Sorry for the Drought

So I have to apologize. I have been neglecting this blog big time lately. The reasons are twofold. First, there have been a lot of things happening in my life that have been sucking up my time. Secondly, any time I have left over for blogging has been dedicated to getting a different blog off the ground. I recently had my friend Mike, who is an excellent programmer, build me a website for my humble but growing photography business. While I'm not quite ready to show that yet, as the 'about' page still needs to be finished, I will say that part of it is having a blog attached to it. For shots that I want to show off but not enough to make them featured on the professional page. To that end, let me introduce Scenes From My Lunch Hour. It's an idea I conceived of a few months ago wherein I go out during my lunch hour each week and try to find something worth shooting. While the blog has not followed this format thus far, it will begin to very shortly. But I needed to get some other content up there first, so it's not totally bare when I start. I'm not super happy with the template, but I'm still learning my way around wordpress at the moment. I am not great with CSS, much better with straight up HTML or XHTML, so I find it a bit annoying.

In any case, most of my efforts have been expended there, at the expense of this blog. Hopefully soon I'll have something to show for it, and in the meanwhile I'd just like to apologize for the drought of posts here.

Also, one thing to quickly share. Was reading through a quick Entertainment Weekly piece yesterday about the end of Harry Potter. Several of the main actors were asked for quick soundbites on 'what they'd miss most' about the movies. Expected answers were given - the cast, the experience, the stunts, etc. But I liked Snape (Alan Rickman)'s answer best: "I think things like this are meant to end, and you should not miss it - you should just be happy that it ends well." A valuable maxim to remember for many things, Snape. Thank you.

Musical Mondays: Great Album, Underrated Track

I've been listening to a lot of Cake lately. This is because I'm working on a much longer post about my favorite ten bands. Recently, a friend was in town visiting and asked me about my favorite bands, and except for #1 I didn't have a ready answer. I had lots of bands I thought might be included on the list, but no set order and no decisions about their relationships/position versus each other. So anyway, as part of writing that piece and listening to make small judgments, I am relistening to a lot of contenders, of which Cake is one.

I remember having an argument with my friend Mark a few years ago about which Cake album was the best. Although "Fashion Nugget" tends to be most critics preference, and I agree there is undeniable brilliance in it, I think I prefer "Comfort Eagle." Reason being, I can listen to CE all the way through without skipping a single track, but I almost always skip "Land of Race Car Ya Yas" and/or "She'll Come Back to Me" when listening to FN. Mark of course thought I was crazy for skipping ANY of the tracks on Fashion Nugget.

Anyway, in light of all that, I decided to make the musical monday one of my favorites from FN. I think it's a simple but brilliant song about the ending of a relationship. There's no personal significance to this pick or anything, I just really think it's an absolutely great song. And I definitely think this track is underrated or discounted versus other songs on the album. So enjoy!

Musical Mondays: Yeah, That About Sums it Up

One of my favorites from my parents' 'greatest hits' of S&G when I was really little. Perhaps, at that age, second only to 'cecilia' to which I would dance around the family room like a mad miniature whirling dervish. Though really, that whole compilation was great. But this was like a little nugget of happiness buried in the middle. And it encapsulates today. So here ya go:

It's a Question of Leading by Example

Not as the only factor, but as one factor of influence. You grow up with a Dad who picks one career, decides he's going to be the best at it he can possibly be, and spends your entire life climbing the corporate ladder - it's gonna have a big impact. On what you imagine for yourself, what you feel people expect you to deliver, what's responsible. You don't see what other ways there are to live life. But there have to be other ways.

It has to be true that every day people quit jobs that make them unhappy, even if they don't have another plan in place. People throw caution to the wind and jump off the train. They are smart, confident, and unfraid and realize that if they work hard and are passionate, things will work out. They'll find something - be it work, volunteering, subsisting, or the joy of living just to have experiences. Tell me it's true, internet.

Tell me there are people who never settle in one place for too long. Who have six careers if they feel like it. Who pursue their creative interests as far as they go and even if they never make any money doing it they feel satisfied because they're living straight from their soul. Tell me.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tock.

Musical Mondays: From Rawnald Gregory Erickson The Second Radio

Inspired by a relatively new Pandora station of mine. It's "Loud Pipes" by Ratatat.

Instead of a Working Song, a Working Haiku

Some day I might write a whole book of these.  As I once said on facebook, my love for haiku cannot be overstated.
 
Your borrowed hair tie
A thin red line 'cross my wrist
I notice sometimes