Guess...

...what we bought at the school's gala dinner silent auction Saturday night?

(those of you I've told can't tell...)

Hint: It had to be hauled back to our house Sunday afternoon.

Hint #2: We had to borrow a trailer from a local caterer friend of ours to transport it over. It's now sitting in our dining room area - unfortunately, not many people can see it because it faces the back wall.

UPDATE (2/1): Oh, now you guys aren't even trying...... c'mon!

Hint #3: It requires wind to work. It contains parts that are made of ebony. It is about 95 years old, and it came from Sears.

Let Freedom Ring (and Ring, and Ring, and Ring...)

"I'd like to ask a favor: Regardless of one's political inclination, irrespective of your confidence in the electoral process employed, or the decision to invade and occupy Iraq, no matter what the outcome, let us all stand united in our admiration for those courageous Iraqi's who will brave gunfire, RPGs, bombs, and reprisal, to determine their own fate? For they choose to do so in bold defiance of promised violence and certain intimidation."

Amen. And Amen.

Saturday Morning Blogging...

It's a rainy Saturday afternoon in East Tennessee. I'm sitting at the kitchen table on my wife's laptop, blogging while:

1) Laura's out getting her nails done in prep for a school gala this evening that we are attending.

2) BrainyBoy v8.95 - freshly fever-free and fanatically frisky - is reading a book for school to make up some time.

3) Tink is sitting at the table next to me, and we're both coloring in her Care Bears coloring book.

Earlier today I went and set up chairs in our church's new Senior High and Middle School sunday school rooms. After many months of construction headaches, the new wing and renovated wing of our church are ready to go. Tomorrow is the consecration of the new buildings and everything needs to be ready.

I'm typing in stream-of-blogginess, as things occur.

• Laptops are a lot different to type on than a desktop keyboard - the keys are different and I have to take the time to correct a number of more typos.
  
  
• This is kind of nice, watching Tink narrate her coloring adventures with a running commentary.
  
  
• Tink's singing "...purple mountains majesty...above the fruited plain" after she found a crayon called "purple mountain majesty".
  
  
• Now she's singing The Rainbow Song as we color rainbows. Little girls in the family cause grown men to do these thing.
  
  
• Playing chess with BB while Tink sits in her beanbag answering school homework questions. Yes, kindergarten homework...
  
• ?
  

Three Things You Do Not Want To Endure

1. The combined heat of a thousand suns concentrated upon the center of your brain

2. The rampaging force of a thundering herd of rampaging Critellian slargbeasts, on a frigid day on Rigel III

3. The steely, cratered gaze of Edward James Olmos

Frankly, I'll take the slargs.

Playing with the Little People

BrainyBoy v8.9 has the flu. Or a reasonable facsmile thereof.

I don't think it's the real flu - we'll find out a diagnosis in a little while.

Wednesday morning he woke up...well, woke up yakking for want of a better term. I stayed with him until Laura relieved me at 2, then I came in to work. He had a fever approaching 103 the rest of that day, though his stomach had settled somewhat before I left.

He spent yesterday at his grandmother's, and - a treat for him - got to sleep on the couch last night. Fever this morning was in the low 100's, unmedicated, so there's hope for him yet.

As he was dozing last night, about 10pm, I was sitting in a chair nearby watching TV. He takes after me, as all good sons should, and was snoring softly. Abruptly I noticed movement and I noticed his hands were moving. He'd picked up part of the comforter I'd thrown over him, and was moving the little fringes around rapidly right in front of his face. I looked more closely, and he was really moving the fringe up and down.

I stood and walked over with trepidation. Looking up at me with an odd, goofy expressions, he smiled and said, "I'm making the little people move!".

Oh, Lord, he's delirious. His temp's gone up to 110 and his head's going to start spinning any second...

Me: "What did you say?"

BB: "I'm playing with the little people" (continuing to make fringe dance around, and still smiling happily.

Me: "Are you ok?" I waved my hand in front of his face. "Are you even awake?"

BB: "Yep. I'm awake." (dum de dum dum....)

Ok, so he's apparently getting better as he beamed at me from couch. I guess a nice nap can do wonders.

He asked for something to drink, so I brought him some Diet Sierra Mist. It sat untouched on the table next to him as he dropped back off to sleep.

Sometime later around 11:45 he woke again. I was watching Leno and preparing to go to bed. Apparently Joan Embry was on with some animals, and they were reminiscing about her appearances with Carson. I was in the kitchen closing up shop and I heard BB laugh. I looked in and he was pointing at the TV.

BB: "Look at the aardvark! How weird."

Yep. How weird.

UPDATE: False alarm, sort of. No influenza, although he does have a viral infection similar to the one he and I both got last year that eventually became walking pneumonia. It doesn't look like this one will be nearly as bad.

Friday's Feast

Feast Thirty-Three

Appetizer - If you could have a free subscription to any magazine, which one would you like to have?

I took Sports Illustrated for a while, and that was nice. I guess it'd be Time since it comes out every week and a lot of what it writes gets into the public mainstream, and I hate to be behind.

Why, are you offering?

Maybe I'll just take Grit.

Soup - If you were to suddenly become famous, what would you choose as your stage name?

I think the Friday Feast crew's been hitting the tabasco a little early this week..

Stage name? Hm. Tom Cruise. Hey, you never know when they might cast me by mistake...

Salad - What ingredients make an awesome salad? Dressing? Croutons?

My perfect salad: Romaine lettuce, cukes, a large and plentiful variety of croutons, country ham, cheddar cheese (lots of it), and either Thousand Island or Honey Mustard dressing.

Main Course - What do you like most about your current job?

I like that I can do my small part to help people find the medical help that they need. I present information about services and treatments from our hospital system, and also provide a means for the public to communicate with our facilities and find out more about us.

Oh, and I get to work with cool felt-hat-making, alpaca-breeding vegetarian co-workers.

Other than that...eh - not much.

Dessert - Who is your favorite instrumental musician (not a singer)?

(Who to pick from? Yo Yo Ma? Kenny G? Chuck Mangione? Maybe Herb Albert..

Who just plays instrumental music anymore?

Ok, I pick John Williams. His whole mind is a musical instrument.

"Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz" - The Unplayable Symphony

Got this the other day from a friend of mine, and have spent much time laughing over it.

These are a couple of pages from the conductor's score of "Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz" - and it's inherently (and deliberately) unplayable. If you have any experience at all reading music - or even if you don't - take a look at the graphics and have a number of good laughs.

To give you a taste: here's a thumbnail of the top lines of both pages. Click on the pictures to download the full versions.

Page 1:




Page 2 (Note: Now rumored Apocryphal):

(Oops - sorry, lost to the ether. Currently searching for new copy)



"Faerie's Aire and Death Waltz" was "composed" by John Stump.

Oh, yes, and it's "Based on a Cro-Magnon skinning chant."

Don't ask.


UPDATE: You can also purchase professional, sturday, 11 X 17 laminated copies by emailing a request to info@faeriesaire.com. According to distributer Tom Hall, these laminated sheets, when held firmly between the fingers and waved in the air, make a most wonderful "woop - woop - woop" sound. Wow! That has always signified fine quality music to me ;)

Friends of Democracy

Michael Totten is editing a series of reports chronicling the week before and after the Iraqi elections. 12 on-site correspondants, in each of Iraq's major provinces, will be reporting the election, and Michael will be compiling blog entries about their information:

Friends of Democracy: Ground level election news from the people of Iraq.

I Guess I'm "IT"

And no, I'm not some killer clown that eats children. Big Orange Michael has "tagged" me, so here are my answers to his questions...

Random 10:
The majority of music on my PC are from movie or theatre soundtracks, with a little popular music thrown in plus a bunch of random Disney stuff and other audio clips. Be prepared.

1. "Overture/Company" from Company
2. An audio clip of Bob and Larry from Veggietales at the Dove Awards
3. "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie
4. Audio-only ride-through of "Star Tours" ride at Walt Disney World
5. "Your Fault/Last Midnight" from Into the Woods
6. "The Wampa's Lair/Vision of Obi-Wan/Snowspeeders Take Flight" from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
7. "Overture/And All That Jazz" from Chicago
8. "Departing Coruscant" from Star Wars: Attack of the Clones"
9. "Under the Stars" from The Lion King
10. "The Circle of Life (Colin Raye)" from O Mickey, Where Art Thou?

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer?

There are 787 music files on my PC, but that doesn't count MIDI's which are in a separate area.

2. The last CD you bought is:

Not sure which one I bought last, but the last one I got as a gift (for my birthday) was "License to Chill" by Jimmy Buffett.

3. What is the last song you listened to before this message:

"Yes, and Amen" by Chonda Pierce.

4. Write down five songs you listen to a lot or mean a lot to you:

1. "Changes in Attitudes, Changes in Latitudes" by Jimmy Buffett
2. "Endless Night" from the Broadway play, "The Lion King"
3. "Tapestry of Nations" from Walt Disney World Millenium Celebration
4. "Down in the River to Pray" from O Brother, Where Art Thou?
5. "Grim Grinning Ghosts" from The Haunted Mansion


5. Who are you gonna pass this stick to (three persons and why)?
Misty
April
Danielle

Johnny Carson Remembered

SoCal Mom shares some memories of being an assistant staff writerstaff writer's assistant for Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show". She has some great backstage/behind-the-scenes stories of the latter part of Johnny's tenure on late night.

She plans to continue the remembrances for the next several days, so keep checking back.

Also, Hollywood and comics insider Mark Evanier has some more comments and memories about Carson.

TV Tuesday

Week 41: Nick at Night

Nick at Night is celebrating 20 years of giving us "classic" television in the evening. This year's new show is the classic 80s sitcom Murphy Brown. Murph and company join the rotation of such sitcoms The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, The Munsters, Green Acres and many, many more that help introduce new generations to the great comedies of yesteryear.

This week, we take a look at the shows on Nick-at-Night.

1. Of the many shows that run on Nick-at-Night, what is the one that you would most enjoy sitting down and watching a marathon of?

I'd love to watch a marathon of "All in the Family". I think the show is very funny, and while dated it's not as dated as, say, "Maude" or "Mary Tyler Moore" and still 10x funnier than "The Cosby Show" ever could be.

I just remembered "The Dick Van Dyke Show" is occasionally on Nick at Nite. Ok, Rob and Laura Petrie first, then Archie and Edith Bunker.

2. What classic show from yesterday has not made it to Nick-at-Nite yet, but you'd like to see it there?

"Mork and Mindy"! "Alf"! And for a more serious, yet extremely quirky series: where the heck are they hiding all 5 or 6 seasons of "Picket Fences"??? Huh?? C'mon, Nick...pony up.

3. Have repeat on Nick-at-Night given you a new appreciation of an older show? Which one?

"All in the Family" (see below)

4. What show that is currently on the air do you think our kids will be watching in 20 years on Nick-at-Nite?

Probably (gack!) "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "King of Queens" and those other CBS pseudo-sitcoms.

5. What is one show that Nick-at-Nite currently runs that you question if the classic label applies to?

Possibly the two scariest words in the sitcom language: "Full House". And what's scarier is the fact that my son loves that show. L-o-o-o-v-e-s that show.

~ BONUS ~ Are there some shows that don't repeat well in later years because they rely on topical humor? (For example, a lot of the Murphy Brown jokes rely on a knowledge of current events when they were produced) Do you sometimes find yourself getting the jokes that younger generations don't? Do you think this topical humor helps or hurts shows from having a long life in repeats?

Again, probably "All in the Family". I watched it (in reruns) occasionally when I was younger, but a lot of the topical and "adult" humor makes a whole lot more sense now. As far as later generations not understanding - I don't recall a lot of topics on "Maude", etc. that were so date-specific they would simply not be understood. Besides, commentary on Vietnam, Watergate, and civil rights are just as relevant today in other forms as they were before. Plus, seeing how popular entertainment presented those subjects helps us understand that time even better.

One More for the Road...

I was really hoping Johnny Carson could find a way to come back one more time and entertain us all. Now it will never happen, and his wit and warmth live on only in reruns.

I loved watching the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and greatly admired the man. He will be sorely missed.

Good night, Johnny.

Ryan out, Wycheck in

Wycheck to join Titans Radio

"Former Titans tight end Frank Wycheck will join the Titans Radio broadcast team of Mike Keith and Larry Stone in 2005"

What happened to Pat Ryan, the former color commentator and for many years a partner to Keith is murky:

Wycheck replaces Pat Ryan, whose contract recently expired.

"[Don MacLachlan, Titans Executive Vice President of Administration and Facilities said,]"As excited as we are to have Frank as part of Titans Radio, he will have big shoes to fill. It took a special person like Frank for us to even consider a move on the broadcast. The team, Mr. Adams, the organization, and Titans Radio owe Pat Ryan a large debt of gratitude for helping us launch the Titans across the mid south. He will always hold a special place in our heart."

Pat Ryan was a huge part of Titans football broadcast, and I've enjoyed listening to he and Mike since they were commenting on UT sports and calling high school games here in Knoxville. Pat, a former UT and New York Jet quarterback, was rarely shy about expressing his opinion of the game and the referees but was rarely if ever rude or unprofessional.

I hope the split was amicable, but something tells me he insulted the wrong person which led to his not being retained. I hope he's able to find another sportscasting job if he wants it, but whatever he does I'll always appreciate his wit and knowledge of the game.

Congratulations, however, to former Titan tight end Frank Wycheck who has always seemed to be a quality guy and a valuable member of the team. I hope he does well, and I'm looking forward to hearing him with Mike Keith this fall.

It's going to be a different year for the Titans in 2005. Ryan gone, Offensive Coordinator Mike Heimerdinger has gone to the Jets, and QB Steve McNair's future is still very up in the air. Should be interesting.

New Email Icon

Go here to make one of these:



Nice little tool - they'll do Yahoo!, GMail, Hotmail and several other email servers.

Thanks for Steph for the tip!

Volunteer Tailgate Party - January 2005

Michael of Big Orange Michael is hosting the latest Volunteer Tailgate Party, a monthly compilation of the best and brightest blatherings of the Rocky Top Brigade.

Friday's Feast

Feast Thirty-Two

Appetizer - What is one quality you really admire about yourself?

My ability to sense and understand other peoples' emotional states. I can usually tell when someone is truly being honest to themselves or me about something important or meaningful, although sometimes it can be difficult to separate me feelings from their own. When someone hurts, I hurt and it's tough to maintain distance when necessary. I call it empathy, I suppose.

Soup - What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use?

Head and Shoulders, but only when they're out of Knees and Toes.

Salad - Describe your favorite movie scene. You know, the one that just gets to you every time you watch it.

Adult Gertrude Lang: Mr. Holland had a profound influence on my life and on a lot of lives I know. But I have a feeling that he considers a great part of his own life misspent. Rumor had it he was always working on this symphony of his. And this was going to make him famous, rich, probably both. But Mr. Holland isn't rich and he isn't famous, at least not outside of our little town. So it might be easy for him to think himself a failure. But he would be wrong, because I think that he's achieved a success far beyond riches and fame. Look around you. There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life.

...

(paraphrased) And now, we'd like to invite Mr. Holland to direct the world premiere of "An American Symphony"

(and the band played).

Main Course - If you were a veggie, which one would you be, and why?

I'd be Larry the Cucumber. Actually, I'm more of a Bob the Tomato guy, but Larry's more fun to imitate.

Dessert - If you could take a weekend trip within 100 miles of your current residence, where would you like to go?

To a cabin in the Smoky Mountains, with my wife, for a week. In the fall or spring.

Theatre Thursday

Week 33 - Musicals

We love them, but we'd never admit to watching them.

Oh sure, Chicago won Best Picture a couple of years ago, and everyone loves The Sound of Music, but musicals have occupied a more significant place in our motion picture landscape than most people will be willing to admit.

This week's questions are about the great Movie Musicals. Put on your tap shoes, grab your umbrella, and.....well, what are you waiting for - a cue?

1) What is your favorite Movie Musical of all time? What's the worst you've ever seen?

My favorites are Evita and Beauty and the Beast - I'm not sure, something else may occur to me. My least favorite I ever watched was Brigadoon - what a snoozefest...

2) Which Musical is your guilty pleasure? (i.e. which musical would you never admit to anyone - except 5.2 million internet users - that you know all the words to?)

Please don't anyone disown my blog for this, but I love Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Now, hear me out. For years I took piano and learned all the classical stuff. In middle school I started listening to what passed for rock and roll at the time (late 70's disco era - I couldn't help when I was born) but had never really gotten into the Beatles. A friend of mine had the soundtrack to the movie, and I listened to it. I loved the music! We rented the video and I watched it over and over. Then I bought a book of sheet music to all the songs - of course, to me, it was just the soundtrack to the movie, but I actually learned to play Beatles songs. That opened up a whole new world of what I could do on the piano (which helped me immensely as time went on) and also started a lifetime appreciation for the artistry of the Fab Four. And the Sgt Pepper movie started it all.

So there. :) Oh, and I just noticed this the other day, if anyone's still looking for late birthday presents!

3) Which actor/actress do you feel made the biggest contribution to Movie Musicals? Which is your favorite?

Julie Andrews, without a doubt. To both.

4) Do you prefer movies with musical numbers that are part of the plot itself, or pop songs that basically act as background for regular scenes?

Definitely Broadway-style musicals, where the music is integral to the plot.

BONUS) Have you ever, in your wildest moments, come into a situation so perfect that it would almost be perfectly normal just to break into song? What would you do if you someone else belting out a heartbreaking ballad or a group of young toughs dancing in the street?

Absolutely. In fact, I believe Life is one big musical number that everyone's just afraid to be seen singing....

"We are the maker of music, and we are the dreamers of dreams"

Beware Squids with Cooties

Jumbo squid wash up on Southern California beaches

Hundreds of giant squid are washing up on Orange County beaches, creating a scene more akin to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" than "The O.C."

...

In the meantime, beachgoers were advised not to eat or even touch them. "They probably have bacteria on them at this point," Bauer said.

Ew. Gross.

The Beginning?

High emotions at the funeral of the Egyptian family slain in New Jersey.

"Grief and rage erupted Monday during the funeral for an Egyptian Christian couple and their two young daughters who were tied up and stabbed to death last week. Mourners fought in the street, pushing, shoving and punching each other as many blamed Muslims for the killings."

Will these kind of things happen more often, if domestic tensions increase?

"One man inside the church began screaming "Muslim is the killer! Muslim is the killer!" He was dragged from the church by five police officers who hustled him into an unmarked police car and quickly drove off. It could not immediately be determined if he was charged."

But some things still providee glimmers of hope for an ecuminical solution:

"The mourners included about two dozen Muslims who took off their shoes as a sign of respect and placed them near the entrance to the church, just as they do in their mosques.

Ahmed Sheded, president of the Islamic Center of Jersey City, was among those attending. He wore a business suit instead of Muslim religious attire 'because that might agitate people.'

'We feel this is something that was very far away from our community,' he said afterward. 'A real Muslim can't do that. Any religious person who believes in God cannot do this, even to an animal.'"

Sometimes grief can run so high, normal judgement is lost and we don't even know who we're lashing out at:

"Once the bodies were loaded into four black hearses that would carry them to a nearby cemetery, more clashes broke out in the street outside the church, including one in which about 35 people pushed and shoved each other and traded punches. The melee prompted police officers to push several against cars to separate them from the fray as the fight spilled into a parking garage."

Mobs are frightening things.

Hand Me Down My Walkin' Cane....

Go wish Michael a Big Orange Happy Birthday!