Month: November 2006

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations – you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

I’m on a roll. I aced the AARP test, and now this one! Just like a political science major should.

Your Depression Level: 32%

You may be depressed. While you can be moody, your moods generally fall within the range of normal. It’s up to you to decide if you’re depressed… or if you’re simply having a bad week.

Are You Depressed?

I was checking this since we ARE in my least favorite time of the year. Where the heck is the sun? It feels like early onset of seasonal affective disorder.

More likely, it’s because I haven’t played racquetball for five weeks because of my wrist injury. I’ve had two X-rays; no break. I got the results of an MRI on Friday; no tearing, meaning, essentially, that there’s nothing wrong, except that if I lift a gallon of milk with my right hand, or pour from it, it still hurts like hell. Turning motions, such as trying to open an apple sauce jar is nearly tear-inducing. Typing at length gives me the same feeling I had when I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in 1991.

Meanwhile, my doctor posits the possibility that my right knee, which I cannot kneel on without excruciating pain, may be wrecked. Forever.
Forever, and that’s a mighty long time
But I’m here 2 tell u
There’s something else
The afterworld

A world of never ending happiness
U can always see the sun, day or night
…
in this life
Things are much harder than in the afterworld
In this life
You’re on your own

And if de-elevator tries 2 bring u down
Go crazy.

I just realized that I have to go find the 12″ vinyl, seven-minute version of “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince in my collection, and play it. REALLY LOUD.
***
Ruth Brown died. She’s a member of the Rock Hall o’ Fame, but really an R&B legend. I’m listening to her perform with Bonnie Raitt, even as I’m writing this.
***
I was jazzed to get a response on my Royal Guardsmen piece last night from one of the Royal Guardsmen!

Here’s the list. Here’s what I have:

2000s
Elvis: 30 No. 1 Hits-Elvis Presley-BMG/Elvis, 2002. Isn’t it a bit of a cheat that there are so many compilation albums from an earlier era in this decade?
1990s
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road-Lucinda Williams-Universal, 1998. Like a lot.
OK Computer-Radiohead-Capitol, 1997. Don’t listen to a lot.
Time Out of Mind-Bob Dylan*-Sony, 1997
(What’s the Story) Morning Glory-Oasis-Sony, 1995
Achtung Baby-U2*-Island, 1991
Nevermind-Nirvana*- DGC Records, 1991
Out of Time-R.E.M.*-Warner Brothers, 1991
Phil Spector, Back to Mono (1958 – 1969)-Various Artists-Abkco, 1991
Ropin’ The Wind-Garth Brooks*-Capitol, 1991
1980s
Document R.E.M.*-I.R.S. Records, 1987
Sign O’ The Times-Prince*-Paisley Park, 1987
The Joshua Tree-U2*- Island, 1987
Graceland-Paul Simon*-Warner Brothers, 1986 On LP and CD
Legend- Bob Marley and the Wailers-Island/Tuff Gong, 1984
Purple Rain-Prince*-Warner Brothers, 1984 On LP and CD
Stop Making Sense-Talking Heads*-Warner Brothers/Wea, 1984 On LP, and fairly recently. I saw the Talking Heads on this tour, at Saratoga. GREAT concert.
The Great Twenty-Eight-Chuck Berry MCA, 1982 On LP
Thriller-Michael Jackson Sony, 1982 On LP
1970s
London Calling-The Clash*-Sony, 1979 On LP and Japanese import CD
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols-The Sex Pistols-Warner Brothers/Wea, 1977 On LP, but not listened to much.
Rumours-Fleetwood Mac*-Warner Brothers, 1977 On LP. Not a favorite album of some folks I like.
Hotel California-The Eagles-Elektra/Wea, 1976 On LP and CD
Songs in the Key of Life-Stevie Wonder*-Motown, 1976 On LP and CD
Born to Run-Bruce Springsteen*-Sony, 1975 On LP and CD
Horses-Patti Smith-Arista, 1975 On LP
Call Me-Al Green-The Right Stuff, 1973
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road-Elton John-MCA, 1973 On LP
The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust-David Bowie*-RCA, 1972 On LP and CD
Exile on Main Street-The Rolling Stones*-Virgin, 1972 Would have made a great single album.
Talking Book-Stevie Wonder*-UMG Recordings, 1972 On LP and CD
The Harder They Come-Jimmy Cliff and Various Artists-Island, 1972 On LP and CD
Blue-Joni Mitchell*-Warner Brothers/Wea, 1971 On LP and CD
Hunky Dory-David Bowie*-RCA, 1971 On LP, won from my college radio station.
Led Zeppelin IV (a.k.a. Zoso)-Led Zeppelin*-Wea International, 1971 On LP
Sticky Fingers-The Rolling Stones*-Virgin, 1971 On LP and CD
Tapestry-Carole King-Ode/A&M, 1971 On LP and CD. I bought the Sticky Fingers and Tapestry LPs on the same day in 1971 or 1972.
What’s Going On-Marvin Gaye*-Motown, 1971 On LP and CD
Who’s Next-The Who*-Mobile Fidelity, 1971 On LP and CD
After the Gold Rush-Neil Young*-Reprise, 1970 On LP, though I now have a digital copy
Bridge Over Troubled Water-Simon and Garfunkel*-Columbia, 1970 On LP, though most of the songs appear on the S&G CD box set, which I have.
Plastic Ono Band-John Lennon*-Apple/EMI, 1970 On LP and CD
Moondance-Van Morrison-Warner Brothers/Wea, 1970
1960s
Abbey Road-The Beatles*-Capitol, 1969 On LP and CD
Bitches Brew-Miles Davis-Sony, 1969 On LP
Stand! Sly & the Family Stone Epic, 1969 On LP
The Band-The Band*-Capitol, 1969 On LP and CD
Astral Weeks-Van Morrison-Warner Brothers/Wea, 1968
At Folsom Prison-Johnny Cash-Sony, 1968 Bought in the 1990s after rediscovering JRC.
The Beatles (“The White Album”)-The Beatles*-Capitol, 1968 On LP and CD
Are You Experienced-The Jimi Hendrix Experience-Experience Hendrix, 1967 On LP
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band-The Beatles*-Capitol, 1967 ON LP and CD
Blonde on Blonde-Bob Dylan*-Columbia, 1966
Pet Sounds-The Beach Boys*-DCC, 1966 On LP and CD
Revolver-The Beatles*-Capitol, 1966 On LP and CD
Highway 61 Revisited-Bob Dylan*-Columbia, 1965 Purchased in this century.
Rubber Soul The Beatles*-Capitol, 1965 On LP and CD
1950s
Kind of Blue-Miles Davis-Sony, 1959

That’s 58 out of 100. Some of the artists on the TIME list (Aretha, Robert Johnson, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra), I have a box set of their music but not the specific discs mentioned. The ONLY thing on my “must get” list is:
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Ray Charles ABC/Paramount, 1962
The * means I have so many of this artist percentagewise, in relation to their total output, that it’s a bit of a cheat to count. Given the number of LP/CD designations I have, I shan’t worry as much about certain, let’s say, technological innovations.
***
This is what Tosy has from the list.

Don’t remember what I was looking up, but I came across a bunch of worsts, such as The Films Considered the Worst Ever. But being such an upbeat guy, I don’t want to dwell merely in the negative. So:

1. What is the best advice you’ve ever taken? What is the worst?
For me going to library school – OK, being nagged to go to library school was clearly the best. The worst: taking a job I knew I shouldn’t have taken. I ended up in a car accident on the way to it, and I think karma was telling me something.

2. What was the best present you ever received? What was the worst?
Certainly, one of my favorites was when I was 16 and people put a bunch of very nice thoughts on pieces of colored paper and put those in this container. I was supposed to take out a piece every day, and I did.
My least favorites tend to be the ones with conditions tied to them. I won’t get any more specific.

3. What is your best month? Your worst?
My best is March. I suppose that may come off as egotistical, since my birthday is in March. But it is the hope of winter turning into spring, Lent to Easter. I happen to love listening to Requiems (Mozart, Rutter, Faure, Brahms, et al.) And now Lydia was also born in March, so there’s even MORE reason.
My worst is a bit of a cheat in that it’s bifurcated. It’s the couple weeks between Election Day, when I discover that candidates I wanted to win lose instead, and Thanksgiving. Lots of dead leaves and gray skies. That is to say, around now. Then it’s the couple weeks between shortly after New Year’s, when I realize how cold and dark it is, and the middle of January, when I see slow, but visible progress toward more daylight.

And heck, if you want to talk about good and bad movies, who am I to stop you?

Here’s another thing you can answer, those of you with Blogger: How do I go all day with five or fewer hits every hour yesterday, then go, from 6 a.m.: 13, 26, 36, 24, 32, 26, then five or fewer the rest of he day? It’s as though a bunch of people came to see some piece of mine (maybe as a result of Fred’s invitation of November 15), then all left just as quickly. It’s peculiar. Speaking of Fred, he gets to the bottom, as it were, of his SpongePants SquareBob obsession here.

Mom’s in reasonably good health, living with one of her daughters and one of her granddaughters in North Carolina. It was great getting to see her several times this summer as she visited Binghamton, her hometown, and Albany. I don’t see her nearly enough, with her down in NC and us in the Empire State.

Since her birthday is always during the week of the Great American Smokeout, I’ll tell you one story on the topic. My mother never smoked, though my father did when I was growing up. One day, my mother purloined a pack of my father’s Winstons and my sister Leslie and I talked with her about smoking. (Baby sister Marcia was probably in bed by then.) So, we sat around the kitchen table and attempted to smoke cigarettes, the three of us. Naturally, we all just coughed. But neither Leslie or I really ever became smokers.

So, see, you did well, Mom. Happy birthday from your favorite son.

If I thought hectoring people about cigarette smoking would get them to quit, then hector I would. But, as a friend of mine, who I used to nag, and who ended up quitting, but on her own, said, “You have to want to quit for yourself, not for someone else.”
(See how much more understanding than I was last year.)

Still, my physical tolerance is still very low, and getting worse each year. Smokers smell badly to me, I’ve noticed yet again on the elevators in the building I work in. Smokers taste terrible; yes, I HAVE kissed smokers, though fortunately not lately. Smokers don’t look cool; they look like adults with pacifiers in their mouths. Smokers often sound terrible, with the cough and the rasp. So, please keep your secondhand smoke away from me.

When the governments want to try to balance their budget and, at the same time, create a financial disincentive to smoke, you’ll get no complaint from me.

Today’s the Great American Smokeout. If you quit now, think of all the money you’ll save. Oh, yeah, and since lung cancer is the most preventable form of cancer death, your life and the lives around you.