It’s Good, Clean, & Wholesome, But Most Of All, It’s Fun
Below you’ll find a few recently posted selections from the Good Clean Wholesome Fun tumblelog.1 As usual, the links in this list go directly to the single item described. All these entries as well as the posts that preceded them and any posts added since this list was compiled can be accessed in a single sequence at GoodCleanWholesome Fun.
And, GoodCleanWholesome Fun is now comment-capable. Once I added a few snippets of code from a company that does nothing but handle comments to the GCWF template, those comment dialog boxes appeared like magic.
The GoodCleanWholesome Fun Posts
- Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now: Vignettes drawn from the poetry of A.E. Housman (also shown are “To an Athlete Dying Young” and “Yonder See the Morning Blink”) displayed in Legos. Is that cool or what?
- America’s Top Dog. The Wall Street Journal sends a reporter across the continental US looking for the best hot dog.
The search for the best US hot dog. (Click on image to expand)
-
Top Secret Recipes Recipes for famous foods from commercial establishments. The recipe featured on this date is the perfect complement to the best hot dog from the previous post - the burger referenced in the radio commercial, “In-N-Out, In-N-Out, that’s what a hamburger’s all about.”
- Yeah, but he’ll never be as popular as his sister, Debbie Does Dallas Deep Throat Devil in Miss Jones … The “15 Craziest Personal Names” opens with “James Dr No From Russia with Love Goldfinger Thunderball You Only Live Twice On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Diamonds Are Forever Live and Let Die The Man with the Golden Gun The Spy Who Loved Me Moonraker For Your Eyes Only Octopussy A View to a Kill The Living Daylights Licence to Kill Golden Eye Tomorrow Never Dies The World Is Not Enough Die Another Day Casino Royale Bond,” the name chosen by a “James Bond fanatic” (lucky guess).
- Hubble Space Shots - The European Edition. The photo below is “The Sombrero Galaxy,” one of the literally 100’s of awe-inspiring shots housed at the European Homepage of NASA/Hubble Space Telescope.
Sombrero Galaxy (Click on image to expand) - “[The sonnet is] a small vessel capable of plundering tremendous depth.” From WSJ’s book review of The Making of a Sonnet
- Skeptic’s Anthem. YouTube rendition by singer/songwriter Bob Carroll of The Skeptic’s Dictionary, who has set Dylanesque lyrics to the music of Leonard Cohen’s Tower of Song to form the titular “Skeptic’s Anthem.”
- “Sexual promiscuity is rampant throughout nature, and true faithfulness a fond fantasy.” From New York Times article, In Most Species, Faithfulness Is a Fantasy.
- “Poor Leonard Cohen, he had a tippy tummy.” James Reaney writes about Leonard Cohen’s participation, as a young man, in a panel of poets, including his queasy stomach.
- Bad Baby Names - A Boy Named Sue, and a Theory of Names
- If Celebrities lived in Missouri…
Footnotes
- GoodCleanWholesome Fun is the quick-witted, energetic, happy go lucky younger tumblelog sibling of DrHGuy’s jocose but prolix, sometimes abstruse Heck of a Guy blog. For details, see Try Some GoodCleanWholesomeFun ~back~
Possibly Related Posts:
Goldilocks, Leonard Cohen, and Search Site Strategies
The above graphic is a screenshot of the opening of today’s post in the blog section of LeonardCohenSearch:1 Leonard Cohen Search and The Goldilocks Conundrum.
Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?
I hate to play spoiler, especially when it’s my own lead-in (consider that graphic a static trailer for the post) I’m spoiling, but the post has to do with developing a coherent strategy that fits the function of a site focused on finding and referencing information. In this case, the information is about Leonard Cohen, but the Cohen aspect is largely irrelevant to today’s post.2
Today’s LeonardCohenSearch post can be accessed at Leonard Cohen Search and The Goldilocks Conundrum.
Footnotes
- For a description of LeonardCohenSearch, see Leonard Cohen Search Now Online At LeonardCohenSearch.com ~back~
- OK, for those of you who simply must have a Cohen fix, while you’re on the LeonardCohenSearch site, check out the Leonard Cohen Nicknames List, which, while incomplete, does have some interesting entries that may amuse, bemuse, and, yes, even confuse. ~back~
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Very Very Good Girl and SportsBizPro Appoint Music Maven
In response to last Sunday’s post, Crisis Averted At Last Moment - Republic Saved, Very Very Good Girl had two (very very good) comments (#1 and #2), the latter of which included this request:
I am, of course, flattered to be asked2 and happy to accept this responsibility - although I am simultaneously surprised to learn that this key position at the very3 epicenter of the wedding ceremony-reception-honeymoon experience has somehow gone unfilled until now.4
My assumption of this role has also provided an opportunity to try out Mixwit, an online application that allows one to produce a virtual mix tape. As it turned out, Mixwit’s search function lacks the precision necessary for a practical means of auditioning a batch of wedding reception dance tunes. Nonetheless, I’ve set up a few appropriate songs below not only to provide viewers a bit of entertainment for a Saturday afternoon but also to show off the the display that gets my vote for coolest virtual mix tape player yet.
Footnotes
- For those not familiar with the upcoming premier event of the North Carolina spring social season, the “reception” references the impending nuptials of Very Very Good Girl and SportsBizPro to be wed in May. ~back~
- I am especially flattered because, my youthful appearance and demeanor notwithstanding, I am actually closer - and this is not a joke - to VVGG’s father’s age than to hers ~back~
- In this case, “very very” ~back~
- There is a reason that the aphorism, “Upon the skills and cunning of the writer of the play list (the more precise translation of the original Greek into contemporary English is “sacred creator of the music which governs the universe”) for the wedding band’s break depends the continued existence of civilization, the physiological and spiritual development of children everywhere, and the ultimate significance of college basketball at the Division I level” is passed from generation to generation. ~back~
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The Cult Of Leonard Cohen Heresy, Part II
From the email, it appears that yesterday’s post, Oh My Cohen! They’re Calling Us A Cult, was insufficient to dissuade some from the vile and sinful belief that there is a Cult of Leonard Cohen.
Very well - Behold, ye doubters, …
This Is A Sign That There Is No Cult Of Leonard Cohen
Forgiveness
Those of you who fell prey to the Cult of Leonard Cohen Heresy but now repent of that iniquity and long for forgiveness are hereby instructed to say 5 Hail Anjani’s and 2 I’m Your Man’s.
Then, go in peace and sin no more.
The Final Judgment
Here at the monastery, we are fervently praying that there will be no necessity for
Nobody Expects The Canadian Inquisition
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Every Day Is An Adventure - Apparently
The Fauxhawk-Adorned Mesomorph
Yesterday, my younger son’s head was enclosed within an Afro of modest amplitude. Today, he is sporting a modified Mohawk.
There must be some significance, but, if so, it escapes me.
Possibly Related Posts:
Oh My Cohen! They’re Calling Us A Cult
Toronto Star Cult of Leonard Cohen Headline1
Uh-oh - THE MASTER Is Gonna Be Pissed
Every time Rolling Stone,2 the BBC News,3 Wikipedia,4 or some other publication or blog uses the c-work to describe the fans of Leonard Cohen, HE gets agitated - and for good reason - enjoying Leonard Cohen’s music hardly makes one a member of a cult.
In fact, as a group, we Leonard Cohen fans have almost none of the qualities commonly associated with a cult.
OK, we do treat HIM and HIS sacred songs and writings with a certain reverence, and there are a batch of true believers devoted to HIS work. And yes, the songs writings, and the web sites display more than a little religious symbolism and imagery. OK, the tribute concerts that go on all over the world with HIM present only in spirit do sort of resemble a combination tent revival and holy festival.
But take those things away and what is left to make one think “cult?”
… besides the Zen Monk stuff.
… and the realization that Cohen fans are, compared to the barbarians who pretend they don’t see the appeal of Cohen, enlightened.5
… and those nicknames of Cohen like the High Priest of Pathos, the Poet of Holy Sinners, and a dozen more.6
… and maybe this excerpt from a previous Heck of a Guy post, Comparison and Contrast: The Whither Thou Goest Videos:
Leonard Cohen & Backups end their 1993 Toronto performance with Whither Thou Goest
On the other hand, I have found no evidence that Kool-aid has ever been served at a Leonard Cohen concert. And, not even in the most remote, kabbalistic conversational estuaries hidden deep inside the heart of darkness known as leonardcohenforum.com are there references to, say, a Leonard Cohen militia or plans to build a compound in Montana.
Heck, there hasn’t even been a documented virgin sacrifice since the 1980 Australian Tour.7
For The Love Of Cohen, Don’t Call Us A Cult
One would think the Toronto Star would know better than to test the patience of THE POET. For, as it is written in the Book of The Energy of Slaves,
because you are so puffed up with pride
You stand there with a bill of rights
or an automatic rifle
or your new religion
I am the angel of revenge
The flowers and the mountains
the milky afternoons of childhood
all innocent and abandoned forms
have designated me
the angel of revenge
This machine is rubber and metal
it fits over your body and you die slowly
Does that sound like it’s written by someone you want to screw around with?
If the Don and Humber Rivers on either side of Toronto are suddenly filled with oh, I don’t know … blood, well, I guess we know who is responsible for provoking The Prophet Of Despair.
Benediction
Footnotes
- The illustration, headline, date, and masthead were taken directly from the article on the newspaper’s web site but have been rearranged to better fit the space available in the blog framework. The original article can be viewed at the preceding link. ~back~
- The New Leonard Cohen: The cult hero on his songwriting, cooking and Chinese liquor ~back~
- Leonard Cohen’s downbeat success: … his debut album, The Songs Of Leonard Cohen, was released. Its bleak subject matter found favour with a cult audience worldwide … ~back~
- Leonard Cohen: The sound of Cohen’s first album Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967) was too dark to be a commercial success, but was widely acclaimed by folk music buffs. He became a cult name in the UK … ~back~
- This realization can be accessed, obviously, only by Cohen fans ~back~
- See Leonard Cohen, AKA - The Nicknames ~back~
- Thank Cohen for small favors. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to track down a virgin at a Leonard Cohen concert? ~back~
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Smoking John Mellencamp Is In The (Wrong) Hall
AKA Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Enter Wrong Hall, Part II
Yesterday’s post, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Enter Wrong Hall, chronicled the difficulties faced by two of the inductees, the Ventures and Leonard Cohen, as they journeyed through the backstage wilderness en route to the stage where their awards, memorably described by Billy Joel (during his introduction of John Mellencamp) as a “shiny, little tchotchke,” awaited them. Time constraints precluded posting John Mellencamp’s misadventures betwixt his departure from the waiting area and his arrival on stage in the same post, but Mr. Mellencamp’s excursion proved, on review, too special to exclude altogether.
He’s Off
In keeping with his self-characterization as a hard core rocker, Mellencamp does not saunter to the stage. He exits the waiting area already in full stride, making excellent time.
Unfortunately, the artist formerly known as John Cougar was making excellent time headed down the wrong hallway. Like the Ventures and Leonard Cohen before him, he was taken in by the hallway that runs behind the stage.
Abruptly noting his error (it is impossible to determine from the broadcast of the event if he was alerted to his missteps by hallway loungers, as were his predecessors, or if he had a unilateral epiphany), Mellencamp executes a pivot with expertise rarely seen outside the NCAA basketball tournaments and proceeds with undiminished velocity on his corrected course.
Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette
The cigarette Mellencamp has been carrying in his right hand, utilizing the classic smoker’s grip with the cigarette graped between finger and thumb while the other fingers are protectively curled around the lit end, now comes into prominence. He takes a hearty drag in the hallway,
… and grabs a quick second hit as he ascends the short stairway onto the stage.
Once Mellencamp is on stage, the assembled crowd is treated to his graceful performance of a complex, multi-component pyrotechnic maneuver. After first taking aim, he hurls the still combusting cigarette stub to the floor in one smooth, unified motion. (The youngsters in the audience would do well to note the excellent follow-through demonstrated in the far right panel.)
After ritually gazing on the defeated cigarette, Mellencamp completes the well-practiced move, as intricate and difficult as figure skating’s One-handed Biellmann Spin or the Reverse-hecht in gymnastics, with a rapid flurry of in-place steps that both pommel the spent tobacco and simultaneously serve as a victory dance commemorating the triumph of athlete over the fiery and fearful symbol of death.
Mellencamp did forgo the expectorational flourish brandished by some practitioners, no doubt exercising such restraint in recognition of the fact that, after all, this is New York.
Very very classy.
Possibly Related Posts:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Enter Wrong Hall
Leonard Cohen, Ventures, Mellencamp Compete In Pre-Induction Orienteering
Heck of a Guy Journalistic Integrity Impugned
Last night, almost two weeks after I posted my Notes On The 2008 Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Induction, I received a scurrilous email challenging a specific portion of my report generated from the television broadcast of the event. The contention references these incidents covered in this excerpt from my original post:
Unsolicited Advice To VH1-C Production Crew & Waldorf Event Planners
Here’s a wacky idea - what if, when the honorees leave the waiting area (AKA the Waldorf Hotel kitchen) to mount the stage, the direction to their mark on the stage were made clear? Now, no one enjoys slapstick antics, not unlike that practiced by the Keystone Cops in their heyday, more than me. Watching the Ventures mill about before someone standing idly by pointed them toward the stage was a hoot. Even watching my man, Leonard, walk through the door into the bright lights only to realize that he was face to face with the live and TV audience with no means of determining the correct route to the stage gave me a tiny jolt of Schadenfreude-infused delight. And, when I saw John Mellencamp nearly sprint the wrong way, toward the backstage area, … well, let’s just say, a knee was slapped and mirth prevailed. Heck, I’ll even admit to being a little disappointed when someone literally took Madonna’s arm to guide her to the stage.
Still, you might want to consider adding a navigational aid to assure that the show runs smoothly. I don’t see a need to pop for a GPS, but maybe you could - and I’m just blue-skying here - plant a big sign outside that door with an arrow pointing to the stage or instruct a flunky to stand outside the door through which the inductees enter and imitate a sign pointing unambiguously toward the stage.
My intrepid correspondent, who apparently used a fake return address for the email, declared that he or she had watched that same VH1-Classic broadcast but had seen nothing that resembled the scenes I described.
Well, DrHGuy is at an awkward age where the possibilities of flashbacks to the 1960s and early onset dementia overlap so a review of the TiVo recording of the ceremony was indicated. Upon discovering the anticipated answer - i.e., I was right,1 I decided that not