tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20227895045078458842023-11-15T08:45:28.938-08:00Boom, Thwack, Boom"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." - H.D. ThoreauDG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-79184645803701874452008-03-04T15:53:00.000-08:002008-03-04T15:54:55.498-08:00Update your browsers.<span style="font-weight:bold;">http://dunford.tumblr.com</span><br /><br />Anything else would be uncivilized.<br /><br />I'll be posting here occasionally, but Tumblr posting is easier. Flat out. Is this about me being lazy? You bet it is.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-37677661316359273632008-02-26T17:27:00.000-08:002008-02-26T17:42:22.600-08:00My Brother's Meme ChallengeHey there! I hope you've been following my web misadventures at my<a href="http://dunford.tumblr.com"> Tumblr</a> site (it's the awesomeness). <br /><br />My older brother tagged me with a meme, so I thought I'd say to myself, "have at it, hoss" and so I'm giving this a whirl.<br /><br />This particular meme involves historical figures. The rules are simple:<br />1) Link to the person who tagged you. <br />2) List 7 random/weird things about your favorite historical figure. <br />3) Tag seven more people at the end of your blog and link to theirs. <br />4) Let the person know they have been tagged by leaving a note on their blog.<br /><br />1) <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/authority/2008/02/historical_figure_meme_reading.php">My brother Mike</a> tagged me. He assumed that I would pick someone not from the realm of science. He thought right.<br /><br />I have chosen silent film actor<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_Arbuckle"> Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle (1887-1933)</a>. Not my favorite historical figure ever, but someone fascinating, definitely. <br /><br />7 facts about Fatty Arbuckle:<br /><br />1. Fatty Arbuckle received the first million-dollar contract from a movie studio. In 1918! <br />2. Charlie Chaplin created the famous "tramp" character after borrowing some of Arbuckle's clothes, which were baggy on him.<br />3. Fatty Arbuckle gave Buster Keaton his start in films, as well, launching another legendary career.<br />4. Despite the hoopla around his trial for allegedly killing a woman via a rape, Arbuckle was never found guilty.<br />5. In fact, history has shown that newspaperman William Randolph Hearst intentionally set out to convict Arbuckle in the press.<br />6. Another comedian who received his start through Arbuckle? Bob Hope.<br />7. Arbuckle died of a heart attack the day he signed a contract to return to making feature films under his own name.<br /><br />Okay. Tagging whoever reads this to give it a shot.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-45064428565091409962008-01-20T20:39:00.000-08:002008-01-20T20:40:24.155-08:00Boston Vs. New York, again.NOTABLE BOSTON SPORTS FANS:<br />Adolph Hitler (red was chosen for Nazi armbands in tribute to Ted Williams)<br />Osama Bin Laden (9/11 attacks provoked by 1991 autograph snub by Larry Bird, fuck you Larry Bird)<br />Dane Cook (likes Boston teams because they're trendy)<br />Rev. Jim Jones (had a tryout with the Bruins)<br />Dick Cheney (admires Bill Belichick's tactics, sportsmanship)<br />Pol Pot (favorite article of clothing: Bobby Orr jersey)<br />Idi Amin (huge BC fan, apparently - who knew?)<br />Joseph Stalin (again with the color red - coincidence?)<br />Heinrich Himmler (nicknamed penis "The Green Monster")<br /><br />NOTABLE NEW YORK SPORTS FANS:<br />Pope John Paul II (cried when Rangers won Stanley Cup in 94)<br />Mother Teresa (secret crush on ex-Yankee outfielder Mel Hall in 80s)<br />Dalai Lama (loves Knicks despite Isaiah Thomas, prays for firing daily)<br />Princess Diana (Prince Harry conceived after Game 6 of 86 World Series)<br />Martin Luther King, Jr. (Elston Howard was a close confidante)<br />John Lennon (season ticket holder, NY Cosmos soccer)<br />Mahatma Gandhi (family friend of the Mara family)<br />Jonas Salk (schoolmate of Lou Gehrig's at Columbia)<br /><br />Choose a side, America.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-18410157620179268332008-01-16T17:53:00.000-08:002008-01-16T18:07:44.928-08:00January Playlist - and a quick update.So, January's been a busy-busy month! My new job's been keeping me busy - quite busy, really. I've been grading papers for the last two hours, after a day of administering state tests...craziness. But this is not a sob story. I love it. I really do.<br /><br />Here are some songs that I've been digging lately.<br /><br />1. "When I Dream Of Michaelangelo," Counting Crows. One of Adam Duritz's greatest traits as a songwriter is his seemingly innate ability to be self-referential. "When I Dream Of Michaelangelo," from the upcoming album <span style="font-style:italic;">Saturday Nights and Sunday mornings</span>, swipes a phrase - and a bit of arrangement - from the Crows' earlier "Angels Of The Silences." A quiet, meditative tune with strummed acoustic guitar, piano, and banjo. I like it a great deal.<br /><br />2. "See The World," Gomez. I was an early adopter of Gomez - in the mid-1990s, when I was reviewing music for my school paper, Virgin Records sent me their first album, and I adored it. This is a more recent tune, catchy and jangly and all kinds of wonderful.<br /><br />3. "Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife," Drive-By Truckers. From the upcoming Brighter Than Creation's Dark, this is another catchy, jangly, banjo-driven tune with phenomenal harmonies. Huh. Leave it to me to, once I move back to the rap-music capital of the world, lean heavily on acoustic, quasi-country music.<br /><br />4. "Happy," Martin Sexton. Martin Sexton always makes me think of my favorite time, the mid-winter at LeMoyne College in the mid-90s. Then, Sexton used to come by yearly and play a small venue there. The man has a remarkable voice. Check out this tune after a couple of beers and some conversation with good friends. It is worthwhile.<br /><br />5. "Love Letter," Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I'm in an optimistic mood about love again. It comes and goes, I suppose, so I'm going to savor this optimism while it's here. Cave's achingly beautiful voice says it all: "love letter, love letter, go get her, go get her." It doesn't look like much in print, but dig it in stereo.<br /><br />In other news, I've started a lazier, link-heavy blog at <a href="http://dunford.tumblr.com">http://dunford.tumblr.com</a> - check that out.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-54405977310234834782008-01-02T18:19:00.000-08:002008-01-02T18:22:07.528-08:00Election Time Is Upon Us Once Again.Tomorrow, the election season officially kicks off with the Iowa caucus. While we're not going to endorse voting for one candidate or another - that's really not our thing - we would like to remind you, dear readers, of one thing.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MpK8Z2vOvAo&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MpK8Z2vOvAo&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />The people have the power to redeem the work of fools.<br /><br />Get out there and vote, please.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-89585404909071862392007-12-31T13:05:00.000-08:002007-12-31T13:43:04.096-08:00Meandering Thoughts: 5 Song Lyrics That Shall Double As My New Years Resolutions"If I could tell your future, I say 'love the world you find' <br />in the dark times and the hard questions<br />let some sunshine in your mind." <br />- The Flaming Lips, "Love The World You Find"<br /><br />"Don't let hurricanes hold you back<br />Raging rivers or shark attacks<br />Find love, then give it all away."<br />- Clem Snide, "Find Love"<br /><br />"The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time."<br />- James Taylor, "The Secret O'Life"<br /><br />"Don't let me into this year with an empty heart."<br />- Josh Ritter, "Empty Hearts"<br /><br />"I will try to understand<br />Everything has its plan<br />Either way, I'm gonna stay."<br />- Wilco, "Either Way"<br /><br />In summation: I would like to enjoy the world (as it is, right now) more, to find enough love that I can reciprocate and then some, enjoy the passage of time, allow myself to keep an open heart right now, and not be consumed by the things that I cannot control. Not too shabby, song lyrics! (I would also like to lose some weight.)<br /><br />Happy new year, dear readers!DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-84319439192370525362007-12-21T18:14:00.000-08:002007-12-21T18:45:15.069-08:00Year In Retrospective Part Two: Ten Other Awesome ThingsFor someone like myself, who prides himself on his voracious consumption of pop culture, I had a bit of an off-year. I didn't see too many movies, I'm not really big into the whole "buying CDs thing," and I didn't watch a whole lot of television, really. So, what I'm going to do for my second Year In Retrospective post is to talk about 10 random pop-culture things that fascinated me this calendar year. Some TV, some movies, some odds and ends. It's kind of a potpourri post.<br /><br />1. Season Three of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia." This was the year I discovered the funniest show on television. The cast of Charlie Day, Rob McElhenny, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, and Danny DeVito may be the best comedic ensemble right now. Most of my highlights from this season involve the aforementioned Mr. Day as "Charlie," whose antics included (but were not limited to) dressing up as Serpico while taping a huge recording device to his chest, huffing spray paint while writing homoerotic glam-rock songs, and becoming a fake-lawyer utilizing a clip-on tie and jargon lifted directly from marathons of "Law and Order." Trust me, it's awesome. My favorite television of the year.<br /><br />2. Judd Apatow. "Knocked Up" and "Superbad" were both hilariously funny movies. It's hard to believe that, just a few years ago, Apatow was known largely for writing and producing wonderful television that nobody watched ("Freaks and Geeks" and "Undeclared"). Now, he's the acknowledged god of comedy as both director and producer - and, more importantly, his movies are pretty awesome.<br /><br />3. The Perez Hilton backlash. Last year's guilty pleasure - perezhilton.com - has become this year's whipping boy, thanks largely to the aforementioned Mr. Hilton, who went from being a snarky underground blogger to an overexposed multimedia annoyance. This time next year, he'll be lucky to be on Celebrity Fit Club. This year, he's the answer to the question "What if Bruce Vilanch was a worse dresser and actually less funnier?"<br /><br />4. The Onion AV Club - the best regularly-updated pop-culture site out there right now (avclub.com). Unlike most media outlets, the Onion serves up large, intellectual interviews and features in this section of their site, and maintains a certain wit and flair while doing so.<br /><br />5. The "I'm Not There" Soundtrack, which is the perfect tribute album to Bob Dylan, authored in the name of soundtracking a movie about Bob Dylan which never once mentions the name Bob Dylan.<br /><br />6. Independent radio. 90.7 FM in New York City. 97.7 in Amsterdam. 102.7 in Vermont. It's a beautiful world when you have the ability to listen to Belle and Sebastian and the Clash on your way into work. In an era of increasing media consolidation, these bastions of independent thought are absolutely to be cherished and patronized.<br /><br />7. The cast of "Arrested Development" are, in lieu of continuing to create the most excellent show on television, making magic at the movies. Jason Bateman and Michael Cera reteam in the critically-acclaimed "Juno," Will Arnett made the funny in "Blades of Glory," and Cera struck comedy gold in "Superbad." Even the atrocious "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie was redeemed (somewhat) by David Cross, who chose to chew up scenery as a hilariously slimy music mogul. (and yes, I saw it. God have mercy on my soul.)<br /><br />8. "Werewolf Bar Mitzvah," by the "30 Rock" character Tracy Jordan. "Boys becoming men, men becoming wolves." Actually, pretty much anything on "30 Rock" this year was awesome. Except for the shameless "Bee Movie" pandering of Jerry Seinfeld.<br /><br />9. The continued emergence of Steve Carell, who, if he continues to make the right choices, will be the next Tom Hanks. Mark ye my words.<br /><br />10. Finally, as someone who abhors pre-packaged pop music, watching the freefall into chemical oblivion of stars like Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and others has been nothing short of schadenfreude for me. On one hand, I know that they're just people with problems, which is sad. On the other hand, it's very, very awesome.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-71794956221409901372007-12-18T15:48:00.001-08:002007-12-18T15:57:58.803-08:00Meandering Thoughts: It was 10 years ago today...10 years ago today, Chris Farley died. <br /><br />Wow. I can't believe how the time has gone. What a tremendous talent that guy was. In reading interviews with his fellow "Saturday Night Live" alumni, all of them talked about how Farley was always the funniest person in the room, and the person to whom their eyes were drawn when he was onscreen. He was so much fun to watch.<br /><br />A few months before he died, though, I remember sitting in my college dorm, drinking beer and watching the episode of "Saturday Night Live" which he hosted. I vividly remember having a friend of mine named Jason walk into the room, look at the screen, and say, "Wow. That guy's going to be dead soon." He was right. Farley wore his excesses on his sleeve; he was addicted to cocaine and heroin while also an alcoholic with terrible self-esteem issues. Not a fun combination, I'm willing to bet. Those excesses killed him.<br /><br />Eons ago, when I was performing comedy regularly, one of the theater's respected older performers told me that I reminded him of Farley. Wary of Farley's personal history and the way that he died, I immediately shied away from that. I was taken back further when he clarified with two things: that I reminded him "in the good way" (which I took to mean my physicality onstage) and that he was quite familiar with Farley. It turned out that he'd eulogized him at one of the memorial services. To this day, it's one of the greatest compliments that I've ever been given.<br /><br />I miss Chris Farley. There was a savage edge to his work, but an essential sweetness to everything that he did which made things all the more wonderful. The world needs more performers with those qualities.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-38767130919335735302007-12-18T13:36:00.001-08:002007-12-18T14:05:51.212-08:00Year In Retrospective Part One: My Favorite Songs of 2007I've decided that I can be reasonably sure that I'm not going to hear many more new songs this calendar year; therefore, it's time for me to rank my 10 favorite songs for the calendar year. To be eligible for this list, the song had to have been released (officially) between January 1 and now of this year. And I will have had to have heard it between now and then. I can obviously not rank songs that I haven't heard. [Feel free to fire back in the comments section.]<br /><br />1. Radiohead, "All I Need"<br />There's been a lot of hype about the latest album from Radiohead, and with good reason - the band's decision to forego traditional distribution routes and release the album onto the internet may have been the most revolutionary act in the history of the recording industry. Lost in that hype, however, was the fact that with this album, "In Rainbows," Radiohead has finally released the true followup to 1997's amazing "OK Computer" - an album that retains the highly electronic sound the band has chased for the bulk of this decade, while revisiting the songcraft that built the band's reputation. "All I Need" is the centerpiece of this album - and an amazing song. If you don't get goosebumps when the drums kick in, you're not human. <br /><br />2. Wilco, "What Light"<br />Life affirming to the point of near-hippiedom, this track reminds each set of ears that it reaches that there's always reason to be optimistic. I can dig it.<br /><br />3. Rivers Cuomo, "Longtime Sunshine"<br />I'm so glad this song has been officially released - it's an epic ballad of longing and sadness, and one of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo's finest moments. While we may never hear a formal, full-band version of this, this demo will more than suffice for the time being.<br /><br />4. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, "Falling Slowly"<br />I'm a sucker for harmony, which this tune has in spades. It's from a movie called "Once," which I haven't seen yet, and a worthy candidate for the best original song Oscar in the upcoming awards.<br /><br />5. Mark Ronson, "Valerie"<br />While a great portion of the music-writing world continues to fall at the feet of Amy Winehouse, let us take the time to praise her producer, former club-kid Ronson, whose singlehanded revival of soul-music production made Winehouse's album infinitely better. This track features Winehouse on a genius revisitation of a Zutons album track from a few years ago.<br /><br />6. Kings Of Leon, "Knocked Up"<br />Clocking in at over 7 minutes, this blues ramble may actually be longer than an actual Kings of Leon show I caught in 2005. The song's consistent, rumbling rhythm and lead singer Caleb Followill's soulful lead vocal make this track a career highlight for the Kings as well as one of the best tunes of the year.<br /><br />7. Stars, "Midnight Coward"<br />The dueling lead vocal between the male and female singers of Stars - never really harmonic, but instead more of a call-and-response vocal - make this song (about the doubts that come and go in the beginning stretches of an intimate relationship) completely noteworthy.<br /><br />8. Eddie Vedder, "Hard Sun"<br />9. Loudon Wainwright III, "Daughter"<br />Both Vedder and Wainwright put together preeminent soundtracks this year; both of these tracks are from soundtracks (Vedder's earthy accompaniment to "Into The Wild," and Wainwright's straightforward, folky counterpoint to "Knocked Up"), and both are covers. Both are, to say the least, essential. <br /><br />10. Josh Ritter, "Right Moves"<br />After last year's stunning "Girl In The War," Ritter's taken a slightly more lighthearted path with this track. When he starts spitting words at a remarkably rapid clip, watch out - it's got the effect of being simultaneously hilarious and kind of odd.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-5136914210501821992007-12-10T17:18:00.000-08:002007-12-11T16:02:48.400-08:00Utter RandomnessIn lieu of an actual entry, here are some things we've been digging lately:<br /><br />The great Joe Henry has a new album out. Called "Civilians," it's another slice of this man's brilliance. Do yourself a favor. Go <a href="http://www.joehenrylovesyoumadly.com/listen.php">here</a> and download "Our Song," Henry's dramatic fantasia that begins with an imagined encounter with the great Willie Mays in a Home Depot and climaxes with a lament that "this was my country." It's beautiful, and it's a free download. Do it. <br /><br />We have a great affection for terrible, out of place jerseys (our collection includes a David Wells "Boomer 33" Yankees t-shirt, as well as a Danny Kannell Giants jersey). That's why we aspire to be on <a href="http://www.straightcashhomey.net">Straight Cash, Homey</a>. Check it out. It's awesomeness.<br /><br />Our friend Bob over at the blooming Silhouettes Of Birds And Trees has taken the time to rank his <a href="http://silhouettesofbirdsandtrees.blogspot.com/2007/12/best-albums-of-2007.html">65 favorite albums of this year</a>. While we've been curmudgeonly about year-end lists, this is pretty well thought out. It's missing some Stars and Joe Henry, nevermind Loudon Wainwright's wonderful, beautifully crafted soundtrack for "Knocked Up," but well-played.<br /><br />We're not buying any more holiday cards this year, but if we were, it'd be these <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8198395">whimsical, hand-made cards</a> from friend-of-a-friend Jodi Skeris. <br /><br />That's all for now!DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-44128287890838232982007-12-07T17:43:00.001-08:002007-12-07T17:56:02.171-08:00Meandering Thoughts: Hey, 2007 Is Not Over YetThere's a part of me that loves year-end lists; whether it's "Entertainment Weekly," "GQ," "Rolling Stone," or some other magazine I've not yet seen, there's a simplicity and a bit of status to these lists which provides average readers like myself with a chance to catch up with the best and brightest of the past year. However, there's a part of me that's alarmed at how early people decide to view the calendar year through the amber lens of the rear-view mirror.<br /><br />I found myself at a Manhattan newsstand today, and I was surrounded by magazines and their year-in-review coverage. I had to check myself a bit with a bit of reality. It's December 7th, and publications around the world are calling a close to the year. Which, as much as I love it, seems to be a touch premature; I mean, if magazine editors were this quick to summarize the year in, say, 1941, the defining moment of the year (the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor) would have been a footnote in their coverage. In 1980, there'd be no mention of another defining cultural moment - the killing of John Lennon in front of his Upper West Side apartment building. Heck, even last year, in the waning days of the year, America lost a former president (Gerald Ford) and the world lost a Godfather of Soul (James Brown). <br /><br />So, perhaps in awhile, I'll have some kind of retrospective of the year. But, until then, there's music for me to listen to, and movies for me to see, and a current day to experience. Curmudgeonly? You bet.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-39374589377532521242007-12-01T16:56:00.000-08:002007-12-01T17:32:41.892-08:00The December Playlist (or, Thank you, Schenectady. Thank you, Albany. Thank you, thank you, silence...)In writing this blog, I've tried a lot to separate my personal life from the things that I write about. However, I believe it's the place of the writer to write from the heart once in awhile - and make it personal - to get their message across. This is one of those times.<br /><br />So, in case you're reading this and haven't been keyed into what's been going on with me for the past month and change; I'm in the middle of what will be the beginning of my big move - back to New York City after 4 and 1/2 years in the Albany area. I begin a new job on Monday, and if all goes well, in a few months, I'll have my own place in New York City. It's a whirlwind move in what's been a year of whirlwind moves for myself and my closest friends, and while I'm very stoked to head downstate and get cracking on this new, lucrative opportunity, it's a bit sad for me to leave behind this area. <br /><br />So, here's a quick list of the things about the area that I will miss:<br />- the Albany Pump Station, Olde Saratoga, and Brown's Brewing Company<br />- Thacher State Park<br />- the view from the hills of Altamont<br />- a walk along the perimeter of Washington Park and Lark Street<br />- Revolution Hall<br />- WEXT and WEQX<br />- the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers<br />- Bombers, Mahar's, and Lionheart<br />- the Spectrum<br />- Albany basketball<br />- Downtown Schenectady and the Stockade - BL's, Uncle Ben's, the Grog Shoppe, Pinhead's, Slick's, Shamrock's, the Thai Bistro, and even the Saw Mill, Blythewood, and Blockhouse<br />- Driving out into Vermont and Massachussets and back through the Berkshire<br />- the way the sun sets out here<br /><br />There's more, but I'm not going to go on and on. You see, for every great place up here, there's people behind it that made it so very worthwhile for me. So, before I go, I want to dedicate a very special December playlist for the people up here who made all of these things (and more) so very worth it. So, for Javen and Justine, Jim and Karyn, Paul and Becky, Nora and Kevin and Elizabeth and Marty, Matt and Rick and Nick, the West Wing folks, Bill, the Shorts, my grad school classmates, my colleagues in school and work, and, hell, even for all the girls I dated - these go out to you. It's a mix of happy and sad stuff, of course, kind of like my time here. If it wasn't for you guys, I don't know what I would have done. Thanks. I love you. Er, most of you. Somewhat.<br /><br />So now then, here are 10 songs.<br />1. "Stars," Hum<br />2. "The Way We Get By," Spoon<br />3. "Picture In A Frame," Anne Sophie von Otter<br />4. "Sick Of Goodbyes," Cracker<br />5. "This Year," Mountain Goats<br />6. "Ambulance Blues," Neil Young<br />7. "Where Did I Go Wrong With You?," Martin Sexton<br />8. "Simple Twist Of Fate," Bob Dylan<br />9. "Knocks Me Off My Feet," Stevie Wonder<br />10. "Glad Tidings," Van Morrison<br /><br />And now, onward and upward, as they say. Excelsior.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-71032302308723706352007-11-28T08:54:00.000-08:002007-11-28T09:05:29.572-08:00Meandering Thoughts: On the Yankees and Johan SantanaI'm not going to discuss the Yankees and Johan Santana at length (I would refer you instead to excellent sites like <a href="http://yankees.lhblogs.com/">Peter Abraham's Lower Hudson</a> newsblog, or to the phenomenal <a href="http://riveraveblues.com/">River Avenue Blues</a>), but I did have one thought on it that I thought I would be doing the <a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/entire_blogosphere_stunned">entire blogosphere a disservice </a>if I didn't put it out there.<br /><br />For the first time with Yankees prospects, I feel like the Yankees are in a better position without the marquee, big-money player. Santana's great, but they should not mortgage their youth movement (not just the great young pitchers, but also sparkplugs like Melky Cabrera) for any player - not even the great Santana. <br /><br />I'm reminded of the quote with which <a href="http://www.wfuv.org/programs/idiotsdelight.html">Vin Scelsa </a>begins his great radio show on WFUV - which he himself took from the music writer David Fricke. It goes like this: "Respect the elders. Embrace the new. Encourage the impractical and improbable, without bias." I want to see the Yankees continue to embrace the new. It might be impractical for the Yankees, given their business model, to go away from the veteran with the track record, but I think it'll be more exciting.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-2078577035838938402007-11-21T07:18:00.000-08:002007-11-21T07:41:00.504-08:00Some things we're thankful for this Thanksgiving...Here are some things - some are pop culture, others are not - that we're thankful for this Thanksgiving.<br /><br />- We're thankful that we've taken the time out to watch <a href="http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/sunny/">"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia,"</a> the hands-down funniest show on television (it's on FX). While we're especially partial to Charlie Day's character, the illiterate, glue-huffing, constantly shouting Charlie, there's so much else about this show that's awesome. If you're not watching it, you should be.<br /><br />- We're thankful for the safe, healthy arrival of a certain <a href="http://oinkymchoggerson.blogspot.com/2007/11/watch-out-world-here-comes-e-claire.html">newborn little girl</a>.<br /><br />- We're thankful for another Thanksgiving of listening to <a href="http://www.wfuv.org/">"Alice's Restaurant" at noon</a>. And we're appreciative of <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16357141">Alice's spirit</a>, which is absolutely worth emulating. <br /><br />- We're thankful (and, to be frank, excited) that <a href="http://www.scienceblogs.com/authority/">our brother's</a> working on a book. On the same token, we're excited about a <a href="http://www.celtx.org">free software program </a>that we recently discovered that may help us get that screenplay we've wanted to write going.<br /><br />- We're thankful for the "I'm Not There" soundtrack, which is absolutely as awesome sounding as <a href="http://boomthwackboom.blogspot.com/2007/08/forthcoming-im-not-there.html">we'd hoped it would</a>.<br /><br />- We're thankful for <a href="http://www.uniwatchblog.com">Paul Lukas's Uni Watch Blog</a>, which legitimizes our long-standing interest in sports-related minutiae.<br /><br />- We're thankful that <a href="http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com">Chuck Norris</a> has embraced his mythology in <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/thank-you-chuck-norris/?loc=interstitialskip">the name of politics</a>. We're not crazy about the other dude he's working with, but we're grateful to start off this upcoming year of campaign overload with a good laugh.<br /><br />- Most of all, though, we're thankful for our friends and family, for the things that remain constant in times of flux, and for the simple, elegant things that make things worth doing.<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving to all.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-3425385632779315812007-11-20T19:54:00.001-08:002007-11-20T19:56:03.421-08:00Support.We support our friends in the Writers Guild of America in their ongoing strike.<br /><br />For more information, please go to <a href="http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com">UnitedHollywood</a>. Thanks.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-67134643802868002932007-11-20T06:17:00.000-08:002007-11-20T06:45:58.346-08:00The 100 Greatest Rock Songs Of All TimeThis November, wonderful area radio station <a href="http://www.exit977.org">WEXT-FM</a> has decided to put together a massive list; and oh boy, do I love lists. Their "The 100 Greatest Rock Songs Of All Time" will air on January 1, 2008 and will be compiled exclusively online through <a href="http://www.exit977.org/setlist.html">listener suggestions</a>.<br /><br />Naturally, I feel compelled to throw my two cents in. The station is asking for 20 suggestions per listener. I can do that. To add to my challenge, I will choose no more than 2 songs from any one band or act (it would be very easy for me to topload this list with stuff from the Beatles, REM, Bruce Springsteen, and other bands I've loved for years and years), and I will try to keep it to one song per act wherever possible. I'm not going to pick exclusively "rock songs" either - I will pick songs by rock bands, but if their best work doesn't come in a Zeppelin-esque hail of rhythmic thunder, so be it. I'm all about the subtlety. Finally, I'm going to shed this "of all time" moniker - it adds far-unneccessary significance to a list. I'm going to pick my essential 20 rock songs - my favorite 20.<br /><br />So, here goes:<br /><br />1. "Born To Run," Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band<br />2. "Like A Rolling Stone," Bob Dylan<br />3. "You Can't Always Get What You Want," The Rolling Stones<br />4. "Here Comes The Sun," The Beatles<br />5. "Fall On Me," R.E.M.<br />6. "Beautiful Day," U2<br />7. "Heroes," David Bowie<br />8. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," The Band<br />9. "Solsbury Hill," Peter Gabriel<br />10. "Into The Mystic," Van Morrison<br />11. "California Stars," Wilco<br />12. "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You," Tom Waits<br />13. "Ooh La La," The Faces<br />14. "Let Down," Radiohead<br />15. "Radio Radio," Elvis Costello and the Attractions<br />16. "Landslide," Fleetwood Mac<br />17. "These Are Days," 10,000 Maniacs<br />18. "Here Comes Your Man," The Pixies<br />19. "Wishlist," Pearl Jam<br />20. "Unsatisfied," The Replacements.<br /><br />I find that a lot of these placements are arbitrary. That being said, "Born To Run" is most assuredly number one and "Like A Rolling Stone" is most assuredly number two - both are the kind of song where you hear the first second (Max Weinberg's snare roll at the beginning of "Born To Run," and Bobby Gregg's single crack that kicks off "Like A Rolling Stone") and you know - you just do - that you're going for a ride and that hell yeah, you're in capable hands.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-6094083199076067992007-11-19T05:35:00.001-08:002007-11-19T06:17:57.085-08:00Meandering Thoughts: Live From (Somewhere Else In) New York: It's (Still) Saturday NightI've always admired the television show "Saturday Night Live." What's not to admire? By design, the show is an inherent work of art: it's live, performance-based television in a way that few others can even come close to mimicking. Sure, "American Idol" is a live show - and features live performances - but there is a vast difference between singing traditional and familiar songs live and what "Saturday Night Live" does, which is perform one-off, generally-topical sketches. Sure, "Mad TV" is a sketch-comedy show - but it's performed in a traditional, taped format that allows for "re-dos" and what I assume is the television equivalent of digitally remastering a live performance for a concert album.<br /><br />"Saturday Night Live" has brought some tremendous talents to the forefront of our culture - besides the original cast of Not Ready For Primetime Players (Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Jane Curtin), many other talents have either gotten their big breaks or honed their craft while doing this show. Bill Murray, Harry Shearer, Al Franken, Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Robert Downey Jr, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Anthony Michael Hall, Randy Quaid, Dana Carvey, Mike Myers, Jan Hooks, Kevin Nealon, Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, David Spade, Janeane Garofalo, Molly Shannon, Norm MacDonald, David Koechner, and Will Ferrell are among the many folks who have (at one time or another) been in the repertory company of this show. <br /><br />Creatively, the show goes through its peaks and valleys; when it's on, the show's generally responsible for creating some lasting moments of cultural stability - but when it's not, it's subject to cries of "Saturday Night Dead" and "Saturday Night Live hasn't been funny in years." It's the price the show pays, for better or worse.<br /><br />Recently, production on the show has halted due to a writer's strike - a strike which we here at bTb adamantly support, we should add. So, the cast of Saturday Night Live did something pretty cool: they got together at the <a href="http://www.ucbt.net">Upright Citizens Brigade Theater</a>* in Manhattan and put on a a live stage version of their show as a benefit for their crew. The reports are trickling in from sources like the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/19/arts/television/19snl.html?_r=2&ref=arts&oref=slogin&oref=slogin">New York Times</a> and the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/11/18/live-from-new-york-a-sho_n_73164.html">Huffington Post </a>(the HuffPo even namechecks longtime friend of bTb <a href="http://www.justinpurnell.com">Justin Purnell</a>).<br /><br />The verdict: sounds like a hell of a time. Naturally, I wish I'd been there for it - I'll have to make do with the stories that I'll no doubt hear from my NYC friends. If I hear anything particularly cool, I'll pass it on.<br /><br />[* By way of full disclosure, I should note that I was a regular performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater from 2001-2003, and have performed there on somewhat sporadic basis since. I am most assuredly biased here - bTb]DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-19236601952847768152007-11-13T19:32:00.001-08:002007-11-13T19:55:39.999-08:00The Playlist: November 2007It's been a busy month. Hell, it's been a busy week. Since Thursday of last week (5 days ago, for those who are counting), I've been to a family wake, a wedding, visited a newborn in the hospital, spent time with all of my brothers, and accepted a new job that will mean that I am moving back to New York City. Craziness. This has been the soundtrack to this quick and tumbling time.<br /><br />Wake: <br />"Find The River," R.E.M. <br />Wakes are such awkward, strange times. Silent mourning, chairs set up in rows. Well, when I die, I want my wake to have music playing, and chairs arranged so that people can sit and talk to each other. "Find The River" should be played at my funeral, because I can think of no better thought to leave people with than that final verse: "Pick up here and chase the ride, the river empties to the tide, and all of this is coming your way." It's mournful, thoughtful, and yet optimistic. <br /><br />Wedding:<br />"Here Comes Your Man," The Pixies<br />"LoveStoned/I Think That She Knows," Justin Timberlake<br />My friends Jed and Teresa got married at Battery Gardens, at the southern tip of Manhattan, on Saturday. It was a beautiful ceremony - elegant and poetic, in the best senses of the word. "Here Comes Your Man" was their first dance song; the way it unfolded could have been the last scene of an awesome romance movie, with all couples being invited onto the floor to dance with them. Sheer beauty. As a wildcard, though, I have to mention the aforementioned Timberlake track, which soundtracked a hilarious dance between the bride and one of her gay friends, which was frickin' awesome and hilarious.<br /><br />Newborn:<br />"I Believe In Love," The Dixie Chicks<br />Yesterday, my friends Javen and Justine's newborn, Emma Claire, was born. I got to visit a few hours after her birth, and let me tell you, it was a wonderful feeling. While I'm not related to Emma really, there was definitely that sense of "oh my god, this is amazing" when I held her. What a wonderful feeling. I hope I'm lucky enough to experience it as a father someday.<br /><br />Brothers:<br />"The Fairest of the Seasons," Nico<br />My brothers remind me somewhat of the Tenenbaums from the Wes Anderson movie "The Royal Tenenbaums." It's not that we're failed child prodigies, but rather, it's that the Tenenbaums all had rich, quirky childhoods like my brothers and I. I like to think that while we all have our rough spots, we also have amazing, different presents that we all bring to the table when we're together. It's what makes the end of "The Royal Tenenbaums" so special. This song comes from that moment of resolution.<br /><br />Job:<br />"Leaving New York," R.E.M.<br />As thrilled as I am to have a great opportunity in front of me - and literally, it's the kind of opportunity that I've been waiting on for ages - there's a real and true sadness in what it means, a departure. "Leaving New York, never easy," Michael Stipe sings, "I saw the lights fading out." The lights are fading out on me upstate. "You might have succeeded in changing me, I might have been turned around," he continues. "It's easier to leave than to be left behind."<br /><br />Well, this is the most personal thing I've written in awhile. It's been that kind of week.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-54134793355186095052007-11-08T07:58:00.000-08:002007-11-08T08:45:39.655-08:00Meandering Thoughts: On "Cool"In his most recent column in "Entertainment Weekly," horrormaster Stephen King has attempted to take on one of the greatest cultural divides of our time: the difference between <a href="http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20159025,00.html">what's cool and what's not cool</a>.<br /><br />"The meaning of cool," King says, "is beyond definition (and) beyond modification." This is irrefutable. I would posit that, from a writerly perspective, once you attempt to define what "cool" is, you immediately lose all credibility. You can always give examples of what you perceive "cool" to be, but once you try to create a structure for "cool" and "coolness," you're done.<br /><br />In this article, King doesn't attempt to create this structure - rather, he gives some examples of what's cool (among others, he cites John Fogerty's new album, Barack Obama, "Prison Break," Elmore Leonard, and Fred Rogers) and what's not cool (among the cited: George Clooney in "Michael Collins," Hillary Clinton, Patricia Cornwell, and "Friday Night Lights"). He's quick to point out that being uncool is not necessarily a terrible stigma (for example, he thinks that "Friday Night Lights" is an excellent show - it just will never have the cache/sexiness of a lesser-caliber show like "Prison Break").<br /><br />These are all valid points. Then, however, King blows all credibility whatsoever by insisting that he's cool, saying "Remember, cool is not a way of life; it's a state of being. Like your height. I can't help being 6'3", and I can't help being cool. Same way Michael Crichton can't help being 6'9''...and not cool." (King, for the record, looks like <a href="http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/ap/nyet16109272057.widec.jpg">this</a>. I'm just saying, is all.)<br /><br />Anyway. A golden rule of "cool," if such a thing exists, is that you cannot insist overtly on your own coolness. It just can't be done. If you have to tell people that you're cool - and King most certainly does here - you're absolutely not cool, and the other things which you've pronounced to be "cool" are tarnished in turn.<br /><br />Stephen King is uncool. He's written some cool books, sure, but he's also responsible for sap like "The Green Mile" and a good number of subpar books as well. Beyond his picture (above), I also refer you to the fact that he plays in a rock band called The Rock Bottom Remainders - which would be cool if it weren't an all-author band. You see, authors aren't cool, pretty much ever - however, their books may or may not be. "Misery" is cool. Playing the guitar on an atrocious version of "Wild Thing" alongside Amy Tan? Uncool, about ten million times over. <br /><br />Keep in mind, I don't think of myself as being cool at all. Lord knows, I've tried to be cool - the trying, though, immediately made me uncool, which is a stigma I've carried with me ever since.<br /><br />When it all comes down to brass tacks, I think of the words of the late Kurt Cobain, who sang, "I'd rather be dead than cool." That seems completely reasonable. I mean, I don't want to be dead. So, I want to be cool even less.<br /><br />Of course, that's contingent upon words of wisdom coming from Kurt Cobain, who's both dead and cool (go figure).DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-86816645025279658022007-11-07T12:08:00.000-08:002007-11-07T12:10:01.426-08:00The Woody Allen QuestionTowards the end of Woody Allen’s “Manhattan,” Woody’s character Isaac Davis is asked what makes life worth living. In typical Woody fashion, he hems and haws and then says the following: <br /><br />“Why is life worth living? It's a very good question. Um... Well, There are certain things I guess that make it worthwhile. uh... Like what... okay... um... For me, uh... ooh... I would say... what, Groucho Marx, to name one thing... uh... um... and Wilie Mays... and um... the 2nd movement of the Jupiter Symphony... and um... Louis Armstrong, recording of Potato Head Blues... um... Swedish movies, naturally... Sentimental Education by Flaubert... uh... Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra... um... those incredible Apples and Pears by Cezanne... uh... the crabs at Sam Wo's... uh... Tracy's face...”<br /><br />Every now and then, I ask myself that question – to think about what are the things that are sustaining me through my second-to-second existence.<br /><br />In August 2005, on an old journal on the Improv Resource Center, my answer was the following: “A long conversation over a few drinks with a good friend. A hug from my mom. A postcard from my dad. An obscene voicemail from my brother, overseas in the military. The first few weeks of September, when summer fades and the trees up here change color and the school year begins. Pad thai. The Sunday comics. Flip-flop sandals. A long walk with my I-Pod on shuffle. The squeal and laugh from my godson when I pick him up and hang him upside-down. Love, in all its forms, shapes, and seasons.” In December 2002, my answer was a tad less precious and more focused on more-temporary things: “Sitting on the Hudson River side of a passenger train between NYC and upstate. A cup of coffee late at night when you really, really need one. The last three songs of "Automatic For The People." Doonesbury collections from the 1970s. Stepping into the water at Waimea Bay, Oahu. Driving alone and singing, loud and out-of-tune. The feeling you get when you're onstage.” <br /><br />It’s been a couple of years since I’ve thought about this question. I blanche a little bit when I look at my past answers – in 2002, I was probably trying to be too pop-culture savvy, and in 2005, I was extremely sentimental to the point of overtly romanticizing things, I think. <br /><br />So, hmm, without being too much of either of those things, why is life worth living? Right now? <br /><br />It’s about the little things for me – the lunch, dinner, drink with a friend and the opportunity to play catch up. It’s allowing myself to be surprised by something, whether it’s a new aspect of a story from an old friend or family member or something silly like a cannon that shoots pumpkins into the horizon. It’s very much all of those other things, too, all of which mean a lot to me and always will.<br /><br />But it’s also a really good Belgian Farmhouse Ale. Anytime a TV show or movie makes me laugh out loud. The opening notes of the Band’s “Chest Fever.” A soy chai latte with sugar-free hazelnut syrup. Weddings. Babies. Calvin and Hobbes. A glass of chilled white wine, preferably a Riesling or a Gewurtztraminer. The Staten Island Ferry. The Hudson and Mohawk Valleys when the leaves change color. Elton John’s song “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters.” The movie “The Princess Bride,” every time. Third kisses, much more than the first. Sunday mornings. Sleeping in with someone else. Subway or commuter trains, in any city, when you have the time to enjoy the ride. Tom Waits’s “Closing Time” album. Bronx pizza. <br /><br />So, those of you still reading: what’s your answer to the Woody Allen Question – what are the things that make life worth living? <br /><br />Please respond, either in the comments or on your own blog. I’d love to know what you think.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-33300978740226941552007-11-06T12:49:00.000-08:002007-11-06T12:50:15.931-08:00How I'd Fix The YankeesWell, the 2007 baseball season has been over for more than a week now (by the way, congratulations to the 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox; as for you, Boston sports fans, the moratorium on “woe are we” talk begins now and, should you remain championship-less for the indefinite future, ends somewhere around 2025). I already miss baseball.<br /><br />That being said, I’ve always loved the machinations of the baseball offseason. As much as I love baseball and watching the games, I’d almost want to be a fly on the wall of the Annual Meetings as a viewer at a postseason game. When I was a kid, I used to play “general manager” by myself and try to fix the wrongs of the late 1980s-early 1990s New York Yankees.<br /><br />Now, I’m old. Some of my interest in being a general manager has been quelled through playing fantasy baseball, which I’ve done on and off since my junior year of high school. That being said, I love this time of the year – the so-called “Hot Stove League,” where baseball executives whittle through the winter months in an attempt to better their teams. <br /><br />As a Yankees fan, this offseason’s already been a hectic one. There’s been a switch at the helm; exit Joe Torre, enter Joe Girardi. The coaching staff has also been overhauled [Ron Guidry and Joe Kerrigan are out, Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa are California-bound; meanwhile, Mike Harkey, Dave Eiland, Rob Thomson, and Bobby Meacham assume coaching duties]. Alex Rodriguez seems definitively gone from third base, and Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettite’s futures all hover with uncertainty.<br /><br />So, I’m going to do what I used to do so often in my childhood. I’m going to reshape the Yankees. Here now is what I would try to do if I were the general manager of the Yankees. I’ve tried to make all trades relatively reasonable (that is, to say, somewhat feasible and reasonable – there will be no trades of all-stars for single minor league players, and no salary dumps without rational decision-making behind it). <br /><br />First trade: I would offer the San Francisco Giants a package of OF Hideki Matsui and SP Chase Wright for Noah Lowry. San Francisco would benefit from having someone as unflappable as Matsui take over Barry Bonds’s left field position, and Wright is a decent lefty who could start or relieve in the big leagues. The Yankees were a better team last year with Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon in the outfield. Lowry is a good lefty starter, and would capably fill a #3 or #4 spot in a Yankees rotation, striking that balance of youth with experience.<br /><br />Second trade: I would offer the Florida Marlins the following package for 3B Miguel Cabrera: SP Darrell Rasner, SP Matt DeSalvo, SS Alberto Gonzalez, and 3B Eric Duncan. The Marlins would get DeSalvo, who will be a starter, and Rasner, who could swing between the rotation and the bullpen, as well as AAA starters Duncan and Gonzalez. This deal would need to be contingent upon a contract extension for Cabrera. <br /><br />Third trade: I would offer the Texas Rangers RP Kyle Farnsworth for OF Marlon Byrd. The Yankees would need to pick up some of Farnsworth’s salary, and Byrd would be a far better fourth outfielder than the other options. <br /><br />Fourth: I would absolutely, completely resign Posada, Rivera, 1B Doug Mientkiewicz, P Luis Vizcaino and C Jose Molina. In free agency, I would also attempt to sign RP Francisco Cordero.<br /><br />My 2008 Yankees team would look thusly:<br /><br />Starting Lineup:<br />LF Johnny Damon<br />SS Derek Jeter<br />RF Bobby Abreu<br />3B Miguel Cabrera<br />C Jorge Posada<br />2B Robinson Cano<br />DH Jason Giambi<br />1B Doug Mientkiewicz<br />CF Melky Cabrera<br /><br />Bench:<br />C Jose Molina<br />IF Andy Phillips<br />IF Wilson Betemit<br />OF Marlon Byrd<br /><br />Rotation:<br />Chien Ming Wang<br />Noah Lowry<br />Joba Chamberlain<br />Phil Hughes<br />Mike Mussina <br /><br />Bullpen:<br />Mariano Rivera<br />Francisco Cordero<br />Ross Ohlendorf<br />Jose Veras<br />Ron Villone<br />Jose Vizcaino<br /><br />I would have Ian Kennedy and Humberto Sanchez begin the season in AAA, but they’d be the first pitchers up to fill spots. I’m just going to assume that Carl Pavano would spend the entire season on the disabled list. As much as I love Shelley Duncan, I think he’d start the year in the minors as well.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-80209035328870748142007-11-02T08:35:00.000-07:002007-11-02T09:18:30.043-07:00Meandering Thoughts: Musical MomentsI've been thinking a lot about music lately. Over at Beerjanglin, I just wrote a piece that focuses on the combination of <a href="http://jbojangles.blogspot.com/2007/11/dunfords-draft-november-session-beer.html">beer and music</a>; meanwhile, my friend (and new blogger) Bobbo wrote a <a href="http://silhouettesofbirdsandtrees.blogspot.com/2007/10/holy-shit-moment.html">great piece</a> that talked about a monumental concert event I attended last weekend at a farmstand outside Kingston, New York. (I'd talk more about the farmstand concert - which featured the legendary Levon Helm and was absolutely goosebump-inducing - but I instead invite you to read Bobbo's version of it instead - he did a great job of encapsulating a great musical moment). <br /><br />Anyway, I wanted to talk about another musical moment that happened recently. Have you ever had a moment where you listened to a song and it absolutely captured the moment to the point where it felt like narration? I had one of those moments the other day.<br /><br />I took myself a long weekend; I spent a whirlwind of a time in New York City, where I caught up with some old friends and had a lot of meetings that, without being too revealing, portend a great amount about my future (both immediate and distant). Anyway, at the end of this weekend, I ventured my sedan back towards Albany, and spent a couple of hours of my Tuesday evening on a dark, eerily quiet Taconic Parkway traveling north. I'd packed some CDs that I hadn't listened to in awhile for the trip; I decided to listen to Bruce Springsteen's "Tunnel Of Love" album for this leg of the journey.<br /><br />As I neared the Austerlitz-Chatham exit (the final one on this stretch of road), the final track of this album came on - a haunting, melancholy ballad came on. Here, now, are some snippets of Springsteen's lyrics with explanation.<br /><br /><em>I'm driving a big lazy car rushin' up the highway in the dark<br />I got one hand steady on the wheel and one hand's tremblin' over my heart<br />It's pounding baby like it's gonna bust right on through<br />And it ain't gonna stop till I'm alone again with you</em><br /><br />I, too, was driving a big lazy car and I was hurtling up a darkened highway. That alone made my eyes open wide. While I can't say that I was thinking about being alone with somebody per se, I was definitely thinking about a lot of things - my future, mostly... And yes, I drive with one hand steady on the wheel. I know we're not talking about mindblowing stuff here, but it certainly resonated.<br /><br />Springsteen continued:<br /><br /><em>A friend of mine became a father last night<br />When we spoke in his voice I could hear the light<br />Of the skies and the rivers the timberwolf in the pines<br />And that great jukebox out on Route 39<br />They say he travels fastest who travels alone<br />But tonight I miss my girl mister tonight I miss my home</em><br /><br />Here's where the connections got more personal. While a friend of mine didn't become a father last night, one of my closest friends in the world is on "any day now" status for fatherhood. Which is weird and different. I find myself wondering not whether fatherhood will change him, but rather, how much it will. It's weird and different and not really something I've taken the time to attend to in a friendship. And that part about missing my girl and missing my home - well, that part'll get me for awhile. I'm not in a relationship right now, and I don't miss my ex-girlfriend, but there's something about being in a relationship that I miss dreadfully, that made me feel somewhat closer to complete. I miss that all the time. And part and parcel with the weekend was that sense of home - so much doubt and change.<br /><br />I could go on, but to be honest, my story would diverge even further from Springsteen's in the song. That being said - I love it when I can make a connection with a song, even if it's a painful, philosophical one. <br /><br />Anyone had anything similar ever happen?DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-49497282311289754762007-10-24T12:14:00.000-07:002007-10-24T12:15:29.148-07:00The Playlist: October 2007This month, we’re looking at songs that are our personal soundtrack to the change of the seasons. The leaves are changing color, the air is getting crisper, the sun is setting earlier, and this is what we’re listening to…<br /><br />1. “Sweetness and Tenderness,” The Rentals. <br />- When first we encountered the Rentals, they were an analog-synthesizer-laden side project of Weezer. In the years since the first album, Rentals frontman Matt Sharp has left his gig in Weezer, and apparently ditched the synthesizers. This song features piano, acoustic guitar, and violin prominently and may be the most achingly gorgeous thing I’ve heard in ages, due largely to Rachel Haden’s cooing second-lead vocal. <br /><br />2. “Weird Fishes/Arpeggi,” Radiohead<br />- We’re hoping to have more about the new Radiohead album, “In Rainbows,” shortly. This track has become an instant highlight of the album for me, thanks largely to the swirling, ambient guitars. While Radiohead has forsaken typical verse-chorus-verse song structure, it’s nice to see that they can use their guitars and use them beautifully.<br /><br />3. “Girls In Their Summer Clothes,” Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band<br />- Leave it to Bruce to release the best summer song I’ve heard in years at the very end of summer. Sigh. Classic E-Street song, complete with great piano, keyboards, and saxophone.<br /><br />4. “Room At The Top,” Tom Petty<br />- Through the magic of DVD, I’ve been reintroducing myself to the television series “Undeclared.” Watching this has made me nostalgic for college, not because the show sugar-coats the experience of being away at school for the first time, but rather because it gets it so very right. The denouement of the first episode, where lead character Steven Karp (Jay Baruchel) confronts the fact that he’s absolutely terrified, while the other characters go through not-dissimilar moments, features this song. So spot-on and wonderful. <br /><br />5. “Chelsea,” Counting Crows<br />- Another month, another Counting Crows song – this one, the “hidden” track from the disc featuring the band’s VH1 Storytellers performance on their “Across A Wire: Live In New York” set. It’s a sparse song about one of my favorite New York City neighborhoods, featuring mournful horns, piano, and Adam Duritz’s voice. Graceful and elegant, like the best parts of autumn.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-71838678860165077852007-10-22T06:47:00.000-07:002007-10-22T07:30:24.871-07:00The Pharyngula Mutating Meme.My brother Mike (see link on blogroll) tagged me with the Pharyngula Mutating Meme - a series of questions that can change as they get passed from blogger to blogger according to a set of simple rules. <br /><br /><strong><em>The <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/10/the_pharyngula_mutating_genre.php">original questions</a> were: <br /><br />1. The best time travel novel in SF/Fantasy is... <br /><br />2. The best romantic movie in historical fiction is... <br /><br />3. The best sexy song in rock is... </em></strong><br /><br />The Pharyngula mutating genre meme: <br /><br />There are a set of questions below that are all of the form, "The best [subgenre] [medium] in [genre] is...". Copy the questions, and before answering them, you may modify them in a limited way, carrying out no more than two of these operations: <br /><br /><strong><em>* You can leave them exactly as is. <br /><br />* You can delete any one question. <br /><br />* You can mutate either the genre, medium, or subgenre of any one question. For instance, you could change "The best time travel novel in SF/Fantasy is..." to "The best time travel novel in Westerns is...", or "The best time travel movie in SF/Fantasy is...", or "The best romance novel in SF/Fantasy is...". <br /><br />* You can add a completely new question of your choice to the end of the list, as long as it is still in the form "The best [subgenre] [medium] in [genre] is...". <br /><br />* You must have at least one question in your set, or you've gone extinct, and you must be able to answer it yourself, or you're not viable.</em></strong> <br /><br />Then answer your possibly mutant set of questions. Please do include a link back to the blog you got them from, to simplify tracing the ancestry, and include these instructions. <br /><br />Finally, pass it along to any number of your fellow bloggers. Remember, though, your success as a Darwinian replicator is going to be measured by the propagation of your variants, which is going to be a function of both the interest your well-honed questions generate and the number of successful attempts at reproducing them. <br /><br />For the purpose of this intellectual exercise, my parent blog is <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/authority/2007/10/the_pharyngula_mutating_meme.php#more">The Questionable Authority</a>. (He's traced the ancestry of the meme completely - click on his link if you so choose.)<br /><br />These are the questions I got from my parent blog (really, they're categories and not questions, but it hardly seems fair to expect science geeks to, you know, use words properly).<br /><em>The best time travel book in SF/fantasy is: <br />The best English novel in scientific dystopias is: <br />The best page-turner book in historical fiction is: <br />The best landscape painting in American art is: </em><br /> <br />That being said: <br />The best time travel <strong>movie</strong> in SF/Fantasy is: <strong>"Back To The Future"</strong><br />The best English novel in scientific dystopias is: <strong>Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"</strong><br />The best page-turner book in historical fiction is: <strong>"The Road To Wellville," TC Boyle</strong><br />The best landscape painting in American art is: <strong>Thomas Cole's "The Oxbow"</strong><br />The best power ballad in American rock is: <strong>"Faithfully," by Journey</strong>.<br /><br /><br />I am propagating this meme on thusly: because I don't have a sense of who reads this blog - if you feel so inclined, take this meme on in your blogging (and credit me as the "parent" blog). If not, meh. One thing I like about evolution is its unpredictability - let's see where this goes from here. <br /><br /><strong></strong>DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2022789504507845884.post-33828120761708956142007-10-22T06:38:00.000-07:002007-10-22T06:39:00.223-07:00Meandering Thoughts: Alice Sebold's "The Almost Moon"Over the weekend, I finally began (and finished) Alice Sebold’s new novel, “The Almost Moon.” I’m not much of a book reviewer, so here’s my quick take on this book:<br /><br />The difficulty faced by Sebold in creating a followup to her previous novel (the multimillion-selling “The Lovely Bones”) is the indelible impression left on readers by that book. For me, as a reader, one of the things that I was absolutely captivated by in terms of “The Lovely Bones” was Sebold’s character of Suzie Salmon, the young, dead narrator of the story – it made an otherwise dark story extremely palatable, largely because of the grace and beauty of that youthful presenter and the idea that came with her of a heaven being personally defined. It added a light sheen to a dark story; ultimately, I feel that this is what made “The Lovely Bones” wonderful.<br /><br />In “The Almost Moon,” Sebold sets out to shed the otherworldly childlike presence that inhabited the pages of “The Lovely Bones.” She does so immediately and with the subtlety of a jackhammer – her lead character in “The Almost Moon” is a woman in her late forties who, within the first pages of the novel, gets frustrated with her infirmed, mentally-questionable, elderly mother and kills her. It’s no brutal a starting point than “The Lovely Bones” (which is told from the point of view of a young girl who has been raped and murdered), I suppose, but I think I was hoping for something that might be even slightly reminiscent of that sense of innocence and beauty. That’s lacking in “The Almost Moon,” which takes us through a day in the life of an extremely troubled woman. <br /><br />In short, I didn’t like “The Almost Moon” too much. When it comes down to brass tacks, though, this was probably an impossible book to follow. As much as I admire Sebold’s artistic intent to create distance between “The Lovely Bones” and what will be the remainder of her career as an author, though, I found myself missing the childlike voice and sense of innocence that was so central to that book as I read this one.DG Dunfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03627942841991607824noreply@blogger.com0