Oh, I Think So

I had a whole other idea for this week's blog and then my aural and visual senses were first delighted and then assaulted by videos on the Web. The delight was courtesy of Weird Al Yankovic.  This past week he released eight videos in eight days which made Mandatory Fun the first comedy album to debut in the Number One spot on the Billboard chart since Allan Sherman's My Son, The Nut in 1963.  It's a stunning achievement for a musician; it's monumental for a comedian, especially one who writes song parodies (much like Mr. Sherman).  I have discussed their merits with [the two] friends who've seen them all and for me, there are three standouts. Pharrell Williams' 24 Hours of Happy (www.24hoursofhappy.com) is the song Happy lip-synched for 24 hours, around the clock, in various parts of Los Angeles by various locals.  I like the song, I like the video.  We have danced to it in one of my tap classes.  I've gotten people to watch at least some of it....

I have a dear friend who is very well employed and sent all over the place by her company.  She is well thought of in her industry and is a terrific person for any employer to have in their corner.  She is also a great friend and we like hanging out, shopping, seeing a movie, splitting a meal (because she has a small appetite, I don't need to eat so huge, so we've been splitting things for years).  Today we made Woodfield Mall happy. Yes, yes, there was shopping and things were purchased.  The Apple Store got to see us to do a repair on my friend's phone.  We split what we like to eat at the Cheesecake Factory.  We ducked in Brighton so my friend could send things in for repair (so reasonable that I can see why they are the Church of Accessories for some -- they back up the goods and don't gouge for watch battery replacements).  It was a very nice time. And then we went to Victoria's Secret. There is not a single article of clothing in VS that is...

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, near many of the Great Lakes.  There are five Great Lakes and some are less great than others but all are certainly impressive and large and vital to life in these United States and certainly on Planet Earth for our lifetimes and those of our children and their children, etc. At the end of the last glacial period, 10,000 years ago, the Great Lakes Basin was formed when retreating ice sheets carved basins in the land that filled with meltwater.   The Great Lakes are made up of Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.  You can also think of it this way: The Chicago River and the Calumet River (thanks to manmade alterations) connect to the Illinois River which then connects the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes Basin. The St. Marys River (home of the Soo Locks) connect Lake Superior to Lake Huron. The Straits of Mackinac (just five miles wide) connects Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. The St. Clair River connects Lake Huron to ...

This morning there was breakfast in a restaurant!  It's been months since I've gone to breakfast in a restaurant with my nearby family members and it was very nice to do it again. On the way over to the restaurant, my brother-in-law mentioned a college jazz radio station they'd heard when they were in St. Louis the day before.  He and my sister said it was way better than the college jazz radio stations in Chicago and as an example they said they heard a trio called The Bad Plus play Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."  They said it was great.  After breakfast (and a side trip to Jewel, Costco, and Nordstrom), I came home and found Minneapolis-based The Bad Plus' cover of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and I was plenty intrigued.  Who else has had their way with it?  It took another five seconds of looking to find plenty of artists who've covered Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."  I've chosen five for you to listen to/watch...