A Sunday Quote

Herodotus (484 BC-409 BC) is widely acknowledged as the father of the historical discipline. His travels and studies spanned the world then known to his society (ancient Greece), so you know his conclusions, like the following, are based on considerable evidence of their validity:

"If a man insisted always on being serious,
and never allowed himself a bit of fun and
relaxation, he would go mad or become
unstable without knowing it."

Cool Song

Hard to believe this song is fifteen years old-- still sounds fresh to me. I wonder what ever happened to Elastica, as they seemed poised to be really big. Oh well, at least we still have memories like this:

Saturday Morning Cartoon

I think I figured out where my disdain for big business comes from-- watching cartoons like this when I was a kid (of course subsequent studies merely reinforced that early impression ;-)

In Case You Were Wondering...

... the new heading is a picture taken at the golf course in Delaware Park in Buffalo. I was testing a new lens filter at the time, though I'd be hard-pressed to say what the effect was-- though I think the picture turned out okay.

Saturday's Quote

Here's a great line from the British poet and artist William Blake (1757-1827):

"The man who never alters his opinion
is like standing water, and breeds
reptiles of the mind."

Underrated Band

The Vulgar Boatmen were one of the great unsung bands of the 1990s. Here's one of their best songs, performed live back in 1992:

Friday Family Blogging Quiz

Here's another "whose eyes are these" quiz. You can probably ttell that the subject was making a face when I snapped this, so I hope that distorts things just enough to make this a toughie. Put your guesses in teh comments section.

Last week, I asked where a photo of Sally was taken, and received only two guesses, neither of which was even close. The picture was taken at Rockefeller Center in New York. Here's the original, uncropped version:

Happy Birthday Richard!

It's my brother-in-law (and Gerik & Marenka's dad) Richard's birthday today, and I want to wish him many happy returns: cake, presents, and all the other good things he deserves!

More Friday Family Blogging

It doesn't seem that long ago that Helen was spending a lot of time swinging on a closet rod in her clubhouse under the stairs. I wonder if she ever thinks about those days?

Friday Family Blogging

I may have posted the original of this shot of Gerik and Marenka before, but I've been playing around with it on PhotoShop, and thought the "painterly" version was worth sharing too. The photo was taken at a restaurant somewhere in Puyallup, I believe-- anyone recognize the setting (note the railway bridge out the window)?

Friday Philosophy

The Spanish philosopher Jose Ortega y Gasset (1883-1955) had a tendency towards elitism, but one can read the following as an open invitation to everyone to exercise their power to reason:

"To be surprised, to wonder,
is to begin to understand. This
is the sport, the luxury, special
to the intellectual man."

Chaplin the Artist

Here's a true classic bit of film: the first appearance of Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character from 1914. Like a lot of early films, it has a documentary feel, partly because it was shot at a live event with Chaplin and crew cavorting amongst the real folks. What I find interesting is how Chaplin breaks the fourth wall-- something more closely associated with a postmodern approach. What this suggests is a conscious artistic commentary on other films of this type (that is, documentaries) at a time when just about everyone else was still figuring out the basics of the film-making craft. That's a pretty early indication of the genius that would be so abundantly clear within just a few years after this particular film came out. Oh, and it's pretty funny too:

Toonerville Thursday

It's time once again to visit the denizens of Toonerville. This week, we feature a couple panels focusing on the toughest kid in Toonerville, Mickey (Himself) McGuire. If your a fan of Calvin and Hobbes, I think you can see a bit of the influence Fontaine Fox no doubt had on Bill Watterson.

Quote of the Day

Here's a great summary of why freedom of speech is so critical to our (or any) society, as expressed by the famous judge Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935):

"When men have realized that time has
upset many fighting faiths, they may come
to believe even more than they believe in
the very foundations of their own conduct
that the ultimate good desired is better
reached by free trade in ideas—that the
best test of truth is the power of the
thought to get itself accepted in the
competition of the market, and that
truth is the only ground upon which
their wishes safely can be carried out."

Great Song

I've always liked this song. I think my favorite version may be a really cool jazz version by Sonny Rollins. But this one, courtesy of Bonnie Raitt and Norah Jones is awfully good too. Check it out:

A Favorite Painting

Jack Levine, Feast of Pure Reason 1937

I love artwork that marries politics and satire, and this painting by Jack Levine accomplishes that with notable flair. Levine passed away yesterday, and I saw the obituary in the New York Times this morning, which sparked my memory of this image. He was one of that school of artists that I count among my favorites: the urban regionalists of the 1930s, whose ranks also include the likes of Ben Shahn, William Gropper and Reginald Marsh. As Levine does here, each of them offered sharp commentaries on the often messy nature of American political and social conventions, made all the more evident by the effects of depression. Levine's depiction of the relaxed power represented by a cop, a political boss, and a fat cat capitalist can't help but raise the question of whose interests could possibly be served by their nonchalant air of assumed privilege (check out the fancy cut glass decanter of some no-doubt well-aged spirits)-- and it's hard to imagine any but their own being considered. It's a valid critique of our system, and a persistent one through our history, to recognize-- as Levine does here-- the potential for democracy to become twisted by those who redefine freedom as license, though generally only for themselves. But the painting also represents the potential to push back, to call the hypocrites on their nonsense, and Levine deserves to be remembered for answering that call and creating something that resonates even decades after he made this picture.

Wednesday's Quotation

Why is it that non-political figures often have the clearest idea of how politics are supposed to be conducted? Here's a line from the critic and bon vivant Alexander Woollcott (1887-1943) that exactly nails the the core problem of our system:

"I'm tired of hearing it said that democracy
doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work.
We are supposed to work it."

Cool Song

I have to admit that I'd pretty much written off Paul McCartney as a still-vital artist until he put out the fantastic Run Devil Run back around 1999. Like a lot of artists, he revitalized himself by going back to his roots. This is a remake of an old skiffle number from the fifties (and recall that the Quarrymen started out as a skiffle group). Great song, with a nice guitar solo by David Gilmour as a bonus:

Black and White

Here are three random photos that I took over the past year, converted to black and white. I'm not sure why, but I really like how the above shot (of the back of a service station in downtown Buffalo, across the street from the library) turned out. It just seems weirdly austere.

Number two is a shot from Bannack State Park, of a broken down wagon (or anyway, one of its wheels). I think I got the contrast just right on this one.

Third is a wintery photo of a path at a nature preserve in Clarence, NY (though I'm drawing a blank on the name of the place). Somehow this makes me think of that Robert Frost poem...

This Week's Top Five

I don't know why, but the Top Five List this week seemed a little flat to me on playback. But since I'm nothing if not a completest, I'm posting it anyway. Maybe you'll enjoy it more than I did:

A Tuesday Quote

Alfred Kazin (1915-1998) was one of the best known literary critics of the mid-twentieth century, one of the so-called "New York Intellectuals" who shaped much of the public discourse of that period. Here's something he wrote that I kind of like:

"To write is in some way to cut the seemingly
automatic pattern to violence, destructiveness
and death wish. To write is to put the seeming
insignificance of human existence into a
different perspective. It is the need, the
wish, and please God, the ability, to
reorder our physical faith."

Classic Animals

This wasn't their biggest hit, but definitely one of their best. And, it was enough to propel the Animals into Round 2 of the Battle of the Bands unfolding on my radio show. So here's Eric Burden and the boys performing "We Gotta Get Out of This Place:"

Battle of the Bands Update

The Animals

We're trying to determine who the greatest British Band of the period 1960 to 1974 was on my weekly radio show, Dr. John's Record Shelf. This week, we had a couple pairs of groups in the Teddy Boy Bracket squaring off for the right to advance to Round 2. In the competition, the Animals (seeded no. 3) knocked off Argent (14) by a 5-4 margin, while Black Sabbath (6) easily took care of the Pretty Things (11) by a 9-2 score.

Songs played this week included "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" by the Animals; "Hold Your Head Up" by Argent; "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath; and "Midnight to Six Man" by the Pretty Things. Next week we'll wrap up Round 1 in the Teddy Boy Bracket, and I'll post the full slate of Round 2 matchups. All the first round brackets should be completed by mid-December.

Quote of the Day

Here's a neat little witticism, courtesy of the great humorist James Thurber (1894-1961):

"The dog has got more fun out of Man than
Man has got out of the dog, for the clearly
demonstrable reason that Man is the more
laughable of the two animals. "

Retro Rock Video

Remember those early days of MTV-- you know, when they actually devoted most of their schedule to music videos? This will bring that back. This is actually from before the Bangles were stars, but everyone knew who Mr. Spock was, so they decided to throw him in the mix for no discernible reason. Great song, by the way, written by Kimberley Rew out of the Soft Boys. Oh, and note that even at this stage Susanna Hoffs had mastered the dubiously effective trick of never letting her pupils settle in the middle of her eyes (didn't Saturday Night or SCTV parody that trait a few years later?):

Three Photos

Three pictures from a week or so ago, taken from the Dillon cemetery, which sits on a small ridge just east of the city. Above is a view of the Pioneer Mountains to the west.

Part of a furrowed field just below the cemetery, looking to the southwest.

And last, a shot of the cemetery itself. I like riding my bike up here-- it's a nice workout going up the, admittedly short, hill and you get a nice view of the valley from there.

Sunday Funnies

Here's a classic Blondie Sunday page by the strip's creator Chic Young. This was originally published back in 1952, but (and this says something about the timelessness of the feature), it could just as well have been published today. Great stuff.

A Thought for Sunday

Walter Winchell (1897-1972) was a famous gossip columnist, but apparently could rise above the inherent pettiness of that occupation on occasion, as with this quote:

"We must not indulge in unfavorable views of
mankind, since by doing it we make bad men
believe they are no worse than others, and we
teach the good that they are good in vain."

My Hometown

Maybe many of you have already seen this. My friend Jen first called it to my attention, but then I saw Ben mention it on Facebook, and this morning it was written up in the Buffalo News. Anyway, I think I'll do my part to spread the word too, so here's a great little video about the wonders (architectural and otherwise) of Buffalo, NY:

Soup Diary 101105

There's this program on the Food Channel called Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, in which the spiky-haired host travels the nation visiting the titular establishments. In every episode, he discovers something fantastic and unique in the places he visits. But I don't think he's ever cisited Montana, and I can't say as I blame him. I stopped in a diner today up in Missoula, and while the meal was fine, it wasn't anything to broadcast to the world, even on cable. In fact, I don't think I've ever had anything particularly memorable in a Montana diner (well, at least not since the M&M in Butte closed-- they served a great pork chop sandwich). When I walked into the place today, there was a sign on the door thanking me for spending my money in a locally owned place (it sits on a strip with all the usual fast-food franchises), something I'm glad to do. I had a nice grilled chicken sandwich on a whole wheat roll, with nice crispy fries (much better than what you get at the aforementioned fast food places), so I really shouldn't complain. But the soup-- chicken noodle-- was a big disappointment, very bland and overloaded with noodles at the expense of any vegetables or meat. Of course, you can't get soup at all at Taco Bell or Arby's, which is a big part of the reason I went to the diner; but this cup didn't give me much reason to make the same choice again. Next time, I'll try to find another alternative to the same old stuff, but I've been visiting Missoula for over twenty years, and you'd think that by now I'd have found someplace to make a regular soup stop.

Saturday Morning Cartoon

Most of the cartoons I watched as a kid had "stars;" that is, recurring characters who were the primary attractions (Bugs Bunny, Huckleberry Hound, etc.), But there were also a bunch of 'toons that were stand-alone shorts. Some of the best were the Modern Madcaps and Noveltoons from Paramount Studios, memorable in part for their music, including the sing-a-longs like the one here ("Big Rock Candy Mountain"):

A Saturday Quote

I agree 100% with Ernest Hemingway(1899-1961) on this particular point:

"No weapon has ever settled a moral problem.
It can impose a solution but it cannot
guarantee it to be a just one."

Funny Scene From a Classic Movie

No one made better films in the 1940s than Preston Sturges. The writer-director had a great skewed view of the social relations that comprise our so-called civilization, though he was never mean in portraying that view on screen. Here's a classic scene from Palm Beach Story involving the Ale & Quail Club, who, on a all-male getaway vacation, encounter and adopt Claudette Colbert as their new mascot (or something). Lots of great, familiar faces here-- guys who appeared in virtually all of Sturges' movies-- including the great William Demerest:

Friday Family Blogging Quiz

Here's a picture of Sara (Sally to some of us): can you tell me where it was taken? Put your guesses in the comments section, and be as specific as possible.

Last week, I asked you to identify the figures in a group shot. Lil Sis (naturally) was first to respond, and nailed the lineup (Maria, Sara, Catie, Nicky & me). Congratulations Liz, and better luck to everyone else this week.

More Friday Family Blogging

How about those eyes? This is my niece Helen, from 2007, so she's much bigger now, but her big brown eyes are still her outstanding feature.

Friday Family Blogging

Here's a picture of my nephew Thomas showing off his athleticism. This was taken about four years ago.

Friday Philosophy

Here's a description of what I imagine is a universal truth, as expressed by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860):

"A man's delight in looking forward to and
hoping for some particular satisfaction is a
part of the pleasure flowing out of it, enjoyed
in advance. But this is afterward deducted,
for the more we look forward to anything
the less we enjoy it when it comes."

The Incomparable Toots

Without question, the most fun I ever had at a concert was a show in Clark Gym at the University of Buffalo, headlined by these guys: Toots and the Maytals. This video, a performance of one of their signature tunes, only approximates the excitement generated by Toots at that particular show, but it's still a pretty good time:

Remembering Dresden

Dresden is an old German city that was largely destroyed during World War II. To the town's credit, when they rebuilt they sought to retain the historic styles of architecture. So here are three photos I took on my visit there last Spring, but with a sepia tone added to give them even more of a historical air.

It's easy to imagine that this view of the riverside looks much the same as it did a hundred years ago, though that probably isn't literally the case.

This photo, of a building I cannot recall the name or function of, is a bit blurred, which doesn't just make it appear old-fashioned, but also a little spooky, I think.

Toonerville Thursday

Everytime I post some examples of the artistry of Fontaine Fox-- namely his classic comic strip Toonerville Folks-- I get some positive feedback (mainly from my Mom). So I've decided to make it a regular feature. Every week I'll post another couple examples of this great strip, and we can all enjoy a visit to a simpler time. We'll get started with these two, featuring the Skipper who ran the Toonerville Trolley.

Thursday's Quote

I enjoy reading the views of artists, and not just on art. Willem de Kooning (1904-1997) was one of the great abstract expressionists to emerge after World War II. I like this statement, which certainly applies to art, but not solely:

"The attitude that nature is chaotic and that
the artist puts order into it is a very absurd
point of view, I think. All that we can hope
for is to put some order into ourselves."

Classic Soul

Here's a great song from Howard Tate, a guy who was not as famous as the likes of Wilson Pickett or Otis Redding, but probably deserved to be:

Three Pictures: Musicians

Here are a few shots of pictures taken at free concerts I've attended in recent years. Above is Dallas Goode of The Sadies, who performed last summer at Artpark alongside the Niagara Gorge.

Steve Boone (on the right) was one of the original members of the Lovin' Spoonful, and along with Joe Butler and Jerry Yester, is still out playing the old hits. I saw them at the Wheatfiled, NY town picnic a few years back.

The Alarm were fairly popular back in the 80s, performing songs in the general style of post-punk bands like U2. I saw them at the Erie Canal Series back in 2007. All of these pictures (pretty clearly) have been processed through some Photoshop filters.

Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants

Obviously they weren't my first choice to go all the way this year, but I'm somewhat pleased by the San Francisco Giants World Series victory. There are two main reasons: first, if the Giants can win with that array of talent, then the Braves are much closer to a championship than I thought. I think my team matches up pretty well with the Giants (as evidenced by their close division series with the ultimate champs), especially with their wealth of good young pitching. The second reason is that I remember the great Giants teams of my youth, led by the Willies, Mays and McCovey, but also Juan Marichal, Mike McCormick, Gaylord Perry, Jim Ray Hart, Dick Dietz, Tito Fuentes, et. al. They were a good team for most of the years of my youth, and I kind of forgot that they never won a championship. Plus, San Francisco is one of my favorite cities, and watching the Series reminded me that I haven't been there in quite some time-- so I'm planning a trip, maybe next Spring. In the end, it wasn't the most exciting Series to watch, but it fed some nice positive memories and plans, so it was definitely a satisfactory way to see the season end.

Today's Quote

Let's hope some in the new Congressional majority have some respect for this idea, which was proposed by Franklin Roosevelt (1882-1945) back when he was president:

"Competition has been shown to be useful
up to a certain point and no further, but
cooperation, which is the thing we must
strive for today, begins where
competition leaves off."

Election Night Song

Somehow this seems appropriate given the election results coming in. It's the Minutemen doing CCR, with D. Boon's wail pretty much summing up how I feel:

Three Photos: Fall Colors

Since it was election day, I had the day off, and took a little ride out I-15 to see if there were any remaining spots where the fall foliage might be on display and photo worthy. These were all taken at a little park on the Beaverhead River about 10 miles south of Dillon.

I think it was a little late to really get a nice array of colors-- everything has pretty much turned all the way to brown, or dropped to the ground. But the sky was so blue, with some nice puffy white clouds, that I was still able to find a little contrast in the frame.

A Top Five List

This past week on Dr. John's Record Shelf, Art Vandalay was absent, and without my sidekick, I usually skip the Top Five list. The reason why should be evident from this "classic" edition of the bit, which I believe Art might name as his all-time favorite (and he's not the only one). I should mention that this is kinda PG-13, so if you have sensitive ears, well, you've been warned:

Election Day Quote

Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) was kind of the father of modern political science. Here's something he wrote way back when that remains relevant to most contemporary political situations:

"There is nothing more difficult to take in hand,
more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in
its success, than to take the lead in the
introduction of a new order of things."

On the Comeback Trail

Neil Diamond was a great pop singer back in the sixties and seventies, then somewhere kind of lost his way-- becoming almost a self-parody for many years. But recently, he's hooked up with producer Rick Rubin to make a couple albums that are real throwbacks to his better days. Here's a live version of one of the good ones from the first of those comeback albums, 12 Songs:

Soup Diary 101101

Yesterday was a bit chilly in Dillon, so I decided to make up a pot of homemade soup. Not feeling ambitious enough to go for something exotic, I just chopped up some veggies (onions, celery, carrots, and peppers-- lots of peppers, green and red) and through it together with some stew meat and potatoes into some broth and let it simmer all afternoon. I went kind of light on the seasoning, which somehow resulted in a fabulously rich and aromatic broth (just fresh ground black pepper, cumin and cilantro), maybe the best I've ever made. I hope I can remember how I did it next time, since I didn't measure anything out nor write out any directions. Oh, I forgot to mention my secret ingredient: about a quarter cup of tomato paste dissolved into the mix, which gave it all a creamier texture and a bit of a bite in flavor. It was a pretty straight forward, basic mix of ingredients, but it sure turned out good. The best part: I made enough that I can enjoy it for muck of the upcoming week!

Battle of the Bands Update

Deep Purple

In yesterday's Battle of the Band action on Dr. John's Record Shelf, we saw two contests in the Mod Bracket. You may recall that our goal is to determine the greatest British (or Commonwealth) rock and roll group of the period 1960 to 1974. Towards that end, we saw Pink Floyd (seeded no. 2) crush Les Fleurs de Lys (15) by a 9-1 margin, while Deep Purple (7) knocked off Slade (10).

Pink Floyd

Songs played in the competition this week included "Money" by Floyd, "Circles" by Les Fleurs de Lys, "Woman From Tokyo" by Deep Purple, and "Cum On Feel the Noize" by Slade. This actually completes the first round for the Mod Bracket, and here are the band matchups for Round 2: The Who (1) vs. Sweet (9); The Moody Blues (5) vs. the Tremeloes (13); Yes (11) vs. the Guess Who (3); and Deep Purple (7) vs. Pink Floyd (2). Songs will be selected once all the brackets are set, sometime in December.

Monday Quote

Elmer Davis (1890-1958) was a journalist who headed up the Office of War Information during World War II. Unfortunately, this comment from decades ago remains largely true:

"One of the things that is wrong with America
is that everybody who has done anything at all
in his own field is expected to be an authority
on every subject under the sun."