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Grandparent's cat, today:

Mr Blue Sky

...gives way to sunset downtown:

a little drive south of town

It was a dark and stormy...afternoon...



More photos from this outing here.

list

1. Total amount of music files on your computer:
21.23 gigs

2. The last CD you bought was:
Morrissey--You Are the Quarry deluxe edition (from iTunes for $9.99!)

3. What is the song you last listened to before reading this message?
"Two Way Monologue" by Sondre Lerche (opening for Elvis in April!)

4. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you (no particular order):
1. "Whistle Down the Wind"- Nick Heyward
2. "What Difference Does it Make?"- Smiths
3. "Night Nurse"- Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham
4. "Oh My Love"- John Lennon
5. "Never Be the Same"- Crowded House
5a. "Raised on Promises"- Sam Phillips

5. Who are you going to pass this stick to? (3 persons) and why?
It's here. The whole world will see.

a girl named Sam

You haven't heard Sam Phillips? You should. Born Leslie Phillips, she picked up the nickname Sam after the legendary producer of Elvis Presley. Her early Leslie Phillips records are Christian in nature, but definitely not of the "praise god" variety--she sings more of the heart than the head.

Her "middle period" records are where I first became familiar with her, and I defy you to find a more perfect pop record than The Indescribable Wow (which you can usually find used for a decent price; link provided for information only). Great compositions, stick-in-your-head melodies and that voice--unique. She followed that record with Cruel Inventions which deepened the sound without sacrificing its heart. I strongly recommend both of these to introduce you to her work.

Her two most recent records are more hushed and almost folk--Fan Dance and A Boot and a Shoe. Both are excellent, to the point records with no fluff. She had a couple of experimental records in between that paved the way for this direction; completists take note but otherwise, focus on these four records (and the Baroque Beatlesque Martinis and Bikinis which is a masterpiece of another sort). And enjoy.

gelato dreams

I dreamt again last night about Italy. I not only think about it frequently each day, now I'm thinking about it at night. If you haven't been, it's hard to understand how you feel after being there. I am now accepting donations to go again!



Two women pose for a picture (one hiding her cane) in St Mark's Square, Venice. More Venice shots here.

hey-yo

By the time I was old enough to stay up and watch "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" it was already a long-established paragon of television. But it wasn't that great to me--when I was younger the humor didn't make sense to me, the host smoked frequently (seems he was always putting down a cigarette as they came back from a commercial) and honestly, Ed McMahon was frightening with his tinted prescription glasses and slicked back hair. As I got older and spent most late nights watching "Saturday Night Live" and "Monty Python"--as well as the local "Nostagia Theater" (with its cartoon, serial chapter and main feature) the random viewing of "The Tonight Show" was almost embarrassing. It seemed like something older people that were lonely and pathetic watched; the hip and cool were not even watching TV at that hour. The show felt like a gathering of dirty old men, with Johnny the cornfed ringleader. His guests were just as lecherous and it felt like they'd reached their zenith ten or twenty years before--people like Don Rickles, Buddy Hackett and Phyllis Diller. I wondered if my parents' parties were like the show, but didn't want to find out.

But the death of Carson the other day is sad for a lot of reasons. He did establish late-night talk shows as a viable concern. He did manage to introduce a new generation of entertainers to the populace (though, just as some of the comedians on Letterman's show seem way out there compared to him, Carson seemed square compared to his guests). And his life post-television should be a model for every has-been that hopes to make a comeback when they were never "there" in the first place: Carson walked away from his show and didn't show his face much ever again. And I really respect him for that.