I admit it. This blog is NOT consistent. What it is keeps changing.
Right now, it's pretty much a place where I keep photos, videos, and links to websites that interest me.
Before that, I wrote a few blogs myself and still do once in a blue moon. But most of the stuff before the links are just reprints of articles I found interesting.
Email me at OlderMusicGeek(at)yahoo(dot)com.
ABOUT ME
Just your typical middle-aged divorced father (of a teenage daughter)/music fanatic/local bands supporter/nerd-geek-dork/smartass/movie lover/tv watcher/book reader/former comicbook collector/science fiction fan/slob/science buff/casual philosopher/spirituality peruser/ponytail wearer/world traveler/big Lipstick Homicide fan/huge Violent Femmes fan/Sigourney Weaver crusher/rabid Journey hater/liberal/mostly straight former cross dresser from Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.A.
Well, I got thes questions for my work newsletter, so I thought I could put the answers here on my blog too! - OlderMusicGeek
1. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a child?
I can’t remember that far back, but I do remember one year dressing up as my childhood hero, Doc Savage, a kind of pseudo-Superman from 1930s pulp magazines. Of course, no one knew who he was, so no one knew who I was being!
Then one year, when a friend and I were passing out candy, we ran out. So we put on our clothes backwards, walked up to the doors backwards, stood with our backs to the people, told the answer to the joke, then the question, then said trick or treat!
My daughter was Queen Amidala from Star Wars for 3 years in a row. We offered to buy her a new costume, but no way!
2. What is your favorite scary movie?
“Alien” always has been and will be my favorite movie. Every time I watch it, I get chills and jump! Especially during the scene in the escape hatch!
But I also love Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho". Found out recently that I apparently let my daughter watch that movie at too young an age! She told me that she tied the bathroom door shut for a week when she took a shower after she saw it!
3. What is your favorite Halloween candy?
Peanut M&M’s all the way! Though I can't eat too many of them now with my high cholestrol!
But I loved Snickers too! Anything that mixes chocolate and peanuts!
Unfortunately, with the low-fat, low cholestrol diet I'm on now. Can't really eat too many of them!
Since time immemorial, as far back as anyone can remember, from the dawn of the cave dwellers, a particular group has been picked on and mistreated by the mighty and the popular.
This group has been known by many names - “geeks”, “dorks”, “spazzes”, “losers”... and most notably “nerds”.
But in ONE school, this arrangement is changing! In one school, ONE girl is standing up and saying “No more!”
This is THE story of that girl!
Okay, my daughter isn't heroic as all that... although his friends might disagree. But has seemed to change the way that at least her friends at school are treated.
And what got me started thinking so much about my daughter and “her nerds” was the song below...
I, myself, could relate to this song quite well. I'd been on both sides of the equation, picked on and ignored, as well as ignoring others who were picked on. I'm not proud of that, but I'd be a liar if I told you otherwise.
But my daughter... now there's a completely different story. Although she picked up my compassion, she fortunately also picked up her mother's feistiness and confidence.
And one time when I was listening to this song, I imagined what it would be like if my daughter was the main character of this tale.
Things would be different from the start, I can tell you that!
That first day after the bicycle race, which my daughter would do her damnedest to win, she would go up to that James and say, “Hi, I'm J---. You're going to be my new best friend. What's your name?” It seems like she does this to almost every new nerd that joins her school. Like she's the school's nerd-welcoming committee.
And if the guy wondered what was going on and who the heck she was, she'd just say, “I told you! I'm J---, and you're going to be my new best friend.”
And if the guy should protest and say he doesn't need a new friend or something, she would inform him that's “Too bad!”
Come lunch the first day, James would find himself suddenly surrounded by my daughter and her friends, who she refers to as “my nerds”. My daughter would play master of ceremonies introducing the new nerd to the rest of the group.
Do they know that she calls them “my nerds”? Apparently so. Have they complained about being called that? My daughter told me they did. Her response? “Too bad!”
If James and my daughter went for a walk like they did in the song, she would probably talk with him about being from a divorced home.
But if he tried to tell her that her music was junk, she would most definitely put him in his place.
And soon as he brought up The Sex Pistols... oh boy!
She'd rip into him about how he listens to that old awful crap her dad does! And probably ask him with a sneer if he listens to Violent Femmes and Devo too. And then she'd tell him about how there is new music out there! And that teenagers should be listening to their own music, not their parents'!
Have to admit my daughter has a point on teenagers who listen to their parents' music and nothing from their generation. That's just wrong and kind of sad!
Now, if three guys started picking on James, this would definitely turn out differently!
As my daughter explained: “One guy would find himself himself pushed to the ground. Another would find his face slammed into a locker. And the third would find himself with his arm twisted very far behind him.” Then after a pause, and with a bit pride, “All things I have done to people who have picked on my nerds!”
I should say here that my daughter is not a big girl. She gets some of her stature from her petite, five foot tall mother. But then her mother doesn't take crap from anyone either!
My daughter is apparently known as “the psycho girl who hangs out with the nerds”. And most bullies, it seems, have learned not to mess with her friends.
I will freely admit that I am quite proud of my daughter, The Great Protector Of Nerds. She has the confidence and looks to be part of the popular crowd, but is unwilling to make the compromises. “They're boring! All they talk about are boys, clothes and their hair! Ugh!” Instead she hangs out with the group that willingly accepts all her quirks and eccentricities. And they get a good return investment for letting her in there! Not that she'd give them a choice!
I skip the truck stop next to the freeway because I figure it will mostly have people pulling off the freeway for a bite to eat, and I want to go somewhere where all the Peculiar people go!
So we go to the u-shape strip mall where we saw a couple of the restaurants.
I go to a sandwich place first. It seems like it would be more Peculiar than the Mexican or Chinese place there.
It is strangely named with the simple “The Sandwich Shop”. It was if it was named by someone who did know how to name a sandwich place.
When I go to the door, I notice the place has no signs or menus on the wall and is completely empty of furniture except a counter, placed there as if it were some prop!
It was, of course, locked. So I went to the Mexican restaurant. But it also was locked and looked like it hadn't been used in ages. Also, it was looking like a prop with the front of the restaurant bare except for the sign with its name.
Then I went to the Chinese restaurant. Same story, locked, bare, only a sign, the same prop look.
“What the hell? Don't the people in this town eat?”
Of course, that's when it hit me! Do they? The only restaurants that were open were the two that get business from the freeway!
Good Lord, did we stumble into a town of robots? Cannibals? Human-eating aliens?
Then I remembered there was still the greasy spoon further in town. It was a risk, but by god, I had to see it through.
So I hopped in the car and drove further into this town of danger and mystery!
Unfortunately, the danger and mystery wasn't very forthcoming. The diner was your typical small town diner. Old and a bit run down, but clean and well taken care of.
And the two teenagers working there were your typical laid back teenagers. The girl dressed in shorts and t-shirt. No long skirt like someone who didn't know how people really dress.
And the guy wore jeans that hung off his buttocks. And he snuck peaks at the girl in the shorts when she wasn't looking. Damn it, typical teenager behavior, not like robots at all!
About the only thing peculiar going on that diner was the half-white, half-black kid sitting alone leaned back in her chair bobbing her head to her iPod. But that's pretty typical behavior for my daughter.
And everyone who came in while I waited for my food were annoyingly normal! My god, did I somehow get to Normal, Illinois, by mistake? Was that what made this town peculiar? It sent you through some space anomaly to Normal? But then why was everything named Peculiar This and Peculiar That?
I finally couldn't take it anymore! I asked one of the other customers if she was from Peculiar. I think she started to think I was peculiar! Imagine that!
Anyway, she said she wasn't originally from there, but had been living there for over fifteen years. So I asked her if she knew why the town was called “Peculiar”.
The early settlers had a hard time picking a name for their little spot on the map. After arguing over it a few times in the general store, they sent three names to the post office, who I guess makes the town names official.
Well, it seems the three names the settlers chose were already taken, so the fed up town told the post-master general that they didn't care what they got “so long as it is sort of peculiar”.
Apparently the post-master general either had a sense of humor or was a smart ass... or maybe he was just fed up with town. Or possibly all three!
But he wrote to the town, “in all the land it would be difficult to imagine a more distinctive, a more peculiar name than Peculiar.” And that, supposably, is how the town got it's name... and not because it's populated by aliens, demons or robots, dang it!
So that pretty much concluded our adventures in Peculiar. I ate my chicken sandwich, which tasted fine and not funny at all. Then I got in the car, and my daughter and I hopped on the Peculiar exit and head out town, and I must say we did so rather disappointed.
But I guess now, one of these days, when we go to Chicago, we'll have to check out just how normal Normal, Illinois, really is...
So an hour or so later finds my daughter and I going up the Peculiar ramp.
We head up the Peculiar main street. I have to admit that we are disappointed to find nothing strange or out-of-place. Looks like a typical small Midwestern town. No buildings that look they're a cover or disguise for a secret lab or giant spaceship, damn it!
We stop to get gas at a Casey's, a typical – not peculiar! – convenience store you find scattered all over the upper Midwest countryside.
I asked the people in the store about their local restaurants. Nothing strange and unusual there either, damn it! A Subway, a Chinese restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, a truck stop, and a local greasy spoon.
And the people in the store seemed aggravatingly normal too! Didn't strike me as mind-controlled or demon-possessed or disguised aliens. Just typical small town Midwestern folk, damn it!
Well, in a vain hope of trying to find something peculiar, my daughter and I continue down the main street and check their other busy street.
Although we don't see anything peculiar, I make stupid jokes with my daughter, eyes rolling, about the Peculiar elementary school, Peculiar golf country club and Peculiar this-and-that.
It is at this point, I realize that this is exactly something my dad would do with us kids, and we would groan and roll our eyes too! Yes, so even though I'm becoming a woman, I'm still becoming my dad!
My daughter and I did – finally! - find something slightly peculiar in Peculiar. There, on the wall, of a small silo, at The Peculiar Feed Supply store, was a big ole happy face. My daughter even made me wait to take a picture of it, though typical teenager she was, she didn't want a picture of herself in front of it!
For lunch, my daughter went with the boring choice, Subway!
“Subway?! You're in Peculiar. You can go to a Peculiar restaurant, and you choose Subway?!”
“Yeah, why not?”
“What are you going to tell your friends when they ask where you ate in Peculiar?”
This is from me, and NOT reprinted. - OlderMusicGeek
This website, URLAI Who Are You? will analyze your blog. These are my results:
Text analysis oldermusicgeek.blogspot.com is probably written by a female somewhere between 66-100 years old. The writing style is personal and upset most of the time.
WASHINGTON—After spending another anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks at work, many across the country have begun to secretly hope that the date will soon become a federally mandated day off. "We'll have it off in 25 years anyway, so why not just start now?" said a Des Moines–area citizen who wished to remain anonymous. "The people who tragically lost their lives on 9/11 deserve a day of remembrance. Also, I could really use some extra time to clean out my gutters." A small minority of Americans continue to hold out hope that the anniversary of the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, in which 17 American sailors died, will someday result in a national half-day off.
I don't why, but this post is taking me forever to write. Just can't seem to find the time. So I'm dividing into 3 posts. - OlderMusicGeek
We hop off the Peculiar exit, looking forward to seeing what this town, that we had passed many times but never visited, had to offer to us.
We had seen the sign each time we went down to visit my mom in Arkansas. “Peculiar so-and-so many miles”. Okay, it didn't actually say “so-and-so many miles”, but I don't remember the exact figure!
But my daughter and I became fascinated by the idea of a town called “Peculiar”. And I determined that one day we would visit it.
Well, the years rolled by and we never did visit it. If we were coming from my mom's home in Arkansas, we just wanted to get home. And sometimes, I was meeting my mom and her husband at the halfway point between my home and theirs in Clinton, Missouri, to either to drop off or pick up my daughter who was visiting for a couple of weeks. And Peculiar was only an hour or so from Clinton, and we didn't feel like stopping our 8- to 9-hour drive again after so short a time.
So year after year, the town of Peculiar was noticed... but ignored.
Then finally one year, I took down my nephew as I was going down to pick up my daughter.
I have to say, though, he has no understanding of the responsibility of the passenger on a long trip – which, of course, is to talk to the driver and keep them awake. I tried talking to him, but all I got back were monosyllables.
Thank the god, I had a boom box hooked up to my iPod playing all my alternative rock, punk, Cajun, bluegrass, big band, as well as other music. I would have fallen asleep without that music and massive doses of Diet Coke. And unfortunately, all that Diet Coke, of course, meant a number of potty stops. I am in my mid-40s!
Well, we still passed the town of Peculiar on the way down and met my mom, her husband and my daughter in Clinton.
Usually, we just eat at the McDonald's there in Clinton. But my nephew has celiac disease and can't eat certain kinds of food, especially wheat-based products. Turns out there really wasn't anywhere in town where he could eat.
So we said our good-byes, and my nephew headed off with my mom and her husband, and my daughter obviously headed off with me.
And as we headed to the car, it hit me.
“Hey, are you that hungry? Or can you wait an hour?”
My daughter gives me a bit of a look. “I'm not really that hungry. Why?”
I smile. “Well.... I was thinking we could eat in Peculiar.”
I don't know about you, but as I get older, I find my mind playing more and more trivia games with me. And, of course, rude mind that it is – and my mind can be very rude! - it doesn't even ask me if I want to play.
So I was sitting there innocently at work doing quality control on data entry – yes, I know, exciting work. Which is why I have to have my music with me. If I forget my iPod, I take a 9 o'clock lunch to go get it! But that really has nothing to do with our story. Just an exciting tidbit of my exciting life I was throwing at you. I swear, if I wasn't getting a sex change, I'd be one of the most boring people on this planet!
Anyway! I'm at work listening to music, when I was trying to remember some of the punk rock and alternative rock I had on my old hard drive before it died. And for some reason, I remember this song “Last Nite”. I can kind of remember how it goes and some of the lyrics, but I can't remember the name of the band. I know they're The S-something.
Now normally, I would just google this, but our work has a really strict policy about internet usage. Almost any site having remotely to do with social networks is blocked. Even a local TV channel's site is blocked because we were picking up too many viruses from there. Of course, these rules don't stop me from using the internet, just careful about when I do use it.
And I wasn't ready to use it yet. I still had a couple of other resources.
And I turned to one of my cubicle mates. He was one of the trio of trivia experts in our department. I being another, and a data entry tech being the third. The third member of the trio wasn't a huge music fan. He liked well enough and could answer some general music trivia questions, but he wasn't one of the people you go to about music.
Now, my cubicle mate was into music quite a bit. Not as much as me of course, but more than almost everybody in the department. And as I said he was part of the trivia trio in our department.
So I tap his shoulder, he takes off his headphones, and I say, “I need help. I can't remember this name of a band. I know they had a song called “Last Nite” and it's spelled N-I-T-E. And their name starts with an S. They're The S-Something. They're a guitar-oriented alternative band from the 90s.” They're actually from the 00s, but anyway....
Then more information came to me. “And part of the lyrics was 'last nite she said'. And there's something about grandma doesn't know and UFOs don't know. And on their second album they sing something about the end having no end. And they've had 3 albums that I know of.”
“Oh, and I think their first album is called “Last Nite”.” It wasn't. If my mind is going to play trivia games with me, I wish it would play fair with accurate information.
My cubicle mate thought for a while. “Those lyrics sound familiar. Could you sing part of it?”
I smiled. “Um, I could, but you still probably wouldn't recognize it.”
He smiled back. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”
Then he added, “Well, dang, now I want to know who it is.”
Fortunately, I still had another ace up my sleeve. We have a second music fanatic in our department. But don't worry, she's about 25 years younger than me, so there's little overlap between us.
In fact, a couple years back, I was tried to impress her, show her that I didn't just listen to music from my time, the late 70s to mid 80s. I rattled off a bunch of "new" bands i was listening to.
And she said, and I quote... and yes, I can quote her because I'll never forget what she said! “Oh, yeah, the 90s, that was good music. I listen to some of that stuff when I was a kid.”
So anyway, I went to her cube but she wasn't there. So I left a note. Fortunately for once, I thought ahead and let her know what it was about, so she wouldn't worry and wonder why she was being summoned to the quality control cubicle. Figured she'd be a bit annoyed worrying about why the q.c. people to see her and find out it's just to name a band.
Well, I couldn't wait any longer. I broke company rules – shhh! - and looked up the lyrics on the internet. The band's name came right up.
The other music fanatic showed up shortly after that. She was kind of laughing. She asked if we figured it out and said we had, but gave her the information I had anyway.
And right away she said, “The Strokes?”
“Yep. Where were you when we needed you?”
She just smiled and kind of shrugged. And I just kind of shrugged at my slowly deteriorating mind and its stupid trivia games.
This is from me, and NOT some reprinted material. - OlderMusicGeek
“What's with the hair?” asked a co-worker who I've nicknamed "The Mortal Enemy”. Apparently, a lot of what I do is some horrible affront to her. Honestly, I get hassled less by my ex-wife.
On this occasion, it looked like she had a problem with me tying back the hair that I'd been growing out. I explained that I prefer the hair behind me than in my face.
“Well, I have a pair of scissors at my desk.”
I commented on how I don't see her using them, and she went on about how she gives her hair to charity. For her I guess, that is the only good reason to grow your hair out.
I later grumbled one of my cubicle mates how the person with the longest hair was complaining about my hair.
She rolled her eyes in sympathy.
“Well, she thinks only certain kind of guys wear their hair long.”
I am a male-to-female transsexual, but I've just started transitioning and haven't come out at work. So I was curious if any of my co-workers had seen me in female mode.
“What kind of guys?”
“Well, you know...”
“Not really.” At least, I didn't know what she meant!
“Well, you know, just certain guys.”
“No, I don't know.”
My co-worker thought for a moment.
“Well, like guys who are really into music.”
I smiled. “Yeah, that doesn't describe me at me!”
She looked a little embarrassed and added, “And college professors.”
“Oh, well, I've never been compared to absent-minded professors!”
She rolled her eyes again, though not in sympathy this time, and went back to work.
I went back to work thinking about how my mortal enemy has it out for professorial music fans.
This is from me, and NOT some reprinted material. - OlderMusicGeek
So I stood in front of her. Not saying a word. My eyes staring at those fingers sitting on phone's keyboard, waiting for a response from me.
It was a simple enough question. Quite simple actually. And I knew the answer. I rattled it off on quite a regular basis. But now, I just stood perfectly still in front of her like a deer in headlights, waiting for the truck to slam 70 miles per hour into it.
And what exactly brought me to this sorry, embarrassing state? There lies a stupid, silly, foolish tale. Fortunately for you, dear reader, not really a very long one.
I was at a musical festival and saw this wonderful band that did an interesting blend of old time rock and roll with alternative rock. Even did a good cover of “Folsom Prison Blues”! I made a mental note to add them as a Facebook and MySpace friend so I would know when they were playing next.
Then a later band, that was giving shout outs to all the bands that played that day, mentioned that the band I liked was giving away a cd with three of their songs... for free! I groaned in frustration in having missed out! And I had actually seen the lead singer earlier and told her I liked her music, but it was in the middle of another band's set and I just saw her in passing, so that was the extent of the conversation.
Well, later as I'm coming out of the building, who should be heading for the building but that cute little lead singer!
And I won't lie! She was damn cute!
I don't know if this has anything to do with anything, but... I am a male-to-female transsexual who has just started transitioning. So I still look pretty “guy-ish” and was going about as a male. And my sexual preference can best be described as confused, but bisexual works well as anything!
And I will say this cute lead singer had this sweet hippie look going on with this long straight black hair, long dangling “crafty”-type earings, adorable silver frame librarian type glasses, a white spaghetti strap t-shirt, and some ripped jeans to finish the effect.
So anyway, I stop her and tell her that I heard they were giving away free cd's.
She suddenly gets a look of disappointment on her face. “Oh, sorry, we did! But we're out now!”
Urgh! Curses!
Then she follows with, “Well, could I get your information, so I can send you to the website?”
“Uh, sure!”
And that, dear readers, is when it happened.
She got out her phone, looked up at me with her soft eyes and asked me THE question.
“Can I get your phone number?”
What can I say? I just froze up. Completely, totally and utterly.
And my poor brain was running at overdrive. Part of my head was going, “Wha? Huh? Wait? What did she say? That can't be right. No, okay, now wait.”
Another part of my brain is trying to be all reasonable about this. “Okay, calm down. Let's think this though. There might be another explanation. You really weren't that into her before now. And she's probably half your age! And closer to your daughter's age than you!”
A third part of the brain is going, “Hey, idiot, she just wants your number to promote her band!”
That last part of my brain might have saved me and set me straight, except in most of my brain, there was basically a huge alarm clanging super loudly from different locations while a whole bunch of red lights, like the ones on top of police cars, twirled around and around, and a mechanical voice screamed, “Danger! Danger! Does not compute! Does not compute!”
If smoke was billowing out of my ears, I would not have been surprised!
What can I say? I haven't been much of a lady catcher, due to being a shy nerd and, more than likely, the fact that, until recently, I was a transsexual in repression and hiding it from myself.
So I stood there in front of her with my eyes staring at her fingers sitting on her phone for what felt like five to ten minutes, though was probably actually less than one.
“Well, that is if you don't mind?” I suddenly heard her say.
I was then quickly knocked out of the evil spell.
I mumbled yes and quietly gave her my number, and with prompting, my name and email.
Then being the suave, sophisticated guy I am, I said I would check out her band again if I wasn't busy with my thirteen-year-old daughter.
Yeah, great, I'm sure mentioning my thirteen-year-old daughter proved I had no interest in her and I wasn't a blubbering idiot because I was attracted to her.
Anyway, after that, I mumbled a fast good-bye, scurried away quickly as possible and prayed I wouldn't see her for the rest of the festival. And wondered what the freak I was going to do if she recognized me at her next show!
This is from me, and NOT some reprinted material. - OlderMusicGeek
My daughter and I were watching How I Met Your Mother. On this episode, they were explaining to Robin how someone's view of a person can change. Ted used a picture that can look like a duck one way and a rabbit another way.
Then they compared a bad boyfriend to a rabbit and a good one to a duck. Marshall, and rightfully so in my opinion, asked why the rabbit was considered worse than the duck. This started a huge argument among the group until Marshall gave in.
Well, of course, my daughter had to take the duck side, so we, ourselves had a long argument.
Of course, I talked about how cute and cuddly rabbits are, especially compared to ducks. And how much people would rather have a pet rabbit than a pet duck!
My daughter, though, brought up Donald Duck, and how there was no rabbit in Disney.
I, of course, brought up Bugs Bunny, and talked about how he was MUCH cooler than Donald Duck, and even cooler than Daffy Duck.
My daughter tried to say Daffy could kick Bugs' ass, but I and her text buddy set her straight on that point!
Then my daughter claimed, "Well, Bugs Bunny couldn't defeat Super Duck."
Surprised, I insisted, "Are you crazy?! Bugs Bunny could defeat Superman. Bugs could defeat the whole Justice League!"
"What do you think Bugs Bunny is a god?"
"Have you seen the Warner Brothers cartoons. They all have the powers of gods. They come back from explosions and falling from great heights! Roadrunner can even run into a picture painted on a rock wall!"
Then later, we were watching Arthur and I pointed out how Arthuyr's best friend is a rabbit. Plus, one of the bullies is a rabbit. "Where's the duck on Arthur?! There isn't one!"
My daughter just shook her head! I should have been on that episode of How I Met Your Mother!
I found this a couple of years ago on Vanity Run Amok's blog. I just kept forgetting to put it up. This part is actually from the comment section. - OlderMusicGeek
Since you piqued my interest with the caged Peep, I’ll tell you a story, movie-trailer style:
*in a dramatic voice* In a world where Peeps feared for their delicious sugary lives, one Peep stood up to make a difference. It seemed as though his work changed the lives of Peeps everywhere…but under the surface was an ice cold milk-blooded killer.
*scream*
The once proud peacemaker had finally turned…to the sweet side. He had tasted sugar and he wanted more. After a roasting spree that covered two boxes, he was caught and after the trial of the century, sent to the Glucose Sanitarium for observation.
“Hello, my little Peep.”
There he waits. Watching.
Ima Smrtass is Hannibal Peepter in…Silent Calories.
:::Rated C for corn syrup:::
Coming to a theatre nowhere near anyone, Spring 2009.
I know…pretty bad, huh? Hope it was good for at least a smile. :)
He better watch out cus there seems to be a peeps army!
This is a picture I did not take of a gaggle of kids dressed in three-piece suits and spring dresses, coagulating on a sidewalk in front of their church on Easter Sunday, punching each other's shoulders and playing with each other's hair, while one boy, a bit taller than the rest and standing out on the left edge of the group, looked right at me as I approached in my car, driving into my new neighborhood for the first time with a load of boxes, and he flashed me the widest, most welcoming happy-Easter-Sunday smile, right before looking over his shoulder to see where his cohorts were or if any adults were looking, before turning back and gritting his teeth at me and flipping me his extended middle finger.
Well, I have to admit that I can't stand Celine Dion and Micheal Bolton. I think Micheal Bolton has done more for African-American music than Pat Boone - and I'll leave it at that!
Then there is the Journey/Styx/Boston/Foreigner conspiracy. Always hated that stuff.
This started out as a tweet for my Twitter page, but it just became too long. - OlderMusicGeek
Well, my daughter obviously had fun at the overnight camping trip that her after school program had organized. I don't think they camped per se, but rather slept in cabins. But I don't know because I haven't had a chance to talk to her about it. Why haven't I had a chance? Well, let me tell you.
She got home yesterday afternoon and went to her mom's place. I went over to her mom's place later in the early evening to pick her up.
I knocked on the door and there was no answer. So I knocked again. Still no answer. I texted my daughter letting her know I was there. No reply. I called her cell. I got the voice mail. I called her mom's land line. I got the answering machine. I left a message saying I had been there and that I'd see her at home. - I only live a block away. - I tried knocking one more time, but of no avail.
My daughter had sent me a text earlier in the day asking if she could spend the night with a friend. So I called the friend's mother. She said my daughter wasn't there and hadn't even heard about her spending the night. She asked me worriedly where I thought my daughter could be. I casually said she probably just fell asleep and didn't hear me knock.
And sure enough, 45 minutes later, my daughter comes strolling into our apartment saying she had fallen asleep and didn't hear me knock... or call... or text. I told her I assumed as much and didn't worry about then.
Unfortunately, somebody did. We got a call about a half hour later from the mother of the friend asking with concern if I heard from my daughter and knew where she was. I told her she was home and had fallen asleep before, and I apologized for not letting her know.
As for my daughter, when she got to my place, she immediately plopped on the couch and watched tv... and fell asleep shortly thereafter. I suggested she go to her bedroom and watch tv there... twice. Both times, she mumbled something back incomprehensible and fell asleep again within ten minutes.
The third time, I finally made her get up and go to her bedroom.
Then when I went to bed, I checked in on her. She lying fully dressed on a pile of blankets with her glasses on and her mouth open and a bit of dribble coming down. I grabbed what bit of the blanket was loose and covered her up. That woke her up enough to take off her glasses and get covered properly.
And she continued to sleep until I had to leave for work at 7:30 the next morning when I woke her to send her to her mom's. And she barely woke up then!
As a pre-teen, it was "Man of Bronze", the first Doc Savage book. As a fairly intelligent boy who was unsuccessful with the ladies, I could relate. Of course, I don't think Doc had the same problem that I did!
Hmmmm, but if he was a transsexual in denial, it would really put an interesting spin on the relationship with his five associates!
As a kid, I really liked "Fox in Socks"!
And ever since high school, I have been madly in love with "The Odyssey". Odysseus is the most awesome man ever! Strong, courageous, humble, and a dedicated husband to boot!
I was still in the 6-month probation period at a new job. and I was going through a bitter divorce. And basically, I messed up so much at the job, they said they couldn't keep me.
Anyway, I always felt that Javelin Boot's song, "History", would be the perfect theme song if they ever made a tv show of Zinn's book. So I present this video as a tribute to him.
If you could only listen to one song for the next month, which would it be?
I actually don't think I could do that. It would drive me nuts. I listen to my 120 gig iPod on shuffle constantly. I'd rather just not listen to music that month!
But if I had to choose a song, right now at this moment I'm really into "Bad Dream" by Violent Femmes. I'd probably hate it - or any song - if I had to listen to it over and over again for a month!
If you could instantly become fluent in another language, which language would you pick?
Sesotho - a language spoken in Lesotho and central South Africa, because my daughter is half-Mosotho and I would like to help her know her heritage better!
I found this piece on NPR's All Songs Considered blog. It was my NetVibes page that led me to it.
Actually this piece on the death of cd's reminds me of vinyl's demise.
And yes, I know there are still fanatics making and buying vinyl records!
But back in high school, I had read about this format that was suppose to replace vinyl records from a magazine I saw in my electronics class. And the more I read about it, the more I started slobbering, and couldn't wait for these compact discs things.
I knew they were going to be big! And I still don't know why I didn't buy any stock in compact discs companies!
Apparently, there were some kinks to be worked out, because cd's didn't come out until I was graduating from college. So maybe it was just as well I didn't invest in any companies. I'd have probably invested in the wrong company!
Well, I missed the big change of vinyl to cd's, because I joined Peace Corps and went over to Africa. But I kept hearing how fast vinyl was dying. - OlderMusicGeek
I recently came to work with two large tote bags filled with compact discs and dumped them out on a table in the middle of the office. To me, they were garbage. But for the vultures that are my fellow NPR Music producers, it was like finding a mountain of free money. They shuffled through the pile, grabbing everything that caught their eye. At one point, Stephen Thompson held up my discarded copy of Radiohead's OK Computer and incredulously asked, "Why would you get rid of this?"
For about a year now, I've been slowly purging my once-proud CD collection. Twenty-five years' worth of music, from the first disc I ever bought (Pink Floyd's The Wall) in 1984, to more recent releases.
Of course, I'm not really getting rid of them. I'm ripping everything to a massive hard drive hooked up to what has become my stereo: my computer.
This is partly because I don't like having a house overrun with thousands of CDs. Invisible sound files on a hard drive are simply more convenient. You can also do a lot more with digital files and iTunes, like delivering an endless stream of music through the house in any conceivable configuration, by artist, genre, or favorite playlists. Changing out a CD in a player feels as clunky and outdated as flipping a record on a turntable.
But I'm also purging my CDs because I believe they're a dying format. There's never been a more obvious trend. CD sales continue to plummet at a breathless -- and, if you're one of the big labels, alarming -- rate. Meanwhile, digital download sales continue to climb.
None of this is as sexy as having a tangible package of music, with artwork and liner notes. And downloading files isn't nearly as cozy as flipping through the local bands section of a record store. But the truth is, I never listen to actual CDs more than once or twice. After that, they're ripped to my computer -- I put the discs away and never look at them again.
Lately, I've felt a sense of urgency to get rid of the rest of my old CDs before they become as obsolete as 8-track tapes and cassettes.
So, what does your CD collection look like? Is it getting smaller? Do you even buy actual CDs now, or do you just download everything?
Dude! I did the download thing for a while, but decided that nothing beats having those lovely liner notes, in that clear plastic case, and that CD that you can pop into your hi-fi - with no loss in sound quality, and no annoying DRM to hack around. So I'm back to the ol' physical copies, either from a record store or an online outlet.
Yes - it's even worth the shrink wrap, IMHO.
Sent by Tim 2:25 PM ET 04-14-2008
My house sound system is wired to my computer and iPods go everywhere. I mainly purchase downloadable copies. I only by CDs if it is an album that can't be downloaded, but it is quickly ripped and discarded.
I do have about 600 vinyl records left.
Sent by Wayne 2:37 PM ET 04-14-2008
I hear what you are saying, Robin, but I take the opposite view. Despite having a large collection that takes up space, I like having cds. Similarly, I like having books on my shelf. Both books and cds are nice to look at for me, and each item has memories. To be sure, I rip the albums on my ipod, but just because I like having my collection when I'm out an about. Then again, I also make time to listen to an album every night before I go to bed. It is a great way for me to relax and decompress from a long day. I just sit on my sofa with a cup of coffee and magazine or a book while the music plays for about an hour.
That's great, Pablo. Bob was just asking me whether I ever just sat and listened to an album all the way through and did nothing else. I still do it, but not very often.
Sent by Pablo 2:51 PM ET 04-14-2008
I think Pablo makes a great point in comparing CD's to books, but like others have been saying, it's really all about vinyl records. Sure I have loads of music on my computer and iPod (as Pablo said, for convenience), but my "collection" is split between CD's and vinyl (mostly because promoters only send CD's nowadays), and I'll proudly display them on my shelf as long as I still enjoy listening to music.
To me, it's owning the actual "thing" that someone put countless hours of hard work into, and not just having a few sound files on my computer. That's what makes vinyl so nice, it's like having a book. The sound exists on the record, like words in a book; the grooves in the album are the real sound waves, just like the fading ink in my dad's copy of Time And Again (on loan to me for 20 years now) is real ink.
Call it "emotional" or "romantic" but isn't that what real music collectors seek? Isn't that the whole point of still going to record stores, sifting through boxes of unorganized singles?
I do 90% of my listening from my iPod and computer, but when it comes to "owning" music, I have to have it on my shelf, where I can look at it and say "yes, I own that music."
Sent by John Michael Cassetta 3:39 PM ET 04-14-2008
I am only 19 years old but I live in the flat that has shelves with old Beatles and other LPs that were mostly sent from family friends in Sweden (I am from Slovakia and during communism it was almost impossible to simply buy music). We also have shelves of old cassettes with music like Nirvana, Depeche Mode or Cure that belong to my older siblings. And I represent the generation in my family with a shelf of very few CDs.
Though there is something magical about CDs, I guess that my kids won't have any shelf with music. Probably they'll stack three ipods on the shelf and that's the end of it. :) And I like this change :)
The best thing about music downloads is that the artist no longer has to invest so much money into releasing the CD. Thus new great music is produced as an open source every day. Therefore my CD collection is increasingly getting smaller but my music collection has never been so rich and I am just in the beginning of quest for great music.
Sent by Lenka Bliss 4:57 PM ET 04-14-2008
The thing that scares me about the death of the CD and is that with it dies the Album, and in the end, the ability to truly appreciate an artist in all of its subtle detail. There's a whole generation of people who are going to be used to the idea of single song downloads, who find value in three minute pop escapism instead of the art and the artist.
My fear is that this will lead to smaller fanbases, which means less concert attendance, which in turn is going to make it way harder to make a career out of being a musician.
Or maybe I'm just a fatalist and really like the idea of a physical product.
Sent by David W. 5:53 PM ET 04-14-2008
I always buy the CD, and then put it on my computer. Have you ever been screwed by itunes from reformating your computer and losing your albums? Plus, I like the tactile response that CDs bring, a complete package, a solid album. I-tunes just is so seamless (ack). Even though cds might be a dying media, I love my trinquets!
p.s. Robin/Bob, you should analyze some of the coming festivals based on artist composition. With all these festivals springing up, it looks like long time acts like ACL are having problems figuring out who to book to meet their target audience. http://www.austincitylimits.com/forum/tt.aspx?forumid=3
p.p.s. Throwing away OK Computer . . . you should shame yourself.
Sent by hobbesgallo 10:02 AM ET 04-15-2008
well, what can i say?
even in the vinyl days, i made over 20 mixed tapes just for myself.
and in the early days of cd's, i made a few of mixed cd's myself.
but with shuffle and a 30 gig mp3 player - i slobber over getitng a 80 gig one - plus a one tetrabyte external drive, i love my mp3's!
i miss the tactile of the big vinyl record, but i love the experience of not knowing which song or genre will be coming next. could it be could it be a luther wright and the wrongs' bluegrass version of a tune from the wall, some old cajun from clifton chenier, some weird bit from ken nordine, some classic punk from the pistols or the clash, some some south african pop music i picked up when i lived next door to south africa in the 90's, some new electronica, a pop song i picked up from my tween daughter? who knows? and that's the thrill!
Sent by OlderMusicGeek 1:28 PM ET 04-15-2008
Yes, I'm pretty much in the download camp. And it worries me. With so much music at my fingertips, I no longer listen to one album/cd over-and-over-and-over. I no longer sit through songs I don't initially appreciate but later come to love after continued listens. I no longer have every layer and turn in my head.
So many of what we agree to be the greatest albums required a commited courtship. Would Pink Floyd have created the art they did in today's digital, single based environment? Would "Pet Sounds" or "Sgt Pepper" or even "Joshua Tree" had the impact and significance they did? Would we even know about "Kind of Blue?"
I'm definately living my music life via the MP3 file, but I know I've given up a lot in doing so.
Sent by Jeffrey Mason 2:46 PM ET 04-16-2008
So, I have a collection of tapes, cds, and records, and they probably constitute less than twenty-five percent of my listening time. I knew cds were out when I took a long plane ride and brought a rug weaver size spool of cds that i was trying to sort through on the plane and the kid next to me was whipping through his I-Pod while I dropped burned cds on the floor. That said, this post reminds me of the non-problematic post http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/03/30/93-music-piracy/ and I guess the real question for me is kind of like Bob's post about the future of music formats, what's the future record/music store look like? I mean online stuff is okay, but I agree that there's something special about a record store and the conversations/sharing that take place person-to-person, that I don't see recreated in online music blogs, magazines, etc.
Sent by zach 8:15 PM ET 04-16-2008
OlderMusicGeek here. *waves at my, ahem, many readers, all 4 of them!*
Funny enough, I remember having a conversation with a co-worker when cd's had reached their 20th anniversary.
The co-worker was wondering what would replace cd's. I told him nothing.
"Nothing?! What do you mean nothing?!"
I explained how there wouldn't cd's or vinyl records are anything. We would just download our music onto the player.
He thought I was crazy!
Interesting enough, the next post of the All Songs Considered blog asks reader what they want in the next music format.
And there are some good ideas - such as adding a visual element and making them more social.
But the best idea is having the lyrics available and a list of who did what on the song! That is something I can't wait for!
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