A most ingenious paradox?
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(2)
06:05:59 AM,Wednesday 8 May 2002
Of course, when you're a little kid you wonder, "What if I didn't have to go to bed? What if there was no one to make me go to bed and I could stay up forever and never fall asleep and leave the lights on and jump up and down at four in the morning and no one would yell at me or make me do ANYTHING?!"
And then, much later...
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(2)
04:52:36 AM,Wednesday 8 May 2002
I wouldn't want to mockingbird a calf
since anyone who's ever had a turn
of fortune wouldn't sever past a laugh
and anyone who's ever clasped the burn
of turbid melancholia would sigh
and toss his head and utter, "Ay, my hat!"
For gracious men of old were by and by
not known for any more delight than that
I wouldn't have a fit or steam my shirt
I wouldn't have a fortune under hill
but who would ever utter for a skirt,
"I'll compromise the man who left the bill!"
We wouldn't want to leave you with that drench
so bide your time, and amplify the wench.
One minute, two seconds, booyah!
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(6)
04:38:04 AM,Wednesday 8 May 2002
I wanna be evil, I wanna spit tacks...
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04:33:32 AM,Wednesday 8 May 2002
Those Columbia boys sure know how to name a document, don't they?
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(3)
03:11:32 AM,Wednesday 8 May 2002
Because he'll be busy with an Instruction Committee meeting, Mr. Fasanaro has entrusted his sophomore music class to my care tomorrow. We'll have an intimate, stimulating time together with Herr Richard Wagner and his tragic masterpiece, Tristan und Isolde -- FOR ONE AND A HALF HOURS!
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(4)
02:47:39 AM,Wednesday 8 May 2002
I hate the breed of tired which makes you cold, even under a dyne and a flowercloth. Or maybe that's guilt.
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(4)
12:20:14 PM,Tuesday 7 May 2002
One man deserves the credit, one man deserves the blame, and --
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(4)
11:59:38 AM,Tuesday 7 May 2002
The boozy begger puts bugs in me britches. Pfaugh.
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(1)
09:57:01 PM,Monday 6 May 2002
There's a forest fire fifteen miles from the campus. They don't know if it'll get close enough to have to evacuate us. This year is the worst drought in 40 years. What would I take? My violin. Next, my bassoon, then, hm. Spinoza, my wallet, the Annotated Alice. I used to imagine disasters all the time when I was a kid. My aunt gave me this small wooden box, and I kept everything I thought I'd want to start from scratch with in there. Nothing ever happened, of course. Doubt if anything'll happen now. But it's funny, looking around the room, to think that it might all go up, poof. Oh, the computer! Sheesh, yeah, I'd take the computer. I forgot. My operas? Pictures on the wall? How much can fit in my backpack? Don't worry; this is just a thought exercise. Am I morally obligated to gather up all my library books and rescue them? I guess I would bring the cheap-o first aid kit they gave us in CPR class, not that it'd do much good. The suit my mom bought me? The picture of Marlene Neil framed for me? My trumpet. I wonder how a trumpet would survive a fire. It would be kind of funny if my whole set of Great Books burned on the last night that I'd be able to use 'em (The Woolf and Joyce stories of the next three seminars aren't in 'em; just Heidegger tonight, and then poof.). Oh, I have Sara's rug. She wouldn't blame me if I didn't rescue it, would she? Nah. What about all the records dad bought at the booksale? A lifetime's worth of records... but I couldn't carry 'em all. The photo album Sara gave me, maybe. The marionette William gave me? The scorpion Neil gave me? The blue dude? It's funny. I could see taking it, I could see having it burn and not be too stricken. It's something to think about more often. I'm glad we got the spur to it.
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(8)
07:48:03 PM,Monday 6 May 2002
Galactophagous Groak!
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02:30:54 PM,Monday 6 May 2002
Today is my dad's seventy-fifth (75th) birthday.
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(6)
03:52:49 AM,Monday 6 May 2002
Simon & Garfunkel (Mike)
Simon & Garfunkel (Martin)
kd lang (Mirabai)
kd lang (Neil)
Tom Waits (Ariadne)
Tom Waits (Remi)
Randy Newman (Mirabai)
Randy Newman (Moss)
Rolling Stones (Moss)
Rolling Stones (Deborah)
What does it mean?
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(6)
03:50:14 AM,Monday 6 May 2002
It looks like I'll get to see my first real live professional opear this school year. I've seen lots on video, a puppet version of Don Giovanni done by the Saltzburg Marionettes, The Marriage of Figaro done by the Annapolis Opera (which wasn't half bad, I gotta say), and Cosi Fan Tutte and Die Fledermaus done by the University of Montana (also pretty good, considering), but never a real real one, ya know? The Baltimore Opera season is pretty lame -- Rigoletto I'll go to, and maybe Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk which is some satirical Shostakovich thing banned by Stalin, and maybe... heh.... I'll see Die Fledermaus again, even though it destroys my hardcore opera butch street cred. But Lakme and Madama Butterfly, ew, I'll give 'em a miss. If I can get into Washington, though, whooowee! The one I really wanna see is Fidelio. It's rare and under-rated. I think it's wonderful, personally. Funny thing how I don't really get Beethoven a lot of the time; I mean, his genius is pretty easy to catch, not like it takes a lot of thought to know how great he is, but somehow emotionally I get scared off or overwhelmed as often as I get lifted up and broken open. But Fidelio for some reason really gets me. I love the characters and I want to know the music better. I've only got it on vinyl so I haven't heard it as much as I oughtta. I really wanna see it live. Then they're also doing Idomeneo, with Placido Domingo playing the title role. He's a little past his prime, but he's still got it in him, I hope. The character of Idomeneo doesn't even matter, if you ask me -- I'm all about Idamante. I hope they don't do the tenor version... I want my sweet mezzo lovin'... or barring that, a countertenor. That'd be fine. Then they're also doing Don Giovanni, woo! Aida, too, but I think I can do without that. I can definitely do without La Boheme, blecch, and I'm highly skeptical about this Barber thing called Vanessa. It's got Kiri in it, but I dunno. Humph. Lucia di Lammermoor is a fence-sitter. I'll probably be completely broke by the time I watch all of these, but if by some happy fortune I win the lottery or something, I'll go to it. Yeah. Anyway, I'm pretty freaking excited. Woo!
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(2)
08:39:15 PM,Sunday 5 May 2002
The Thinkery
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04:54:03 AM,Sunday 5 May 2002
Blogswap CD review: La Vie Boheme, Truth, Beauty, Love (a mix-cd by Neil)
Family Affair: I'm afraid this music doesn't make much of an impression on me. The first thing I think is "that syntho-beat is a bit like the opening of a certain Leonard Cohen album"... but then they start singing. The only other times I've heard much of this kinda stuff is around Sara. She likes it. So it's associated in my mind with lying in bed in the dark while she sits at the desk doing something on the computer and listening to stuff that sounds like this... so. Um, anyway.
Hey Baby: Sort of like the last one, except with more "Hey Baby Hey Baby Hey" in it.
One Night Man: I sort of approve of mixing pop music with middle eastern music, up to a point. It's fairly good. The violin's good. Sure.
Whenever, Wherever: The beat on this one's a little different, and it has finger cymbals. The last four tracks fall under the category of "if I was in a club, things I would rather dance to than most other things I can think of". That's a compliment. (`;
Miss Chatelaine: Ms. lang freaks the holy harping snuff outta me when she goes into femme mode. I have a strong suspicion that that's the whole point. What a voice, though. Yum.
Feeling Good: This is a beautiful song. One of my favorites on the album. Simple and deep and happy. I love it.
Keep Young & Beautiful: HAR! FWEEEE! YUK YUK YUK... {sigh} you rule, Neil.
Blackberry Blossom: Pretty nice. I like it 'cause I like blackberries a lot. A lot a lot. And it's a mellow song. Sort of brings you back to your senses after the last one. Nice fiddle, too.
Seasons of Love: This song bugs me. I don't know why. Maybe 'cause I spent four summers living in a concrete bunker with fifteen Rent-obsessed fags. {shudder} Sorry.
Grizabella, the Glamour Cat: AAAAAAAAAAAAH! NOOOOOOOO!
High Flying, Adored: Even worse, if that's possible. O, anguish, O, despair. Gluh. Nerg. Frugh. {tries desperately to gnaw on cigarette in disinterested macho fashion} {fails, bangs head against radiator until song is mercifully over}
Origin of Love: This song, on the other hand, I think is freaking great. Everything about it. Only, what's Thor doing on Mount Olympus? No matter. Great movie, great character, great song. Hoopla.
#1 Crush: I kinda like it, actually. Just the grunchy-grunchy sounds in the background and the earnest moany voice of the chick. Not something to take seriously, I'm figuring, but a good silly scary wide-eyed song to obsess wickedly by. Yeah.
Octoroon: Neil played this song for me a couple years ago. Really good harmonica. I'm not sure I understand the lyrics, but I like them, I think. "I don't know, but I been told..."
I love Rock and Roll: Heh. I saw Sara's band play this song over last spring break in Austin. I was kind of... unhappy at the time. Associations again. Odd.
Johnny Jump Up: Yeaaaaaah! Why do Irish accents sound so goddamn glorious? Why are songs about drinking always so perfect? Yes yes yes.
I Am Wondering: I like this song better than Octoroon. It's sly and sneaky and kinda sexy in an coquettish way. Kinda funky, too. Good lyrics, and good accent. Oh, yeah, though the Oklahoma quote in the middle is kind of arrrrgh for associative reasons mentioned above.
Mein Herr: I have loved this song even unto death for freaking ages. Enough to rewrite it during high school to "Fraülein" steada "Mein Herr". Boy, it don't get much more pathetic than that. But the song's almost kickass enough to warrant it. And I've gotta confess a weakness for that nutcase with a "Z", too. Oy. Yum. Heh.
So, sweet Neil, take my criticisms for the raving of an uncultured philistine and my approval for what it is -- booty-shaking glee. Yuss.
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(1)
03:50:38 AM,Sunday 5 May 2002
I want a salt lick as big as my head.
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(2)
01:29:18 AM,Sunday 5 May 2002
