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I’m taking a short break from Doctor Sleep to write an entry. I’m trying not to rush through the book super fast—I want to savor it—so I watched more videos today in the History of Rock course. We’re at the point where we’re talking about the British Invasion, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones.
As you can imagine, I’m a happy girl with these lectures!
I’m not going to debate the merits of each band here, or try to come to any sort of conclusion. I think that is a futile exercise, because I don’t think there is any way to convince someone who thinks the Beatles were the best that the Stones really were better, or vice versa. In fact, I came to realize today that it’s not exactly an appropriate comparison. Sure, they both worked on the same musical playing field in the ‘60s, competing for hits and airtime, but they came at it from different approaches, via different influences.
I had always thought that I preferred the Stones because they were the “bad boys” in the equation. That is definitely part of it; I prefer their raunchier sound, their more in-your-face (heh) sexuality, and their somewhat more sinister music. There is more to it than that, though. I was under the assumption that each of their influences were similar, that they both listened to similar American blues music (specifically, Chicago blues) that was all the rage in England at that time. Not so. The Stones, in London, definitely were part of that scene, and that was their major influence. But the Beatles, in Liverpool, were more into American pop than American blues. With Liverpool being a port city, sailors would bring back all these American pop records and sell them in Liverpool. Meanwhile, Keith and Mick and their friends were sending off mail orders for American blues records, and having listening parties where everyone brought their records. Each were steeped in different styles of American music.
I think these influences are obvious in their respective styles. As President Obama says, let me be clear. I love the Beatles, and they were some of the first rock music I remember listening to. But I’ve always been drawn to the Stones much more, and I think it’s because the blues influence is so much more prevalent in their music.
I think my preference also has to do with timing. I’ve read that the music you listen to in your adolescent and young adult years is the music that resonates the most with you for your entire life. My sister Diana, the Beatlemaniac (she’s the one who played their records that I heard when I was maybe 5 or 6 years old), will be forever true to the Beatles, because that is what she was listening to when she was in junior high and high school. By the time I got to that point, the Beatles had broken up, and the Stones were huge throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, which was my musical young adulthood.
So these lectures were a bit of an epiphany for me today. I was like, “A-ha! So THAT’S why I dig them more!” I had honestly thought that the Beatles had that same blues influence that the Stones did. To some extent, they did, but they weren’t as into it as much as Brian, Mick, and Keith. I think that shaped their entire sound, and while both are considered two of the greatest rock bands ever, I believe that comparing them is an apple and oranges endeavor. I stand by my assertion in the past that the Stones are the World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band. If the Beatles had continued, would they have that title? Or would a more appropriate title be the World’s Greatest Pop Band?
Discuss amongst yourselves.
I had intended to write a bit more tonight, but as you can see, the new Stephen King novel came in the mail today, and I am already hooked. It’s entirely possible that my next post will be a review of the book, because I have a feeling that I’m going to tear through this one!
If you don’t know the premise, this book revisits Danny (now Dan) Torrance a couple of decades after he survived The Overlook and his father died in The Shining. There are some interesting twists already, and I’m feeling bad for Dan and hope that he can get his shit together. Something nefarious is afoot, and perhaps Dan will have a chance to redeem himself in the process of helping others. We shall see.
I’ll still hang out a bit on Facebook, but I can already tell that this book is going to consume me until I finish it. My friend Lisa laughed and said that she KNEW I’d be reading it already! But of course!
Happy reading, Citizens!
Yesterday was the Notre Dame-Michigan State game, and they were playing in our house. ND and MSU is a pretty big rivalry, because we’re not that far away from each other, we’ve played them for many years, and there have been some really epic, close games.
The day started out cool and slightly gloomy, but the sun quickly came out, and it was a perfect day for a game! Partly cloudy, and not overly warm. Because it got so nice in the afternoon, I misjudged how cool it would get as the game progressed, and thought I would be okay with just a t-shirt. The temperature started dropping, the cloud cover increased, and there was enough of a breeze that I started getting really chilled. I didn’t plan on buying any gear yesterday, but I ended up with a sweatshirt, anyway. Thanks, Honey! Next Saturday is supposed to be a little warmer, so I’ll have to figure out how I want to work the attire.
We tailgated yesterday, and were parked next to a couple of guys and their four boys, who seemed to range in age from maybe 10-15. They were a nice bunch, and the guys started chatting us up. They were from Plainfield, a suburb of Chicago, and although the guys had been to a game quite a few years ago, the kids never had been. Neither were alums, just ND fans who decided to come and bring their boys down for a game. We were all in great moods, and the kids were tossing a football around and the dads were playing QB. Ken set up our cornhole boards and they all played a couple of games. They weren’t sure how to get to the Stadium from where we were parked, so we said they could follow us in. We had a pleasant walk through campus and to the Stadium, and when we parted ways (because we went in different gates), we all shook hands and said that it was nice meeting each other and to enjoy the game! It was very enjoyable, and I hope they had a wonderful time and experience!
After we split up, Ken and I were in a spot where we got to see the ND band march into the Stadium. I was straining to see over the few people in front of me, and I was doing fine...but then a couple of them grabbed me and said, “Get up here, Shorty!” and pulled me up to the front! I thought that was so super nice of them, and I was like, “No, no, I’m fine!” but they pulled me up there, anyway. This might sound silly, but I love the sense of community and fun among Irish fans at ND games. We have our share of jerk fans (more about that in a moment), but overall, it’s always a pretty good experience, and I love how nice the ushers are, and how everyone seems to want to make the game a good experience for all. Not that we don’t want to kick the opponent’s butt…!
Things looked a little dicey for the Irish throughout the game, but we had some good defense (going up against the #1 defense in the country) and managed to make some big plays and some big stops. The Irish won 17-13, and such a low scoring game gives you an idea of what a battle it was. During down times, we chatted with the guy sitting next to me (I said, “Hey, we’re wearing the same shorts!” See photo below.), listened to the curmudgeons sitting behind us, and chatted a bit with the couple in front of us. I noticed the difference in height between her and her boyfriend, and said, “I have to ask you...how tall are you?” She said, “Five feet!” and I laughed and said, “Me too! I know how you feel!” It was her first game, and I think she had a pretty good time, too.
Unfortunately, we had three Michigan State fans sitting two rows in front of us that were just dicks. As I said earlier, I know we have our share of fans like that, and I know that not all Sparty fans are like these guys. I’ll even give credit to one of the guys for trying to stop his friend from being such a dick...but the guy just kept right on being a dick. When MSU got a first down, they’d all make the first down hand signal, and it wasn’t too long before we all started mocking them. When they made a big play, one of the guys would turn around and hold his hand up trying to get us all to high five him. Seriously, man? Be cool. When one of our players got his helmet knocked off in a play, the guy called him a “pussy.” I could see Ken doing a slow burn beside me, and I said, “Be cool. If they want to be dicks, let ‘em be dicks. But we don’t need to take the bait.” Ken kept his cool, but both of us were giving them the stink-eye every time they turned around to get a high five from us ND fans.
The guy in front of us (boyfriend of the short girl) started giving it right back to them, and later turned to us and said, “I’m not usually a dick like this, but I had it with them.” When it became clear that ND was going to win, the MSU fans left with a couple of minutes to go. They weren’t quite so cocky then. They gave us all a wave as they left, and they told the guy in front of us, “Stay classy!” THIS, from the guys who were taunting all the ND fans around them! You don’t know how tempting it was to yell at them, “Who’re the pussies now?” Ugh.
Anyway, thus the title of this entry. I have family and friends who do the trashtalk thing, but I don’t enjoy that at all. It often comes back to bite you on the ass, and if you lose—and yes, you often lose—it makes you feel like a fool. I love my teams, and I cheer for them to win, but I want them to win on their own merits. The sort of chest-thumping attitude I see in some is just irritating to me. Just shut up and let your team play. If they’re good enough, they’ll win. If not, they won’t. Maybe it’s one of those male-female things. I really don’t get the appeal of taunting other fans. They’re just as passionate about their team as I am about mine, so just be cool and cheer for your team without being a dick. I remember someone a while back posting about how the Bears beat the Colts, and they weren’t surprised, because everyone in Indiana is a bunch of losers. The Colts made the playoffs that year, but the Bears didn’t. So how did that work out for you, Obsessive Hater?
I’m not a Notre Dame graduate, but as a Notre Dame sports fan and a resident of this city, it’s important to me that I help people enjoy their visit here, if possible. I can’t do a lot, but I’ll do what I can to make sure that people don’t leave here after an encounter with me thinking, “Wow, ND fans are dicks.” I want them to think, “Wow, ND fans are kind of nice!” I know that the guys in front of us aren’t representative of all MSU fans. But they sure didn’t impress me, and they were bad representatives of the school. We encounter a lot of people from out of town during game weekends, and when we travel and tell people where we’re from, we want to make sure that we’re good ambassadors.
So don’t be a dick, mmmkay?
Could someone please ‘splain to me how I managed to miss this movie all these years? Argh!
Since Ken is on a business trip (he’ll get home late tonight), I watched a movie or three that I know he wouldn’t have much interest in watching, either for the first time or as a repeat viewing. We both have our favorites and our dislikes, and we know that if either of us isn’t in the mood for a movie, the other can watch what they choose. For him, it’s repeat viewings of some of my favorites or certain rock and roll movies. For me, it’s anything with Steven Seagal or any kind of Fast & Furious-type stuff. Just not my cuppa, and Steven Seagal just makes me cringe. Anyway, I was in a rock and roll mood last night, so I took the opportunity to watch “Sid and Nancy.” I’ve had a copy for a while, but just hadn’t gotten around to watching it.
Well, shame on me. Feel free to throw safety pins at me, because it is on the verge of inexcusable that someone who is STILL a fan of the Sex Pistols never watched this movie. It’s even more egregious than missing out on “The Boondock Saints” all these years.
Before I comment more on the movie, can we set aside our partisan differences, and whether right or left, gay or straight, black or white, freckle, burn, or tan, Miley is gross or just a kid finding her own way...can we all just admit that Gary Oldman is one of the finest actors of our time? Holy shit, the guy just disappears into whatever role he’s playing. He just OWNED the Sid Vicious role, getting his mannerisms down perfectly. Whew. Blown away.
Okay. Apparently John Lydon, AKA Johnny Rotten, was not pleased with this movie. He felt that he should have had more of a consulting role, especially because he was one of Sid’s best friends in the early days. He felt like it glorified heroin addiction, portrayed a somewhat glamorous picture of Sid. I love John, and I get his objection to some of the stuff in the movie. But glamorous? Not even close. Sid going on the nod and burning Nancy with his cigarette isn’t glamorous; Nancy throwing it on the floor and starting their Chelsea Hotel room on fire isn’t glamorous. Shooting up isn’t glamorous. Puking in the subway isn’t glamorous. The screaming, tears, blood, and vomit isn’t glamorous. John especially objected to the final hallucinatory scene, in which Sid hops into a cab with a lovely Nancy (who was already dead by this time), saying that it was just awful and made Sid’s death seem somehow a sort of redemption. I have to disagree...I just found it sad and tragic.
I love the Pistols to this day, and I have a soft spot for Sid. But he was a troubled and addicted young man. Some would make the case that he was taken advantage of by Malcolm McLaren and the record company. I wouldn’t argue very hard against that viewpoint. I feel that he was also taken advantage of by Nancy; she was also very troubled. I read a biography of her years ago, And I Don’t Want To Live This Life, written by her mother. I think this was a case of two seriously fucked up individuals meeting and being drawn into a seriously fucked up and mutually destructive relationship. I don’t doubt that they loved each other, but they both had major problems that were only compounded by their relationship. It was like reverse synergy: neither participant benefits from the relationship. It ends up killing them both. Nancy is portrayed in the movie as a real pig. She had her problems, too, but I don’t think you can blame either one for bringing them both down. It was mutual destruction.
Visually, the movie was just lovely. Whether it was crowded club scenes, street scenes, or the scene up there at the beginning of this entry where Sid and Nancy are leaning up against a dumpster with trash raining down all around them as they kiss...if that isn’t a perfect metaphor, I don’t know what is. The soundtrack is fantastic, with Joe Strummer providing the title track “Love Kills.”
The movie was fascinating for me, and man, the Pistols’ music STILL stands up. Sid couldn’t play for shit, but he had a sort of raw talent that was perfect for the time. I think he had a lot of potential, but his addictive personality and the influence of Nancy brought him to an untimely end. I wish he would have lived so we could see what he would become. John Lydon is one hell of a smart businessman and artist, and continues to make music and headlines; Steve Jones is still out there making music; Paul Cook is, too. They all made it through the crazy years, but Sid flamed out so soon. TOO soon.
This movie didn’t make me want to go out and do drugs because Sid and Nancy were somehow “glamorous.” It made me sad and angry that addiction killed them both.
I got a nice early start this morning (for me, anyway), and had planned to make a quick trip to the store, followed by a good workout, cleaning the oven, then just relaxing and enjoying the rest of the evening. Although I’m not too far away from the relaxation part, it was supposed to happen much sooner than it is! There was quite a thunderstorm happening this morning, so I stuck around waiting for it to pass. Waiting...and waiting...I finally realized that this storm was going to stick around most of the day, so I’d better just scrap the shopping plans and get to the rest of the stuff.
I’ve made good progress on stuff, though, and I’ve learned a valuable lesson. I need to clean the oven more often! At least I’ve managed to keep from passing out from the Easy Off fumes, but man, that shit is putrid. I’m glad it’s warm enough that I could have the kitchen window open all day, and I set up a fan to blow the fumes away from me towards the window. It hasn’t been too bad, but if you don’t hear from me after this, I succumbed!
Look at it, though. Just look at it! I’m still working on the broiler pan and still need to do a little more rinsing, but I can say that I feel a real sense of accomplishment after getting this em-effer done. Late summer resolution: more frequent maintenance cleaning rather than one huge afternoon-long desperation cleaning!
For anyone who wonders why I haven’t cleaned the oven more often, all I can say is that cleaning the oven SUCKS. It is not even remotely close to a chore that you can kind of convince yourself that is a little bit fun. I hate to vacuum, too, but at least you can kind of dance around and be silly with the vacuum cleaner. Laundry isn’t too bad, because Sheeba likes to help with the laundry by jumping into the basket of warm clothes, and I can carry him around in the laundry basket.
Ain’t no dancin’ or cat-carryin’ going on when you’re cleaning the oven. You’re wearing rubber gloves, kneeling down and sticking your head in an oven, and cleaning off all this nasty, greasy goo. To hell with that noise! But I realize that if I do a little more maintenance cleaning, it won’t be this bad next time. Next time we buy an oven, though, it’s going to be a self-cleaning one, I guarantee!
I had a really nice lunch with my friend Dan yesterday! It was nice enough that we were able to sit outside and enjoy a late summer day. Since it was us, we spent quite a bit of time talking about politics, local, state, and national. We didn’t solve anything, but we both agreed that South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a political rock star destined for national politics (fairly soon, too), and that Hillary is probably going to run in ‘16. Dan is almost certain of her candidacy, and I said that I’m about 85% certain.
As always, it was great to see him and get caught up, and I hope a larger group of us can get out soon! In this current absurd political atmosphere, it’s important to have a few laughs about it. It’s either laugh or punch someone in the face, you know?
I occupied myself last evening by finishing the miniseries version of “It,” then watched “Psycho” for good measure. I’m not quite sure yet what tonight will be. Maybe “The Runaways,” or “Sid and Nancy.” I’m feeling a little rock and roll tonight. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be a pleasant evening, and I wish you the same!
Ken was off to Wisconsin today for a few days, so I occupied myself this afternoon with a visit to the fabulous State Theater to watch a showing of “Jailhouse Rock.” I met our friend Doug downtown, and it was his first time back to the State since it reopened recently.
As you can see, I came prepared, with my Elvis shirt that I got in Memphis at a gift shop across the street from Graceland!
We chatted with Drew and Mara for a bit, and got to meet Trish. I saw our old couch, and both Drew and Mara said that it is super comfortable, and Drew has even fallen asleep on it a few times! So happy that it has found a new home. Drew said I could take Doug up to the balcony and let him see that, which was a nice treat, since the balcony is usually off-limits. When you get up to the balcony, you get an idea of the size of the theater. I asked Mara, and she said that the original capacity, with the balcony and everything, was around 1,800. That’s a big theater!
It was especially fun to be seeing “Jailhouse Rock.” First of all, you all know that I’m a huge Elvis fan. Second, I had never seen it on the big screen before. It’s fun to catch older movies on the big screen. It gives you a whole new perspective. Third, it was a good tie-in to my History of Rock online course. The prof did an entire lecture on The Rise of Elvis, and recently mentioned the Elvis movies and cited “Jailhouse Rock” as one of the best. Of course, I loved hearing the music, and that Jailhouse Rock dance scene is one kicky blast, Daddy-O! I also loved seeing the mid-century modern furnishings and decor of the late ‘50s in the movie. Far out!
The main goal of this matinee was as an outing for a couple of downtown retirement/housing communities, one of them housed in the former Robertson’s department store building. The crowd was sparse, but I hope word gets out that it was fun. I’ll do my best to get the word out for the next movie! (More about that in a moment.)
After the movie, a local Elvis impersonator did a few songs. Doug and I grinned about the lady in the front row who was swaying and knew all the words to the songs. Then, what was really sweet...a lady involved with the housing community asked a few of the folks to share their “Elvis encounters.” One lady had open heart surgery in Indianapolis, in the early days of open heart surgery. Elvis was playing a show there and came to visit her! One guy was a kid in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and his Dad delivered telegrams for a living. He was along when his Dad delivered a telegram to Elvis, and said that Elvis was really nice.
Finally, the lady that Doug and I noticed in the front row. Mary said that she saw Elvis at Notre Dame (the same show that Shane went to!), and one of the security guards noticed her crying when Elvis opened with “My Way.” He came over and got her and took her up to the edge of the stage. Elvis came over to her, got down on a knee, gave her a kiss on the cheek, and put his scarf around her neck. After the song was over, he told the security guard to make sure that she got back to her seat and that NO ONE tried to take that scarf from her. Mary said that she still has it in a cabinet, and it still smells faintly of Elvis’s Brut cologne.
The reverence in her voice, and the memory that Elvis gave her...well, I teared up a little when hearing it, and I’m tearing up a little as I write this! He had his faults, just like any other human being, but he gave Mary a memory that she cherishes to this day. From everything I’ve read, he was a kind man who appreciated his fans, and I love him even more for giving Mary such a wonderful memory. That’s something special, you know?
As for October’s movie, those of us in attendance got to vote on it. There were some good choices, but the one that jumped out immediately for me and Doug was “The Blob.” Drew announced after the show that the people have spoken…”The Blob” it is! How fun will that be? I’ve never seen that one on the big screen, either! I exchanged a few messages with Drew, and he said he’d like to have a more formal start to the movie, maybe have a brief discussion about it, ask who has seen it, that sort of thing. I think that’s a great idea, and we both agreed that trivia about various movies can be a lot of fun and add to the movie and make it a richer viewing experience. So I’m going to do a little Blob research and see what I can scare up...so to speak!
It was a very enjoyable afternoon. Thanks to Doug for going with me, and thanks to Drew and everyone involved for doing this for the folks downtown—and for the rest of us!
Please enjoy one of my favorite Elvis songs. This song still makes me want to shake it, and this is a great clip with some groovy dancing and super cool outfits! Check out the ginger in the brown vest and orange shirt. Work it, Ginger!
TURN IT UP!
I’m trying really hard to find my Happy Place™ today.
Everything started off well, I was having a mellow day, and although I caught the news of the latest shooting—the LATEST!—online, I chose not to turn on the news at all. I just got my updates online and tried not be be immersed in it.
However, later I posted an update on Facebook, something to the effect of how there will be the usual outpouring of rage and disgust, but we’ll end up doing exactly nothing, just like we always do. A few friends commented, and then there was a comment from someone (now a former friend) about how it’s our mentality as a nation (he’s not from here) and he hoped he offended some liberals, and liberals can “suck it.” My friend of at least 15 years, Raquel, told him to fuck off.
Then the shit really hit the fan. He called her a “dullard,” another friend weighed in and didn’t like what he had to say, so he attacked HER and called her ignorant, called liberals assholes, and blah di fucking blah. That was it for me, and I said that you don’t get to come on an avowed liberal’s page and say “I hope I offend some liberals” and then get offended yourself when said liberals tell you to fuck off! Defriended and blocked. Then I got a message from an alternative account of his, rather threatening and quite creepy. Also blocked.
Somebody’s off their meds. I’ve never seen anyone react so virulently to Facebook nastiness. It was ridiculous, and good riddance. Way to harsh my mellow, dude. I don’t need or want the drama, so seriously...piss off.
After that, I tried to settle down a bit by watching more of my online class videos, and I enjoyed those quite a bit. One of the things the History of Rock prof talked about was TV and movies in the ‘50s, and how rock and roll began to be marketed. He mentioned the Elvis movie “Jailhouse Rock,” and that’s especially fun, because I’m going to a showing of that movie with our friend Doug tomorrow afternoon! It’s going to be at the fabulous State Theater, and I’m looking forward to it. If anything will get me in a happy mood, it will be this!
I’m taking a short break from Doctor Sleep to write an entry. I’m trying not to rush through the book super fast—I want to savor it—so I watched more videos today in the History of Rock course. We’re at the point where we’re talking about the British Invasion, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. 
