Number 98 is complete. I've hit 10,000+ MP3s in my music collection.
Monday, February 21, 2011
#91 - SLSO and SLAM update
Couple of cultural events to note:
Listened to Beethoven's 7th at the St. Louis Symphony.
Saw the Joe Jones Painter of the American Scene exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum.
Joe Jones' famous and powerful American Justice which was included in the exhibit:
Listened to Beethoven's 7th at the St. Louis Symphony.
Saw the Joe Jones Painter of the American Scene exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum.
Joe Jones' famous and powerful American Justice which was included in the exhibit:
#89 & 90 - Struggling Theatre
Plays seen since the last update. Noticed a common theme of many of these plays; even the comedies are about struggling with a loss. Some (True West, Slasher) had physical fights on stage. Struggle could also refer to the challenges of live theatre. One play had a small tech glitch (Closer), one had an audience member faint (Shadowlands), and one had an actor who had a flat tire on the way in and had to be understudied for the first scenes (Distracted).
As Bees in Honey Drown by Douglas Carter Beane - Comedy about celebrity. And people famous for being famous. And people wanting to be famous. This doesn't really fit the struggle theme, though the main con woman character did struggle to reinvent herself and her image from her small town roots. But I'm probably stretching the point. At Stray Dog Theatre.
Closer by Patrick Marber - I thought this was really well-done. Didn't pull any punches about love or sex or people. At St. Louis Actor's Studio.
Crumble (Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake) by Shelia Callaghan -Qualifies as Modern, Arty, Freaky; since The Apartment is a central talking character and a little girl blows her hand off. Plus dream sequences with Justin Timberlake and Harrison Ford. At Echo Theatre.
Distracted by Lisa Loomer - As always I love Michelle Hand. Seriocomic play about a parent struggling with a newly diagnosed ADHD kid. At Stray Dog Theatre.
Pericles by William Shakespeare - Second tier Shakespeare. A prince has to flee his country because of some McGuffin. He gets married, has daughter, loses wife, loses daughter, has about 17 shipwrecks. But it all works out in the end. First time I ever encountered the plot device of Pirates Ex Machina. Seriously they come out of freakin' nowhere. At The Black Rep.
Shadowlands by William Nicholson - My cousin David had a silent role in this play about a love affair that author C.S. Lewis had with an American divorcee. Although platonic at first, the feelings deepen. Thenl she is stricken by cancer and Lewis has to confront a) his feelings and b) his beliefs about why God allows suffering. At Mustard Seed.
Slasher by Allison Moore - Spoof of horror movies. No real struggle here except - TO LIVE! Pretty funny. At Hot City.
True West by Sam Shepard - Sibling rivalry cranked to 11. At Hot City.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion - One woman play based on the novel of the same name. The Didion character recounts the year following the sudden death of her husband. A year spent dealing with the loss as well as her adult daughter's several illnesses and eventual death. At St. Louis Repertory.
Ruined by Lynn Nottage - A proud woman survives amidst the chaos of the Congo Civil War. Powerful. At The Black Rep
As Bees in Honey Drown by Douglas Carter Beane - Comedy about celebrity. And people famous for being famous. And people wanting to be famous. This doesn't really fit the struggle theme, though the main con woman character did struggle to reinvent herself and her image from her small town roots. But I'm probably stretching the point. At Stray Dog Theatre.
Closer by Patrick Marber - I thought this was really well-done. Didn't pull any punches about love or sex or people. At St. Louis Actor's Studio.
Crumble (Lay Me Down Justin Timberlake) by Shelia Callaghan -Qualifies as Modern, Arty, Freaky; since The Apartment is a central talking character and a little girl blows her hand off. Plus dream sequences with Justin Timberlake and Harrison Ford. At Echo Theatre.
Distracted by Lisa Loomer - As always I love Michelle Hand. Seriocomic play about a parent struggling with a newly diagnosed ADHD kid. At Stray Dog Theatre.
Pericles by William Shakespeare - Second tier Shakespeare. A prince has to flee his country because of some McGuffin. He gets married, has daughter, loses wife, loses daughter, has about 17 shipwrecks. But it all works out in the end. First time I ever encountered the plot device of Pirates Ex Machina. Seriously they come out of freakin' nowhere. At The Black Rep.
Shadowlands by William Nicholson - My cousin David had a silent role in this play about a love affair that author C.S. Lewis had with an American divorcee. Although platonic at first, the feelings deepen. Thenl she is stricken by cancer and Lewis has to confront a) his feelings and b) his beliefs about why God allows suffering. At Mustard Seed.
Slasher by Allison Moore - Spoof of horror movies. No real struggle here except - TO LIVE! Pretty funny. At Hot City.
True West by Sam Shepard - Sibling rivalry cranked to 11. At Hot City.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion - One woman play based on the novel of the same name. The Didion character recounts the year following the sudden death of her husband. A year spent dealing with the loss as well as her adult daughter's several illnesses and eventual death. At St. Louis Repertory.
Ruined by Lynn Nottage - A proud woman survives amidst the chaos of the Congo Civil War. Powerful. At The Black Rep
#94 & #95 - Book Report
List of books read since the last update.
Fiction:
Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut - Not as good as Slaughterhouse Five or Cat's Cradle but a decent Vonnegut to be read if you are a fan.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London - Great story about the Alaskan Gold Rush, as seen through the eyes of a sled dog. I read this in a collection of other Jack London stories, which all have the basic plot of people freezing to death in the woods. Recommended to read indoors and not in November in a tent like I did.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess - Saw the movie, read the book. Enjoyed it. Just discovered I read the American version i.e. without the last original chapter. Might have to go to a bookstore and finish it, see if it changes anything.
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald - Brilliant novel. Beautiful turns of phrases. Wish they had made me read it in high school.
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King - Four novellas by King. Worth reading.
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler - Liked The Big Sleep better but Marlowe remains a great character in any situation.
Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk - Another interesting novel by Palahniuk. This one is about a newspaper reporter who discovers there is an African culling song in a book of poetry. The poem is deadly to the listener, who are usually infants. He tries to track down and destroy all the copies of the poem. While that part is straightforward there is an abundance of weird characters, including the realtor who keeps reselling the same haunted house, several witches, and an ambulance driver who kills fashion models so he can have sex with their dead bodies.
Non - Fiction:
Life by Keith Richards - Autobiography of Rolling Stones guitarist. Showed me a couple of things 1) That Hunter S. Thompson was right: "once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can". And 2) perhaps one of the keys to life is to simply pursue your passion and money will follow. Or maybe have a desire to share your passion. All they wanted was to be the best Chicago blues cover band in London.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer - Story of a disastrous climb to the summit of Everest in May 1996. Quote that sticks with me: Above 8000 meters is not a place where people can afford morality. Note that was not said by Krakauer, who I thought wrote well and IMO took the appropriate amount of responsibility for his decisions on that trip.
Fiction:
Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut - Not as good as Slaughterhouse Five or Cat's Cradle but a decent Vonnegut to be read if you are a fan.
The Call of the Wild by Jack London - Great story about the Alaskan Gold Rush, as seen through the eyes of a sled dog. I read this in a collection of other Jack London stories, which all have the basic plot of people freezing to death in the woods. Recommended to read indoors and not in November in a tent like I did.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess - Saw the movie, read the book. Enjoyed it. Just discovered I read the American version i.e. without the last original chapter. Might have to go to a bookstore and finish it, see if it changes anything.
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald - Brilliant novel. Beautiful turns of phrases. Wish they had made me read it in high school.
Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King - Four novellas by King. Worth reading.
The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler - Liked The Big Sleep better but Marlowe remains a great character in any situation.
Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk - Another interesting novel by Palahniuk. This one is about a newspaper reporter who discovers there is an African culling song in a book of poetry. The poem is deadly to the listener, who are usually infants. He tries to track down and destroy all the copies of the poem. While that part is straightforward there is an abundance of weird characters, including the realtor who keeps reselling the same haunted house, several witches, and an ambulance driver who kills fashion models so he can have sex with their dead bodies.
Non - Fiction:
Life by Keith Richards - Autobiography of Rolling Stones guitarist. Showed me a couple of things 1) That Hunter S. Thompson was right: "once you get locked into a serious drug collection, the tendency is to push it as far as you can". And 2) perhaps one of the keys to life is to simply pursue your passion and money will follow. Or maybe have a desire to share your passion. All they wanted was to be the best Chicago blues cover band in London.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer - Story of a disastrous climb to the summit of Everest in May 1996. Quote that sticks with me: Above 8000 meters is not a place where people can afford morality. Note that was not said by Krakauer, who I thought wrote well and IMO took the appropriate amount of responsibility for his decisions on that trip.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
#96 - 33 1/3% Dead
Progress report on 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die list. I've listened to 317 albums so far. So I'll be about 1/3 of the way through by the end of the year. Revising my goal down to 500 albums or so. I'll be happy if I hit 50%. Looking back perhaps an album per day was ambitious.
What was definitely ambitious was my fantasy of blogging about every album. Lester Bangs I am not.
So, I'll just highlight a few albums that I was most surprised I liked.
1) Peter Tosh's Legalize It. - Never thought I would like reggae as much as I do but this album by ex-Wailer Tosh proved me wrong. Till Your Well Runs Dry is a great song.
2) Arular by M.I.A. Great hooks.
3) Viva Hate and Your Arsenal by Morrissey - I liked these better than I liked The Smiths' albums. Not that I disliked The Smiths, but I think they are better as singles than as albums. Well, maybe excepting Strangeways, Here We Come - that hangs together well.
4) Sweetheart of The Rodeo by The Byrds - I never knew the folk rock pioneers had cut a great country album. I maybe shouldn't have been surprised at this one since The Flying Burrito Brothers (Gram Parsons' band post-Byrds) were already a favorite.
5) Get Rich or Die Tryin' by 50 Cent - I love this album like a fat kid loves cake!
Albums that I wasn't necessarily surprised I liked but just had never encountered before in their entirety:
1) Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young - Mostly for the excellent and haunting Thrasher.
2) Most of The White Stripes catalog - I hadn't listened to them much before, but now they are some of my go-to albums.
3) Ramones by the Ramones - Straight ahead punk rock.
4) The Doors by The Doors - More great song bang for the buck then any other album. Particularly a debut album.
5) Nevermind by Nirvana - Even though I was in high school in the early 90s I think I let grunge mostly pass me by, but I can see why this was such a turning point in music. You just let Smells Like Teen Spirit roll over you and the rest of the album keeps going.
Overall I am very happy with how this is going. I'm being exposed to a lot. Hopefully breaking out of my bubble. As an ex-girlfriend told me as she was becoming my ex: "There is more out there than the Beatles and The Rolling Stones". Turns out she was right. Though Let It Bleed still rocks.
What was definitely ambitious was my fantasy of blogging about every album. Lester Bangs I am not.
So, I'll just highlight a few albums that I was most surprised I liked.
1) Peter Tosh's Legalize It. - Never thought I would like reggae as much as I do but this album by ex-Wailer Tosh proved me wrong. Till Your Well Runs Dry is a great song.
2) Arular by M.I.A. Great hooks.
3) Viva Hate and Your Arsenal by Morrissey - I liked these better than I liked The Smiths' albums. Not that I disliked The Smiths, but I think they are better as singles than as albums. Well, maybe excepting Strangeways, Here We Come - that hangs together well.
4) Sweetheart of The Rodeo by The Byrds - I never knew the folk rock pioneers had cut a great country album. I maybe shouldn't have been surprised at this one since The Flying Burrito Brothers (Gram Parsons' band post-Byrds) were already a favorite.
5) Get Rich or Die Tryin' by 50 Cent - I love this album like a fat kid loves cake!
Albums that I wasn't necessarily surprised I liked but just had never encountered before in their entirety:
1) Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young - Mostly for the excellent and haunting Thrasher.
2) Most of The White Stripes catalog - I hadn't listened to them much before, but now they are some of my go-to albums.
3) Ramones by the Ramones - Straight ahead punk rock.
4) The Doors by The Doors - More great song bang for the buck then any other album. Particularly a debut album.
5) Nevermind by Nirvana - Even though I was in high school in the early 90s I think I let grunge mostly pass me by, but I can see why this was such a turning point in music. You just let Smells Like Teen Spirit roll over you and the rest of the album keeps going.
Overall I am very happy with how this is going. I'm being exposed to a lot. Hopefully breaking out of my bubble. As an ex-girlfriend told me as she was becoming my ex: "There is more out there than the Beatles and The Rolling Stones". Turns out she was right. Though Let It Bleed still rocks.
#62 - Doctor!, Doctor!*
Finally got my ass to the doctor. For all my neglect, everything was fine. Bad cholesterol was a little high. Everything else was perfectly in range.
I feel better knowing that now. And it is good to establish a relationship before anything bad happens.
I'm sure I'll get sick sometime in the next year, so I'll be able to get there again before the deadline.
*Apologies to the Thompson Twins.
I feel better knowing that now. And it is good to establish a relationship before anything bad happens.
I'm sure I'll get sick sometime in the next year, so I'll be able to get there again before the deadline.
*Apologies to the Thompson Twins.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
#80 - Hiking with someone you love
Two new hikes to report:
1) Washington State Park (Oct 16-17th) - Backpacked the 6 mile Rockywood Trail. This was my first solo backpacking trip. I have to admit it was kind of scary being out alone. Did you know that at 3 o'clock in the morning an acorn falling off of a tree sounds like Death coming for you? True fact.
Nice trail, and as it turned out I was pretty well prepared. Should have tossed in an extra quart of water, but it wasn't critical. One note, the area highlight of Native American rock carvings are kind of a letdown, and not worth making the trip for alone.
2) Englemann Woods Natural Area (October) - A pleasant little 2 mile day hike out past St. Albans, MO. Not much to say, just a pretty jaunt through the woods. The guidebook is correct that you should carpool to the trail-head since parking is non-existent.
P.S.A.: Dogs on trails are fine, and even letting them off the leash is acceptable (though technically wrong). But either have the dog trained or have some means to control them. This public service announcement is because at Englemann I bumped into a dog without a collar or a leash and while the owners were there and the dog was friendly, it was a bit overactive and jumped and bumped.
1) Washington State Park (Oct 16-17th) - Backpacked the 6 mile Rockywood Trail. This was my first solo backpacking trip. I have to admit it was kind of scary being out alone. Did you know that at 3 o'clock in the morning an acorn falling off of a tree sounds like Death coming for you? True fact.
Nice trail, and as it turned out I was pretty well prepared. Should have tossed in an extra quart of water, but it wasn't critical. One note, the area highlight of Native American rock carvings are kind of a letdown, and not worth making the trip for alone.
2) Englemann Woods Natural Area (October) - A pleasant little 2 mile day hike out past St. Albans, MO. Not much to say, just a pretty jaunt through the woods. The guidebook is correct that you should carpool to the trail-head since parking is non-existent.
P.S.A.: Dogs on trails are fine, and even letting them off the leash is acceptable (though technically wrong). But either have the dog trained or have some means to control them. This public service announcement is because at Englemann I bumped into a dog without a collar or a leash and while the owners were there and the dog was friendly, it was a bit overactive and jumped and bumped.
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