Thursday, November 17, 2005

Tidy Up the Blog Day

Errata

So math isn't my strong suit, as many of you found out reading the opening line of yesterday's post. In my mind, I'm not yet halfway to forty because I'm still on the lower end of my thirties. I'm not twelve, although I can still fit into my Boy Scout uniform (which was bought for me when I was twelve) when the occasion arises.

What occasion, you're wondering? Like I'm going to tell you. My mother reads this blog.

Opera

I was tickled blush and bashful, two distinctly different shades of pink, at how many of you either spoke up as opera lovers or said you'd think about giving some of the arias a whirl as knitting background.

I even heard from voice students, which frankly thrills me. I used to live surrounded by singers, and while one can go mad living the opera life, once you've tasted it you never get it out of your system. I wish you all Good Voice, kids. Work hard, and find a copy of Mary Garden's autobiography so you can read her advice on becoming an opera singer. She knew what the hell she was doing and became a legend in her own time. Ignore her good counsel at your peril.

It was interesting that two readers - LornaJay and Ted - recommended different settings of the "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) as suitable for moments of confusion or ripping back.

They're so right. I also find the "Dies Irae" infinitely useful, myself, as a film score for fantasies in which I take on the boss, or the Chicago Transit Authority, or slow-moving yuppie parents who block entire city sidewalks and intersections with baby carriages the size of SUVs.

Ring Tones

Speaking of cell phones, The "Mexican Hat Dance" has now been replaced on mine by a chime that sounds like entrance music for Tinkerbell as written by Philip Glass. It's not quite what I want, but neither does it draw withering glances from strangers on the train.

However, after reading Christopher's bold confession that he downloaded the theme from "The Facts of Life" as a ring tone, I'm suddenly feeling inspired. I haven't taken a moment to check to see what's available, but I'm wondering about:
  1. "I Wish I Were an Oscar Meyer Weiner"
  2. The opening theme from "Sesame Street"
  3. Marlon Brando screaming, "Stella! Hey, Stella!" in A Streetcar Named Desire
  4. "I'm a Little Teapot"
Embarrassment of Riches

May I please draw your attention to the birth of two perfectly splendid new blogs, by writers who should have set up blogs long ago but I'm glad they didn't because who the hell needs the competition?

We have, in alphabetical order:
  • Carol, one the funniest women in America (and cute, too) over at Go Knit in Your Hat; and
  • Ted, aka Knitterguy, who spins beautiful yarn with maddening ease and knits lace as though it were garter stitch (and ditto on the cute, I've seen his picture. nyah.).

Question of the Week


Buzz asks, "...isn't it better to be ahead of the wave, rather than behind it?"

No.

Coming Up

Pictures of gay cowboys, and not the two posers in Brokeback Mountain. Real ones. I'm going through 800 frames, though, so do be patient.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you find out how to answer the voice mail that I didn't want with my phone and didn't set up, but is somehow picking up messages, please tell me.

And I worked in the telephone industry for years! I still know all the Hayes modem codes by heart but I can't do the voice mail! I don't even like to TALK to voice mail. Heck, I didn't even own an answering machine until I, yes, bought a phone that came with one. And that I immediately figured out how to turn off.

I'm more of a Gilbert and Sullivan person, and don't normally knit to opera - but I am a Rossini fan. But then, I was dissed for loading Freddy Fender on my iPod so apparently my musical tastes are suspect. Hey, I've got U2, Kanye West, and Queen (and a whole lot of Mozart) but darn it, sometimes you just want to hear When the Next Teardrop Falls. But, no I don't want my phone to ring with it.

Rebekah Ravenscroft-Scott said...

i thought i had acheived a major coup when i got my phone to ring, actually ring! it sounds like those old, clunky, heavy phones of days gone by."Brrring, brrrrring, brrrring" i love it! of course, for some people (loopy) it rings "Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead" which makes everyone laugh. Ah, the joys of ringtones.

dpaste said...

I'd vote for the Sesame Street theme, the rest could get anoying quickly.

goblinbox said...

Ooh, it's gay cowboy time again, is it? YAY!

(I have my phone's standard ring for everybody but my hubby. When *he* calls, it plays the Halleluia Chorus. Heh.)

Unknown said...

Could you give my cell phone a vibration when you've finished discussing opera. I feel so left out because of my musical deficiencies, and I don't want to miss the "real" cowboy pictures.

Thanks

p.s. My cystic fibrosis is better now, thanks for asking...I think the esophageal infection destroyed more fibrous masses in my lung than it destroyed bronchial passageways. It's been a good week.

Anonymous said...

Oscar Meyer ringtone

http://www.iamobile.com/oscarmayer/

It's free from them (you'll incur your regular text message carrier charges) and you can choose from either "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer Weiner" or "My bologna has a first name, it's O.S.C.A.R."

Anonymous said...

Joe, you'll be happy to hear my scabies is (are?) in remission as well.
Thought the weather tends to bring on many sorts of toe fungus.
And you know that women have to deal with both scabies and toe fungus UNDRESSED.
Mwah, farfelu.

Carol said...

Um, Kath? You forgot the picture of your toe fungus in the upper right hand corner of your post. I guess your Alzheimer's is acting up this week, too.

I do appreciate the plug, Franklin. You are such a dear.

Anonymous said...

Franklin, no one can compete with you.

What does "nyah" stand for?

Anonymous said...

I sang parts of Verdi's Requiem (poorly, but still) in college. It's exhausting to listen to, draining to perform. But rehearsing it with other stressed-out undergrads was fun!

Bonnita said...

I'd vote you the Oscar Meyer Weiner song.
Have a picture by myself next to the Weiner Mobile when it came by last summer. My 18 year old son was, needless to say, embarassed when his mother had to sing the Weiner Song to get that photo.

LornaJay said...

In front of the wave or behind it: well, that depends on the kind of wave. When I was small, and lived in a warmer country, the only kind of wave it was good to be *behind* was the kind we called the washing machine. You did not want to try and catch one of those....

ivyleaves said...

My boss' husbands name is Frank, so she uses "Let's Do the Time Warp Again" for his ringtone.

Anonmous said...

Hey, wait a second, when did technology get such a bad rep???? Were it not for technology, simple things like this blog might not be happening, I hasten to gently remind you (all)

Hugs from the back row of my training class at CSS/College Board in beautiful plastic downtown Reston VA...

Susan said...

For those of you struggling to work your cell phones, my word verification sounds a heck of a lot like a magic charm. You could try it. Put the phone on a table in front of you, raise your arms, and call out loudly, "mvaamo!" I make no promises, but isn't it worth a try?

I don't know what my ring tone is. I get like three calls a year from people who aren't my husband. When he calls, I just hear a little 'ping!' sort of noise. Very nice. Very gentle. Not alarming at all.

I, too, vote for the Oscar Meyer Weiner song, if only because it reminds me of Milton (my pooch, not the poet).

Anonymous said...

Franklin--

"Linus and Lucy" - not quite Vince Guarldi, but not too electronic sounding. Friends and family ring with that; I just switched work folks to the William Tell Overture (not exactly the Boston Symphony performing) and nearly fell out of my chair when it rang!

xoxo,
--a.

Anonymous said...

when i answered my cell fon on the bus, just moments ago, the lady behind me said ...ooh lawd, i was lookin' for the pit...

yup, my cell barks like a big dog

marie in texas

Yvonne said...

I have Sesame Street's theme song on my phone...of course, I have TMobile, not Verizon. But look around -- check out downloadable ringtones (make sure your phone has that capability) and Sunny Day away!! (I also have the theme to The Incredibles on my phone...and Edna Mode's picture...but that's another story.)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the blog links. I'm looking forward to reading them.

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