Today I broke down and manually moved my old blog posts that were created in WordPress and hosted by Yahoo into Blogger hosted on Google. Yes, I know, there are probably automated ways to do this. In fact, I found one, but it required installing Python and other stuff. Since I only have a handful of posts on the old blog site, I just copied/pasted them into Blogger.
So, if you are one of the incredible throng of my followers (:))) you will see a bunch of posts at the head of my blog that appear to have been created Feb. 22, 2009. In fact they are from September and October of 2008. I tried to note that as I moved them, but may have missed a few.
As a further testament to my mid to behind curve connection with new communication and information technology, I got a Twitter account last night. I happened to flip to a CSPAN interview with one of the Twitter founders, Evan Williams, and figured I might as well try it out. I was able to hook up with at least one person I know who has been a Twitter-er for a while and a few celebrity types including George Stephanopholous (sp?), John McCain, Ashton Kutchner and Dave Winer.
My take on Twitter up until now, is "why would anyone want to do that?". Of course, after less than 24 hours of usage, I am starting to reconsider that, as I dip in my little toe. A new veil appears to be lifting, but I will have to comment in a later blog after a few days or more of usage. Need to get hooked up on SMS to really appreciate, I think (gotta make sure I have unlimited texting first though :))
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Another NFL Football Season vs. Other Things to Do
Originally posted in my old blog in September 2008
Seems that the 2008 pro football season started today. Or was it last week? Maybe this past Thursday. At any rate, it’s here and we can all wonder whether the Cowboys are going to get into the playoffs and actually progress with forward momentum this year. Or maybe not….
Sure, last year I was worshipping at the altar of HD TV with my shiny new 47 inch HD-capable TV complete with compact sound bar and sub-woofer. Sure the games were so visually stunning that I could see gnats crawling on helmets from a full field shot. Yes, I went to the first playoff game here against the Giants and was as surprised as everyone else at the upset and properly stimulated to want to see the new stadium in Arlington in 2009 up close and personal, but there could be more to life than this, right?
Today I sit here with the TV off, oblivious to the plethora of chatter, analysis and speculation that must be going on on ESPN, Fox Sports and any other channel that is carrying pro football games. The soundbar of the TV is hooked up to my newly loaded iPod and I am enjoying a random mix of almost 900 songs from my personal history over the last 30 years or so. And guess, what, this feels satisfying! I can stare out at I35 South and be glad I am not driving there amidst the Sunday afternoon traffic, enjoy music ranging from classical to jazz to 70s rock to progressive, type my thoughts here in a calm-induced stream of consciousness and feel the cares melt away. Ok, to be honest the cares never really go far do they, but hey, I’ll take what I can get.
Yes, I am sure I will be seduced at some point, be it later today, another weekend soon, or through Monday night football (or, um, Sunday night, or Thursday night, or any other of the 4 out of 7 nights football might occur) to indulge in the national religion of the United States. I will have to confess my sins at some point of preferring to go to movies, theatre, art exhibits, sushi restaurants, jazz clubs or any number of other fun activities there are to experience in the DFW area. I re-designed my website to function as a handy website link reference for many activities that occur almost daily in the metroplex. I am sure this re-design will soon need a sports category as well. Not that there is anything wrong with that :).
Don’t get me wrong, I love sports, football being my favorite. Maybe it is better when mingled with the assortment of other things on the buffet, rather than functioning as the 1 pound hamburger that leaves nothing else for the appetite to consume.
Seems that the 2008 pro football season started today. Or was it last week? Maybe this past Thursday. At any rate, it’s here and we can all wonder whether the Cowboys are going to get into the playoffs and actually progress with forward momentum this year. Or maybe not….
Sure, last year I was worshipping at the altar of HD TV with my shiny new 47 inch HD-capable TV complete with compact sound bar and sub-woofer. Sure the games were so visually stunning that I could see gnats crawling on helmets from a full field shot. Yes, I went to the first playoff game here against the Giants and was as surprised as everyone else at the upset and properly stimulated to want to see the new stadium in Arlington in 2009 up close and personal, but there could be more to life than this, right?
Today I sit here with the TV off, oblivious to the plethora of chatter, analysis and speculation that must be going on on ESPN, Fox Sports and any other channel that is carrying pro football games. The soundbar of the TV is hooked up to my newly loaded iPod and I am enjoying a random mix of almost 900 songs from my personal history over the last 30 years or so. And guess, what, this feels satisfying! I can stare out at I35 South and be glad I am not driving there amidst the Sunday afternoon traffic, enjoy music ranging from classical to jazz to 70s rock to progressive, type my thoughts here in a calm-induced stream of consciousness and feel the cares melt away. Ok, to be honest the cares never really go far do they, but hey, I’ll take what I can get.
Yes, I am sure I will be seduced at some point, be it later today, another weekend soon, or through Monday night football (or, um, Sunday night, or Thursday night, or any other of the 4 out of 7 nights football might occur) to indulge in the national religion of the United States. I will have to confess my sins at some point of preferring to go to movies, theatre, art exhibits, sushi restaurants, jazz clubs or any number of other fun activities there are to experience in the DFW area. I re-designed my website to function as a handy website link reference for many activities that occur almost daily in the metroplex. I am sure this re-design will soon need a sports category as well. Not that there is anything wrong with that :).
Don’t get me wrong, I love sports, football being my favorite. Maybe it is better when mingled with the assortment of other things on the buffet, rather than functioning as the 1 pound hamburger that leaves nothing else for the appetite to consume.
Springtime, Mayans and Forests
Originally posted in my old blog in September 2008.
Quiet conversation. Tentative entry. Anticipation. Simple sounds of preparation. Unusual expressions, demeanor and posture. Exhiliarating passages and patterns. Disturbing soundscapes of primitive energy. Calm streams, birds and thunderstorms.
Is it possible to contain the new birth of spring? How does it feel to be in the Appalachian mountains during that season? “Appalachian Spring” by Aaron Copland takes you on an adventure ranging from exuberance to simple reflection and introspection. The wide range of tonal and rhythmic combinations point out the pathetic one-dimensionality we just experienced in our day of work. No matter how good a day you had, hearing Appalachian Spring in person and living color removes whatever daze or haze that might be victimizing your mood before choosing such a direct encounter with the Queen of all Seasons.
How did the earth begin? Was there ever a time without time? What would it be like to observe a nature awakening during the Mayan era? Ginastera’s “Creation of the Mayan World” moves through these images with a soundscape that transcends most symphonic experience for most legit music fans. Shimmering dissonance is juxtaposed with sometimes disturbing low frequencies that catapult the listener into a parallel reality. At times this separate Universe feels distinctly bifurcated from any connection with the known world. However, Ginastera skillfully melds this disjoint effect with enough glimpses into a Mayan past that the listener has something to grasp after the first few minutes of atonality, jagged melodic fragments and ultra-chromatic vertical chord slices.
After all this, a little relaxation is in order. The raw Mayan blood-thirsty culture cries out for a perfect spring walk in the woods. Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony does not disappoint. Colorful melodies and harmonies with expected harmonic resolutions gradually transport the listener further away from the ancient past into a 19th century forest and meadow. Even the required repetition of the Sonata form “A” section is welcomed since the skillful combination of musical elements is so high.
A little Springtime sonic excursion on the cusp of Autumn injects a proper soul vaccination into anyone willing to accept the gift.
Quiet conversation. Tentative entry. Anticipation. Simple sounds of preparation. Unusual expressions, demeanor and posture. Exhiliarating passages and patterns. Disturbing soundscapes of primitive energy. Calm streams, birds and thunderstorms.
Is it possible to contain the new birth of spring? How does it feel to be in the Appalachian mountains during that season? “Appalachian Spring” by Aaron Copland takes you on an adventure ranging from exuberance to simple reflection and introspection. The wide range of tonal and rhythmic combinations point out the pathetic one-dimensionality we just experienced in our day of work. No matter how good a day you had, hearing Appalachian Spring in person and living color removes whatever daze or haze that might be victimizing your mood before choosing such a direct encounter with the Queen of all Seasons.
How did the earth begin? Was there ever a time without time? What would it be like to observe a nature awakening during the Mayan era? Ginastera’s “Creation of the Mayan World” moves through these images with a soundscape that transcends most symphonic experience for most legit music fans. Shimmering dissonance is juxtaposed with sometimes disturbing low frequencies that catapult the listener into a parallel reality. At times this separate Universe feels distinctly bifurcated from any connection with the known world. However, Ginastera skillfully melds this disjoint effect with enough glimpses into a Mayan past that the listener has something to grasp after the first few minutes of atonality, jagged melodic fragments and ultra-chromatic vertical chord slices.
After all this, a little relaxation is in order. The raw Mayan blood-thirsty culture cries out for a perfect spring walk in the woods. Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony does not disappoint. Colorful melodies and harmonies with expected harmonic resolutions gradually transport the listener further away from the ancient past into a 19th century forest and meadow. Even the required repetition of the Sonata form “A” section is welcomed since the skillful combination of musical elements is so high.
A little Springtime sonic excursion on the cusp of Autumn injects a proper soul vaccination into anyone willing to accept the gift.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)