SUMMER OF MIKE - A check in!

Summer of Mike! 2 months down, 1 to go! 

Back sometime in May, I believe I declared this summer the SUMMER OF MIKE, where I would do lots of fun things, and just generally have a good time doing things on my own or with people. The last two summers have been, well, strange, to say the least, as the first one was a combo of living with the first pandemic summer/going through a pretty rough mental breakup, while 2021 was kinda the same for self inflicted reasons. So how has the SUMMER OF MIKE been going? Has it lived up to expectations? Read on to find out! 

If you don’t want to find out, please prepare your snarky comments!

1. I went into this summer thinking that I wasn’t going to even try to date. I had gotten out of a relationship that reached its natural conclusion, and did just want to take some time to myself. But, in late May, I got back in touch with Jeanine, a prior girlfriend, and we hit it off again, and we’ve been going out for about 2 months now. So, unexpected in all the best ways, and things are going very well, building on the strengths of the first time around, but this time, being more communicative and open with each other. So, that’s all very positive and a “feel good” part of this summer… 

2. In May, I got to go down to see my dad/stepmother in Florida for a longish weekend, which was a lot of fun. These last two years have not been great for travel, so being able to get down to spend time together was a great accomplishment. A good time was had by all! 

3. The end of May/start of June was a bit odd, with my jury duty service on a 2nd degree murder trial. It did throw me for a bit of a loop, as the realities of the case were sometimes emotionally difficult to process, mainly just how random life can be (for the victim in the case, and therefore, for all of us in life). But it was an experience that upon reflection, I would not trade for anything. I truly believe, as I stated at the time, in doing our ‘civic duty’ in serving on juries when called to do so, and I’m glad my work was able to be so flexible for the 11 or so days of work that I missed. 

4. Jeanine and I have been able to hit two Broadway shows (American Buffalo and The Minutes), which were both very good, with The Minutes being my favorite of the two (although both were well worth seeing). We’ve been to two concerts together (The Musical Box, a Genesis tribute band; and the Ed Palermo Big Band), and both were great fun. We’ve been able to go out and about a lot more than we did in our first go round in late 2020/early 2021, which I think helps a lot with the actual development of the relationship, and it gives us something to both look forward to do together, and to talk about once we do it. We did go to a Star Wars fan event, which was basically some rich dude’s toy collection here in NYC, which was a bust, but we had fun joking about it, so we turn a negative into a positive! 

5. I got to see friends Brian/In/Rowan down in the hometown, which is always a pleasure! I’ve also been able to hang out with friend Andy, and do podcast recording with Tom and Adam (who I also saw when we went to see The Musical Box!). Pre-Musical Box show, I also got to hang out with friend Andrew DeSpirito, and had dinner with Lou for the first time in a long time! I got to see the Kid in the Hall Bruce McCulloch live with Stacy Godfrey and her friend Nicole! This was in May, so perhaps a bit before the SUMMER OF MIKE officially began, but I got to see Jerry Marotta/Security Project on tour, and caught up with AJ Chippero who was out assisting on the road with them! All this is something not to take for granted after these past few years. 

6. This may not seem like a big deal, but I’ve been able to get out to the movies, to see some new releases, and some revivals (Godzilla and The Thing!). As getting out to the movies is one of my main fun “get out of the apartment” activities to do, this has been a good summer on that front. I do like going to the shows that are reserved seating (to pick seats away from other humans!), and I do keep my mask on in general (I had Covid once, no need to get it again). So overall, it’s good to get that aspect of life going again. 

7. And, of course, there’s the continued walking around the city I do, to keep myself sane and healthy. The walking I’ve been doing over the past two years has not just been good for physical health, but it has helped in general with feeling better about myself overall. I am, at heart, a creature of habit and routine, and I’m glad that I’ve been able to build this walking into a habit that has continued. 

What does the rest of the summer hold? Traveling to Washington DC for a work conference in August, more outings with Jeanine, possible concert attendance with Tom (we still have to nail this down!), more activities around the city, a day trip to the beach (avoiding sunburn as much as possible!), and more of the good things in life… 

This summer, while it’s basically 2/3rds over, has felt “long” in the best of ways. Yes, we still have to be careful when out and about, and be considerate of others and be aware of health concerns. But, maybe, just maybe, there’s a bit of light at the end of this 2+ year long tunnel. 

So, bravo to the SUMMER OF MIKE, and I hope all your summers are going as well as possible! Tell everyone in the comments how you’re doing! 

 And, I know this has been a lot of words, so to reward your reading, here’s a Haley cat photo…

Coin Collecting

While doing some organizing of shelves (don't tell me my life isn't exciting!), I came upon some of my old coin collection, in the classic blue Whitman holders. Pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, all neatly arranged in their respective places. I collected coins from about the age of 9 or 10, to about 12 or 13, if my memory serves me right, and then, while I still had the books, the active collection faded. But still, I would look through my change for any older coins, the random silver dime or quarter, old Wheatie pennies (cents from 1909 to 1958, for those of you not in the know), and the like. Once that collection bug bites, I don't know if it ever really goes away. Looking at these older holders, I decided, why not start this up again? Collecting is fun, I can get some new folders, and now that I'm not a kid and have a real income, I might be able to really accumulate a collection, through buying of some older coins. But, there is that part of me that goes, does it really matter to simply accumulate "stuff," that'll sit on a shelf or in a folder, what does it really matter in the long run? The pleasure is in the finding, the chase, the enjoyment of the process! If a collection simply becomes the covetous, "I've got something on my shelf, and that's where it will stay," then the collections owns you, not you owning the collection. So, I think I am going to start up this collection again, and see where it leads. If it becomes too obsessive, if I can't bear the thought of giving it away, or losing it at some point, then I learn how to give something up that was important to me. That's something that perhaps we continually have to learn over again in life. If I find anything "cool," I'll keep you posted!

A salad revelation...

Joe Johnston may appreciate this, as it's based on conversations we have had in the past...

I was out at lunch earlier this week, and I was having chicken and rice from one of the local street vendors, which is quite tasty. Along with the chicken/rice, there's a bit of salad in the mix, and sometimes even a few french fries. It's NYC street food, you never quite know what you'll get...

Anyway, they always give me the option of having white sauce or hot sauce on the lunch. As the white sauce is a horrendous taste (although many people love it, as it seems like the default sauce to get), I always go for the hot sauce.

I have told many people that I find salad dressing to be a silly invention. If you like salad, just eat the salad, or if you like the dressing, just have the dressing.

While I was eating my lunch, and enjoying the salad that had some of the hot sauce on it, I thought to myself, why isn't there more hot sauce on salad? And then, I had my minor epiphany that the hot sauce *was* a kind of salad dressing, and that if there was more of it, I'd be happy to have it on salad in general...

So, I guess I'm not as against salad dressing as I thought. Please, go on with your regular activities while this revelation of mine resounds throughout the land...

King Crimson Dress Rehearsal - Albany, 8 September 2014

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend the dress rehearsal for the upcoming (starting tonight!) King Crimson tour, at The Egg in Albany, New York.  The lovely Eli, who is a member of the NYC Guitar Circle, was included in an opportunity to attend the rehearsal, and with us both being fans of the band, it was a no-brainer to accept this opportunity as presented to us.

I did joke with Sid Smith, KC documentarian extraordinaire, that I may have been the only male in attendance who was brought by his wife, as KC does have the reputation for being a 'guys' band. 

Before getting to the theater, Eli and I discussed where we would like to sit in the theater, if it was up to us.  We both agreed that if we could, we should sit in the front row.  Because, well, when else are you going to sit in the front row for a King Crimson dress rehearsal?  Most likely never.  Also, I've found personally, when sitting in the front row for other shows, it really does feel like the band is playing just for you.  We both wanted that experience for this special event.

On arrival at the venue, when we were able to enter the level of the theater, we made the acquaintance of the merch man Adrian, who we have chatted with at other shows, as he works for Steve Hackett's tours also.  It's a small world, this prog community... I bought the tour box/CD set, along with a t-shirt for the tour, while Eli waited until after the show to buy her shirt, a Larks' Tongues based design.  

Upon entering the theater, we were told that we could sit wherever we wanted to.  So, Eli and I went right up to the front, and plopped ourselves down in the two middle seats of the 6 seat long first row.  Because, again, why not?  The set up on stage had the three drummers in front, with Pat Mastelotto on the left, Bill Rieflin in the center, and Gavin Harrison on the right.  The back line was made up of Mel Collins (secret weapon of this lineup) on saxes and flutes, Tony Levin on basses and Stick, Jakko Jakszyk on guitar and vocals, and Robert Fripp on guitar.  

There was a very amusing audio recording from the band members played twice before the start of the show, asking attendees to be in the moment, and to not take photos or make 'viddies' of the show, as it is distracting to the other members of the audience, the band members, and to the photographer/videographer themselves.  I agree with this, and it was great to put the point across in the recording with humor and intelligence.

The show started promptly at 7:30pm (give or take a minute or two, I was not acting as timekeeper!), with the band coming out on stage to a tape playing from the end of the Islands album, of an orchestral warm up that led into a count, beginning the first song.  I will *not* go into the details of the setlist here, even though it is out there in internet-land for those who wish to find it. What I want to reflect on is my emotional response to the show, how this music affected me...

I move my head to music when I hear it in a live setting. It is one of those bodily responses that I don't even really think about.  It's how I enjoy the music.  It's not a wild shaking, but just a nodding along to the beat and accents in the music.  I think it is less distracting to others around me that clapping along, moving my whole body, or having some other crazy reaction to the sounds.  Needless to say, this music moved me.  I found myself a number of times locking eyes with drummer Pat, grooving along to the beat, trying to make sure in some of the trickier numbers to actually get the pauses and beats right.  (I'm looking at you, 'ConstruKction of Light!).  (Highlight blank space if you want to see what song I mentioned.)

In the front row, I almost feel a responsibility to show my enjoyment of the event, as I know that the musicians on stage often cannot see that deeply into the crowd.  Both Eli and I really get into this material, so we acquitted ourselves well (we hope!).

Without giving away any real setlist spoilers, I'll just say that the musical choices included songs from the first to the last KC album, but not all albums were represented. The set was heavy on instrumental material, but the vocal material that was played, *really* worked. As did the instrumental selections.

The only real performance issue I noticed during the evening was that during the start of the second number, for about 3 minutes, Tony Levin's bass did not work.  He and his tech worked the problem, and once the sound kicked in, you could really feel his presence in the song.

Last night, I was able to hear music played by talented musicians in a live setting, that I had never seen performed before.  The musicians brought their personalities to the music, honoring the original arrangements while not being tied to those arrangements.  The music was all recognizable (except the linking improvs/pieces, which appeared to be all new), even with some changes made to some of the pieces, particularly in the drum front.  Watching the seven musicians on stage was a joy, although when I would focus on one, I would have to consciously move my gaze to another, as it would be easy to just watch one of these performers all night.  

Jakko has such an expressive voice, a real wistfulness to his delivery that pushes the right buttons for me emotionally.  His guitar playing was solid, and I think will get more comfortable as the tour moves forward.  Surprisingly, there was no between song banter in this set, it was just the music.  I thought that was an interesting decision, as it really does keep the focus on the performance, not breaking the momentum of the set.

Eli commented after the show that she thought that Bill Rieflin just looked totally comfortable behind a drum kit, that his playing seemed like a natural outgrowth of his own personality.  Effortless may not describe his playing, but it does give a sense of the feel that he had.

I mentioned Mel Collins before, who was in the 1971-72 lineup of Crimson, and this was my first experience with him playing live.  His playing on both older and newer material was great, as can be expected from such an experienced musician, and it really gave the music another dimension that it did not have before.  

I had an immense amount of fun attending this gig, experiencing the first semi-public performance of this tour.  Being able to sit back, or lean forward, and simply experience this band, that is only going to get better as the tour goes on, was a rare treat and privilege.  I was able to hear music that I have lived with for years, in a setting that allowed myself and the other attendees a chance to see the start of something new in action.  I have to again thank the lovey Eli who created the opportunity for us to be at this event.  We were truly lucky to be there.

Reading

Yesterday, in the evening, I gave into a creative endeavor once again, and participated in my second reading as part of an ongoing art group here in Jersey City.  I discovered this group through the connection from a friend I had met during my time working at my last job, and as I was going to have some free time on my hands, I asked her about any options for getting involved in something creative locally.

She got me in touch with the leader of this arthouse group, and I put myself in for availability to be a reader for works in progress that local writers are developing.  Scripts mainly, from what I understand.  I was lucky enough with my timing to get to be a reader in the first meeting I was able to attend, which was in December.  I was further, lucky enough to get to read for two scripts last night at the January meeting of this group.

I know that it is very unlikely for me that this would develop into something that could be a full time job, but I'm not looking for this to become that.  I'm looking for this to be a fun way to engage with local creative types, to perhaps get my own juices flowing in that area.

Out in the city (New York, of course) the other night, my friend Lou suggested an idea for a script that's been bouncing around in his head for a bit of time.  I've been thinking about it, and I think I'm going to have a go at creating some characters and a treatment/outline of his idea, to see what he thinks about it.  If nothing else, again, it can be a way to exercise some creative muscles.

I do think that it's important to have an outlet of some type for the mind to get creative.  It can be music, painting, photography, whatever works for that person's particular expression.  For me, I've tried music, and have enjoyed it, and I've done some writing, mainly poetry.  Doesn't everyone try it at some point?  In the college years, that's when I was able to write the most, with the free time (outside of studying) that the lifestyle of the time afforded.

I'll keep my public posted on what happens...

Review: Yarn - Idiot Pop

Today we are visiting the second of two albums I am reviewing for my good and dear friend Tom Arnold, and today we will visit a project that I believe he had more creative input in, a disc called Idiot Pop, under the name Yarn.  Those of you who know of my witty banter with Tom, will take as a given that there are many jokes that can be made about the name of the album, and the term "Idiot" in that title.

Again, the construction of said jokes are left as an exercise to the reader.

This project was recorded in the mid-2000's, but did not see a physical release.  It's now available online at this website, and I-Tunes may even sell it.  Tom worked with songwriter Simon Young on this release, so I have to assume that any good bits are Simon's.  The notes on the website describe this as intelligent English pop, so we shall see what we have in store for us...

My thoughts...

• Intro:  A relaxed intro to the album, mellow and laid back.  Well produced and calming.  Kind of 70's-ish in feel, but I say that in a good way.  No vocals so far.  Perhaps it would have been too pretentious to call this an overture, and I'll have to see if any of the themes from this intro crop up in any of the songs in the set.  

• Personality:  Ooh, a rocker!  This starts with some great upbeat guitar/drum/Hammond sound driving the track along.  The voice has a distinct sound to its quality, and is easily understood, which is not always the case with modern music.  Sounds like it's about the travails of being a pop star, which I know from experience is a rough life... Nice backing "la-la's" in the third verse.  Subtle, which makes it okay in my book.  

• Painter:  Almost funky in the start.  Keyboard on a Mellotron flute setting in the intro?  I like this song, it's quirky in a light, fun way.  A note.  Some of the endings of the songs tend to fade abruptly.  I'm not sure if that's an artifact of the MP3, or is actually how the album was mixed/mastered.  

• When We're Gone:  A more laid back track here.  Reflective about being gone, of being thought about in absence.  Now that's a Mellotron at the end of the chorus!  Lots going on in this track during the verse.  It may be a bit too busy, but it has a 60's vibe to it that does still work.

• Everybody:  This is a lighter track, but it feels a bit too robotic to me in the choruses, where I feel it should swing and be a bit looser.  The bass and drums are a bit *too* in lock with each other.  Perhaps the track could be better served with a different arrangement.  I think the song itself is pretty good, it simply needs better dressing.

• Stop the War:  The opening makes me feel like an older song from the 50's or early 60's.  Almost like lounge music that I'd see in a movie from that era.  Black and white, the lead walks into the smoky hotel bar, looking for his hookup for the evening.  She's at the bar, smoking a cigarette, looking off into the distance, while this song plays in the background... 

• A Better Way:  A good mix of louder and quieter sections in this song, but still not in your face.  It's very well balanced in that respect.  Nice vocal harmony in the arrangement.  A short track, at a tick under two minutes.  I'd prefer there to be a bit more to this one, it felt like it was just getting started when it ended.

• Making Monkeys:  A real sax in the track?  I think so... Another happy fun number, with a good drive along to the ending.  This is a good fun track, with a bouncy feel to it that makes me groove along with it.  

• I Do:  Slow Fender Rhodes starts the track.  A bit more serious?  A love song, that picks up after the start of the track.  A bit of melancholy in the verses, so I'm not quite sure if the singer is happy about this situation or not.  It certainly doesn't feel that way, but perhaps I'm mis-reading the tone of the song?

• Black Sheep:  A happy guitar starts the song, chording along.  Some horns in the verses make me think of some stereotypical Mexican music, but it does seem to work.   Again, this song feels happy to me, and I'm glad to be happy with it.

• Bend in the River:  Brushes on the drums.  And then, it turns into a more groove oriented song, with Hammond organ and piano driving the song along.  Is this an instrumental?  No vocals yet... Yes, I think it is all instrumental.  There certainly could have been vocals, with the structure of the song, but I don't mind their absence.  I would like the Hammond bits a bit higher in the mix during the verses.  

• Wings:  Not a tribute to the Paul McCartney band, although the intro piano sounds a tiny bit like the start of "Let It Be."  Not a Wings song, I know, but it is McCartney.  But back to this track.  It's a piano ballad.  It's okay.  Not jumping out at me to catch my attention, but I guess every album needs a track like this?  The solo in the middle of the track echoes the vocal melody nicely.  

• Golden Egg:  The longest song on the album, clocking in at 4:52.  The laid back intro goes into a Hammondish/spacey sounding section, with the drums still clicking along to their pattern.  I'm interested in where this is going, as again, we don't have vocals yet...  The piano is playing what could be a vocal melody, but I'm past the halfway mark here, so I think we're in instrumental land.  I like it... 

• With Everything:  And at the end, we conclude with a jumble of instruments and vocal snippets.  Truly, with everything.  Psychedelia without the drugs?  Clocking in at 1:44, something like this is about a minute too long.  

Overall, I enjoyed this disc.  When the tracks come up on random play on my computer, I certainly am not going to skip the songs, except for perhaps 'With Everything,' as it doesn't appear to bear up to repeated listening.  Although, perhaps repeated listening will reveal its charms?  On a 5 point rating scale, I'll give this 3.5 stars.    

Review: Ungagged - Where the River Meets the Sea

My good friend Tom Arnold (no, not the actor) is a professional drummer over in the UK.  He gave me two albums that he played on, and had asked some time ago for me to write one of my patented stream of consciousness, write as I listen, reviews.

Finally, I'm getting around to it.  Being unemployed, or only working part time, means I do have a bit more time on my hands as compared to normal, so I'm catching up on items like this that I've been meaning to do for awhile.

This album, entitled, "Where the River Meets the Sea," was released in 2006 under the moniker "Ungagged."  This one album project was recorded as a trio, with Tom Arnold on drums, Hammond organ (watch later for appropriate playing with organ jokes), Mark Allen on lead vocals and acoustic guitar (he also wrote all the material), and Richard Durrant on guitar and all other stringed instruments.

So, without further ado, the songs:

• Might Be the Reason:  A good opening number on the album.  A story song about people meeting along a railway trip.  Nice Hammond organ in the choruses.  The middle eight is a little bit too much of a break to me, but it does end with a nice subdued guitar solo.  Subtle arrangement in the third verse with some guitar punctuation and drum breaks giving some personality to the song.  So far, I'm enjoying this.

• Find a New Dream:  Another train song?  A song about moving on and leaving the past behind.  The singer's voice is calm and relaxing.  Very smooth sounding.  The main thought going through my head about the album so far is that it's very mature, and very well produced.  

• Let the Pages Blacken:  "Changed the key to your heart..."  Not sure if I like that metaphor.  Fingerpicking guitar and voice.  More laid back arrangement for this track so far.  Cello in the second verse?  A relationship song, talk of a letter, of needing the connection to keep going... Sometimes, you have to write for your own reasons, not for the pleasure of the intended recipient.

• I'm Not Afraid:  Starts uptempo, with banjo in the mix!  Uptempo, with solid backing vocals in the chorus that drives the song along.  Nice hi-hat and cymbal work.  Subtle.  The bass gets a bit of movement in this song also, which keeps the pace up.  Good stuff.  I'm almost thinking that these songs may be linked lyrically more than I caught on previous listens.  You could make a story moving forward with the songs on the album up to this point...

• Pull Away:  Relationship song, but more about family this time, talk of a father, being distant?  The music is a bit happier sounding than the lyrics would call for, I would think.   Not that it all has to be minor key and a downer with a song like this, but it's seems a bit of a mismatch for me.  I'm not feeling a real connection to this song, like I did with the others.  Some good Hammond work again from Tom near the end.  It's an instrument that doesn't get used as much now as it had in the past. 

• Reaction to You:  A song about how love makes you feel... A laid back song and arrangement, no drums so far.  Driven along by guitar and Hammond.  This middle eight worked for me, bringing me back into the song, to go along for the rest of the ride.  Now there's a turn at the end, making it seem like the reaction to the person in the relationship is now negative, that he wants to get out... Not sure where that came from...

• Jackie:  More relationship issues, again with parents/father in this track.  How the relationship at home affects the life outside of the home also.  He goes to jail in the middle eight!  Got into a fight with some soldiers...  Not a song that worked for me, although I did generally like the music for this one.  Just guitar and voice, with some other flourishes thrown in.

• If You Trip:  I think we're in the acoustic part of the album.  No drums again in this track so far.  Harmonium in this track, or is that an accordion?  The lyrics, again about someone walking a tightrope in their life, don't do much for me, but I am finding my head nodding along to the music, which is a good thing.

• Cold Cuts:  Another angry song, but with no drums.  Wait, here they are!  After the first verse or two.  I think the song could have been stronger had there been some sort of percussion at the start running up to the part of the song later on.  I think the songs may be better served by some more variety in the arrangement, or perhaps there were just too many drum free songs in a row, after the strong start the album had.  Ended a bit abruptly... 

• I'll See You:  Something about the start of this song just makes me smile.  Light percussion, the vocal, a guitar figure, just makes it all work for me.  I'm looking forward to the rest of this song, after having a bit of a dry spell in the middle of the album.  This almost feels like it could be the last song on the album, but I know there are two other songs.  We'll see how the rest of the album feels after this track.  The momentum of this song in the choruses really works for me.  An interesting counterpoint with backing vocals during the last part of the song.  One person saying "I'll see you again," while the other says "I won't see you, when you're dead and gone."

• Where the River Meets the Sea:  Piano ballad!  Haven't had one of these yet on the album.  I'm curious to see how this develops.  Almost any song about rivers meeting the sea works for me.  "The Sea Refuses No River" by Pete Townshend comes to mind.  This is not a copy of that song, but the metaphor still works.  No drums again.  Maybe I'm a sucker for the dramatic, but I think some different arrangements for some of these tracks could add some oomph to the message of the music, accenting or projecting the music more strongly.  

• The Offering:  Music as an offering, is the metaphor in the lyrics.  I'm enjoying the verses, but the chorus loses it for me, it's trying a bit too much to be inspirational, and be the *final song* of the album, whereas I think "I See You" could have been a more natural closer to the album.  Yes, it's trying a bit too hard at the end, with a "la la la" chorus, with the singer asking us to sing along.  Maybe it would work in a live setting, but on this album, it feels a bit contrived to me.

Overall, I have to say I enjoyed the album.  Yes, there's songs I don't enjoy as much as others, or that I think just don't work, but there's few albums out there that do meet that standard.  If you're looking for laid back music, that has a mellow feel to it, professionally done, then this is a good album to give your ears to for awhile.

Also, my compliments to the album packaging, I see many "independent" releases that the album art and packaging appear cheap and tawdry, but this album is put together very nicely, to the band photos on the front and back cover, to the lyric booklet, and even the font choice of the booklet credits looks professional.  

For those of you who like ratings, I'll give this 3 stars out of 5.  If the order is rearranged with the last song on the album dropped, and "I'll See You" at the end instead, I'll bump it up to 3.5.

Now, tomorrow, I'll review another release that Tom played on, a collection of songs called "Idiot Pop," under the band name "Yarn."  

King Crimson

(Another draft blog, from a few years back...)

Hello all! Yes, I've been neglectful of this blog, so let me start back up with what I left off with, King Crimson...

Back on August 14th, I went into NYC to see King Crimson at the Nokia Theatre. It was INTENSE!!! Great stuff, I was front row, right in front of Tony Levin. I could see Belew, Fripp, and Gavin Harrison great, although generally, Belew blocked my view of Pat Mastelotto...

The setlist was (to the best of my memory, so the order may be screwy):Drum duetThe ConstruKction of LightNeuroticaRedDinosaurTalking DrumLarks Tongues IIWalking On AirThree of a Perfect PairLevel FiveB'BoomFrame By FrameIndisciplineFirst Encore:2nd Drum DuetElephant Talk2nd Encore:Vrooom/CodaThela Hun GingeetI may be missing a song or two in there, I'll have to check online, but it was GREAT! There was an empty seat right next to me, so I thought of you being there... A lot of times, I thought, "I bet Eli would be loving this!" :)I did see Sid Smith after the show, so we'll see if I'll show up on the videos he's been posting onto the DGMLive.com site... I also made some new friend, this guy Vincent, who's a bit of a nut, but wanted to send me some music, so I gave him my e-mail. He's very into Van Der Graaf Generator, and he's already sending me some stuff. A nice guy, about 50 and a hairdresser, but he must have money, as he seems to be one of those "edgy" guys.

Cups!

(Just found this old blog in the "Draft" file, so perhaps it never got posted???  From about 2007, I believe...)

While waiting for the movie to start, and drinking my large Cherry-Coke, I was reminded of an idea that Brian had awhile back. It's a brilliant one, and it came to my mind today while reading the vapid, banal blatherings up on the screen from half unknown celebrites in the "E!" series of quotes. Something from Carmen Electra along the lines of "Life's not worth living if there's not a camera around," or some such thing.

Brian's idea was to have McDonalds and other fast food places, instead of just having "YAY MCDONALDS" or whatever they put on their cups or other packaging, have historical facts, interesting educational stuff on their materials. It would be good PR for the companies, and good for the populace who might actually learn something, instead of either being unengaged with the items in their hands, or looking at the latest M logo on the cups. When the companies would do their promotions, sure, they could still make Darth Vader cups, or whatever they wanted, but at other times, they'd be educating the public. It would be cheap, and fun! They're already paying someone to design the logos on their packages, just have a historian or someone on staff also, to bring up interesting facts from the past.

I thought today that another interesting place to do this, with a captive audience, was in movie theaters. I don't truly care what Carmen Electra, Matt Damon, or others have to say about their fleeting fame, why not put some quotes from Jefferson, Washington, Martin Luther King, and others up there? Or, do "History of the Movies," with Charlie Chaplin, or even go back further, get quotes from Edwin Booth up there... Granted, no films were made in the 1800's, but he *was* an actor.

Rant mode off now...

But, one other quick thing. One of the ads before the movie was for a car repair place in Jersey City, and their tag line was "We take the Dents out of Accidents." Clever, and it got me thinking if "dents" is actually derived from "accidents." I'll have to look that up. An answer to this in a future blog.

As for the movie itself, I really enjoyed it. Will Ferrell was understated, which is when I think he's actually at his most funny. The story was fun, although parts did feel a bit underdeveloped, such as Ferrell's relationship with the female lead (Maggie Glynnenhall, or however it's spelled). It would have been nice to see Buster Bluth (Tony Hale) get more screen time too, but I was just happy to see him with two hands. Overall, a good solid recommendation from Sue and myself for the movie.

The idea of a fictional character realizing they're in a fiction isn't original to this movie. I think I first ran across it in novels by Robert Heinlein, specifically in "The Number of the Beast" and "The Cat Who Walks Through Walls." Any other examples out there that you, gentle readers, can think of?

On Friday night, I watched the new Battlestar Galactica. I enjoyed the episode, but thought that the resolution was a bit anti-climatic. However, in the big picture, I am wondering the following about the show:

• It seems like the Galactica, along with the Cylons, are really on the trail of Earth. I think at some point, they will find the lost 13th colony, but when in the show will it happen? Not this season, I predict. Probably not even in the 4th season, should one happen. Also, what era will they find Earth? There's no guarantee that they'll find it during our "present" history. It'd be fun if they stumble upon Earth, and we're still in medieval times, or something like that.
• Will the Cylons kill Baltar? So far, the show hasn't killed off any major characters (Billy doesn't count), so may the B-man be the first to go? I personally don't think so, he's too fun to be around...
• Will Sharon/Athena and Hilo conceive again? I don't see why not. Sooner or later, she'll have to find out that her baby is alive. What are the Cylons doing with the baby anyway?

I think that's all for now... Coming up soon, what is Mike reading?
NP: Genesis - Back In N.Y.C. (15 Apr 1975)

Where in the World Have I Been????

Ah, blog, I've taken too long to update you.  There's so much to go over, but let's try to get up to date where I'm at right now...

I'm engaging in a job search, to see where the next stage of my work life will take me.  Generally, I am looking within the world of education, where I have spent the majority of my career.  However, I am open to interesting possibilities in other areas.

On a weekly basis, I get about 5 applications out to the positions that I find interesting.  I've been on this for a bit over a month, so I am in that window where I should start hearing from some of the institutions to set up interviews.  Sure enough, right on schedule, I received an e-mail yesterday to set up an interview for next week.  So, we shall see where this ends up...

More to come soon.  I am going to provide more frequent posts here, in a regular manner, to give myself some discipline and structure while I engage in this new start.

The Age of Connection

I've been meaning to post about this for awhile.  This summer, I had an experience that really showed me the power of social media, and the interconnectedness we can all share if we choose to do so.

I had a Friday off from work, so I went into NYC to visit Eli at work, and to go to lunch together.  Because we're both nerds, we use Foursquare, and I checked in at the location where we were eating.  I didn't really think much about it, but then again, it was just a fun thing to do.  Gain a few points, see where I stack up against friends with the check-ins for the week, you know the score.

About ten minutes after I had checked in, who should show up at our booth but a friend of ours.  Let's call him Tom.  Eli and I were both pleasantly surprised, and we asked if he was at the restaurant on his own lunch hour.

He said, "I saw you check in on Foursquare on Facebook, and I work just a few blocks from here, so I thought I'd swing by."

Now, I know this isn't rocket science, but for me, it was a very quick realization how social media brought this connection together.  Granted, we're not curing cancer here, but still, we got to hang out with a friend who we otherwise wouldn't have seen that day.

For this child of the 70s/80s, it was a real thrill.

iPhone blogging

My first blog with the iPhone app. Just a test, nothing to see here...

Visiting Boston College

A few weekends ago, I was up in Boston, visiting friends with Eli, which of course was a blast. It's always good to reconnect with old compatriots, even though we communicate a lot over e-mail, phone, and other venues. However, nothing beats being able to wander through old haunts, refreshing memories of those days gone by.

Wandering through the campus of Boston College, it's easy to focus on what is new and different, and part of my conversation with Eli was about that. New building here, changed pathway there, those are the surface changes that are easy to point out. What is deeper and more meaningful, is feeling the reflection and the ghosts of those old memories coming back to life.

Wandering around the grass of Shaw House, it was easy to remember the first time I stayed there, as a senior in High School, and then returning in September 1989 to live there for the first two years of my college experience. It's not the place to just randomly recount memories here, as this is more about those feelings of refreshing the well of memory. Place plays a strong role in memory, so being able to wander the grounds around the building, talking with Eli about what was where, who lived in different rooms, it was easy to connect back to those old times.

I did wish that some of those people I shared the time with were there also, as I think the discussion of what we remembered would cause a great synergy. Tony G. and I have often talked of revisiting Boston at the same time, and this visit just makes it even more imperative to do so at some point in the future.

Revisiting other areas of campus, walking the walks, it gave me flashes of memories that I hadn't recalled in years... Visiting Boston in general allows for that, and also creates the new memories...

Words for my grandmother

I mentioned in my most recent blog post that my grandmother recently died, on Halloween of this year. My dad asked if I could speak at the funeral, and I agreed. What follows is what I said at the funeral.

----------------

My grandmother, Thelma Partridge, was born in September 1917 to Robert Partridge and Bessie Nixon. She was the second of three daughters, and the longest lived of all three. If you are here today, it is because Gram touched your life somehow also, and she loved you in return…

When I think of my grandmother, I think of someone who was always willing to tell a story, to recount something from the day, something she saw, or something from the past to illustrate something in the present. Being the family researcher I am, this was a great help, although I didn’t get off to an auspicious start with this in my childhood. I believe we were driving somewhere, and my grandmother was telling some story, where in the middle of it, she said that she may have told this one before. My response was something along the lines of “Only a few hundred times before!”

But through her stories, as I got older, I got to know the family in ways I would not have otherwise had had the chance to. My grandfather died when I was 13, but through her, I got to know him in different ways. The same holds true for the stories she would tell of both her father and mother, lives I never quite touched, but lives that I was able to learn about from her.

I want to tell two brief stories of my grandmother, and perhaps these stories will sound familiar in some ways to you, just with you playing a role in the story instead of me.

When I was a child, adults are looked to for life lessons, and I remember one time, driving with Gram somewhere, I believe it was to see her mother, my great-grandmother, in the nursing home in Neptune where she lived. I was telling a story about a friend in school who was in some sort of battle with another classmate, and I said, “My friend really hates this other person.” Gram said in return to me, “Well, you should never really hate someone else.” In my mind, I listened, and said, “Okay, don’t hate other people. Check.” It’s something I’ve tried to live by through my life, and while it’s hard, I think that if you don’t hate those you don’t like, you at least can try to understand, rather than be blinded by your hate…

In recent years, with doing my research on the history of the family, I’ve had many conversations with Gram about what I’ve discovered. Through examining old photos, looking up documents that haven’t seen the light of day in years, I’ve learned a lot of the “facts” about the family, but not necessarily the “life” of the people. However, in looking at a lot of old photos, I’ve seen similarities between generations that maybe haven’t been noticed in the past… I mentioned to Gram during one of these conversations, that the Nixon’s, the family of her mother, had rather large ears…. I pointed to some old photos of her uncle Robert, and some others, and even some of the grandchildren of her sister Dot. Nothing that matter with large ears, it was just one of those things you observe in photos…

We left it at that, until I got a call later that week, from Gram! In mock horror, she described looking at her own ears in the mirror that morning, and discovering that she herself had the NIXON EARS! I laughed about it with her, and said that when you live with them that long, they’re just *your* ears, not Nixon ears. But that perhaps she had had hair cover her ears for a reason…

So, those are some of my own special moments that I have featuring Gram. I’d like us all to pause for a moment, to think of those things from our life with Thelma, that make us smile, that we can hold close to ourselves for the future.

Thank you for your time, and I give my love to my grandmother, and to all of you, for being able to be here today.

Robert Fripp in NYC

Tonight, I attended the second of four performances of Robert Fripp's soundscapes at the World Financial Center in NYC.

Being a King Crimson and Fripp enthusiast, I've seen Fripp with Crimson a number of times, but had not had the experience of attending a soundscapes performance. I have many of the CD releases of Fripp's ambient work, but no live experiences. So, I was looking forward to this event in NYC. The added benefit of it being free was also a plus, but I would have paid, had the show needed advance tickets.

I arrived at the venue around 5:45pm, for a 7pm start time, and was able to get a seat at the front right side of the stage. The venue, while a public space, was very nice, with high ceilings, and a large backdrop behind the stage, which gave me the impression of being a sail.

Fripp came out at about 6:30pm to do a bit of soundchecking. Someone shouted "21st Century Schizoid Man," but fortunately that was the only bit of doofiness for the evening. Fripp was on stage for a few minutes, and then exited, to await the performance start time.

Fripp was introduced by one of the WNYC (New York's public radio station) hosts, I can't recall his name right now, but he does the "Sound Check" new music show on that station. He asked for no flash photography, and detailed how in this type of performance, which is mainly improvised, we the audience are as much a part of it as the performer. Our attention adds to the experience, and shapes it in ways that are both obvious, and subtle.

When Fripp then came on stage, he bowed to the audience at the front of the stage, then to stage right for a bow, and then to stage left before sitting at his stool to start the performance. Soundscapes are created by playing some different notes, patterns, or short melodies, that are then looped or processed in ways, allowing for additional loops or guitar solo melodies to be played along with the loops. It is a *quiet* music, but full of feeling.

Putting my own feelings on the table, I had had a full month. My grandmother died on this past Halloween, and some of the melodies, in their feelings of melancholy, loss, and reflection, I could not help but think about the life of my grandmother, and the loss that I have felt. But while it could be sad and maudlin to use music in that way, the soundscapes, for me, seem to have a feel of hope and redemption about them. Some do have a slightly darker feel, but even those have some feel of light about them. And, when reflecting on the life of someone close to you, it is good to have that feeling of being able to say goodbye, through music.

Fripp played for about 50 minutes, and I would say that there were 5-6 distinct pieces during that time. As some pieces flow into another, it's hard to say exactly how many pieces there might have been. For me, the second piece was particularly moving, and one of the transitions later in the set truly touched me.

There are two more performances in this series, both tomorrow (Saturday) at 12:30pm and 7pm. I would recommend these performances to anyone in the NYC area who would like to hear some music that is both very different from much of what is out there, but still can move you in ways that you will think about for a long time.

And still....

When I weighed myself this morning, I'm at 200.

Good to know that I can go basically 3 months, and end up right where I started...

More to come!

Stable!

No change in weight from yesterday.  Still at 200 lbs.

Will it change tomorrow?  The suspense is killing me!

Weight!

So, this past weekend, we had the Saint Peter's graduation ceremony, and I get to work it as a marshal.  So, I put on my suit, and headed out to the Garden State Arts Center (no PNC Bank crap for me, thank you very much) for the ceremony.

However, the vest for my suit was a wee bit snug.  Pants had been getting tighter recently, so I knew that weight was creeping up.  However, I didn't know it was getting *that* bad.

Strangely enough, I stumble across this article about weight loss.  So, I'm going for the public-humiliation diet, to drop some poundage.

Some days, I may just post a number in here.  Know that that number is my weight in pounds.

So, let's start the excitement, with a nice round number:  200 lbs.

NP:  Dick Dale - Jesse Pearl

I know, I know...

I really need to blog more... I'm going to start getting more into this world again soon, I promise... Perhaps even tomorrow. Because, why start today what I can put off until tomorrow.

Wait a second! This is a blog, and it's today! So, I *haven't* put it off till tomorrow.

Woot!

Snow for today...

As I'm a bit snowbound today, here's some visuals of the culprit...