terry & liz's house

Teabagging Tillie

2012-01-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's our governor, Jan Brewer, showing a complete lack of class when President Obama visited Phoenix yesterday. I expect our local Tea-Baggers to act this way. But elected officials - first and foremost a governor - need to observe proper protocol. Otherwise they end up looking like complete bumpkins.

OTOH, this does go to show you that Arizona Republicans do not discriminate. If you ain't White, you ain't Right, and they'll hate you, no matter where you come from and no matter what your status in life.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2012-01-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

Paleontology and archaeology and other skullduggery were not subjects that interested wizards. Things are buried for a reason, they considered. There's no point in wondering what it was. Don't go digging things up in case they won't let you bury them again.

(from The Last Continent, by Terry Pratchett)

The full review is here.

Punny Tuesday

2012-01-24T17:51:00.000-07:00

And just my luck, I've been informed that I will be taking my first cruise this fall. To Alaska.

Xinnian Kuaile!

2012-01-23T18:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Today, two weeks of celebrating commences. It's the Year of the Dragon (hence the pic, above), and the Chinese year is 4710.

The Phoenix Chinese Cultural Center is about a mile from where I work, and back when I was learning Mandarin at the local community college, we'd take a field trip each (new) year there to enjoy the festivities and soak up Chinese culture. The only catch, of course, was that we had to do all our conversing in Mandarin, with our professor watching. It was a blast, although I'm sure the Chinses merchants "forgave" a lot of errors on our part.

9 Chickweed Lane

2012-01-21T21:15:00.000-07:00

A 9 Chickweed Lane comic strip from earlier this week. Maybe it's just me, but I can't help thinking that they slipped this one by the censors somehow.

Happy Birthday, Edgar Allan Poe!

2012-01-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

    Happy 212th Birthday to Edgar Allan Poe, whom I consider to be the greatest American writer of the 19th Century. His style was original; he excelled at both novels and poetry; and he's a heckuva lot more interesting to read than Longfellow, Frost, or Whitman. Indeed, Jason has waggishly bestowed honorary British citizenship on him, since to call him an American writer puts him in some pretty shoddy company.

    He had a rough childhood; did some strange things (like marrying his cousin when she was only 13 years old); and died prematurely under strange circumstances. You can read all about it here.

     We'll leave you with this Trivia Teaser, that seems all too obvious but isn't : What was Edgar Allan Poe's middle name? Answer in the comments.

Quote for the Day

2012-01-18T17:10:00.000-07:00

George Carlin was a fabulous wit, and a great stand-up comedian. But that didn't translate well into the printed word. I've read two of his books (which are really just recycled excerpts of his performances), and they were both "meh".

Book Excerpt for the Day

2012-01-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

"You've all been living under the threat for so long that you can't wake up to the fact that it isn't there any more," he said. "You've been hooked on missiles and bombs for as long as you can remember, and the idea of getting along without them just doesn't get through. It's over. Can't you get that into your heads? We don't need it any more - any of it. Everything that the West has publicly claimed to want for the last fifty years has happened. Doesn't it occur to you that we might be able to do something constructive with all those armaments budgets now?"

(from The Genesis Machine by James P. Hogan)

The complete review is here.

Happy Martin Luther King Day!!

2012-01-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I had to work, but I'm cool with that. The commute to and from work was a breeze, and really, I've had enough days off in December, what with Holidays and Vacation.

Trivia Question : Which commie-pinko president signed the bill that made Martin Luther King Day a federal holiday? Answer in the Comments.

Movie Quote for the Day

2012-01-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

From the greatest film of all time. The quote that is, not the pic.

KEXX

2012-01-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

Well, phooey. Phoenix's one and only Alternate Rock station, 103.9 KEXX, switched formats starting this morning. We now get watered-down Classic Rock.

Good-bye, The Refreshments and Bob Marley. Say hello to The Eagles, Journey, Foreigner, Billy Joel, and Boston. Don't even go looking for groups like The Doors, Canned Heat, Pink Floyd, or Jimi Hendrix. They're not nearly uplifting/commercial enough. And you're dreaming if you think you're going to hear Strawbs, Nightwish, or Country Joe & The Fish.

    The "hook" appears to be that you can communicate with KEXX - via Twitter, E-Mail, Phone, and/or FaceBook. So in theory, it's "your radio station". I guess I could request the Strawbs.

    In practice, you can forget about them playing anything but schmaltzy pop-rock. They got something like 700 e-mails in the first two hours this morning. Dave Pratt, the morning DJ, vows to answer every one of them personally. Dave Pratt, the morning DJ, did NOT promise he'd play every one of their requests. Mathematically, there's no way the air-time will keep up with the requests. This reminds me of the KRZZ and KRUX request lines from long ago. You could call in and request what you want, but the truth is, they already knew what they were going to play. (*)

    We already have our watered-down Classic Rock station - KSLX. Also, just four clicks down from 103.9 KEXX is a fantastic Classic Rock radio station, 103.1 KCDX. They play a better variety of songs (including just about every group listed above). And it's commercial-free. Plus you don't get long-winded DJ's rambling on about humdrum topics. It's too bad Radio Free Phoenix is no longer on the radio, they were also commercial-free and played some b*tchin' contemporary rock music.

    I'll probably still occasionally turn the dial to 103.9, hoping that this was all a bad dream. And I have to admit 103.1 forgets to turn on its "transmit" button all too frequently. But one yearns for a radio station that would hearken back to the KDKB of the early 70's by Bill Compton. When you never knew what he was going to spin; you just knew that it was going to be awesome.

(*) : We busted this myth one night. Several of us spent a whole hour phoning KRUX and requesting The Pusher Man by Steppenwolf. Statistically, we had to have been the Number 1 request. You know the outcome. KRUX didn't even acknowledge our efforts; the played something like The Carpenters instead.

Imaginaerum - Nightwish

2012-01-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

The new Nightwish album is out!! It's called IMAGINAERUM, and it is fantastic, although I say that about everything they put out.

Actually, it's a double-CD, with the second one simply being the instrumental versions of each of the tracks on the first CD. The US release date apparently was today; although it's been out in the European markets for more than a month.

There is Metal; there is Symphony; there is Celtic music; there are fantastic lyrics and text. This is a concept album, structured to be the soundtrack for a movie due out later this year.

    Nightwish will of course be doing a world tour to promote the album. After opening in LA in late January, they immediately split for Europe for the next few months. But I am assured that the North/South America portion of the tour will follow in the latter half of 2012. So I am expecting them to show up here in Phoenix in November or so - when Arizona is the only place where they won't freeeze their butts off.

    Last time, I saw them at the Marquee Theater. Lousy acoustics, stand the whole time, and a mosh pit operating right beside us. And it was still a fantastic concert!

    I've listened to the first CD twice now, and have to give it a full 10*/10. But then, I'm not the most objective person when it comes to Nightwish.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2012-01-10T18:25:00.002-07:00

    "Well," I said as we walked back toward the depot, "what did you think of Mr. Best?"

    "He is an interesting character," Holmes replied, "and very much in the American grain, which is to say he is blunt, intelligent in an uneducated sort of way and quite obviously fearless. His chief defect, I suspect, is that he is overly excitable by nature."

    "Did anything else strike you?"

    "Only that Mr. Best has several scars upon his right hand which indicate he was once badly burned."

(from Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon, by Larry Millett)

The full review is here.

Geology Rocks

2012-01-08T18:37:00.000-07:00

We are partial to any cartoon featuring Science in it. We are also partial to Rock & Roll.

Touché!

2012-01-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm ashamed to admit it took me a full day before I "got" this one.

Friday RIF Comic

2012-01-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

FWIW, my current reading project is a bit more ambitious. I'm tackling The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The classics are something I generally avoid; especially Russian Lit. But if I'm going to dabble in this genre, my first choice would be Dostoevsky, as I read a biography about him way back in high school.

I'm about 100 pages through it so far; out of a total of around 600 pages. I have no doubt that I'll finish it (I am OCD, after all), but it will take a few weeks.

RIP - Bill Heywood

2012-01-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

    Sad news in the morning paper, as a longtime bastion of local radio, Bill Heywood, has apparently committed suicide with his wife, Susan.

    Details are sketchy, but it appears they went to a hotel, left a suicide note, and ended it all. The Arizona Republic indicated they were having financial difficulties, had lost their home recently, and that Susan was in poor health, after suffering at least one stroke.

    There was a time when Bill Heywood was teh morning talk-show host in the valley. Unlike the talking heads of today, who strive be as stupid, shocking, and extreme in their views as possible, Heywood was known for reasoned questions and smooth insight. I shudder to think of what radio talk shows will be like in another 25 years.

    Heywood was 75; his wife was 70. I haven't seen much else in the way of details yet, but I'm sure the Republic and the local TV channels are putting together some specials.

Bye Bye, Bachman

2012-01-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

    Interesting results in last night's Iowa caucus. The two candidates that claim God Himself told them to run for President - Bachman-the-Nut and Governor Goodhair - both got their a$$es spanked.

    BtN has already called it quits, and GG has sent out signals that he's seriously thinking about going back to Texas to work on seceding from the USA.

    The question is - what does God think about that? Are they disobeying Him by going against His wishes by quitting? If so, should He punish them in an Almighty Way? I'm thinking a plague of frogs here.

    Or is it that He forgot to tell those damn left-wing-leaning Iowa Repugnicans to vote for His anointed ones?

    The fact is, politics is a dirty business; and anyone who plays the God-card is delusional at best; hypocritical at worst. So personally, I think The Creator (who is a "She", BTW. She told me so.) is sending a message that Religion should be kept out of Politics altogether. Makes sense to me.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2012-01-03T19:04:00.000-07:00

It ain't the kind of problem you meet every day. I doubt if it's ever been posed at Staff College ... "Now then, Mr. Flashman, you command an army fifty thousand strong, with heavy guns, well supplied, their lines of communication protected by an excellent river. Against you is a force of only ten thousand, with light guns, exhausted after a week's forced marching, short of food and fodder and damned near dying of thirst. Now then, sir, answer directly, no hedging - how do you lose, hey? Come, come, you've just given excellent reasons for not taking a town that's lying at your mercy! This should be child's play to a man with your God-given gift of catastrophe! Well, sir?"

(from Flashman and the Mountain of Light by George MacDonald Fraser)

The complete review is here.

Punny Sunday

2012-01-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

I learned to read music at a very early age - six years old or so. We were forced to take piano lessons, and this particular teacher emphasized solfege, and reading sheet music.

This came in handy later, when I was in chorus. Unfortunately, both solfege and music-reading are analytical exercises, not artistic. And the fact is, I have zero musical talent. So the piano career stopped the day the teacher wanted my left hand to do one thing, and my right hand to do something completely different. For me, it was like patting my head and rubbing my tummy.

Happy New Year!!

2011-12-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

Here's hoping you stay(ed) up until midnight to greet 2012. Two of our three dogs will be totally freaking out when the firecrackers start to go off. My choices are to go to bed around 10:00, knowing I will be awakened by crazed canines in 2 hours or to stay up reading a book, with the lights on and the stereo turned up, in hopes that the dogz won't see and hear to brouhaha.

Friday Funnies

2011-12-30T11:40:00.000-07:00

Indeed. When have you ever seen Vivaldi worked into a cartoon?

Quote for the Day

2011-12-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

"A conservative is a man who just sits and thinks, mostly sits."
(Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, born 155 years ago today)

Rah, Rah - Phoenix Suns!

2011-12-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

    Hooray, hooray! Basketball season is underway!

    Alas, things do not bode well for our Phoenix Suns, and they've only played one game so far. But they lost - at home - to New Orleans, whom all the ESPN talking heads are pegging as the bottom-feeder of the NBA-West.

    Methinks we need to pick up this powerful pachyderm and get him into the starting line-up ASAP. Don't worry about the Salary Cap; he'll play for peanuts.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-12-26T18:14:00.000-07:00

True love, like any other strong and addicting drug, is boring - once the tale of encounter and discovery is told, kisses quickly grow stale and caresses tiresome ... except, of course, to those who share the kisses, who give and take the caresses while every sound and color seems to deepen and brighten around them. As with any other strong drug, true first love is really only interesting to those who have become its prisoners.

And, as is true of any strong and addicting drug, true first love in dangerous.

(from Wizard and Glass, by Stephen King)

The complete review is here.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T15:14:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas to one and all! May you find Peace in your life; Peace in the world; and a red Lamborghini underneath the tree tomorrow morning.

Engineering Humor

2011-12-23T19:24:00.001-07:00

I work with lots of Chemical Engineeers. I can say without any doubt that this is an accurate rendering of how any of them would view a half-filled glass.

What was spilled?

2011-12-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I'm over-thinking this one, but...

... what exactly broke in that crate that flattened Beetle, thus spilling liquid? The General has the bottle of wine in his hand, and comments that he hopes his wine-glasses aren't broke. Makes (comic strip) sense, but then there shouldn't be any booze in that package. We'll assume it isn't Beetle's blood.

Sloppy cartooning, if you ask me.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-12-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

"I knew," said Olivier, "she was not wise - the Empress Maud. I knew she coud not forget grudges, no matter how sorely she needed to close her eyes to them. I have seen her strip a man's dignity from him when he came submissive, offering support...

"Better at making enemies than friends.

"All the more she needs," he said, "the few she has."

(from The Pilgrim of Hate, by Ellis Peters)

The full review is here.

RIP - Kim Jong-Il

2011-12-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

Kim Jong-Il

b. : 16 February 1941

d. : 17 December 2011

    Well, I've seen a lot of hate-posts about you, Kim, and I have to say you certainly deserve it. You were obviously a paranoid-schizo from the get-go, and I suspect people outside North Korea don't know the half of the hell you put your country through during your reign. Nevertheless, I'll do my best to write something positive about you. It's a thankless job, but somebody has to do it.

    Let's see now.

    Well, you're the only leader I know of that basically flipped the bird to both the USA and China, and lived to laugh about it. You made it into Dubnutz's "Axis of Evil", and yet outlasted the chimperor. You scared the bejeezus out of Japan with your talk of developing nuclear weapons and occasional kidnapping of Japanese citizens for work in your concentration camps. South Korea lives in dread of you invading them (again), which gives the US an excuse to station massive numbers of troops there.

    The TV showed all sorts of your loyal subjects weeping and wailing and gnashing their teeth, but we know of course that it was all staged. But hey, if I were living there, I'd put on a show of grief too. It beats being shot to death as a subversive.

    I see you named your youngest son the next ruler, and the few opening opinions of him aren't very nice. Basically, they're saying he's a chip off the old block. I would have preferred one of your other sons - the one that was into Heavy Metal. But hey, I'm just looking for common ground.

   So Rest In Peace, Kim Jong-Il. Everyone else thinks you were a dsmented bastard, and they're probably right. But I keep having this nagging thought that you were just a crafty old devil, and even now you're laughing in your grave about how foolish you made all the political powers of the world look.

The Saturday before Xmas Eve

2011-12-17T21:05:00.001-07:00

    I knew better than to go out on the streets today - the last Saturday before the Christmas weekend. But the book and record stores were calling to me like a pair of sirens. and I was looking for certain LP's to give as Xmas gifts.

    I think every automobile in the Phoenix valley was on the road today. Intersections - all of them - were insanely overloaded. Ditto for parking lots.

    Fortunately, none of those Xmas shoppers were going to the used-record store. So that turned out to be a peaceful little haven for an hour or so. I didn't find the records I was looking for (NIN, Radiohead, Tori Amos), but I frankly wasn't expecting to. I did find a couple Vangelis albums, plus an old, obscure one by Jorma Kaukonen. And got three light-classical LP's for free (Mahler, Bach's Greatest Hits, Artur Rubinstein).

    Unfortunately, lots of shoppers were hitting the used-book store. The store itself was staffed sufficiently to handle the deluge. The parking lot was not.

    Still, I'm off all next week, and will finish my shopping then. All I need are stocking-stuffers for both Jason and Liz, and some "surprise" presents for Liz. If I put my mind to it, I can have everything done by the end of Tuesday. That way I don't have to venture out next Saturday, which will probably make today's traffic look like a picnic.

Schrodinger's Cat

2011-12-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm uncertain as to whether I agree with Heisenberg's principle.

Demotivational Tuesday

2011-12-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Good choice, Joyce.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-12-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

    "Have you worked in a bar before?" he enquired, clinging to his dignity as a drowning man will cling to the matchstick of proverb.

    Loz shook her beautful head. "Not behind one," she said, "but we've danced in lots. We're pole-dancers."

    "You don't look Polish," said Neville.

    Loz looked at Pippa.

    Pippa looked at Loz.

    And both laughed coquettishly.

    Neville clutched at his heart.

(from Knees Up Mother Earth, by Robert Rankin)

The full review is here.

Vacation!

2011-12-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

Yowzah! I'm on vacation until the Tuesday after Christmas. In fact, I only work three more days this year - the Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday of that week. I have that Friday off too. Gotta use my vacation days or lose them.

There is Xmas shopping to do. That's a two-week ordeal for me, but only cuz I'll find excuses not to start it next week. Which is really stoopid on my part, since the schools won't be out until the following week.

Kewlness

2011-12-08T17:17:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday, Noam Chomsky!

2011-12-07T19:37:00.000-07:00

"If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all."

    Noam Chomsky is an activist, a linguist, an intellectual, and is 83 years young today. His quotes (see above for an example) are pithy, witty, and very relevant to the world today.

    I became aware of him at an early age - but for a strange reason. I have always done crossword puzzles, and "Noam" would often show up in a grid, with the definition something like "Writer Chomsky".   I'd usually try "Noah" for the answer, and of course it was slightly wrong. For many years I wondered WTF this Chomsky dude was, and why he had such a strange first name.

    FWIW, "Noam" is actually his middle name. His real first name is "Avram".

The Urinal

2011-12-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

And just remember, Power always starts with a Pee.

Jim Morrison roolz

2011-12-05T17:40:00.001-07:00

Back in the day, when everybody was debating who the the kewlest - The Beatles or The Stones, my personal opinion was that it was The Doors.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-12-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

    "The mike is yours," Dozsa said. "What have you in mind?"

    "A patterned signal, to show them we wish to communicate. Why start with mathematics? They know full well that we know the value of pi. But if we can recognize their music for what it is, and enjoy the same, faith, they can ours." Caitlin reached down to the webbing on the side of her chair. "Well that I thought to bring my sonador."

    She inserted a program and touched the keyboard. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik tumbled forth. "They offered us mirth," she explained. "Let us offer it back."

(from The Avatar, by Poul Anderson)

The complete review is here.

The Christmas lights are up!

2011-12-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

I'll let you guess which house is mine.

Creationist Parenting

2011-12-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I have gone to church with parents that have this mentality.

Beatles Lyrics

2011-11-30T17:38:00.002-07:00

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-11-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

The school secretary was like every school secretary that Thorne remembered or had ever imagined. Maybe they bred them somewhere, taught them how to put their hair in a bun and look down their pointed noses, before sending them out into the world with a pair of big glasses, a fondness for tweed, and something uncomfortable up their backsides.

(from Scaredy Cat, by Mark Billingham)

The complete review is here.

Whither Penn State?

2011-11-28T17:29:00.001-07:00

The Penn State scandal hits especially close to home, since I went there my freshman year. Joe Paterno was the head coach even way back then (1968). He had a banner year - finishing undefeated and ranked #2 in the country. But things are now in a royal mess, and getting more sordid with each passing day. So it's time for some predictions, and I don't make any of these with joy.

Mike McQueary...
    ...will leave Penn State before Christmas. Half the people in State College are mad because he spoke up; the other half are mad because he didn't speak up. The governor is bad-mouthing him; and the local police are denying he ever contacted them. Which will be found to be a lie, told to cover up for Paterno. Which is sad. Nevertheless, it's time to leave, dude.

    After a year's sabbatical, McQueary will take an assistant coaching position on the West coast.   At a small school. Somewhere like Cal State San Luis Obispo. He will find peace, but will never be a head coach at a top-level program.

The PSU football program...
    ...will fire the entire remaining coaching staff 48 hours after their bowl game. The game will be on Dec. 30th or 31st, so the axe falls right after the holidays. Penn State officials will mumble something about "needing a new direction" which for a change will be the truth. Penn State will score 10 points in said bowl game, but has a 50:50 chance of winning.

    They will hire some no-name coach who's been successful at a small-time college and give him a 4-year contract. He will be in over his head, have a 6-6 record next year; and will be fired after his second season. Penn State will then hire some big-name coach. Maybe Mike Leach, whose legal suits should just about be done by then.

Joe Paterno...
   ...will continue to be an unwanted fly in the ointment. The lung cancer story will be debunked (WTF is "treatable lung cancer" anyway?). He will show up for every home game, making sure to get his photo-op, and all the while maintaining he's just another spectator.

    He will pass on quietly in about 2 years (not a bold prediction, considering his age), but of a stroke or a heart attack, not cancer. Everyone will breathe a sigh of relief, but a sigh nonetheless. In about 10 years, the scandal will have faded, and people will remember JoePa for the 43 years of football excellence, and not his self-serving antics in caring more about his legacy than the sodomized boys and the University's integrity.

Jerry Sandusky...
   ...will continue to say he's done nothing wrong, even as more victims come forward. He will get a new lawyer who will forbid him from doing any more television interviews.

    As his trial nears, he will one day go up into his bedroom, lock the door (or maybe take a drive to a remote spot in the forest), and put a gun in his mouth. He will never come to trial and never go to prison.

I...
    ...will continue to root for my Nittany Lions, all the while warning people about idolizing other human beings - be they athletes, rock stars, TV evangelists, or college football coaches.

the case for Abstinence

2011-11-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Seriously now. Friends don't let friends vote Republican.

Black Friday

2011-11-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

Not so. I put up the outside Christmas lights. And ate leftovers. And watched football.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

Here's hoping you all have lots to eat, loved ones to share it with, and a long afternoon nap. Oh yeah, here's hoping the Cowboys lose and the Lions win.

Time-Traveling Drabble

2011-11-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

One last reminder that the fourth, and last, part of Brian Greene's "The Fabric of the Cosmos" airs tonight on PBS's Nova show. Here in Phoenix, it's on from 9:00 to 10:00.

Tonight's show deals with Multiverses. Time-Travel was dealt with in Part 2. As you can see, Drabble is a fellow chrono-hopper. Well, at least he can send messages from one Time-Space coordinate to another.

Vacation

2011-11-21T19:30:00.001-07:00

    It's the best week of the year to take vacation. For a mere 3-day "official" vacation investment you get nine days off .  I was busy today doing a bunch of errands.  Thursday's Thanksgiving, and I'll be busy on Friday putting up Xmas lights.

    But Tuesday and Wednesday, I plan to hop across a couple dimensions and hang out at the castle pictured here. It's a great place to catch up on your reading, as there is very little moving around.

    And for those of you who are skeptical (yea, even cynical) concerning Dimension-Hopping, be sure to watch the NOVA special called "Fabric of the Cosmos" on PBS on Wednesday night (check local listings). Dimension-Travel will be one of the topics addressed, albeit, they refer to is as "Multiverses".

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-11-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

    "Purgatory? I've thought of it, but I don't know where it is. Chronos said I could ride my horse there, but somehow -"

    She pointed. "Right there."

    Zane looked. There, across the field, was a modern building complex, somewhat like a university. "That's Purgatory?"

    "What did you expect - a medieval dungeon guarded by a dragon?"

    "Well - yes. I mean, the concept of Purgatory -"

    "This is the twentieth century, the golden age of magic and science. Purgatory moves with the times, as do Heaven and Hell."

(from On A Pale Horse, by Piers Anthony)

The full review is here.

Chemistry Humor

2011-11-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Oh, us chemists. We're such a bunch of wits!

Mendelssohn's Greatest Hits

2011-11-16T18:03:00.003-07:00

Artist(s) : Various

Year : Unknown. Probably late 60's.

Album Info : Columbia, Stereo, MS 7516

Tracks

01. Concerto in E Minor for Violin (27:25)
02. On Wings of Song (2:56)
03. Symphony No. 4 in A Major (IV - Saltarello : Presto) (5:52)
04. Scherzo from Octet for Strings in E-Flat Major (4:24)
05. May Breezes (3:55)
06. Spinning Song (1:34)
07. Spring Song (2:23)
08. A Midsummer's Night Dream - Scherzo (4:33)
09. A Midsummer's Night Dream - Wedding March (4:56)

What's To Like...
    This was a freebie (buy one, get one free) from the local used-record store.   Like most Light Classical vinyl, it was in very good condition. No skips, just a couple noticeable scratches, and the original plastic still covering the album.

    The "star" of this disc is Track 01, which is the entire first side. Concerto in E Minor (Op. 64) is also known as Mendelssohn's "Violin Concerto" and is just a stunning effort. It took Mendelssohn 6 years to compose it. You can see a number of very good performances of it out on YouTube. But here it is the incomparable Isaac Stern on violin, with the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy. And it is exquisite.

    The whole album is good though. The most recognizable track is the "Wedding March" (Track 09), but frankly it is a bit lackluster compared to the rest of the selections. The music is by several artists and orchestras - Andre Kostelanetz, Leonard Bernstein's New York Philharmonic, Rudolf Serkin, and Ormandy.

    Due to the excellent condition of the LP, the conversion to MP3's was uneventful, and I've been playing the sh*t out of it at work and on my MP3-player while reading at night. The only downside is that the opening solo in the Violin Concerto (actually the motif for the song itself) is stuck in my head. There are worse fates than that.

    Do yourself a favor and go YouTube "Mendelssohn Violin Concerto". Felix Mendelssohn was a freakin' genius. 9 Stars (out of 10).

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-11-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

    "What year were you born, Mister Naylor?" Should he tell him, Call me Nick?

    "Nineteen fifty-two, sir."

    The Captain smiled and shook his head. "Nineteen fifty-two! Good Lord. Nineteen fifty-two." He took another sip of his julep, crunched down on a chunk of ice, bared his teeth, which were white. "I was in Korea shooting Chinese in nineteen-fifty-two."

    "Really," Nick said, unable to think what else to say.

    "Today, the Chinese are my best customers. There's the twentieth century for you."

    "Seventy percent of adult Chinese males smoke," Nick observed.

    "That is correct," the Captain said. "Next time we won't have to shoot so many of them, will we?"

(from Thank You For Smoking by Christopher Buckley)

The full review is here.

Poetry is a Hoax

2011-11-14T18:26:00.001-07:00

    My appetite for poetry is limited. Over the last couple years, I've read some Charles Bukowski, Sylvia Plath, Edgar Lee Masters, and Wilfred Owen. All of them penned some good stuff. All of them also penned some stuff that left my head in a daze.

    I think the problem with (serious) poetry is that it is inherently obscure.  If you want to write something straightforward, you do a short story. But obscurity carries the risk that no one will see through the fog you've deliberately created. And reading page after page of pea-soup prose gets old fast.

    So I think I'll skip Goat's book of William Wordsworth poems. And Emily Dickinson. And especially Robert Frost. I note in passing I've yet to read any poetry in 2011. I think I'll ask for a Shel Silverstein book for Christmas.

My secret chess weapon

2011-11-10T19:55:00.000-07:00

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-11-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

    "Captain," she said, stamping her foot, "I shall have you know that this is no mean matter for me. I am a vegetarian, and eat no meat."

    He turned back. "Madam," he said, "I care not a whit for your eccentric fancies, and have neither the time nor the patience to oblige them."

    "Eccentric fancies?" she said, coloring. "I shall have you know that the greatest minds of history were vegetarian, from Ptolemy to Leonardo da Vinci, and I shall have you know further, sir, that you are a common drip-knuckle and a boor."

(from Pirate Latitudes, by Michael Crichton)

The complete review is here.

Higgs Boson

2011-11-08T20:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Part 1 of a PBS Nova 4-part special called "The Fabric of the Cosmos", I have a much better understanding of what the Higgs Boson particle is all about. Part 2 of the series airs tomorrow night, and apparently will focus on the dimension of Time. If you have even an ounce of techno-geeky blood in you, watching tomorrow's show is essential.

Vote Tomorrow!

2011-11-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

    ...unless, like us, you already have. Here in Mesa, there's only one thing on the ballot - whether or not to recall our local racist, Russell Pearce. Needless to say, we voted for the alternative - Jerry Lewis.

    Pearce has run a particularly nasty campaign, including funding a phony 3rd recall candidate (to siphon off votes from Lewis), and just out-and-out libelous, hand-painted signs, declaring "Jerry Lewis is scum", etc. Which is just a tad odd, since this recall election bascally pits a white, moderate, Mormon Republican against a white, bigoted, Mormon Republican. You'd think Pearce would play "nice-nice" since it's a fellow GOP-head. Not so.

    In Phoenix, they're voting for mayor in a weird syatem that allows about 15 candidates, but theoretically nobody is of any political party. Yeah, right. There are really only two candidates with a chance - one backed by the Democrats; the other by the Republicans. And everybody knows it. Needless to say, we endorse Greg Stanton, the Democratic candidate.

    Vote with us or vote against us. It doesn't matter. The main thing is - get down to the polls tomorrow and vote!!

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-11-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

    "The girl Elizabeth ... was preparing to retreat once more to the shelter of the broom-cupboard, when the door at the end of the passage opened and a terrible face looked out at her."

    Bunter appeared to be enjoying the sensation he was producing, and paused.

    "A terrible face," said Wimsey. "Very well, I've got that. A terrible face. Next, please!"

    "The face, as I understand," pursued Bunter, "was enveloped in grave-clothes. The jaws were closely bound up, the features were hideous and the lips writhed away from the protruding teeth and the apparition was of a ghastly pallor."

    "Look here, Bunter," said Wimsey, "could you not cut out some of the fancy adjectives and say plainly what the face was like?"

    "I had not myself the opportunity of observing the face," said Bunter, reprovingly, "but the impression produced on me by the young woman's observations was that of a dark-haired, clean-shaven man with protruding teeth under the affliction of some form of physical suffering."

    "Oh, it was a man, then?"

    "That was Elizabeth's opinion."

(from The Five Red Herrings, by Dorothy L. Sayers)

The full review is here.

Vincent's on Camelback

2011-11-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

We'll be dining at Vincent's on Camelback tonight, to celebrate our anniversary. Schnazzeee.

Demotivational Friday

2011-11-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

Words would simply not do this picture any justice.

A final word about my Texas Rangers

2011-11-02T18:06:00.001-07:00

     It's a bummer, of course, that the Texas Rangers came oh-so-close to winning their very first World Series (one pitch away, on two occasions, in Game 6) , only to have Fate snatch it away and give it to Tony LaRussa as a going-away present. I can't think of a World Series game with more drama in it, save possibly Bill Mazeroski's home run in Game 7 of the 61' series between the Yankees and the Pirates.

    But instead of crying in our beer, let's not lose sight of the fact that this was the Rangers' greatest season ever; and that things certainly look bright for 2012. Yes, we may lose C.J. Wilson to free-agency if some pitching-starved team opts to over-pay him. But he bleeds Ranger blue, and even if he does depart, the money that gets freed up may enable Texas to acquire some other top-tier pitcher.

    The dugout chemistry was great in 2011, and Ron Washington again proved to be a wizard at getting his players to put the team first, and over-achieve individually. Ownership is supportive; the offense is just fine; and for a change, the pitching is deep and capable.

    So congratulations to the Texas Rangers on a superb 2011 season! You won the AL West; and you thumped two sizzling hot teams - Tampa Bay and Detroit in the playoffs.

FWIW, I bear no grudge against LaRussa's Cardinals - theirs was a great story, coming from nowhere to qualify as a wildcard team, then taking out the mighty Phillies and Brewers to gain a berth in the World Series. You defied the odds as well, St. Louis, and I tip my hat to you.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-11-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

    "(N)ow that you have saved my life, you are, by the law of my people, responsible for me, and I for you. Where you go, I must also go."

    "Oh," he said. "That's not that bad, is it?"

    "I would rather spend my days chained to a vile wolf or a stinking pig or a marsh-goblin," she told him flatly.

(from Stardust, by Neil Gaiman)

The full review is here.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

2011-10-31T17:45:00.002-07:00

Why Tea-Baggers shouldn't Chrono-Hop

2011-10-30T15:19:00.000-07:00

It takes a certain IQ level to Time Travel responsibly. Otherwise you just screw things up worse than they already are. It's kinda like being a Federation starship commander. You're safe with Jean-Luc Picard. You're iffy with James T. Kirk. You're hosed with Beavis & Butthead.

Why chopsticks?

2011-10-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of truth to this. Some years back, I spent 10 days on a business trip in mainland China. We were in the Hangzhou region, and on the road a lot. The little restaurants we ate at did not have knives, forks, or spoons. So I had to make do with chopsticks.

I suck at using chopsticks. I lost about 10 pounds on that trip.

Childhood Home

2011-10-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

Oh my. I simply have to visit Google Earth more often. They've added some fantastic features, including "Street View". So I can now revisit my childhood home, back in Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania and see how it's changed in the half-century since we left it.

First of all : no, that door in the middle of the wall is not photoshopped. Until recently (meaning 1993, when I last had a chance the house in person), there were porches for each of the three floors, and that door opened out onto the second-story one.

Second, we actually shared the house with another family. We lived in what amounts to the left-four windows' worth of space. They lived in the right-three. There was also a basement, which means there was lots of room and lots of rooms. The stones in the facing have either been redone or repainted. I remember them as various shades of gray.

The side yard has changed extensively since my childhood. When we lived there, there were two huge maple trees along the left-hand fence. And in front of the fence, we had a christmas-type tree that was about 5' tall; which had rocketed to about 30' tall when I was there in '93. We had a backyard patio, which I remember my dad making by laying a sh*tload of hexagon-shaped cement pieces. And that shed in the back yard is new.

Still, the yard looks quite nice, and the structure itself hasn't changed too much. It's good to see it still standing. No one knows how old it is, but it was a hotel during the Civil War.

We "no" who you are

2011-10-26T17:19:00.002-07:00

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-10-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

    "You're sh*t scared, aren't you?" Calvin said.

    "You can read my emotions now, is that it?"

    "No. It's just that your emotions ought to mirror mine. We think very similarly, you and I. More so than ever now." Calvin paused. "And I don't mind admitting - I'm very, very scared. Probably more scared than a piece of software has any right to feel. Isn't that profound, Dan?"

    "Save your profundities for later - I'm sure you'll get the opportunity."

(from Revelation Space, by Alastair Reynolds)

The full review is here.

The worst thing about censorship

2011-10-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

the 2011 version of Monopoly

2011-10-23T14:05:00.000-07:00

Bachman-the-Nut on Science

2011-10-22T18:09:00.003-07:00

It amuses me that Bachman-the-Nut repeatedly comes off sounding so moronic and so ditto-headed that Sarah Failin' Palin decided not to run for president. They'd both be going after the Idiot vote, and thus far, Bachman comes off as the bigger idiot of the two.

Not that either is/was a serious threat to win the Presidency. They're a couple of dingalings, and even fatcat Republicans are reluctant to waste their money contributing to the campaign of a can't-win candidate.

Demotivational Wednesday

2011-10-19T19:39:00.003-07:00

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-10-18T19:32:00.001-07:00

... Theseus the Athenian, team-leader of the Cranes; the odds-on fancy, the back-somersault boy, the first of the bull-leapers. They had painted me on the walls of the Labyrinth, carved me in ivory; there had been little gold Theseuses on the women's bracelets. The ballad-makers had promised themselves and me a thousand years of singing. In these things my pride still lingered. Now it was time to be my father's son.

(from The Bull from the Sea, by Mary Renault)

The complete review is here.

wye eye dunt lyke howmskewling

2011-10-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Because we're dumbing down America. And idiots vote Republican.

The Element of Surprise

2011-10-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

the Grammar Nazi strikes again

2011-10-13T18:17:00.001-07:00

Listen. I know it's an internet comic. And it's free. And the emphasis is on the humor not the grammar. But c'mon now. When something shrivels up, the word is "wither". Like it's used here.

The "whither" word is for when you want to use a high-falootin' word for 'where'. As in "Whither goest thou?" Eeeeeshhh. Like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-10-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

    "I am a damned man, Miss Drapes, judged and damned," said Mr. Bent, staring at the wall.

    "You, Mr. Bent? That's no way to talk! You, who've never made a mistake?"

    "But I have sinned. Oh indeed I have! I have worshipped false idols!"

    "Well, sometimes you can't get real ones," said Miss Drapes, patting his hand and wondering if she should call someone. "Look, if you want absolution, I understand the Ionians are doing two sins for one this week -"

    "It's caught me," he whispered. "Oh dear, Miss Drapes. There is something rising inside that wants to get out!"

    "Don't you worry, we've got a bucket," said Miss Drapes.

(from Making Money, by Terry Pratchett)

The complete review is here.

but it's okay

2011-10-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

    I'm always dismayed by how short of a memory the Electorate has. The economy was on the brink of collapse when we dumped Dubya's sorry a$$ in 2008. We are still in the midst of a recession no matter what anyone says; but overall, things have stabilized economically.

    We have a long way to go, and one critical reform needed is to the Banking Industry. Alzheimered Reagan foolishly pushed deregulation, and Dubnutz allowed lending policies during his regime that border on being criminal. Wall Street Moguls are greedy fat-cats who will gouge the poor unless specifically forbidden to do so.

    So join your local "Occupy" organization and march/protest/occupy to show your support. You ARE part of the 99%, not the 1%.

back from Los Angeles

2011-10-10T18:19:00.000-07:00

Three wonderful, thrill-packed days - one each at California Adventure, Disneyland, and Six Flags Magic Mountain. Lots of walking. My feet are sore, my calves are barking at me, and my stomach is still not quite recovered from the roller coaster rides at 6F-MM last night.

The weather was perfect, the company and conversation was fantastic, and lots of great pics were taken. With a bit of luck, I'll find time to post some of them. It was nice to get away, but it's also nice to be back home. Our puppies are glad we've returned as well.

Off to see Dumbo and Goofy

2011-10-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

We're off to spend the weekend in L.A. The plan is to do Disneyland, California Adventure (or whatever it's called), and Magic Mountain. Okay fine. But I've seen Disneyland 3 or 4 times already. So I've hatched a plan to sneakily divert us into a parallel universe. Similar to ours of course (that's why they call it 'parallel'), but one in which Zombies rule. BRAINZ!

Occupy Phoenix

2011-10-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

When : Saturday, 15 October (not sure of the time)

Where : Wesley Bolin Plaza

Why : Cuz I'm part of the 99%, not the 1%

Besides, I haven't illegally occupied anything since my college days, when we liberated a fountain at ASU in the name of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (Viet Cong), and held it for two weeks.

Picacho Peak Pile-Up

2011-10-04T18:00:00.001-07:00

We know Arizona drivers aren't worth a sh*t when it rains. And they're even worse in snow. This is not a critical thing, since those two phenomena seldom happen here. But dust storms are a different matter. Arizona gets dust storms like L.A. gets smog.

And we got one today. No, not a mile-high "haboob-sized" one; just your ordinary happens-all-the-time variety. But you still have to take care. At zero-visibility, it is advisable to slow down to at least 80 mph while transversing the freeways. And pay attention to your surroundings a little bit; maybe going so far as to hang up your cell phone. You might even consider exiting the freeway until the storm passes.

Someone apparently forgot all that this afternoon on the I-10, somewhere around Picacho Peak. The result was a 30-vehicle pile-up; 1 fatality; and several more with life-threatening injuries. Perhaps Arizonans should be forbidden to drive whenever anything more than two clouds appear in the sky.

Wall Street Protests

2011-10-03T19:44:00.001-07:00

    It is interesting to watch the "Wall Street Protests" unfold. First of all, because they're so under-reported. Second, because they refuse to be "polite" demonstrators - carefully complying with every stoopid police regulation ("Do Not Block the Roadway"; "Stay Several Blocks Away From Meaningful Landmarks"; "Inform the Police Beforehand of Everything You're Going to Do"; etc.) . Third, because unlike we protesters from the 70's, they don't really have any clearly-stated goals.

    Methinks it is a balancing reaction to the Tea Bag Idiocy. Elections are coming up; it looks to be a dogfight, no matter which wing-nut the Gopheads nominate; and someone needs to grab the headlines from the Tea Baggers.

    And one has to be impressed by the way these protests are spreading. The New Yorkers are overcoming the media stonewalling. The Chicago protest is sustaining itself. And Los Angeles has its own Anti-Bankers demonstrations going.

    By coincidence, I will be in L.A. this weekend. Mostly to go see Dumbo and Nemo. But I just might find time to join the demonstrators. Jeez, I haven't been in a protest since 2003. And that was in London. I'm overdue.

the new FaceBook buttons are here

2011-10-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

and I for one am looking forward to using the "Stare Creepily" one a lot.

Demotivational Friday

2011-09-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

Listen. I'm not anti-Star Wars. I love Star Wars. But do we really need yet another re-release of the DVD's? So it's got a few more minutes of deleted scenes. So Leia and Han get kissy kissy. So what. Shouldn't all this have been included in the first release? Or the second?

But now, if you replace the ugly old emperor with the above-pictured Sith Lord. Now you got my interest.

Edgar Allan Pooh

2011-09-29T19:29:00.001-07:00

I'm sure the sequel will be Murders in the Roo Morgue.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-09-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ka was a wheel, its one purpose to turn, and in the end it always came back to the place where it had started. So it had been and so it was now; Susannah was once again facing the bear, and her face said she knew it.

(from The Waste Lands by Stephen King)

The complete review is here.

ASU 43 - USC 22

2011-09-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

You! Yes, you! Yer going down, suckah!

And they did. I stayed up way past my bedtime Saturday night to watch this glorious ASU victory. First time we beat the Trojans in a dozen years. Even longer since we beat them here in Tempe.

I knew it

2011-09-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

Vinyl Giveaway #3

2011-09-24T17:02:00.001-07:00

   Time to get rid of another stack of LP's that are sitting on my computer room floor and have been converted to MP3's. The usual caveats apply. Most of these are $1-$5 used acquisitions, so expect scratches. AFAIK, none have backward skips (I tossed those); and very few have forward ones. The LP's are free, but they need to be picked up by next Saturday, when I take the remainder to Rockzone.

    Drop me an e-mail if any of these tickle your fancy. I'll divvy up albums that more than one person has an interest in.

01. Petula Clark - Portrait of Petula Clark
    Easy-listening stuff, but a nice selection.
02. Silver Creek - Silver Creek
   A one-LP group that shooda done better. Kewl Orange Blossom Special rendition.
03. Allan Sherman - My Son, The Celebrity
   Yeah, he's the "Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda" guy. But that's not on this LP.
04. Chilliwack - Opus X
    Album #10 from a Canadian prog band. "Whatcha Gonna Do" got some air play.
05. Jimmy Dean - The First Thing Ev'ry Morning
    Might have his signature on the back. An otherwise terrible album.
06. Rare Earth - In Concert
    2x-LP Kewl album design - in the form of a backpack. Good music too.
07. Marshall Tucker Band - Carolina Dreams
    Has "Heard It In a Love Song" on it.
08. Andreas Vollenweider - White Winds
    Ambient music from an electric harpist. How kewl is that?!
09. Bill Monroe - The Original Blue Grass Sound
    The father of bluegrass.
10. Ronnie Milsap - One More Try For Love
    Nice, but nothing special.
11. Lone Justice - Lone Justice
    Maria McKee's first group. This was their debut LP, I think.
12. Kenny Rogers & The 1st Edition - Something's Burning
    Pop music sweet enough to make you gag.
13. Leon Russell & Marc Benno - Asylum Choir II
    Leon's done better; Leon's done worse.
14. Walter Murphy - A Fifth of Beethoven
    Half disco; half rockicized classical music. The disco half sux.
15. Sheena Easton - You Could Have Been With Me
    Nice.
16. Tom Paxton - The Compleat Tom Paxton
    2X-LP. Live. All his hits.
17. The Limeliters - Tonight : In Person
    Kingston Trio wannabees. Which is not a bad thing.
18. Black Oak Arkansas - I'd Rather Be Sailing
    In immaculate condition, but the worst rock-&-roll album ever. Ask me why.
19. Chilliwack - Chilliwack
    2X-LP. Some of their early proggy stuff.
20. Roger Miller - Dang Me
    His debut album. Good stuff.
21. Allan Sherman - For Swingin' Livers Only
    Jewish-humor songs.
22. Chet Atkins - This Is Chet Atkins
    2X-LP. A fine guitarist.
23. Pure Prairie League - Live Takin' The Stage
    2X-LP. A nice live album. With all their hits. Both of them.
24. Don Nix - Skyrider
    Not his best. But I am a huge Don Nix fan.
25. Mike Oldfield - Airborn
    2X-LP. An early re-issue of some of his songs. Includes Tubular Bells.
26. The Earl Scruggs Review - Strike Anywhere
    A bluegrass band that sings songs about Muhammed Ali. Kewlness.
27. Three Dog Night - It Ain't Easy
    My favorite 3DN album.
28. Tommy - The Soundtrack
    2X-LP. Elton doing Pinball Wizard. Clapton on it as well.
    Warning : This one is excessively scratched. I'll probably toss it.
29. Smothers Brothers - Tour De Farce
    Excellent!
30. Smothers Brothers - Golden Hits, Volume 2
    See above.
31. Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - The Best Years of our Lives
    A British glam band that I'm partial to.
32. Bee Gees - Horizontal
    Their first US album, I think. Has "Massachusetts" on it.
33. Four Tops - Anthology
    3X-LP. Good stuff, but way too much Motown for one sitting.
34. John Denver - Back Home Again
    I'm learning to like JD.
35. Beck-Bogart-Appice - Beck, Bogart, and Appice
    Three guys that you really should wiki.
36. Blue Oyster Cult - Blue Oyster Cult
    Decent, but doesn't contain "Don't Fear The Reaper".
37. Dan Fogelberg - Nether Lands
    Nice story-telling songs.
38. Stealer's Wheel - Stealer's Wheel.
    I'm still not learning to like Gerry Rafferty.
39. Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction
    Is there a reason why Barry deliberately sings off-key?
40. Lindsey Buckingham - Go Insane
    A nice effort.
41. Leon Redbone - From Branch to Branch
    A white guy singing Muddy Waters era blues. Kewl.
42. Procol Harum - Exotic Birds & Fruit
    No hits, but nice.
43. Rare Earth - Band Together
    Lounge Music stuff from their later years.
44. Isaac Stern - 60th Anniversary Celebration
    Classical violin. Excellent.
45. Berlin Philharmonic - Dvorak Symphony #8
    Hey, I love light classical music. Back off.
46. Chris Rea - Deltics
    A fantastic guitarist that no one knows.
47. Josh White - Archive of Folk Music
    40's folk/blues music, issued soon after his death.
48. Ned Kelly Soundtrack
    Mick Jagger, Waylon Jennings, and Shel Silverstein team up.
49. The Highwaymen - The Highwaymen
   No, not Willie and Waylon. This is the 60's group who did "Michael Row the Boat Ashore"
50. Bonnie Tyler - Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
    Bonnie roolz!
51. Bonnie Tyler - The World Starts Tonight
    See above.
52. Chet Atkins & Hank Snow - Reminiscing
    Easy listening, but finely done.
53. Hoyt Axton - Joy To The World
   Debut album, I think. Eclectic mix of songs.
54. Ozark Mountain Daredevils - OMD
    "If You Wanta Get To Heaven", et. al.
55. Chad Mitchell Trio - Singin' Our Mind
    More Kingston Trio type stuff.
56. Jean-Luc Ponty - Cosmic Messenger
    Excellence in ambience.
57. John Mayall - The Turning Point
    White-boy blues. Nice.
58. Ozark Mountain Daredevils - Sidemen From Earth
    Good stuff. What ever happened to these dudes?
59. Lindisfarne - Roll On, Ruby.
    Better-than-average.
60. Harmonium - L'Heptade
    Obscure French-Canadian prog-ambient band.
61. New Christy Minstrels - Tell Tall Tales
    Happy folksy 60's stuff. I like them.
62. Blues Project - Best Of...
    Excellent honky R&B.
63.Smothers Brothers - Curb Your Tongue, Knave!
    See above. Way above.
64. Marshall Tucker Band - Running Like The Wind
    No hits, but nice nevertheless.
65. Barclay James Harvest - Best of...
    Early BJH stuff, actually. A proggy folksy rock band.

The sky is falling...

2011-09-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

WTF?! Some people are actually worried about (debris from) the satellite hitting them tonight? Peeps, we need to talk about statistical odds. It's why I don't play the lottery.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-09-22T18:36:00.000-07:00

"I really have only one question," Hemberg began. "What do you think it is?"
    "You're of course wondering what I'm doing here."
     "I would probably put it more forcefully," Hemberg said. "How the hell did you end up here?"
     "It's a long story," Wallander said.
     "Make it short," Hemberg replied. "But leave nothing out."

(from The Pyramid by Henning Mankell)

The complete review is here.

RIP R.E.M.

2011-09-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

Damn, dudes. Was it something I said?

The Limitations of Science

2011-09-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

If you haven't found Jesus & Mo yet, you really ought to.

Talk Like A Pirate Day

2011-09-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite holidaze is September 19 - Talk Like A Pirate Day. I find it amazing that it has not yet been recognized as a national holiday. Next year I might even dress the part.

A child's prayer

2011-09-16T18:16:00.001-07:00

Sent to me a long time ago by my friend, Buffy. Who cared deeply for those poor ladies.

Book Excerpt for the Day

2011-09-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

It was something everyone who lived in Berlin seemed to experience. You began to think differently about whom you met for lunch and for that matter what café or restaurant you chose, because rumors circulated about which establishments were favorite targets of Gestapo agents - the bar at Adlon, for example. You lingered at street corners a beat or two longer to see if the faces you saw at the last corner had now turned up at this one. In the most casual of circumstances you spoke carefully and paid attention to those around you in a way you never had before. Berliners came to practice what became known as "the German glance" - der deutsche Blick - a quick look in all directions when encountering a friend or acquaintance on the street.

(from In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson)

The full review is here.

RIP - Carl Oglesby

2011-09-14T17:34:00.001-07:00

Carl Oglesby

b. : 30 July 1935

d. : 13 September 2011

    Carl Oglesby was a powerful speaker for the Left Wing, and was president of the Students for a Democratic Society (better known as "SDS") 1965-1966.

    SDS was a high-profile student political force when I was a freshman at Penn State (1968). That year, students took over the Dean's office at PSU, and occupied it for several days. I'm sure SDS was a major player in the protest.

    Alas, my main aim my freshman year was to get as drunk as I could, and as often as I could; and it's hard to protest when you're passed out on the floor. To boot, my political leanings were decidedly right-wing. By the time my politics changed leftward (1971), SDS was kaput, Oglesbly had been kicked out, and I had transferred to ASU.

    So this is more of a requiem for SDS, using Carl Oglesby's passing to put a face on them. They did influence my life, but not until my junior year.

   We'll leave you with a quote from him. There were quite a few to choose from, given his mastery of speech-giving.

    "It isn't the rebels who cause the troubles of the world, it's the troubles that cause the rebels."