chrisdellavedova.comchrisdellavedova.comAn American expatriate in Oxford rants about music, politics and love of life. Articles
Zach?s Music Monday: Joni Mitchell - ?Blue?
2008-01-07 00:00:00 "Child with a child pretending Weary of lies you are sending home So you sign all the papers in the family name You're sad and you're sorry, but you're not ashamed Little green, have a happy ending..." -Joni Mitchell - "Little Green" I've been listening to far more Joni Mitchell lately than a man in his ... More About: Music , Blue , Monday
Tom Ames? Prayer
2008-01-06 00:00:00 "Outside the law your luck will run out fast And a few years came and went Till he's trapped in an alley in Abilene With all but four shells spent..." I was listening to Steve Earle's 1995 record "Train A Comin' " (Buy) on the way to work yesterday morning. It's not a great ... More About: Prayer , Ames
New (To Me) Music: Powersolo and The Weber Brothers
2008-01-06 00:00:00 Ran across a couple of bands - both brother acts- I hadn't heard before during my trip back across the Atlantic this holiday season. Powersolo is a Danish punk trio founded by the guitar playing Jeppesen brothers. Music ally, these guys are pretty good - hearkening back to an early 90's ... More About: Brothers , Weber
Airportman: Air travel with an infant and why Air Canada sucks
2008-01-04 00:00:00 "He moves efficiently Beyond security Great opportunity awaits Airport fluorescent Creature of habit." -R.E.M. - "Airportman" I had planned to write a post about our family Christmas in Canada , but I think the pictures tell a better story than I could. Plus, my family reads this blog so I can't tell the good stories from the ... More About: Travel , Air Travel , Infant , Sucks
Georgia 41, Hawaii 10
2008-01-03 00:00:00 "Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel, Like I been tied to the whipping post, Tied to the whipping post, Tied to the whipping post, Good lord, I feel like Im dyin..." -The Allman Brothers - "Whipping Post" Better a bully than a Sooner. I guess this just goes to show you how absolutely wrong the BCS ... More About: Hawaii , Georgia
Iowa Adieu
2008-01-03 00:00:00 "Bottom feeder, insincere Prophet, lo-fi pioneer Sell the house and go to school Get a young girlfriend, daddy?s jewel A change would do you good..." -Sheryl Crow - "A Change" My Florida absentee ballot is safely in the hands of The Royal Mail - on it's way to the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections. This means ... More About: Iowa , Adie
Hogmanay
2008-01-01 00:00:00 The family has returned safely - if a little jet lagged and sniffly - from The Great White North. Tonight we're off to a Scottish friend's Hogmanay bash. As far as I can tell, Hogmanay is just the Scots' word for New Year's Eve, but if anyone out there knows more ...
Game Day: Like Kissing Your Sister
2008-01-01 00:00:00 "Razzle 'n' a dazzle 'n' a flash a little light Television lover, baby, go all night Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet Little miss ah innocent sugar me, yeah..." -Def Leppard - "Pour Some Sugar On Me" Like all good Georgia Bulldogs fans I was thrilled by the way Coach Mark Richt and the Dawgs turned ... More About: Kissing , Game , Sister , Game Day
Disaster narrowly averted (or how Dr. O?Connell saved the family from a yea
2008-01-01 00:00:00 "And so we're told this is the golden age And gold is the reason for the wars we wage Though I want to be with you Be with you night and day Nothing changes On New Year's Day..." -U2 - "New Year's Day" Everyone who grew up in the deep South knows that Hoppin' John and collards ... More About: Family , Disaster , Connell , The Family , Aster
Merry Christmas!
2007-12-25 00:00:00 Happy Holidays to all my readers! Wishing you and yours a joyful Christmas season. It's been a blue Christmas without your comments. Come back and visit in the New Year after our return from the frozen North. Until then, enjoy Bright Eyes' interpretation of the Elvis classic. Image from Loneleaf More About: Merry Christmas , Merry
And the winner is?.
2007-12-22 00:00:00 "Take the poison of your age Don't lick your fingers when you turn the page What I know is what you know is right In the city it's the only light It's the Neon Bible, the Neon Bible Not much chance for survival If the Neon Bible is right..." -Arcade Fire - "Neon Bible" To remind you how ... More About: Winner
Constant as a northern star
2007-12-21 00:00:00 "On the back of a cartoon coaster In the blue TV screen light I drew a map of Canada Oh Canada And your face sketched on it twice..." -Joni Mitchell - "A Case of You" I'm really leaning on Joni Mitchell's "Blue" this holiday season. With Christmas nearly upon us, "A Case of You" has been ... More About: Star , Northern
Reader Gratitude Contest - Time is running out!
2007-12-19 00:00:00 Readers of this blog will know that I've been counting down my choices for the ten best albums of 2007 for a couple of weeks now. Ahead of revealing the number one album on Friday I?ve decided to run a little contest as a thanks for my readers. I will ... More About: Contest , Running , Time , Reader , Gratitude
Science Tuesday: Snake Oil?
2007-12-18 00:00:00 "The tears on my shoulder Freeze then boil I wouldn't be here If not for your snake oil..." -Kristin Hersh - "Snake Oil" One side-effect of the global warming era is that if you can sell a concept or products as "green" it can go a long way. There is a green alternative for nearly ... More About: Science , Tuesday
Top 10 Albums of 2007: No. 3 Okkervil River - ?The Stage Names? and WIN One
2007-12-17 00:00:00 "You were caught kissing 8 chinese brothers Well, there?s a reason why the last is smiling wider and sitting higher than the others Stinking with charm And he says, ?Lets get lost, let them send out alarms He says, ?Let?s get crossed out and come to harm? ?Lets make the world?s stupidest stand and truly ... More About: River , Albums , Stage , Names
Science in Brief: Fungal cowboys, King Corn and ant prophylaxis
2007-12-17 00:00:00 A group of German scientists published in this week's Science their discovery of fungus preserved in Cretaceous Period amber that used a unique means of trapping its prey. This fungus used what essentially looks like a hyphal lasso to rope in its prey of choice, a species of roundworm (see ... More About: Cowboys , Corn , King , King Corn
Top 10 Albums of 2007: No. 4 Jason Isbell - ?Sirens Of The Ditch?
2007-12-17 00:00:00 "His daughter was a looker but five'll get you ten. He dressed her like a hooker and she smelled like sin. She had a ragtop car. She made good grades. She didn't like her daddy 'cause he wouldn't let her date. She was trouble, but ain't we all. Trouble, but ain't we ... More About: Albums , Jason
Why, Gordon, why?
2007-12-17 00:00:00 What did I ever do to you, Mr. Brown? Seriously, your prime minister-ship, what have I done to become your nemesis? A couple of weeks after you lost my bank details it seems that you've chucked my driver's license information away somewhere in Iowa. Why were my driver's license details ... More About: Gordon , Ordo
Zach?s Music Monday and the Top 10 Albums of 2007: No. 2 The Shins - ?Winci
2007-12-17 00:00:00 "Though I knew you masked your disdain. I can see that change was just too hard for us, Hard for us. You always had to hold the reins, But where I'm headed, you just don't know the way. The Shins - "Turn On Me" I thought it would be fun to combine posts today, so I ... More About: Music , Albums , Monday
Television Man
2007-12-13 00:00:00 "When the world crashes in into my living room Television man made me what I am People like to put the television down But we are just good friends (I'm a) television man..." -Talking Heads - "Television Man" As soon as we found out that Sinead was pregnant, I began a long series of decrees and ...
Top 10 Albums of 2007: No. 5 Spoon - ?Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga?
2007-12-12 00:00:00 "Memphis comes creeping down my back Somehow this place tastes just like an attack A hundred-yard-stare of a kiss Lord, I know I'll never miss it..." -Spoon - "Finer Feelings" Just a reminder of where we are in the countdown: 10. M.I.A. - ?Kala? 9. Modest Mouse - ?We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank? More About: Albums
Science Tuesday: Once bitten? twice bitten? thrice bitten? d?oh!
2007-12-12 00:00:00 "You didn't know how rock-n-roll looked Until you caught your sister with the guys from the group Halfway home in the parking lot By the look in her eye she was giving what she got My my my, once bitten, twice shy babe..." Great White - "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" Somewhere, a science reporter is missing ... More About: Science , Tuesday , Thrice
Top 10 Albums of 2007: No. 6 Bruce Springsteen- ?Magic?
2007-12-12 00:00:00 "Sister Mary sits with your colors, but Johnny's drunk and gone This old town's been rousted, which side you on? They would march up over the hill, this old fools parade Shouting victory for the righteous for you must hear the grace Ain't nobody talkin', but just waiting on the phone Gypsy biker coming home..." -Bruce ... More About: Magic , Albums , Bruce Springsteen
Zach?s Music Monday: Maria Callas
2007-12-12 00:00:00 "Vissi d?arte,vissi d?amore, non feci mai male ad anima viva!"* -Puccini - "Tosca" I am not really a fan of "classical" music and I don't believe that it is any better for kids to listen to than any other music. However, there is something very special about opera. It may be the mixture ... More About: Music , Monday , Maria , Alla
Top 10 Albums of 2007: No. 7 Wilco - ?Sky Blue Sky?
2007-12-12 00:00:00 "The drunks were ricocheting The old buildings downtown Empty so long ago Windows broken and dreaming So happy to leave what was my home..." -Wilco - "Sky Blue Sky" Just a reminder of where we are in the countdown: 10. M.I.A. - ?Kala? 9. Modest Mouse - ?We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank? 8. Frank Turner - ... More About: Albums , Blue Sky , Sky Blue Sky
River
2007-12-12 00:00:00 "It's coming on Christmas They're cutting down trees They're putting up reindeer And singing songs of joy and peace Oh I wish I had a river I could skate away on..." -Joni Mitchell - "River " Christmas is creeping closer and brings with it the music of the season. I've never really been able to sink my teeth ...
Political Quickies: Bill?s World and Why Do I Like Mike?
2007-12-12 00:00:00 It must be interesting to live in Bill O'Reilly's world. It is a world with black and white and no gray. It is a world in which the only options of who can rule America are the Bush Administration or the New York Times. It is a world in which ... More About: World , Political , Mike , Politic
Top 10 Albums of 2007: No. 8 Frank Turner - ?Sleep Is For The Week?
2007-12-07 00:00:00 "Suddenly it hit me - I got paid this Friday last, and so I rifled through my pockets for some change. But all I found was a packet of broken cigarettes and a sinking sense of shame." -Frank Turner - "The Real Damage" Just a reminder of where we are in the countdown: 10. ... More About: Albums , Week , Sleep
Gratitude
2007-12-07 00:00:00 "What's gonna set you free? Look inside and you'll see. When you got so much to say It's called gratitude." -The Beastie Boys - "Gratitude " I hope that you will indulge me in a bit of cheese this Friday afternoon. I can, on rare occasions, spend a fair bit of time feeling sorry for myself. ...
A question of perspective
More articles from this author:2007-12-07 00:00:00 "You cant go on, thinkin', Nothings' wrong, but bye, Who's gonna drive you home, tonight?" -The Cars - "Drive" I may have created some confusion the other day when I wrote about passing my driving test. I am not, in my mid-thirties, learning to drive for the first time - though if you've ever ridden ... More About: Question , Perspective 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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