Versa Vice – Part 1

It occurs to me that “still standing” is perseverance while “standing still” lacks initiative.

At a glance can you tell the difference? Does our perception rely on our knowledge of what precedes? At some point does one become the other? Can I persevere to the point of inactivity? Can I lack initiative long enough for that to appear virtuous? Is that Zen?

Have I given this too much thought? Or should I lie down and give this some more thought? Maybe a little music will help?

Happy Turkey Day.

Just remember, if you look around the table and you don’t see a turkey… it’s you…. And if you do see one, be thankful!

Amateur

One of the great disappointments in my life is that I love music yet have no apparent talent for playing any musical instrument. But I do know a little about editing video, and this guy [or here] has used his video editing talents in lieu of musical talent.

Kinda cool, huh? [In a geeky sort of way.]

Torn

I think this video [or here] and Natalie Imbruglia is [are] really cute. I suppose it helps if you like the song to begin with, which I do. It bothered me though that they do the air guitar the wrong direction [higher-pitched notes are played by bring your hand down the neck, not up] and there were apparently several people that were similarly distressed judging by the comments on YouTube. One commenter had great advice that I have decided to take: “Get over it.”

Crazy Crazy Crazy

There’s an old joke that asks:

How many female country singers does it take to sing “Crazy”?

?

?

?

?

?

?

The answer — Apparently… every last one of them.

I am amending the answer to this — Apparently… every last one of them. And this guy here [or here]:

I quite understand if you don’t watch that all the way through…. Of course, the late, great Patsy Cline recorded the classic version — here [or here] for comparison.

I expect you know that the song was written by Willie Nelson and he also has recorded it a few times. One of the most sublime I think is this one [or here] with Diana Krall and Elvis Costello:

Alaska Laughs*

*This is NOT a political post. I finished those up back here.

I am reminiscing about my summer trip to Alaska… because it’s colder here this week than it was there in June and because I think I would rather be anywhere but here right now and because can’t we all use a laugh [or threee]? And I’m not going to write anything about the fact that I was in Wasilla briefly, except that I was and had no idea their governor was from there….

ONE:
In Denali, there are lots of shrubs on the tundra. We noticed that the bark was eaten away on them several feet off the ground. Naturally, we wondered if the moose or elk eat the bark in addition to the foliage. We saw tons of snowshoe hares but, unless there were mutants that were MUCH larger there was no way they could be responsible for munching at that height. What we had failed to consider was the snow. Since we were there in June, most of the snow was gone. But it was indeed the hares that had eaten the bark while they were standing on several feet of snow. And as the snow melts, they eat lower and lower off the shrubs. And [are you ready for this?] we learned that the tour bus drivers refer to that area of the bark being munched as a receding hare line.

TWO:
After spending three days in a mostly primitive campground we went to the Mercantile Laundry and Shower Facility [and Dump Station, but that's another story...] because showers could be had for $4.00 each — real showers with hot running water, which after three days we needed. So the deal is you go into the Riley Creek Mercantile Camper Convenience Store and pay the money and they give you a key to one of the shower stalls and a towel. So the three of us [is the number three popping up an unusual number of times in this post?] went in and I say to the clerk, “We want three showers.” And he says to me, “Will they be together or separate?” … … … … “Um, we each want one…” … “Do you want me to ring them up together or separately?” Whew! So the question wasn’t as personal as I thought…. [We were three single men vacationing together -- is there something weird about that?]

THREEE:
When we went climbing on the glacier there was a guy in our group that was going to be best man at a wedding the next day. [The next day being June 21 -- summer solstice, which you need to know for the punchline to make sense. I hope this does not ruin it for you....] He knew that he needed to make a toast at the reception, but did not know for sure what he wanted to say. I suggested, “If you thought today was the longest day, just wait till you’ve experienced a day of being married….” Really, sometimes I slay myself. [And really, is it any surprise that I am still single? You don't need to answer that....]

Laugh, laugh, laugh….

I’m a Have-Been

I have been on a mountain.
I have been under an ocean.
I have been on the other side of the planet.
I have been out of my mind.
I have been chatted up.
I have been talked about.
I have been the last to know.
I have been the first to admit it.
I have been alone.
I have been lonely.
I have been on the fringe.
I have been on the outside looking in.
I have been faithful.
I have been a believer.
I have been cheated on.
I have been a fool.
I have been a cabbage-patch uncle.
I have been a best man.
I have been childish.
I have been childlike.
I have been nearly near death.
I have been depressed.
I have been shy.
I have been a wallflower.
I have been smart.
I have been stupid.
I have been better.
I have been worse.

I have been drunk now for over two weeks. [No, wait. That was Jimmy Buffet, not me.]

The Last Word on Politics

Since most of the elections are over in most places… I’m hoping I won’t be motivated to post about politics again any time soon. But just to clean up a bit I want to get this out of my Drafts list:

I never got into watching The West Wing when it was on TV, but I’ve seen this clip a few times and I can see why so many people liked it so much.

And back here I posted some quotes. These are the sources:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939):
Jefferson Smith: You see, boys forget what their country means by just reading The Land of the Free in history books. Then they get to be men they forget even more. Liberty’s too precious a thing to be buried in books, Miss Saunders. Men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives and say: I’m free to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn’t, I can, and my children will. Boys ought to grow up remembering that.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962):
Dr. Yen Lo: His brain has not only been washed, as they say… It has been dry cleaned.

All the President’s Men (1976):
Deep Throat: Follow the money.

Dave (1993):
If you’ve ever seen the look on somebody’s face the day they finally get a job, I’ve had some experience with this, they look like they could fly. And its not about the paycheck, it’s about respect, it’s about looking in the mirror and knowing that you’ve done something valuable with your day. And if one person could start to feel this way, and then another person, and then another person, soon all these other problems may not seem so impossible. You don’t really know how much you can do until you, stand up and decide to try.

The Pelican Brief (1993):
Gray Grantham: Do you want to talk about the brief?
Darby Shaw: Everyone I have told about the brief is dead.
Gray Grantham: I take my chances.

The American President (1995):
Sydney Ellen Wade: Yeah… I gotta nip this in the bud. This has catastrophe written all over it.
Beth Wade: In what language? Sydney, the man is the leader of the free world. He’s brilliant, funny, handsome. He’s an above-average dancer. Isn’t it possible our standards are just a tad high?

My Fellow Americans (1996):
Matt Douglas: Look, Joanna, if the book goes, if it doesn’t go, I don’t really care. I’m only writing it ’cause, frankly, I don’t know what else to do.
Joanna: I’m sure you’ve got plenty of options.
Matt Douglas: Not really. But I’ll tell you one thing, I’ll never be like Kramer, running around the country sucking up every dime that isn’t nailed down. Now Jimmy Carter, there’s a class act. He goes around building homes for poor people with his own hands. That’s classy.
Joanna: Well, you could do that.
Matt Douglas: Yeah, yeah. Maybe in a couple of years, but, uh, right now, my attitude is, they didn’t vote for me, let ‘em freeze.

Dick (1999):
Arlene Lorenzo: We have a very important school report on turquoise jewelry due in two days, and we can’t find any books on it, and the President’s having us followed. It’s too much pressure.

The Contender (2000):
Shelly Runyon: Greatness is the orphan of urgency, Laine. Greatness only emerges when we need it most… in time of war or calamity. I can’t ask somebody to be a Kennedy or a Lincoln. They were MEN created by their times. What I… What I can ask for… is the promise of greatness. And that, Madam Senator… you don’t have.
Laine Hanson: Well, then… I just wouldn’t be using sex as leverage… if I were you, Sheldon. Because, you know, there’s one thing you don’t want. It’s a woman with her finger on the button who isn’t getting laid.

Head of State (2003)
Mays Gilliam: I live in a neighborhood so bad, you can get shot while ya gettin’ shot.

Welcome to Mooseport (2004):
Monroe Cole: [Monroe regarding a telephone talk with his embittered and greedy ex-wife who is demanding more of his fortune] Seven million!
Grace Sutherland: It’s a negotiation.
Grace Sutherland: You’ve handled dictators. You’ve handled terrorists.
Monroe Cole: Terrorists were easier, I swear to God!

The Manchurian Candidate (2004):
Raymond Shaw: I served under him. He was a good man.
Eleanor Shaw: Well, that’s what the neighbors always say about serial killers.

“Commander in Chief” (2005):
Grace Bridges: If Moses had been a woman, leading the Jews out of Egypt, she’d have stopped to ask for directions. They would’ve found Israel within a week.

Politically Incorrect ~ Bill Maher:
[the quote that some say got the show canceled] We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That’s cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it’s not cowardly.

Seussical Photos

Due primarily to my shoulder injury I didn’t help much with the set construction this time, but I was there for two performances cheering them on and, of course, snapping photos. I didn’t shoot any video and I don’t have any audio at hand, but the kids gave really god vocal performances. Some of their voices have matured a lot in the last year or two. Hope you enjoy the pics anyway.

2020 Hindsight

Today [10 November 2008] is the two-thousand-twentieth day since President Bush declared, “Mission accomplished,” in Iraq.

[blink...blink....]

Tomorrow is Veterans Day in the USA. Regardless of how we feel about our current war[s], we owe a heavy debt to the men and women who have served in our armed forces.

Thank you, veterans!