This week’s musical interludes are inspired by my parents.  When I was growing up, I fondly remember Saturday mornings - watching cartoons with bellies full of pancakes, eggs, bacon, and Five Alive (anyone else remember that drink?)  As the early mornings wore on, Mom would start working on housework and Dad would be nose-deep in the check book figuring out the finances.  And as Superfriends led into the Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner show (signifying the end of the cartoon morning) we’d begin to hear old records starting to play on the hi-fi.  Dad or Mom, minding the wheels of steel, would coax out a multitude of memories through the sounds of the Beach Boys, the Temptations, the 5th Dimension, and Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons.

Most days, Mom and Dad would hear a song that really plucked the heartstrings.  Dad would take Mom by the hand, lead her to the middle of the living room, and they’d start to dance.  It could be a fast one or a slow one, but it was always special.  I remember that my childlike view of boys and girls would always cause me to shout, “MOMMYYYY & DADDYYYYY…QUIT IT!!”  But now, I don’t mind so much.  Here’s what I’m talking about from Christmas Eve 2007…

A lot of the music I find comfort in are from those lazy Saturday mornings or because I was researching one of those artists and found a whole world opening up to me.  On that note, let’s kick out the jams with some oldies, but goodies…

Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay never really meant anything to me growing up.  But once I rediscovered the heartwrenching soul and storytelling of the song, I rediscovered Otis and all the amazing music he was able to produce.  Even in such a loved but tragically shortened career, he sang some of the most inspiring music I’ve ever heard.  That’s How Strong My Love Is is my favorite…  

The Temptations – Their greatest hits album, The Ultimate Collection, is in my top 5 fav albums to listen to while driving.  From early greats such as My Girl (below) to the funk filled Papa Was a Rolling Stone, there are never any bad songs from these guys.  Look at the moves and the outfits!  I dig the outfits a ton…a bit of ska there.  My Dad always dances like he’s one of them.  A few years ago I told him that I used to think what weird dance moves he had.  But then I saw Smokey Robinson.  I saw the Temptations.  I saw the Four Tops, and I realized that for the era he grew up in, he was a badass dancer.  He was all smiles about that!

Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons – The first music concert I ever saw featured two plus hours of these gentlemen covering their entire catalogue at Pier 6 in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  I was about 7 or 8 years old at the time and with my family.  Frankie Valli was a LOT older.  For some of the songs like Sherry and Rag Doll, he needed a little help from the audience to hit the high notes, but they really wore it out that night.  My folks dig the older songs more, but I always liked this one, December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)… 

Well there you have it class…some old school lovin’.  Remember your safety briefing for the weekend…

If you’re going to drink, don’t drive.  AND…

If you’re going to swim, swim with a buddy.

Later, skaters.

We all have seen the slow and untimely failing of Good Conversation’s existence in these times.  Technology, thought to ease the time and effort required to complete daily responsibilities, hinders more that it helps.  People spend their days flying through work believing that faster is always better.  Yuppie scum approach at the pub with the itemized checklist of putrid starters which do not lead to a conversation but rather a base of answers only utilized to measure their own self worth against.  To hear, “what do you do?”, “where do you work?”, and “where did you graduate/where are you from?” all before names are exchanged should immediately flash warning signs to all that this is just someone not skilled in the dying art of conversation.

The quality of life provided by our dearly departed Good Conversation remained proportional to the quality of the conversation and the etiquette utilized during that cerebral/linguistic relationship.  The ability to listen, to know when to ask questions or provide a comment, and the manners to allow one to finish a statement rather than cutting them off in the hopes of hijacking the conversation all signify the conversing party as one of respect and understanding of what made Good Conversation vital to an enjoyable lunch, a pint at the pub, or a walk in the park with a sweetheart.

Alas, there is precious little to keep Good Conversation alive in these trying times.  Our only hope is that those who remember or were exposed to the beneficent nature of Good Conversation will keep it’s memory alive and try to educate those who lack the understanding.

Ashes to ashes…

Dust to dust…

Amen.

This week is ska week.  There’s something about ska that picks me up when I’m down.  Maybe it’s the beat…or the bass-line…or the horns.  Who knows?  It’s been a long week and this has been getting me by.  So, without further a do, let’s go old school…

Reel Big Fish- An old fav in my collection.  Thanks to Rob C. for reminding me of these guys.  This is She Has a Girlfriend Now.  Bear through the first thirty seconds or so to get to the good stuff.

The Specials – Always loved this band.  If you saw the Specials patch on the sleeve in the first video, there’s a reason.  First time I heard A Message to You Rudy, I flipped out.  I bought this other UK music mag a few months ago because it had an article on the boys…in SPITE of the big, ugly mug of Neil Young on the cover which would adorn my coffee table.  This says volumes of my love for the Specials.  Here is a nice live version from ’79.

Bob Marley- Before he and the Wailers went global with rock steady, he was skanking in dancehalls.  This one, One Cup of Coffee, is another fav of mine.  If you like this one, try Judge Not, too.

That’s it class.  Hope you had a great week!  Remember your safety briefing for the weekend…

If you’re gonna drink, don’t drive.  AND…

If you’re gonna swim, swim with a buddy.

Later.

I attempted to keep up with the debate as long as I could, but quickly became frustrated, turning back to my gin and tonics.  Two thoughts stuck with me despite my disgust. 

The first was something my high school AP US History teacher taught us.  He had described to us the setting for the 1960 debates between JFK and Richard Nixon.  At that time, the tele was first being utilized to broadcast these debates.  But not everyone had the tube.  And what was witnessed was a split in public opinion regarding who won those debates.  Those who listened to the debates on the radio believed that Nixon had clearly won.  Those who watched them on television believed that Kennedy pulled out the victories as they saw his cool and handsome demeanor overshadow the sweaty and nervous looking Nixon.  I’m sure the same could be said about the debate that was held on Friday night. 

The second thought that stuck with me was the need for the news broadcasters to post crowd reactions and political analyst scorecards on the screen during the debate.  The media, hopefully, performed their due diligence when selecting the analysts.  Let’s face it.  This country is full of sheep and social leeches.  If someone on TV says its good, it must be good.  I mean, I can’t control the outcome of the election.  I can’t even say I know for whom I will be voting.  But I’d like to think that it will be with my heart and my mind and not because I want to agree with the audience and the analysts.

I’m still listening and watching.  I’m gathering data and will decide on my choice before E-Day.  If by some chance, I cannot make the decision between the Democrat and the Republican, I may just as well write in the Russian-born leader that I’ve come to love and respect…

Alex Ovechkin courtesy of ESPN the Magazine

Outside my apartment. 28 Sept 2008

I love days like this.  Nothing to do but listen to hard raindrops clatter with the sun still shining in the distance…

This is the definition of my life
Lying in bed in the sunlight
Choking on the vitamin tablet
The doctor gave in the hope of saving me
In the hope of saving me

Walked in the corner of the room
A junk yard fool with eyes of gloom
I asked him time again
Take me in and dry the rain
Take me in and dry the rain
Take me in and dry the rain
Take me in and dry the rain the rain
The rain the rain the rain now

Dusty brown boots in the corner
By the ironing board
Spray on dust is the greatest thing
Sure is the greatest thing
Since the last since the last

Walked in the corner of the room
A junk yard fool with eyes of gloom
I asked him time again
Take me in and dry the rain
Take me in and dry the rain
Take me in and dry the rain
Take me in and dry the rain the rain
The rain the rain the rain now

I asked him time again
Take me in and dry the rain
Take me in and dry the rain
Take me in and dry the rain
Take me in and dry the rain
The rain the rain the rain now

If there’s something inside that you wanna say
Say it out loud it’ll be okay
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light

If there’s something inside that you wanna say
Say it out loud it’ll be okay
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light

I Need Love, yeah
I Need Love

If there’s something inside that you wanna say
Say it out loud it’ll be okay
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light

If there’s something inside that you wanna say
Say it out loud it’ll be okay
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light
I will be your light

I Need Love
I Need Love

Dry the Rain by The Beta Band.

UPDATE: Isn’t the sky amazing after the rains come?

Been a light week for content here at the Life.  Too many birthdays and people moving around.  Without further ado, here are this week’s top three…

Sick Puppies – Australian trio with a heavy sound.  All the Same is the sad song below, but put against the background of Juan Mann’s Free Hugs campaign on youtube, it’s an uplifting treat that even made my mama shed a tear.  If you look closely, you’ll see Curtis, the Take Home Chef from TLC, sharing the love, too.

Gogol Bordello – Gypsy punks whose live shows are supposed to be fantastic.  Mr. Hutz and crew in Milan with Supertheory of Supereverything.

Tim Armstrong – Of Rancid and Operation Ivy, Tim’s solo album dropped last year and has been popping up on my MP3 player every couple of weeks, seemingly out of nowhere.  Into Action and Wake Up are also nice cuts from the wax.  But Hold On (below) is my pick of the litter.  This guy has the best punk voice (in my humble opinion.)  I was able to see Rancid during a Warped Tour several years ago and it was one of the best closing acts of a festival I’ve seen.  Throw in my bro, some Henry Rollins, and Good Charlotte (when they actually meant a little something to me) and I had a bloody brilliant day. 

There you have it, class.  Again, sorry for the light week.  Your safety briefing for the weekend is as follows…

If you’re going to drink, don’t drive.  And…

If you’re going to swim, swim with a buddy.

Growing up, things seemed as if they would turn out so much differently.  I was being groomed to be a doctor.  Everything seemed planned out for me by the time I was in sixth grade.  Kujo seemed more of a question mark.  To me, he seemed more independent and quiet about his existence.  I wasn’t sure what he’d make of himself.  I knew he would succeed but I didn’t know at what.

And after all this time, it’s worked out so differently.  He was the one who found his true nitch by the time he graduated high school.  He pursued the major that made him happy and found the career he wanted to pursue when he graduated in four years.  He met the woman of his dreams and married her.  He maintained his ties with his good friends from high school and he has never compromised his values or his honor.

For me, instead of finding myself in high school, I started to lose myself in the quicksand of self-doubt and personal understanding.  I took to college thinking I knew what I wanted and realizing that an extra year of school would be needed to help me figure it out.  And when that extra year bore no fruit, I took my swiss cheese pride and started from the bottom hoping that the epiphany would hit me.  I became the loner and hid from any of those I knew in my youth.  And all that I thought was honest and pure became corrupted and sour when my eyes were opened.  The truths that I based my existence on were displaced by the falsehoods that revealed themselves to me from under the surface of my smokescreen-burned eyes.

Of course I’m envious.  And yes, I’m a little jealous.  But I couldn’t be prouder of him.  He’s really become the man that I knew was inside of him.  I owe it to him to discover the one that spelunks in the inner cavernous depths and shine a little light on his path.

The best years for me have started in the beginning of my third decade.  It can’t be too late already, can it?

Today is Thursday.  That means music day, boys and girls.  I’ve waxed poetic about change, entropy, language, dreams, brick walls, and social action.  Time to inject some levity into the blog.  There’s nothing better to lighten the mood then some music.  And maybe we’ll learn a little about each other by sharing the music we like.  I’ll post the top three artists for the day or week based upon what I’ve been listening to at work, in the car, or who I’ve read about in my favorit British music rag. 

Since this is the inaugural music day post, we’ll kick out the jams with three of my top favs.  The first up to bat…

Rocco Deluca & the Burden – The boys from Long Beach received little publicity when their first album, I Trust You to Kill Me, hit the stores.  Their video for Colorful made the VH1 top 20 countdown for a while, but the cornerstone of Keifer Sutherland and Jude Cole’s Ironworks label have been making their name on the road.  They play a wicked live show (and they’re hellacool fellas to boot.)  If you get a chance, check them out.  Their new album, Mercy, is due out soon, so a tour in support should materialize very soon.  For now, check out a live version of Swing Low from ITYTKM…

(Blogger’s Note: Seeing these guys live led to this feeble attempt at coolness)

Next up…

Jason Mraz – His new album features a song that he’s played for years on tour but never put on wax until now.  I haven’t seen him live yet, but from the youtube videos I’ve seen, I’ll be catching him next time around.  If you stick with it through to the end, this nice little backyard bbq version of I’m Yours provides an educational nugget…in case you wanted to learn how to say bacon in Jamaican…

Finally…

Colin Hay – The former frontman of Men at Work has produced a serviceable solo career with remakes of some of the old Men at Work retreds and some lovely numbers of his own.  Check out the album, Man @ Work, for some of these goodies.  He’s coming to the Birchmere early next year and I expect a date to be posted at the same time for Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore.  If anyone’s down to check him out, drop me a note!  For now, this song, Beautiful World, makes me happy…

There you have it class.  A few musical interludes to get you to the weekend.  To everyone who’s been stopping by Entropic Life, thank you so much!  We’re glad you’re coming along for the ride.  Leave some comments even if it’s just to say “howdy.”  Tell your friends if you like and pass out the URL.  Like I said in the first post, I don’t know where this blog will take me, but the journey is half the fun.  And I’m starting to believe in the phrase “the more the merrier.”

Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon professor, gave his last lecture entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” 10 months before succumbing to cancer.  He talked about brick walls put in your path to test your will to overcome and show that you really wanted something.  As Faust says, the action is what makes the man (or woman.)

The ability to act…to make a mark.  To leave a legacy that is honorable and true…that speaks to those that follow in one’s wake.  For one that has always felt less of themselves, this is undoubtedly a daunting task.  But shedding the chrysalis of self-doubt and inferior feelings to emerge winged and soaring in the world above CAN happen.  It requires daily affirmation (not this kind…)

But dispelling those feelings of doubt can lead to great things.  And there is never any better time then the present.

Pausch talks about creativity and making dreams happen using outside the box type thinking.  There are always going to be brick walls in the way.  But perhaps overcoming those obstacles are the character-building bio-cultural events that build TRUE character.  It’s not galloping along with the herd hoping that you, all of a sudden, are the weak, the sick, or the old that is doomed to the lioness’ trap.

I wonder how Faust would react to scores of sarcastic sheep brought up on re-tread movies and steady diets of game shows and reality television.  WHERE HAS THE CREATIVITY AND ACTION GONE

I worry about my family – those who have sacrificed for me.  Can we act on the environmental issues that keep unfolding exponentially in front of us?  Can we devise creative solutions to eliminate the financial madness whose dark curtain slowly envelops and suffocates those that have worked hard to simply live?

And then I read Faust.  And I see Pausch’s last lecture on public television.  And there is comfort.  There are people who “get it.”  But is it enough?  Do the right people have that character?  Do the people that support them have the character to make the right decisions?  AM I SCREAMING MY HANDS OFF FOR NOTHING?

Take a look at the last lecture if you haven’t seen it before…

Let’s take some creative action…find our niche…and make it count.

I’ve always enjoyed learning languages.  I wouldn’t say that I’ve a total affinity for understanding syntax and structure of communication outside of English, but I can hold my own, I reckon.  The grade school I went to allowed me the opportunity to learn two different languages in my four years of middle school: French and Latin.  That brilliant chance to attain linguistic knowledge lead to some opportunities as I progressed through my educational career.  The one year of Latin definitely assisted in my SAT scores and the French background allowed me to start high school in an advanced class.  Out of that class, the association with the Language Club opened the door to a club trip to Quebec during the Winter Carnival. 

I thought I would take it one step further when, at Maryland, I realized that the university offered courses in Swedish.  Trying to connect with my paternal heritage, I sucked up two semesters like a hot plate of spaghetti.  I really didn’t excel at the language, but then again, I admittedly didn’t focus all my efforts on my studies either.

I feel as though this has been a missing part of my existence.  On a recent family trip to Aruba, I discovered the local language, Papiamento.  I learned a few words and phrases and after successfully utlizing them (to many giggles from the locals) felt the embers of learning desire start to blaze up in the face of tradewinds on the beach.  I thought about this as I watched Dr. So-and-So speaking with Ms. Such-and-Such about Rosetta Stone’s tools and revolutionary language learning curriculum.

It’s obvious that Americans are frowned upon throughout the globe for their lack of cultural and historical knowledge.  If you grow up anywhere else then North America, the ability to learn two…three…four…seven different languages provides a better quality of life.  One can negotiate and communicate with different nationals.  At the very least, you can take the third person translator out of the picture and put yourself on the front line.  In the information age, first-hand knowledge seals the deal.

I’m going to make it happen.  I love to learn languages.  And even though my current job has VERY little to do with cultural expansion, who knows what kind of doors a new language skill under my belt will open up.  The hardest part, I realized at 4:12 this AM, is which language should I learn?  In the next five years, over a third of the US population will speak Spanish as it’s first language.  China’s advances in industry and absolute mobilization towards global manufacturing dominance makes a Chinese-speaking employee a valuable business asset.  Russian, Farsi, Arabic, Korean…all languages that politically are high on the list of need-to-know for our intelligence agencies.  Or you could be this guy…

So what do you think?