Christy

ooo, Lorena…great stuff, Christy. Hope all is well Chez Reddhead?

Very nice. We are enjoying the music this rainy, foggy morning.
I am sick of politics too.

Morning Christy–

Promises to be a glorious day in Minneapolis–sun up, 10 F now but will go up to 30 F. Balmy for us in these parts…

I don’t know about you all, but I need a politics break this morning. In fact, I’ve needed one all week long. Things are heating up in the primaries, the squabbling over very little squawks onward, and it is all I can do to remain civil.

thank you christy! me too.

this week i’ve found myself getting pissed off at things that should just be water off a duck’s back. i’m not usually nearly so touchy. you-all can comment on how bad you think i usually am… but whatever is normal for me - this past week as not been normal.

and then i get angry at myself for being short with people. i really hate doing that, especially when it’s people who had nothing to do with setting me off in the first place. and when i’m angry with myself, i’m more likely to get irritated with others…. and it’s just a horrible vicious cycle that i want to stop. RIGHT NOW.

i’m definitely open to suggestions on how to do that… music is a great one. just listening to yesterday’s “the spin i’m in” did wonders for my state of mind.

…. be right back, going to put something on the stereo before commenting further.

Reading the Straight Man Richard Russo

and listening to the Mummers stringbands while housecleaning

At this point, the only ’song’ I want to hear is the sound of the birds of spring letting me know it’s coming. ;-)

Not for escape, but for a sense of purpose, Nora Jones singing ‘American Anthem.” It’s like setting JFK’s “ask not . . . ” challenge to music, and it hasn’t left my head for even one day since I first heard it in Ken Burn’s latest masterpiece “The War.”

It’s not just about military service. It’s a prayer to be of use to our country.

a You Tube (with a military theme)is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRv7PXU-l2E

Andres Segovia - Asturias via Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....38;search=

Well it’s not escape music but it is about shoes.

Shoetube.tv featuring The Daily Shoe

And after all, is always about shoes.

When it got near the end of Istanbul I almost got up to turn the tea kettle off! Then I thought, wait a minute– I didn’t put the tea kettle on!

White Hinterland - Dreaming of the Plum Trees
Dave Ross - Difference
Pinto - All or Nothing
Drive-By Truckers - A Ghost To Most

How about a gorgeous pop song that can take you right out of a Minnesota winter and into the sights and sounds of summer? And, if you’re a fifty-something single guy, the lyrics are impossible to resist.

Bruce Springsteen: “Girls in Their Summer Clothes“

that video of Polina Seminova was beautiful to watch

I don’t know how to make links on here, but you can cut and paste these urls:
These cheer me up enormously:
Radetzky March:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=M13e1M76SqM
Beirut Orpheus Choir:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NXT2wkKosMI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E0x.....re=related
Pirates of Penzance:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bCL57837odU
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d9_XNXMU2Q4
Shift Happens:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q
Un Bel Di:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LB2OTEcRhBs

Thanks for the music. We saw Loreena two times last year and loved it.

I have been listening to this quite a bit lately:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hFuGFzMdYDY

Mornin all, sunny with rising temps. Time to put out the fixins for an avian repast. OT, but isn’t it curious that their is no coverage of how the right wing turned on a dime to throw all their to support McCain. Maybe when they realized that he’s in fact corrupt after all their ideological criticisms melted away. I do think that the timing of the story is curious as well. An article that is based on the premise of “potential” Republican corruption of the political process is like an article on Saturday following Friday.

This video isn’t so great, but it’s the song you need to hear…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A2Jt4WOxN8

Anything Bob Marley or Toots and the Maytals.

For escape music I usually tune into the Ambient stream on iTunes and listen to Groove Salad or Ambient Popsicle.

Other times I tune into the Dance stream and listen to Beirutnights.com Radio and just dance in my kitchen since it’s got the largest dance floor space in my house.

I don’t know how to do the links, but you can cut and paste these urls:
Shift Happens (The music gets me; the information I can take or leave alone)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q
Beirut Orpheus Choir:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=NXT2wkKosMI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=E0xYYw9jK6k
Un Bel Di:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LB2OTEcRhBs
Pirates of Penzance:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bCL57837odU
http://youtube.com/watch?v=d9_XNXMU2Q4
Radetzky March:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=M13e1M76SqM

Might i suggest this.

…or this

or maybe even this.

Morning Chisty, Biodun, everyone. Got up at 6:30 and just finishe shoveling us out - white thick powder. Nice feeling: sweat, face burn, warm fingers, throat pulling, deep slow breaths. A warm cuppa coffee, scanned the NYT and now with my dog curled up beside me I am checking in with friends at the Lake. Little sleep,but only 4 chapters left to do before deadline.

One of the greatest inventions of the last half century is YouTube. They are great for a quick dive into reality AND fantasy, politics AND art, critique and pleasure, teaching an learning. I just hope that with the changes in the internet that they don’t find a way to limit its potential through control or cost.

Hey Ya’ll

It’s rained for 2 days and we really need it here. This morning my bride’s garden club is planting 20 big dogwoods on the main drag so it’s off to shovel red Georgia mud!

Everytime I want to “get away” from the winter blahs, I go to a sandy beach in Brazil.

I used to go only in my mind, now I have youtube! woohoo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg1xlLufxIU

From the music hardware dept…

My 4th generation Ipod stopped working a couple of months ago. I was just about to send it off for repair when I came across this site after putting “fix my Ipod” in the google.

Unbelievably, it worked!

(Not sure if I’ve got the linky thing down yet, so just in case I don’t, here’s the address.)

http://www.instructables.com/id/S52XI9AF36FEU56/

I need music to drool by for those

Rives ~ If I ran the Internet. Spoken Word

I have gotten into ballet in the past 6 or 7 years and it is very beautiful and really takes you out of this world. Escapism? Yea.. but so beautiful… and these dancers are the perfection of the human form.

A dancer IS a musical instrument! Their entire body is music for the soul.

Here is what I turn to for some calm:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8REAP-OHybI.
Lauridsin: Lux Aterna.
He taught composition at USC.
I first heard this on a local pacific station while driving.
Ran out and got it tout suite.
When I’m stressed, it pulls me back into the majesty of the universe.
Like being a leaf, drifting on the currents of a river or
Or, like being a single star twinkling somewhere out there.

More from Rives DEAF Poetry ~ Sign Language.

G’mornin’ all. Hello Christy. Well, there’s another 2 feet of fresh snow out there. I as all ready to hit the Sunday am talk shows, and you set me off on a side track. I must say, it feels great! A break from politics, huh? Never occurred to me!

Tull. I always turn to Tull or Ian Anderson for a mental vaca.

THIS sends me elsewhere:

Secret Language of Birds

Thanks for the break! sorry, I gotta get over to the Times. Waterboarding on the front page.

hugz

Good morning,

Monday night, my wife and I got to see Ladysmith Black Mambazo (most remeber for Paul Simons’ Graceland) in Fort Worth. It was a very good show. The attached is a very short clip which shows the “dancing” more than the a chapella harmonies. They invite audience participation in one of these dance songs. Some were brave (dumb) enough to participate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbDPjuVCQZ8

If you take a broken Ipod into the Apple Store, chances are they will give you a very sympathetic look and offer you 10% off a new one.

They must know the fix I linked to above works in many instances, but of course their job is to sell new ones, not fix old ones.

Here’s another link that gives more information on fixing a broken Ipod.

This one shows how to replace the hard drive if it’s damaged and has over 970 responses, most of which marvel at how simple this fix is.

Oh, well here’s something I just found checking the headlines on MSNBC:
The story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23224952/
the trailer for the movie:
http://www.shineglobal.org/

G’morning all !

For relaxation, I listen to Indian classical music and Louise Hay’s 101 Power Thoughts … her voice sounds like divine music and it puts me in a beautiful blissful state …

Morning, Christie,

I also like to start the day with some Bob Marley, which jumpstarts my brain and seems to put my 8 year old son’s “I hate mornings” mood to rest. For reading, lately I just look at quilting magazines and dream of beautiful projects. We just put 36 solar panels on our roof and I love to go out and look at them, to tell the truth. It is a foggy NC morning but soon those babies will be soaking up the rays for our home.

Mornin all, I listen to the Spirit Fire the Seventh Sign sound track. FANTASTIC Native American show!

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.

This world in arms is not spending money alone.

It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.

The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities.

It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals.

It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement.

We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat.

We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people.

This is, I repeat, the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking.

This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron. These plain and cruel truths define the peril and point the hope that come with this spring of 1953.

This is one of those times in the affairs of nations when the gravest choices must be made, if there is to be a turning toward a just and lasting peace.

It is a moment that calls upon the governments of the world to speak their intentions with simplicity and with honesty.

It calls upon them to answer the question that stirs the hearts of all sane men: is there no other way the world may live? “

President Dwight Eisenhower, April 16, 1953

Whole Wheat Chocolate-Chip Pancakes

hmmmm… i wonder - does the whole wheat make it a health food? (just kidding!)

i’m thinking that a one or two of those would go awfully well with a fresh pot of coffee. will report back if i succumb to the temptation.

thank you!

woo hoo!!!

i’ve been snowed in for the last 24 hours…. but i hear the snow plow outside!

I like McKinnet, too, and have the double cd+dvd of her concert at the Alhambra.

But, more importantly, I have THE MUST-SEE photo of McCain that sums up his current troubles, from the Economist 2/16/08 issue ‘Cannon to the Right of Him’ story (behind the suscription barrier, alas, but the link to the photo itself may work). It’s originally from Reuters. http://media.economist.com/ima.....708US3.jpg

It’s a hoot!

Wow! a FLOCK of red-breasted robins in bush (with red berrries)

good morning, selise!! we may be snowed in, but with sightings of robins, we may thaw out soon!

Christy:

Typo in first line of post: Loreena McKennitt…*g*

Nyee Moses…Wow
Has hit the jazz/R&B charts hard and fast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DKg6MB88dU
http://www.nyeemoses.com
Take a listen.

Take that break Christy. I needed one after New Hampshire. Guess I wasn’t in game shape. So I took one and it did me good. Couldn’t stay away as long as I had planned but it still did me good.

What am I listening to? Funny you ask. I blame Suzzane. The other night in a comment she posted the lyrics to Mother’s Little Helper. Haven’t been able to get it out of my head since. OK. Not “blame.” Thanks Suze!!

Awww, now there you go breaking out with a slap to the face of the MIC when we were gettin’ our music on.

But since you went there…. 60 million to shoot down the wayward satellite?

Guns is waaayy ahead of butter these days.

I’m nevvuh showing my kids this recipe … they’ll want it every day … *g*

I love Loreena McKinnett. I’ve been listening to her for over ten years…I loves me some Enya as well…

I’ve decided it’s the constant repetition of arguing points. So I thought a complete break from it this morning would be helpful. *g* I know it was cathartic for me pulling all these links…

Where do you live? Thankfully, that big storm missed Toronto … although one more is headed our way on Tuesday …

McKennitt…most definitely…*G*

Oh, and morning all. Had to defrag my hard drive this morning — things have been running a little more slowly than I would like, and it took longer than I expected. How is everyone this morning?

Dreary and cold here today. Thank goodness for coffee…

“Bring me to Life” -scenes from La Femme Nikita. OK Here is my eye candy of the moment (to music): Too plebian for lots of lake fans but… there it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zg6Cs9YCeY

…and obviously pace my 45…*g*

Politics makes children of us all … *g*

Is the Peanut all better ?

I won’t even ask if you’ve caught up on lost sleep … that happens when they go off to college (or so I’ve been told) *g*

I’ve been digging out a lot of Bruce lately. And the Don Henley End of Innocence album, too. Funny how certain music fits certain moods so well - or pulls you out of them — isn’t it?

You live in one of our (my wife & I) favorite places.

Speaking of music, have you ever been to The Reservoir Bar?

Loved the jazz bands we’ve heard there.

It’s wintry grey in NYC… But’s February and Spring is coming soon.

We lost a $1.2BB plane which is an enormous waste of our tax dollars. We only has 22 left. Quel damage!

We need to get this MIC off our backs. It’s a burden this society and planet cannot afford.

I’m a musician, been in bands all my life, play piano, been on the stage all my life as well

this guitarist and solo is some of the most ingenious guitar work I have ever seen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA5faZF1A8

Speaking of taking a break, Obama’s mention in the debate of how hard he and Hillary had been working caused me to focus on the point. Since they’re here in Texas, I can see that the schedule is a killer. Most of us would worry and prepare long in advance for one out of town speech. Over the last few days, we’ve seen them speak before large audiences twice a day in one part of the state, debate on national TV the next evening, speak twice a day the following day before huge audiences. Meanwhile we all parse and hang on their every word. The winner gets to begin the real campaign. Not much of it has to do with serving in the office. Still, I think they deserve some credit and an occasional break.

And then there’s this:

This article, by David Twiddy of the Associated Press, mentions two attorneys in Kansas City, Mo., who have been accused of helping wealthy clients avoid millions of dollars in taxes. They allegedly did it through setting up sham companies in Nevada.

The sham companies “would receive payments for bogus management services to the clients’ companies, which were then claimed as tax deductions. Other bogus corporations distributed the management fees as stock to the customers’ Roth Individual Retirement Accounts, which are not taxable.”

The most-shocking part of this story, however, is the example of one wealthy client who allegedly avoided reporting or paying taxes on more than $57.6 million, saving $20 million.

That sounds great. Friend fr MN tells me all about it. Brrrrr. I guess the kids will be playing basketball today (They have shoveled the courts, I assume).

It’s yucky - again - in the City Beautiful. Overcast. Warm (65) and will likely rain - again. Been a shitty winter. Had the doxie out for a walk this a.m. I didn’t see a ger shep across the street so i wasn’t holdin’ the leash too tight.. Dozie saw it. Runs across the street (without looking both ways), runs up underneath the ger shep and starts biting at its throat. Ther ger shep basically sat on my little doxie. A little excitement but no harm done. Offsetting 5 minute majors and 2 minutes to the doxie for instigating.

Bruce is always great. It would also be great on another post to get a sense from the Lake of the best anti-war youTubes -present and past- with links (Pink, Dixie Chicks would start off my list!).

Sitting here trying to teach my lab to say “sausage”. If he insists begging for my breakfast, he needs to be able to communicate in terms that his human understands. (woof and grrrr ain’t getting it)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related

Bruuuuuuce!!!!! Me too. Got a concert to go to in April so I have to start getting psyched..

what’s the snow situation?

good morning kathryn! only 2 more months to go until the first leaf buds are breaking out.

WOW. this certainly takes the calming effect out of Pachelbel. That’s not the way I like to hear guitar music. I am more of a Segovia fan. I consider myself fortunate to have not had to suffer from distorted rock guitar. I don’t get it.

5″ more or less, slippery roads. Slushy cross walks from blacked drains. ICK

Ooooh, now it is pouring the snow down outside. Wish I’d refilled the feeders yesterday, but their half-full state is going to have to hold for a while. Just beautiful outside at the moment…

True. I remember when the Repubs were hopping all over Florida and rthinking how draining that must have been. especially for Rudy who knew his whole canidacy was going down the shitter.HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. But Texas?? Punishing.

Christy for me, the music is often either the AllMan Brothers Whipping Post or Little Feat’s Willin’. Of course just a small sampling of all the wonderful music out there that I love.

I don’t think that I have … memories before having kids are kinda foggy … *g*

Toronto has some great Jazz clubs … Montreal Bistro is excellent and sometimes when Jeff Healey makes an impromptu appearance, well that’s a special treat …

This is a bit political, but it has been running in my head for several days. Phoebe Snow’s wonderful 80’s hit - Poetry Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OxTVxGhHFM

That’s what I figured. Commute last night must have been hell.

in MA - on the tippy top of one of the worcester hills. my hill isn’t very high and the storm wasn’t a particularly big one, but my road goes nowhere and so we are usually one of the last places to get plowed. and for some reason the neighbor who has been plowing me out for years (bless him with all good things) didn’t plow yesterday. it was no biggy, but i’m glad to be able to get the car out if the need should arise.

Snow? Snow? Why, those are just pretty white flower petals all over everything…. (cabin fever much?)

WOW. this certainly takes the calming effect out of Pachelbel. That’s not the way I like to hear guitar music. I am more of a Segovia fan. I consider myself fortunate to have not had to suffer from distorted rock guitar. I don’t get it.

I love segovia as well, but this guitar work is stunning

I was just thinking last nite about that protest song thing we did around Xmas time. Your idea is great. I was thinking about “Best non-protest song by a protest song singer.”

It’s been a more insane than usual schedule this year because everything is so compressed. I know staff folks on both sides — and knew folks with the other Dem campaigns as well — and it’s been grueling since last summer. I don’t kno how they do it, honestly.

Christy:

Still typo: Loreena McKennitt…*G*

We (I mean we–see my own 50 and my own correxat 45) will get this straight once and for all…*G* I gotta get some more java…

LOL !!!

Hmmm, I wonder if Bruce is coming to Toronto … brb …

Hmmm. My thinking hadn’t gone quite that far; compassion for conservatives. We don’t want this gentleness to get out of hand. I’m sorry, back to the music.

I’ve decided it’s the constant repetition of arguing points

that’s a good point.

i also think that during the election season people feel more personally attached / identified with their candidates or the party in general. so my standard attempts to hold dems accountable are more frequently being taken as personal attacks than they were even 6 months ago.

anyway. no attempts at accountability this morning…. my fdl friends deserve a break.

otoh, the temptation for whole wheat chocolate chip pancakes is looking like one temptation i’m going to go with. *g*

Okay - I’ve changed it again. No more changing it…she’ll just have to live with people googling her.

I was really surprised too…I said to myself, if this can get to selise, then…

Thank God I had several errands to run yesterday when those threads were running live…I came back to read then later at night while drinking red wine…*g*

I don’t think I want to give up the politics what with McCain on the spit. I would like to offer SAINT-SAËNS Dance Macabre - The Florence Piano Duet for your listening pleasure. (Sorry I don’t know how to do links) Close your eyes and you’re in the dance.

Good morning all! I’ve been digging Bruce lately as well. his “Magic” album is fabulous, as is “Live in Dublin.” When I hear “Girls in their summer clothes” I swear I’m back at the Jersey shore and 17 again. Also been listening to a lot of Rush-Hemispheres, Hold Your Fire, etc.

I recently won an IMAX sized TV, so I am getting HD installed today. Looking forward to watching the Oscars on it. Are we liveblogging again?

Thanks for the tip. Will check it out on our next visit.

Our friends think we’re crazy, but we normally come after Christmas every year to shop and hang out. We take in Caribana every other year.

We just love the multicultural & cosmopolitan nature of your fair city.

((( TM )))

We were sharing Chocolate Martini recipes the other day … do you have a fav recipe to share ?

I’m listening to Rodney Miller this morning. I saw him in concert at Dance Flurry in Saratoga a number of years ago. No one plays like he does. Go to this site;there are clips. Prepare to jump up and dance around your kitchen. http://www.greatmeadowmusic.com/miller.html

hi Biodun.

I work from home usually and DID cancel a trip to the city. You betcha!

So, what have you been listening to lately? What is the song you turn to — or movie, or book, whatever — for escape lately? Do share. Pull up a chair…

I’ve been listening to a lot of African music, my heritage: Baaba Mal; Manu diBango, Angelique Kidjo, Salif Keita, Papa Wemba, Oumou Sangare, Cesaria Evora, Cheikh Lo, Yousou N’Dour…

punaise would know who most of these are: punaise mon pot, tu est la? ‘coz most are Francophone–exception: Ceasria Evora from Sao Tome (Cape Verdes Islands) who sings in Portuguese but lives in Paris–and so speaks French there…Cape Verdes Islanders speak Portuguese…

Spring/Summer sees an endless stream of cultural events all over the place. The image of groups of people doing the Tango on a downtown street or hundred of thousands enjoying our two Jazz festivals is running through my mind right now …

Tell Siun how great Caribana is … the poor lass has never been to one … *g*

How about Lucky Dube? He was murdered last fall.

hi there–

so are you that siri I knew a while back, like 20 years ago in Minneapolis? If yes that would blow my mind–completely!!!

Biodun, I find foreign language music to be a great de- stresser … there comes a point while listening, where the music transcends the barrier of language and I totally ‘bliss out’ …

nope. i’ve never been to Minneapolis. Colorado girl here.
sorrrrrry…….
:)

hmmm. red wine. dark chocolate. and music.

that just might be on the agenda for this evening.

this morning though, i’m going for more coffee…. and if i happen to see some chocolate and whole wheat flour while i’m in the kitchen…. well, the recipe is bookmarked. *g*

i’m thinking of a few hours of mindless light fiction too. someone recently recommended janet evanovich’s plum series to me for that purpose.

and if all that doesn’t get me out of the nasties… well, then a more serious intervention is called for.

This past week I listened to La Boheme, Tosca and various Maria Callas.

Oh Christy, so perfect for a Saturday morning, and so right on!

The DP and I were having a lovely dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant in DC on Thursday, and the bleed-over from the CNN debate turned our conversation to immigration which then turned very, very raw. It’s not how we normally interact, and while there are other factors (we’re about to close on a our first house, and both of us have chaotic work situations) I’m of the mind that the length of our political campaigns, while good for the public relations firms, pollsters, and political consultants, is horrible for democracy and real political culture — not to mention domestic relations!

So to take me away from the grey February reality of Washington, I’ve been listening to Antonio Carlos Jobim, as performed by Jacques and Paula Morelenbaum, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Listening to the music is sublime; watching the video makes me think I’m in Rio, which is just fine, thank you!

Yes yes. I listened to him around 1996–but I don’t have him in my iPod now. But thanks for that! I’ll d