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My iPod Has Issues – All About the Birthday Girl

23 Mar

On Saturday night, we celebrated my stepdaughter’s 13th birthday with a gathering of her friends. We filled them with soft drinks, spaghetti, pizza and one of the coolest birthday cakes I have ever seen.image-24

A few of the girls spent the night, and, according to rumor, they stayed up for most of it. I also hear that they ate more of that cake.

Big fun was had by all, and my wife and I are worn out. In celebration of the big One Three, I am going to dig into my iPod and play a bunch of songs that my stepdaughter has never heard. After all, nothing compares to Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.

“I’ve Got To Use My Imagination” by Gladys Knight and the Pips

“Dancing Barefoot” by Patti Smith

“Sweet And Slow” by Carol Sloane

“For All We Know” by Susannah McCorkle

“What’s Love Got To Do With It” by Tina Turner

“He Thinks I Still Care” by Dorothy Moore

“Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell

“He’s A Rebel” by The Crystals

“Moanin'” by Lambert, Hendricks and Ross

“What A Difference A Day Makes” by Dinah Washington

“Sinnerman” by Nina Simone

“What The World Needs Now Is Love” by Jackie DeShannon

“Black Enough” by Melba Moore

“Your Love Is Where It Ought To Be” by Big Mama Thornton

“Everything Must Change” by Oleta Adams

“Ready For Love” by India.Arie

“Get Ur Freak On” by Missy Elliott

“I’m A Woman” by Christine Kittrell

“She’s Got You” by Loretta Lynn

“Texas (When I Die)” by Tanya Tucker

Happy Birthday to a fantastic 13-year-old girl!

 

My iPod Has Issues – Spring Break Has Come and Gone

16 Mar

Spring Break is over. School starts back, and I have to get my mind right to talk about history. That means getting into my office and spending some quiet time looking over notes. Of course, I have to arrive extra early to ask a couple of my cohorts about their Spring Break trip to Haiti.Spring Break

Getting my mind right also means listening to some tunes. With that in mind, I am going to turn on the iPod and see what kind of “Get My Mind Ready” music it can conjure up.

I think I will cheat and pick the first one.

“School’s Out” by Alice Cooper

“Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds

“Up On The Roof” by The Drifters

“Good Golly Miss Molly” by Little Richard

“99 Problems” by Jay-Z

“Blue Skies” by The Allman Brothers Band

“You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You” by Dean Martin

“Angel Eyes” by Scott Hamilton

“Immune” by Godsmack

“Spirit In The Sky” by Norman Greenbaum

“Sonny Got Caught In The Moonlight” by Robbie Robertson

“The Beat” by Lou Johnson

“Gimme Back My Bullets” by Lynyrd Skynyrd

“A Country Boy Can Survive” by Hank Williams, Jr.

“Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones

“Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver

“Bring It On Home To Me” by Sam Cooke

“Big Iron” by Marty Robbins

“Buck’s Boogie” by Matt “Guitar” Murphy

“The Pilgrim: Chapter 33” by Kris Kristofferson

Tomorrow, I will get up bright and early and teach class to a bunch of students who have gotten up just as early. I should enter the room to Elvis’s intro music. I bet that would get their attention.

The Power of 601

6 Mar

Number 601.

It is hard to believe that I have written that many posts. Part of me is proud of the accomplishment. Another part of me is thinking about all of the other stuff I could have been doing instead of writing. Nevertheless, blogging is something that I enjoy doing, and I will keep on writing as the number of posts keeps going up.

As an honor the publication of Number 601, I Googled that number to see what popped up.

It is the area code for Natchez, Mississippi, an interesting town that saw its heyday before the Civil War. It is filled with antebellum mansions and sits at the southern tip of the Natchez Trace. From there, the road goes to Nashville. In the days before boats could go against the current of the Mississippi River, boatmen returned home on that route.

Number 601 was also the error message displayed on the computer in The Andromeda Strain. The 1971 movie is about an alien virus that finds its way to Earth.Andromeda

Form I-601 is an Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility. Yeah, I do not understand that, either. The Official Website of the Department of Homeland Security says the following:

If you are inadmissible to the United States and are seeking an immigrant visa, adjustment of status, certain nonimmigrant statuses or certain other immigration benefits, you must file this form to seek a waiver of certain grounds of inadmissibility. Please refer to the instructions to determine whether you should use this form.

Understand?

The house at 601 Lynnwood Boulevard in Nashville recently sold for $1.1 million.

The house at 601 Freedom Court in Nashville recently sold for $165,000.

Different neighborhoods I reckon.

The Liteville 601 MK 3 is a bicycle looks like it could get you up one mountain and down another.Bike

In the Dewey Decimal system, books about Philosophy and Theory can be found under 601. With the Google Decimal system, I theorize that few people know how the Dewey Decimal system works.

The 601 Bar and Grill is in Fullerton, California and bills itself as a “blue collar establishment” that offers all day Happy Hours. That makes for a lot of happiness.

Viktor Mora and Naccarati have an interesting song called “601” that is an Electronic Dance Club kind of thing.

Certainly, there are a lot of other things association with 601. However, I have spent over 601 second messing with this. It is time to stop.

 

My iPod Has Issues – We Are The Trivia Champions

27 Feb

Today, the History Club played Trivial Pursuit. It was students against teachers with the students having about ten people and we teachers only having three. In other words, the students were at a severe disadvantage.Trivia

The students streaked out to an early lead, but, by the end, we had pulled ahead and barely won. Some of the students were crushed. Some did not care. I think I can speak for each of the teachers by saying that we were relieved. A loss would have never been lived down.

To celebrate our victory, I decided to dig into the iPod and let it play. After all, it is party time for the history faculty. We were able to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.

“Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones

“Groove’s Groove” by Richard “Groove” Holmes

“Who’s To Bless And Who’s To Blame” by Kris Kristofferson

“Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent

“Les Flammes D’en Fer” by The Jambalaya Cajun Band

“Ode To Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry

“Breaking The Law” by Judas Priest

“Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2

“Bat Out Of Hell” by Meat Loaf

“In The Air Tonight” by Nonpoint

“Truck Drivin’ Man” by Jimmy Martin

“Let It Be” by The Beatles

“Surrender” by Cheap Trick

“Orange Blossom Special” by Benny Martin

“Here Comes The Sun” by Richie Havens

“An Old Fashioned Love Song” by Three Dog Night

“I Sang Dixie” by Dwight Yoakam

“You Really Got Me” by The Kinks

“I Never Loved A Man” by Aretha Franklin

“All Along The Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix

A victory in Trivial Pursuit? That must mean that the teacher team is the GOAT!

My iPod Has Issues – Sad Songs Say Everything

10 Feb

A sadness has come over me. There are reasons for the melancholy that has settled in, but I will not go into them. When I get into a mood such as this, I need to hear sad songs. I suppose many people would listen to happy music in an attempt to pull themselves out. However, sad music helps me focus on what is going through my mind and alleviate some of the feelings that have developed.Pier

With that in mind, I think it is a good time to look into the iPod and play some songs that I consider sad. Of course, that definition is in the ear of the beholder. One person’s sad song could be someone else’s happy song. Nevertheless, here we go.

“Kentucky Rain” by Elvis Presley

“You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive” by Dave Alvin

“It Was A Very Good Year” by Frank Sinatra

“Love On The Rocks” by Neil Diamond

“The Pretender” by Jackson Browne

“Moment Of Surrender” by U2

“Pieces Of April” by Three Dog Night

“Just A Song Before I Go” by Crosby, Stills and Nash

“Scarborough Fair” by Simon and Garfunkel

“Girl From The North Country” by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash

“November Rain” by Guns ‘N Roses

“Shenandoah” by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

“For The Good Times” by Ray Price

“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” by The Hollies

“Alone Again” by Dokken

“By The Time I Get To Phoenix” by Glen Campbell

“It Was Almost Like A Song” by Johnny Hartman

“Levon” by Elton John

“Everything Must Change” by Oleta Adams

“Badge” by Cream

Dang, I want to continue listening to sad songs. However, I will stop typing right here.

Which Witch is Which

7 Feb

The other night, we, like a ton of other people, went to a Super Bowl party. It was a fun gathering with great food and great friends. As often happens, I learned a few things while I was there.

First, people at Super Bowl parties do not watch the Super Bowl. During the game, they eat, talk, mingle and all sorts of other things. I was guilty of this because I did not care who won the game. It was background music for what was happening within the room. However, the same people got quiet and paid attention to the halftime show.

In short, I learned that a lot of people watch a concert and a football game breaks out.

Secondly, I learned that Katy Perry, the halftime performer, is a witch. At least, this is what folks on social media were saying. Of course, that would be a pretty sharp turn for someone who used to be a Christian singer and likes to dance with Jabberjaw.Shark

A halftime show being performed by a witch follows a line of Super Bowl halftime shows that sent dark forces through our television screens.

Madonna’s performance was designed by the Illuminati and announced the arrival of the Antichrist. If you do not believe it, then look around the Internet. It is all right there.

Not to be outdone, Beyonce’s performance was also filled with Illuminati symbolism. I am not sure what message they were trying to get across, but Beyonce did all she could to get everyone’s attention. Heck, she even knocked out the lights, which allowed the field to be brought from the dark to the light. Illuminati was written all over it.

With all of the symbolism during these shows, I wonder if they used the symbol himself, Prince. That purple guitar has to mean something.

To honor Katy Perry’s witchiness and all of these performers for their service to the dark forces, here are a few of my favorite witches.

Samantha Stevens – She tried to hide her powers, but they always saved the day.Bewitched

However, I do not understand why someone with her skills did not notice when her husband turned into another person.

Stevie Nicks – My favorite witch of all time.Stevie

The dressed like a witch. She sang about witches. She is the coolest witch of all time.

The Bell Witch – I have to include some local lore. I will not go into the entire story, but she is the only witch to be officially recognized by the United States government.Bell Witch

Any kid who grows up in Tennessee knows that you never stand in front of a mirror and say her name three times.

Broom Hilda – We had a high school teacher that we called Broom Hilda.Broom Hilda

It was not nice, but she earned it.

Melisandre – Anyone who watches Game of Thrones knows all about her.Melisandre

She can convince kings to burn people at the stake, and she can give birth to smoke monsters.

Rhea of the Coos – There cannot be a list of witches without including one created by Stephen King.Rhea

The Dark Tower series is filled with dangerous characters, but Rhea of the Coos is one of the most dangerous.

The Witch – She does not need a name. She only needs her feminine ways to lure Conan the Barbarian into her lair.Conan

He threw her into a fire, but she came a lot closer to killing him than James Earl Jones ever did.

Marie Laveau – She was the Witch Queen of New Orleans and was said to remain forever young. Redbone recorded a great song about her, and people visit her grave.Marie

I have been there and drawn three X’s on her tomb. That is supposed to wake her up to offer some black magic help for anyone who needs it.

There are plenty of more witches out there casting spells and dancing in the woods. I wonder which one the Illuminati will get to perform at next year’s Super Bowl.

My iPod Has Issues – I’ve Seen Fire, and I’ve Seen Television

3 Feb

I am sitting by the fire and watching Top Gear. This show always brings out my inner race car driver. My wife is on the couch wondering why we are watching Top Gear. Apparently, it does not bring out her inner race car driver.

Earlier, we watched Bluegrass Underground. A few counties over someone has turned a cave into a concert hall, and some of the concerts are put on television. Tonight’s episode introduced us to a group called Davina and the Vagabonds. I thought they were pretty cool.Davina

The episode also brought out our inner musicians. Both of us wished we were outer musicians instead.

Before all of that, I put on my headphones, listened to the iPod and made out a test. In honor of Top Gear, Bluegrass Underground, my inner race car driver and our inner musicians, here are a few selections from the iPod that I had plugged into my headphones.

“Time of the Season” by The Zombies

“Without You” by Harry Nilsson

“Ballad of Davy Crockett” by Fess Parker

“I’m Gonna Catch You” by Hues Corporation

“De Guello” by Nelson Riddle

“Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins

“Try A Little Tenderness” by Otis Redding

“When A Guitar Plays The Blues” by Roy Buchanan

“If Anyone Falls” by Stevie Nicks

“A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke

“Earth Angel” by The Penguins

“Electric Worry” by Clutch

“That’s My Man” by Marion James

“Sunshine” by Jonathan Edwards

“Hurdy Gurdy Man” by Donovan

“31 E. Blues” by Billie McAllister

“My Elusive Dreams” by David Houston and Tammy Wynette

“What A Difference A Day Makes” by Dinah Washington

“Clocks” by Coldplay

“I Want To” by Joe Tex

Now, I return to the regularly scheduled program.

My iPod Has Issues – Looking for the Red Light

27 Jan

There are many things in this world that I do not understand, and, earlier, I witnessed one of them. It was during an after work trip to the grocery store to get bananas and Spic ‘n Span. I also got a magazine that will turn into a good blog post.

Anyway, I pulled into the parking lot as another car was coming out. They were trying to turn left onto a five lane road, and the traffic was heavy. In other words, they were going to be there a while. It is a common occurrence. However, they did not have to wait several minutes to pull out in front of another car and risk their lives. The other parking lot exit had a red light.

This is what I do not understand. When leaving a parking lot and turning left, why do people not use the exit with the red light? It does not take that long, and they do not have to play Frogger.Frogger

I always look for the red light and use it. This does not make me some driving genius. It just makes sense. People only have to think ahead.

I know this is a crazy post about something that is not a bi deal, but it bothers me every time I see it happen. When people learn to drive, looking for a red light while leaving a parking lot should be near the top of the list.

In honor of the craziness that is non-red light parking lot exiting, we will look into the craziness that is my iPod. Even it knows to think ahead and make this maneuver the easiest way.

“The Road to Hell” by Chris Rea

“Highway Chile” by Jimi Hendrix

“Standing at the Crossroads” by Johnny Shines

“Chauffer Blues” by Big Mama Thornton

“Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles

“Go Speed Racer Go” by Sponge

“The Long and Winding Road” by The Beatles

“Roadrunner” by The Modern Lovers

“The Old Man Down the Road” by John Fogerty

“King of the Road” by Roger Miller

“Carefree Highway” by Gordon Lightfoot

“Little Red Corvette” by Prince

“Highway 61 Revisited” by Bob Dylan

“16th Avenue” by Lacy J. Dalton

“How Fast Them Trucks Can Go” by Claude Gray

“Passing Zone Blues” by Coleman Wilson

“Pursuit of the Pimpmobile” by Isaac Hayes

“Free Ride” by Edgar Winter

“The Road” by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

“Interstate” by The Refreshments

Remember, always look for that red light.

My iPod Has Issues – The Weekend That Was

20 Jan

Over the past few days, the weather has been unusually warm, and we took the opportunity to get out and about. The long weekend has spent doing things other than sitting at home.

On Friday night, we had a nice meal at a Greek restaurant and saw American Sniper. The theater was packed, and the first two showings were sold out. We bought tickets and hung out in the lobby until our screen was ready. When I write that the place was packed, I am not kidding. The teenagers taking tickets were overwhelmed, and the police officer working security had to help them. It was obvious that the movie would make a ton of money.

On Saturday night, we helped celebrate the 50th birthday of a friend. We had a great meal at a place called Urban Grub. Then, everyone started talking about going to the honky-tonk bars for which Nashville is famous. We were not up for loud music and loud crowds and headed home. The next morning, we learned that none of them went to the bars. I guess people who go to 50th birthday parties have barks that are bigger than their bites.

On Sunday, we had brunch at Sammy B’s, a local restaurant in an old woolen mill. The entire complex has been renovated, and there are a few businesses inside. However, the restaurant is probably the most popular.

After brunch, we went on a drive through the country. We like a country drive every so often and try to pick different routes. On this drive, we went past a farm that Paul McCartney called home for a few months in the early 1970s. We also stopped at a country store looking for fried peach pies. Unfortunately, we had to settle for candy bars.

Today, we went back to Nashville and had lunch at Burger Up, a place where burger does not adequately describe what you are getting. Then, we walked down the street to Jeni’s Ice Creams. This place is the bomb.

Tonight, we went to Gondola Italian Restaurant, an old staple for us, to celebrate my brother’s birthday. He is ten years older, which means that his current membership in AARP represents my future.

Wait, I just realized. We went to two birthday dinners, and there was not a birthday cake at either one.Cake

Anyway, that is the weekend that was. I know it is not exciting. To add something to the mix, here are a few selections from my iPod.

“Take California” by Propellerheads

“Memphis Exorcism” by Squirrel Nut Zippers

“Waterloo” by Stonewall Jackson

“Paranoid Android” by Radiohead

“Chill in the Air” by Amos Lee

“69 Police” by David Holmes

“The Chokin’ Kind” by Joe Simon

“Spanish Harlem” by Ben E. King

“My Little Home in Tennessee” by Mac Wiseman

“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen

“Endless Black Ribbon” by Tiny Harris

“Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent

“Don’t Say You Don’t Remember” by Beverly Bremers

“Piece of My Heart” by Big Brother and the Holding Company

“Cripple Creek” by The Dillards

“Go Speed Racer Go” by Sponge

“Lose Yourself” by Eminem

“The Harder They Come” by Jimmy Cliff

“Love, Love, Love” by Ted Jarrett

“Jack of Diamonds” by Nevada Slim

My iPod Has Issues: Five Dollar Words

14 Jan

Last week, we had faculty meetings in preparation of the upcoming semester. As people talked and presentations were made, I realized something. We academicians use a lot of five dollar words.Five

I mean words like:

Pedagogy

Colloquium

Convocation

Socratic

Syllabus

Magna Cum Laude

Rubric

Vitae

You have to admit that those are not words used in everyday language.

Then, I wondered why we use five dollar words. Is it to show everyone how smart we are? Is is to prove that our profession is important? Is it to separate ourselves intellectually?

As those ideas raced through my mind, I realized that most professions have their own languages. We my family was involved in manufacturing, we used terms that many people would not recognize and not be able to define.

I reckon that is the way it is for the world’s numerous professions. They all have their own languages that set them apart from those who are not involved in that line of work.

It is strange phenomenon, but I imagine that it started a long time ago.

To honor the five dollar words of my profession and others, we will explore the selections of my iPod. However, these songs all have something in common. Their titles include words that are worth at least $4.99.

“Christo Redemptor” by Charlie Musselwhite

“Spybreak” by Propellerheads

“Contempt – Theme De Camille” by Georges Delerue

“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” by Crosby, Stills and Nash

“Nocturne” by Daft Punk

“Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Deodato

“Toccato and Fugue in D Minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach

“A Private Interlude” by Groove Armada

“Balfa Waltz” by David Doucet

“Pyramania” by The Alan Parsons Project

“Dengue Woman Blues” by Jimmie Vaughan

“De Guello” by Nelson Riddle

“John Barleycorn” by Traffic

“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

“Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent

“Gracefully” by Vintage Trouble

“Anarchy in the U.K.” by The Sex Pistols

“Guitar Improvisation” by John Rubinstein and Tim McIntire

“Principles of Lust: Sadeness” by Enigma

“Torquay” by The Leftovers

Now, I have to figure out where I am going to spend the extra penny.