... it's been snowin' like a banshee today (I'd estimate that we got about eight inches, but the drifts make it harder to guess)!
We actually got to break in the snow blower and everything. That little sucker works like a charm... it made a wall of snow over a foot tall (and there's an inch on top of that at this point)... it looks something like this... ... as do a few of the windows around the house, as well as the skylights! Needless to say, it's a perfect night for tucking in with a strong, hot cuppa, a brownie sundae (you better believe it!) and watching Sundance/Supernatural. I've been making all kinds of jokes around this clip from last week's episode...
Just like living with me! (Come on, you didn't actually think you would get away with just a few pictures of snow and it be over, did you? I HAD to throw something in for flavor, it's the LAW.)
In relation to the snow, I've been singing this song since I got up this morning...
See, you can't escape without hearing The Precious, either.
When I hear something, or read/see it somewhere on the interwebs, and my Bloggy Senses start to tingle, I know it's time to head to my blog and start writing.
My mother read me this article today, and I have thought of little else since then. Why, you may ask, have I thought of nothing since then? Well, my Bloggy Senses were coming up with YouTube videos and links and pictures, and it's a very busy little world up there in my thinkhatch (doing such things as planning blogs, and wondering about the marvels of string cheese, or how a thermos can keep something both hot and cold). Instead of just posting the TMZ link, I have decided that it makes more sense to also stick the text here, if that's alright with you (but, since it's my blog, why am I asking permission?). Are we ready?
Steven Tyler Serenades A Home Depot
Rehabbing rock star Steven Tyler treated a bunch of shoppers at a Home Depot to an impromptu concert this weekend -- by singing two of Aerosmith's biggest hits a cappella over the store's loudspeaker.
TMZ spoke to multiple employees at the H.D. in Rancho Mirage, CA., who tell us Tyler randomly picked up the microphone on Saturday and belted out snippets of "Dude Looks Like a Lady" and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" for all the weekend warriors to enjoy.
And get this: We're also told Tyler took a hit from a helium machine and kept singing Bee Gees style (this was the point at which tea spewed from my nose, and I collapsed over the desk in a fit of giggle-goo) while signing autographs for anyone who asked.
Coolest. Guy. Ever.
Stephen Tyler turns into the Brothers Gibb... what a freaking riot! Look at this picture while you listen to the following song (and this is actually Steven Tyler, by the way, not a 65 year old Granma from Boca)...
The bit I liked best was that he took a hit on the helium machine and just kept going! I assume it sounded something like this (PICTURE TIME AGAIN! What? You only live once, don'cha know.)...
Over a loud speaker at the Home Depot...
And is it just me, or does Steven Tyler look a little bit like this?... You decide.
Moving in another direction entirely, ever since I found out our Mystery Monkey was called Mickey, I've been singing this song...
All this talk of music, and we've not yet heard from The Precious! Preposterous, say I, PREPOSTEROUS!
If you weren't singing and dancing with that song, then, frankly, you are not human, and should seek medical attention immediately. And what was the deal with that figure eight cowlick abomination on the side of Denny's head? It reminds me of something...
For someone like me, finding a news agency that you're comfortable with is a slightly daunting task. With FOX News, I'm very comfortable watching their station (and sorting through the extreme right-wing nutjobness), though, when you see their website, there's something left to be desired... while with, say CNN or MSNBC, you have to sort through the extreme liberal wiener-ness. However, my vote for favorite website (and since that's how I check the news, this is a very crucial decision... CRUCIAL!), it's got to be MSNBC. Their homepage is so incredibly customizable, and I love that little stocks tracker (I have taken to actually checking to see what the DJI average is a few times during trading hours... yes, I have too much time on my hands, I know). However, the news today seems to have one (HAH!) severe problem... a lack of proof reading. A picture's worth a thousand words, so here goes...
Yes, cat lovers are so neurotic, they can't even tell if they're fussing over a cat or a chihuahua. Time for a new pair of glasses, Sonny Jim!
'Cause this...
...and this... are SOOOO easy to confuse. (That Baby, by the way, is my Lilly... she's my pride and joy, sugars and spices and all that is nices, my prettyful-beautiful-wonderful Honey Nugget. And yes, I call her that, frequently.)
In other news, if you're wondering where I get my political jargon, have a peep at this video!
Oh, the days when the only major worry we had with politics was if Al Gore would make a comeback (I now like to call him the Crazy Green Ninny instead of Whiny Looooser)! And, for the record, I do a mean Howard Dean impersonation...
Who here remembers when Ginger and I went monkey hunting? (You may want to refresh yourself on this subject, not only because it's pertinent, but because it's a helluva story!) Well, strap on your ears, 'cause here comes part two! On a light post in Canyon, this odd flyer is taped...
In case you cannot read it, it says...
LOST!!! Spider monkey goes by the name of Mickey. About three feet tall, with grayish brown tail. Will attack if cornered. Please contact if spotted. Do not attempt to come in contact with! Very Dangerous!!!
When she found out there actually WAS a missing monkey (and everyone should be able to type 'missing monkey' as pertaining to their lives at least once, 'cause it's a freaking RIOT), my mother danced (not only because she was vindicated, but because the big freaktastic monkey didn't attack her children, who, if you recall, beat on every juniper bush on the block with big sticks, and even took a search dog to find "Mickey"). The scene was rather like this...
So, as I said back in July, if you know of anybody missing a monkey...
Since this post is to toast my darling Mama, I dedicate this clip to her...
I don't usually watch awards shows... they always make you feel like such a slouch, sitting in your recliner in nothing but your underwear and your knee-high socks with the little grippy stars on the bottom, realizing that you've done nothing with the last six hours but eaten an entire pint of Ben And Jerry's, and a box of Little Debbie gingerbread cookies. Anyway... I broke the rules for the Golden Globes, not only because Ricky Gervais was the MC (which we'll get to in a moment), but that our Paulie was going to present (which we were all VERY excited for at Fusspot Farm). Ricky started out well, I thought, which was a good thing... I had hoped they'd ask him back (again, we'll get to that), and, as the awards ceremony kicked off, I settled in to wait for Paul. Much to my surprise, his category was one of the first to be announced...
Isn't he adorable?
It wasn't long after Paul's too brief appearance on stage (since he didn't win a shiny statue for his song, (I Want To) Come Home... and he should have!) that this incident happened...
Yes, he did just say that. I have been eagerly awaiting some kind of response from Mr. Gervais (via his blog, of course), and was just treated to this entry...
So that was The Golden Globes. Hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. I was worried about the Paul McCartney line but then he came backstage and hugged me and said he loved it, so that was OK. Never piss off a Beatle - rule 1.
In other news, I have to say that I loved the beginning of this guy's acceptance speech...
Now, enough with stuffy award ceremonies, let's talk about fun stuff! Did anybody catch Ringo on Jimmy Fallon last week? If you didn't, I must say, you didn't miss much, except this little gem. Mr. Fallon is a HUGE Beatles fan, and you can certainly see his excitement about Ringo's appearance on his show in this clip... do watch it, it's the cutest thing (besides Paul, of course) that I've seen in eons...
And now, for something completely different...
I agree with Mr. Ross... the best dancing time IS naked time.
You may remember that I mentioned my darling mother (HI, MA!) got me the Beatles Stereo remasters for Christmas... you may also remember that I talked about spending five hours with The White Album not too long ago. You guessed it, we're going to be talking about that today. It's long overdue, but here it is!
Of the thirty songs making up the two disc set (or four vinyl set, however you want to look at it), here's how everything ranks:
German Stereo - 2 2009 Mono - 11 2009 Stereo - 17
And here's me thinking I didn't need the stereo! It really is like having different versions of the exact same song. There's something that sets each version apart, or brings new light to something you may not have heard otherwise. It's amazing! I have also found that the mono versions sound better with regular headphones, while the stereos sound better with Allan, and it depends on the track with the full-size Bose. The problem, then, is finding out which version sounds best overall. THAT'S why it's taken so long to do even just one album! How do you pick? Usually, I go with what sounds best to me... which almost always means clear vocals, and bright electric guitar (everything else can come second, so far as I'm concerned, although, with the remasters, Paul's bass lines can be heard loud and clear, which is refreshing).
When listening with the Bose headphones, it seems that the acoustic songs sound better in mono (excluding Blackbird... in stereo, you can hear Paul's double main vocal as though there was a Paul on each ear... and I don't mind that one bit!), whereas, when more voltage is added, the stereo comes in quite handy (excluding I'm So Tired, which has that wave effect to the vocals... and I have witnesses!). When listening with regular headphones (these are similar to the kind I used to use) EVERYTHING sounds better in mono. When listening with the full-size Bose, all the rules are thrown out the window (where they belong, if you ask me!). For example, when comparing Helter Skelter, the mono version sounded as though Paul was singing into a tin can on a string, while the guitar, bass, drums, et al, were in another room... the stereo brought all the sounds together, creating a cacophony of glory (I don't care WHAT my mother says).
So, with all this being said, when all is said and done, what does this waffle mean? Well, following the format used when we talked about the mono versions, I've picked my favorites of every version, and I'll share a few of them with you (I promise, you can leave now, if you wish).
You may have noticed that two of the German versions made the cut, so we'll start with that. Neither the mono or stereo remasters had quite what I was looking for from Back In The USSR, so I improvised! The German version had every quality I liked from the remasters, so it was like I got to combine the two to make one awesome track.
When compared to the stereo version, the mono of While My Guitar Gently Weeps is hands-down mind blowing. A good example of what I keep in mind with the bright electric guitar, the mono makes your jaw drop. When you remember that the lead guitar was played by none other than Eric Clapton, who was recording with Misters Harrison, Lennon, and McCartney, you keep thinking to yourself "there was rock greatness in the room that day"...
I complained about this with the mono versions, but, on some of the tracks, it left that feeling of a half-nelson locked in a drawer. The guitar, vocals, bass, etc, were watered down (which should never have happened), swimming about in a leaking paddle pool. Yer Blues was one of those tracks, but, with the stereo, John's Eddie Cochran vocal shines, the bass rattles your fillings, and the guitar reminds you you're listening to the cream of the crop. Even if the fadeout is a little shorter (fourteen seconds between the stereo and mono), it's worth the difference for the boost...
My favorite remaster of all, however, has to be Helter Skelter in stereo. I don't know why, but it just is...
Welcome back, "blisters", welcome back.
And now, a treat for those who didn't leave when they were granted permission (because I'm the grand poobah of this sliver of the Internet, don'cha know)...
Well, twenty years later, meet the new Garfield Show...
If that's not appalling, I don't know what is. That's mild, if I may say so (and it's my blog, after all, so I may)... I've researched what they've done to Jon and Odie! It's terrible. I shan't go on, it's like trampling all over my formative years... it's like telling me that Stick Stickly was just thrown away after the mid-90's...
Ol' Stick and I were on first name terms... (And, I must say, when we went to Nick studios back in '02, I was gobsmacked that it wasn't busy... we had the whole place to ourselves. Unfortunately, I had no idea what they were advertising, or even what shows were in the line-up by that point, but still, you would see it on TV as a wee naif and think, "by Jove, I'll get there one day".)
Moving on... I've been singing this all day, and I can't figure out why (it's been YEARS since I've seen this film)...
... and I've been singing it in that voice, as well.
I never thought of it before now, but doesn't Jimmy remind you of anyone?...
No, not creepy puppets (those up there are like walking, talking, fuzzy, blue hand muffs)... I'm talking about The Muppets! My lovely mother sent me this link today, with the following video...
Now, doesn't that just brighten your day with sunshine and puppy breath? And you'll be singing Three Dog Night for the rest of the week (you can thank me later).
This Turret Full Of Ravens blog post was brought to you by the letter 'N'...
As I was doing my daily check of Internet funsies, I went to Ricky Gervais's blog (he updates almost daily with something snarky). Awestruck, I read this paragraph...
Did my first "tweet" all by myself. I may do another one tomorrow. So look forward to that. The trick is to confidently write banal self-obsessed things and assume the world wants to read them. I'm about to watch Celebrity Big Brother for inspiration.
You can guess what happened... I was on a mission! After a little research, it is a great pleasure to present the brand-spanky-new Ricky Gervais Twitter account! I hope he keeps it up after the Golden Globes... it could be a riot!
In other news, I recently discovered that Stephan Pastis, creator of Pearls Before Swine (AKA my favorite modern comic strip) has a blog! I suggest you give it a look, it's worth the time (at least, it is in my opinion, I can't speak for you).
CLIP TIME!
I'll bet you're reciting Humpty Dumpty in your thinkhatch, aren't you?
No, not THAT Pete and Pete... Prepare yourselves for the cuteness that is my Grandy... he loves to play gin (incidentally, we broke in the Tragic Royalty cards today... he said he couldn't see them... back to the Rio deck, I 'spose), is hard of hearing, and says the darndest things. I don't know how we got around to it, but we somehow started talking about how, back in the day, Pete Townshend went 'round to Hurtwood Edge, Eric Clapton's place, to try and convince him to go to rehab (as I understand it, he was damn persistent about it, too...). During the conversation, Grandy asked "are you sayin' Pete Fountain, or Pete Townshend?" I giggled, explained, and put a post-it note in my head to further investigate Pete Fountain in the later-times.
Because, in my Grandy's head, this guy...
..and this guy...
...probably run in the same circles.
Another example of just how cute my Grandy can be... he bought himself a hoodie recently, but has been wearing it with the hood tucked in, because he didn't think it was supposed to be there. He even asked my mother to take the hood out! She told him to untuck it, that was the way it was supposed to be... his response? "Gee, it's a lot more comfortable now!" I love him.
While we were off in Colorado last week (what, you didn't know?), we strolled the quaint shops of Boulder (and even got Daddy to go to a left-wing bookshop... he even BOUGHT stuff... I was so very proud of him), and, while there, we got a very interesting deck of cards... may I present to you, The Tragic Royalty deck! (I indulged my Gothic side for these... they match my Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe tome quite splendidly, mefinks.) Why do I tell you this drivel? Well, it stems from my mother, really (she's so cute). As we were looking at the face cards, she looks at the king of spades, smiles and asks me who I think it looks like. I had to admit, the face was somehow familiar, but I didn't have any idea who it could be... A comparison...
King of Spades...
Niles, The Butler (from The Nanny)...
You be the judge.
SONG TIME! I dedicate this one to my Daddy, who had the audacity to ask me (just a few days ago, in fact), and I quote, "who's Donovan?". I blame his mother, she didn't let him be a kid.
