Monthly Archives: September 2011

Stumbly

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Up at 3 a.m. and don’t feel like working? Why, that’s the best time to hit StumbleUpon. (Also classified as a catch-all portal to “Do NOT Go Here” sites.)

Ever wonder what happened to “Uh-Oh” Oreos, Keebler Magic Middles, or black Mountain Dew, or Butterfinger BBs? They all went to that junk food pantry in the sky. Bummer. I loved Keebler Magic Middles.

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Now this. This is a hobby, by crackie.

Someone posted in the comments that they’d like to see a video of this process. It’s fascinating to me; I’d like to see one, too.

Are they still legal tender if they’re all hoboed up?

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How many times did you watch this before the coolness factor wore off?

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I have to buy this book. Wow.

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Martha Stewart’s Apple Pie Cake for Christmas Eve? I think so.

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History buffs, I’m warning you: Do NOT go here.

There are hundreds of pictures in categories like:

~ “Construction of…” (in this case, the Eiffel Tower)
~ “Evolution of…”
~ “Through the Lens of…”
~ “Things That Time Forgot”

Plan on spending some quality time being a Retronaut.

And speaking of quality time, mine’s almost over. It is Finkday, however, so there’s some consolation in that. Big weekend planned around these parts.

PS — OMG. I SO READ THIS AS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT! They passed them out in school, when I was maybe in the 2nd or 3rd grade. Scared me to death. All I could think of for the next few days (weeks, decades) was the picture of the kid under the train, and “Bill lost an eye, and Joe lost a leg.” Horrifying.

BTTH XVI

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Aaaaand here we go again.

Wrap your brain around this little drama:

Back in August, I wrote an arrangement of a beautiful song, as I could not find an existing arrangement of it. Through one miracle or another, the chart sounds pretty good. So, I figured I’d better get permission to use it on a concert before I got too heavy into rehearsals.

Located the two composers, contacted their people for permission to perform. It took me a week of bothering them to get them to tell me who owned the print rights. It’s like it was classified information on a national security scale. (???) Once I jimmied that info out of them, I appealed to the Daddy of All School Publishing Companies for permission to arrange the song and for it to be (hopefully) published for sale for school and church use.

Two weeks later, they issue me a Permission to Arrange contract. Wait a minute, though…it’s not for print publishing. It’s just so I can make copies of my own arrangement to use for my choir alone. And to use my own chart, I get to pay $40 upfront, then pay these people $1 for every copy I make for rehearsal.

*blink*

OK, that’s not what I asked. So I emailed the gal back, and asked her to give me the what-what on the printing rights. She wrote back and told me exactly what was on the contract she just sent me. Ooo, hey, guess what? I CAN READ. So I wrote her back and clarified — calmly and politely, but to the letter, and as if I had to make a 10-year-old understand it — exactly what information I was after.

No response.

BOOT.

I have no idea why the doors slam shut when I get to this one issue. I mean, almost nobody takes unsolicited works anyway, so I’m likely screwed regardless, but I honestly want to get to the bottom of this.

I emailed my friend Jerry in Georgia, who is a published arranger (many, many times over), and he wrote back and said he has over 30 of these kinds of things in print, and has never run into this.

I’m beginning to think I’m cursed.

So, I’m putting a call into the Great White School Music Throne today. Any wagers on how many desk droids I’ll have to wade through to be connected with someone who knows jack about this? Cripes.

Oh, and Honorable Mention today goes to CitiMortgage, for sending me a statement with the wrong amount on it for the fourth time. Thumbs up, yeah!

Blah

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We are officially behind schedule. Did some math last night, and this show is going to arrive right under the wire. Might even have to cut a number. It’s OK though. It’s happened before; probably will again.

Aren’t we funny creatures? Change. Heh. The times, they are a changin’. A change will do you good. I’ve got to change my evil ways, baby. Time may change me, but I can’t trace time (I’ve never figured out what that meant – I think Bowie wrote it that way just to confuse folks). I thought I was dealing really well with the time change on Dinner Theatre (we moved it from March to November), but I think it’s taking a toll on me in the “unknown” department.

I know, I know. “Isn’t a 7-week rehearsal schedule a 7-week rehearsal schedule?” Yes, and no. Kids are involved in different sports and other activities, which means different schedules somewhat, and the overall vibe is different in the fall. That, and they’re a little greener in the fall. We have to get the mojo back on the dance floor faster, and the energy back in the voices sooner.

OK, stop whining. I have to believe in the kids’ resolve and talent. They’ve never let me down before. Mm-mm–mm.  Great, now that song’s stuck in my head all day.

Have I thanked you recently for suffering through my self-absorbed drivel? Let me do so right now if I haven’t. Feel free to leave advice; I will always read and heed. Well, unless you tell me to stop doing shows, seein’ as how they cause me such angst. Alas…like the Thriller told me once: “You can’t NOT do them.” He’s right. And so terribly cognizant of what makes me me. Gotta have that vicarious stage thrill.

Speaking of stage — there’s one leaving in 40 minutes, and I have to be on it. Make it a Tunesday for the record books. And congrats to BoomR, who had his first day on the new job yesterday. Wahoo!

Fanci-Schmanci

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So this Fanci-Fill cake pan set is rather fun. :-)

From the look of the pans, it’s hard to wrap your brain around how they work. So Mavis and I took a few photos of the process. We’re actually looking forward to making the real deals next Saturday night, in preparation for the feasting for Bob’s birthday on Sunday. Behold:

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It was great to have a test-drive before we jumped in, because there are some things we’re going to change for this weekend to make it look and taste even better. But really, it was just an excuse to eat cake. :-)

Happy Mondayne, everyone. And come over for a piece of Coconut Cream Cake — we have leftovers!

PSA VII

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Yesterday, a Facebook friend posted some amazing trivia about how cows tend to face north or south when they graze. As is my wont, I checked on it, and sure enough…

Would that that were the case for many other “trivial” items, often found on the internets and shared willy-nilly by various and sundry as fact. Therefore, allow me once again to straighten records, debunk myths, and right wrongs. As I named these posts 3+ years ago, behold another segment of:

Deception Destroyers

Deception: The Eisenhower Interstate Highway System requires that one mile in every five must be straight, in case air strips are needed in times of war or other emergencies. How do I know this is poppycock? Just ask Richard Weingroff. Or maybe not. He gets a little snippy about the subject. Heh.

Deception: American car horns beep in the tone of F. First, I won’t even comment on what all’s screwy about the syntax “in the tone of F.” My car — a Chevy — beeps one note of F#. Second, I hear other car horns that honk polytonal beeps. Third, I’ve heard cars whose horns beep diminished triads. (Take that, whoever wrote “in the tone of F.”) Don’t even need a reference on this; I want you to believe me because I’m telling you. Maybe it should be rephrased to say that “some” American cars beep F.  For a great explanation, read the last three paragraphs here.

Deception: Albert Einstein failed math in school. When the man was confronted with a clipping of this statement, he said, “I never failed in mathematics… Before I was fifteen I had mastered differential and integral calculus.”

Deception: George Washington had wooden dentures. True, the teeth weren’t his own, but the four sets (at least) that he owned were made of gold, ivory, lead and various human and animal teeth.  Thus saith the people who analyzed them in a lab in Baltimore seven years ago. (Click on the picture; it’s a photo of one of his actual sets. Yikes.)

And that’s all we have time for this morning, luvs. Gotta get ready to go get Mavis so we can run the Bob’s Birthday Cake Test-Drive. Today’s flavor? Coconut Cream, an original concoction. We’ll see how my supposed “originality” plays out later…

Happy Sumday!