Summertime, And the livin' is easy/There Ain't No Cure For The Summertime Blues

I apologize to my blog colleagues and our readers that I haven't posted lately. Sometimes life just gets in the way. I think this is a good way to get back into my groove.

Rock of Ages

And Echos with the Sounds of Science

Symphony of Science - The Poetry of Reality
The best use of auto-tune I've ever seen.

Sweet Charity

This story at C&L caught my eye:

A Tale of Christmas Magic at the Aramingo Diner

Last Saturday, Dec. 5th, something startling and wonderful happened at The Aramingo Diner in Port Richmond.
[...]
The manager on duty, Linda [...] tells me that a couple in their 30s paid their check at the register, then asked the cashier to let them secretly pay the check of another couple in the dining room - a couple they didn't know.

"They just wanted to do it," she said. "They thought it would be a nice thing to do."

When the unsuspecting patrons went to pay their check, they were floored to find out that strangers had picked up their tab. So they asked the cashier to let them pay another table's check, also anonymously.
[...]
For two hours, delighted customer after delighted customer continued to pay the favor forward. And a buzz began to grow. Not among patrons, who had no inkling what was going down at the register, but among the dining-room wait staff - Marvin, Rosie, Jasmine and Lynn - and other Aramingo workers moving in and out of the room.

I did something similar yesterday. Where I work we have a hiring freeze, raises canceled, healthcare bennies cut back, (the last strikes me as ironic because we do medical research.) But I still have a job and it pays fairly well. To quote my friend Bill Arnett:I. Am. One. Of. The. Lucky. Ones.

So I took the money I would have spent on gifts for people who don't really need them and asked the supervisor of one of our tech support groups to step out into the hall because I had a complaint about his groups' work.

After we were alone I told him my complaint was that they didn't get their bonuses this year. I forked over some cash and told him it was from the research wing and he should distribute it as he saw fit.

Now this particular guy is very conservative, listens and believes Rush, but he's got a good heart and does good work, and I'm willing to bet when he handed out the 'bonuses' he probably added a bit of his own.

This was in addition to what I gave my favorite local charity that does nothing but feed people. No questions, no eval, no bureaucracy; if you walk in they give you a free meal. They're always going to be in my heart because I've been hungry, and being hungry sucks.

I'm not writing about this to tell what a great guy I am, (everyone who knows me well knows I'm not), but just to say if you've got an extra couple of bucks give it to people who need it. What I gave this year stings just a little bit. Heck, I may have to delay my vacation for a month or two. But what little I gave makes a whole lot more difference to the folks I gave it to than to me.




Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

Weapon of Choice

People bring guns to Obama speeches. Liberals couldn't even bring t-shirts or bumper stickers to a Bush speech. And if we actually said anything, we were taken to jail. If we might say anything we were put in "free speech zones" AKA chain linked fences.

While it's tempting to escalate our discussion this is my Weapon of Choice.



Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself

Insomniac Music

Tuesday Genius 10:
Cry Me a River - Diana Krall
At This Moment - Billy Vera and the Beaters
You Send Me - Otis Redding
People Get Ready - Rare Earth
I Wanna Get Next To You - Rose Royce
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - The Bee Gees
I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations
Feeling Alright - David Ruffin
Slow Jam Sweet Thing - Rufus with Chaka Khan
Day Is Done - Norah Jones

What can I say, my iPod knew what I wanted to listen to even before I did.

And one more for the road:

Ain't no smilin' faces, Lyin' to the races

Bumped and updated:

Officer who sent 'jungle-monkey' e-mail: 'I am not a racist'

The Boston police officer who sent a mass e-mail in which he compared Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. to a "banana-eating jungle monkey" has apologized, saying he's not a racist.

Hey, some of his best friends are "banana-eating jungle monkey[s]."

And just because he cried when he offered his non-apology apology i.e. "I am not a racist. I did not intend any racial bigotry, harm or prejudice in my words. I sincerely apologize that these words have been received as such."

That's no reason to think he's a racist! After all, it's all the "banana-eating jungle monkey"[s] who are practicing reverse-racism that have caused this problem.

He cried because he might lose his job, health insurance and retirement. Dude, man up! You said what you think, own the words. That's what free speech is all about.

But free speech also means that citizens don't have to pay your bigoted, racist, stupid, stupid, (did I mention stupid), salary, or your retirement, or your health care.

Gosh, if Congress enacts health care reform you and your family will still have health care.

And then you can holler your bigoted screed from whatever street corner you want to.

And you and your family will still have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

BTW, I know a place:




Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

Qu'est-ce que c'est?

In (dis)honor of the birthers, and what they stand for

I don't care what they say I won't stay In a world without love

Gordon Waller, of Peter and Gordon, passed away last Friday. He was 64. It seems a bit ironic since Paul McCartney wrote the title song of this post.

As I recall I only had enough money to buy either Chad & Jeremy or Peter & Gordon for my first 45. I went with Chad & Jeremy, but I've since bought P&J albums on vinyl and songs on iTunes, they were some of the songs of my youth.

Enough about me, here's what Peter Asher said about Gordon on their website:

Gordon played such a significant role in my life that losing him is hard to comprehend – let alone to tolerate.

He was my best friend at school almost half a century ago. He was not only my musical partner but played a key role in my conversion from only a snooty jazz fan to a true rock and roll believer as well. Without Gordon I would never have begun my career in the music business in the first place. Our professional years together in the sixties constitute a major part of my life and I have always treasured them.

We remained good friends (unusual for a duo!) even while we were pursuing entirely separate professional paths and I was so delighted that after a hiatus of almost forty years we ended up singing and performing together again more recently for the sheer exhilarating fun of it. We had a terrific time doing so.

Gordon remains one of my very favourite singers of all time and I am still so proud of the work that we did together. I am just a harmony guy and Gordon was the heart and soul of our duo.

I shall miss him in so many different ways. The idea that I shall never get to sing those songs with him again, that I shall never again be able to get annoyed when he interrupts me on stage or to laugh at his unpredictable sense of humour or even to admire his newest model train or his latest gardening effort is an unthinkable change in my life with which I have not even begun to come to terms.

Full disclosure: I worked for Peter Asher Management on my last major tour. They did the best job of any management company I'd ever worked for. Our contracts were solid, a call home would straighten out any problems with the clubs, and the prep work they did for my artist was incredible. We knew how far and directions to not only the next hotel and the next venue, but the stores and bookstores within range of our hotel. It almost made the artist happy.



Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

*** BREAKING NEWS *** BREAKING NEWS *** BREAK

Michael Jackson is still dead.

Sarah Palin's career is still dead.

Stay tuned for more breaking news.

This has been a pubic service announcement.
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.




Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

Change, change, change*

On a personal note: I have a habit of emptying my pockets every night and tossing all my change into a brass bowl. When that gets full, (and it takes a while because I use my credit/debit card for most purchases), I transfer the change to a coffee can. Today the coffee can was full and the brass bowl was full.

Which is the long way around of saying: I got a new iPod!

I lost the last one when I put it in my laptop bag, (only Dell would design a laptop bag with outside 'pockets' that had no bottom.) I had so many fond memories of that iPod. [/sigh] But this one is much better and cheaper.

I love my iPod.


*My apologies to Aretha for the title.



Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

It's Spring!

Ahh, air on a G string always takes me Bach, or maybe it's just spring fever! Whatever, if it's not baroque, don't fix it.

25 or 6 to 4

I was reading Dr. Sardonicus at Pole Hill Sanitarium and he had an interesting post a few days ago.

Albums that changed your life

Well. That's a deep subject.

But I got to thinking, there are some albums that may have affected my life. I'm not saying they changed it, they were probably more reflective of changes I had already made or wanted to make, but the good Dr's qualifier says "These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions."

I would take the rules one step further.

You have to hear the album in your mind. Not the dental drill that makes up a pop tune you can't get out of your head, but an album you can imagine that 'band playing in my head.'

So hear goes albums that changed my life, in no particular order:

Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Are You Experienced
(I didn't appreciate Hendrix until I got stoned. Take that For What What It's worth.)

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
(I wasn't even stoned, just a great awakening.)

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
(A few years later, but it's deeper and more personal to me.)

Spirit - 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicus
(One of the best albums ever. As far as I'm concerned, it ranks right up there with the Dark Side of the Moon and Abbey Road albums. It's brilliant in production, in composition, in musicianship.)

Yes - Yessongs
(Best live performances and best produced live album evah IMHO! p.s. I did see the tour, 3 times, and bought the LPs, the 8 tracks, the cassettes, the CDs ... yeah, I kinda liked it.
This is the band and the album that made me want to be a sound engineer! (Thank you Eddie Offord!))

Beatles - Revolver
Rubber Soul
White Album
Sgt Pepper's
Abbey Road
(These albums can turn your world around whether your 8 or 80. And the songs sound simple and true ... and while they're true they aren't simple. There's always a bridge to drive off, but the turnaround brings you back.)

Grateful Dead - American Beauty
(I think I recall the Dead saying this was their least favorite album. I don't care. I loved the songs, all of them, and I liked that they were great songs and didn't have 20 minutes of ego boo for each player. Sometimes discipline is a good thing.)

Leon Russell - Hank Wilson's Back
(1st exposure to traditional country, led to a love of traditional country. Expanded my horizons so far I went out and bought the originals and started listening to Bob Wills, George Jones, Hank, Patsy, shucks, the list just goes on an' on.)

Seatrain - Seatrain
(1st exposure to 'new grass', led to a love of bluegrass. Even before country, blue grass songs were songs that seemed simple but were refined thru time to distill their essence. My only fault with blue grass today is that it became faster and faster so folks could show off their licks and not honor the music.)

Joni Mitchell - Ladies of the Canyon
(I listened to this album over and over. I especially listened to it when I was driving home from a 12am - 8am job and would cue up 'Morgantown' to get past the first few miles.

CSNY - 4 Way Street
(I could learn the chords and play (badly) for my friends. It made a difference in my life because I knew then I can do this! ... badly.)

Willie Nelson - Stardust
(1st exposure to standards, lead to a love of standards. I went back/forward so now I love listening to Frank Sinatra and Diana Krall)

But we were just talking about albums. Sometimes there are songs that changed your life. You're welcome to leave either in comments.



Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

It's snowy outside, but it's Smokey in here

I don't like you, But I love you
Seems that I'm always thinking of you
You treat me badly, I love you madly
You've really got a hold on me.

Whats So Funny About Peace Love & Understanding?

But seriously folks, what's so funny about peace love and understanding?



Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

Oh the weather outside is frightful

It's 28 degrees, snowing/freezing rain, and has been like that for what seems forever. I've got a nasty cold, my GF broke up with me, I'm running short of provisions and I need a break!

One break, coming up!

Ladies & gentlemen, the Smothers Brothers rendition of Poor Wandering One:



Notice the Guild D-55, played by the first guitar player to ever have one: Tommy Smothers.

Which was just a smooooth segue into being able to casually mention I just bought a 1974 D-40!
It's still cold and crappy out, but at least now I have something with great curves that's warm and responsive to keep me happy at night. (Less maintenance too;-)

Listen, They're Playing my Song

Musicians Don’t Want Tunes Used for Torture

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba - Blaring from a speaker behind a metal grate in his tiny cell in Iraq, the blistering rock from Nine Inch Nails hit Prisoner No. 200343 like a sonic bludgeon.

The auditory assault went on for days, then weeks, then months at the U.S. military detention center in Iraq. Twenty hours a day. AC/DC. Queen. Pantera. The prisoner, military contractor Donald Vance of Chicago, told The Associated Press he was soon suicidal.

The tactic has been common in the U.S. war on terror, with forces systematically using loud music on hundreds of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, then the U.S. military commander in Iraq, authorized it on Sept. 14, 2003, "to create fear, disorient ... and prolong capture shock."

Now the detainees aren't the only ones complaining. Musicians are banding together to demand the U.S. military stop using their songs as weapons.
[...]
According to an FBI memo, one interrogator at Guantanamo Bay bragged he needed only four days to "break" someone by alternating 16 hours of music and lights with four hours of silence and darkness.
[...]
Vance, in a telephone interview from Chicago, said the tactic can make innocent men go mad. According to a lawsuit he has filed, his jailers said he was being held because his employer was suspected of selling weapons to terrorists and insurgents. The U.S. military confirms Vance was jailed but won't elaborate because of the lawsuit.

There might be a temptation to make jokes about being subjected to loud music being a form of torture, but it isn't funny, and it is torture.

And there might be a temptation in some folks less evolved to OK torture for them foreign brownish folks, but as noted above, our government also tortures white, christain, veteran, FBI informant, Americans.

More here:

Former U.S. Detainee in Iraq Recalls Torment

and here:

A different kind of hell for one American in Iraq FBI informant imprisoned and treated like an insurgent for 97 days

When Bush said "we don't torture"? He lied.

And his enablers continue to lie over and over.



Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

Sail on, sail on sailor

With all the other things going on in the world it would be remiss of me not to note the Vendee Globe, the around the world, non-stop, single-handed sailboat race is happening.

This race is the farthest people are from terra firma except when mankind went to the moon. If disaster happens aircraft and ships probably can't reach you in time, only your fellow sailors can rescue you. It's like climbing Mount Everest or sledding the Iditarod ... for 3 months.

Except you don't have teammates and your nearest competitor is miles away and would have to sail back in 50'-60' seas to rescue you. Imagine sailing alone in the Antarctic Ocean 40 to 50 degrees below the equator in seas taller than your Open 60 boat is long, in winds between 30 & 60 mph, for days on end. Oh, and watch out for the icebergs.

It's not for the faint of heart.


Here's the official Vendee Globe website where you can follow the race.




Cross posted at VidiotSpeak

Forever Young