I Got Nothin ~ Pretend This is a Really Good Post
Read Between the Lines ?
1. Some days I find that I just can't be creative in any way at all; can't write, can't rhyme, can't hold a damn note, can't even play chopsticks. I stare at the TV and get plenty of exercise rolling my eyes as I flip through the channels... then I try to spend some time online but nothing there feels really satisfying either. I always wish, on days like that, that I could have bottled up some of that creativity - then I could just pop the top of that bottle and get on with a good day. But I know this guy who would have told me "That's part of the problem, Haggie... you should have been wishing you could bottle up the satisfaction you got from the those things instead... then you could still sit around doing absolutely nothing but you'd be totally content." Hm.
2. One thing I find a bit bothersome ... much of my writing in this blog has been in a rather nostalgic vein. Let me rephrase that. Much of what I'd consider my good writing in this blog has been in a nostalgic vein. Some, though not too much, was informative. Why then, for all the wine in France, are my stats telling me that I get more hits on "How To Kill a Frog" than any other piece? Are there that many people out there trying to kill frogs? Why? If they're not trying to kill them, why are they interested in reading about how it's done? (which, by the way, the piece has very little to do with)
3. A ninety-four year-old woman last week received some sort of transplant. I admit to thinking "Cripes - why?" while reading the article. Then I substituted her name with my ma's and it all made crystal clear sense. I wonder what means to prolong life they will come up with by the time, and if by some freakish chance, I should turn ninety-four.
4. Apparently I will be heavy, slow, achy and grouchy in my older age and I will have only faint memories of those old catcalls and whistles as I used to hear while walking by the fellas (sigh), but one thing I will not have is droopy earlobes. My earlobes, I am thrilled to report, are as perky now as they were thirty years ago and as whole as they were on May 14, 1955.
5. There are some very, very popular and well-loved folks who I just cannot bring myself to fully appreciate. I will list a few ... and we can probably just go ahead call this bullet note "Who Does Hag Think She Is Anyway?"
~Billy Joel ~ He's just never been a favorite of mine and although I can appreciate his writing skills, I think I've only ever truly loved one or two of his complete compositions. There, it's said. Phew.
~Tina Turner ~ I feel for the gal for having had a rough start (and finish) with Ike, but there are probably over two hundred women on any given day living through that mess and worse; I'm just not sure how much credit she merits for having had poor judgement. I find her style to be screechy and annoying ... ALWAYS ... after the first few moments of any given tune. I do, however, give her major props for all three of her dance moves. Oh. Did I write that out loud?
~Bob Hope ~ It's not that I disliked him, and in fact, I quite enjoyed some of the old "Road to..." movies and stand-up routines. I guess as I got a li'l older, I started to feel he was drying up and maybe even (I dare say) losing the lustre - comically. It happens ... but the media kept dragging poor Bob out again and again to guest spot on talk shows and the like, and his delivery by that time was so downright awful that I used to wriggle uncomfortably in my seat just watching. I know I know ... he did fine things for the troops. For all of that, he was a marvelous and benevolent soul, but comically, he just didn't move me all that much.
---Blogger won't let me leave a space here for some reason, so I hope it's just in the editing mode and will turn out looking okay. Anyone know how to make it do that when it won't recognize the return/enter key? ---
~Paul Simon ~ What can I say? I loved Simon & Garfunkel. I love Art Garfunkel and think he's one of the most under-rated artists of his (our) time. On the other hand there are very few Paul Simon tunes (written and performed by him) that really move me to emotion. When they did, they REALLY did ... but most just didn't. I see him as a quite the snot nose and I don't think there's anything particularly spectacular about his voice.
Like I said --- I know it's not very sexy to dislike the folks listed above, but as is true of most of my endeavors, I ain't goin' for sexy. Plus - it felt kind of good to finally get that in writing.
Surely there's someone in today's spotlight that you aren't particularly fond of ... care to mention it either in a comment or in your own post? I'd love to know about it.
Wishes for a fine rest-o-the-week to all ... and thanks for reading!
posted by Weary Hag at 2:12 PM
19 Comments:
No matter what I did, it wouldn't show a space between the Bob Hope and Paul Simon bits. In the final product, it seems to have corrected itself. Anybody know how one can tweak that while in editing mode? Thanks ... WH
Okay - I'll take the plunge. I don't like Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. I find it highly overrated and don't think his show tunes will last like the oldies. Cole Porter's music was far, far superior.
I don't know if you tried this, but when blogger won't let me space I hit the enter bar twice. It shows up on my edit page as two spaces, but is one when published.
DARLENE - Thank you so much for coming by and participating! Cole Porter is top-notch as far as I'm concerned. As to the space thing ... it did seem to help when I hit that 'enter' twice, but it was odd that it seemed to have a mind all its own. Thanks for the tip!
You could try shift+enter in html edit mode. That sometimes works for me. I think Julia Roberts is tremendously overrated as an actress. Years ago I thought Steve Martin was a stupid humorist...but he grew up and I kind of like him now.
Angelina Jolie ---bleh! Brad Pitt --- what were you thinkin', man!
Paris Hilton, et al --- who cares?
Bridezillas --- give me a break! Spoiled brats all.
Reality TV -- yeah, right! How real do people really act with cameras in you faces all the time.
If I keep going I'd end up talking politics and that would get really ugly, so I'll stop with just one more....
If someone wants to pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee that's their business!
Ok, now I'm off to Starbucks!
I sort of agree with your assessment of those people, but some I like anyway. Go figure?....LOL
I put Mylie Cyrus and her dad, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton is that category, too.
I'm too tired of driving ms crazy to care about any of your list right now. If you don't like them then neither do I...Who?
I am actually fond of the music stylings of the people on your list (and also ALW) but figure every one has the right to disagree. There's some people that I can't stand as well. Taylor Swift (and her hair) aggravates me. Nickelback. Ryan Seacrest. Tom Cruise. The list goes on.
Perky earlobes, huh? I'm pretty jealous.
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Your 'notstalgia' pieces are by far your best writing... but who says good writing should be appreciated by the masses? I'd go so far as to say, if too many folk like what you've produced, then chastise yourself, for diluting it, it could have been better. Suffer for your Art. Woot!
I found your blog through Darlene’s Hodgepodge. I tried to think about some singer or actor I do not like and Mel Gibson and his religious obsession came to mind. I also don’t like Billy Graham and the hordes of tele-evangelists on TV. However, if I don’t like someone I usually don’t watch, listen, or go to a movie to see them. More likely, the people I don’t like are political figures one can’t avoid seeing on the News, like Dick Cheney or Sarah Palin, but it’s easy to click to another channel.
hello Carol
Peek a boo From a french Gentil Homme to Princess Carol.
i hope i don't disturb your great discussion
au revoir
jean
You asked if there were any in today's spotlight..just a few (drip sarcasm here). However, I'd rather be fun, open up the can o' worms and on your Bob Hope vein, I'm going to be honest and say Lucille Ball. And anyone trying to emulate her (like Fran Drescher). Ugh. For me, the channel just doesn't get switched or switched off fast enough. Yes, I can hear all the gasps already but I can't help it. I just find her acting/slapstick inane.
Hag, it's such a pleasure to read your stuff. It's a shame we hardly have time (or inclination) to post anymore.
But I agree with EVERY SINGLE person on your list - Joel is a good writer, but he's just such an average vocalist. That makes him ... a good writer.
And about the transplant, agreed. It's all a matter of perspective, isn't it?
Carol, in my opinion, Billy Joel and Paul Simon are both brilliant songwriters. I'd also say Joel is a good vocalist. Simon not so much. I completely agree about Bob Hope though.
As far as over-rated goes, I'm going to stick with the serious musical artists category, and opine that Andrea Bocelli gets a lot of sympathy for his blindess and a lot of fans for his good looks, but his singing, well it's not up to true operatic tenor standards.
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Miss you and hope that you have a peaceful but happy holiday season!
You mean you're not in your nineties?
In case you hadn't noticed, I'm kidding :-)
I googled, a post dated 2004... have you really been blogging that long? That's an age in Internet terms. How old I feel now. Anyway, I thought I'd pop by and remind myself of how blogging ought to be done. You're still the best, and thanks for showing us how something can be produced out of nothing. Hugs and kisses.
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