Pass the Potato Salad, Marvin Gaye

I heard an interview with Stevie Wonder recently in which he said that he wrote the song I Wish (those days would come back once more) after coming home from a Motown Picnic.
Which begs the question:
"Motown Picnic? How do I get myself invited?"

Also:

"Can you do a three-legged race with Diana Ross?"

"Are the Jackson Five in the pie-eating contest?"

And

"Did Barry Gordy win the egg-on-the-spoon relay?"

And because inquiring minds want to know..."Who got drunk?"

Wait a Second, Say That Again # 8

"I must be fine because my heart's still beating."

White Stripes, Fell In Love with a Girl

I wrote some time ago about the fact that my car's CD player had died. This meant agonizing months of being at the mercy of the radio. But my husband fixed this scenario as a birthday present. I am back in business.

One of my latest obsessions is the White Stripes. Although I have been enjoying them from the minute they hit the scene, I have only recently given them the listening they deserve. I will save a longer love-fest for another post, but for now wanted to share this line.

There are some days that nothing will sum up one's state of being better. It could be construed as over-dramatic and yet -- nothing could be simpler. Go check and see if you're fine. I'll be here when you get back.

Or Would You Rather Be a Fish?

Today is a dear friend's birthday
and so I was inspired to look up the wonderful Dr. Seuss.

"If we didn't have birthdays, you wouldn't be you.
If you'd never been born, well then what would you do?
If you'd never been born, well then what would you be?
You might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree!
You might be a doorknob! Or three baked potatoes!
You might be a bag full of hard green tomotoes.
Or worse than all that...Why, you might be a WASN'T!
A Wasn't has no fun at all. No he doesn't.
A Wasn't just isn't. He just isn't present.
But you...You ARE YOU! And, now isn't that pleasant!"

Happy Birthday to You (1959)

Man that's good. Another example of Seuss embracing Buddhism. Love the subversive when it is slipped in so seamlessly. Bravo. And enjoy your birthday -- everybody.

When Stupidity Shocks OR How Boston Made An Ass of Itself

I first heard about the suspected event of terror while driving home yesterday, listening to a local radio show, Toucher and Rich on WBCN. They explained that some devises had been picked up after complaints about their "suspicious nature." The hosts of the radio show identified them the second they saw the image as being a publicity stunt for an Adult Swim show, but by then a press conference was already in progress in which the mayor of Boston, Tom (Mumbles) Menino and our brand new governor Deval(please don't let this event stick to me) Patrick announced that our fair city was safe and those responsible would pay. But before the devices were found to be harmless, traffic on land and sea (okay-- just the Charles River) was stopped and bomb squads made themselves busy blowing the devices up.

And then the internet was off to the races. This t-shirt with the creature depicted on the devices appeared on eBay within hours.


My first reaction upon seeing the objects was not "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Call the COPS!" My reaction was, "Man, those are cool." It made me wonder why no one had used lite-brite boards in advertising for bands. But no...Apparently there were other Bostonians who went for the first reaction instead.

I want to talk to the firemen who were called all over the city and ask them if they thought -- at any time -- that this might be just plain dumb. I want to convince Deval Patrick that this was embarrassing enough without him pushing jail time on the two arrested. I want to know if anyone has ideas what might make art safe enough for us citizens. I want to apologize for my city's lameness.

Geez.