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Bloglines

Like a lot of people who read the web from several different places, I use Bloglines as my RSS newsreader. Bloglines allows you to make your subscriptions public, so others can see what you've subscribed to. My subscriptions, for example, are here.

What I did not realize is that you can see who is publicly subscribed to any particular feed by clicking on the number of subscribers. And that at least some information, such as the home page you've given, is available to the public for each subscriber.

Hi, Bernard.

One City, One Book

Today I attended a discussion of The Mistress of Spices, the book taken up as the first in Oakland's "One City, One Book" program. This was one of ten book discussions being held all over Oakland.

This was one was held at the Piedmont Avenue Branch Library, a tiny little building on 41st St., two doors down from the apartment building in which I lived from 1997 to 2003. I was afraid that this library was so small that it would be overwhelmed with people. I needn't have worried. All of six people showed up, other than the moderator (a Main Library reference librarian). I was the youngest person present by a decade, I suspect, and the only male.

Literary criticism is not one of my great strengths, so I was quite prepared to be quiet and not say anything. I didn't get that opportunity. Not only were there only six other people there, but four of them hadn't read the book. What's the point of going to a book discussion if you haven't read the book? I can only imagine that the enjoyment of the book would have been lessened by giving away plot points.

Anyway, although I tried not to talk too much, with only two other people there who knew the book I couldn't really be quiet and let those with a clue speak. Oh well.

Even though the turnout was disappointing, I'm glad I read the book and showed up. Magical-realist novels aren't something I normally pick up for myself. I did read One Hundred Years of Solitude (doesn't its Spanish title, Cien años de soledad, have much better rhythm?) in college, eighteen years ago, and later The Octopus, which although written before the term was coined, does seem to have some elements of magic realism to it.

Yet it's good, once in a while, to expand one's boundaries, and the idea of reading the same book as others in your community has a lot of appeal. And, given that the book is set in Oakland and explores themes of cultural assimilation, it's certainly a good choice for the program, even if I don't regret not attending some of the cultural events ("The Art of the Sari: Indian clothing demystified at this hands-on workshop for families and kids"). Let's see what book they pick next year. I wonder if I can get them to read The Death and Life of Great American Cities?

These are a few of my favorite songs (part 2)

More favorite songs. I like marches and upbeat classicaly stuff. I think most everybody has heard these. Many are by John Williams. If that makes me a musical lightweight, so be it.

The Imperial March (from The Empire Strikes Back)

Or, as I like to think of it, the Dick Cheney theme song.

Olympic Fanfare

Everybody knows this. I've never been very interested in athletics but you have to like the music.

March from 1941

"1941" was nobody's favorite movie, but John Williams' score is worth remembering. The weird triplets seem appropriate for a comedy.

1812 Overture

Another one everybody knows. We actually talked about this in English class in high school, and learned the sources of some of the various themes that make it up. Of course, I can't remember any of it now. To me what it calls up is the memory of traveling to Arizona from California when I was much younger. We had two 8-track tapes with us, the 1812 Overture/Polovetsian Dances and the Grand Canyon Suite, and we listened to them over and over.

These are a few of my favorite songs (part 1)

One of the nice things about storing music on the computer is that you can compile lists of favorite songs pretty easily. I have 28 songs that I have marked with five stars in iTunes. I thought maybe what I had to say about them might be of some interest to somebody. Or at least as much as anything else on this blog.

"Pajarillo Barranqueño", from Ring Them Bells by Joan Baez (duet with Tish Hinojosa)

This is an old Mexican folksong about a pretty bird which "already has an owner." I don't know that I'd like this song all that much if anybody else sang it, but I find the harmony between Baez and Hinojosa blends well on this track.

"Rambler Gambler/Whispering Bells" from Speaking of Dreams '89 by Joan Baez (duet with Paul Simon)

This is a weird medley of an old doo-wop tune with an even older traditional ballad, produced by Paul Simon at about the same time as "Graceland," and it sounds like it. It is sung by Baez with backup vocals by Simon. I don't know why I like this song so much -- the upbeat tempo, just the right level of percussion, Simon's back-vocals -- but if I had to pick a favorite song, this would be it.

"Scarborough Fair/Canticle", "The 59th St. Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," and "A Poem on the Underground Wall" from Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme" by Simon and Garfunkel

Three great songs from a great album -- in fact I've marked every song on this album with four or five stars, which makes it the highest rated album. "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" is just plain hauntingly beautiful, and I remember hearing it as a request on classical music station KKHI back when I was in high school (well, it sounds like a harpsichord to me). I first heard the whole album as a freshman in college, and to me "Feelin' Groovy" always brings back a particular memory of crossing Kresge Bridge at UCSC on a particularly sunny April day, the first week of Spring Quarter 1989. A gorgeous day to be out and about and a college student with, as yet, no worries about school or work. "A Poem on the Underground Wall" strikes me now as a bit less tightly crafted in its lyrics than some of the other songs -- and indeed, I'm wondering now if "Patterns" or "Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall" (its lyric "I don't know what is real, I can't touch what I feel, and I hide behind the shield of my illusion" was perfect for someone taking Introduction to Philosophy) aren't better songs -- but the pure facetiousness of treating the four-letter graffito as a work of art appeals to me.

"Let it Be" from Let it Be and "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" from Rubber Soul, by The Beatles

I don't think I can say much about either song that hasn't been heard before. Although the electric guitar solo on "Let It Be" isn't very harsh by most people's standards, it was something that helped me appreciate that sound when I was, metaphorically, booing Dylan at Newport in 1965. "Norwegian Wood" is just an interesting song, with its sort of Indian rock and roll and its ambiguously romantic lyrics, and I like it.

Custom checks

Nowadays many people have checks with pictures on them. I don't usually care to send a message about myself with my checks, but I think if I could get some with Zero Mostel's picture — and the caption "Don't forget the checky! Can't produce plays without the checky!" — I think I would.

The Foremen on iTunes

Ten years ago or so, Roy Zimmerman put together a folk-rock parody group called The Foremen. Originally a folk spoof group, a bit like the groups from "A Mighty Wind," they quickly went into topical parodies, from a liberal perspective.

Their last album came out in 1996 and, as far as I was aware, didn't do that well, but I liked it and managed to get hold of their other three albums. To my surprise, their last album came out today on iTunes. "What's Left" is a sort of left-wing folk-rock album, with songs parodying the Byrds, Simon & Garfunkel, and Crosby Stills & Nash, with lyrics referencing the election and political issues from 1996. (The first cut features Sheila Kuehl as the emcee at a Republican get-together...)

Apple also put up a video of "Ain't No Liberal," a song from the previous album, "Folk Heroes."

I don't really know why this nine-year-old album and video parodying forty-year-old music have been released now, but however dated, they are very funny, and (to me anyway) the musicianship does a good job of evoking '60s groups.

Pennies from Hell

Someone posted a rant on Craigslist, the gist of which is that we ought to get rid of pennies. He or she is right. Pennies have so little value with today's inflated dollar that it makes a great deal of sense to round prices off to the nearest nickel, as is done in Australia.

There used to be an organization called the Coin Coalition promoting the replacement of dollar bills with dollar coins and the elimination of the penny. Unfortunately the organization does not appear to exist anymore.

Beverage songs

In your mind's ear, imagine the song "Tequila," rearranged as chamber music. The new refrain, of course, is "Darjeeling!"

Jewish law

It turns out that roller skating is in accord with Jewish law, but that naming your daughter Danielle is not.

I don't know what this means but I think it's interesting.