"We will energize America by achieving energy independence."

Maybe they shoulda run that one through the hopper once more.

Joel, one assumes that Marc didn't write that promo graf and therefore isn't responsible for that "perfect storm" cliche. But otherwise it looks pretty interesting.

You're right about that 100-hour deadline. 120, maybe 130 hours, tops. Especially that energy independence thing. I figure that'll take, oh, 40, 50 hours right there.

If I may invoke a point of personal privilege, Mr. Chairman, I'd like to re-post from the previous kit: "Hey, anybody in the DC area looking for a job? I've got two contractor positions (most likely will wind up on my "team," though I'm not the "supervisor" of these jobs), one as a Web developer, the other as a PAO-type writer position. Very good pay, good bennnies, and you don't have to call me "Sir" or anything!"

Alcee Hastings was my congressman briefly back in 1992 when I lived in his heavily gerrymandered district.

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2006/11/gerrymandering-matters.html

The original draft of the post has some very biting remarks about the honorable Mr. Hastings, but I toned them down, lest my words come back to haunt me someday. You have to give him credit; most congressmen don't take bribes until after they are in office.

"We will not pass a pay raise for Congress until there is an increase in the minimum wage."

The poor wage-challenged person on the street can hope that Congress can increase the minimum wage to $7.50, while Congress earns how much? pj?

Of course, that's if you're unfortunate enough to live in Kansas, where the state-limited minimum wage is $2.65 an hour:

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/16098567.htm

$2.65 wage in Kansas defies reality
While some call for an increase, others say why bother when the federal minimum is higher.
By RICK MONTGOMERY
The Kansas City Star
Missourians thought their minimum wage was too low. In Kansas, the hourly wage set by the state can't buy a gallon of milk.

It's $2.65 per hour.

At least that is the figure cited in Chapter 44 of the Kansas statutes. While Missouri and five other states recently voted to boost their wages above the federal minimum of $5.15 per hour, the Kansas law -- untouched since 1988 -- sets the lowest minimum of the 43 states that bothered to pass such laws.

And that point -- why bother? -- sums up the reaction of many to a group's plea last week that Kansas raise its hourly minimum to $5.15, matching the federal level.

Officials insist, no matter what their state code says, it is highly unprobable that many Kansans are pulling less than three bucks for an hour of labor.

That's because the federal minimum applies to virtually all employers who post more than $500,000 in annual sales, accept credit cards, import goods from other states, or do other things in the name of interstate commerce.

"If you're a cashier in a small business and you're swiping a credit card -- that's interstate commerce," said Beth Martino, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Labor. "If you're unloading goods on a Wal-Mart dock in Kansas and those goods are from Missouri? Interstate commerce."

(Ha! The same interstate commerce rule that snagged the boss I worked for in his jewelry store in La Villita. He hadn't paid legal overtime in the 28 years of doing buiness at that too, too quaint location--until I came along. Of course, I quit. I couldn't stand working for such an old curmudgeon. Not our Curmudgeon, of course.)

'Mudge;

Good Bennies are always appreciated, but what quality are the Jets?

And yeah, energy independence will need at least a weekend's worth of work. Maybe a long weekend.

btw, Joel:

Can we see your report card?

http://www.observer.com/20061204/20061204_Michael_Calderone_media_offtherecord.asp

It seems that WaPo writers now get evaluated the same way elementary school students do, with O, S, or I.

From that Post report card story: "Accompanying an annual written evaluation, each reporter will be described as: "frequently exceeds expectations," "sometimes exceeds expectations," "meets expectations," "sometimes fails to meet expectations," or "frequently does not meet expectations."

Whoever said this is closer to how they do it in business is right: this is exactly the (awful) system my company uses. Of course, the evaluations are pretty much a joke. But we go through the motions. A pain in the patoot, and nothing but a "busywork" game.

Mudge: Hire Wilbrod. Work gets done, ontime. Happiness ensues.

Plus: Wilbrodog is part of the package.

JA quotes the Daffy (Duck) Dems:

We will energize America by achieving energy independence...

'ENERGIZE' America? Huh.

Assignment 1a : revise the above sentence, by improving the verb.

NOTE: '-ize' forms not allowed.

Assignment 1b: List the most offensive '-ize' verbs. I will prime the pump with

utilize
prioritize

I dunno, CP: we're a gnome-free and elven-free workplace.

With a little training, Wilbrodog will be a great web developer, too! You know where to e-mail me, Mudge. I'll send my resume in for that PAO-type writer (would be helpful to KNOW what that is).

Hey, the government can't discriminate on the basis of ethnicity and handicap, Mudge ;). And the best thing is I'll never talk all day on the phone when you're trying to think.

Although Wilbrodog does need to quit listening to "Wildfire" on his ipod at work, I think.

C'mon, Wilbrod, I work for the gummint. "Thinking" isn't part of my job description.

I didn't know being an elf was an ethnic category. Ya learn something every day. I'll e-mail you the link.

CP, in addition to "utilize," which drives me up the wall, I see red at "incentivize."

PAO = Public Affairs Officer (what Scottynuke does).

dr, you desperately need to Google a guy named Jonathan Coulton and his song "Curl".

As best I can tell, Alexander Hamilton was no ghost. He was simply indispensible in both war and peace. Good thing the British didn't manage to shoot him at Yorktown.

South Florida may deserve its growing reputation for corruption, but unfortunately that reputation is a disservice to numerous excellent government agencies.

BTW, Carl Hiaasen did an appearance last night. I was at the Chinese movie, instead.

My company uses that evalutation system too. Our new CEO said that too many people exceeded expectations, so obviously we were graded too easily - which I take to mean not to expect a raise...

Boodling (and working) from home. Decided to be a weather wimp and not take my chances on side streets that are still covered with ice. More snow later today, but it's supposed to turn to rain, blessed rain, by morning.

I brought the hunmmingbird feeders in last night - put them back out at 8 am, just barely in time for a very hungry hummer that buzzed me as I was hanging the feeder.

Y'know when I reread Washington's farewell address this AM, those same grafs jumped out at me, too (it was probably simply the parenthetical aside that caught my eye).

Aak, so much to write about these days, so little time.

But I am moving contribution reviews and my self-assessment to the front of the queue.

bc

SCC - evaluation (see why I'm not expecting a raise?)

Elves not Ethnic??!

Ethnic food: Keebler cookies

Ethnic dress: Phygrian cap, jacket and pants, preferably red and green, with white shirts.

Ethnic practices: hammering all day with hammers; focus on toymaking for kids; special holidays (Elfster for one)

Origins: North Pole and Europe.
Ethnic music: "Jingle bells" and other songs

But I'm a gnome, different ethnic group.

Thanks, SciTim.

Perhaps you have forgotten that the Democrats are not actually the majority in Congress until Jan, so why criticise them for not legislating?

At the moment they have nothing to do but work out who will be in charge next year. Seems like a worthwhile thing to do. I see nothing wrong with spending some time on the issue. The Democratic Party is broad and contains freethinkers, of course there is going to be internal argument. Frankly after the Republican control I would have thought that the presence of freethinkers and internal debate would be considered a plus.

Don't gnomes always wear suspenders, regardless of actual need? Or is that elves?

Yep, I officiate at all sorts of public affairs.

No comment on the private kinds...

:-)

PAO-type writer could be tweaked into

Kung-PAO typewriter: a really fast and spicy machine.

Wilbrod is definitely cleared for that machine. I found her operator card just the other day:

_____________________________

Wilbrod J. Brainiac has
completed basic and advanced
Kung-PAO (versions 1.0 and 1.7)
earning the five chili peppers
of speedy, spicy typewriting.
_____________________________

On the reverse side of the card, is printed this:
AChenMe Certifications, Inc.

Oops, right, and they also wear garters. I also heard they strap their hats down too. Can't be too careful about clothing going astray during a hard days' toymaking.

Gnomes are much... scruffier.

mostly,
Too many people exceeded expectations?? I would think that the aim is to inspire all employees to exceed expectations. But that's not how it works nowadays...I suppose it doesn't occur to the CEO that his workers might just be very good at what they do.

Dang, how did I forget to put that on my resume??? ;).

Belts. Suspenders. Braces.
Fridg-ian caps.

Get Robin Givhan on the thread.

JA: You and RG could do a fashion and politics analysis piece together. Think of the possible puns, metaphors, images, and word play:

Knit and boucle
fabrication
suits, rhymes with zoots, cahoots
necktie party
burka blue vs. Navy blue
Turkish pointed toe shoes (I want a pair for Christmas)

Virginia gummint uses a system like that--"Below Expectations, Meets Expectations, Exceeds Expectations". You are only eligible for (infrequent) raises if you're rated "Meets" or "Exceeds". Apparently, state agencies also get in trouble if they have too many employees rated as "Exceeds".

"We have to work on lowering morale, too many employees are doing a good job."

CP, say it's not sew and that you didn't suggest Joel cobble together an piece on clothing? Why, he'd be needled by coworkers who would be in stitches of laughter. Work'd become sheerly em-brassiering and a regular sweatshop.

No, if he writes about fabric design, it has to be about Bombyx, not bimbos. Or the toxicity of polyester and such bold ventures into the science of eskimo artic weather needlecraft, slathering himself in whale blubber and sleeping nude in zero degree weather to find out if that really works.

You know, he gotta write about walking the catwalk in Mongolia and being doused with yak milk in homage for willing to look perfectly silly.

Cp, those Turkish slippers you desire: are these similar to the red, heeless type of Turkish slippers worn by Sherlock Holmes, or closer to the Persian slipper he kept on the mantle to house his "shag" (tobacco)?

BTW, Mudge sent me the job info.

One description actually asked for a "Task-driven elf starter."

I think that involves licorice whips and heavy-duty cookie baking and work uniforms.

"Mudge, either. Both. Wilbrod, any lines to Santa?

Must be red or scarlet or vermilion or cardinal or ruby. Bonus points for points that curl or scroll.

My inner Imelda is peeking out. But, please note, I do NOT own one pair of high heels.

Good luck, Wilbrod on the PAO-gig. Scottynukie? If you are there, help her with those KSA paragraphs.

How sad to think that an entire population of mostly well-intentioned, civic-minded American citizens are hoodwinked and bamboozled every time there is an election. The "people" actually believe that there is a substantive difference between Democrats and Republicans! The "people" fail to understand that corporate elites fund both parties so as to own whomever is elected. The "people" seem to prefer sports and entertainment while their "leaders" proceed to destroy the Constitution, the environment, the underdeveloped world, the future, etc etc etc. Try to remember that these same Democrats, almost every single one of them, voted in favor of Bush's war appropriations, enabling the beginning of the war in Iraq! These elected "officials" are all playing a dangerous and cynical game of pretending to really care about the nation and the world and its people, all the while feathering their own nests, aggrandizing their own power and influence, enriching themselves and their friends...all at public expense. Pelosi and the rest have no stomach for taking on the neocons and the evangelical right. The Dems will just fatten themselves and run another series of manipulations down on the citizenry. How sad.

CP;

I'm always somewhere and always willing to help. Whether Wilbrod would benefit from my help is another matter entirely.

:-)

Don't sugar-coat it. What do you really think?

Boodlers aren't the only ones with imaginary friends (referring from Froomkin's column): http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/sargent/cartoons/1106/112906.html

and

http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/20061128/cx_ta_uc/ta20061128

>One description actually asked for a "Task-driven elf starter."

Are you sure that doesn't involve a heavy-duty Sears battery, some starter cables and an old elf?

Question. If Pelosi and the rest have no stomach for taking on the neocons, won't fattening themselves help?

Observation. RDP, maybe your Christmas pudding recipe could help.

Problem: Too Many People exceed expectations.
Solution: Increase expectations to the point where just enough people exceed them.

Well, what esle did you expect?

Shh, Mudge might take offense.

Wrt Washington's Farewell Address, I've always preferred this excerpt:

I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.

I'll take the Democrat's idea of discipline any day. As soon as Lyndon Johnson became Vice President he was shut out of all Dem senate caucuses because he was no longer a senator.

Contrast that with today when 15 speeding limos carry Rove, Cheney...to a Senate meeting of Republicans where they then TELL the attending senators what to do, what to think, and how to vote. Discipline, sure. Indefensible, sure.

Did anyone else notice that there were a convienient amount of scandals break just in time for this election. I have to wonder how many of the stories were sat on to be used later to promote Democratic wins. (No, I'm not a republican, I am unaffiliated with any party.)
In seeing this trend I have to wonder wether this was a win for the Democrats, or a win for the Media, and what it means to an industry that states that it's goals are to report the news unbiased an impartially.

Len, you wouldn't be someone I've met, would you?

Perhaps a co-worker of Joel's?

bc

'Mudge;

When's the last time we stocked the bunker?

:-)

Even if scandals were sat on (and I'm not agreeing that they were), they did happen; they weren't fabricated.

Well, gee, the war is subject matter for corporate-owned media to sell and make money on. The 9-11 attacks sold a lot of TV space. Scandals sell ratings. Duh! Corporations only have one priority: profit. Everything is grist for the mill. If you can figure out how to make love and charity profitable, war will cease in a heartbeat.

Christmas, Sam.

We need a WaPo homepage RoveStorm Alert System. Right now we would be in Condition Daffodil since the Kit is linked on the home page, but not featured. If we were featured it could upgrade to Condition Tangerine or even, in the case of a full RoveStorm, Condition Raw Umbrage.

Personally, I prefer it when we go unnoticed and stay at Condition Seafoam.

xxxx, I don't know that more scandals than ever broke in time for this election. I do know that our communcations and information networks are better than ever, and we heard about local items that I don't think we normally would have heard much about.

I'd add that Campaign media management and PR is much more savvy and capable than it used to be, and practicioners of dirty politics have a much larger tool chest to draw from. Can't say that about the candidates though, who still seem to be able to put their feet in their mouths as fast as ever, only now we know about it at the click of a mouse.

bc

yellojkt;

I'm pretty darn certain this calls for Condition Ecru m'self.

Welcome to the Washingtonpost.com, an unpaid subsidiary of the Bush Administration. You'll find ridiculous hamstringing of the Democratic party on every page, meanwhile a war grinds on, and the people who got us into it remain above the notice of the nation's "premiere" political paper.

Scotty, I'm checking the blankets, flashlight batteries, Ranch dip, wheat thins and Tang right now. If we go to Condition Periwinkle, we may have to go on half rations of grog for a few days. It'll be tight, but I think we can make it.

It's the Washington Times you want, if you're interested in Bush Administration subsidaries, pardner.

*steering certain drunks out of the salon, then wiping dust off hands.*

Honestly, we need to make the signs bigger around here.

Anybody figure out where we're linked yet? It's not the home page.

Yes, Christmas indeed... If Jesus himself knocked on the door of most of these hate-mongering right-wing evangelical hypocrites they would slam the door in his face. The population here puts up with all manner of indignity as long as it doesn't affect them personally. Preemptive war? No problem. Legalized torture? No problem. Warrantless wiretapping? No problem. The last time a world leader used "pre-emptive" war as a justification for invading a sovereign nation (guy by the name of Adolph Hitler)the entire world was engulfed in a miserable military slaughter.

But hey, no problem. Let's go shopping. Let's watch the game. Let's pretend that this horrible usurpation of power by the executive branch is not happening. Let's watch Desperate Housewives. After all, what can WE do? It's not OUR responsibility. Can't we all just be HAPPY?

Right beside the word Opinions, the link is the title, Daffy Democrats.

Actually, I think the Rovestorm is somewhat deferrred because of the OnFaith column: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2006/11/keep_god_within_us.html

The irony in many of the posted comments is just... fabulous.

Tim, thank you, thank you and thanks again. Delightful.

Hold the bunker door for me would ya. I have to bring along my computer so I can check out the curl song again. My computer is not a laptop.

I have got to get me one of those. A laptop that is.

Seafoam
Daffodil
Tangerine
Vermillion (or lipstick?)
Aubergine

Hey, ecru or Cosmic Latte is the "color of the beginning of the Universe." Remember when we first thought it a Martha Stewartish seafoam or the color of one of her frou frou bantam birds?

'Mudge;

Feel free to spread my grog ration around. Anything to enhance the bunker's atmosphere (not that I'd be trying to pun or anything).

:-)

SciTim, thanks for suggesting we visit OnFaith.
Scrolling down those comments was like walking down the tower of Babel.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

bc

bc, I looked at two of the posts earlier, Desmond Tutu whom I love and then later Norman Lear, I did not have the heart to face the comments though, a quick look scared me away.

I scrolled down a bit, but just had to abandon the effort. I have a low threshhold for...whatever that was.

Scotty, you sure you want to give up your grog ration? You were a little under the weather [might I suggest...a bit "groggy"??], and it IS purely medicinal, you know.

Yes, maybe the tower of babel is also a fable on why we have all those different religions. I'll suggest it to a preacher friend of mine, might be a nice idea whenever she has to preach on that passage.

But if you take fissions in religion as part of the context, then the Tower of Babel reference has disturbing overtones.

Here's someone who didn't care for my kit much:

http://www.reclusiveleftist.com/?p=474

I daresay that I won't do any comments on that blog. The numerological analysis of the 109th congress was priceless.

Wilbrod, I thought it was someone from here having a little fun with that blog.

You people keep trying to get me to read other blogs. Stop that! This is hard enough for a Luddite as it is, without profligate blog browsing (okay, occasionally I lurk on the Mommy Blog, but that's it. And Boodler blogs. But this is NOT something I'll be doing regularly.)

Of course Democrats traditionally have less "party discipline" than the Republicans -- by traditionally I mean lately -- but this is really a time for unity. I think most people recognize that the party won through diversity, and can tolerate some uncertainty and give-and-take. However, to me the election was all about, among other things, electing a group of grownups willing to govern the country. We need to see some agreement, some comity, some indication that someone in government has workable plans based in reality for actually governing. Right now, it makes folks a little nervous to see personnel decisions made on a personal basis, and dissention. Though not choosing Hastings has to go down as a really good idea.

bc, absolutely brilliant Bat parody yesterday.

We MAY be having snow tonight. Or ice. Just in case, I've already had a rehearsal cancelled, and we're to use our own judgment about coming in tomorrow if the weather is bad. Life is good.

Yikes! What do Daffy Democrats (great title for a Studio 60 fake sketch) have to do with sexism? You could read the entire kit and not know the gender of Pelosi. This is a really bizarre accusation.

dmd, the OnFaith items appear to be reasonable if somewhat thin.

It's the comments that get...yikes.

Wilbrod, I chose the Babel reference deliberately for those reasons.

bc

Well, Joel, I for one don't think you're AT ALL oblivious.

Some feminist Pelosi-supporter who wishes he or she could write as well as Joel for her own purposes. Hence, quoting Joel and then bashing Joel's failure to write according to her viewpoints.

If Joel wanted to write a piece about sexist (or sexual?) Congress, he'd write "Chicks rule in Congress" and then talk about the difficulties in establishing the pecking order.

Bawk!

Great thought about the Tower of Babel though, bc. May I export it in slightly twisted theological context?

Mudge, you beat me to that joke.

bc

bc, that is what I ment, I only read Tutu and Lear, and really like both, it was the comments I was afraid of, I figured with such reasonable posts - nastiness would follow.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

Joel, did you remember to send her the memos about "mindless drivel," "garbage," and "good enough for the blog?" It seems that the so-called Reclusive Leftist has not kept up with the situation.

On the other hand, I guess she HAS gotten the memo about party discipline -- "thou shalt not speak disagreement of another avowed Democrat." Conveniently, such a memo doesn't even require any time with a word-processor -- just White-Out™ over the word "Republican" in one of their old memos, replace with "Democrat," and take it to the Xerox™ machine.

Joel, the problem is, as so often with the folks who don't like your Kits, that you didn't write about what THEY wanted to read. That person was cruelly disappointed when, rather than write what he or she (okay, probably she, I didn't look) so obviously felt you should have said, you stubbornly clung to your own plan. Also, you shouldn't have been humorous about it, since that clearly didn't translate well into the blogger's alternate universe.

yellojkt, as far as I can tell from the blogger's response, since we all know Pelosi is a woman, apparently everything written about her must be filtered through that light and considered an explicit comment on a woman's ability to lead.

Isn't it easier just to read what someone writes? What am I thinking -- I work for the judiciary. I may put myself out of business.

's OK, dmd, I misunderstood. I think we're on the same page there.

Wilbrod, please feel free to export Babble.
I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

bc

Joel, you continually amaze me at your ability to garner hysterical criticism from both the left and the right.

The center can be such a lonely place.

Tim, you left out "1/4 to 1/16 baked".

bc

I sorta have to laugh at the fact that some of the 'loper umbrage and that bloggers "real" umbrage is often a lot funnier than the fake umbrage we toss around here sometimes.

And the news just gets stranger, funnier and weirder: The U.S. has issued trade embargos against North Korea, to teach those wily SOBS to stop building nuclear weapons. The objects we banned: iPods, cognac, and jet skis. Take THAT, you miscreants!!!!

I'll quote here from what I put on the Reclusive Leftist blog comments:

"Regarding what Achenbach actually was writing about -- personally, I don't have a problem with the Democrats arguing in public. That's what the Dems really stand for, in contrast to the Republicans: the ability to hash out policy differences in open debate and arrive at a consensus, or at least a reasonable compromise. On the other hand, I can see how one might have expected, after their years in the wilderness, that the Dems might have returned to power with a desire and motivation to show themselves as serious policy professionals. Wrangling is fine, but the style of the wrangling makes the House Democrats look a bit silly to some, even though it's fine by me."

hello to all from the VA DoE Tech Leadership Conference in Roanoke. I have to drive four hours from home to get a few minutes to read the Boodle and say hello to my imaginary friends.

Joel, it is just fine to criticize (sorry for the -ize verb) if you voted for them. It is also fine if you voted against them. It is not ok to criticize if you didn't vote at all.

Isn't a "reclusive" blogger a bit of an oxymoron? Just a thought.

She loses me right out of the gate. To me, cursing is a sign of an unchallenged, disorganized mind. Except when used as a true expletive, that is, right after doing something requiring true genius (like slamming your own hand in the door).

bc, I would have included it, maybe, if I had remembered "1/4 to 1/16 baked" except that it would have violated the "Rule of Three" -- List Item 1, List Item 2 (similar to List Item 1), List Item 3 (loony). We're talking about serious, professional, write-by-numbers Humorous Art here, bunky.

>Actually, I think the Rovestorm is somewhat deferrred because of the OnFaith column:

Jeez, I read a bunch of comments on the Lear piece and it pretty much confirms that there's no hope of having different religions tolerate or respect each other except for the people who are *already* moderate or not particularly religious in the first place.

But I found the sheer number of comments entirely in caps fairly amusing.

YES, YOUR ARGUMENT MAKES MUCH MORE SENSE LIKE THIS! SURELY I WILL ACCEPT JESUS AS LORD NOW! RESPECT MY AUTHORITAE! (Cartman spelling.)

pfffffpppttt, I'm going home.

SciTim, I'm not too good with formulas. Could you define the variable I (item)? How do you derive the relationship thereof, and set the Z value for loony in the third variable?

Ok, let me try this formula. Humor= I(1), I(2 actual) and I(3) where

I(1)= drawn from set of common and interesting words; setting the cardinal value for a new subset of related but nonlapping items: I(potentially related) or IP

I(2 actual)=closely related value from set IP, excluding I(1)

I3 must be drawn from outside the boundary values of the given set IP, either by combing an IP set member with unrelated objects through word play, association, or irreverence.

Hmm. Let me try an example of this formula:

"I enjoy taking pictures of dogs, cats, and rhinos lounging in S&M leather underwear."

Copy that, *Tim.

Mudge, that means Mr. Ill is stuck listening to CDs, drinking Budweiser, and skateboarding? Tragic.

bc

DRIVE CAREFULLY, DAMMIT, ERROR!!!!!

*waving at a bea c*

Nice to see you! How are you feeling?

I stepped outside my front door to get the mail and have been chilled ever since. Still in the 20's, no sun that is perceptible, no snow or rain yet. I have been up close and personal with several hummingbirds today - I think one is a ruby-throated hummingbird, but I didn't think they overwintered here. Must go googling.

Ivansmom, good point on Pelosi and the filter. In writing about Pelosi I wasn't thinking about her gender at all, but rather about her news management skills, or lack of them, in this particular situation. It's reminiscent of Clinton taking over in Jan. 1993, and immediately finding himself sidetracked by the gays in the military, don't ask/don't tell issue, as well as Zoe Baird's nanny problem. But those situations were partly fueled by the GOP seeing an opportunity to knock Clinton off balance right out of the gate. This time it appears that Pelosi failed to resolve certain issues in advance and has thus allowed these leadership issues to dominate discussion. There are those on the Left who take the MSM to task for writing about this, but surf around and you'll see the Left talking about it constantly, too. If the Democrats want to drive the national conversation on Iraq, taxes, the budget, health care, the environment, etc., they first have to find a way to get their internal leadership battles off the front page (and out of the blogs).

Science Tim, thanks for your comment on the other blog.

About the Post using that evaluation scale ("Sometimes exceeds expectations," etc.), I hadn't heard of that until yellojkt pointed it out. Draw your own conclusions. The last to know about evaluation procedures are probably the first booted out the door. But just fyi, most of the evaluation is still written out. With actual words and stuff.

Said formula can also be applied in a complex interaction grammatical parsing rules, breaking down humorous elements further in tripartite elements, such as "Those daffy democrats"

SciTim, you know what?!

I think with some work and analysis, we could produce a paper for Annuals of Irreproducible Research on the formula for humor. I'm excited.

At last we may be able to teach the humor-impaired to count elements and laugh when punchline happens.

We will never have to be serious again. Oh, the cockles of my heart! How ticklish they are right now, just from the thought! AUUUHGGHHHHHH!

*Falling down, tickled pink and begging for it to stop.*

Joel - does the blog count as, you know, extra credit? Anyway, to switch gears back to the less provocative part of the kit, I am looking forward to Marc Fisher's book. Some of those Washington Post writers have been known to sling together some pretty impressive word combinations. And although I only recall Elvis as a paunchy icon from an earlier age, I certainly remember Top Forty Radio.

I received my first real radio on Christmas 1972. It had but a single speaker, and was black and bulky, but it successfully received the monophonic amplitude-modulated signals that dominated my musical world. My father set the dial for KTAC, which operated at a carrier frequency of 850 KHz.

Most of the kids I knew listened to KTAC. Some listened to an older station called KJR, but it didn't matter much. The music was all the same.

We all listened to songs like "Crocodile Rock," by Elton John, "Radar Love" by Golden Earring and "Reeling In The Years" by 10cc. On the playground we debated various interpretations of the frequently indecipherable lyrics and whether or not some of the words were kinda dirty.

Top 40 radio was the soundtrack to my adolescence. It provided a common cultural language that I still share with others my age. My kids have a much greater variety of music to experience. The world belongs to the niche marketers. And I guess this is an improvement for both artists and listeners.

Yet there is something comforting about being able to calculate with great precision what I was listening to at any point during my formative years - and the knowledge that I wasn't alone.

Oh, don't worry about your job evaluation, Joel. bc and I are already working on it. (heh heh heh)

Padouk, "Reeling in the Years" was Steely Dan, I believe. 10cc did "Not in Love" ("Be quiet. Big boys don't cry...")

...and sometimes mis-heard as "Be moist and quiet," "my voice in quad," "quick questions, Kwai," "Quiet, requesting quiet" [the way I hear it], etc.

Oh, teens and kids share their music tastes with each other all the time. Like people do on this blog.

I've learned about quite a few musical artists here. I figure a few years more, and I can blow the charts off on Jeopardy! on music, although I already make a few good guesses.

Like the fact there is ALWAYS at least one answer whose question is "Who is Mozart?"

"This famous composer slept where George Washington slept" Who is Mozart!?

I once finished a broadway lyric... I could do this on how you look. "What is write a book?"

My sister shot me a look of sheer hatred. "HOW DO YOU KNOW ANY Broadway lyrics?"

Not really. I just know cliched rhymes ;).

(Rhyme Time: Paraphrase)

THOSE SIGH IN THE WIND

"What are Trees in the breeze?

(Wacky Words in Songs)
THEWBLOWINGIND

"What is The answer is blowing in the wind"

HAY DERRY
D
E
R
R
Y

(What is Hey derry derry down)

F F
I I
R R
E E

(What is Ring of Fire)

Those are a bit visual, Pat, sorry.

Hmm, the ACHENHOG ate the extra spaces. Interesting.

Thats one flat ring of fire... Glad I didn't try Great Balls of Fire instead.

Wilbrod, if you think THAT's flat, you oughta hear me doing my Elmer Fudd sings Bruce Springsteen... "You're holding me cwose...Fyyyy-uh!"

mudge - any room left in the bunker for me? (sheesh)

Mudge - you are absolutely right. I had originally included "Not in Love" but had decided four songs was too many - then got sloppy with my last minute cuts.

Do-it-yourself-editing : always a hazard.

I LIKE TO READ THE COMMENTS FOLLOWING BLOGS ON RELIGION 'CAUSE THEY MAKE ME FEEL LESS HOMESICK.

mo, mo, mo. There will ALWAYS be room for you in my bunker.

But please Mr. Vogon - no poetry.

...........T
........U
.....O
SH
.....O
........U
...........T

you know, i do love when we have company over but they leave such a mess behind! and all that screaming! 'snuke - did you spike the punch again?

That's a shout out! Nicely done, Boko

//Wait a minute. Where's the deconstruction? Joel's repeating this stuff almost like he believes it...//

ALL DECONSTRUCTION IN THIS GALAXY IS TO BE PERFORMED BY THE VOGON DECONTRUCTION FLEET.
PERSONS ENGAGED IN UNAUTHOURIZED DECONSTUCTION WILL BE INVITED TO SUCK VACUUM.

Wilbrod, I'm afraid that I learned about the Rule of Three from a learned exegesis delivered on Nick at Night, using illustrations from the Dick van Dude show. Despite using a standard formula, the show managed to be consistently clever. They also used it for van Dude's pratfalls. Typically, he would balletically avoid a looming disaster, immediately be confronted by another disaster, gracefully elude that disaster and then, feeling comfortable, he would turn calmly and walk into a wall/trip over an ottoman/fall down an elevator shaft and be impaled on a broken broom handle.

That would be an example of the rule right there: common trivial inconvenience, common trivial inconvenience, unlikely and horrible mode of death.

Why did I say "van Dude"? Because the real name runs afoul of Hal's scheming filter-bot.

Yeah, his name is double entendre fodder. Would Dick Van Dildo get past the wirty dird filter?

Unholy bovine, it did! I feel so embarrassed now ;).

Well if you are talking lyrics and radio, I used to work for my great-uncle in his grocery store. Uncle Tony set his radio in the store to a station that played disco music. It makes me want to cry at how much disco I can sing by heart, Donna Summer, no problemo. BeeGees, can do. If Uncle Tony, rest his soul, knew how I felt, he be rolling over in his grave. He thought he was being nice by listening to young people music. I never quite had the heart to tell him.

I took solace, in turning to country music, and then retreated to classical, and early jazz as soon as I was in range of a good fm station.

Huh huh huh huh stayin' alive....Oh shoot me please.

mo;

Spike the punch?? Moi???

*sniggling in the corner*

Hey a bea c!! *waving expressively, not the QE way*

:-)

dr;

I would commiserate with you on being able to sing certain artists by heart, but the GF sez there are some things one shouldn't share.

:-)

dr - I think I can still remember how to do the Hustle. And the Bump. But, in the interest of public safety I am forbidden from doing so

I worked in a country bar in Blind River On. the year "Guitars, Cadillacs" was released. As much as I like Dwight Yokam, every time I hear that song I begin to froth at the mouth.

Hey everybody! Don't close the door till I get there! I'm bringing beverages!

Am training my successor, which is leaving me NO time to boodle. I'm not liking this. She's intelligent and catching on quickly, but I don't think I'll be able to distill 27.5 years of experience into four weeks for her. I'm doing my best, though.

Which means I'm really, really, REALLY gonna need to retreat to the bunker when it's over. So save me a place!

Loomis,

Sorry to get back to you so late. Congressional salaries are $165,200 this year and will go up to $168,500 in January, 2007. Leadership positions, such as the Speaker, earn more.

Back to Top-40 Radio, did anyone notice (or care about) the obituary last week for Jack Alix? Remember him from WEEL radio in Fairfax? Broadcast from a little house attached to the American Legion building. Later, he was on the farther-reaching WPGC.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/20/AR2006112001226.html

Sorry, I was/am a "No Disco" guy.

Now I heard (and enjoyed) plenty of the Top 40 Pop stuff mentioned above when I was a passenger in the car; Otis Redding and Bill Withers being my total faves.

'course, my Mom also used to listen to a lot of rock when I was young, too. Beatles, CCR, Sly & the Family Stone, the Doors, the Kinks, Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, early Led Zep, MC5, Velvet Underground, Bowie, Deep Purple, Janis Joplin, whatever bands Eric Clapton was in, Badfinger, Santana, the Who; it was *all* good, but my brothers and I used to like to sing to those poutine overachievers - BTO - the most.

From there it was an easy slide to what I listened to in *my* first car - all of the above plus Foghat, Thin Lizzy (underrated!), Queen (of course), Black Sabbath, Journey, Parliment/Funkadelic, the Ohio Players, Grand Funk, Boston, Foreigner, John Lee Hooker, UFO (also, way underrated), the Ramones, George
Thorogood, Sex Pistols, Van Halen, local boys Face Dancer and Crack the Sky (I won't say it), Scorpions, Rush, Motorhead.
And WHFS and DC101 when I felt like listening to the radio.

Then came the early 80s. New wave, heavy/speed metal, big hair, makeup, wimpy pop. Lennon's dead, and Reagan's President. You know, the tipping point for the fall of Western Civilization.

bc

Whoops, my mom would kill me if I didn't mention the Eagles.

bc

bc. Your Mom's got good taste.

Yeah, she does, Bokko.

And my friends would kill me if I didn't mention listening to Talking Heads and DEVO in my first car.

I and I should kill me for not mentioning AC/DC. We must have listened to "Powerage" 1000 times.

bc

>ALL DECONSTRUCTION IN THIS GALAXY IS TO BE PERFORMED BY THE VOGON DECONTRUCTION FLEET.

heh heh, I watched The Hitchhiker's Guide last night. Love it every time.

bc, one of my favorite memories is singing "On the Dock Of the Bay" to no one in particular on a dock in Berkeley. I can even do the whistling part.

Bands? Lotta Rolling Stones, Sly etc. on the AM radio in my Mom's red LeMans, wish I had that car now. Later lots of Jethro Tull, Steeleye Span, Emerson Lake and Palmer (inspired me to learn electronics), Genesis, Back meets rock - Gentle Giant. The Stones, The Kinks (also way undervalued), David Bowie... listening to Bowie now just amazes me. Try "Panic In Detroit" off of Aladdin Sane. Unbelieveable energy.

Man, bc, the only times my parents listened to any of those groups was when us kids played them at home or in the car. I don't know how they survived us.

>Back meets rock - Gentle Giant.

oops, Bach that is. Gentle Giant did some wild stuff with the form.

bc - I listened to Disco for the same reason I listened to anything during the 1970s - it was on the radio. I was very passive about music until college.

Then I had a roommate who found my inability to differentiate Jimi Hendrix from Jimmy Page alarming. He took it upon himself to educate me. He was very good at it, but his refusal to let me leave the room until I named all Rolling Stones past or present, living or dead, became annoying.

Nevertheless, he never really succeeded in turning me into a truly discriminating musical consumer. My tastes today still run strongly to British New Wave. This is not because Flock of Seagulls represents the highpoint of musical achievement, but because I associate it with college.

To me the most powerful thing about music, Top 40 or otherwise, is still the memories it brings back.

>To me the most powerful thing about music, Top 40 or otherwise, is still the memories it brings back.

See: Bruce Springsteen, late 70's NJ shore, 17 with a black Mustang convertible and blond girlfriend.

Disco music was very popular at school dances in my junior high. Paticularly the slow songs when we could dance close with all the attendant hormonally induced awkwardness. Fortunately no pictures exist of my purple three piece suit and matching silk shirts.

I successfully managed the early 80s transition to concert jersey wearing freak/geek, with brief side excursions to popped collar preppiness and yoked shirt urban cowboy. I was quite a fashion chameleon.

RD sez "He was very good at it, but his refusal to let me leave the room until I named all Rolling Stones past or present, living or dead, became annoying."

Can that be done? It's like having to name all the drummers in Spinal Tap.

Thanks for linking to the DJ obit, TBG. I didn't know him, but he has nice things to say about our favorite Beatle, Paul.

I listened to lots of Top 40 radio in the 60's, since there wasn't anything else (and I loved it for a lot of years). Then underground radio came along, and FM, and college stations - much better. I don't listen to music on the radio much these days - too many commercials or chatty DJ's for me.

Thanks for all the music memories, I was the youngest in the family so the music I listened to was generally what everyone else like.

Mom and Dad were mostly classic but also liked Simon and Garfunkel. Brothers listen to Doobies, Rick Wakeman, Uriah Heep, Hendrix, Eisley (sp) Brothers, Santana. My sister was more into Carly Simon, Carol King, Tracy Chapman.

When I finally got around to choosing it was as miss mass of music, late seventies Supertramp, Styx, then later U2, Doors, alternative Phychedelic Furs, Rush etc.

When I went to University the campus station played everything, Jazz hour, New Wave etc.

In the end I think I developed ADD, I love music but can only listen to one type for limited periods.

When I tell you who my parents listened to, you'll run screaming from the room: the Ink Spots, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Vic Damone, Giselle McKenzie and Snookie Lanson, Patti Page, Benny Goodman and the Dorseys, Eddie Duchin (Duchin was the skipper of a PC Boat, and was in the same flotilla as my father's PC in the South Pacific; he saw Duchin all the time), Peggy Lee (whom they didn't actually like much)Frankie (that was when girls screamed at him, and before he became The Chairman), Andy Williams, and yes, god help me, Liberace and (wait for it...) Lawrence Welk. To this day, the first few notes of an accordion playing a polka will give me hives and anaphylactic shock. And you guys are thinking, who ARE those people?

Oh, Curmudgeon!

"Come on-a my house my house, I'm gonna give you candy
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give a you
Apple a plum and apricot-a too eh
Come on-a my house, my house a come on
Come on-a my house, my house a come on
Come on-a my house, my house I'm gonna give a you
Figs and dates and grapes and cakes eh
Come on-a my house, my house a come on
Come on-a my house, my house a come on
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give you candy
Come on-a my house, my house, I'm gonna give you everything!"

Ah, those were the days when good lyrics made a song!

Hope you enjoy Roanoke, a bea c! That's where I teach on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Wilbrod, that name you came up with that made it through the filter made me laugh so hard I had to hang up the phone so I could laugh at ease. Then I had to call my dad back and explain why I hung up in the middle of wishing him a happy birthday. Too funny.

*waving back to everyone*

Kansas Outlaws Practice Of Evolution
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/55807

I seem to fall between the generations (and so does #2!). I'm all about the Beatles, early and late, plus the full classical cannon, plus the Stones, the Who, early Bowie, early Stewart... plus original punk and late punk, and some Canadian bands like the Philosopher Kings and Barenaked Ladies (and still the full classical and baroque cannon -- if it is baroque, don't fix it). Also Tom Petty and his mates. Since #2 reached radio-age, also some headbanging rock (which she loves, and plays) like the Redhot Chili Peppers, Nickleback, Tool and others.

Himself was brought up on 'Mudge's parents music and never heard classical (except in the cartoons). I cannot bear the late 40s, early 50s crooners and jazz, but love swing and early rock 'n roll (nee swing).

The only genres that both Himself and I cannot listen to are true jazz and country (though for somebody who doesn't like country, I seem to know the full lyrics to too many songs -- something to do with living in Southern Alberta and ambient tonalities).

I have exceptions to every rule. I think (today) one of my favourite songs is Patsy Cline singing "Crazy." Some people think it is Country, but I think it is among the finest torch songs ever. Even Linda Ronstadt did it pretty well.

Himself does *not* like #2's music. We were laughing in the car this morning, when #2's favourite radio station advertised itself as "CJAY! The station that plays everything old people hate and fear!"

Oh, Mudge, I know all those singers - and I used to watch Lawrence Welk - because there was only 1 TV, which only got 3 channels, and there was nothing better on (was it on Saturday night, way back when?). Hated LW, especially his accordion, and the plastered-on smiles - but the other singers you mentioned are ok. I usually fall asleep Saturday nights listening to a big band music show on the local NPR radio station.

The other reason I hate accordions is that there was a Sons of Italy club behind my house, so I had to listen to (bad) polka music on the weekends. Not that I'm a judge of polka music (I don't like it).

Uh oh, sounds like snow or freezing rain or something tapping on the window...

Oh, and it wasn't a ruby-throated hummer I saw today - apparently they're Eastern birds. It was probably a male Anna's hummingbird, with a rosy throat (or gorget, as they refer to it). They're here all year. We also have Rufous hummingbirds.

Brrrrrr. It's 5 degrees outside, south of Denver, and snowed today. But not windy. It does look nice mounding all the Christmas lights. Crunchy, too. Watch out... it's around the bend from the Big Mouth (DC area) :-)

Mudge, my parents were about the same age (maybe a bit older) and their favorite singer was Ezio Pinza. And not from South Pacific, although they had that record. I like Ellington's saying that there are two kinds of music, good and bad.

>Patsy Cline singing "Crazy."

My Commodore Amiga had a sample of that in 1987 when most PCs could only beep. Kind of a cool memory, if for a different reason.

Heard of some of those singers, all right-- I used to watch "Golden Girls."

Isn't it odd how music tastes change? In the 1980's Country was so uncool it'd get you shot, but some new singers and reworking the music beyond "My wife left me in Vegas, my dog died, I and my truck are broke and outta luck" made it hip for young people.

I guess Mudge wouldn't like Weird Al Yankovic as he is an avowed accordion fiend and has done some polkas.

TBG, your DJ obit brought back a lot of memories from my childhood when a major feature of slumber parties used to be calling up our "fave" radio hosts--we never knew what those guys looked like, but their voices were smooth and familiar, and they brought us all that great music; they were truly stars in their own right. One of the giants of South Florida radio, Rick Shaw, is retiring after 46 years--he started in top-40 but then he stayed with the good music (Beatles et al.) and became a specialist in "oldies" and now that the term is in disrepute, his station plays "the greatest hits of the 60's and 70's." That's my station, if I'm not listening to NPR. Some of the music is officially before my time, but I still like it better than any other era of pop music.

Here's the link to the Rick Shaw story: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16127050.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Meanwhile, when I went to get that link, I came across this headline, which once again reminds us WHY Carl Hiaasen and Dave Barry still live in Florida.

"Man critically injured in alligator attack while on drugs"

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/entertainment/16119069.htm

This story couldn't be the top online headline because that spot went to the report of our local City Commissioner, jailed for DUI, who flipped off the police AND the journalists who were there to cover the event--two separate gestures, described precisely by the obliging reporters. (I could just picture how happy it made them when he did that.)

Weather in south Florida: with dawn on the horizon, the door to the back porch and all our windows are open, and I'm wearing shorts and sandals. Life is good. If only I didn't have to work all day...

I did forget to mention I love Baroque classical as well thanks for reminding me Yoki.

The other night the oldest was in her room doing homework and my husband was putting the youngest to bed. A few minutes later I asked how the oldest was doing (she was struggling with the homework), he just smiled and said she was in her room working and listening to Thunderstruck by AC/DC - I think I saw tears in his eyes he was so proud.

I will brag about our weather, as I am pretty sure I will not be able to do so until next spring, it is now 15C (56-58F) at 6:31, its raining but I will not complain. Tomorrow when we emerge from the twilight zone it will be tough but at least with the cooler weather we may get some sun.

Have a great day all, all the mentions of various music styles and musicians has put me in great mood.

dmd - I find I am incapable of being in a bad mood while listening to Bach's Air, from Suite No.3 in D.

The secret to enjoying Polka music is good Bavarian beer and many dancing frauleins.

I was born in 65, and I doubt that my mom or dad can name a single Beetles or Stones, much less Zeplin song. My mother wouldn't listen to Elvis because she thought his showmanship was vulger.

Hence; I was raised by dorks.

I remember when I was in the 6th grade, my brother and I joined one of those record and tape clubs for a single penny for a dozen tapes at first with the promise to buy one every month for the next2 years. Our original selection included Donny & Marie, Captain & Teneil. We had a shoebox size mono tape recorder that we listened to the songs on. It kept eating the tapes and we spent hours pulling the tapes out of the recorder. Most of the tapes were either broken and repaired by scotch tape, or severly crinkled after a few weeks, but we sent them back in time to cancel our 100% satisfaction garenteed contract.

Without naming what I sang along to...

Dad always had the local country station tuned in as we worked outside on the pool or garden or such. Add to that the odd Charlie Daniels bootleg 8-track in the RV. Oh, and the Tijuana Brass playing on the ski area PA (the jukebox there was the first place I met the Edmund Fitzgerald, too)...

Mom always had the Top 40 station on in the kitchen, particularly in the late 70s winters when we hung on tenterhooks waiting for the school closing announcements. And there was that disco-dancing class (ok, club) at junior high...

Brother #1 (and Mom) have always enjoyed a good Broadway show tune...

Brother #2 had a handheld cranberry harvester full of vinyl Yes, Ten Years After, J. Geils, etc.

Once I could afford my own music purchases, is it any surprise I was all over the map?? Even to the point of... forgive me...

"Thriller"

*going to stand in the corner*

:-)

Believe it or not, I actually *like* polka music. Brings back some of my happiest memories: Sunday dinner at Grandma's; weddings (other people's); street fairs; homemade pierohi... Granted, "The Chicken Dance" gets to be grating, but who can argue against "Roll Out the Barrel, We'll Have a Barrel of Fun"?

It's just happy music. Never heard a sad polka.

RD: I'm with you on the 80's music. The Fixx, Nina Hagen, The Tubes... brings back memories of three-two beer and steamed up car windows.

Hey martooni! *wave*

Are we ourselves, and do we really know?

:-)

And speaking of music news...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/29/AR2006112901532.html

My dad was a leather jacket wearing greaser (in brown, his mom wouldn't let him wear black), but my mom was a whitebread Pat Boone /Harry Belafonte afficianado. That came in handy once when I impressed the drunk Parrothead next to me by knowing the lyrics to the encore at a Jimmy Buffett show.

I still lean heavily to the classic rock oeuvre. There is an apocryphal quote by Keith Richards that your favorite music is whatever you were listening to when you first got laid.

My life in music is briefly recapped here:

http://livebythefoma.blogspot.com/2006/02/my-life-in-music.html

Some of it may surprise you. I pulled no punches.

Another music headline...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/29/AR2006112901547.html

Pretty sad, actually.

My music tastes early on were mostly 70's groups,I had two favorites at totally different ends of the spectrum.

Blue Oyster Cult and The Marshall Tucker band,But did anyone metion Lynyrd Skynyrd?

Really any music with a good guitar player will do,now I am mostly blues,Jazz and classic rock.

Since it's Thursday, check out Scalia's appalling comments on global warming:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/29/AR2006112900169.html

TBG - I saw that too. A few years ago I visited my family back in Seattle and spent a delightful morning watching The Wiggles while sitting on a papasan chair with two transfixed nephews. I remember my sister telling me that she couldn't figure out if they were gay or just "Stylishly Australian."

I neglected two more of my favourite groups, early Genesis and a good Canadian band The Tragically Hip, can't believe I forgot them, I will also include another Canadian band, it was the eighties and they remind me of summer fun - Teenage Head - nothing deep just fun.

Since there are some eighties fans out there I have been trying to remember a song I really like, it is an Ultravox song, very short and the words are in Gaelic - anyone remember the name?

RD, I am with you on the Bach, it can improve your mood and calm you.

The weather continues to be warmer than it should be and the clouds are breaking up, showing a mackrel sky.

I remember all those people too Mudge. My grandmother used to love Liberace. My aunt always watched Welk and my daughters recently mentioned watching him with her when they were little. I remember all the manufactured singers of the late '50's, early 60's like Fabian and Annette, it's amazing I developed any taste at all in music after that. I still love to listen to old Motown groups, I guess it brings back my youth. I can appreciate and love lots of different music, the Beatles, Ray Charles, Diana Krall and of course, Steely Dan, but country music just does nothing for me. If the house needs to be cleaned quickly, the Stones will make my dust cloth fly. "S" is a few years older and the only "rock n roll" singer we had in common was Buddy Holly. His CD collection leans heavily towards Sinatra, Bennett and broadway musicals. We argue about CD selections, good naturedly, every time we go on a road trip.

At this late date I can finally sympathize with the horror many of my parents' generation felt for rock n roll, as a lot of today's popular music just seems like noise with a beat to me. I think musical preferences are mostly formed in our younger years, making it harder to adapt to unfamiliar sounds in later life. But I could be wrong.

Well, so far this morning I've visited the official websites for both Nina Hagel and "The Wiggles."

That oughta trigger some flags.

Good morning, all. Very busy at work here this week in New Haven, so have only been "skimming" in between. BUT you must see the comic strip "Shoe" this morning. Inadvertently, it refers to us. Sorry, Joel, that the price for the "Kit" doesn't reflect your real work, but they just didn't know . . ..

I don't know how to do the "linky" thing, but I'm sure the prowess to the "Boodle" will attend to this trifling detail.

Love,
Aroc

TBG, I saw the Wiggles article yesterday, I think I am still to close to it, the young one has only stopped liking them recently and I have to be honest and say THANKS, from a purely selfish perspective, for the children I am sad.

Dooley thanks for posting that link I was looking at that issue yesterday, all I can say is OM MY!

http://www.comicspage.com/shoe/shoe.html

I saw The Fixx live, Scotty... probably one of the best shows I ever saw (and I've been to more concerts than I can count). It was at Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA (pop. 2000) -- very small venue, so the sound and lights were particularly incredible. IIRC they opened with "Stand or Fall" and closed with "Red Skies at Night". The rest was pretty much a happy blur due to the side effects of the glaucoma medication I was partaking of at the time.

Old VW Bus Update...

After much internal debate, I've decided to give the old girl another chance. A tow truck is expected within the hour to deliver her to a much trusted and experienced "old school" mechanic I know to have her drive axle and CV joint repaired. The more I thought about selling her, the dirtier I felt. Just been through too much with Stella to coldly turn her over to a stranger. I think if I ever do part with her, I'll have to interview all potential driver candidates and will actually give her away to the one I find most worthy.

I'm still looking for a truck, though. I'm beginning to warm to the idea of having heat in a vehicle. (sorry for that, just had to)

I got my first AM transistor radio around age 7 or eight, ca. 1964. I would tuck it under my pillow and listen to WLS when I went to bed. As we moved east it seemed that the WLS signal carried to the ends of the Earth. Then I discovered WMMS FM after we moved in the vicinity of Cleveland. Probably the coolest radio programming I ever heard. At that time, the most obscene thing on vinyl was the Fish Cheer. Ten Years After rendition of Goin'Home (to See My Baby) from the same album is still enough to make me want to break out in a spontaneous dance. When I reached driving age, my first car, a no post '64 four door Impala, had an AM radio with the speaker in the front dash. We had a local station that played lots of rock. Plus this silly radio serial called Chicken Man. LOL When disco became the next big thing the music died for a while. So I went back to FM, and listened equally to the Syracuse Univ. station and WOUR out of Utica. King Biscuit Flour Hour, The National Lampoon Radio Hour, and Flo and Eddie were regular features. Plus Joel Mariness calling the play by play for SU hoops. Ahhhh...youth...

jack - Benton Harbor was my hero. And I still hold a torch for Miss Helfinger.

"The Toothfairy" was pretty good too.

Morning! Horribly off-topic, I know, but I want to ask your opinion on something I overheard on the train last night ("overhead" isn't quite the right word--the conversation was delivered at max dB practically into my ear via by a cell-phoner). Anyway, the 20-something man, apparently talking to someone much older, had been asked if he read the paper on the train. His reply: "That's so old-fashioned. Besides, I can learn everything I need to know in 5 minutes on the Internet." Either this guy is a much faster reader than I, or feels that a 5-minute skim of the headlines educates him on the state of the world. Don't know if I have a question for the boodle here, or if I just wanted to rant. Alas...

My father-in-law (rest his soul) was a retired Green Beret. He had a bunch of old LP's, but the two that got played when he broke out a bottle of memories were SSgt Barry Sadler and Edith Piaf.

I was DJ for my Grandmother's 80th birthday party and I had a hoot hunting down old Big Band albums to play. The crowd loved them and now I adore Gene Krupa.

My son has an iPod playlist he calls "The King and Queen" which features Elvis Presley and Freddy Mercury.

Don't know the answer to that, Raysmom.

Give me five minutes, though.

I thankfully live in the pre-Wiggles era, but breaking The Boss's MSG record is just sacriligious. Let's hope they never play Giants Stadium for 10 nights.

martooni, a reman axle with CV joint should run under $100 (with the core trade in, natch).

Granted, swapping drive axles is more involved than a FWD car with McStruts, but it still shouldn't be too difficult for the guy. If that's the only problem, that is.

You'll be glad when you get it back on the road.

bc

hear, hear, RD...long live radio.

Martooni, selling your old VW bus is like selling your guitar. It's like they have soaked up a part of your soul during ownership..., and then to sell it?

I'm proud to say I still have my original Peavey t-60 guitar, and just practised on it this morning.

As far as the old VW bus goes, I did give it away to my best friend.

bc... yup... he said the parts would be under $100 and he actually has them all in stock (he specializes in old vee-dubs). Labor should be under $100 as well, but he's going to have to drill out three bolts that sheared off, so it might be a little more. If you're into sandrails and buggies and all that, check out his website: http://www.jimscustomvw.com.

Pat... I got my first Bus (a '75 "deluxe") from a friend for a token $100. I'm thinking Stella is destined for one of my theoretical grandchildren (assuming she's still running in 20 years and further assuming I allow my daughter to go on dates).

In the meantime, I tied up the dangling axle and am patiently waiting for the tow truck to show up.

On the Wiggles...

Gay or "Stylishly Australian", I don't ask nor tell nor desire to know. All I know is Little Bean loves them and I can actually handle listening to their music. Silly? Yes. But silly is good when you're four years old. And speaking of silly music, Little Bean and I often have fun together dancing to "Wacky Tobaccy" by N.R.B.Q. (who I'm happy to say are still kicking around small venues nationwide and have yet to sell out -- even though Bravo did a documentary on them titled something like "The Most Famous Garage Band in the World").

Mr. 'Mudge posed this question, framed by a mild yet honest slap:

"....the first few notes of an accordion playing a polka will give me hives and anaphylactic shock. And you guys are thinking, who ARE those people?....."

I own an accordian -- piano-style or as we say, Lady-of-Spain model. Do I play? Not really. But when I move to assisted living sometime after teaching into my seventies for such is the world of adjuncts, I WILL PLAY ALL DAY.

I can play (very badly but earnestly) several Irish dance tunes that I heard back in the day, in a parish basement hall:

Humours of Brandon
Blackbird
Rick of Barley (we called it R o Hay)
Lancers
My Irish Molly
and of course
Irish Washerwoman.

So 'Mudge, I are those people, or at least I want to be.

Final note: a friend who is very cool in this way

green architect
Mennonite peace activist
dad to skate board dude

lost his accordian in a house fire. So, my Lady-of-Spain model is being fostered there.

He plays Tejano music -- Mexi-Texi dance music.

So, Accordianists, ARISE!

re: N.R.B.Q. ...

or was that "The Most Influential Band You've Never Heard"?

Goods on Pat:

A bird told me that he jumps on a trompoline. He likes what the sound effects suggest to his neighbors.

Details on the Mommyblog, where a thoughtful post discusses early morning rising.

As a teenager, I would try to explain to Dad that my car radio only worked for good songs. As it turned out, the wiring was faulty, and it only worked consistently when the volume was way up (or I hit a particularly big pothole).
Of course, this was the same car I used to crawl under pretty much daily to hit the starter with whatever was handy (a shoe, a tennis racket, a text book) to get it to stop sticking so I could start it. Very lady-like, I assure you.

Wow, Dooley, Scalia's quotes from that session sound so... 20th century ignorant.

No doubt Scalia will be long dead by the time the frozen peat bogs in North America, Europe and Siberia could melt and release billions of tons of methane into the atmosphere and dissolved organic carbon into the oceans and rivers.

While I cannot speak for the case being presented to him (since I have not seen it for myself), I'm stunned at Scalia's lack of intellectual curiosity (do I detect a theme here?) and open-mindedness at the idea of Global Warming and perhaps trying to do something about it for our children's sake.

bc

Remember that tune "Mama played a squeeze-box, Daddy never sleeps at night" (or something like that)?

I used to think that song was about my family.

My Mom (rest her soul) played accordian and my very first instrument was the clarinet (taught to me by Grandpa, an old jazz player who never forgot Benny Goodman). I remember rehearsing polkas with her that we would play together at Christmas and other family gatherings.

Good times.

LIT said: "Very lady-like, I assure you."

Any lady who knows how to whack a stubborn starter is definitely a "lady" in my book (and not one that I would want to cross). ;-)

I actually like to dance the polka, though I wouldn't listen to the genre absent a dance floor.

My Dad was the classical/baroque maven, I think, and kind of brought my mother along for the ride, so that was almost all we heard at home as kids. He despised the popular singers of his day; Sinatra, etc.

But when my Mum was alone in the house, you know what she liked best? Marches! Hahahahah. I think it had something to do with getting the housework done efficiently. When the brothers and I were teenagers she could not figure out why we fell into heaps of laughter whenever Liberty Bell rang out.

Accordions. Stan Boreson. Good memories.

It's a Seattle thing.

All women have hidden talents. It's not in our best interest to let some of them become known. Otherwise, I'd be changing the oil as we speak. (Long thin fingers can reach in there with less blood-letting.)

Anyon