For as long as I can remember, 40+ years now, things have disappeared around me, never to be seen again. Sometimes I thought I was going crazy, but eventually I just came to accept that this is an unexplained phenomena. The most dramatic such incident, because my wife noticed it as well (which means I could finally say: see, I told you so. I'm not crazy), involved an electric space heater. Several years before our first child was born, it disappeared. I went through every cubic foot of the old house, emptied every closet, every cabinet, every box. It was gone. It was getting to be some cold weather, and my wife asked me why I hadn't gotten the heater out.
"It's gone," I said.
"What do you mean, gone?"
"Gone. Vanished. Disappeared. It no longer exists on this earth."
"That's crazy. It has to be here somewhere." So she did the same thing I can done, methodically going through the entire house just like I had, while I sat and inwardly laughed at her futile endeavor. Finally she told me, "It's gone."
When we sold the old house, I got to thinking that since we were going to completely empty that house, I would finally discover what ever happened to that heater. We would have to find it.
But we didn't, because it's gone.
A couple of months ago my dad gave my son and I similar, but not identical caps. They were both camouflage, with a picture of a buck deer on the front. My son's had a solid crown, mine had a mesh crown. I hung them on a hat rack in the bedroom, right next to my Alamo cap and my old camo hunting cap. I covered them all with a bandana to keep the dust off them, because I don't wear a cap very often.
And today, my new camo deer cap was gone. All the others are still there. I've spent several hours today going through the entire house, looking through all the drawers, all the closets, all the cabinets. But it's no use, because it's gone.
My wife said, "But there were three camouflage caps hanging there. I just saw them."
"Exactly," I said. "That's because that's where I put them. But it's gone now."
She just shrugged and sat down to watch TV. She knows there's no point even trying to look for it. It's gone.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Purple sky
A twilit golf course behind the Firestone Parkway area off F.M. 78 at 7:40 AM. Overcast was bad today. By the time the sky cleared up, I was getting hot and tired and was focused more on finishing than anything else. I like the purple sky, though.
Cougars in Louisiana
Cryptomundo has the news that they were confirmed by trail cameras. But what is it with state game agencies and their treatment of cougars? They obviously have to live somewhere, but not here...
And finally...
Michigan blamed it on the Dakotas. And now Louisiana blames it on Texas. But no one wants to admit that cougars are pretty much everywhere.
Although it is illegal to own a cougar in Louisiana, it is possible that there are some illegally held “pets” in the state. Anyone holding a captive cougar in Louisiana must have a permit issued by LDWF, as captive cougars may compromise public safety. LDWF may issue permits to existing owners in the state in order to reduce difficulties associated with determining the validity of reported cougar sightings.No one said anything about owning a cougar, yet they have to mention it. Just to make sure they put that seed in your mind.
The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards are native to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common. Although the department receives numerous calls about “black panthers”, there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.Once again, no one mentioned black cougars. No one claimed this was a black cougar. So what's the point?
And finally...
The department receives many calls reporting sightings of cougars throughout Louisiana. The vast majority of these reports cannot be verified due to the very nature of a sighting. These animals can move through an area and leave little or no evidence to be found. Many of the calls are found to be cases of mistaken identity. Dog tracks make up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.Yes, I mistake the common house cat for a cougar pretty much all the time, since I'm no animal expert and therefore a complete idiot.
The significant lack of physical evidence leads the department to conclude that Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kills. The recent occurrences of cougars in Louisiana may be young animals dispersing from existing populations in west Texas. An expanding population in west Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles seeking their own territories.
Michigan blamed it on the Dakotas. And now Louisiana blames it on Texas. But no one wants to admit that cougars are pretty much everywhere.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Pipe smoker humor and garter snakes
I put a poll over at the The Briar Files regarding a tobacco I have been smoking lately called 1792 Flake.
But I have been greatly amused that so far 8 out of 13 respondents have chosen "Blasphemous scents from outside the spectrum of mortal sensation, of which no man may breathe the noisome vapours and still remain wholly sane."
I don't really have anything else to blog about today. I got rained on briefly this morning, and since it was raining I left my phone in my truck and didn't try to take any work pix. More rain is threatened all week, so I might not take any pictures for several days.
I bought gas today for $2.69 at the Valero at I-10 and Foster Rd. The Flying J and the TA both had it for $2.71, and the Petro and Pilot at I-10 and Ackerman both had it for $2.69 also. About $39 for a fill-up. It's been a while since that happened. A Chevron station near here is selling it for $2.49, but only if you use a Chevron credit card, which I unfortunately do not have. For any other form of payment, it's $2.79.
I did see the biggest one of these I've ever seen so far:
That's the speckled, or checkered garter snake. I've never seen one out here where I live, but these are by far the most common snake to find in meter boxes. I didn't see its full length, but it must have been a good inch-and-a-half thick in the center of its body. So far I haven't found any venomous snakes while working (not in this job, anyway), just a lot of these, and one coachwhip and one that I think was a bullsnake but I'm not sure. Also one striped garter snake just a few days ago.
One time on my previous job I found a coral snake sprawled out underneath a gas meter.
The most common question I get asked about my job is "do you see many snakes?" Apparently most people are scared sh*tless of snakes. I guess I've probably had more exposure to snakes than the average person, or the average resident of San Antonio, anyway.
Other animals I have encountered: toads. Lots of toads. Totally freakin' ungodly quantities of toads. And I would by far rather come across snakes than toads. One frog. You don't usually find frogs in meter boxes because they prefer wetter areas, but if it's been leaking long enough it might get a frog in it. Roaches by the million. Rats. Mice. And one gopher, at least I'm pretty sure it was a gopher. Cats. One possum so far. Oh, and spotted geckos--lots of those, too. They tend to panic and head for the nearest dark place, which is often my pants leg.
Most recent random 10 on Winamp:
John Coltrane -- Out of this World
Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton -- L.A. Underground
Brasilia -- A Chamada Do Rio
Pat Metheny -- The Truth Will Always Be
Billie Holiday -- No Good Man
Billie Holiday -- This is Heaven to Me
Pat Metheny Group -- The Search
Pat Metheny -- See the World
Jimmy Smith -- Back at the Chicken Shack
Pat Metheny -- Always and Forever
Pat Metheny is another one that I really like, although some might argue that he doesn't do "real" jazz (but fusion, if you really have to make that distinction). I have several more lined up in my yourmusic.com queue that should be arriving in the coming months.
I have only one Billie Holiday collection, a two-CD set that covers everything she recorded during her time at Decca (from 1944 to 1950). This includes out-takes and some studio chatter, which I'm not really interested in but it looked like a good way to start at the time. Also I have a few other random tracks of hers on various compilations. I can't stand too much Billie Holiday at one time. I have to take her in small doses. But I suppose I'll talk more about that when I get into the jazz section of my digital collection.
This is a full strength, mellow tobacco comprising a blend of dark fired Tanzanian leaf. It is Gawith's best-selling premium grade flake. It starts as 7 lbs. of hand stripped leaf and goes through a steaming process prior to being pressed. The cake, having been prepared, is wrapped in a select leaf and packed by hand into a 12 inch square. This cake is pressed and left for a minimum of two hours. Then, the pressed cake is placed into a steam press where it is baked at full heat for two to three hours. The baked cake has then taken on 1792's characteristic rich, dark color. It's hardening occurs during cooling. Once the process of cutting the flake and adding a tonquin flavor is carried out, hand wrapping and packing finalizes 1792, making it ready for rubbing into your pipe. Also sold as Cob Flake in Europe.The way the description is written, it's almost as if they said, "Oh yeah and by the way we put tonquin flavor in it." What does tonquin taste like? Well, it tastes like tonquin (a.k.a the tonka bean). Alas! I am almost out and will have to order more soon. Once I developed a taste for it, there was no stopping me.
But I have been greatly amused that so far 8 out of 13 respondents have chosen "Blasphemous scents from outside the spectrum of mortal sensation, of which no man may breathe the noisome vapours and still remain wholly sane."
I don't really have anything else to blog about today. I got rained on briefly this morning, and since it was raining I left my phone in my truck and didn't try to take any work pix. More rain is threatened all week, so I might not take any pictures for several days.
I bought gas today for $2.69 at the Valero at I-10 and Foster Rd. The Flying J and the TA both had it for $2.71, and the Petro and Pilot at I-10 and Ackerman both had it for $2.69 also. About $39 for a fill-up. It's been a while since that happened. A Chevron station near here is selling it for $2.49, but only if you use a Chevron credit card, which I unfortunately do not have. For any other form of payment, it's $2.79.
I did see the biggest one of these I've ever seen so far:
That's the speckled, or checkered garter snake. I've never seen one out here where I live, but these are by far the most common snake to find in meter boxes. I didn't see its full length, but it must have been a good inch-and-a-half thick in the center of its body. So far I haven't found any venomous snakes while working (not in this job, anyway), just a lot of these, and one coachwhip and one that I think was a bullsnake but I'm not sure. Also one striped garter snake just a few days ago.
One time on my previous job I found a coral snake sprawled out underneath a gas meter.
The most common question I get asked about my job is "do you see many snakes?" Apparently most people are scared sh*tless of snakes. I guess I've probably had more exposure to snakes than the average person, or the average resident of San Antonio, anyway.
Other animals I have encountered: toads. Lots of toads. Totally freakin' ungodly quantities of toads. And I would by far rather come across snakes than toads. One frog. You don't usually find frogs in meter boxes because they prefer wetter areas, but if it's been leaking long enough it might get a frog in it. Roaches by the million. Rats. Mice. And one gopher, at least I'm pretty sure it was a gopher. Cats. One possum so far. Oh, and spotted geckos--lots of those, too. They tend to panic and head for the nearest dark place, which is often my pants leg.
Most recent random 10 on Winamp:
John Coltrane -- Out of this World
Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton -- L.A. Underground
Brasilia -- A Chamada Do Rio
Pat Metheny -- The Truth Will Always Be
Billie Holiday -- No Good Man
Billie Holiday -- This is Heaven to Me
Pat Metheny Group -- The Search
Pat Metheny -- See the World
Jimmy Smith -- Back at the Chicken Shack
Pat Metheny -- Always and Forever
Pat Metheny is another one that I really like, although some might argue that he doesn't do "real" jazz (but fusion, if you really have to make that distinction). I have several more lined up in my yourmusic.com queue that should be arriving in the coming months.
I have only one Billie Holiday collection, a two-CD set that covers everything she recorded during her time at Decca (from 1944 to 1950). This includes out-takes and some studio chatter, which I'm not really interested in but it looked like a good way to start at the time. Also I have a few other random tracks of hers on various compilations. I can't stand too much Billie Holiday at one time. I have to take her in small doses. But I suppose I'll talk more about that when I get into the jazz section of my digital collection.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
That's some tuning fork!
It might take a special combination of ham radio/music nerd to think this is funny.Seen on ebay.
P.S. My printing isn't really that bad, but I wrote it with my off hand on a trackpad, so...
Sunday lyrics
Some beautiful lyrics for your Sunday morning. A true modern hymn.
My life goes on in endless song
Above earths lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?
While though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock I'm clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?
When tyrants tremble in their fear
And hear their death knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell and dungeon vile
Our thoughts to them are winging,
When friends by shame are undefiled
How can I keep from singing?--Eithne Ní Bhraonáin
1991, Shepherd Moons
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Jack o' the Lantern
Trying to get away from the Saturday Cthulhu for a little while, at least until after Halloween. So here's a scary-looking character.
It's a pipe.
Made by pipe artist Trever Talbert.
It's a pipe.
Made by pipe artist Trever Talbert.
Friday, October 10, 2008
And since it's Friday I had to wash the truck when I finished
Another terrible picture from today's work. It's the worst route I have. I made a special request for them to send me out alone so no one else would get stuck out there with me waiting for me to finish. An all-motor route that covers Perrin Beitel, Nacogdoches, Thousand Oaks, and that whole big area. It takes me nearly 7 hours to read 385 meters. The guy who usually does it can do it in about 5 1/2. I don't know how he can do it so fast.This photo is of a spot on the back side of Nacogdoches Road where most people don't go by accident. There are two meters back there in that brush, and if you make one wrong step it's twisted ankle time, or worse. One time I spooked a homeless guy back there, and as he lumbered away I thought, wow, he walks just like that Bigfoot in that old film. By the way I don't know what those meters service. The address of the place is on Bulverde Road, but the meters are all the way in the back on another road and I can't see what's on the other side of the creek. I forgot to mention the creek. The meters are on a creek bank.
No Saturday overtime this week. This was my "hard week," when all the routes are pretty tough. I'm taking a break. Next week will be a piece of cake compared to this one.
Check this out...
See that guy on the right? The one who looks like he would sue his own sister?
I used to sling pizza with that guy. And while we were slinging pizza, between the two of us, we could pretty much quote the entire "alien blancmanges" episode of Monty Python.
Way to go, Kenny. It looks like I'll actually be buying a DVD of a National Lampoon movie (if it's available in this area, that is).
Damn your lemon curd tart!
I used to sling pizza with that guy. And while we were slinging pizza, between the two of us, we could pretty much quote the entire "alien blancmanges" episode of Monty Python.
Way to go, Kenny. It looks like I'll actually be buying a DVD of a National Lampoon movie (if it's available in this area, that is).
Damn your lemon curd tart!
Miracolo!
Marino, Italy:
It transpired that instead of connecting the wine to the 17th century fountain, plumbers had hooked the pipes from the local vineyard into Marino's domestic water supply.
One resident said, 'I was in the kitchen to fill a bucket with water. I immediately noticed a sweet smell from the tap and recognised instantly it was wine. Word quickly spread and everyone filled up bottles and plastic containers with the wine.'
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Word of the day
Noctilucent: Luminous at night.
Story at Scienceagogo.com:
Story at Scienceagogo.com:
Noctilucent clouds, also known as night-shining clouds, were first described in 1885, two years after the massive eruption of Krakatoa sent up a plume of ash and debris up to 80 km into Earth's atmosphere. The eruption affected global climate and weather for years and it also may have produced the first noctilucent clouds.Anyone have an idea if this would also propagate VHF or UHF radio communications? I mean, if we can bounce signals off the northern lights...
The effects of Krakatoa eventually faded, but the unusual electric blue clouds remain, nestled into a thin layer of Earth's mesosphere. The clouds, which are visible during the deep twilight, are most often observed during the summer months at latitudes from 50 to 70 degrees north and south, although in recent years they have been seen as far south as Utah and Colorado. Noctilucent clouds are a summertime phenomenon as, paradoxically, the atmosphere at 85 km altitude is coldest in summer, promoting the formation of the ice grains that make up the clouds.
It was 25 years ago that researchers at Poker Flat, Alaska, first noticed that the clouds were highly reflective to radar. This unusual property has long puzzled scientists and Caltech's Paul M. Bellan believes he may now have an explanation. He hypothesizes that the ice grains in noctilucent clouds are coated with a thin film of metal, made of sodium and iron; and the metal film causes radar waves to reflect off ripples in the cloud in a manner analogous to how X-rays reflect from a crystal lattice.
Work pix
Since I got the good sheath for my cellphone a couple of weeks ago, I've been carrying my phone all the time in hopes that I can get an interesting photo now and then. It doesn't take very good pictures, and I'm no photographer. But hey, I got nothing else. The above sunrise photo was taken this past Tuesday at 8:18 AM (I do like the way the phone date & time stamps pictures) in the Roseheart subdivision off Bulverde Road.I had my bad alley route today and I tried to take some pix, but I was getting such a ferocious glare from the sun that they all look like something from that Easy Rider acid-trip montage.
My phone takes good pix if I have lots of sunlight and it's an object that I can frame from about 3 feet away, which will be perfect if I ever find another dead iguana.
Jazz today. Next randomized 10:
1. Jimmy Smith -- Messy Bessie
2. Bennie Braxton -- Bennie Bossa
3. Jimmy Smith & Taj Mahal -- C.C. Rider
4. Jimmy Smith -- Tuition Blues
5. Cornell Dupree -- Bop 'n' Blues
6. Jaco Pastorius -- Kuru/Speak Like a Child
7. Dave Brubeck -- Travelin' Blues
8. Marcus Miller -- The Blues
9. Joey Calderazzo -- Secrets
10. Pat Metheny -- Old Folks
Yes, my jazz collection is a little Jimmy Smith-heavy, and looks like it will get even heavier.
Anna Magdalena
Forensics casts doubt on music of Bach:
I've always thought it odd that J.S. would call one of his notebooks "little notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach." Why would he name is notebook after his wife? Wouldn't it make more sense for such a notebook to belong to Anna herself?
Here's a related post at my other blog, which some of you may remember if you've been reading this blog long enough.
The new analysis of his work – by Australian forensic anthropologist Martin Jarvis of Charles Darwin University in Darwin – involved comparing documents written by Bach’s second wife, Anna Magdalena, with musical notation written by Bach and others who copied his work.I touched on this more than two years ago, but the article that I linked to then is no longer there. At that time this was mere suspicion; no one had actually done any forensic work yet.
“My forensic work reveals that our current understanding of Anna Magdalena's role in the life and musical output of Johann Sebastian Bach cannot be correct," Jarvis told Cosmos Online.
"I believe there is evidence that shows that Anna Magdalena was at the very least a composition student of Bach, and more probably his assistant composer,” he said.
I've always thought it odd that J.S. would call one of his notebooks "little notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach." Why would he name is notebook after his wife? Wouldn't it make more sense for such a notebook to belong to Anna herself?
Here's a related post at my other blog, which some of you may remember if you've been reading this blog long enough.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
No cougars in Michigan
Or so insists the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Okay then, Ms. Smarty-Pants, what was it?
via Cryptomundo
Okay then, Ms. Smarty-Pants, what was it?via Cryptomundo
Oh fudge
Blogrolling was hacked, it seems. I killed the tab before the page finished loading. Just a self-preservation reflex.
Also Bloglines is whacked. No new posts today. Reading blogs "manually" is a drag.
On the other hand, Back at the Chicken Shack arrived today. The CD has one bonus track. Sweet!
Also Bloglines is whacked. No new posts today. Reading blogs "manually" is a drag.
On the other hand, Back at the Chicken Shack arrived today. The CD has one bonus track. Sweet!
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Possible mammoth fossil tooth found in Ike debris
Via Cryptomundo:
Dorothy Sisk and Jim Westgate discovered the fossil tooth in the front yard of Sisk’s home in Caplen, Texas, on the devastated Bolivar Peninsula. If the fossil is from a Columbian mammoth, then it is evidence of the species which was common in North America until around 10,000 years ago. It is expected to be sent to the Texas Memorial Museum in Austin.Photo at the link.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Saturday night ramble
Well, I seem to be feeling about the same as BobG. I never watch debates. They are just as effective as talk shows: no one's mind is changed about anything, and in fact, each side comes out feeling stronger in their own convictions than they did going in. Also I have an inherent distrust of all politicians and I believe they are all crooks to some extent, regardless of the letter that goes after their names.
I don't have anything to say about the bailout, either. It was unconstitutional, and wrong. But then most actions of our "government" are unconstitutional and wrong, so why should this be any different?
I worked some pleasant optional overtime this morning, reading a route on Ridge Country off of Wetmore. It's a quiet neighborhood, the houses are small and crammed in close together and the meters are arranged in an obvious pattern so it goes fast. 517 meters in about 2 1/2 hours. I'm still trying to put aside some extra money to buy a new handheld radio. For every Saturday I work overtime, I give myself an allowance of $25 for fun stuff (ammo, books, music, pipe tobacco, etc.).
I downloaded another free mp3 from Amazon, an instrumental called "Archipelago" from Quantic. It was listed in the dance genre or something like that, but it's a nice piece that combines some groove with some ambience. I like it, and might have to check out more of his stuff. Quantic is just one guy who does electronics plus a wind instrument or two.
Way back in the 80s there used to be this station in S.A. called KLLS, I think it was. It was a "soft rock" station or something like that. Anyway, late on Saturday night (from 10-midnight) they started carrying this new show called Musical Starstreams. I became a regular listener for just that show. Later on, KLLS switched to a country music format (which they remain to this day, I think) and dropped Starstreams. But then later on there was another station, I don't remember the callsign but it was on 106.7, that played "smooth jazz." Which basically means elevator music with saxophones and far too much Kenny G for any sane human to bear. But they started carrying Starstreams too, and I was able to hear it again. Unfortunately, the only station in S.A. that carries it now is a low-power college station that I can't pick up out here in the sticks (KSYM, 90.1). Several years ago, they would make their entire 2-hour program available for download from their website. Eventually the music nazis cracked down on them, but before that happened I managed to download several programs, which I burned to CDs for permanent safe storage. At one time I had begun breaking them into individual tracks, but lost most of them in the computer crash of a few years ago. For the past couple of weeks I've been doing that again. Fortunately Starstreams keeps their entire playlist archive available on their website, all the way back to the very first show.
I listen to and enjoy a lot of different kinds of music, but when I first heard the stuff they played on that show I thought, "This is what I've been searching for my whole life..." Anyway, it was an excellent starting point for exposure to a great many artists that I would never have heard of otherwise, and now with the magic of the internet I've been able to track down other sources, because you just don't find this kind of stuff at your typical music store around here.
And my digitally remastered CD of Jimmy Smith's Back at the Chicken Shack should be arriving in the mail any day now. The month after that should bring Signals, which will complete my Rush-on-CD collection.
I will try to get back into more music blogging in the future. I don't know if it's worth reading about, but I enjoy writing about it. So tonight I'm in an ambient mood, and here are the next ten.
Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors -- Flow
Opera to Relax -- From Life 2 Life
Skin to Skin -- Daimon
Trial of the Bow -- Father of the Flower
Worldbeat -- Winters Lake, Solace
Akumu -- Chimera
Auriavizia -- Rainbow Drops
Christopher Franke -- Purple Waves
Chris Armstrong -- Starless II
Loreena McKennitt -- The Mystic's Dream
And usually on Saturday night I try to post some graphics in a Lovecraftian vein. Today I went a-googling with a few choice search terms and eventually found this photo called Danse Macabre by Walter Kimmel at the Westchester Photographic Society.
Suitable for the season, I think. Except for the obvious road, it reminds me of some creek bottoms I have wandered through, where the water has stood often and long enough to kill out all the small underbrush. The scarred hollow on this tree almost looks like a mouth, doesn't it?
I don't have anything to say about the bailout, either. It was unconstitutional, and wrong. But then most actions of our "government" are unconstitutional and wrong, so why should this be any different?
I worked some pleasant optional overtime this morning, reading a route on Ridge Country off of Wetmore. It's a quiet neighborhood, the houses are small and crammed in close together and the meters are arranged in an obvious pattern so it goes fast. 517 meters in about 2 1/2 hours. I'm still trying to put aside some extra money to buy a new handheld radio. For every Saturday I work overtime, I give myself an allowance of $25 for fun stuff (ammo, books, music, pipe tobacco, etc.).
I downloaded another free mp3 from Amazon, an instrumental called "Archipelago" from Quantic. It was listed in the dance genre or something like that, but it's a nice piece that combines some groove with some ambience. I like it, and might have to check out more of his stuff. Quantic is just one guy who does electronics plus a wind instrument or two.
Way back in the 80s there used to be this station in S.A. called KLLS, I think it was. It was a "soft rock" station or something like that. Anyway, late on Saturday night (from 10-midnight) they started carrying this new show called Musical Starstreams. I became a regular listener for just that show. Later on, KLLS switched to a country music format (which they remain to this day, I think) and dropped Starstreams. But then later on there was another station, I don't remember the callsign but it was on 106.7, that played "smooth jazz." Which basically means elevator music with saxophones and far too much Kenny G for any sane human to bear. But they started carrying Starstreams too, and I was able to hear it again. Unfortunately, the only station in S.A. that carries it now is a low-power college station that I can't pick up out here in the sticks (KSYM, 90.1). Several years ago, they would make their entire 2-hour program available for download from their website. Eventually the music nazis cracked down on them, but before that happened I managed to download several programs, which I burned to CDs for permanent safe storage. At one time I had begun breaking them into individual tracks, but lost most of them in the computer crash of a few years ago. For the past couple of weeks I've been doing that again. Fortunately Starstreams keeps their entire playlist archive available on their website, all the way back to the very first show.
I listen to and enjoy a lot of different kinds of music, but when I first heard the stuff they played on that show I thought, "This is what I've been searching for my whole life..." Anyway, it was an excellent starting point for exposure to a great many artists that I would never have heard of otherwise, and now with the magic of the internet I've been able to track down other sources, because you just don't find this kind of stuff at your typical music store around here.
And my digitally remastered CD of Jimmy Smith's Back at the Chicken Shack should be arriving in the mail any day now. The month after that should bring Signals, which will complete my Rush-on-CD collection.
I will try to get back into more music blogging in the future. I don't know if it's worth reading about, but I enjoy writing about it. So tonight I'm in an ambient mood, and here are the next ten.
Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors -- Flow
Opera to Relax -- From Life 2 Life
Skin to Skin -- Daimon
Trial of the Bow -- Father of the Flower
Worldbeat -- Winters Lake, Solace
Akumu -- Chimera
Auriavizia -- Rainbow Drops
Christopher Franke -- Purple Waves
Chris Armstrong -- Starless II
Loreena McKennitt -- The Mystic's Dream
And usually on Saturday night I try to post some graphics in a Lovecraftian vein. Today I went a-googling with a few choice search terms and eventually found this photo called Danse Macabre by Walter Kimmel at the Westchester Photographic Society.
Suitable for the season, I think. Except for the obvious road, it reminds me of some creek bottoms I have wandered through, where the water has stood often and long enough to kill out all the small underbrush. The scarred hollow on this tree almost looks like a mouth, doesn't it?
...and the old bee-keeper told me that sometimes the boughs whisper to one another in the night wind, saying over and over again. "Oida! Oida! -I know! I know!"--H.P. Lovecraft, The Tree
Practicing for humans
Horrific mass animal killing at Australian zoo:
That kid needs to be taken out of that family immediately, but it's probably too late. I will be surprised if he isn't killing humans--or at least trying to--within 5 years.
More at The Copycat Effect.
SYDNEY, Australia - A 7-year-old boy broke into a popular Outback zoo, fed a string of animals to the resident crocodile and bashed several lizards to death with a rock, the zoo's director said today.Society is to blame. Or global warming. Or Bush. Watch his parents try to pass the blame on to someone else.
The 30-minute rampage, caught on the zoo's security camera, happened early Wednesday after the boy jumped a security fence at the Alice Springs Reptile Center in central Australia, said zoo director Rex Neindorf.
The child then went on a killing spree, bashing three lizards to death with a rock, including the zoo's beloved, 20-year-old goanna, which he then fed to "Terry," an 11-foot, 440-pound saltwater crocodile, said Neindorf.
The boy also fed several live animals to Terry by throwing them over the two fences surrounding the crocodile's enclosure, at one point climbing over the outer fence to get closer to the giant reptile.
In the footage, the boy's face remains largely blank, Neindorf said, adding: "It was like he was playing a game."
By the time he was done, 13 animals worth around $5,500 had been killed, including a turtle, bearded dragon and thorny devil lizards, Neindorf said. Although none were considered rare, some are difficult to replace, he said.
"We're horrified that anyone can do this and saddened by the age of the child," Neindorf said.
Alice Springs police said they are unable to press charges against the boy because of his age. Children under age 10 can't be charged with criminal offenses in the Northern Territory. His name was not released because of his age.
Neindorf said he plans to sue the boy's parents.
The boy's small size is probably the reason he didn't trip the zoo's security system, which relies on sensors to detect intruders, Neindorf said.
"I just want people to learn that they can't let their children go and run amok," Neindorf said. "If we can't put the blame onto the child, then someone has to accept the responsibility."
That kid needs to be taken out of that family immediately, but it's probably too late. I will be surprised if he isn't killing humans--or at least trying to--within 5 years.
More at The Copycat Effect.
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