Author Topic: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life  (Read 263713 times)

RGMike

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #240 on: February 04, 2008, 02:35:18 PM »
Back from my Kaiser "field trip" -- instead of our monthly inter-departmental meeting, we all went on a walking tour of SF Chinatown, led by Shirley Fong-Torres (yes, Ben's sister, and a successful author in her own right). Very entertaining and it ended up with a dim sum lunch. Needless to say, i'm not really in the mood to work for the next 90 mins...
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Gazoo

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #241 on: February 13, 2008, 01:36:26 PM »
Couldn't come up with a better thread to post this on.  Mostly for Mark's benefit, as his work seems related, but open to all:

-----Forwarded Message-----

>Subject: anyone going to musica tecnomica tonight?
>
>http://www.musicatecnomica.com/
>
>``MUSICA TECNOMICA gathering in San Francisco, Mariposa Hunter's Point 
>Yacht Club, San Francisco, Getting new perspectives, exchanging 
>information, connecting with the musicians, programmers, content 
>creators, business leaders, and visionaries, new ways to create and 
>consume music, music industry, future of music``
“The choir of children sing their song.  They've practiced all year long.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.”

princessofcairo

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #242 on: February 18, 2008, 12:08:23 PM »
for the time being, i'm the newest listing to neil young's living with war today page:
http://neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwsongspage.html

and there are some videos up on youtube:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CNjBBwam36U

new cd out in april.

Gazoo

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #243 on: March 01, 2008, 08:36:34 AM »
Just made my reservations for NYC in April

Mike, do you want comp tickets to see a Queen tribute band called Almost Queen at BB King's on April 8?

I'll see enuf almost-queens in Chelsea ;)

Actually, thanks, but i arrive on the 9th.

Hey Mike: Nick Lowe and Robyn Hitchcock are playing the Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom on April 9.  Thought you might be interested.
“The choir of children sing their song.  They've practiced all year long.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.”

RGMike

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #244 on: March 01, 2008, 10:56:10 AM »
Just made my reservations for NYC in April

Mike, do you want comp tickets to see a Queen tribute band called Almost Queen at BB King's on April 8?

I'll see enuf almost-queens in Chelsea ;)

Actually, thanks, but i arrive on the 9th.

Hey Mike: Nick Lowe and Robyn Hitchcock are playing the Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom on April 9.  Thought you might be interested.

Cool, thanks! My friend Mark is a huge RH fan, and he might wanna go (even on a "school night").
You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round

urth

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #245 on: March 01, 2008, 01:27:38 PM »
Just made my reservations for NYC in April

Mike, do you want comp tickets to see a Queen tribute band called Almost Queen at BB King's on April 8?

I'll see enuf almost-queens in Chelsea ;)

Actually, thanks, but i arrive on the 9th.

Hey Mike: Nick Lowe and Robyn Hitchcock are playing the Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom on April 9.  Thought you might be interested.

Cool, thanks! My friend Mark is a huge RH fan, and he might wanna go (even on a "school night").

A fab double bill--highly recommended. They're playing the Fillmore here three days later on the 12th. And Ray Davies is hitting the Warfield again--March 28.  I am beside myself (and I wish I'd quit reading over my shoulder).
Let's get right to it.

Gazoo

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #246 on: March 01, 2008, 07:32:06 PM »
I am beside myself (and I wish I'd quit reading over my shoulder).

Be sure to tip your veal and try the waitress!
“The choir of children sing their song.  They've practiced all year long.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.”

RGMike

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #247 on: March 13, 2008, 01:18:06 PM »
We don't have a theater thread (should we?) but I wanted to note that I just bought a ticket for Almost an Evening, the Ethan Coen bill of 3 one-acters that played a short sold-out run off-B'way earlier this year and is re-opening this month. Not a whole lot of shows that are crying out to me this trip (maybe because I saw 6 good ones in June), but I couldn't pass on anything Coen Bros-related.

http://www.almostanevening.com/

The 2 plays that were my only must-sees -- Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll and Aaaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention (about Philo F. and the invention of TV) -- both closed last week.
You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round

mshray

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #248 on: March 14, 2008, 11:29:25 AM »

The 2 plays that were my only must-sees -- Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll and Aaaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention (about Philo F. and the invention of TV) -- both closed last week.


Regarding Aaron Sorkin & Philo Farnsworth (long-winded layout, but bear with me, as I'm sure part of the historical basis of his play is in here). 

Didja know that between The American President & West Wing Sorkin did a sitcom called Sports Night?  As in WW he wrote every episode (the second season of which overlapped with WW, so he ultimately bailed on SN, so 2 seasons was all there was).  Which was too bad, because not many saw SN, & it was f***ing BRILLIANT.  I've got the DVD set to prove it. If anyone ever asks me what my nominee would be for the best 30 minutes in the history of TV - I would say without hesitation the episode from Sports Night titled "Cliff Gardner".  Seriously.

Before the dialogue below, Dramatis Personae:

Robert (Benson) Guillame is 'Isaac Jaffee' (a SAG nominated role), the Head of Production for the fictitious Sports Night program.  At this juncture he is under fire from corporate because the program is underperforming.

William H. Macy is 'Sam Donavan' in a recurring role as a hard-as-nails yet highly unconventional consultant brought in by Isaac to boost their ratings.  (Felicity Huffman, his real life wife, is the main female character on the show if you didn't know.)

'J.J.' is a corporate hack (in the context of this episode), who along with an entourage has just given the Sports Night team a series of Dilbert-esque annotated notes on how they can improve their show, with the implied threat that if Isaac doesn't follow their suggestions heads will roll.  In the previous couple episodes to this point the audience is presuming that 'Sam' is also a corporate hack intent on gutting the show, so keep that in mind when you get to the end of Sam's monologue.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sam interrupts the conference room meeting to pull J.J. & his entourage outside.

Sam Donovan: Take a walk with me, will ya?
J.J.: Where?
Sam Donovan: It's a surprise. You guys know who Philo Farnsworth was?
J.J.: Philo Farnsworth?
Sam Donovan: Yeah.
J.J.: What's going on?
Sam Donovan: He invented television. I don't mean he invented television like Uncle Milty. I mean he invented
the television in a little house in Provo, Utah, at a time when the idea of transmitting moving pictures through the air would be like me saying I figured out a way to beam us aboard the Starship Enterprise.
J.J.: Yeah, look, I - I -
Sam Donovan: He was a visionary. He died broke and without fanfare. The guy I
really like though was his brother-in-law, Cliff Gardner. He said, "Philo, I know everyone thinks you're crazy, but I want to be a part of this. I don't have your head for science, so I'm not going to be able to help much with the design and mechanics of the invention, but it sounds like you're going to need glass tubes."
Female entourage member: J.J., I-I don't think -
Sam Donovan: You see, Philo was inventing the cathode receptor, and even though Cliff didn't know what that meant or how it worked, he'd seen Philo's drawings, and he knew that he was gonna need glass tubes. And since television hadn't been invented yet, it's not like you could get them at the local TV repair shop. "I want to be a part of this," Cliff said, "But I don't have your head for science. How would it be if I were to teach myself to be a glass blower? I could set up a little shop in the backyard. And I could make all the tubes you'll need for testing." There ought to be Congressional Medals for people like that.
Male entourage member: Maybe so -
Sam Donovan: I've looked over the notes you've been giving over the last year or so, and I have to say they exhibit an almost
total lack of understanding of how to get the best from talented people.
Female entourage member: Excuse me, but -
Sam Donovan: You said before that for whatever reason, I seem to be able to exert some authority around here. I assure you it's not 'cause they like me. It's 'cause they knew two minutes after I walked in the door I'm someone who knows how to do something. I can help.
I can make glass tubes. That's what they need.

One last thing, the first and last decision-making authority on this show will rest with Isaac Jaffee until Isaac Jaffee says otherwise, and if you disrespect him in my presence again, I will rededicate the rest of my life to ruining the rest of yours. And if you think I'm just mouthing at you, you should ask around about me. I have absolutely no conscience about these things.
J.J.: Sam, why did you bring us out here?
Sam Donovan: Because there's the exit. That's it. The meeting's over.



« Last Edit: March 14, 2008, 11:33:26 AM by mshray »
"Music is the Earth, People are the Flowers, and I am the Hose."

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RGMike

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #249 on: March 14, 2008, 11:40:46 AM »

The 2 plays that were my only must-sees -- Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll and Aaaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention (about Philo F. and the invention of TV) -- both closed last week.


Regarding Aaron Sorkin & Philo Farnsworth (long-winded layout, but bear with me, as I'm sure part of the historical basis of his play is in here). 

Didja know that between The American President & West Wing Sorkin did a sitcom called Sports Night?  As in WW he wrote every episode (the second season of which overlapped with WW, so he ultimately bailed on SN, so 2 seasons was all there was).  Which was too bad, because not many saw SN, & it was f***ing BRILLIANT.  I've got the DVD set to prove it. If anyone ever asks me what my nominee would be for the best 30 minutes in the history of TV - I would say without hesitation the episode from Sports Night titled "Cliff Gardner".  Seriously.


I saw a bunch of eps at the time and yes, it was a terrific show that never got its due (ABC didn't quite know what to do with it) .The 2 male stars were Peter Krause (who went on to do Six Feet Under) and Josh Charles (who is currently on HBO's In Treatment). 

And if you're interested in Farnsworth, I recommend a wonderful novel called Carter Beats the Devil, about a young magician in SF around the time Farnsworth brought his invention to Berkeley. It'd make a great movie and has been in "development hell" for some time now.
You spin me right 'round, baby, right 'round

princessofcairo

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #250 on: April 02, 2008, 01:10:00 AM »
Off to Romania today to celebrate the 31st. Here are some recent stories (last weekend's trip to Berlin and yesterday's adventure picking up my Spanish ID card):
http://ameliaraymusic.blogspot.com/

Hope everyone is doing well!
-poc

Gazoo

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #251 on: April 02, 2008, 09:52:58 AM »
Off to Romania today to celebrate the 31st. Here are some recent stories (last weekend's trip to Berlin and yesterday's adventure picking up my Spanish ID card):
http://ameliaraymusic.blogspot.com/

Hope everyone is doing well!
-poc

Amelia, this article was great!!!

http://www.mapmagazine.com/madrid/Concerts-in-Madrid-Amelia-is-a-Ray-of-Light-on-the-Music-Scene/
“The choir of children sing their song.  They've practiced all year long.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.  Ding dong.”

princessofcairo

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #252 on: April 03, 2008, 08:23:54 AM »
yes, i thought so, too! i asked her to review the new album. we'll see what she says.

urth

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #253 on: April 08, 2008, 09:18:12 PM »
So I've been meaning to let y'all know about this for awhile, and it's going to be happening within a few months so I guess there's no time like the present.

I'm moving. Out of San Francisco, out of California where I've lived my entire life, up to the hills outside of Portland. My wife and I want to start an artisan cheesemaking company, and it's a whole lot more feasible up there than it is in Northern California with its thru-the-roof (even now) property values. We've found a place about 25-30 southwest of Portland in Yamhill (!?!) County, and we have some family nearby and a few friends in PDX. So Rastermon and I will be nearly neighbors--it's only about an hour to Corvallis, where he is. Not sure when moving day is, probably early June if everything goes as planned

I'm not sure how active I'll continue to be in these confines, I'm sad to say. I'd like to think I'll continue as I always have, and just listen via the Web as most of you all do--I'm certainly going to try. But as my whole life is going to be put in a blender and hit puree, nothing is certain. I'm also sad to be leaving the Giants, but the way they're playing it's going to make the separation a whole lot easier. Besides, there's a Giants' A-ball team in Salem-Keizer (the Volcanoes), about 45 minutes from where I'll be, and Portland has a AAA team, the Beavers, who are in the Padres' organization.
Let's get right to it.

ggould

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Re: I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' 'bout my life
« Reply #254 on: April 09, 2008, 08:38:19 AM »
So I've been meaning to let y'all know about this for awhile, and it's going to be happening within a few months so I guess there's no time like the present.

I'm moving. Out of San Francisco, out of California where I've lived my entire life, up to the hills outside of Portland. My wife and I want to start an artisan cheesemaking company, and it's a whole lot more feasible up there than it is in Northern California with its thru-the-roof (even now) property values. We've found a place about 25-30 southwest of Portland in Yamhill (!?!) County, and we have some family nearby and a few friends in PDX. So Rastermon and I will be nearly neighbors--it's only about an hour to Corvallis, where he is. Not sure when moving day is, probably early June if everything goes as planned

I'm not sure how active I'll continue to be in these confines, I'm sad to say. I'd like to think I'll continue as I always have, and just listen via the Web as most of you all do--I'm certainly going to try. But as my whole life is going to be put in a blender and hit puree, nothing is certain. I'm also sad to be leaving the Giants, but the way they're playing it's going to make the separation a whole lot easier. Besides, there's a Giants' A-ball team in Salem-Keizer (the Volcanoes), about 45 minutes from where I'll be, and Portland has a AAA team, the Beavers, who are in the Padres' organization.
:'(
ahh, reality-bells are breakin' up that old gang of mine!

cheese?  Please consider the field of low-fat low-sodium cheese, OK?

Don't stand in the way of LOVE!