My favorite Sunday Morning Broadcast, Preachin ' the Blues on KEXP was doing a salute to Moms by featuring female artists; Bettye LaVette, Candi Staton, Ann Peebles, Marva Whitney, Denise LaSalle, Millie Jackson, Gwen McCrae, Mavis Staples and many others. Not one name that my actual Mother would have recognized, but all of them give me a feeling of warmth and comfort as she did.
My deal with the Devil continues as yesterday I self admitted that the iPod is actually better than anything that came before it. I thought it would hurt more to let the Zombies eat at my flesh, or to have the pods take over in my sleep. Oh no, I may be on to something there. I think I just got a chill. I don't resent the last few years of eye-rolling and bad-mouthing and announcing the end of Civilization was we know it, but neither will I feel guilt or remorse for the intense pleasure I received adding podcasts and music to my credit card sized toy.
I've said this many times before, but what is quite possibly the most annoying game of the last decade is the "What Do You Have On Your iPod?" one. But now I'm going to play.
Podcasts (just a sampling, not the complete list)
PRI's Studio 360
Sierra Club Radio
Podictionary
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
The IFC News Podcast
KCRW's The Treatment
Tree Hugger Radio
World Book Club
plus several Spanish and Japanese lessons, more environmental, film, news, food and other types of programs
Music (again, a sampling)
Allen Ginsberg - Holy Soul Jelly Roll Vol.4 Ashes & Blues (from the boxset)
Albert Ayler Quintet - Holy Ghost 3 (from the box set)
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah: Part One
Plants - Photosynthesis
Marissa Nadler - Songs III: Bird on the Water
Xenis Emputae Travelling Band - Under A Soular Moon
Mariee Sioux
Eugene McDaniels - Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse
Fatea Showcase Sessions
Talib Kweli - Eardrum
Pharoah Sanders - Elevation
Jack Kerouac = Blues & Haiukus
Reiko Kudo - Rice Field Silently Riping In The Night
and many other delights, made up of things from our CD collection, free downloads, and at least one gift from a friend.
It is amazing really, to have so much at my fingertips without having to carry around four, five, six different bulky items. And there is artwork, some that comes with the podcasts or albums, some I added because it wasn't available.
My mother would never have been able to figure this thing out, and she would have hated the earbuds, as do I. She would not recognize a single name of any of the artists or podcasts. I remember trying to teach her how to email. It wasn't going to happen. I hear from folks who have taught their parents and grandparents how to do it, but that didn't happen in my family. I guess I prefer that I got letters and cards, but I also got lazy on my end and I regret that.
Last night we went to the niece's and great neff's housewarming. Mancub was grouchy, since he had two friends spend the night on Friday - and by spend the night I'm referring to staying up all night playing video games. A lack of sleep makes Mancub a grouchy teen. He ended up having fun, playing more video games with one of the neffs, while the adults (most half my age) played Cranium WOW. I hadn't played before. It was awesome. I had a good team. They guessed my molded bear skin rug, and my prairie dog drawing. My Mama would have loved that game. She'd be glad to know I was spending a Saturday night playing a game with her granddaughter.
Not related to any of the above - except perhaps that my Mama always saw me as an artist, I saw a photograph of the painting below in the newspaper. Apparently it won an award. I'm too old and jaded to be starstruck and obsessed. I still can't even deal with my feelings of Heath Ledger's death. I won't discuss it, and I don't want anyone to share their opinions about it. Words fail me. It probably doesn't make sense to have such a strong emotional attachment and depression over one who should be nothing more than a talented celebrity. I think this painting (by Vincent Fantauzzo) is hauntingly beautiful.
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