Monthly Archives: June 2009

Countdown to July

Posted on June 29, 2009 | 1 comment

Apologies for the shortage of posts here lately, but I’m suddenly working under several deadlines.  All of them are really fun projects that I’m delighted to be working on, but it seems they all ended up being due at close to the same time. 

As if that wasn’t enough to keep me away from the blog, Barb and I are leaving this week for England, where she’s attending science conferences in London and Oxford.  I’m going along for the ride, but I’ll also be getting a bit of work done for Project Blue Harvest, as I’ll have the opportunity to visit some of the sites associated with my subject. Plus I’d be remiss if I didn’t make a quick trip to Abbey Road to stroll across the world’s most famous crosswalk.  Along with 50,000 other tourists, of course.

We’ll also be in London for our anniversary, which is July 4.  While we joke that it’s a great date for an anniversary because we always get fireworks, I’m betting July 4 is a date that passes without much notice or fanfare in the United Kingdom…

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Posted in random musings

Reorganized Chaos

Posted on June 25, 2009 | 3 comments

bordersI’ve been to two different Borders book stores in the last two weeks — one in Maryland, one in Pennsylvania — and both have been in a state of upheaval. Books are stacked on the floor. Some sections feature only bare shelves, while others are packed so tightly together there’s barely room to turn around.

And yet, I don’t mind the mess a bit, because it appears that Borders is shuffling itself around and reorganizing its layout to make things easier to find.  The biggest improvement? By far, it’s the addition of a Biography section.

Currently, Borders shelves its biographies in other areas it deems relevant, even when that makes things even more confusing.  Presidential biographies are shelved in U.S. History.  Jock bios go in Sports, while celebrity bios are in with the Film and Music section, where their placement alongside Piano for Dummies and The Art of The Matrix makes the section one huge non-sequitur.

Worse — and I’ll admit I’m biased in this — biographies of writers are placed in the Literature section, where they are then shelved by the name of the biographer, rather than the subject.  If you’re looking for my Washington Irving bio, for example, it’s in the literature section — which is mostly fiction — and shelved alphabetically under my last name, rather than with Irving’s works.  It really doesn’t make much sense; it’s a non-intuitive spot, and any casual browsers of Irving’s works are unlikely to find it (though my daughter, to her immense credit, any time she spots my book at Borders, usually puts it with Irving’s works and always turns it “face out,” as she expertly says).

The addition of this new section alone is a welcome change at Borders.  And in the Shuffling The Deck Chairs Department, I’m hoping that this reorganization means Borders has been able to hold off the bankruptcy that’s been rumored since last year.  Anyone heard anything?

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Posted in books, random musings

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Irving, Key, and the National Anthem

Posted on June 19, 2009 | 4 comments

In last Friday’s Washington Post, columnist Michael Kinsley grumbled a bit about “The Star-Spangled Banner,” deriding it not only for being unsingable, but too full of warfare and unwarranted jingoism:

The melody is lifted from an old English drinking song. The lyrics are all about bombs and war and bloodshed — and not in a good way. By the penultimate verse, the song has turned really nasty: “No refuge could save the hireling and slave/From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.” In the first verse — the one we generally sing — there is only one reference to any value commonly associated with America: “land of the free.” By contrast, “home of the brave” is empty bravado. There is nothing in the American myth (let alone reality) to suggest that we are braver than anyone else.

The entire piece is right here.

Apart from stridently disagreeing with his last sentence, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for “The Star-Spangled Banner” myself.  For one thing, I share a birthday with its lyricist, Francis Scott Key, one of only two really cool people — Herman Melville being the other — with whom I share a birthday.  When I was about six or seven years old, my Mom ordered for my brother and me one of those “Read About Me” books — where your parents would send information about you to a sort of print-on-demand operation, which would then incorporate all the information about you into an otherwise generic story — and when it got to the page where the narrator discussed famous people with whom you share a birthday, I was stuck with Francis Scott Key.  My brother, meanwhile, got Groucho Marx, a tidbit I was always somewhat jealous of.

Anyway, that’s one of the reasons — although a silly one — that I’ve always admired Baltimore’s unlucky lawyer, caught behind the lines when the shelling started at Fort McHenry.  He may have written a song few people can sing, but at least he had the good taste to be born on August 1.

To my later surprise and delight, however,  I learned there’s also a Washington Irving connection to Key’s poem.  In 1814, Irving was two years into his term as editor of Analectic Magazine. It was a job he was growing increasingly weary of — he particularly hated being a literary critic — but despite his lack of confidence in his abilities, Irving had remarkably good taste when it came to finding new work to publish in his magazine.  And in the December 1814 issue, only three short months after the bombardment of Fort McHenry,  Irving reprinted Key’s lyrics — a four-stanza poem he had titled “Defense of Fort McHenry” — in their entirety.

Irving was not only delighted with Key’s lyrics, he thought they were a fine example of one of his own pet causes: Americans writing their own patriotic poetry, rather than merely rewriting or adapting British poems, as had been the habit.  While Key set his poem to the tune of a popular British drinking song, “Anacreon in Heaven,” the lyrics themselves were new and uniquely American. And as Irving presciently noted in his introduction to Key’s lyrics, “we think that their merit entitles them to preservation in some more permanent form than the columns of a daily paper.”

How right he was.  Key’s lyrics — and the drinking tune to which they were set — officially became our National Anthem in 1931.  Hard to sing?  Sure — but listen how glorious it can sound when done right.  Here’s Whitney Houston kicking off the 1991 Super Bowl, at the height of the Persian Gulf War:

Have a good weekend!

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Posted in O say can you see?, Washington Irving, Washington Post

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…And Now A Word From Our Sponsors

Posted on June 11, 2009 | 1 comment

Does it seem like commercials these days just ain’t what they used to be?  Maybe it’s me having one of those stay-offa-my-lawn moments, but teevee spots nowadays just seem too loud and too lame.  Man, I miss the days when commercials had to lure you in with catchy tunes, silly costumes, eager faces, and cheap giveaways.

Like f’rinstance…

Here’s one of my all-time favorite bits — albeit attached to a product I was never really a big fan of — and it’s a jingle so memorable that I still sing it today, much to the embarassment of my 13-year-old daughter:

Then here’s my all-time favorite animated commercial — it’s for Freakies cereal, a cereal whose taste I can’t even remember, but which had the best giveaways in the world, including t-shirts, magnets, and plastic figurines. My brother wore his Grumble shirt for years.

Next it’s a spot for my favorite line of toys ever, the Mego Batman figures, vehicles and playsets. Yes, I still have all of these in boxes in my basement — and yes, my Batsignal still works, and it’s just as cool as it looks here:

Let’s wrap thing up with two spots featuring perhaps the most memorable jingles of all time. The first, from the early 1970s, contains a slew of not-yet-famous actors at the time — including Anson Williams from Happy Days, John Amos of Good Times, and Johnny Haymer, who played Sgt. Zale on M*A*S*H — all singing and dancing their hearts out about their pride in keeping their place of employment spotless:

And finally, here’s perhaps the finest — or at least best remembered — song and dance number of my generation. It features David Naughton, best remembered as the lead in An American Werewolf in London, but who also starred in one of the best, and least watched, one-season-and-out shows of the 70s, Makin’ It. Take it away, David . . .

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Posted in bad TV, stuff i dig, television

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There And Back Again

Posted on June 10, 2009 | Comments Off on There And Back Again

I’m back home in one piece — and while I was gone I missed the huge rain and windstorm that moved through the DC area late yesterday afternoon.  The only indication it had ever been here were a few wet spots on the driveway and a rather large downed branch in the back yard that juuuuust missed falling on the Jeep.

Anyway, New York was a great time.  I had a fun, interesting and animated lunch meeting with Several Really Neat People, followed by a quick trip through a Really Neat Place to see some Really Interesting Archives.  Did I say really interesting?  Make that unbelievable.  And yes, I’m still hoping that I’ll have something to report here soon.  If it comes together, this’ll be fun.

Meanwhile, I got to hang a bit with Jonathan (and thumb through all of his clients’ books, neatly shelved in his office), ride the subway, take two frenetic cab rides, and sit in a sweltering Penn Station for 90 minutes, waiting for my train.  And all in the span of about five hours. 

Ahhhh, New York.  Nothing like it.

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Posted in New York, works in progress

Off To The City

Posted on June 8, 2009 | 1 comment

I’m getting ready to head up to New York tomorrow morning, so Jonathan and I can attend a lunch meeting with some really, really neat people.  It’ll be one of those mornings where I have to leave the house around 5 a.m. to catch the 6:30 train — and I debated whether to head up there today and stay the night but decided against it, based mainly on the costs of staying in the city.  Barb suggested that next time I stay in Philadelphia, where it’s a bit less expensive, then take the train from there, cutting my commute in half so I don’t need to get up nearly as early.  I may give that a try next time.

Anyway, I’m looking forward not only to the meeting, but to the city, to seeing and talking with Jonathan, and to the train ride itself.  For some reason, I really enjoy train rides — there’s something vaguely old style about it, like stepping into an Agatha Christie novel, if only for a moment . . . until the lady across the aisle from you begins talking loudly into a cell phone and the moment is shattered.

Suffice it to say, I’ll be sitting in the quiet car.  See you later this week!

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Posted in New York, works in progress

I Love This Place (Redux)

Posted on June 4, 2009 | 2 comments

The other afternoon, I was outside mowing, vrooming back and forth on my riding mower across the swath of our yard that faces the state highway. Like always, I had the earbuds of my iPod Shuffle jammed in my ears, replacing the whirring of the mower with the throb of the Ramones, which was probably just as bad for my hearing.  After making countless passes across the lawn, I saw Barb standing on the front porch trying to catch my attention.

I cut the power to the mower, pulled the buds out of my ears, and looked in the direction Barb was pointing. At the bottom of the short, steep hill at the foot of our yard, sat an elderly woman in a stalled car, blocking the east-bound lane of the two-lane road. As traffic rolled by in the lane to her left, she frantically turned the key to crank the engine, hoping – as any of us who’ve been in the same situation always do – that this time, some last bit of oomph would spark the engine back to life.

She wasn’t having much luck getting it to revive.  Worse, several cars were now moving up behind her, adding to the stress of a stalled car the embarrassment of blocking traffic.

I pulled myself up off the mower and started down the hill toward the car just as a gentleman in a red convertible pulled up right behind her. He craned his neck to look around the car, sped around her . . . then pulled back over in front of her, stopped, got out and walked over and leaned in the passenger window, talking to her.  At almost the same time, another car pulled up into our driveway and let out its passenger, who quickly hustled over to the stalled car and also began speaking with the woman.

As it turned out, the second gentleman was a mechanic, who listened to the crank of the motor and told her what was wrong, while the driver of the first car and I directed traffic around her (which is about all I can do, since I can’t fix a thing). Suddenly, the woman’s car had been pushed into a driveway across the street, a tow truck had been called, and Barb had escorted her inside for coffee while she waited for her ride.

Total elapsed time: about five minutes, tops. And the drivers who had stopped to lend a hand? Gone, Lone Ranger-style.

Yeah, I know things like this probably happen all the time – or at least I hope they do — and not just in small towns. But it was yet another one of those moments where I had to stop for just a moment and remember again why I love this place.

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Posted in I love this place

Wednesday Odds and Ends

Posted on June 3, 2009 | 2 comments

Some random shiny objects I wanted to bring to your attention:

– I’m a few days late with this, but the latest issue of  The Biographer’s Craft hit inboxes earlier this week. Editor Jamie McGrath keeps it short, sweet, and always interesting:  this month features a piece on Olivia Gentile and her book on Phoebe Snetsinger, Life List: A Woman’s Quest for the World’s Most Amazing Birds, an update on the fledgling Biographers International Organization, a short remembrance of the late David Herbert Donald, and — one of my favorite pieces — a new entry on writers’ work spaces.  Plus, you’ll get updates on new and recently acquired biographies, and Jamie’s running commentary. 

You can get the June issue right here.  And you should do so right now.

– I’m getting ready to make a quick trip up to New York City next week to hook up with Agent J so we can attend another meeting regarding Project Blue Harvest.   I still don’t want to say too much until we’ve got something firm to report, but suffice it to say, this one should be fun.  I’m looking forward to it, and it’s always a pleasure to catch up with Jonathan.

– Finally, here’s a super cool trailer for the coming Beatles: Rock Band, as well as a more cinematic introduction. Man, I can’t wait to get my hands on this thing.

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Posted in Beatles, random musings, The Biographer's Craft, works in progress

Stranded on Saturn: An Open Letter to GM

Posted on June 2, 2009 | 7 comments

SATURN_logoDear GM:

I don’t understand a thing about bankruptcy, or what it means to file for Chapter 11 versus Chapter 7, so I can’t comment on your actual financial status.  Nor would I presume to tell you about business practices or pretend to understand whether you are truly worth the huge amount of tax dollars that we — make that I — am investing in you.

But hear me out here for a moment.  I’ve bought American cars my entire life, starting with a 1978 white Trans Am with a gas guzzling 434 horses under its hood — which I totaled (not my fault!) and then promptly bought a 1979 blue Trans Am, with a, uh, much more efficient 403 at its front end.  After spending more than a decade carless, I bought a Jeep Wrangler, and a Ford Explorer which I later traded for a Saturn sedan, in an effort to ratchet up my fuel efficiency.  So, you can’t say I haven’t played ball.  You can’t say I haven’t been supportive.  I’ve bought American, even when others were pointing and laughing.

But now, in the midst of all this mess, I see you’re phasing out the Saturn.  You’ve officially lost me. 

Say what you will about the Saturn — that it’s stodgy, non-sexy, non-soccer or non-hackey Mommish — it’s still one of the best cars I’ve ever owned.  At seven years old, it’s got nearly 130,000 miles on it, it’s on its original transmission, it’s only grudgingly needed new brake shoes and new tires, and has never been in the shop for any major work.  It has, without a doubt, earned the nickname we’ve given it: the Man of Steel.

Further, my local Saturn dealer in Frederick, Maryland is perhaps the most honest dealership I’ve ever seen.  Every time I bring my car in, convinced some odd noise or herky jerk behavior means a major, expensive repair, they inform me it’s a minor problem that can be fixed easily and inexpensively.  When a tail light went out, they charged me six dollars for the light itself, and nothing for the effort of installing it.

Further, they’ve picked up my business for maintenance on our Jeep Wrangler.  When our local Jeep dealer, which shall remain nameless (*cough*Fitzgerald*cough!*), kept finding one absolutely critical problem after another — each of which, I was told, had to be repaired right then and there or the Jeep would implode on the spot like the Bluesmobile — I finally decided I had had enough.  I took it to our Saturn dealer, told them we had been informed the Jeep was teetering on the edge of disaster and gave the mechanics carte blanche to find the problem.  After an hour, they came back to me with puzzled faces, saying it needed new spark plugs, and there was a minor repair that needed to be made in the passenger-side wheel well, but that was about it. For someone who can’t diagnose a car problem, much less fix one, that’s the kind of service I need. 

Look, I get it.  You need to downsize and become more efficient.  But really, you’re demolishing the one room of the house that seems to be structurally sound while trying to salvage the other rooms that might be prettier, but have already been corroded by termites.

The management at my Saturn dealer informed me that they’re hoping the Saturn brand can survive independent of GM.  I hope so.  As one of your millions of newly-seated stockholders, I’ll be watching  carefully — but so far, you’ve not done much to persuade me to stick around.  You’ve kept your showhorses while letting your workhorse go.  Not a promising start, in my book.

As I said above, I’ve been in your corner all along.  Convince me to stay there.

Your pal,

Brian

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Posted in cars, random musings

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