Knock It STIFF

Here's my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments for yesterday.

Wordle 965 3/6

🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ SHONE   107 WL

⬜⬜⬜🟨🟨 PLAIT         3 WL

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 STIFF

WordleBot

Skill 99/99

Luck 60/99

Streak 716

It feels like “I learned my lesson well” — to quote Rick Nelson — which got my day off to a good start and my Wordling back on-track.

Guess #1 gave me only a Green S (107 solutions remaining) — but Guess #2 again gave me enough info to get within striking distance of the solution (I & T - both out of position).  STICK was the first word that came into my mind — but it had been a previous solution.  STIFF seemed like a viable alternative — but SIXTY was also a possibility.  I didn’t find out until finishing play that these were the *only* three solutions remaining.

Remembering that I had gotten into trouble yesterday by overthinking things, I decided to remain firm and stick with STIFF.  Which paid off big time, as I watched the letters all turn green.  I *crushed* The Bot (3 vs 5 — almost avenging yesterday’s ignominy) and bested the (current) NYT avg by more than a full guess (3 vs. 4.3).  It’s a nice way to head into the weekend. 

Take care and stay safe.

"Do you know how non-PLACE he was?"

Here's my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments for yesterday.

Wordle 964 5/6

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 SHONE   193 WL

⬜⬜🟩⬜🟨 TRAIL         11 WL

⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ DEBUG        4 WL

⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩 FLAME         2 WL

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 PLACE

WordleBot

Skill 96/99

Luck 35/99

Streak 715

I don’t believe I’m suffering from manic depression — just expectations which have gotten out of control.  The Bot advised that “No one in our sample of 1,738,870 completed Wordles faced this scenario!” — and I should hope not.  I didn’t want to face it either. 

Guess #1 gave me only a Green E (193 solutions remaining) — but Guess #2 gave me enough info to get within striking distance of the solution (A - in position & L - out of position).  In fact, PLACE was the first word that came into my mind — but playing too hastily got me into trouble earlier in the week.  So I decided to get into trouble by overthinking things today instead.  

I knew from Game #873 (GLAZE on 11/9/2023)  that about 10 solutions remained after my second guess (OK, probably only 7 adjusting for previous & unlikely solutions) — I thought I should probably play it safe on Guess #3 and try to position myself for a “sure thing” in 4.  But DEBUG didn’t match any letters I didn’t already know about — and didn’t eliminate nearly enough words.  Now I was playing defensively, since solving in 4 wasn’t a sure thing — and a very big number seemed more likely.  So, instead of taking a risk, going with my gut, and playing PLACE — I used FLAME for Guess #4.  It didn’t solve — but I had finally weaseled my way to the right PLACE.  (The Bot claimed CLAVE was another possible solution but…give me a break!  CLAVE?  I don’t *think* so.)

I lost to The Bot (5 vs 2 — hoo boy!) and the (current) NYT avg (5 vs. 3.3).  I think I even lost my self respect (OK, that’s a little dramatic, I know).  Tomorrow is another day and all that. 

Take care and stay safe.

Blond on Blonde

Yesterday's Wordle game was clearly targeted towards Bob Dylan fans.  

As my post on the New York Time's Wordle Review comments yesterday indicates... 

Wordle 941 3/6

⬜⬜🟩🟩⬜ SHONE   14 WL
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ APTLY       1 WL
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BLOND

WordleBot
Skill 96/99
Luck 77/99
Streak 692

Knowing lots of the letters isn’t the *only* way to win at Wordle — but it helps.  Today, I had 3 of the 5 letters after my second guess — and two of them were even in the proper places.  Nerdy record-keeping also played its part, since I knew from Game #723 (WRONG on 6/12/2023) that there was only one solution remaining.  I haven’t yet had the chance to peek at other comments today, to see if there’s any controversy regarding “Blond on Blonde” (that classic Dylan album).  Anyway, I typed it in without the E for Guess #3 and watched my world go green.  I tied The Bot, bested the (current) NYT avg (3 vs. 3.7), and extended my streak of “Under Par” games to 10 days.  If I’m “under par” again tomorrow, it will match my personal best.

I also learned that APTLY is no longer The Bot’s favorite word in the scenario where I match O & N (in position) on Guess #1.  That fickle AI now prefers GRIMY.  I still prefer APTLY.  

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Take care and stay safe.

Jim Styro's CO-MAS-19 Update, 2020-12-21 (The Photos of Christmas Past, Part 1)

Long time no see/write/read.

Only true if your sole contact with me is via blog or email.  In the past 7 months, I have proved myself The King Of Zoom (or at least, like, the Archduke).  Much of the year has been spent walking a tightrope between frustrating seclusion and irresponsible interaction.

No 'Vid here, so I must be doing something right.  I hope - think - pray...

Anyway, I read in my daily New York Times email update about someone that had decided to share a daily Christmas photo with friends & family.  I may have included some unsuspecting bystanders by posting on the Internet.  But I don't think the readership on my blog is too extensive.

So here's my first foray into The Photos of Christmas Past - from good ole 1991!

If you're reading this, you either know or can make an educated guess at the individuals pictured above - but I'll provide a bit of assistance for the uninitiated.  From left to right are:  

• The Girl (a couple months past her second birthday)
• The (not yet) Middle-Aged Woman [heck, not even 30...]
• Yours Truly (oh Hair, we hardly knew ye!)  [I am currently a little more than twice as old as pictured above.]
• The Boy (fresh out of the oven, so to speak.  A little over two months old - and wondering why he got stuck with Dad...)

This was taken in the living room of our first home on far west side of Detroit.  We had spent several years of renting in Dearborn and Detroit after the nuptials.  

While preparing this post, I noticed a small frame on the wall behind us in the picture (between the Christmas tree and my big head).  It's a needle-point which my loving Bride prepared for me many moons ago.  Maybe it caught my attention because - at this very moment - I only need to raise my eyes from my computer monitor and slightly to the left to see it more clearly on the wall just a few feet from where I'm sitting...

One more thing - I have completed a new addition to my Jim Styro's Christmas Collection mix of favorite holiday tunes.  Here's the cover graphic - and I will include a link for anyone interested in downloading an iTunes rip of these Christmas Collections.

Here's the link:  Jim Styro's Collections

The first two disks were created in 2007 with a Sacred Side & a Secular Side.  'Cause I'm multi-faceted.  And stuff...

I'd love to write more stuff - but I can only be interesting in short bursts.  Hopefully, I can be interesting again tomorrow.

Take care and stay safe.

Jim Styro's COVID-19 Update, 2020-05-12

Here's my philosophy:  If a post gets too long, it can be intimidating to the reader.  So I view it as a bonus that I forgot to report on some important stuff Sunday.  It just means I'm well-motivated to send out another update today with the stuff I missed -

• I completed ANOTHER personal music collection last month which is called “COVID and Collected.”  New collections in back-to-back months!  It's unprecedented.

 I completed write-up of the lyric notes last night and all the necessary files have been uploaded to Box.net. If you are an interested party, send me an email and I will provide a link so you can download it.

I started work on the collection before we settled on a topic for this Saturday's Virtual Music Night - but, regardless, one thing is certain.  I have a list of songs ready-made for the "Social Distancing" collection that will be a by-product of this weekend's event.  

• Only in Pandemic World (It's like "Jurassic World" - only a virus is trying to kill you instead of dinosaurs) would I find the motivation to finish two collections in two months.  Of course, having completed remastering of the remaining Music Night cassette tape collections on CD was also a major factor.
• Another area that has seen a significant uptick in attention is special Music Night and Spinner Invitational merchandise.  I mean what home would want to be without these awesome mugs?

Or this stylish mask?

 

Not to mention shirts, baseball caps, knit hats...the list goes on and on.  Even people who are practicing physical distancing are allowed to shop.

• Things I've watched:  Jerry Seinfeld's new Netflix special "23 Hours To Kill" is VERY funny.  My bride and I give it two thumbs way up.

If this message gets too long, no one's gonna read it.  So I'm stopping.

Right.

Now.

Take care.

Jim Styro's COVID-19 Update, 2020-04-17 (Special Edition)

I know that you weren’t expecting an update until Sunday – but I got excited and wanted everyone to know about the new Led Zeppelin 2020 remasters that are coming out.

PS:  For those of you who are not Led Zeppelin fans, I apologize for this esoteric bit of visual humor.  For everyone else – I can’t be sure I’m the first one to think of this.  But maybe I am.

Take care.

PS:  I neglected to provide a track listing for the Remastered version

Disk One:

Humble Pie
The Napper
In My Time Of Dying (explicit)
Houses Of The Restless
Trampled Under Germ
KashKow (or Ballad of the Medical Supply Profiteer)

Disk Two

In The Line (Ode to Costco)
Coron-A-Vir
Down By The Bedside
Ten Weeks Gone (so far)
No Flight
The Waiting Song
Boogie With Flu
Black Market Tissue
Sick Again (explicit)

Jim Styro's COVID-19 Update - Easter Sunday Edition, 2020-04-12

Oh man - I have so much to tell you...and so much time available to tell it.

Actually, that may be more true for you than it is for me.  It seems that I am an "essential employee" - or, at least, I am able to do whatever it is that I do from home.  So my schedule has not been adjusted much - at least not during U.S. business hours.

I had every intention of sneaking in a blog post last week on Palm Sunday.  But I decided that I would only post if I had completed ANY of my annual reviews beforehand.  As you can see, that motivational technique was...ineffectual.

Motivation - Round #2 was based on the same restriction (no blogging until the review were fully complete - since the deadline was midnight tonight, Easter Sunday) - but with much better results.  I actually finished and posted all the reviews last night, so I was able to sleep with a sense of accomplishment.

But now I'm starting to get ahead of myself.  Let's go back in time and review Weeks 3 and 4 of the New Normal -

• Family photos - The Girl (my daughter) and her husband, Derrick, are currently residing with my bride (The Middle Aged Woman) and I.  The Boy (my son) is living in our previous residence in Redford, MI.  Two Fridays back now, The Boy came over for dinner and we watched Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood".  But before the movie, I wanted to get a family photo that would reflect appropriate physical distancing in these harrowing times.  Below is the youngest to oldest version (Boy, Girl, Derrick, MAW, me) 

• I found out during Week 3 that Jackson Browne tested positive for COVID-19 - but based on this article from the LA Times, he should be fully recovered by now.  [If the link doesn't work, I can send a PDF of article - just leave a request in the Comments.]
• Exercise update:  Until the weather turned cold and damp this past Thursday and Friday, I have been on an eight-day exercise streak (4/1-4/8) - either walking 2 miles or doing the equivalent of 12-14 miles on my recumbent stationary bike.  Started what I hope will be a new streak on Saturday walking with MAW.  And today I did double duty - did 14 miles on the recumbent bike this morning before church and walked 2 miles before dinner this evening.

• This Week(s) in Video Conferencing:  Had a bunch more video conferences during the past two weeks - for church, with friends, and with family.  My single biggest video partner has been my Dad as I helped get him get prepared to join the on-line worship at my church for Palm Sunday (he joined us again for Easter this morning), use Google Hangouts for video calls, and play the World Golf Tour (computer golf) with me on-line.  And just today, I was able to show my Mom how to receive a call from me in Google Hangouts on her computer.  I am clearly ON FIRE providing tech support to retirees.
• This Week in Entertainment:  No Redbox rentals the past couple weekends - but I did watch -
• Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood (mentioned above; apart from about 3 minutes of completely over-the-top violence, this is arguably his best movie)
• Yesterday (if you love the Beatles, I highly recommend this flick)  The basic premise is: what if there is only one musician left on earth that remembers the Beatles' songs?  A world in which that band never existed.  A great "wish fulfillment" scene toward the end of the movie is almost worth the price of admission (I mean, rental).
• Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (for Kevin Smith fans only.  I'm glad I watched it.)
• Finished making CD for my Mom with selections from the Purdue University Choir and Varsity Glee Club (with appearances from the Morehouse College Glee Club as well).
• Al Kaline:  Where have you gone, Albert William?  A sad day in the midst of many such.  One of the greatest players that I can say I saw live and in-person.  May be THE greatest.
• Michigan - Top 5 with a bullet:  There are some contests that you just don't want to win.  One of those is - State with the most COVID-19 cases and/or deaths.  It seems unlikely that we will shoot past NewYork or New Orleans (in deaths per 100K population) - but it seems like we are solidly in the Top 5 - and moving up.
• Braving Costco (or "The return of toilet paper and donuts"):  For a solid month or more, I have been unable to purchase toilet paper from my usual toilet paper vendor, Costco.  But this past Wednesday, I made a trip in the mid-afternoon and was able to sip from the sweet cup of victory.  Even better, I cruised by my favorite donut shop (which had been closed previously due to the governor's Stay At Home order) and found they have reopened.  (On a person note, I have always felt that donut-making was an essential job.  Without certain things, life just isn't worth living.)  Needless to say, the transaction was conducted at a distance (yelling my donut selections into the store) and I tipped big. 

I was going to post a picture that I call "The Easter Without Pants" - but I chickened out.  It's probably all for the best.  I will post another "Family Portrait in the Era of Physical Distancing" instead.

Hope you are staying home and staying safe.  Happy Easter!

Take care.

Jim Styro's COVID-19 Update, 2020-03-29

Didja miss me?

We've completed Week 2 of The New Normal - and nothing seems close to returning to normalcy.

Staying at home (except for food acquisition)?  Check!  [Full disclosure: I stopped at Redbox to rent movies - but cleaned them thoroughly with a Clorox wipe.  No human contact involved.]

Physical distancing?  Check!

Wrapping myself in a body condom?  Uhhh, OK - I did NOT do that.  [Full disclosure:  I don't believe this was ever recommended by the CDC.]

But I did do other stuff, like -

• Bought even cheaper gas ($1.39) at Costco than the previous week ($1.65).  

• Tried to keep active with walking & exercise.  While my walking streak was halted at 10 straight days (3/14 - 3/23). I did complete my two-mile walking route on Wednesday and again today [I have provided the screenshot from MapMyWalk below as evidence].  I also spent 40+ minutes (and the equivalent of over 12 miles according to the digital display) on Friday morning using my recumbent exercise bike.  [Full disclosure:  I have no screenshot evidence from the exercise bike.  It is a low tech device - but a quiet way to pedal away some fat.  And it is easier on my lower back.]

• Participated in 6 video conferences/chats within 24 hours (6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday).  I met with church leaders on Friday night (Zoom); my sister, Sarah (FaceTime); Olivia from church (Zoom again, to discuss slides for on-line worship service); Music Night planning with Chuck and Pat (Google Hangouts); my dad (FaceTime again); and virtual happy hour with the Burks (Hangouts again). This was in addition to multiple church group video conferences earlier in the week and VBN (Virtual Bar Night) with the Spinners earlier in the week.

Oh - and I had all my usual conference calls during work hours too.

I thought this thing was supposed provide an opportunity for me to be bored and binge watching Netflix...

I have also engaged in some "cabin fever" on-line shopping - but the most expensive item was less than $16 (a CD/ BlurayAudio set from XTC in their guise as the psychedelic throwback rockers, The Dukes of the Stratosphear) - so it shouldn't leave me destitute.  [Full disclosure:  Other items were - CD/DVD slim cases, card stock for CD package use, and CDs from David Byrne, Miles Davis & the American Hustle soundtrack.]

I have made no purchases (yet) from biologyproducts.com.  Although their uncut Sheep Heart looks like a bargain at $3.30.  [Full disclosure:  It is (you guessed it) "not alive nor is it edible".  Which - while not a surprise - may be disappointing to some.]

I have been able to remain light-hearted through the pandemic so far.  I hope I'm not becoming light-headed.

Take care everyone.

Jim Styro's COVID-19 Update, 2020-03-17

Just when you thought I'd never post again...here I am.

OK - I know you weren't thinking about me (posting or otherwise).  But I've got to start somewhere.

If you (or your significant other – using your email address rather than their own) make regular on-line purchases, I expect that you are receiving multiple emails every day from businesses, organizations, government entities – all wanting to tell you about the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  I, for one, think that MY experiences & insights on this matter are equally valid and noteworthy – so I have decided to victimi post my musings here.

Since this is my first post in several years, I’ll start with the basics –

• I do not currently have COVID-19.  [Full disclosure:  I have not been tested for COVID-19.]
• I feel better than James Brown.  [Full disclosure:  James Brown died on Christmas Day 2006.]
• For the past 3 days, I have walked two miles each day.  [Full disclosure:  In those two hours of walking, I only saw one other human outside.  I maintained appropriate social distancing.]
• I haven’t been able to find toilet paper in stock at the Livonia (MI) Costco in two weeks.  [Full disclosure:  My son-in-law, Derrick, was able to find some at the Target on Grand River in Farmington Hills, MI.]
• You can purchase a Large Plain Rabbit at biologyproducts.com for only $29.  [Full disclosure:  As the site warns, “Product is not alive nor is it edible."]

 Since my Music Night workload has been greatly reduced, I completed a personal music collection which I’m calling “All Over The Place.”  I’ll be working on the lyric notes prior to distribution. 

That’s all I have for today.  In the words of Sgt. Phil Esterhaus, “Let’s be careful out there.”  Or as I always say...

Take care.

Whatever happened to the greatest guy you never heard of?

Steve Ward returns with a new band after a ten-year hiatus – A review in three parts

To save time and effort for anyone who recognizes the names "Cherry Twister" or "Steve Ward":
Run - don't walk, RUN - out and buy the new album by a band called Fauna Flora.

For the rest of humanity:

Thirteen months ago, a new band out of southeastern Pennsylvania, Fauna Flora, released its debut album with little fanfare. Even pop-music lovers who might recognize the names from paragraph one were most likely unaware that the best-kept secret in singer-songwriters since Sixto Rodriguez had released his first new music in over ten years. Released in April 2014, Fauna Flora features 11 new songs written and produced by Ward and featuring a group of supporting players whose names will be familiar to those happy few in possession of his solo albums and earlier work as Cherry Twister. With Paul Murr (drums & percussion) and Matt Thomas (keyboards), who appeared on the solo albums in 2000 & 2003, as well as Joe Pisapia (bass & pedal steel guitars, backing vocals - his work with Steve goes back to the first Cherry Twister record in 1993), Fauna Flora doesn't sound or feel like a debut album - but the work of a maturing artist supported by a rock-solid team.

Fauna Flora is infectious pop music with memorable melodies and delicious harmonies tinged with just enough sweet melancholy to give the whole package some emotional heft.  Ward’s guitar work remains top notch, never flashy but always serving the song, and his voice, though retaining a beautifully delicate quality, has grown stronger and more assured over time.  After repeated listening, the vocals reminded me more and more of one of pop music’s finest tenors – Art Garfunkel.  Run – don’t walk, RUN – out and buy Fauna Flora’s debut album.

For that portion of humanity that would like to read more about Fauna Flora before buying the album:

Although the temptation is strong to speculate on the life behind the work when a musician disappears from the scene for such an extended period, Fauna Flora seems a very natural progression from Ward's most recent solo work, See and Be Seen, in 2003. Perhaps the phrase "disappears from the scene" isn't appropriate for a musician that has not yet penetrated the popular consciousness - but this is music deserving of greater attention. The guy who had to deal with a duplicitous paramour in "Kid Yourself", the devastating closer from that fine album, has seemingly taken up residence with the object of his affections - but the course of true love remains uneven. "The Mansard Roof and the Maple Tree" opens the new album with a lovely acoustic guitar figure and Ward's high tenor setting the scene and foretelling the future all at once: "I made my home west of Lancaster / on the road that took me far from her."   “The Belle of Blue Road” seems to again reference this lost lover (“Everything that’s beautiful, she understands” harkens back to the line from “Kid Yourself” – “She only wants her beautiful”).

Ward’s songwriting has a quality indispensable to pop music – he seems unable to write a song without something interesting going on, either musically or lyrically – and usually both.  “Happy Hour” is a mournful look at Miller Time, with Our Hero seemingly back in circulation on the dating scene – with both mixed emotions and results.  “I contend that tonight could end in a terrible mess”, sings Ward during the song’s bridge and the concluding “We’re so happy now” is delivered like a man who knows how to find the blue lining in every silver cloud.

In the digital age, albums don’t have two sides anymore – but I imagine Fauna Flora’s first 6 tracks as the Partly Cloudy side and the final 5 as the Partly Sunny side.  “The Arms of Winter” describes the ups and downs of a romance which seems to be growing colder along with the temperatures.  Chris Carmichael’s string arrangements here and throughout the record add a lushness and oftentimes drama into the mix.  And Ward adds a new chill to the relationship struggle in the word play of the song’s closing line:  “But we’re confident as killers, when we bear the arms of winter.”  I guess all IS fair in love and war.

“As the Story Goes” finally delivers the goods on what’s really bothering Our Hero.  Over a bed of dirge-like organ, growling synthesizer and martial drumming, the opening lines pretty much tell the whole story:  “I’ve been thinking about the evening’s Christmas cheer / and your useless souvenirs / and the fact you’ve disappeared.”  There’s nothing quite like getting dumped over the holidays.  The drummer stops, the chord is held – as a listener, you almost hold your breath.  Then the chord changes and the song can proceed. 

Head of Fern is just your average great pop song concerning violent revolution on the part of vegetation.   Imagine that George Orwell had composed lyrics for Stevie Wonder's Secret Life of Plants and come up with the theme song for David Lynch's vision of the Apocalypse. Now imagine you can sing-along. “God rest the great pines.”  Such is Head of Fern.

As the album comes to a close, Ward’s lyrics begin to shake off regret and look ahead.  “The Ides of Spring” speaks of tempting fate, daring to fall in love again, in spite of the potential dangers (“A fable laid to waste” – what a lovely phrase).  The album’s closing track, “We’ve Got to Find The Light”, looks beyond the Christmas breakup to what lies ahead:  “Wounds to scars as the holiday dissolves / Greet the change with open arms and no alarm.”

For a guy who hadn’t released a new record in over ten years, it seems that Steve Ward hasn’t missed a beat.  Fauna Flora distills the pain of lost romance into sweet and mellow elixir.  Have a taste and I bet you will want to hear this artist’s earlier work.  And just in case you missed it the first two times…

Run - don't walk, RUN - out and buy the new album by a band called Fauna Flora. 

[You can make that purchase at  http://faunafloramusic.com/   or http://fauna-flora.bandcamp.com/album/fauna-flora]

Take care.

My Favorite Carol

When I was growing up, there was one Christmas album that was a favorite of the entire family: "Tennessee" Ernie Ford's The Star Carol. The production may seem a bit overblown to twenty-first century ears - a full orchestra, large choir and the rich tone of Ford's powerful bass voice - but you can hear the vastness of the soundstage where the music was performed and the thrill of live performance in the recording studio (no overdubs here, baby!).

The record (which is no longer in print as a compact disc - but available for purchase as a download) features three carols composed by Alfred S. Burt and Wilha Hutson. Burt was a little-known jazz musician (and Michgan native, I will note proudly) who died in 1954 at the age of 33; Hutson was the organist at the Burt family's church. My favorite of these has always been Some Children See Him, a carol which speaks of Christ's appeal to people everywhere - and how love can transcend all the things that separate people. [Sure, that's just my interpretation - but I'll stand by it.]

I have combined my love for the song with a long-standing desire to diagram the lyrics of a song (ever since Capt. Dumbass posted this). I have included a couple of snippets from the song in my audio post - so be sure to have a listen. I hope you enjoy it.


[Click on the picture to enlarge.]

Happy Boxing Day!

Take care.

Stupid things I've done...and am(No. 93 in a continuing series)

Those of you who give attention to my life and activities (more than I do, as this post will indicate) might remember that the Ticketmaster website screwed me over on the purchase of some concert tickets a few months ago.


But Ticketmaster's screw job pales in comparison to what I did to MYSELF!

Because, as you can see above, concert tickets contain a lot of important information; they tell you what musician(s) are performing, where you're allowed to sit, the location of the event, and (I can't emphasize this last point enough) ...

The date and time of the event!

Any reasonable person knows that the only indispensable person at a Jackson Browne concert is...Jackson Browne.

If you're anybody else, you better show up at the time on your ticket.
And I know that. I understand the protocol.

So Monday (July 27, the day that I was supposed to be attending the Jackson Browne concert with the Middle-Aged Woman, our friends, Chico & (his daughter) C-One), I left work at 7 pm, got home around 7:30 pm, changed clothes, went out to get something to eat, came home, sat down at my desk to work on balancing the checking account, launched my browser and accidentally clicked on a link to Facebook where I saw C-One's comment about the concert that had started approximately 90 minutes earlier - that I was supposed to be at. And I realized at that moment, I was not giving my life the scrutiny it deserved.

I picked up the tickets (which have been sitting next to my computer monitor where I see them nearly every day) and sped to the room where the MAW lay throbbing (as usual).

Styro: Guess what? [Holds out concert tickets]
MAW: I thought the concert was tomorrow night.
Styro: No, it's today. [Hands tickets to MAW]

Perhaps it would have been better if I hadn't been reminded of the concert at all. I suspect the MAW felt that way - but she got in the car with me anyway.

I think of myself as a decent writer - but there are not enough words to express the incredible mix of emotions I felt as I drove 27.6 miles (according to my GPS) to the show. I tried to let my mind go blank as much as possible - because all of my thoughts were dark, angry and filled with self-loathing. Here's just a sample:

"What sort of idiot forgets about a concert when he's had the tickets sitting in front of him for 3 months?"

"What in the world can I say to Chico and Christie to explain this insanity? 'Oh, sorry - I guess you're just not important enough for me to bother remembering I was supposed to attend a concert with you tonight.'"

"We'll never make it in time. The show will be over."

"&*%$#()*&*^&%^&^&$*$(&(*^##!!%*)()*&$$*^%%^$&*%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I truly can't remember being more disgusted with myself since...

...since The Boy was small and left the house* while I was (supposedly) watching the kids - and walked out into a busy street before I could locate and catch him.

Anyway, I wasn't feeling too good. The only bright spots, in retrospect:

- I didn't drive like an idiot
- I kept quiet; no ranting and raving
- We didn't have to pay for parking (they don't really plan on people arriving two hours late), and
- The beauty of the music made me (briefly) happy

I wouldn't have thought it possible during the drive there - and it seemed like a distant memory during the drive home - but for a few minutes, as I listened to the music**, I was able to forget what a stupid idiot I was - and just enjoy the sound, the energy, the joy of a live performance, the uplift of a large group of people enjoying a shared experience. [Chico and Christie were very cool about the whole thing - just glad we hadn't ended up dead in a roadside ditch on the way to the show.]

If I get the opportunity again, I think I really need to show up at the time shown on the ticket.

Take care.


* I still can't believe he left the house by himself!
** The end of The Pretender (a personal favorite of mine - as we crossed the parking lot to the band shell), Running on Empty, I Am A Patriot ("The river rolls for the righteous...someday"), and The Load-Out.

Musical Matchmaking

The morning, as scheduled, the Middle-Aged Woman and I left the cozy confines of suburban Detroit for the small-town splendor of Petoskey, MI. (For those of you who need a map, please refer to this post.) In preparation for our departure last night, I created a couple of compilation CDs for Leslie and Larry.

One of the discs featured a selection of 25 Nat (King) Cole tracks, including his big hits and many personal favorites. I noticed Larry grooving to the King Cole Trio's Straighten Up And Fly Right during our drive home from Greenbush to Detroit on Monday and decided then and there to make sure that he receive a more in-depth exposure to Cole's music.

A slight digression: Jim Styro's Top Five Nat (King) Cole tracks
[This is very difficult...]

1. Straighten Up And Fly Right - This really swings. Such energy, so playful. Pure gold.
2. Nature Boy - Although I normally detest an artist rerecording their own work, some of Cole's tracks really benefit from the maturing of his voice and some fantastic new orchestral arrangements. This song is an example.
3. There Will Never Be Another You - A personal favorite. The man has so many astounding ballads that picking particular tracks is painful. The first time I ever heard this song was in the film version of The World According To Garp. A wonderful, heart-breaking lyric.
4. Stardust - As an amateur vocalist myself, I've got one question: how the HELL can he make this song sound so effortless?
5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - What an arrangement! So smooth, so much swagger. It's the bomb. That's why he's the King. (Jump back, Elvis, Michael or anyone else you want to mention. Who needs Sinatra when you can have Nat?)

OK - where were we?

Oh yeah - so I also made L&L a collection of 19 Jonatha Brooke tracks (both solo and with The Story). I'm not sure Jonatha has had any songs which would qualify as "hits" exactly - but if you haven't heard this woman's music, you need to run (don't dawdle) to Amazon and buy some now. (I am willing to provide recommendations at no charge.) We were listening to some of my personal collections during our drive Monday and it struck me how many times I have included Jonatha's music. I also recalled Larry expressing interest in her music at some previous Music Night gatherings; he may have even borrowed a CD or two. Anyway, I decided he needed to possess more of Jonatha's music as well.

[Dear Jonatha: In penance for giving some of your music away, I promise to buy another copy of "The Works" and give that as a gift as well. Love, Jim Styro]

Another digression: Jim Styro's Top Five Jonatha Brooke songs
[I can believe I'm doing this to myself again. So hard...]

1. The Angel In The House (The Story) - This is the first track that really got my attention. Such a bittersweet lyric - and Jonatha's vocal range is glorious.
2. Where Were You? - The word that comes to mind again is "swagger". On her first solo album, Jonatha rocks out with impunity. I particularly love the homage to "Here Comes The Sun" that closes this number.
3. Because I Told You So - What this lady can do with just her voice and a guitar is amazing. A wonderful lyric of devotion - a personal favorite.
4. Linger - Great, ringing guitars. When the chorus kicks in, who can resist punching the accelerator? "Here I go-oh-woh-woh-woh-woh-woh..."
5. No Net Below - Few artists are brave enough to be heard so up close and personal. This track is recorded so that you can hear every breath, like she's whispering the song into your ear. In the dictionary, the word "intimate" refers back to this record.

Damn - it's getting hard to remember what I was going to write about when I started this.
Oh, I remember...

So we're listening to a Jonatha Brooke song ("No Net Below" actually) on the way to Petoskey today and Snoplum says:

"I think it would be great if Jonatha Brooke covered a Steve Ward song. What's that "river" song I like?"

"Well, there's a few of them: do you mean Flow (river flow) - or The River Leads Me Home - or Down By..."

"That one. River Leads Me Home."

"I think she should cover Kid Yourself. It's probably his most Jonatha-like song. Or, if she wants to do a ballad, I would suggest Still Life"

"Well, I think they should do a duet on The River Leads Me Home."

"OK"

"They should work together on a record. Jonatha has her own label. She can hire whoever she wants to work on her records..."

"OK - but...they seem like very different types of artists to me - in so far as you can make judgements about what a person may be like based on their art. Steve Ward is...a disillusioned optimist - and Jonatha is an optimistic cynic."

"Oh - that's a post!"

"What's a post"

"What you just said about Steve Ward and Jonatha Brooke."

"I thought it was more something I might put in a Random Tuesday Thoughts thing - not a whole post just for that."

"No - you have to write a post with that and we'll send copies of it to Steve Ward and Jonatha Brooke so that they can start working together. And I will be responsible for having brought together two musical geniuses."

"You'll be responsible? Does that mean you're writing the post?"

"No - you're writing it. I'll be...distributing it."

[Think of the great scene in Schindler's List where Neeson (as Schindler) meets Ben Kingsley (as the accountant Stern): "Not the work, not the work...the PRESENTATION."]

Last digression: Jim Styro's Top Five Steve Ward tracks
[So...painful...]

1. Careful (Can't Fall Again) [Cherry Twister] - So hard to pick only one Cherry Twister number. But I love the slide guitar on this number (it reminds me so much of Steely Dan's Pearl of the Quarter) and the harmonies are sublime. This is the softer side of Steve.
2. I Missed The Mark - The opening track of Steve's first solo album, Opening Night. From the joyous organ strains that open the song to the closing guitar lick, this is no rookie music-making. This is alternative pop from a man who knows how to write, how to play, how to sing, how to produce a record. How can this guy not be both rich and famous?!?!?!?!
3. Still Life - A near perfect pop song. I won't even attempt to describe its pristine beauty. Go buy "Opening Night"!
4. The Death of Star - Oh and do you like psychedelic pop too? Well the Doctor is in! The arrangement to this song is mind-blowing; like Art Garfunkel doing Strawberry Fields Forever.
5. Kid Yourself - The closing song on Steve's second (and last, so far - dammit) album, See and Be Seen. "Someone's got a secret to tell..." - indeed; and the secret is: Steve Ward is a pop music genius.

OK - so to sum up:
1. Go buy all of Steve Ward's albums (quit whining - there's only three. You'll thank me later.)2. Go buy any three Jonatha Brooke albums
3. If you already know about Steve and/or Jonatha - and you have any powerful friends that can bring these to talents together, then lend your voice to mine. Send emails, make phone calls, alert your Senator, Congressman, Obama!

We need them to make beautiful music together.

Take care.

PS: I had to finish off this post in the parking lot of the Petoskey Burger King where I was barely able to steal their free Internet access. So please excuse any typos, bad grammar, stupid ideas, etc.

Add some Music to your...night

"Music - when you're alone
Is like a companion
For your lonely soul"
--Brian Wilson, Add Some Music To Your Day

I got my first job delivering newspapers when I was eleven. My primary purpose in getting that job was to save up enough money to buy a stereo system. You know, one of those all-in-one units with a tuner, cassette deck and the record player on top.

[OK, you have to imagine that the unit above has a tape deck in it rather than a CD player - and a remote control!?]

So I got enough money with my Christmas tips that I was able to purchase my own stereo. I had that record lathe from junior high to college. The Under-Aged Woman and I made out listening to Side Two of James Taylor's Greatest Hits played on that system. It was in the dorm room I shared with Paul Joey at the University of Detroit, so we could lie stoned on the floor and listen to Riders On The Storm. From that Christmas onward, I have always valued good stereo equipment. Eventually, I was even able to purchase some.

Anyway, I told you that stuff, so I could tell you this: Tonight is Music Night.

That is, the Music Night Federation of Metropolitan Detroit will be gathering tonight for its latest event - to produce a new musical compilation around the theme - "Risk". The Federation has been getting together for over 18 years now. To date, we have produced 90 different musical collections on topics ranging from Aging to Work (no "Y" or "Z" topics - yet). If you did the math, you already know that we get together 4 or 5 times a year for the purpose of sharing music, food and friendship.

The only rule of Music Night is: there are no rules. You might ask: Who decides whether a song is "on-topic"? The person who picked it, of course. However, we do have structure. We rotate topic selection amongst all participants (so that in each "round", everyone gets to select the topic once) and the person who picked the topic get the lead cut on that collection. This also ensures that the topic selector will get the maximum number of cuts on that collection (since we rotate song selection based on a draw of cards the night of the event).

We pick and play songs through the night until we have a roster of approximately 160 minutes of music - enough to fill two compact discs. Every Federation member in good standing (that is, them's that has paid their dues - just enough cash to defray the expenses of blank CDs, jewel cases, labels and packaging inserts) receives a copy of the resulting compilation for their listening pleasure.

We have a great time. It's a wonderful excuse to have a party - and almost everyone gets exposed to some music they have never heard before. Which is sweet!

I could go on and on with additional details (and I probably will in some future post(s)) - but time is running short...and I still need to pick out my top choices on the topic of "Risk". If you have any suggestions, leave me a comment. Anything used on the final collection will be appropriately noted on this here blog.

And, for the right price, I am willing to discuss franchising opportunities for starting a Music Night Federation in your town...

(I may yet be rich beyond my wildest dreams!)

Take care.