Under my brain

Fifteen minutes ago I sat down at my computer to do a tedious task.  In that situation, I often call up some sort of music video playlist on YouTube, for musical accompaniment.

For some reason, I typed in "The Stems".  The first hit was the song "At First Sight" -- which I immediately recognized as a (very good) song off the Young Einstein movie soundtrack, which features only '80s-ish Australian bands.

Funny that that band popped out of my brain.  I really like the song -- but I never got around to listening to the rest of their stuff.

Subconsciousness.  :)


A link to the song's lyrics.


Music video:


(The soundtrack CD has better fidelity.)


--GG

Minimalist drum kits

(This blog entry is a thematic extension on my January blog entry about "Suitcase drum kits".) 


I was Googling "minimalist drum kits", and discovered (or rather, re-discovered) the notion of "cocktail kits":  usually used in Latin music and maybe jazz -- but you can use 'em for whatever.







Here's a video of a guy making good use of an ultra-minimalist kit:  kick, snare, high-hat and a ride-crash:




I also found this article about "shrinking drum kits" interesting.


--GG

Book review of drumming book

I moderately recommend the book Born to Drum, by Tony Barrell.

It's interspersed with loads of interviews and quotes from drummers: most I'd heard of; some I had not.


It has a chapter on "women who drum", and the discrimination they face -- which is what lead me to pick up the book in the first place.


The rest of the book is "pretty good" if you're into drumming; probably not of interest if you're not: the writing style is mostly engaging -- but not enough to bring you along if you're not into drumming in the first place.

The theme for the book is that most chapters examine a stereotype of drummers (e.g. "Adrenaline junkies", "Not very smart", "Have lots of tattoos") -- and then gathers a lot of anecdotal evidence based on interviews with drummers. And then each chapter concludes with "Well, there's a lot of support for that -- but with a lot of notable exceptions."

Some swearing and sexual references. 

Again:  likely of interest to drummers; of moderate probable interest to other musicians; probably not interested to the general public.

--GG

Not a valid excuse

This blog entry is based on one the kids not getting ready for bed as instructed -- and using "but [sibling] wasn't getting ready" as a justification for their own lack of compliance.

No.  Saying "no one else is doing the right thing" is not a valid excuse among my children.  For that matter, nor is "everyone else was doing the wrong thing".

I want my children to do what they think is right -- even if no one else is.

Even better:  be a leader, and try to get others to do the right thing.

If people think you're weird for being different:  fine; so be it.  It's better to be "different"... but "in the right".


That's what I say, at least.


--GG

Good book so far

Old Roommate and Belinda Harmless were kind enough to mail me a book as a gift.

I started reading it on the train today, on the way to work.  And on the way home.  Enjoying it.   :)  Well-chosen, folks.  :) 

The book is All Our Wrong Todays, by Elan Mastai.  It's about a guy from a parallel "year 2016" from ours, that actually achieved all of those Jetsons-like innovations (food pills, jet packs, flying cars...).  Apparently he makes it over to "our" 2016:  I'm not sure how, yet, as I'm only up to page 54.


I know a book is good when it has lots of delightful turns of phrases.  This one does.

I like this one (p. 54):  "It was both the greatest kiss of my life and also made me feel like until that moment I'd been kissing all wrong." 

Nice.  :)


--GG

Another bad shirt and necktie combination

Another bad shirt and tie combination:

I've worn the shirt before -- but not with this necktie!


--GG