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Shiny Objects

Posted by Tim at 18:28 on 2009/04/20

Apr 202009

Over at The Collective they’ve been posting about their crushes [and inviting us to do so too]. I’ve heard that no one forgets their first crush. You may have many others throughout your years — your memories of them blur and fade. But that first one….

Her name was [I suppose it still is] Elizabeth — a blue-eyed blonde. I was in first grade and she was in second [an older woman!]. I was [and am] very shy and [given my age, understandably] immature. [My immaturity is less understandable now....] So naturally I never told her that I liked her [LIKED her liked her]. But I still remember vividly that that was the first time I was so aware of another person. I can’t explain why I would care what she wore, what she said, what she thought, whether she noticed me. I only know that I did. Attraction is a strange and wonderful force. [I'm strange. She's wonderful.]

I don’t know how long I pined after her. [Pine, punishment, and pain all come from common linguistic roots. Does this surprise anyone?] Her family moved away the next year and my crushes rarely survive long distances [unless, like celebrity crushes, they started out that way]. Crushes, infatuations, unrequited [or imaginary] love — I have a much different perspective these days. I’m not immune, but I know they are transitory and they are anything but romantic.

Drums Keep Pounding a Rhythm to the Brain

Posted by Tim at 01:58 on 2009/02/04

Feb 042009

While writing yesterday’s post it occurred to me that I don’t think anyone has ever made a biopic of The Big Bopper. [A search of IMDB didn't turn up any.] There was The Buddy Holly Story and La Bamba, but poor J.P. Richardson only gets bit parts in other people’s films. I wonder why that is.

It also occurred to me [not while writing yesterday's post, but it fits nicely] that there have been some good films about wannabe musicians — proof, perhaps, that the music never died. Anyway, threee of my favorites are:

The Commitments — A sort of misfit group from Dublin, Ireland form a soul band. Of course. I thought they did a good job of showing how their performing skills improved over time. And lead vocalist Andrew Strong was not yet 18 years old when the film was released, but damn he’s got pipes. I also enjoyed the debate over naming the band with exchanges like this:

Jimmy Rabbitte: What do you call yourselves?
Derek: “And And And.”
Jimmy Rabbitte: “And And fuckin’ And?”
Derek: Well, Ray’s thinking of putting an exclamation mark after the second “and.” Says it’d look deadly on the posters.
Jimmy Rabbitte: Psshh…
Outspan Foster: You don’t like it? You think it should go at the end?
Jimmy Rabbitte: I think it should go up his arse.
Outspan Foster: Well, we’re not married to it.

That Thing You Do! — Pretty typical Hollywood stuff but I thought Tom Everett Scott showed real charm in his role and the film seemed a credible reflection of the early 60′s Philadelphia music scene. Tom Hanks wrote, directed, and acted in the film and did a fair job in all. This band also struggled with finding a name, but I’ll spare you quoting their exchanges. [And see? I didn't even mention that Rita Wilson, Charlize Theron, and Liv Tyler are in it!]

Once — I love this film! And it brings us back to Dublin, Ireland for the setting with Glen Hansard who played in The Commitments stepping up to a lead role. Markéta Irglová plays the other lead and the two have great chemistry. Their musicianship is first-rate too. This was an independent film and avoided the “Hollywood ending.”

February Made Me Shiver

Posted by Tim at 01:12 on 2009/02/03

Feb 032009

Early in the morning on this day fifty years ago a small four-passenger airplane took off from the Mason City airport in Iowa and then crashed in a corn field. This was what Don McLean called “The Day the Music Died” in his 1971 song American Pie. But while we can only imagine what great music we lost in the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, the music seems to have lived and thrived in the meantime.

[I nearly titled this post with a quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail -- "'Ere, he says he's not dead." -- but I was afraid that since four people (the three musicians and the pilot) actually did die it might be misconstrued. Or just in poor taste. So I pulled a line from American Pie that seems to fit better anyway....]

Mo Music

Posted by Tim at 19:29 on 2009/01/12

Jan 122009

Fifty years ago today, 12 January 1959, was the start of what would become Motown Records and some of the sweetest pop/soul/R&B music ever made, like these:

…and so so so many more.

I Am Not My Blog

Posted by Tim at 16:03 on 2008/12/03

Dec 032008

Sometimes I worry whether I reveal too much of myself in this blog. I am reminded tonight of this bit of wisdom:

I can prove that worry works because most of the things I worry about never happen.

(M)ary from As If You Care posted about a site called Typealizer that will analyze your blog’s personality type using the familiar Myers-Briggs Type Indicators. I have taken shortened versions of such personality tests [they said I should get one....] but not recently. I was pretty sure though that I was INTJ. I was quite surprised then with the Typealizer results:

ESFP – The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead – they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation – qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

This is the complete opposite of INTJ. And these web-based tools are always accurate, aren’t they? Suspecting that I wasn’t remembering my personality type results from years ago [the old grey matter ain't what it used to be] and to quiet the voices that were arguing loudly in my head [um, maybe you didn't need to know that?] I turned to Humanmetrics — a free short version of a personality type indicator. [And these web-based tools are always accurate, aren't they?] Sure enough, my results from that short questionnaire are:

Your Type is INTJ

You are:

very expressed introvert (89%)

moderately expressed intuitive personality (25%)

moderately expressed thinking personality (38%)

slightly expressed judging personality (22%)

I am not my blog…

…or am I?

DHMO Danger

Posted by Tim at 16:49 on 2008/12/02

Dec 022008

All of the following statements about hydroxic acid (DHMO) are absolutely true and independently verifiable:

It is a colorless and odorless chemical compound
Its atomic components are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol
It is a primary constituent of acid rain
It contributes to the greenhouse effect and global warming
It is a major component of acid rain
It contributes to soil erosion
It leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals
Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits
Inhalation of even small amounts can lead to death in a few minutes
Its gaseous form can cause severe burns
Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage
Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes
It is associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere, and in hurricanes including deadly storms in Florida, New Orleans and other areas across the globe
It may not be dumped into landfills in the U.S. and if found in a landfill must be removed
However, it may be dumped with virtually no restriction into lakes, rivers, and streams
It is widely distributed throughout the U.S. and can legally be sold to minors
It is widely available in schools and administrators have no idea how much of the substance is used by students while at school or at home
It is certainly ingested daily by a large percentage of students
Attempts by government agencies to regulate its distribution and use are often ridiculed and stopped before being enacted

So, should we be worried about this dangerous chemical compound? It does have many practical uses and even healthful benefits to virtually all plants and animals. More importantly, hydroxic acid is more commonly known not so much as DHMO but by either its chemical formula or a vernacular term. DHMO is dihydrogen monoxide… H₂O… water.

And one more: embedding is disabled on this one, but it’s definitely worth a click.

Versa Vice - Part 2

Posted by Tim at 16:41 on 2008/12/01

Dec 012008

It occurs to me that “laughing till you cry” and “crying till you laugh” might both be described as hysterical, but for completely opposite reasons.

Not that I do either.

Much.

Versa Vice - Part 1

Posted by Tim at 16:15 on 2008/11/30

Nov 302008

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?

3SP: Dusty Springfield

Posted by Tim at 16:18 on 2008/05/19

May 192008

I wasn’t sure I would post any more 3-SPs, but I had this one all done and saved as a draft and was reminded recently of how much I’ve always loved Dusty Springfield’s voice — maybe the best voice in pop music. Really powerful blue-eyed soul. Sadly, we lost her in 1999 just 10 days before her induction into the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The song titles link to YouTube videos.

3SP: Are You Feeling Lucky, Punk?

Posted by Tim at 16:48 on 2008/03/17

Mar 172008

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

My apologies in advance to anyone that is offended by ethnic humor. [And really, shouldn't we all be offended? -- I'm so ashamed of myself, but I'm going to post this anyway. I think I have a little Irish in my heritage, so I can say I'm making fun of myself in a roundabout sort of way....]

An Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman sit at a bar and each is served a beer.

The Brit finds a fly in his beer so he pushes it away and orders a dark stout.

The Scot finds a fly in his beer so he pushes it away and orders a whiskey.

The Celt finds a fly in his beer so he grabs the fly and yells, “Spit that out! It’s mine!”

Get lucky with these songs:

The song titles link to YouTube videos and the artist names link to their official web sites.