Happy Congalese Independence Day!

Posted on April 11, 2006 by Solonor

We’re all over the board in this edition of the Ink Well, kids. So, strap in and enjoy (or at least sit down and shut up until we get to where we’re going).

Despite the horrible, horrible memories it conjures up, I can’t help but love the 1986 World Series Game 6 Re-enacted in RBI Baseball.

Time for a WikiMeme ( via Staz )!
Go to Wikipedia. Type in your birth date (but not year). List three events that happened on your birthday. List two important births and one interesting death. Post this in your journal.
Three Events
1905 – Albert Einstein publishes the article “On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies”, where he introduces special relativity. (Which has something to do with light traveling at a constant speed, no matter what you’re trying to tell the cop that stopped you. “But, officer, it only seemed like I was going fast to the stationary observer!”)
1906 – Congress passes the Meat Inspection Act and Pure Food and Drug Act (‘cuz pure drugs is where it’s at, dude)
1960 – Congo gains independence from Belgium. (Good riddance, waffleheads!)
Two Births
1917 – Lena Horne, American actress and singer
1934 – Harry Blackstone Jr., American magician (d. 1997)
One Death
2001 – Chet Atkins, American guitarist (b. 1924)

Go vote for me in the Folk Alley Open Mic!!

We went and saw the reading of “Young Rube” that I talked about earlier. It was great, and as a bonus, Kat remembered to bring me one of her prints. Yay! Now, go buy stuff from her Etsy Shop!!

Ladies and gentlemen. I give you: Monkey With A Death Wish

And, finally, since it is almost Easter, it’s time to take a serious look at everyone’s favorite holiday treat: Scientific research on Peeps

Posted in Baseball, Life, the Universe and Everything, Strangeness, Tunes, Wouldya Lookit That! | 3 Comments

The March to Superstardom Continues

Posted on April 10, 2006 by Solonor

Check it out. I have a profile on BandSpace.com (see? down in the “new artists” section…cool? no?)

Here is my profile on BandSpace.

We’re off tonight to see a musical comedy based on Rube Goldberg. And what geek (or cartoon fan) can resist that?

UPDATE: Now that’s what I’m talking about! Thanks Karan.

Posted in Tunes | 3 Comments

Fahbulous Forties

Posted on April 9, 2006 by Solonor

Last night’s concert by the OGC was wonderful. They did it like a 1940’s radio show in-progress, and we were the studio audience. It featured songs by Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and George Gershwin, as well as some cowboy songs, a (sorta) gay reading of “Who’s On First?” and a brilliantly choreographed set of Andrews Sisters numbers performed by a group of “soldiers”. Every time we turned around, Sherri was featured in some combo or another, and her solo on “Summertime” was incredible.

Damn them to hell, though! One of her combos not only hit me with the song that sticks a knife in my gut for some, unknown reason (“Moonlight Serenade”), but also reminded me that it has words. *sniff*

If I were a rich (and not so busy-as-hell) man, I’d have season tickets to their shows. (And if I weren’t so entrenched in my church choir, which practices the same night as they, I would definitely consider joining them.)

Posted in Life, the Universe and Everything | 1 Comment

It’s culture weekend here at Chez Rasreth

Posted on April 8, 2006 by Solonor

Last night we spent a lovely evening in the company of the lovely (yet still blissfully bitter) Bitter Kat at the Orlando Theatre Project’s production of “All in the Timing”. When there’s a comedy that includes monkeys trying to write Shakespeare, I am there!

Tonight, we are heading to the Orlando Gay Chorus show titled “Don’t Touch That Dial!” which features songs from the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Our friend Sherri is in that, and she’s going to be heavily featured. Yay!

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, meaning lots of churchy stuff. Plus, I’m going to haul the recording equipment over there and capture the handbell choir on record. They really sound good, and I’ll upload a sample if it comes out ok.

Monday night, we’re going to a free reading of the Orlando Shakespeare Festival’s “Young Rube”, a musical comedy based on the life of cartoonist Rube Goldberg (the guy famous for the “Rube Goldberg machines”… ya know, like Wile E. Coyote or Wallace & Gromit come up with?).

Posted in Life, the Universe and Everything | 4 Comments

Um, it’s not Bill Nye the RELIGION guy, dumbass…

Posted on April 7, 2006 by Solonor

The Emmy-winning scientist angered a few audience members when he criticized literal interpretation of the biblical verse Genesis 1:16, which reads: “God made two great lights — the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.”

He pointed out that the sun, the “greater light,” is but one of countless stars and that the “lesser light” is the moon, which really is not a light at all, rather a reflector of light.

A number of audience members left the room at that point, visibly angered by what some perceived as irreverence.

“We believe in a God!” exclaimed one woman as she left the room with three young children. – ‘The Science Guy’ is entertaining and provocative at MCC lecture

So do I, lady, but that doesn’t mean I have to have my head so far up my posterior that I take a poetic description of creation written by humans and translated a bazillion times by humans as a literal representation of the facts of nature.

Geez, why does it have to be one or the other with everyone these days? Can’t God be big enough to come up with a more complex universe than *poof!* “there it is!”? Or is God nothing more than a magician with a really big hat?

[ via Stupid Evil Bastard ]

Posted in Rants 'n' Whines | 5 Comments

Hey! Look! I have a new CD!

Posted on April 7, 2006 by Solonor

OK, I just had another person say, “You have a new CD??? Whoa! That’s too cool. I didn’t know.”

Um, yeah. Marketing is apparently not my strong suit.

I guess I need to send out a mass mailing to everyone who has apparently forgotten that I have a blog. I am about to become what I revile: an evil spammer. Please, forgive me.

On a brighter note, the test pressing from Kunaki came in yesterday, and it looks fabulous. Anyone who got one of my home-brewed CD’s need only write me and ask nicely, and I will replace it with one of these new, shrink-wrapped ones.

BROKEN BROTHER UPDATE: The motorcycle accident left baby bro with a bunch of recuperating to do. The surgery on his arm went well, but they have to re-operate on his leg, because now that the swelling is going down, there are bone fragments threatening to break through the skin (EWWW! ICKY!!). He’s in a ton of pain and on mucho meds. I spoke to him last night via IM, and he related that he found himself in a drug-induced sleepwalk the other night wherein he thought he was commandeering an alien spacecraft (his hospital bed) that was parked near the space port (the hospital helipad outside his window). Meanwhile, he kept grilling his freaked out roommate as to which branch of the service sent him and for whom was he spying.

Mmmm… morphine…

Posted in Life, the Universe and Everything, Tunes | 4 Comments

Finland rocks!

Posted on April 5, 2006 by Solonor

There’s gotta be something to talk about other than the depressing fact that my album sales have stopped dead in their tracks (not slowed down, just flat stopped like they hit a brick wall… or my Aunt Bessie finally bought all she could afford, damn her and her “but I’m living on Social Security” excuses!).

Whenever I am sad (or stuck for a post), I turn to the Goddess of Goofy, April Winchell. The YouTube video on her blog makes me sooooo happy. All is right with the world after seeing it.

I did have an idea for promoting the cd, but it was quickly shot down…

ME: So, um, Pepperkat… what if I decided to push my album on MySpace?
PK: (pained expression) I would disown you.
ME: Not cool?
PK: MySpace is for losers.
ME: I thought it was the hip, happenin’ place…
PK: Only if you’re a 40-year-old stalker, looking for a 13-year-old pretending to be 30. Dad, seriously, it’s a joke, a well-known joke.

This reminds me of a scene in A Hard Day’s Night:

GEORGE: And who’s this Susan when she’s at home?
SIMON: Only Susan Campey, our resident teenager. You’ll have to love her. She’s your symbol.
GEORGE: Oh, you mean that posh bird who gets everything wrong?
SIMON: I beg your pardon?
GEORGE: Oh, yes, the lads frequently gather round the T.V. set to watch her for a giggle. Once we even all sat down and wrote these letters saying how gear she was and all that rubbish.
SIMON: She’s a trend setter. It’s her profession!
GEORGE: She’s a drag. A well-known drag. We turn the sound down on her and say rude things.
SIMON: Get him out of here!!
GEORGE: Have I said something amiss?
SIMON: Get him out of here. He’s knocking the programme’s image!! Get him out. You don’t think he’s a new phenomenon, do you?
SECRETARY: You mean an early clue to the new direction?
SIMON: Where’s the calendar? No, he’s just a trouble maker. The change isn’t due for three weeks. All the same, make a note not to extend Susan’s contract. Let’s not take any unnecessary chances!

Posted in Strangeness, Tunes | 3 Comments

Play Ball!

Posted on April 3, 2006 by Solonor

It is Opening Day 2006, all teams are 0-0, but the Red Sox this time are better than the Yankees. The wacky winter doesn’t change that. So take the day off and watch Schill pitch to the Rangers and try not to overreact if your team loses the first game. The 2006 Red Sox may not win the World Series, but they are positioned to be sitting in first place in the American League East Oct. 1 when the season comes to a close. – The Boston Globe

Not able to take the day off, but my heart will be in Texas this afternoon. I know I told someone that I was tired of the Sox/Yankees thing and that I was rooting for the Tigers, but I really didn’t mean it. Even though it’s not accompanied by warm spring breezes and melting snow (curse you, Florida!), I still can’t help but be excited by the end of winter and the beginning of baseball season.

Posted in Baseball | 1 Comment

Album news

Posted on April 1, 2006 by Solonor

Yet another retail outlet for that cd thingy (Did I mention I have an album for sale? Well, I do! And why haven’t you bought one? Yes, I’m talking to you.)

I signed up with Kunaki, which is a cd service that lets you design your project and then produces a nice, shrink-wrapped product in any quantity desired. They even put up an ordering page, so you can order a single copy, which they will manufacture and ship the same day.

Meanwhile, CD Baby has gotten the album onto the Tower Records web site, too. I am currently working on getting it on Amazon.com, but they are a little more stringent in their policies (and don’t share as much of the profits, either).

I entered “Like Sailors Do” in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for the helluvit. I don’t know if it’s their cuppa mud, but I won’t hear anything back on it anyway until November. The song is also up for review at Garageband.com, where it is #180 (of 189) on their Folk chart after 2 reviews. (One loved the lyrics; one did not.) I am also going to get the music submitted to NPR’s Open Mic.

Speaking of reviews, I still only have one at the bottom of the CD Baby page from my lovely stalker in France. I know there are at least two reviews out there in the ether coming from Karan and Jules. However, I want more! I don’t care if you think it sucks. I want to know. So, please, write a review and post it at http://cdbaby.com/review/lesternorton.

[end cd prattle]

Posted in Tunes | 5 Comments

What are you going to do with yours?

Posted on March 31, 2006 by Solonor

Getting ready for the big Daylight Savings Time party this weekend. Woo!

I got my DST invitations sent out weeks ago. Hawaii and Arizona, you are not invited. Sorry. However, this year, all of Indiana is with us! Yay!

The party is at 2am on Sunday, and this time I’m video taping it, because every other year I’m so drunk or something that I just blink and suddenly an hour has gone by and I’ve missed everything! I hate that.

Oh, and I’m saving all my daylight this year. I’m not gonna blow it all on stupid stuff like last year.

Posted in Strangeness | 5 Comments