Here's what I'm listening to today.
1. "Can Make Me Cry" - Concrete Blonde
2. "Hole In The River" - Crowded House
3. "Road To Nowhere" - Talking Heads
4. "Love You 'Til The Day I Die" - Crowded House
5. "Johnny Sunshine" - Liz Phair
6. "Mack The Knife" - Bobby Darin (with Frank Sinatra)
7. "Girls On Film" - Duran Duran
8. "All I Want" - Toad The Wet Sprocket
9. "Learning To Fly" - Pink Floyd
10. "From Me To You" - The Beatles
11. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - The Rolling Stones
12. "Breakfast" - Mary Prankster
13. "Help Me Mary" - Liz Phair
14. "Shout It Out Loud (Live)" - KISS
15. "Everywhere" - Michelle Branch
16. "Lights Out" - Lisa Marie Presley
Well, that was pretty much all over the place, genre-wise. Interesting that with 382 songs to choose from, I end up with double shots of Liz Phair and Crowded House.
The Crowded House songs still remind me of the 1987 Cross Country season, because I would listen to that album (on tape) on the bus to and from every meet. Since those are the more obscure songs on that album, and I've focussed more on the "Don't Dream It's Over" caliber stuff since that fateful fall (fateful because we ended winning the State Championship), the song still reminds me of that time.
It was nice getting The Beatles and The Rolling Stones back-to-back.
The Lisa Marie Presley song reminds me that I don't have nearly enough Elvis in my iTunes library. I need to work on that.
I'm not 100% sure that's Bobby Darin singing with Frank Sinatra. They ad-lib a lot of it, and I think the non-Sinatra refers to himself as Jimmy at one point. The ID says it's Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, but I can tell it's not Dean Martin.
Friday, March 31, 2006
It's Probably Just Me
Edit: I forgot to listen to iTunes while doing this, to supply the weekly list. I'll go listen now, and post the list in a bit.
I did something the other night that I haven't done a lot recently, but did a lot as a kid. Has anyone else out there found themselves thinking about something and wondering why you're thinking about it, so you trace your steps back?
Example: I was thinking about the French History professor I had in college, specifically how he broke his ankle and had to send in recorded lectures for about a week (there was some joking that he broke it playing basketball - he was an old guy who always wore 3-piece suits, which made that joke funny). Not sure why I was thinking about him, I tried to remember what I had been thinking about previously to lead me to that particular memory. It went thusly:
- I had a French History professor who broke his ankle
- I turned in a paper in that French History class late because I was sick
- I also turned in a German History paper late, losing half a grade on it (should have gotten an A-, but had to take a B+)
- We read All Quiet On The Western Front, a novel about World War I, in that German History class
- At the beginning of the movie The Big Red One, Lee Marvin is in World War I and shoots a German soldier, not realizing the war had just ended
- At the end of Sayid's flashback on a recent episode of Lost, the war in Kuwait ends, and the Americans let him go
- In that same episode, Sayid tortures someone
- The episode of Lost that aired the night I was doing this little memory exercise also touched upon Sayid and the guy he tortured
- I had just watched that episode.
So I was thinking about my French History professor because I had just watched Lost.
I used to do this sort of thing a lot when I was a kid. Has anyone else done this, or is it just me?
I did something the other night that I haven't done a lot recently, but did a lot as a kid. Has anyone else out there found themselves thinking about something and wondering why you're thinking about it, so you trace your steps back?
Example: I was thinking about the French History professor I had in college, specifically how he broke his ankle and had to send in recorded lectures for about a week (there was some joking that he broke it playing basketball - he was an old guy who always wore 3-piece suits, which made that joke funny). Not sure why I was thinking about him, I tried to remember what I had been thinking about previously to lead me to that particular memory. It went thusly:
- I had a French History professor who broke his ankle
- I turned in a paper in that French History class late because I was sick
- I also turned in a German History paper late, losing half a grade on it (should have gotten an A-, but had to take a B+)
- We read All Quiet On The Western Front, a novel about World War I, in that German History class
- At the beginning of the movie The Big Red One, Lee Marvin is in World War I and shoots a German soldier, not realizing the war had just ended
- At the end of Sayid's flashback on a recent episode of Lost, the war in Kuwait ends, and the Americans let him go
- In that same episode, Sayid tortures someone
- The episode of Lost that aired the night I was doing this little memory exercise also touched upon Sayid and the guy he tortured
- I had just watched that episode.
So I was thinking about my French History professor because I had just watched Lost.
I used to do this sort of thing a lot when I was a kid. Has anyone else done this, or is it just me?
Friday, March 24, 2006
Feeding My Hungry Audience
Hello all. Endless apologies for the long break between posts. I had a baseball draft recently, the preparations for which consumed most of my free time. That draft happened on Tuesday. The three post-free days since then can be attributed to laziness.
I'm jumping on the iTunes playlist bandwagon. A running list of what I'm listening to while typing this appears below.
I don't really have any one thing to talk about. Just some random thoughts:
*********
I found out the other day that our President of the USofA got a degree in History at Yale. So I'm not the only one who isn't putting their History degree to good use.
*********
I was looking at one of M's Mardi Gras posters this morning, and I realized I didn't really say much about the Rex parade (aside from a single sentence saying it was crowded and fun).
Rex is the King of Carnival (Carnival being the actual name for what we just refer to as Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is the last day of Carnival). His identity, and the identity of his Queen, are kept secret until the night before Mardi Gras. That's when they sail down the river into New Orleans, and everybody sees them for the first time. We were at a restaurant a block or two away when Rex 2006 arrived. We were by a window facing the river, so we saw the fireworks.
Rex rides in the Rex parade, the last parade of Mardi Gras, while his Queen sits in a grandstand at the Hotel Intercontinental. When the parade passes the Hotel Intercontinental, it pauses so that Rex may toast his Queen.
Anyway, I think the whole thing is pretty cool, so I thought I'd share.
*********
I really want to see V for Vendetta, but M thought it looked too violent, my brother agreed, and a friend that I often see movies with had already seen it at a preview showing.
I never, ever, go to the movies by myself (I don't eat alone at restaurants either), so it was looking like I'd be waiting until Netflix had it. But M made a compromise with me this morning. She'll see V with me if I go see the new Sarah Jessica Parker chick-flick with her. Sounds like a good deal to me!
*********
I'm realizing right about now that I have a lot of 80's music in my iTunes library. What exactly does it mean to be "saved by zero"?
*********
I thought that Jon Stewart did a great job hosting the Oscars. He was very funny, but had the misfortune of having an audience that doesn't like to laugh at themselves.
*********
I managed to get the house cleaned up before M got back from New Orleans. I know some of you were concerned about that.
*********
That's about all I have for now. Here's the random shuffle I was listening to. For those unfamiliar with this emerging trend, the rules are that you put your player (iTunes, in my case) on random shuffle, listen to everything that plays, and list everything - no omissions.
1. "Blue Flower" - Mazzy Star
2. "A Little Respect" - Erasure
3. "That Ain't Love" - REO Speedwagon
4. "Cum On Feel The Noize" - Quiet Riot (I wasn't really digging this playlist until this came on)
5. "About A Girl" - Nirvana
6. "Shock The Monkey" - Peter Gabriel
7. "Keep On Loving You" - The Donnas (cover of the REO Speedwagon song - not a very good cover)
8. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam
9. "Ran For Miles" - Gemma Hayes
10. "Saved By Zero" - The Fixx
11. "Down With The Sickness" - Disturbed
12. "Wolf" - Veruca Salt
13. "She's Not There" - The Zombies (a 60's classic!)
14. "Illegal Smile" - John Prine
I'm jumping on the iTunes playlist bandwagon. A running list of what I'm listening to while typing this appears below.
I don't really have any one thing to talk about. Just some random thoughts:
*********
I found out the other day that our President of the USofA got a degree in History at Yale. So I'm not the only one who isn't putting their History degree to good use.
*********
I was looking at one of M's Mardi Gras posters this morning, and I realized I didn't really say much about the Rex parade (aside from a single sentence saying it was crowded and fun).
Rex is the King of Carnival (Carnival being the actual name for what we just refer to as Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is the last day of Carnival). His identity, and the identity of his Queen, are kept secret until the night before Mardi Gras. That's when they sail down the river into New Orleans, and everybody sees them for the first time. We were at a restaurant a block or two away when Rex 2006 arrived. We were by a window facing the river, so we saw the fireworks.
Rex rides in the Rex parade, the last parade of Mardi Gras, while his Queen sits in a grandstand at the Hotel Intercontinental. When the parade passes the Hotel Intercontinental, it pauses so that Rex may toast his Queen.
Anyway, I think the whole thing is pretty cool, so I thought I'd share.
*********
I really want to see V for Vendetta, but M thought it looked too violent, my brother agreed, and a friend that I often see movies with had already seen it at a preview showing.
I never, ever, go to the movies by myself (I don't eat alone at restaurants either), so it was looking like I'd be waiting until Netflix had it. But M made a compromise with me this morning. She'll see V with me if I go see the new Sarah Jessica Parker chick-flick with her. Sounds like a good deal to me!
*********
I'm realizing right about now that I have a lot of 80's music in my iTunes library. What exactly does it mean to be "saved by zero"?
*********
I thought that Jon Stewart did a great job hosting the Oscars. He was very funny, but had the misfortune of having an audience that doesn't like to laugh at themselves.
*********
I managed to get the house cleaned up before M got back from New Orleans. I know some of you were concerned about that.
*********
That's about all I have for now. Here's the random shuffle I was listening to. For those unfamiliar with this emerging trend, the rules are that you put your player (iTunes, in my case) on random shuffle, listen to everything that plays, and list everything - no omissions.
1. "Blue Flower" - Mazzy Star
2. "A Little Respect" - Erasure
3. "That Ain't Love" - REO Speedwagon
4. "Cum On Feel The Noize" - Quiet Riot (I wasn't really digging this playlist until this came on)
5. "About A Girl" - Nirvana
6. "Shock The Monkey" - Peter Gabriel
7. "Keep On Loving You" - The Donnas (cover of the REO Speedwagon song - not a very good cover)
8. "That's Entertainment" - The Jam
9. "Ran For Miles" - Gemma Hayes
10. "Saved By Zero" - The Fixx
11. "Down With The Sickness" - Disturbed
12. "Wolf" - Veruca Salt
13. "She's Not There" - The Zombies (a 60's classic!)
14. "Illegal Smile" - John Prine
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras in The Big Easy
When last we left our heroes, they were on the way to Mr. Po-Boy for some late lunch. Having observed during my previous visit that one can combine two types of po-boy into one multi-delight sandwich, I added shrimp to the mix, resulting in a shrimp and catfish po-boy that I did not regret one iota.
That is, until we had an early dinner. Then I was regretting the 2:30 po-boy. But what are ya gonna do.
We got ourselves a nice spot for Orpheus. M's friend knew of a parking lot that's right on the parade route, towards the end, so we parked there. As luck would have it, all three cars in our little group managed to park next to each other at the end of the parking lot that touched the sidewalk. Everything we needed as far as food and drink was right at our fingertips without moving out of bead-catching range. Pretty sweet.
Harry Connick Jr. is the usual head of the Orpheus parade (that is to say, he is Orpheus), being as he's the one that founded it, but he just started a show on Broadway (The Pillow Game, I believe), so he wasn't there this year. It was a bit disappointing. I don't know if there was even an Orpheus in the Orpheus parade (does Harry Connick Jr. have exclusivity in being Orpheus?). Steven Seagal, Josh Harnett and supposedly Scarlett Johannsen (though we never saw her) were all on the lead floats, but none of them were dressed up the way Michael Keaton was as Bacchus, so I guess they were the Orpheus Reserves.
We were near the buses for a couple of the high school bands that were in the parade that preceded Orpheus (that parade was shorter and thus did not go by us). The two bands started doing a Battle of The Bands right there in the parking lot. I thought the red-and-white school got served by the blue-and-gold school, but most everyone else thought that red-white won the battle.
There were a couple of cops near us during the parade, and they were doing a great job - of talking to the young ladies that were flirting with them. There could have been mayhem in the streets, and all the cops would have noticed was the chests on their new friends.
Mardi Gras itself was a nice sunny day - the only day we had to break out the sunscreen. We watched Zulu with some friends on the big stand they always set up. Well, I didn't see much of it because the 11-year-old wasn't all that interested in the parades, so we fired trivia questions back and forth instead. I totally blanked on the name of the Steward of Gondor.
The final parade, Rex, was spent with M's cousins a few blocks down. They were all there, kids and all. It was very crowded and very fun.
Then, I had to fly outta town. For a change, I didn't have to walk all over the airports to get to my gates. The gate out of New Orleans was right by the security checkpoint, which, in turn, was right by the check-in desk. When I switched planes in Houston, my flight in and my flight out were only two gates apart. It was all very convenient.
M is staying down in New Orleans for another week to see everyone she didn't get to see during Mardi Gras Weekend and to volunteer a little. She has the time to do so, being as she's unemployed until March 13 (that's a story for another day). I'm missing her something terrible, but at least I can leave my dirty clothes on the floor without having to worry about them for a while.
That is, until we had an early dinner. Then I was regretting the 2:30 po-boy. But what are ya gonna do.
We got ourselves a nice spot for Orpheus. M's friend knew of a parking lot that's right on the parade route, towards the end, so we parked there. As luck would have it, all three cars in our little group managed to park next to each other at the end of the parking lot that touched the sidewalk. Everything we needed as far as food and drink was right at our fingertips without moving out of bead-catching range. Pretty sweet.
Harry Connick Jr. is the usual head of the Orpheus parade (that is to say, he is Orpheus), being as he's the one that founded it, but he just started a show on Broadway (The Pillow Game, I believe), so he wasn't there this year. It was a bit disappointing. I don't know if there was even an Orpheus in the Orpheus parade (does Harry Connick Jr. have exclusivity in being Orpheus?). Steven Seagal, Josh Harnett and supposedly Scarlett Johannsen (though we never saw her) were all on the lead floats, but none of them were dressed up the way Michael Keaton was as Bacchus, so I guess they were the Orpheus Reserves.
We were near the buses for a couple of the high school bands that were in the parade that preceded Orpheus (that parade was shorter and thus did not go by us). The two bands started doing a Battle of The Bands right there in the parking lot. I thought the red-and-white school got served by the blue-and-gold school, but most everyone else thought that red-white won the battle.
There were a couple of cops near us during the parade, and they were doing a great job - of talking to the young ladies that were flirting with them. There could have been mayhem in the streets, and all the cops would have noticed was the chests on their new friends.
Mardi Gras itself was a nice sunny day - the only day we had to break out the sunscreen. We watched Zulu with some friends on the big stand they always set up. Well, I didn't see much of it because the 11-year-old wasn't all that interested in the parades, so we fired trivia questions back and forth instead. I totally blanked on the name of the Steward of Gondor.
The final parade, Rex, was spent with M's cousins a few blocks down. They were all there, kids and all. It was very crowded and very fun.
Then, I had to fly outta town. For a change, I didn't have to walk all over the airports to get to my gates. The gate out of New Orleans was right by the security checkpoint, which, in turn, was right by the check-in desk. When I switched planes in Houston, my flight in and my flight out were only two gates apart. It was all very convenient.
M is staying down in New Orleans for another week to see everyone she didn't get to see during Mardi Gras Weekend and to volunteer a little. She has the time to do so, being as she's unemployed until March 13 (that's a story for another day). I'm missing her something terrible, but at least I can leave my dirty clothes on the floor without having to worry about them for a while.
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