You are currently browsing the monthly archive for April, 2007.
“Overweight and slovenly dressed adults who make snide and derogatory comments about and within earshot of the parents of the kids from the opposing co-ed soccer team after their kids have just won the final YMCA league game are Jamokes.”
The new album has arrived. Buy it, you’ll be glad you did…
(by the way, this video was shot on a cell phone in a club in Amsterdam…and many other fans are visible in the video doing the same thing…ain’t technology amazing??)
“People who drive 30 mph on winding/hilly rural 2 lane highways and who apply their brakes when going up and down and around both hill and dale while being followed by more than 20 other vehicles are Jamokes.”
I have no idea what the title I just typed means when translated, but I certainly like the music.
A recent conversation at the dinner table…
One of The LilOnes – “Daddy?”
Me – “Yes?”
One of The LilOnes – “You’re not a good daddy.”
Me – “Is that so?”
One of The LilOnes – “Yes. You’re not a good daddy.”
Me – “Well, I’ll tell you what. While I’m practicing and trying to become a better dad, you can stand in the corner.”
One of The LilOnes – “Daddy, I changed my mind. You are a pretty good daddy.”
Me – “I had a feelng you might say that.”
(just molding young minds here…)
This shot was totally luck. The object in the foreground is an arrangement of decorative christmas balls. The blue in the background is from a strand of christmas lights that hung about 20 feet away. I had intended to create the depth you see in the shot when taking it, but that it came out this well was totally luck. What happened…and was totally unforeseen…was that the camera lens captured the light reflecting off the balls as a very warm glow. So, instead of just the normal everyday Depth of Field or Bokeh blurriness, I get this sparkling/glowing treasure. Once on the computer, I bumped up the contrast and saturation a little.
Since I have nothing to complain about anymore, coming up with “daily irreverent rants about jamokes and pontifications about life” has become VERY hard to do. My perspective has changed. (Plus, I’ve been pretty busy.)
But, am I more tolerant?
Well, obviously, that’d be a big fat “NO!!”
It appears to me, though, I am a little less willing to complain…and a little more willing to let stuff just “roll like water off a ducks back”.
Maybe I’m not “wound” so tight.
And, hence the connection to the picture. My thoughts lately have been that this site can become a sort of picture travelogue. And, while certainly not intended to boast or brag about going to lots of cool places like Jackson, Mississippi or Jonesboro, Arkansas, I realize I probably do need to explain why I have taken some pictures or what I was thinking when I took them.
This picture is of a light fixture in the bathroom of a room I stayed in recently. The shot is actually turned 90 degrees to the right from how the fixture actually hangs, but I liked it this way better. I felt the light fixture was interesting. I felt it had character. For some reason the subjects for which I have taken a primary interest with photography have been lights…both normal household and blazing neon. It’s as if I’m a moth drawn to the light.
But, anyway, I hope you like this foto…
The following exchange was overheard in the Little Rock National Airport by yours truly, while standing in line at the newstand/gift shop and waiting to buy a magazine and a snickers candy bar…
12 Year Old Boy (picking up a Hillary Clinton Bobble-Head from one of the display shelves) – “Hillary Clinton’s from Arkansas?”
Cashier (not much older than the boy) – “Well, no, she’s from Chicago, Illinois. But, she was married to our Governor and lived in Arkansas for awhile. Then she was First Lady when our Governor became President of the United States. And, now, she’s adopted the state of New York and is one of their Senators. Plus, she’s currently running for President.”
12 Year Old Boy (putting down the bobble-head) – “Oh.”
Run right out and buy the music of the band, “Pink Martini“. You won’t be disappointed. Or, better yet, go see them perform live. It’s truly a magical experience.
Somewhere between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brasilian marching street band and Japanese film noir is the 12-piece Pink Martini.
Part language lesson, part Hollywood musical, the Portland, Oregon-based ‘little orchestra’ was created in 1994 in Portland, Oregon by Harvard graduate and classically trained pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale to play at political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, clean water, and public broadcasting. “We’re kind of like musical archaeologists, bringing melodies and rhythms from different parts of the world together to create something which is modern,” says founder and pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale. “It’s like an urban musical travelogue…and I think as citizens of the world and in a sense as musical ambassadors for the United States, we must always strive to study the languages, customs, and histories of other countries. We’re very much an American band, but we spend a lot of time abroad, in Europe, in Turkey, in Lebanon and therefore have the opportunity to demonstrate that Americans are indeed serious about engaging in a dialogue with the rest of the world.”
“One of our goals is to make music which has broad appeal to people, no matter who they are or where they come from. We play the same set of music wherever we go, whether it’s in a small farming community in Oregon or in France or Turkey or with a symphony orchestra. Music should be like a wonderful dinner party. I don’t want to always sit next to people who share my opinions. I think each of us wants a hugely diverse tapestry of influences in our lives. That’s what makes life much more interesting. Every day becomes an adventure.”
Their show is funny. It’s wonderfully entertaining. And, musically, it’s very rich and varied. All ages would enjoy “Pink Martini”!
Here’s a sample…
