Bad words

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Meatballs (the movie) caused me to explain slurs to my kids the other day. Looking for a less-than-awful example, I stumbled on this lost memory:
As noted else-blog, I lived in Holland for a stretch while growing up. There I was, getting taller, all surrounded by Dutch stuff.
The American and Dutch kids went (mostly) to different schools, but we lived next door to each other, listening to our older brothers’ copies of “Sheer Heart Attack” by Queen.
Sometimes we played together. For those times when we fought, we created our own slurs. “Dutchies!” we’d call the Dutch kids. Which sounds to me now like a matched-set of collectable mob bosses. Or were we really just saying “Dutch cheese”? That would be an odd thing to call someone, even in anger.
“Cray-shee Amerikahnsies!” they’d call us. And OK — that was fair. We were crazy. Crazy about rock n roll!
Even as we launched our half-hearted catapaults, we couldn’t take it too seriously. How angry could you be listening to a band whose lead guitarist had hair what looked like this?
brian_may_23.jpg
Brian May kept the peace.

driving

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driving home late telling my eyes
it’s just about time to open
wide, let in a few headlights
reveal the back
of my head.
clang noises clanging back there
still clanging away let
the headlights
shine on in.

Disappointed

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Sad to learn today that all those robocalls weren’t actually being made by robots. I guess it would have taken a lot of campaign resources to create an army of robo-Feinsteins and robo-Newsoms. I can’t blame them for focusing on other things. I don’t blame them. It just would have been so awesome.

Virtual LP: Lullaby

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Here’s a sleepy little tune-let to add to the Virtual LP. I’ve been messing around with these changes for a few days now and wanted to see tonight whether I could get a few takes recorded around the margins of a work eve.
One program note: following Shonny Vortex’s recent vocal debut, Lullaby marks the Virtual LP premiere for Power Vortex, here on backup vocals. He did in two takes. Quite the pro, that Power.
Thanks for listening and nighty night,
-Cecil
update: new version uploaded Saturday with a vocal fix, guitar, and a rousing coda.
time: 1:29 seconds; specs: 1.3M
Press Play to play.

Political Twick or Tweets

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Been twittering a bit more than blogging of late. Thought I’d pull together a few recent (mostly) political tweets, in the popular 140-character or less Twitter format…. Ever notice how Twitter turns people who are otherwise not even slightly Larry King into something Larry King-ly?
“Don’t remember Gore, Kerry, Dukakis, or Mondale wrapping things up with a “burn it all down” play. This ain’t the country-first way to lose.”
“Prediction: Team Obama was very strategic with big late-stage primary endorsements. It’ll happen again near e-day.”
“nice lil quake tonight. was just sayin’ ystrday that I haven’t entertained quake-trastophe thoughts for ages. no room at the Apocalypse Inn.”
“The GOP’s intent on blaming Freddie/Fannie. They hope folks’ll personalize this. ‘Don’t blame the GOP. It’s those jerks Freddie & Fannie!'”
“‘you will know their names’ John McCain shares this with President Carter — his admin. would go to DC filled with disdain for congress.”
“another thing McCain has in common with Carter: neither of them will be elected president this year.”

Whole Foods

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Whole Foods feels like Disneyland
today. I’m at the “Deli” ride. No one curses.
The cheese is free. The clerks have dressed up
like cauliflower and they’re giving out
organic autographs.

“Shaved My Beard” — the movie

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A while back, I wrote a little thang called “Shaved My Beard”. And, you know, there was a lot of hullabaloo. I remember, I got a letter from Shaquille O’Neil about it, which really surprised me. I wouldn’t have thought he’d have the time.
Shaq hasn’t written in a while. So this weekend, with help from Veronica Vortex, iMovie, and a Flip cam, I revisited that piece, moving picture stylee. Herewith:

Shaved My Beard from Cecil Vortex on Vimeo.