Without a Blog

2004-12-20T10:57:00.000-05:00

Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose. You are a
mystery novel dealing with theology, especially
with catholic vs liberal issues. You search
wisdom and knowledge endlessly, feeling that
learning is essential in life.

Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Moving On

2004-12-09T18:08:00.000-05:00

I think I mentioned in one of the comments or something that I'll be moving soon. Moving to another webhost. Well, I have moved. (Thanks to DOMINATTYRIX.) Please check out T-Train. See you there! (And don't forget to link up to my new address.)

My Japanese Name Is...*

2004-12-08T14:25:00.000-05:00

My japanese name is 中島 Nakashima (center of the island) 聖人 Masato (sacred person).

Take your real japanese name generator! today!

Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

*Stolen from Bunny.

Tom-Tom-Tom

2004-12-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

WFUV puts the spotlight on Tom Waits, who turns 55 today. He's the man with... a voice... an unusual voice... He and his wife, Kathleen Brennan, write sad, haunting and poetic songs. They weep.

Mixed Bag

2004-12-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

>> Who imagined Babar and his world are so complex? (Maybe because he's just so... French?)

>> "Got Bushisms?" (Click here for a regular dose.)

>> And Rolling Stone comes out with the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time"

And the #1 Word of the Year is...

2004-12-02T09:43:00.000-05:00

BLOG

according to Merriam-Webster, that is.

The top ten list consists of the most looked up words in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Most of the words are words for the election season. This was also the year of hurricanes and the cicada. What's odd, though, is the last word. I wonder how many people had thoughts of hurling something (or someone) out the window. We all might need a bit rage management.

>> The M-W list is newsworthy.

>> American Dialect Society's Word of the Year for 2003?

Let's Celebrate

2004-12-01T11:49:00.000-05:00

World AIDS Day 2004

Let's celebrate the progress made to fight this epidemic. But let us also think about all the people who have been infected and affected by this. HIV/AIDS is everyone's concern.

Encounters with Nobel Prize Winners

2004-12-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

For Economics - 1
For Literature - 1
Total - 2

* Plus! Encounters with...

Writers Sentenced to Death Under Fatwa (or WSTDUF) (and Booker Prize winners):
Total - 1

Pulitzer Prize winners
Total - 1

What's Spinnin'

2004-11-25T11:52:00.000-05:00

# Twentysomething (Jamie Cullum)

To my ears, this twentysomething fireball of talent from the UK channels Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder and other pop-jazz-blues piano men who have come before him. Calling him a jazz crossover artist makes his accomplishments somewhat trite--here is a singer-songwriter that not only entertains but also transcends mere imitation of artists, and their styles, that he admires.

The album contains Cullum's original compositions (with a contribution from his older brother, Ben) and covers of old and not-so-old familiar songs. You've never heard "Singin' In the Rain" or "I Could Have Danced All Night" quite like this. As if the songs weren't playful enough, Cullum adds bounce with his earnest and evidently talented piano playing. (Props also to an excellent backup band.) Cullum performed the mellow songs "Blame It On My Youth" and "But For Now" with a lot of tenderness, while his version of Jimi Hendrix's song "Wind Cries Mary" (which may well be my favorite track in the CD) shows that his musical influences straddle several generations. Ditto with his cover of Radiohead’s "High and Dry" and Jeff Buckley’s "Lover, You Should've Come Over."

As for the original compositions, one thinks of Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer. Okay, okay, that’s too much by way of comparison and their works would be hard to equal. Cullum, however, is a good lyricist and is able to write both sensitive and funny words to accompany his music. Being the young person that he is, the songs reflect the point in one’s life where one is faced with many decisions In “Next Year” he sings "Next Year / Things are gonna change / Gonna drink less beer / And start all over again." The song "Twentysomething" expresses uncertainty, especially when he makes an unwelcome discovery: "After years of expensive education / A car full of books and anticipation / I’m an expert on Shakespeare and that’s a hell of a lot / But the world don’t need scholars as much as I thought."

This album is doing a lot of spin time in my CD player and MP3 player. He did a couple of free shows here in New York last summer (one for my station, WFUV, and the other for the concert series at Central Park, courtesy of Joe's Pub), which I missed. I hope he decides to come by again. His star will definitely be bigger by then.

Why Billy Graham (Still) Rocks

2004-11-20T11:26:00.000-05:00

>> "In Time of Turmoil, Graham Offers Soothing Words" (from The NYTimes)

What can I say?...

2004-11-14T15:07:00.000-05:00

Kaladkarin, I'm so sorry for your loss. I wish I were there. (Valkyrie, thank you very much for passing her the hug--across the miles.) The call was as much for me as it was for you. I wanted to hear for myself how you were doing.

It may not look it (and it IS such a cliché) but things will be okay.

>> from the Inq7.net

What will i do?

2004-11-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

I used to have a blog somewhere else. I used to be "Ghost Writer." Now I'm TBFKAGW, which stands for The Blogger Formerly Known as Ghost Writer (after TATCAHI, or The Artist Totally Confused About His Identity). Now I don't have a blog. Did people notice? I don't know. So now, what will I do without a blog?