1) Yeah, it's another Random Thoughts post. Or, if you prefer, another damn placeholder. Much to do today (Katie is having an Upper GI, Paul and I are required by law to see Iron Man) and I'm running a bit late, though I fully intended to articulate a few thoughts about Obama's official break from Jeremiah Wright. Maybe later.
2) The title of today's post is inspired by the album-by-album listing of lyrics at Steely Dan's official website. There is a separate listing for "Miscellaneous Tracks," which for most bands would include numerous one-offs, b-sides, whatever. The Dan only officially recognize three: FM, written for a lame, long-forgotten snoozefest from the seventies, and a fairly lame song, at least by this band's standards, and Here In The Western World and the hilarious The Steely Dan Show, both indescribably awesome.
The point is, these guys don't have a lot of throwaways. Their best stuff goes on their albums. The rest, they don't want you to hear. I wish more artists would be so selective.
And I realize the preceding will be of no interest to those of you who are not obsessive Steely Dan fans. Sorry.
3) Seeing Iron Man is Paul's choice, not mine, but I'm hoping for the best. If I never see another CGI-heavy superhero movie in my life, I'll probably die without regret, and I'm not sure I'm wholly down with Robert Downey in the title role...but on the other hand, hey, it's got Robert Downey. Plus Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and the always-great Jeff Bridges. Real actors, in other words, and since Jon Favreau, another actor, directed, maybe this fine cast will actually be given opportunities to, you know, act. As opposed to standing around blank-eyed in front of a green screen, pointing to computer-generated marvels added in post, the unfortunate norm for this sort of thing.
4) That last paragraph was a bit heavy on the verbiage, don't you think? I need to simplify.
5) Wall Street types swear things are getting better, the worst is over, recovery is on the way. For them, maybe. For those of us whose cost of living raises can't even keep pace with gas prices, much less food, clothing and shelter, it remains a hard slog. I'm guessing Ben Bernanke hasn't been to a grocery store in years.
6) The Yankees lost three in a row to Detroit. They're being openly booed even in the confines of Yankee Stadium. With good reason; this is as pathetic a pitching roster as you'll find in the major leagues. There's even talk of sending Ian Kennedy back to the minors--a major embarrassment, since he's been their starter, and they really don't have anyone to replace him. Sad, really.
The good news is, the Red Sox lost another game, and they've slipped from number one in the AL East. We don't advocate violence around here. I'd never suggest, for instance, kneecapping Manny Ramirez. If such a thing were to happen, however, you'd hear the sound of millions of beefy, crew-cutted Boston fans weeping, the sweetest music in the world.
7) Some enterprising YouTuber set the theme to the James Bond epic Moonraker to its lyrics, karaoke-style, and I must say, I approve. Divorced from one of Maurice Binder's dopier credit sequences, and apart from the mostly awful movie it was meant to support, we can properly appreciate Hal David's fine, workmanlike lyrics and one of John Barry's loveliest melodies. The dreamy, romantic arrangement (nobody scores string parts better than Barry!) and Shirley Bassey's performance are near perfection. If it weren't for the stigma of being a Bond theme, this might have had a well-deserved second life among jazz singers and cabaret performers.
8) This has officially become longer than the Obama-Wright post would have been. So much for running late.
9) Fair warning: Geek-heavy posts about Indiana Jones and Return Of The Jedi may well be on the way.
10) Finally, of course--the cats. Monika has finally crawled out from under a chair, her favorite cover during thunder storms. She never used to react with fright to such things, and in fact, I can't recall any cat I've known having a fear of thunder. Dogs, on the other hand...
And as for Delmar, he's sprawled at my feet, his half tail appropriately swishing half circles on the floor, one front paw resting on my foot, the other curled under his chin. He snores and twitches periodically in his sleep, his claws reflexively digging into my foot. It hurts a little, but that's the price you pay sometimes when you open your heart to a cranky malcontent no one else will love.
