Otokichi

"Sniper" by Harry Chapin takes us into the fevered mind of University of Texas killer, Charles Whitman.

I prefer that near-snail mail thingie, what's it called? Oh yeah, "email"!

I wonder what the walking "Drugs will destroy you!" billboard would say about the Koran? Probably find it waay too confining. On the other hand...do we need another "Yusuf"?

In no particular order: Karen Carpenter Eva Cassidy Anita Baker Astrud Gilberto Amy Hanaiali'i Gilliom Jo Stafford Mahalia Jackson Mary Chapin Carpenter Nicolette Larson Robi Kahakalau Anita O'Day Marie Boine Frederica Von Stade Elis Regina Alison Krauss Etta James Emiliana Torrini.

1. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Neapolitan or Rainbow Sherbert 2. What is the last movie you saw in a theater? "There Will Be Blood" 3. Your PBnJ: Crusts on or cut off? The crusts are the best part! 4. Who was your first celebrity crush and how old were you? Annette Funicello, I think, back in my preteen years. 5. Ink pens: blue or black ink? Blue, but I also have black for accountants. 6. What is your favorite color? Stereotypically, some shade of Blue. 7. If you had $100 to spend in 5 minutes, what would you buy? A whole bunch of used $5 music CDs at Jelly's. 8. What is your favorite cereal? Cheerios, all versions. 9. Choose one: A B C and tell why you picked it. A; Gotta start somewhere. 10. Name a quote that says a lot about you. "...to seek out new lifeforms..."

Are these names familiar to you?: Alan Doyle, Sean McCann, Bob Hallett, Murray Foster, Kris MacFarlane. No? Oh well, they're from Newfoundland, which is far Eastern Canada. I guess it's true, Newfies like "Great Big Sea" aren't hip enough for urban Canada? I suppose we could offer GBS citizenship in the U.S. and residency in Boston, MA where they can play alongside the Dropkick Murphy's at the next St. Patrick's Day parade? :guitar: Yes, GBS got soul.

Speaking of Randy Newman, I ran scross this song on "Randy Newman Live" way back when there was a dustup in Vietnam. Yellow Man by Randy Newman Very far away in a foreign land Live the yellow woman and the yellow man He's been around for many-a-year They say they were there before we were here Eatin' rice all day While the children play You see he believes In the family Just like you and me Oh, yellow man, oh, yellow man We understand, you know we understand He keeps his money tight in his hand With his yellow woman he's a yellow man Got to have a yellow woman When you're a yellow man On the LP, Randy inroduced it as a "Pinhead's view of the world," so I thought the song was funny, in a "The Good Earth" kind of way. On reflection, Randy Newman could play a passable "Charlie Chan," especially if it was a musical.

José Feliciano had something to say about the subject way back in his "Alive Alive-O!" days: (Testimonial from a smoker) "I've been smoking for 20 years and there's nothing wrong with my lung!"

I used to never watch any ABC TV shows, but since the writer's strike, I've been checking out the following: "October Road" "Men In Trees" "Lost" (The flash forwards are verry interesting.) "Eli Stone" Note: The local cable TV service provider sometimes displays full screen "video static" with ABC shows, so I have to visit the ABC.com site to catch up on the "lawyer/prophet" and the poison gas cliffhanger on "Lost.") "New Amsterdam" looks like this season's "Raines."

Jim Croce didn't get too old, but he did address the question: "Age" "Careful Man" "A Long Time Ago" "Five Short Minutes" Then there's Bonnie Raitt's "Nick of Time" Crosby, Sills & Nash: "Wasted On The Way" John Fogerty: "I Saw It On TV, Premonition" And, the longest reach of all: "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who.

Lots of DFX+Op Art at overclocked-Amiga display speed. Reminded me of what Little Richard could do with just some makeup and a killer guitar. Overall, an energetic performance by the dancers, and a didn't-break-into-a-sweat pantomime by the "musicians."

If we're talking about that terrible scourge, "legal drugs," how about: "Cigarettes, Whisky, and Wild Wild Women" by Jim Croce? or "The Old Black Rum" by Great Big Sea? Back to illicit drugs: "Speedball Tucker" has a reference to "West Coast Turnarounds," aka Speed. Locally, "Cane Fire" by The Peter Moon Band describes the panic attending an impending National Guard Green Harvest raid on a hidden Marijuana patch. Paul Simon's "Late In The Evening" has a hero who "stepped outside to smoke a J."

I stopped by Group Radio and took a trip to the recent and distant past, with a side trip to the present. Emiliana Torrini is an interesting discovery, along with a current GB duo that I forgot to write down in the radio log. As for The Animals vs. Ray Charles on "Hallelujah I Love Her So," brother Ray left them in the dust.

Watching Daniel Day Lewis pick up Best Actor for "There Will Be Blood," I casually mentioned "My Left Foot" to a visiting college friend. He didn't know about it, so it was time for the landmark Christy Brown movie. (9/10) This got me thinking, so the next movie up for screening is "Koyaanisqatsi" to see if it packs a visual/aural punch.

A few songs by Alison Krauss with/without Union Station: "When God Dips His Pen of Love In My Heart" "Down To The River To Pray" "A Living Prayer" Implied Spirituality? "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Simon & Garfunkel/Paul Simon) "Who Will Save Your Soul","Pieces of You" (Jewel)

A sorta forgotten casualty of the "Musicians shouldn't fly in small airplanes" syndrome/curse: Jim Croce. Others come and go from playlist to old music CD pile, but "Speedball Tucker" plays on.

If I were on one of those "Reality" quiz shows and this question came up, I'd say: "You Put A Spell On Me"! (As in, you're in control, and I'm hooked on "Summer Wine.") But then, I didn't ken the content of a college Philosophy class.

Hmm, shall I pick something Hawaiian, Pop, Jazz, Classical, Folk, New Age or Country? If you must know, a long time favorite of mine has been: "Home In The Islands" performed by The Brothers Cazimero. or, "Speedball Tucker" performed by Jim Croce. Too esoteric? OK, I'll make it easier. "California Dreamin'/Dreaming" performed either by Jose Feliciano or Karen Carpenter.

Watching this season-ender/part two of "Monk." Sun Chips, salted popcorn and Diet Coke.

When I was a "tween," I had occasional Asthma attacks. These are few and far between as I aged into adulthood. This background condition led to an unforgettable night some years later when a persistent cough led me to Robitussin cough medicine, which contained Codeine. It was the only thing in the medicine chest, but led to the following: get sleepy, nod off. Wake suddenly, get sleepy, etc. This went on until sunrise. Dextromethorphan merely makes me sleepy, so it's the last thing taken when a dry cough threatens to induce an Aspirin-proof headache. Fortunately I'm not allergic to Penicillin or it's chemical cousins, but my father developed an allergy after running to the family doctor for a quick cold cure once too often. About the only drugs I do these days are Caffeine and the occasional Sudafed, when needed. Alcohol? UGH! (Never acquired the taste for any of it.) Tobacco? I smoked a pipe for a year and wasn't completely free of that insect killer for 12 months. (I'm speaking of the urge to light up said pipe.) MJ? I inhaled in the presence of Tokers, but found it didn't expand my mind. (Burning THC is too much of a giveaway to your local police!) Stronger stuff? My standard line was: "I have a shaky enough grip on reality as it is. Drugs won't tighten that grip from what I've seen." Intermediate/Middle school woodshop/carpentry classes had a perfectly legal drug--wood stain! (Acetone, Naptha, etc.) However, I'm on this computer, iTunes playing Gordon Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy," though I...can...get...off...the...Internet...at...any...time...I...choose?

It's Tuesday morning, 0820, time for the usual continental breakfast of a cup of orange juice and two slices of wheat bread toast. Overnight temperature stopped at 62 degrees Fahrenheit, so oatmeal might also be on the menu.

All together now: "Born In The U.S.A." (So what if Ronald Reagan didn't get it, the crowds came anyway.)

I added a friend to the list, dropped by their web page and was astounded to see the musicians/artists we had in common. (I don't recall playing their music lately.) A long while back, if one had listed a birthday/age in your profile, strange numbers came up. (I'm 18? Well, sign me up for a Tiger Beat subscription!) I'm amazed that those London folk can keep some of the site data straight, and chuckle at the occasional hiccup.

(Blows the dust off The WayBack Machine): "It's Sad To Belong (To Someone Else) by England Dan & John Ford Coley "Triad" by Jefferson Airplane "Harbour Lacou" by Great Big Sea

An entry in FAQ on How Charts Work: Once a group has 10 or more members, you'll find that your group will start to have a chart generated. The way that these charts work is that every "1" will represent a group member. For example, say you have 3 people in your group listen to Radiohead that week, the chart will be 3, and not the number of times that the three of them listened to Radiohead. This helps prevent the skewing of charts by a single group member who leaves a single artist or album on repeat for extended periods of time. I'd wondered about this, but filed it under "things I'll find out later." So get as many folk to play, say, Slim Whitman, if you want top the group chart. :sleepy: