Loose Leaf Notes

1. Letting go of the gas pump perfectly so you end on a round number, typing your username and password at the speed of light, when batteries are included, when you sneeze and someone says ‘bless you,’ anything on tap. These are some of the 1000 Awesome Things listed in Neil Pasricha’s book of the same name.

2. The Vancouver Sun reviewed the book, saying, “It’s a countdown of life’s little joys that reads like a snappy Jerry Seinfeld monologue by way of Maria Von Trapp.”

3. Reviews on Pasricha’s second book “1000 (even more) Awesome Things” include this by Justin Halpern, author of Sh*t My Dad Says: “This may be the greatest piece of literature on awesome the world has ever seen. If Ernest Hemingway were alive today he’d say, ‘I’m one hundred and twelve years old. Someone please kill me.’ But I also think he’d like this book.”

4. “A wise guy who’s wise,” “the Lincoln of literature,” “a legacy of laughter from a fount of sorrow,” are all description of Mark Twain by scholars of his work.

5. Lately I’ve been liking the word finagle

6. Right-of-center author Michael Charney recently commented on Mitt Romney’s choice of Paul Ryan as his running mate by saying, “I understand why Mitt chose him, but I would have preferred a Republican.”

7. After Paul Ryan stated that Rage Against the Machine was one of his favorite bands, Tom Morello, guitarist for the band, said, “Paul Ryan’s love of Rage Against the Machine is amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades … I clearly see that Ryan has a whole lotta “rage” in him: A rage against women, a rage against immigrants, a rage against workers, a rage against gays, a rage against the poor, a rage against the environment.  Basically the only thing he’s not raging against is the privileged elite he’s groveling in front of for campaign contributions.”   Rolling Stone Magazine

8. The photo posted here was taken at our town’s Kid’s Day in the Park Jubilee, where I learned from a member of the Grammy winning Chocolate Drops (during her workshop/performance) about the history of the banjo and the banjo craze of the mid 1800’s during the time of blackface minstrel shows.  Pondering the bizarre concept of performing in blackface, I did some internet research and discovered the story of Bert Williams, who, according to the wikipedia, “was a key figure in the development of African-American entertainment.  In an age when racial inequality and stereotyping were commonplace, he became the first black American to take a lead role on the Broadway stage, and did much to push back racial barriers during his career.” He was also a black man who performed in blackface.

 9. Whenever I feel uninspired about posting to my blog, I remember what an opportunity it is to have a forum and how simple it is to “say” one thing everyday.

10.  Journal: Dried pen markings that hold their flavor and wait to be read like tied up herbs wait for winter soup to season.

11. A Shining Star is Born HERE.

12. Meet some Friday Night Jamboree fixtures in THIS video about the Floyd Country Store by travel/ dance blogger Mickela Mallozzi.

13. Is it just a coincidence that listen and silent are the same word, like ridiculous and ludicrous, note and tone, eros and rose, evil and vile and mated and tamed?

Thirteen Thursday