeper, darker and meatier than my preconceptions. Holly Hunter played the part of the arrogant narcissist perfectly. Almost the exact opposite of the role she played in Broadcast News, by the way.
On a more pleasant note,
I can finally take my tree down because tomorrow's "Little Christmas." Being Catholic has it's perks...we get extra presents!
School starts next week. Halfway there (and feeling every minute of it...)
Happy Friday people. I don't know about you but there's some wine at mi casa with mi nombre on it...
Arbitrary mean-ness is sometimes funny
Break.com has released its top 10 videos for the year 2006. Good lord I was crying. The Easter Bunny one (for those of you who didn't realize I had a darker side) made me feel so Dr. Evil...
I can't remember what Nostradamus predicted for 2007 but I don't think it came true
Happy New Year's from our little party to yours! Lou said her resolution is to "own it." Wish I had thought of that... I'm just doing a little mental house cleaning.
Here's to all your resolutions being kept for the better!
I've decided, in the interest of reconciling my multiple music personalities, to post influential music from my past that relates to all my siblings, friends, etc individually. It's a type of therapy you see.
