Errors-To: owner-ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu Reply-To: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu Sender: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu From: ecto@ns1.rutgers.edu To: ecto-request@ns1.rutgers.edu Bcc: ecto-digest-outbound@ns1.rutgers.edu Subject: ecto #390 ecto, Number 390 Tuesday, 5 January 1993 Today's Topics: *-----------------* "Another one bites the dust"--Queen Happy Birthday Vishal (Jan-5)!!! Why is New Years Jan 1 REVEALED You people... hooowee! Bobo in white wooden houses Love Spirals Downward You people...(part 2) Oh and... yeee haaaaaah! ======================================================================== Date: 4 January 1993 14:01:19 CST From: Subject: "Another one bites the dust"--Queen For good or ill, we have now survived another transition between those temporal packets we call "years"--the event that NPR (first) and I (second) referred to last week, much to Meredith's delight, as the Random Occurrence. In a way, it has ominous connotations, for who knows what the next twelve months will bring--expected, unexpected, or a complete surprise? On the other hand, it becomes more manageable if we ask ourselves how much the world really changed between Thursday and Friday of last week. The random occurrence perspective can be a great source of reassurance, insofar as it reminds us that calendar years as we know them are merely a set of arbitrary benchmarks in the cognitive packaging of time; and that the continuous process continues both to continue, and not to change things much from one moment to the next. Thus far, my accomplishments for the new year have been limited to seeing _Dracula_ (the closing song gets my vote for the best song Oscar); scoring some more recordings at Rose down the street from the Broadway theater after the film; playing with my pussy :-), typically at times when I was busy but he wanted to play anyway, and refused to be distracted by his array of catnip- filled toys; burning my frozen bagel-dog lunch in the poorly-marked microwave earlier today, and subsequently recalling the dictum of my undergrad chem prof that "carbon is the molecule of life"; and--of course--pondering Vickie's personal testament in these pages, as well as the one it inspired Greg to share with us. My first thought when I read Vickie's comment, "I apologize if I've upset anyone," was of a sequence in the film _Twice in a Lifetime_, in which Gene Hackman tells Ann-Margret of his pangs over the pain that their affair has caused for his wife Ellen Burstyn, and Ann-Margret replies simply, "Some- times pain needs to be caused." Certainly, these are not intrinsically pleasurable narratives to read, let alone to write. For all that, there is intrinsic value in any reminder that however much the language of trauma and recovery has been vitiated by overly broad use (cf. Wendy Kaminer, _I'm Dysfunctional, You're Dysfunctional_), a lot of the time there really is something to it. At the same time, I wonder if Saul Alinsky's principle that the first step in community organizing is to "rub raw the sores of discontent" may be as applicable to the psyches of individuals as it is to communities. Which is to say, that to engage the source of the long-term dysphoria may intensify it in the short run, but that this may be a necessary step in arri- ving at a lasting resolution to the crisis. It being the night that _Northern Exposure_ is on, it is perhaps not surprising that Vickie's "Alaskan night" metaphor reminded me of that, and in turn of my own likening to it of the general atmosphere of this list. I think it bears repeating in the present context. What we've got here is a supportive, and ofttimes amusing, array of interactions and relationships online, and frequent- ly offline as well. We're here if you need us. And now for a rather lame attempt at "up from lugubriousness." Today's _Chicag o Sun-Times_ carries a syndicated story on Suzanne Vega, which I had time to scan only briefly this morning, but which appears quite interesting in general. The only point that sticks in memory at this writing is that she says that only recently did she find out that her grandmother played in an all-female band during the Swing Era, and that the song "Fat Man and Dancing Girl" is an allusion to all that. Remember--only 362 shopping days left until the next Random Occurrence :-). Mitch Pravatiner --------------------------------- "What would you most like to see happen in 1993?" "I want to get happy." --from an interview with Juliana Hatfield in the January 2, 1993 issue of _Melody Maker_ ======================================================================== From: foster@magnum.convex.com (Harry Foster) Subject: Happy Birthday Vishal (Jan-5)!!! Date: Mon, 4 Jan 93 15:57:24 CST You can kill me later. :-) :-) :-) -Harry ======================================================================== Date: 04 Jan 93 14:34:42 EST From: Mike Mendelson Subject: Why is New Years Jan 1 REVEALED Mitch ponders: > This morning, _Morning Edition_ had a feature on why New Year's is > when it is, in which it was pointed out that January 1st has no > clear and stable nexus to any natural process or event in the > universe. With this in mind, wishing everyone a Happy Random Event > (or something to that effect--you know what I mean :-) ). Well, I always thought that New Years was January 1st because Xmas is December 25. In Judaism, the circumcision is performed on exactly the 8th day after the baby's birth. Thus, if X was born on Xmas (Dec. 25), then Jan. 1 is the anniversary of X's "bris" (circumcision). So, although X is not a "natural process or event in the universe," it certainly is as significant as Xmas... it is the day that X was welcomed into the Jewish nation. -mjm ======================================================================== Date: Mon, 4 Jan 93 21:12:50 EST From: WretchAwry Subject: You people... ...are just so wonderful! You know that? You are. Vickie "Oh friend(s) you'll be, forever close to me" The Lady Herself ======================================================================== Subject: hooowee! Date: Mon, 04 Jan 93 23:46:43 -0500 From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu Once again the folks at _Northern Exposure_ have proven that they do, in fact, have really good taste in music. Tonight's closing tune was "Tango to Evora" from Loreena McKennit's _The Visit_. Superb, and nicely fitting, though not quite as perfect as the usage of Enya's "Carribbean Blue" last...um...spring sometime. It's wonderful to hear artists like that getting this sort of exposure. Hmmm....another outlet for Happy? Jeff |Jeffrey C. Burka | "Fairies are the perfect people to do this sort of work | | | Biologically, their upper bodies are strong enough to | |jeffy@syrinx.umd | wield a pickaxe." | ======================================================================== Subject: Bobo in white wooden houses From: klaus@inphobos.w.open.de (Cosmic Vagabond) Date: Mon, 04 Jan 93 22:33:19 GMT "Bobo in white wooden houses", Luxor, Cologne, 13.12.92 Right after a big family celebration we changed clothes and stopped in Cologne on our way back home to see Bobo in concert for the first time. Although that name popped up a couple of times on Ecto, I probably missed to introduce the band properly. Let me do that now. "Bobo in white wooden houses" is a band from East-Berlin who managed to get a record contract right after the reunification. At that time they had been playing for quite a while, but only on an underground level, as they were playing western rock music with english lyrics, which was not encouraged in GDR times. So although their selftitled album release is the first one openly available, they have a bigger repertoire. Bobo is the singer of the band, a 23 year old ministers daughter, strikingly beautiful (IMHO), with a beautiful (IMHO again) clear high singing voice. Apart from her, the band has 3 more members, playing drums, guitar and bass. Occasionally Bobo was also playing guitar. No keys. The venue was a small but very active club in Cologne, and the concert attracted about 200 people. Bobo said that she was happy that "so many" people came, which gives you an idea how popular the band is. They play popish guitar rock with emphasis on the singing voice. At the concert a couple of songs were a little too "heavy" for my taste, but still her voice always came through, and the instrumental parts were not as long as I would expect from such a band. You might compare them with the early Rainbirds in that way, although the singing voice is completely different. The opening song was "Ever the Wind" a beautiful traditional irish song played as a rock song, which also is my favourite. They played a couple of songs which I didn't know, presumable older material, one new song and a cover of The Beatles' "Day Tripper". It's a pity that I didn't have my walkman with me. They also had good news for us; their new album will be released in March, and judging from the one song that was said to be from the forthcoming album it will be pretty good. ___________________________________________________________ ( "Tell me all the plans you have for the great beyond. ) ) Will you be physical again, or be a cosmic vagabond." ( / --- Happy Rhodes --- \ / Klaus "cosmic vagabond" Kluge klaus@inphobos.w.open.de \ ======================================================================== Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 0:54:18 EST From: WretchAwry Subject: Love Spirals Downward My friend Scott lent me the new Love Spirals Downward album and I have to give it back after work tomorrow. I taped it, just in case I couldn't find it right away, but I *WILL* get the CD as soon as I find it. This is beautiful stuff folks. The album is called _Idylls_ and it contains 13 songs. 1. Illusory Me 2. Scatter January 3. Love's Labour's Lost 4. This Endris Night 5. Forgo 6. Eudaimonia 7. Dead Language 8. Stir About the Stars 9. Noumena of Spirit 10. Ladonna Dissima 11. Drops, Rain, and Sea 12. Waiting for the Sunrise 13. And the Wood Comes Into Leaf (I just had to type in those titles. How can any Ectoetherealite resist?) A toucha Cocteau Twins, bitta Dead Can Dance, somma Collection: D'arnell Andrea, biteo Bel Canto, whiffa Najma...stir it all up & gorge. Love Spirals Downward are Ryan Lum & Suzanne Perry (she does all vocals) and the album is on Projekt Records. Info Addresses: Projekt Box 1591 Garden Grove, CA 92642-1591 Love Spirals Downward 2537 Bolar Industry, CA 91745 Yummy, and good for you! Vickie ps, Chris brought home the Sarah McLachlan live CD too. Nice! ======================================================================== Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 1:21:23 EST From: WretchAwry Subject: You people...(part 2) ...are the best! After a day spent fretting and chewing my fingernails and going "ohmygod...ohnonono...whathaveidone...etcetcetc" I'm just overwhelmed at the support I've gotten. Your letters are so kind and compassionate...I feel great, I really do. If you wrote and don't hear from me right away, don't think your letter is not being appreciated. I wasn't kidding when I say that I put all supportive letters into a file and they help me through the bad times. This week is filled with thingstodo. Radio shows, friends coming from out of town, a dear friend's birthday party...so I *will* get back to you on Saturday or Sunday. I just don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring them. I'm *deeply* thankful that you cared enough to read the post, and to write with support. My mind is eased, and I really do believe that I've entered into a new phase of my healing. Thank you. I've also been listening to some of the music sent to me with the HGP tapes, and I'll write about some of that too. Thanks to every- one who sent me music, it's also appreciated. Another apostle has been welcomed into the fold. Eddi Reader! Jens, your turn...tell these fine folks about this truly wonderful woman, if you please. Skaludy, thanks for the Ecto story. What a deal! Perttu, it's great to see your name in the header. I'm glad you were "in town" to read about my chance meeting with your sister. You know, I bet UWP came to Chicago. I'd have gone if I'd known about it, and tried to meet her in person. That's the second time I've missed a chance to meet a Yli-Krekola passing through Chicago. :-( I'm sorry I missed Northern Exposure tonight. Thanks for the info Jeff. Btw, Martin, has NExp begun in Australia and have you caught any shows yet? Thanks Klaus, for the Bobo concert report. *HUGS* to everybody! Vickie ======================================================================== Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 1:23:44 EST From: WretchAwry Subject: Oh and... Greg, it's good to have you back. Your footahs are sorely missed. *HUG* back to you. Vickie ======================================================================== Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 09:56:08 PST From: stevev@greylady.uoregon.edu (Steve VanDevender) Subject: yeee haaaaaah! Thanks to Kiri's timely warning, I saw k.d. lang on "The Arsenio Hall Show" last night. I was watching the taped premiere of "Deep Space Nine" while stopping it every so often to see whether k.d. was on yet. Fortunately I stopped the tape right when they had come back from a commercial to start k.d.'s performance. So I didn't miss a second of her riveting performance of "Miss Chatelaine". What made the performance particularly interesting was that she had chosen an unusual costume (at least in my k.d. lang experience) -- she was wearing a flowing huge dress and had her hair up. It seemed to fit very well with the song, which has a certain feel of feminine romanticism to it. The interview afterwards was also really fun; you can tell that Arsenio really does like k.d., and like the other interviews with k.d. that I've seen, she's articulate and funny. It was also nice because it wasn't just a "tell us about your new album" kind of interview -- Arsenio asked her what she thought about the new American presidency and Colorado's Amendment 2, which got interesting answers from k.d. and equally interesting reactions from the audience. When k.d. said she was Canadian, she got a good solid round of applause; when she said that gays and lesbians were just normal people, she got a much more reserved round of applause, something which Arsenio commented on pointedly afterwards. So, all in all, it was quite an event; if you missed it, you really missed a cool thing. I've had a lot of respect for and interest in k.d. lang ever since I saw another television interview a long time ago on some show hosted by Connie Chung, where she was so much more articulate and entertaining than Connie that I remember wishing that they'd dump Connie and give k.d. the show. My only regret is that I wasn't set up to tape the performance and interview. ======================================================================== From: special K Subject: yeee haaaaaah! Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 13:21:28 EST > From stevev@greylady.uoregon.edu Tue Jan 5 13:13:06 1993 > Fortunately I stopped the tape right when they had come back from > a commercial to start k.d.'s performance. So I didn't miss a > second of her riveting performance of "Miss Chatelaine". What > made the performance particularly interesting was that she had > chosen an unusual costume (at least in my k.d. lang experience) It's the outfit she wore in her video for Miss Chatelaine, btw. > -- she was wearing a flowing huge dress and had her hair up. It Well, it wasn't her *real* hair...she doesn't have *that* much (it was a cool, alomost beehive-looking do). > seemed to fit very well with the song, which has a certain feel > of feminine romanticism to it. Oh yes! And the bubbles are a good touch too. There were more bubbles at her concerts though. :) > the new American presidency and Colorado's Amendment 2, which got > interesting answers from k.d. and equally interesting reactions > from the audience. When k.d. said she was Canadian, she got a > good solid round of applause; when she said that gays and > lesbians were just normal people, she got a much more reserved > round of applause, something which Arsenio commented on pointedly > afterwards. kd has said in many interviews since she came out that she wanted to set the record straight (so to speak) and get on with things. She wants people to concentrate on her as an artist and not harp on her gayness. > where she was so much more articulate and entertaining than > Connie that I remember wishing that they'd dump Connie and give > k.d. the show. "Hey babe, how about a cherries jubilee on me..." Yeah, Connie made a real ass out of herself on that one. > My only regret is that I wasn't set up to tape the performance > and interview. It truly was an event to remember! special K ======================================================================== The ecto archives are on hardees.rutgers.edu in ~ftp/pub/hr. There is an INDEX file explaining what is where. Feel free to send me things you'd like to have added. -- jessica (jessica@ns1.rutgers.edu)