A Treasure Found

I have been searching for a few CD's to replace old and cherished vinyl for some time, and today I can cross one off the list...

Long, long ago The Burly Bachelor loaned me two of his albums back when the term "New Age Music" was fresh as a daisy. Well, he actually loaned me several albums, the bulk of which were unlistenable, but two I really liked.

Today's find was Nightnoise, by Billy Oskay and Michael O'Domhnaill from 1984. (Windham Hill -1031). I never thought I would be able to listen to this music again...
Oskay plays violin, viola, piano and harmonium and O'Domhnaill plays guitars, whistles, piano and harmonium. It is a quiet, lovely album and I am so happy to have it.

Now, if anyone can scare up a copy (although to the best of my knowledge it was never released on CD) of Bill Quist's Piano Solos of Erik Satie (Windham Hill -1008), I will be in heaven.

Wandering Position

I have just recently encountered the amazing art work of Yukinori Yanagi.

In 1997 he made (performed might be a more accurate term) a work entitled Wandering Position, in which he crawled behind an ant, tracing its path with a red crayon, within the confines of a 5 x 9 foot prison cell in Alcatraz.

In exhibition, the floor drawing shows the typical floor area of a cell, and the three surrounding walls are the same surface area as the walls of the cell. Prisoners typically spent 16-23 hours a day in these cells.

Much like Jackson Pollock, these drawings, once you understand how they were created, can be seen as the passive recording of a dance. However, the ant is not dancing, it is trapped and wandering.

Yanagi says:

"We feel that the incarcerated lack liberty, and that all of their activity is controlled and watched and we assume that this is completely opposite to the way we live our daily life, but I ask myself...Is what I watch, what I watch by my will? Is the direction I am walking determined by me? Is what I am thinking really thought by me? What drives our journeys through life?

If the travels of the ant show us anything, it is that he wanders to resume the task he has been programmed to perform, not to acquire freedom. "

A Transcript of an Actual Conversation : A Play in One Scene

Granted I have rampant short-term memory loss, but to the best of my ability, this is exactly what happened tonight between myself {CstL} and MyFriendJason {MFJ} ...

MFJ: (singing along to the XM Radio) You light up my life...
CstL: That's lovely, Debby Boone. This song was the theme song to a movie of the same name starring...who?
MFJ: I have no idea.
CstL: Didi Conn! Best known as Frenchie from the movie Grease.
MFJ: What was Stockard Channing's character name in Grease?
CstL: Rizzo!
MJF: From Rizzo to the First Lady...
CstL: Do you know who played Rizzo in the recent Broadway revival of Grease?
MFJ: No.
CstL: Lucy Lawless, Xena Warrior Princess.

(enter Passing Co-Worker, crossing the length of the stage in front of both CstL and MFJ, in a deadpan aside to CstL)

PCW: You know the most amazing amount of useless crap...


There you have it, a one-liner biography.

The Great Charles Busch

I FINALLY have gotten to see Die, Mommy, Die!

Happily, it lived up to my expectations. The film is a homage to the great "women's films" of the forties thru sixties (taking place in 1967 LA), and it conjures up all of your favorites scenes starring Bette Davis, Susan Hayward and the marvelous Joan Crawford.

Charles Busch (also the playwright and screenwriter and the man who brought you Lesbian Vampires of Sodom) is the fading chanteuse Angela Arden (a perfect star-making moniker) who has a few very bad skeletons sharing space with her rhinestoned couture in her closet, not to mention an arsenic-laced suppository in her dresser. There is intrigue, and suspense, and grand humor, and some maudlin, melodramatic acting, but never so much that the film becomes unenjoyable. The director, Mark Rucker, has kept the cast on a tight leash, and it pays off. I was especially surprised at Jason Priestley, who conjured up a great Peter Lawford-type gigolo character. Angela delivers the best line of the film to him, telling him that he has "slipped into my life as easily as vermouth into a glass of gin." Exquisite.

Rounding out an already excellent cast is Frances Conroy as Bootsie, the maid. Frances stars on Six Feet Under, (my second favorite TV show after Twin Peaks), and I adore her only slightly less than the actress who plays her sister on the show, Patricia Clarkson.

The film is shot in glorious technicolor, and features vintage projections of LA in 1967 behind a few of the driving scenes, which lends a wonderful sense of period to the film. The costumes are all gorgeous, and the initial reveal shot of Angela in the graveyard is perfection.

New Music Tuesday – Sisters and Brothers

Awhile back I wrote about Maria Muldaur, and ended it by saying she would be the distaff representative when I was in the mood for Eric Bibb, etc.

Well, what should I find today but the CD, Sisters and Brothers, a marvelous CD by Eric Bibb, Maria Muldaur and Rory Block from our fine friends at Telarc.

As with most compliations, I enter in with hopes of finding a track or two to love. This disc had only three tracks I fast-forwarded through on the first listen...which is an outstanding average. Many of the songs just thrilled me...in no particular order, Block's great cover of Bill Wither's "Lean On Me", Maria's "Bessie's Advice", the female duet on"Travellin' Woman's Blues" and Bibb's cover of Dylan's "Gotta Serve Somebody", and the rousing gospel of "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down ".

I am a sucker for unique productions, so I must point out that this CD was recorded in an antique timber-frame barn that was converted into a performing arts space in a Unity, Maine. Inside the barn is a sign that quotes the Old Testament Book of Psalms:

“Behold, how good and pleasant for brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity.”

Yes, backstory makes this CD even better.

What an excellent afternoon I had driving along with this CD playing. Outstanding.

A Special Day

Huzzah! Today is Miss Brazil's Birthday!

I must point this out because Miss Brazil has to work on her birthday, which is completely unacceptable.

Therefore, a proper, though untimely, celebration will be forthcoming.

And just because it is fun to say, one more time: Huzzah!

Weather Report - Part Four

Well, the snow keeps a'coming. It is very, very cold and yet the snow is quite light and fluffy - yet the roads are slick, slippery and generally terrible.

It sure is pretty though when you are safe and warm at home (or at your very gracious and generous co-workers home - even after you have imposed for two days in a row at this point, and he served you fine warm coffee cake and wonderful coffee this morning).

What The Day Will Bring, Part Two

When I arrived at work this afternoon, what should be waiting for me in the office but a package! Getting surprises at work always brightens one's day.

Back in the day when I was teaching at Kent State University, I had the honor of having a tremendous student in my second class - well, she was actually the first student I spoke to on my first day in my first class, until she realized that she was in my second class, and was therefore two hours early and excused herself. This, of course, made a lasting impression on me. Turns out she was a magnificent, engaged student of apparent brillance, schedule reading skills notwithstanding.

Following the class, we became great friends and have remained so for several years now. For my 40th birthday, she concocted a wonderful treasure chest of gifts: a book of portraits, a biography of Georgia O'Keeffe, a wonderful Japanese scroll, a few dragon totems (I was born in the year of the dragon) and most importantly, she, being a fine glass artist, made me a stained glass kaleidoscope, one of my most treasured possessions.

This package was equally amazing, wonderful and impressive. For starters, she and her fiancee (more on that later) traveled to my hallowed adopted hometown stomping grounds of Seattle and Portland, Oregon recently. We are secretly planning to all relocate there and start an elite intellectual and artisitic enclave. Anyway, she sent back the best souvenir of all: two boxes of Snoqualmie Falls Lodge Pancake Mix - the best in the world. And my love of the product has nothing to do with my love of Twin Peaks. Really.

Oh, but wait, it keeps getting better...

I am now the proud owner of an Oscar Wilde action figure! The manufacturers list his weapon of choice as: WIT. Take that, G.I. Joe.

And while I am not too sure if I want to witness all of Oscar's actions, the package comes with a wonderful quote,

"To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance."

and one of my all-time favorites, which really does sum up my view of things:

"The world is stage, but the play is badly cast."

If only it was a pull-string doll, and Oscar would spew out random nuggets and glorious insults...ah well.

{ P.S. - It seems Oscar is "not suitable for children under 36 months. No kidding.}

Next, I have a strange bag of pastel-colored (kaleidoscopic if you will) Japanese hard candy - no doubt because Ms. Sara is a rabid anime fan.

Finally, from the Corning Museum of Glass, a magnificent Latticino marble by Jody Fine, which will fit into the aforementioned kaleidoscope quite nicely. It says on the literature that Jody Fine is known as "Captain Marble," so Captain Saint Lucifer is even more impressed.

Treasures all. Absolutely wonderful. And I am grinning while I compose this and Oscar runs rampant on the desk...

However, I have been horribly remiss in not writing a congratulatory post for the upcoming nuptials of Ms. Sara and her Bradley. Not only am I very happy for the two of them, I foresee a trip to the hitherto unknown Buffalo, New York in my future. And then, the exodus to the Great Pacific Northwest will begin!

What The Day Will Bring, Part One

Planets seem to be in favorable positions for the women in my world. My dear friend Heather announced today that she has gotten a paid internship in her field - go figure.

I am very happy for her as she will actually be putting to use all of the knowledge and skills she has acquired in graduate school. There's a concept for you. When you study 19th century theatre, focusing on 19th century magicians and the theatrical display of dinosaurs in early American museums as I did, you must be prepared to do it solely for your own edification, and to not plan to make money at it.

Heather would be an asset to any company, and I am sure this internship will parlay itself into great things as her vertical career path takes off.

Congratulations, my friend! 2005 is off to a fine start!

Only In Ohio {a.k.a The Kindness of Strangers}

I was carrying my laundry downstairs in my apartment building at the exact moment a uniformed gas or electric meter reader came to the front door of said building. The management has recently installed locks so no one can get in without a key, and we do not have an intercom system. This makes getting pizzas a tricky proposition at best. But all in the name of security...

Anyway, I let the uniformed guy in to read the meters, which I correctly assumed were in the laundry room. He went about his business, and I to mine. After starting the load to dry, I realized much to my chagrin that I had left my quarters for the wash load on my dresser upstairs.

And the man said, "How much do you need?"

I needed 75 cents. And he nonchalantly pulled a handful of change from his pocket and plucked out three quarters and put them in the machine, then continued reading the meters...

Movie Night!

Miss Brazil and I went out for a light dinner (soup and sourdough rolls) and took in a film tonight.

We went to see National Treasure. I am fairly sure that the filmmakers responsible for this did not intend it to be the best comedy of the year, but we were laughing quite loudly and frequently, much to the chagrin of the other patrons. (This is probably why I go to so many matinees - there is no one else to bother at those showings...)

The movie had a few obligatory and excellent explosions and a great chase scene (which we also found exceptionally comical)- everything you could want in an adventure film.

The plot pits two disparate groups against each other as they race to find a great hidden treasure (a treasure that puts the Ark of the Covenant to shame). The first group is comprised of bookish, well-dressed, attractive intellectuals with hearts of gold and a quick wit. They rely on their acquired innate knowledge as they track down the clues to the treasure. They are suave and very James Bond, but are very human each time they realize one of their proposed scientific devices actually works properly.

The second group is made of a bunch of body-building, Cro-Magnon thugs who use explosives and the internet to bully their way to the treasure with brute force and destruction.

And of course, the gold-hearted scholars and GOOD AMERICAN PATRIOTS win out in the end.
And now I have three new favorite catch-phrases from the film: SNORKEL, which can be used at any time - face it, it's a funny word in itself, "OCULAR DEVICES" a phrase that doesn't get enough usage (I am also sure that the filmmakers recycled Johnny Depp's "ocular device" from Sleepy Hollow when designing their acid-trip hologram making eyewear) and finally the ubiquitous "Another clue!". They all send me into gales of laughter.

It has been a great while since my heart was light and filled with laughter and joy. It was a most excellent evening due in no small part to the excellent company of Miss Brazil.

New Music Tuesday - Julia Fordham: That's Live

You might think I have lost my mind, because back in August I reviewed the newly released CD, That's Life by Julia Fordham. But no, this is a newly released LIVE CD, and I have already beat the horse regarding my feelings for live CD's, so this was clearly a must-have.

Funny thing is though, while I was so excited to see many tracks from Porcelain (my favorite CD), I am so acclimated to the original versions that I am not so fond of her updated live versions. Go figure.

The other funny thing is that prior to its official release I read a review of this disc in our local entertainment rag that simply tore it to shreds. It was the most negative review I have ever read. The reviewer obviously knew nothing about Julia, and was obviously not the kind of person who would ever sit down and listen to one of her songs. It would be like me trying to write something incisive about Slipknot or Mushroomhead, two bands I am horrified to admit I am familiar with due to my association with our night crew...

I wish the review was on-line so you could read it...perhaps when I have the time I will illegally transcribe it and post it here...

What's With These Documentaries Anyway?

I had read many reviews which intrigued me to go out and get these two documentaries, The Russian Ark and Winged Migration.

The Russian Ark simply mystified me. It was frustrating and obtuse and much longer than its running time of 90 minutes would lead you to believe. It was shot in one continuous take, and was to encompass all of Russian History within the confines of the Hermitage. Sounds great...and perhaps I am just not familiar enough with Russian history to have "gotten" it. It seemed like one long in-joke that I was not hip to, and subsequently, very frustrating.

Winged Migration was lovely, but it was also quite a powerful sleep aid.

However, both of the DVD's include feature-length documentaries about the making of these films which were fascinating and much more watchable. I suppose the draw for both of these films for me was the process by which they were made, so I suppose it makes sense that a film about making the film was more informative and engrossing than the actual unwatchable film.

Summing Up: The Ten Best Films I Saw in 2004

Wrapping up the year in entertainment, I present the best films I saw this year:

1. Finding Neverland
2. Lost Horizon
3. Fahrenheit 9-11
4. Man of the Century
5. Nói Albinói
6. The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
7. American Splendor
8. Super Size Me
9. The Cooler
10. Girl With A Pearl Earring

Summing Up: The Ten Best Books I Read in 2004

I wanted to reflect on the ten best books I read this year, and I was disappointed in not having ten books that I could rave about. Then I realized that to have read ten GOOD books would mean that I read at least one book a month, and all but 2 were really good reads. Sadly, many of my reading choices this year were less than memorable, and it seems I can come up with eight good books, and two honorable mentions.

So herewith, I present the best books I read in 2004:

1. River of Shadows: Edweard Muybridge and the Technological Wild West by Rebecca Solnit. {see review September 26}
2. Shadow Divers: The True Adventures of Two Americans Who Risked Everything To Solve One of the Last Mysteries of WWII by Robert Kurson. This is superficially a book about deep sea diving and World War II submarines, two topics that hold little interest for me. However, my friend of good and discriminating taste, Jaimie, raved about this book, and told me that she was very angry that it ended, because she was enjoying reading it so much. I reluctantly took her copy home, and started reading. Before finishing the first paragraph, I was hooked. It is an absorbing, amazing tale that delights and informs and also is filled with suspense, danger and mystery. And I was very angry that the book ended. I am forever indebted to you, Jaimie.
3. Continental Drift by Russell Banks. A masterfully written novel.
4. Disarmed: The Story of the Venus de Milo by Gregory Curtis. This is another book that I initially thought would be a complete bore. Incredibly, the history of the Venus sculpture is quite rich and intriguing. A little book, but filled to the brim with interesting facts.
5. The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. My Friend Jason and the aforementioned Jaimie and I formed a book group at work. It did not last long once we had all been promoted and had even less time to get together. This was my choice for the group to read, and it really is a magnificent book. If you could memorize one line from every page, you would indeed be the wittiest, most erudite person in the room. Oscar Wilde - what a genius. (I was so moved after reading this that I rented the movie version with Angela Lansbury. They really butcher the novel – don't bother, except to remark upon how sweet and beautiful the young Angela was.
6. Voyage of the Narwhal by Angela Barrett. Following my passion in reading tales of early exploration and discovery( last year I was all fixated on Captain Cook), I found this novel about an arctic expedition and was engrossed. If only it was true...
7. Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes. I actually re-read this book this year, to see if it was really as good as I had remembered it to be. Happily, I enjoyed reading this just as much as I had many years ago.
8. The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter. This was a very good novel with a very good premise.
9. American Gods by Neil Gaiman. This novel had so much press, and many friends recommended it, so I gave it a try. It is in the vein of Stephen King's The Stand, which is one of my favorite epics, but it is odder and weirder (if you can imagine that). It was still pretty fun to read though.
10. Kings of Infinite Space by James Hynes. This book was so very weird. Not weird enough to make me annoyed but strange nonetheless. Many pages of good storytelling, character development and setting description and some sense of a developing plot would pass and then...all of a sudden some strange Rod Serling moment would happen. Disconcerting, odd, weird...yet strangely readable.

Sips and Serendipity

So there I was in Borders, picking up the latest issue of ArtForum magazine...I went to get a cup of coffee, and while I was waiting in line I noticed a woman looking around holding two CD's in her hand - two copies of Laura Nyro's Spread Your Wings and Fly: Live at the Fillmore East 1971! I smiled and leaned over and casually said "That's a great CD. "

And her whole face lit up.

She said "You know who Laura Nyro is? My brother and I adore her, and there are two previously unreleased songs on this disc!"
We gushed about Laura for a few moments, then shook hands and parted, both us wearing enormous smiles.

I wish I would have gotten her name.

It's Party Time!

Today was supposed to be my Day Off, but I had to go in because the President, the current District Manager and the New District Manager of my store were coming to serve lunch to the staff in honor of our store being the "Best Store Of The Year."

We had to rent a truck to store the product from our backroom, so that it could be miraculously transformed into a party hall with long tables (tablecloths even!), chairs and balloon bouquets.

The big wigs did indeed serve us, but the food was from Fat Fish Blue, a downtown Cleveland restaurant. It was impressive and quite nice, and a great treat for everyone after such a hectic holiday season. The weather even co-operated, holding off on an impending snowstorm to give us a fairly warm and precipitation-free day.

Because of scheduling changes this week, it appears that I am to have a Sunday off!
This is a substantial treat, and I am looking forward to a slow morning of Starbucks and the New York Times...just like regular people.

New Music Tuesday - Classic Soul

I picked up a soundtrack to a movie I have never seen, Dead Presidents. One of my co-workers was playing this the other night, and I was so impressed that I had to get my own copy.

As Faithful Readers will know, I am not a big fan of the pre-made compilation or mix CD as I egotistically think that I can mix them better. This soundtrack, however, is a great introduction to some of the best steamy soul music around. Isaac Hayes, Barry White, James Brown, The Spinners, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Al Green, The O'Jays, Aretha...

And yes, I will burn these tracks and rearrange them on MY CD, but it is still a marvelous CD, and quite sexy. Long live the 70's!

Communique

There was a letter in my email box the other day from a unknown address. It looked very suspicious and it is my personal policy to delete mail from unknown senders immediately and with prejudice.

Something made me not delete it and it sat for there for awhile.

Eventually I opened it, and found a letter from a stranger in Virginia that had been reading the blog.

This fellow is a poetic soul, and it was a lovely letter, tricked out with many turns of phrase borrowed from the great Laura Nyro's lyrics.

I read and re-read this letter many times, trying to grasp the intention behind it. Strange thing, this internet. Disconnected and connected.

I revel in the gifts the day can bring you - and while not all gifts are things you would have chosen for yourself, or are not the right size or color, it really is the thought that counts in the long run.

Adventures in Auto Repair, Part II

Once Trish had moved to California, I realized that I had no one to keep a spare set of house and car keys. I have always given someone a set for two purposes: in case I lost them, and in case I died in my sleep then someone could come and find my decomposing body.

My general misanthropic tendencies lead me to not trust very many people, especially with the key to my house. So it was no small leap for me to ask someone to be my KeyKeeper, and it was quite comforting when they accepted the responsibility.

So I was having a conversation with the KeyKeeper, and casually mentioned that my sexy car seemed to have developed a serious problem - the gas tank was leaking causing me to have a fairly good headache by the time I would get to work.

Well, there are moments in your life when you know people aren't kidding around, when you know you better not even begin to argue with them, and the look in the KeyKeeper's eyes upon hearing this news meant that I was getting my car fixed the very next day.

Sadly, this as most automotive events do, did not fall on a financially feasible day. So the KeyKeeper made it all happen for me.

As did my friends at the local repair shop, who helped me out so economically with the Great Tail Light Episode. This repair was more substantial, and took a day and half. Not only did the folks give me a ride home, they picked me up in the morning and were finished well before I had to get on the road to go to work. They are great guys.

So now I have a fume-free ride to work and headaches now only occur AT work (that's a joke), and I am forever moved by the generosity and true friendship of my KeyKeeper. Thank you.

Second Promotion Celebration

I received my first promotion at my job on June 28. Six months to the day later, my manager informed me that I would be moving up the food chain again.

To celebrate this moment in my career, Heather and I spent a lovely afternoon together at the movies, then we were off to a great meal at the Inn at Turner's Mill, a place I had been longing to go to. The Inn was given the Award of Excellence from the Distinguished Restaurants of North America.

We arrived a bit early and were given our choice of the Fireside Room or the main Dining Room for our meal. My inclination would always be the Fireside Room, especially on this cold and wintery night, but after peeking inside, we saw that it was very full, and the main dining room was relatively vacant, so we chose the peace and privacy of the main room.

To start off our meal, we had an appetizer of pan-fried pumpkin and goat cheese ravioli topped with smoked mushroom bacon cream. It was outstandingly heavenly. Now that I have had the experience of eating there, I would have stuck with my first inclination, which was to have a meal of the mushroom barley soup, the ravioli and glass of wine and skip the entree.

But, I tried the chargrilled pork porterhouse with roasted apples, arugula and blue cheese with spiced apple jus. I just didn't do anything for me.

So now I know.

But the place is quite serene and lovely, as was my dining companion. It was a quiet and wonderful celebration to acknowledge that things might just be going right...

In Memory of My Mom

May 10, 1943 - January 4, 2002

Today marks the third anniversary of my mother's death. It seems like it has just been one year...how could three years have passed already?

Some things never change, and I still think of her fondly, as I did when she was here. Trish still kindly tells stories about her which reminds me that she remembers her, too.

I am still torn in the dichotomy of longing for things to be the way they should have been, and accepting things for what they were. And my mom, while not by any means perfect, was who she was - and that was quite a character. When I was young, my mom was really more of a pal, and at that time, I thought I had it made. I remember going on bike rides with her, I remember listening to her sing in her clear voice reminiscent of Karen Carpenter's, and more than anything, I remember laughing with her. She was a nut, and loved to make jokes and tease. I am sure that she was the life of any party she was at.

She was in very poor health for many years, with various problems. If the spirit survives, I am sure that she is grateful to leave behind her physical suffering.

I hope that she continues to bring joy to whomever she is with, wherever she is now, and that she is happy at last.

New Year's Day Christmas Party

Our store is closed three days of the year – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. So the only way that everyone can get together and celebrate was to have our Christmas Party and Gift Exchange on New Year's Day at Buca di Beppo.

Just about everyone came to the party it seemed - the place was packed which limited the amount of visiting one was able to do. Many folks brought their Significant Others along and that was nice to see. Our store manager brought lots of bottles of wine from our store and that certainly helped get things off to a good start.

It is always fun to see the folks you spend 50+ hours a week with in a different setting, and wearing different clothes. We all cleaned up pretty well.