Happy Solar Calendrical Artifact Of The Hated Romans Who Destroyed Our Holy Temple May Their Names Be Effaced New Year!
(Everyone who detected the irony, raise your hands.)
Two Hands Clapping
ONE OF ANN‘S & MY favorite gestures is to gently upfling the hands at about shoulder height and exclaim, “How did they do that?”
This phrase generally applies to dancers, actors, writers, musicians, singers, comedians, directors and others whose command of craft and muscle produces transcendence: something somehow bigger than the package it came in, and which makes us bigger too.
But the arts aren’t all that produce that effect. Birds munching spiders on the windowsills. Baby deer who know how to stand up and find mom. Tube worms. Great chains of galaxies distill wonder into every atom, every second. Don’t let this one pass uncelebrated — applaud a sunset today!
Vicaritor Rex (noun)
ONE WHO OR THAT WHICH provides a satisfying and compelling sense of the little guy “getting his own back.” (See: David, Goliath and; Slater, Steven; Man, Tank.)
Word Of The Year, 2011
MMaXImize!
Five Words In Search Of A Context
“FUN’S FUN, GENERAL. BUT THIS …”
Sound Advice
LIKE MANY LATE 20th/EARLY 21st CENTURY Westerners, I have seen a lot of music in my day. This makes me prone to “ohrwurms,” as the the Germans call them — “earworms” — those annoying songs in your head that JUST WON’T STOP excuse me.
A new weapon has been unveiled in the fight against unwanted brain abrasion. Simply point your browser to http://unhearit.com/ for Unhearit.com: Get That Damn Song Out Of Your Head. They’ll instantly give you a catchy tune that’ll knock the one in your head right into next week. (This week, of course, you’ll be hearing the one you clicked on, unless it sets up one of those standing waves where you contemplate Tolstoy’s white horse for twenty minutes before going about your business. Me, I’m going to put on a little Schumann.)
A Sack Of Cashews
JINGLE. SLAM.
1978. THREE A.M. 7-Eleven. Very hungry. Looking for the little heat-lamp-warmed nut-variety display thing. Cashews are definitely NEEDED. NEEDED NOW.