Yesterday Was Conference Set Up Day!

Loading the car.

Table centerpieces. The masks are supposed to be some kind of Katrina memorial thing. Don't ask me. I just chair the committee.

Mums for the stage.

The stage is decorated. Some of the trees have lights in them.

The Men of Thunda won't be there. :-(

THUNDA!

It's the day before conference day. I've got hand outs to copy, talking points to revise, prayer candles to light, stuff to haul, evaluations to sort, stuff to stuff, trees to decorate, and no time to blog.

How about some more Men of Thunda?

What I Did at Work Today

Assembled a Forest.

Gathered Door Prizes.

Printed Posters.

Killed a Printer.

Got Stuff Together.

It must be....

CONFERENCE TIME!!!!!

Babbling

I got this from a couple of other sources, but Roger has it too, so go carve yourself a pumpkin!

Have you signed the pledge yet?

Have all those drug ads on TV driven you crazy yet?

Halloween safety tips for pets

Cost of living calculator (Courtesy of BonzerSites.com.)
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It looks like Zombie Tom may have a new hometown: Pittsburgh!

"A zombie-preparedness study, commissioned by Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy and released Monday, indicates that the city could easily succumb to a devastating zombie attack. Insufficient emergency-management-personnel training and poorly conceived undead-defense measures have left the city at great risk for all-out destruction at the hands of the living dead, according to the Zombie Preparedness Institute."

Clever bastards, those zombies:

"Today's zombies quickly learn to open doors, break windows, and stage ambushes," Cornelius said. "In one 1985 incident in Louisville, a band of zombies was able to lure four paramedics and countless law-enforcement officials to their deaths by commandeering an ambulance radio and calling for backup."

(That day is still spoken of in whispers by officials here in Louisville. The last mayor tried to cut funds for the zombie watch towers along the riverbanks, and there was a huge public outcry. Twenty years later, and the memory is still hauntingly fresh.)

Speaking of ZT, he's been awfully quiet lately. Maybe he's packing for the big move.
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And, finally, some comics babbling:

Cognitive Dissonance has the welcome news about the return of Castle Waiting! And at Comics Reporter, even better news about the long-awaited second issue of Dylan Horrocks' Atlas. Not only that, follow the CR link on through to Comics.212.net, and there's news that the next issue of Berlin is also solicited for January release! My long comics dry spell is coming to an end. Seriously, after a couple of years of watching titles I follow either wrap up or fold, it's good to see word about some that have been more up in the air.

Yesterday on My Lunchtime Walk, I Saw....

A Giant Slice of Watermelon!

Who Says Blogging About Blogging is a Sin?

Introducing Banjo Spam!

I wasn't really surprised to get comment spam, since eventually they find their way even to little trafficked sites like this one. I was, however, surprised at the content:

"Great blog you have. I have a site about banjo music for tom dooley. You can check it out at banjo music for tom dooleyGreat blog you have. I have a site about banjo music for tom dooley. You can check it out at banjo music for tom dooley."

"Great blog you have. I have a site about bela fleck banjo instruction. You can check it out at bela fleck banjo instruction."

Yes, other folks get spam for manhood-enhancing products and low-interest home loans. I get spam for banjoes! At least someone thinks I have a great blog!

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I guess it says something about my approach to blogging that my two year blogiversary passed week before last, and I didn’t even notice it. I don’t know if that’s because I basically didn’t post at all during much of the first year of Eddie-torial Comments’ existence or if it’s because several of my early posts make me cringe.
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We have a winner!

Yes, that contest thing was serious. And I do have a winner, even if no one actually entered the contest!

Yes, no one followed the rules, but Roger, my one loyal reader, did actually leave the correct answer in the comments section for that day. That’s close enough to sending me an email, so I decided, what the hell, I’ll send Roger some stuff off my desk.

Winging Roger’s way right now, is a package containing:

One of my old business cards!
Some Amnesty International stickers and stuff!
A personalized notepad! (okay, it’s personalized to me, but can’t everyone use one of those?)
A prayer card to Saint Dymphna!
An old price sticker from the late lamented Hawley-Cooke Booksellers! (Life just hasn’t been the same since Borders took over the best independent bookstore in town and sucked all the personality out of it.)
A binder clip! (Just to make sure there was something slightly useful in there.)
Some things I’ve forgotten because I didn’t make a list before I sealed the package!

Obviously, I have a long way to go before I get good at this blog contest thing. Maybe I should offer something out of my closet next?
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Damn Dial Up

I’ve been house-sitting for some friends this last week, so I’m stuck with a horribly slow and unreliable dial up connection, which has really limited my online time. I guess years of DSL or cable access have made me slightly spoiled. I have however been doing a lot of writing, so I’ve got a bunch of stuff to post, which I think I’m going to plop out all at once, since this is conference week and I don’t have much time.

Concert Pics

Keith's got some new pics from recent shows up.

Amy Ray at Headliners


I was underwhelmed with the opener, but Amy Ray and the Volunteers rocked the house with a set the showcased tunes from her new CD, Prom, with a handful of stuff from its predecessor, Stag, sprinkled in. (Like Johnny Rottentail!)

The crowd was smaller than we thought it would be. For the Stag tour, Headliners was so packed you could not move an inch without bumping into someone, no matter how hard you tried. Anticipating this, we got there early, stood in line, and made straight for the balcony, since the floor seats were bound to be obscured by people standing. As it turned out, all the precautions weren’t necessary. It was a good-sized crowd, but not overwhelming or obtrusive. Keith and I were part of only a handful of folks in the balcony. We sat on an ottoman in a corner, right up on the rail, in direct sight of stage left, which gave us a nice, cozy box seat, with an excellent view of the show.

For my money, Prom is the best CD of 2005. There’s just nothing that tops this personal collection of tunes that reflect about growing up gay in the rural south in the 70’s, and touch on gay issues and gay life in the 21st century. I’m planning to review the CD soon, so I won’t go into detail, but I had high hopes for this show.

Which did not go unmet. Ray was obviously charged by her band, and the whole set rumbled with energy. I wish she had spent some time talking about the songs and where they came from, but the music stands so powerfully on its own, that this is a minor quibble, rather than a complaint.

Nanci Griffith in Lexington



Griffith was a little annoyed by some minor sound problems that plagued the set, but for the most part she kept that hidden from the audience. In fact, except for a feedback squeal during Gulf Coast Highway, the problems were mostly not noticeable. Nevertheless, throughout the show, she was kind and gracious to the audience, sharing jokes and stories and chatting freely.

The set had a lot of songs from her newest CD, Hearts in Mind, so several older favorites weren’t included. I was a little disappointed not to hear Mary Margaret, but she managed to build some surprises in the set, with songs like Late Night Grande Hotel. She also managed to strike a careful balance between making a political statement or two, and turning the show into a manifesto. I’m one of the sort that would not have objected to the manifesto, but I was impressed with they way she inserted a line into Flyer about bringing the troops home tonight, and a few minutes later, laughingly referred to herself as a “left-winged creature.” A performer can be political and entertaining at the same time, and Griffith certainly proved it.

She also channeled some of her social concern into an area everyone in the audience could agree with at this point in time, hurricane relief efforts. She shared her sadness at the destruction to the gulf, including the Gulf Coast Highway, then shared her hope that after the rebuilding she’ll be able to go and see the blue bonnets in bloom again. It’s been just amazing to me how many musicians I like are from or have lived or have sung about the affected areas: Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier, Kate Campbell, and now Nanci Griffith.

When it was obvious that she was starting to move into her closing number (I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t White Freight Liner Blues), I thought “Already? She just started playing!” Then I looked at my watch and realized it was after 10:30! Time does fly when you’re having fun.

Kate Campbell at the Rud



The Rud provides an intimate music experience, which perfectly suited this evening with Kate Campbell. I first saw her perform in March of last year, and instantly became a fan for life. Within a few months, I had managed to acquire all of her CD’s. There’s something about her music that taps into parts of me that other songs don’t. This is another subject for a planned upcoming post, so I’m going to hold off on saying any more about it here.

Campbell devoted her set to playing every song off her new CD, Blues and Lamentations, which had come out a few days earlier. I hadn’t gotten a copy yet, because I wanted to do it at the show, so I got to experience the songs for the first time from the songwriter herself, complete with commentary about the origins of each song. Can’t beat that!

She deviated from this course a couple of times, once to insert a New Orleans song, once to do a Kentucky song, and once to do an Alabama song. This allowed her to touch on the place she was born, the place she was singing, and the place that’s been in most people’s minds recently.

It turned out to be one of the most special evenings of music I have ever experienced. After the show I chatted with her a bit and got some CD’s signed. I hope I didn’t babble too incessantly.

Sometimes Justice Isn't Pretty

Okay, I know that he's a long way from being found guilty, and there's simply no telling what the Republican dirty spin machine will do to fight this, but, just for a moment, let me savor the idea that the system works the way it should, from time to time, at least.

Pix A Go-Go!

Keith has some pics of the Lucinda Williams show up.

There are also some pics of the special Homefront show that Jean Ritchie did recently.

I haven't written much about that show because it's really hard to find the words to do it. She is so gracious and giving, and such a repository of important cultural heritage, that any time you can see her on stage is truly a special treat. She's in her 80's, and, although she's still performing regularly, she might not be with us much longer. I think we're really blessed to have seen her perform twice this year. My great-grandparents died when I was in my early 20's, so I have a lot of childhood memories of them. There's a feeling I get when I think about them or look at the old pictures of them that I really can't describe, except to say that it is very special to me. I get a similar feeling when I see Jean Ritchie play.

And, finally, every blog needs a picture

of a half-naked man in a kilt playing a drum!

He's part of Men of Thunda, a local group that describes their sound as "celtic tribal." We saw them at an international heritage festival last month. My pics cam out a little dark, though.

Oh Lord, I’m going to ramble ‘til I get back to where I came

Going to try to actually get some stuff posted tonight. Otherwise, Roger might meme-tag me again.

Since we’re kind of in a lull between active periods, I figure I’d better post now while I can. We have a show tonight (Amy Ray), followed by an out of town show (Nanci Griffith) next Monday. When we get back from that, I’ll be housesitting for some friends for a week. As soon as I get back to our house, it’s CONFERENCE DAY, followed by the first Annual Mitchell Brothers’ Reunion Road Trip!

We decided on Nashville for the destination, so I get to be the tour guide. It’s IBMA awards and fanfest weekend, so there’s a good chance of catching some good shows, provided we can get a hotel room.

After I get back to town from that jaunt, I run headlong into my 41st birthday. Wow!

So how about some rambling about something other than my boring personal life?
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Name That Tune

Everyone seems to be doing blog contests these days, so I’m going to try too! Tell me the name of the song the main title (the one up there in bigger letters than everything else) of this post comes from and identify the songwriter, and I’ll send you something off my desk!

Seriously, I’m obviously needing to tidy, and I’m sure I can find something interesting in this mess to send someone, just don’t hold out any hope that it might be a CD.

Email your answers to me at memitch at att dot net no later than five p.m. (EST) Monday, October 17, 2005. First correct answer based on the date/time header on the email wins. In the case of a tie, I’ll rummage around and find something to send both winners! Be sure to include your name and address so I’ll know where to send your prize!

Oh yeah! There are a couple of extra hints (not that anyone needs them) hidden in this next little tidbit.

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If I Needed You

Borrowed from the meme-addicted Roger, who got it from Lefty. The idea is to take an artist and answer the questions using the titles of their songs.

Artist/Band: Emmylou Harris

Are you male or female: Boy From Tupelo

Describe yourself: Here I Am

How do some people feel about you: Heaven Only Knows

How do you feel about yourself: Too Far Gone

Describe what you want to be: Michaelangelo

Describe how you live: Beneath Still Waters

Describe how you love: Easy From Now On

Share a few words of wisdom: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

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Johanna Draper Carlson posted some great reviews last week. Of course, she always does great reviews, but this time she hit on a motherlode of books I’m interested in reading, these two in particular. I always appreciate pointers to the good stuff.

Need a job?

Lefty gets excited about comics.

It’s been a rough week for cuddly characters. The Smurfs get bombed out. Wallace and Gromit get burned out. And the Teletubbies are strung out! (That’s so not right!) More positively, last week Augie discovered Asterix! (Thanks to Cognitive Dissonance and Comics Reporter for the Smurfs links. CR now has a link to the Smurf video now.)

Keith’s from Arkansas, too. Not too far from Fayetteville, I think. It looks like we chose the wrong time to visit his mother last month. Sigh!

Remember those “Question Authority” bumper stickers from the 80’s? Some times, that’s a really good idea.

Dr. Doom’s Top 10 Euphemisms for Sex. Gotta love Progressive Ruin!

Once again, I bow to the genius that is Postmodern Barney! God bless you, Dorian Wright!

Make way for the Incredible Pope-Man!

And from another side of the religious spectrum: Muslim heroes!

This is a BIG AD. (From Keith)

What God really said to Bush.

News story I’d really like to see. Thank God for the Onion!

Slideshow video from Carrie Newcomer.

Delbert McClinton e-card.

Old 97’s e-card. They have a live CD out!

Wanna see inside Rhonda Vincent’s Tour Bus? It’s sponsored by Martha White!

If you watch all of Dwight Yoakam’s video, you’ll be casting a vote for it at CMT.

One of Mary Gauthier’s fans created this slideshow using her song Mercy Now and images from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Gauthier is promoting it on her own website. There are a whole lot of people who could use a little mercy now.

Fun Kim Deitch animation. I have to admit it work better for you if you know something of the whole Waldo saga. Here’s a good book to bring you up to speed.

I found some of the above lurking on my clipboard, where it had been for god knows how long. I think some of them were acquired while my dad was ill, and I’ve since lost any attributions I may have had for sources. My apologies, but I thought they were too good not to use.

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Weight Loss

I finally cracked the 220 plateau. I’d been really discouraged lately with the weight loss, because I hadn’t been able to get below 220. This morning the scale said 216, which was a much-needed boost. I haven’t been noticing a lot of difference in the way my clothes fit lately, and this damn belly seems as huge as ever to me

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Music

Speaking of Lucinda Williams, she was a part of a back to back concert week recently. WFPK closed out the Waterfront Wednesday season with the Duhks and Hem. It was a perfect night, cool, but not too cool. Both acts were fantastic. The Duhks had some sound problems at first, but I loved their blend of traditional music, gospel songs, and country twangers!

The next night, we saw Lucinda Williams at the Brown. She’s got a rabid following that expects to hear certain things from her, so I was surprised that she did a half dozen brand new songs that night. She’s road testing some tunes in preparation for putting a new album together. It left less time for some things I wanted to hear her do, so several of them got left out of the set, but it was a rare treat to hear some works in progress out of this great songwriter.

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Now Playing:

John Haitt--Slow Turning: Ahhhhhh!

A User’s Guide to They Might Be Giants: I really, really needed this one this week.

Let Freedom Sing: This Land Is Your Land Vol II: Stuff from the heyday of the 60’s folk boom, when everyone called it “protest music.” The perfect antidote to an overdose of the Bush Administration.