I’m in front of a computer all day. I think I would go nuts without LAUNCHcast. This is a Yahoo product that allows me to construct my own radio station. I get a steady supply of music that I have previously rated, or new tunes that I can add to my playlist or kill.
This was my playlist from this morning:
John Denver Take Me Home, Country Roads… love it.
Richard Thompson Mingulary Boat Song
Michael Crawford Phantom of the Opera… 4 stars
The Rolling Stones Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
Cream Sweet Wine
Natalie MacMaster Moxham Castle… incredible fiddle
Zero Mostel Comedy Tonight… from a “Funny Thing”
Platinum Weird If You Believe in Love
Presidents of the United States of America Lump
James Taylor Winter Wonderland
Chieftains The Job of Journeywork
Clannad Second Nature
Stevie Nicks Street Angel
Gordon Lightfoot Early Morning Rain… so good
Sarah McLachlan Building a Mystery
Aerosmith Train Kept a Rollin’… the best
The Kinks Tired of Waiting… a blast from the past
Howlin’ Wolf Highway 49
Fleetwood Mac Drifting… from their Blues days
Derek & the Dominoes Have You Ever Loved a Woman
Lover Boy Notorious
I loved the variety. Too bad I didn’t get the Overture From Dr. Zhivago. Still, I scratch my head…
James Taylor doing Winter Wonderland? Don’t get me wrong… a host of recording artists have done Christmas albums. But hey! It’s October 17th! And this is my fourth Taylor Christmas tune in a week! Give me a break! What happened to Fire and Rain? Don’t you think this is rushing things a tad?
I have hardly had a chance to put away my Yom Kippur decorations. I haven’t even selected a hideous mask for Halloween yet! Nor have I Mapquested the way to Grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving! And we have Winter Wonderland in the second week of October?
Because Buffalo gets socked in with 20″ of Lake effect snow last week? Remember… Lake effect snow doesn’t count.
It doesn’t end with a few songs. I’ve been told that stores in the Mall are already trotting out stuff for Christmas. I guess I can understand this… it means that we can get a jump on Valentine’s Day in mid-December!
This has some logic. Why wait ’til the last minute?
In the spirit of the season, I have decided to jot down a few items for my “wish list”, this way folks will have adequate time to find a good present for me. My Father was impossible to shop for… I don’t intend to follow in his footsteps. Here is a list to make your gift giving easier.
A box of Jujubes. I have emerged from my Twizzlers period. After 50 years of being a foundation in my food pyramid, I have finally tired of my movie time favorite. I don’t know if they even make Jujubes any more. I think that I read some where that the tiny candies were taken off the market because they caused too many choking deaths in little kids.
A proper nude painting. Nothing contemporary. One of those bucolic scenes, a wooded glen with a babbling brook, a woman (no skinny waif) undressed and reclined on a chaise. In attendance, two bearded men wearing vested tweed suits and hats. Picnic basket in the foreground. Toddlers frolicking in the thick grass. You got to love the Victorian Age.
A saxophone. No, I don’t play. Nor do I intend on learning (that’s the good news). But my Dad played, not that I ever heard him. Still, I think it will be a valuable prop and add authenticity to my stories about Dad sitting in with Count Basie (regardless of the veracity).
A stand of birch trees. Ever since I visited Tolstoy’s Estate at Yasnaya Polyana, I have loved the sight of an evergreen forest interrupted by white birch trees. The birches stand in stately contrast to the neighboring dark brown trunks with thick green fur. If you can’t get me the trees… find me a place where I can see them.
A gattling gun. I can’t think of a better way to discourage members of the Republican Town Committee from canvassing for votes at my doorstep.
A Galaxy. I’ve heard about this organization where you can get a star named after you. That’s pretty damn clever. But, I’m thinking bigger. I mean, stars… hell, they’re a dime-a-dozen. I’d prefer a nebula (like I really know what that is) or a galaxy. But not for me… name it for my Grandmother. A constellation would actually do… call it Sophie’s Kreplach.
OK… look, I didn’t want to discourage you so I just put down the easy ones. I will provide the advanced list upon request.
Ah! Here’s another LAUNCHcast tune… “chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose… ” Sing it James!