Cost of Living: Honolulu
* Half-gallon milk $4.79
* Loaf of bread $1.49
* Gallon of gas $2.79
* Six-pack of Bud $6.59
* Can of Coffee $11.49
* Adult bus fare $2.00
* Bathroom tissue 4ct. $3.99
* Head of lettuce $1.29 lb
* ATM fee $1.75
* Ground beef $3.69 lb
* Dozen large eggs $2.69
* Zoo Admission $6.00
* Road Runner svc. $44.95
Last night after turning on the computer, I went to my music storage and clicked for a random shuffle of songs. The following is the first six artists and their songs that played:
Brandi Carlile - Someday Never Comes
Kathleen Edwards - Pink Emerson Radio
Leona Naess - Weak Strong Heart
Rachael Yamagata - Collide
Aimee Mann - Humpty Dumpty
Shannon McNally - Down and Dirty
What amazes me about this list is that not only didn’t I have any of these songs a year ago, but I hadn’t even heard of the artists.
Access to music sure has changed in recent years. There was a time not so long ago when one relied on the radio to release a new song or to introduce a new artist or band. If you were lucky, a friend or sibling would buy a recent record or an entire album, and you would listen to it until the needle on the player wore out.
I remember on more than one occasion buying an album based entirely on one song I heard on the radio. It was a hit or miss proposition, sometimes the rest of the album turned out to be just as good, other times not so much.
I can’t recall the last time I turned on the radio to listen to music. It’s possible to hear an entire disc in the comfort of your home without commercials and without spending a dime for it. And with all the music sites on the web, and with every artist and band having their own websites, it’s entirely possible to discover new music every single day of the year. How cool is that?
What new music are you listening to?
The movie Brokeback Mountain is currently playing at my local theater. I’ve heard and read positive reviews of the movie, and some are hailing the film as an Oscar candidate.
So why is it with all the rave reviews am I unwilling to walk down the street to see the movie? Yeah, I know the film has been described as “the gay cowboy movie”, but I’m open-minded about different lifestyles and sexual orientations other than my own. And I’m all for equality down the line.
I’ve always loved the western genre. There’s something special about the stories of the old west. In watching the trailer of Brokeback, I was surprised to see that the setting is not of the old west, but rather set in current times. Oh sure, the guys wear cowboy hats and ride horses, but that’s where the connection to the western genre ends. I just assumed if it were a cowboy movie, it was a western.
So if Brokeback isn’t a western, then what is it? In reading the reviews, I discovered that it’s a romance drama. I image the tag of a gay cowboy movie is a publicity move, as it would understandably grab more attention than would a gay romance.
It’s safe to say that I’ve never gone to the theater by myself to see a romance film. I don’t want to see all that sentimental lovey-dovey stuff between a man and a woman, a man and a man, a woman and a woman, or any other combination. As open-minded as I like to think I am, I still don’t want to watch a chick-flick.
In celebration of my birthday today, I’m writing this blog post in my birthday suit. It’s a little snug, but it still fits. I know the joke is old, but so am I! I give you links, links, and more links.
Leslie Sbrocco explains that building your wine wardrobe is not unlike building your clothes wardrobe.
According to Jody Rosen of Slate, the recent Mary J. Blige album may be her finest, and one of the best R&B records of the last 15 years. I currently have No One Will Do, MJB da MVP, and One, her duo with Bono on replay.
Panda Cam. Because we love them.
A while back I caught a feature on the Food Network about Via Elisa. Since then I’ve had pasta on the brain.
You can help Any Soldier stationed overseas. Click on the name of Any Soldier and read their email requests. Some requests are for simple things such as toothbrushes, liquid shower soap, feminine hygiene products, and refrigerator magnets.
North Shore Shirts has a new line of Valentine’s Day shirts to fit any body and any mood.
Post Secret is an ongoing community art project where people mail-in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. And now, Post Secret The Book.
Pandora: Helping you discover the music that you like. (via Tyd)
And finally, Elmo and Martha Stewart discuss the hurricane that recently hit Sesame Street.
Have a Fun Weekend!
The other day while walking home, a twentysomething couple moving in the same direction as me, passed me by in their walk. I was startled momentarily as they came alongside of me, then watched as they continued to walk ahead. It didn’t feel like I was walking extraordinarily slow nor they exceedingly fast.
On most occasions I wouldn’t give the matter a second thought. However, when another birthday looms just days away, much can be made from such a moment. A passing moment of easily being surpassed becomes yet another reminder that I’m getting old.
The reminders are many, more than I care to list. But they are there. While I don’t necessarily feel old per se, apparently I’m aging faster than I walk. I have reached that age where in all probability I’ve surpassed the halfway mark. How strange it is to write that, or to even think such thoughts. Long ago I counted the years ahead of me; how many years until I could drive, drink legally, move from home. Now when I count the years, it’s how long do I have left? That’s the gift of age, and it’s the gift that keeps on giving.
There’s still so very much that I want to do, see, and experience, and all before I lose the ability or the inclination. More than anything else, I want to travel the States once again, this time taking lots of photographs and writing whatever comes to mind. I’d also like to go to Europe and Asia and wherever else the wind blows.
In my youth I traveled the States. I hitchhiked and roughed it at times, and walked lots and lots of miles. When one is young such things are doable. While I’m certainly far from young, I’m at that age where I can still be considered relatively young. The big difference in the two is that I’m wiser and not so naive. Also, my vision is weaker, but I see more clearly. And it may take a little longer for me to move from point A to point B, but at this stage I’m much more interested in the view than in the speed of getting there.
A few hours after eating an early dinner, I was struck with a craving for a snack. There’s no fruit in the house, so that was out. I still have a bucket of Halloween candy, but I wasn’t in the mood for candy. For a moment, I considered popcorn, but decided against it after remembering how I almost choked to death from the fumes that filled the house the last time I made microwave popcorn. I still have Christmas cookies that Mom sent, but they’re frozen in the freezer so that they will last longer. I knew I didn’t have any ice cream, but out of habit I opened the freezer door anyway. Lo and behold, a small unopened container of Dove Chocolate & Brownie Affair that I had forgotten all about. I love those kind of surprises.
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito begins his Senate confirmation hearing today. Outside of being a former Reagan administration lawyer and a federal appeals judge since 1990, I know very little of Samuel Alito.
Barring an unforeseen bombshell at the judiciary hearings, I imagine Alito will be confirmed. Still, I’m concerned that the highest court in the nation is being packed with conservative corporate-leaning judges.
If Alito is confirmed, what are the odds that his new nickname will be Alito Supreme? We can only hope that Alito Supreme will think outside the bun.