Gossip on the Internet

Great column from Honolulu Star-Bulletin writer Curt Brandao examining the feasibility of cutting down on gossip and b.s. on the Internets.

Will somebody help this man out please?

He wants to play board games. And drink coffee. He'll even shave for you. And your significant other. Help a brother out!

Goethe on blogging

"The greatest evil of our time -- which lets nothing come to fruition -- is, I think, that one moment consumes the next, wastes the day within that same day and so is always living from hand to mouth without achieving anything of substance. Don't we already have news-sheets for every point of the day! A clever man might well be able to slip in one or two more. In this way everything that anyone does, is working at or writing, indeed plans to write, is dragged out into the open. No one is allowed to be happy or miserable except as a pastime for the rest of the world, and so news rushes from house to house, from town to town, from one country to another, and, in the end, from one continent to the next, and all on the principle of speed and velocity."

-- from Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years

Leon Dimanche et Les Lionceaux des Cayes

Okay. I admit the last post might have been a bit insincere, homoerotic and over-the-top. I lost a staring contest with (a poster of) Andre Rieu some years ago and have never been the same since. I thought I'd follow that silliness up with a sincere recommendation of one of my favorite musicians, Haitian guitarist and singer Leon Dimanche.

Dimanche and the Les Lionceaux des Cayes group were very popular in the seventies in Haiti and beyond. I first heard a few tracks on a mix given to me by DJ Balagan, and had to search for a while before I could track anything down myself. Fortunately someone has posted audio files of songs from his 1973 album on a Haitian Web site. You can find those here.

There's some more information about Leon Dimanche at his home page and you can buy some of his older albums at Wagmarlove online store.

Rieumors & Rieumance

While reading the KC Star Web site today and playing the customary game of "whack-a-mole" with the pop-up ads, I came across one advertisement that sent spasms of delight down my culture-starved spine. Andre Rieu, world's most beloved violinist, will be appearing at the Sprint Center on Friday, April 18.

Heralded far and wide as the "King of the Waltz," Andre Rieu perpetually tours the world, playing elegantly upon the strings of his 1732 Stradivarius as well as the heartstrings of middle-aged women around the globe. Occasionally mistaken for Mel Gibson's character in the Patriot, Andre Rieu and his Strauss Orchestra have hypnotized and delighted literally countless classical music fans over the years.

Seeing Andre Rieu in concert has been referred to by many fans as a life-changing experience. Who, they ask, upon hearing Rieu's version of "My Heart Will Go On" (from his "Andre Rieu at the Movies" album) could ever hope to be the same? And what person with functioning ears and beating heart would dare deny the majesty of Rieu and Company's "The Blue Danube," performed live at Royal Albert Hall and punctuated by the booming of fireworks?

However, it is not simply the compositions he interprets but the soul-stirring facial expressions he composes mid-performance that elevate Rieu to the deific heights reserved for those such as Mozart, Yanni and Groban. In the same way that the far-reaching aria of an opera singer can shatter the finest crystal, a single meaningful glance from the virtuosic visage of Dutch violinist Rieu can break hearts.

There are many rumors circulating about the man -- nay, the enigma -- that is Andre Rieu. There are claims of an invalid at a Medjugorjean monastery being drawn out of bed and into a spontaneous waltz upon hearing the artful swells of Rieu's "Swinging Bells of Limburg" on the order's antique phonograph. There has been excitement for years in both the hip-hop and classical communities that if a long-anticipated collaboration between Andre Rieu and Outkast's Andre Benjamin takes place, the two genres will be united to usher in a golden-age of popular world music.

Yes, there is much magic and mystery surrounding Andre Rieu. And as ebullient as this write-up of mine may be, one must (after all) decide for oneself. On April 18, for the starting price of $50, this chance can be yours.

Backyard Bouncin'

My brothers and I enjoyed some natural highs on Easter Sunday


Jenny was on hand to photo-document


I got to show off my new striped socks


But I ripped up the sleeve on my dress shirt


How's this for a nice family portrait?

To view the whole Easter Trampoline Egg-straviganza photo series, click here

Frohe Karfreitag

If anybody wants to compete in this year's Easter Art Contest, feel free to send me your entries. In the meantime, feel free to take funky solace in this number from the Gospel Comforters entitled "Jesus Will Help Me."

Cross near the Huguenot Memorial in Franschhoek, South Africa.

Iraq Chalk, revisited

It was fun to watch new ESPN commentator Bobby Knight poke holes in the pseudoscience of bracketology after the KU game on Sunday. While the other announcers did their best to analyze the advantages of seedings and locations, Knight insisted that it didn't matter, visibly flinching when his co-anchor tried to lay a hand on his shoulder. It was pretty amusing.

However, it's a bit sad when you think of how much attention we pay to the NCAA tournament each year in comparison to other things. Like the war in Iraq, for example. If we applied the money, attention and enthusiasm we give to bracketology on solving some kind of social issue, just imagine what we could accomplish. Instead of filling out brackets, we could all submit our own exit (or occupation) strategies. If enough office pools got involved, we could put our heads together and maybe figure out a way to pull out completely before 2099.

Five years ago this month, what I remember people taking to the streets about was not the start of a war, it was our basketball team advancing to the final four. A Lawrence Journal-World story about U.S. servicemen cheering on the Jayhawks from the desert was accompanied by the glib headline, "Iraq Chalk Jayhawk," followed up a few days later by "Hawk and Awe."

This isn't to say that I don't like basketball. Seeing Mario (Mare-ee-oh, as they pronounce it) drop 8 threes and 30 points on the Longhorns on Sunday was nothing short of beautiful. And as this puff piece from today demonstrates, politics and basketball aren't entirely incompatible.

Alls I'm saying is it's been five years since the war started and our generation still doesn't seem to be paying any attention.

If you give half a s*** what other people our age are up to overseas while we watch tourney games, go to South by Southwest, get drunk and enjoy day-to-day life, I recommend visiting Doonesbury's The Sandbox, a military blog made up of posts from troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The entries from these soldiers cover a whole range of subjects and emotions dealing with the war, and I find it pretty fascinating to read the accounts of people who are stationed there, unfiltered by media or political bias.

So I'll get off my high horse now and close this post with the wish that you all enjoy the tournament and have a great holy week. But as a veteran of final-four fall-out, let me kindly remind you not to take March Madness too literally.



Photo credits: Top photo taken from fan-submitted pics on kusports.com. Above photo from Joplin, MO circa fall 2005.

Steamboat Clutchy

But who is Clutchy Hopkins?

Even if you don't care -- and I can't say I really do -- it's a great album. You can find it at Love Garden or on iTunes.

Excerpts From The Joplin Sign Graveyard Gazette

In our off-work hours, Jenn and I moonlight as photographer and reporter for the Joplin Sign Graveyard Gazette, an independent publication chronicling commercial failures, phantoms and parking lots full of retired signs. Below is a sampling of this week's issue. Headline suggestions accepted and encouraged.


Amateur Missouri Aviator Backs Plane Into Gas Pump


Midwesterners fail to practice Aldi's 'Spend A Little, Live A Lot' Philosophy in safe, responsible manner


Giant Tornado Brings Tragic End To Huge Savings (thanks, Snakin)


R.I.P. Bob Evans


Too Much Was Riding On These Tires


(your headline here)

Music for March, part 1

After finally getting used to (i.e. learning how to tune out) the sounds of soft classical music and the occasional triumphant blast of Vivaldi in my office building, someone decided to switch the muzak to a blend of smooth jazz, lounge and lite-salsa. Though I only have to listen to it while strolling through the lobby or into the parking garage, it's amazing how sarcastic a mood it puts me in. I just want to shout at everybody, "Come on! You can't possibly be serious!"

Rather than make a spectacle, however, I decided to make a mix tape instead. Each song (well, most songs) have something to do with a particular day in March thus far. Though I'm getting ahead of myself a bit, I went ahead and posted the first half of the month for your enjoyment. You can stream the songs by clicking on them individually, or download the whole mix as a zipped file by following the link at the bottom of the post.

Hope you like it.

Saturday, March 1 -- And I Love You by Darling Dears

I didn't see any cherry blossoms in bloom, but the day's warm temperatures matched the pleasant tone of this tune.

Sunday, March 2 -- Sunday Coming by Anton Ellis

Anton sounds less like himself and more like mister Marley on this album, but it maps out the week nicely.

Monday, March 3 -- Monday's Rain by The Clientele

It rained on Monday, at least in the very early morning hours

Tuesday, March 4 -- Politics is Showbusiness by Peter Sarstedt

A fitting tune for the day's primaries, by the guy who sings the recurring song from "The Darjeeling Limited."

Wednesday, March 5 -- Birthday by Blur

"What a strange day/I think of you day."

Thursday, March 6 -- The Birthday by The Idle Race

"She had a birthday yesterday, she cried/Took off her glasses let her hair down, cried"

Friday, March 7 -- Cold Rain And Snow by The Grateful Dead

1966 at the Avalon Ballroom

Saturday, March 8 -- Casio Bossa nova by Holy F**k

Saw them play at the Record Bar on this night. Lived up to its name.

Sunday, March 9 -- Sunday by Sonic Youth

Live version

Monday, March 10 -- Dies Bildnis Ist Bezaubernd Schön from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, aria by Modest Menzinsky

My first trip to the Opera in several years. Still a few showings at the Lyric this week -- an excellent performance if you're willing to shell out. www.kcopera.org

Tuesday, March 11 -- I Wanna Be Your Dog by Uncle Tupelo

Young Tweedy's take on the Stooges' classic

Wednesday, March 12 -- Untitled improvisation by Paul Metzger

This guy is playing a free in-store at Kief's Downtown Music in Lawrence on 3/12 at 5 p.m. He plays a custom-made 22-string banjo.

Thursday, March 13 -- This Time Tomorrow by Sisters Love

Friday, March 14 -- Friday's Child by Lee Hazlewood

Saturday, March 15 -- Problems by Mahjongg

Saturday night at the Jackpot. Don't miss Mahjongg, from Columbia by way of Chicago.

Download complete mix.

Afterthought: After seeing Bergman's "Cries and Whispers" on Tuesday I should have included Chopin's Mazurka in A Minor Op. 17 No. 4, which sifted aurally through the bookends of the film. I challenge you to find a more bittersweet, lovely and haunting mazurka as the old A Minor Op. 17 No. 4. I simply do not believe it can be done.

Today in History: March 6

From the March 6, 2003 edition of the University Daily Kansan


This is the kind of thing I used to write for the University Daily Kansan. Complete text is in the comments section, in case the scanned-in article is too hard to read (you can also click the images to enlarge). Bonus points if you can tell me the name of the poet Ryan Clinger quotes at the tail end of the story.

"Stroll On"

Recently a friend known as The Muffin Girl tipped me off to an unlikely sight -- a guitar and some drums strung up at the tippy-top of the street pole at 42nd and Oak. I thought at first she must be joking or at best speaking poetically, but as you can see, they're really there. This explains the faint but unmistakable sounds of rock and roll I hear on windy nights.

Speaking of rock and roll, Ghosty has a new Web site up with lots of great pictures, songs, press clippings and a special short video on the media page that captures Mike Nolte at his most captivating. Here's a snapshot from a short-lived lineup of Ghosty that featured Ed Epps and a 4-year-old girl.



Finally, those of you looking for a hint for the question of "Where did Wetzel find the picture for his new blog banner" might check out the following clip.



Until next time.

Tuesdays at the Tivoli

The Janus Film Series for Spring 2008 has been announced and starts tomorrow. Each movie is only $3, free for UMKC students.