let's get philosophical

Getting physical, as Olivia Newton-John sang, will get you moving. Thinking, discussing philosophical ideas  might move your mind. Both can make you sleepy in the end.

 

I've heard it. I've seen it on a t-shirt. Life is a journey. 

 

Notice that "journey" has "our" inside it. Most of my journey was an "our" journey. My "our" group changed over the years. I believe their impact on me still remains even though we went different ways or their journey ended.

 

My universe (don't we all get a personal universe that we can share?) has given me a second chance to join another drifter off to see the world. This new sharing of the journey has been refreshing and exciting. At the moment (many greats moments lately) it seems we're after the same rainbow's end. (yeah I was listening to "Moon River")

Ok, I know I can talk too long. Going too deep in explaining my logic. Yeah, not everyone (anyone?) cares about my logic.

SHUT UP AND DANCE WITH ME.

=====

Some older notes left over from when I started this post:

Cicadas are (were) here. (oh I took so long to finish this post that most all of them have left - thank God)

 

cicada on a stick

 

 

What a life - live underground for 17 years, pop out get wings to fly, party, mate and then die.

From the song - “Suicide is Painless”

...

A brave man once requested me

to answer questions that are key

is it to be or not to be

and I replied 'oh why ask me?'

(go ask a cicada!)

 

what a fool believes

Feeling a bit of a fool lately. Those that have followed this blog know that I enjoy interpreting lyrics. Often an old song from my past will offer new meaning in my present. Other times it's just life memories of when I first listened to the song. Some of you have commented on how this new meaning/connection of an old song has happened to you.

 

What's up, What's down

 

 

Remember the Dobbie Brothers hit song "What A Fool Believes"?

 

Here's the first few lines:

He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life
She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale
Never coming near what he wanted to say
Only to realize it never really was

 

 

Yeah you can't recreate something that was never created.

December rhymes with September

"Do you remember
The 21st night of September?
...."
OR
"Do you remember
The 25th night of December?
...."

Earth, Wind & Fire changed their hit "September" for a Christmas album.


September or December? Maybe the important word for me is remember. My memory of this last September doesn't rhyme with my December. My sad September brings me dreary December.

I had both cheers and tears for Christmas.

I did have support from the family so it was not too bad but still very different. Should I expect it to always be different? I think so. But different can still allow for joy.


Back to that Earth Wind & Fire song, someone thought they could make a Halloween version by using October.

 

 

New Post - that's what the button said

Yeah clicking on the "New Post" just opens up a blank post. The hard part is coming up with something to write in it.

I learned another bit of slang the other day from my grandkids. Dap up (or dapping) is a stylized gesture of greeting with your hands. It's a few moves past a fist bump. All the kids do it but not this old man with some arthritis in his fingers.

top of head in the morning

I heard moping is not a good coping strategy.

Better than moping I found my interest in lyrics provides a good distraction. Lately I find myself studying the lyrics to old favorite songs. Using Spotify or just looking up lyrics is quick and simple today.

I thought the title for the Cowsill's song used in my post today was "I Love the Flower Girl" but it's not. The real title is "The Rain, the Park & Other Things". (not very catchy IMHO)

Was she reality or just a dream to me?
(I love the flower girl)
Her love showed me the way to find a sunny day
(Sunny day, sunny day)

Was she reality or just a dream to me?

Since the flower girl disappears when the sun breaks through, I say the song is about a dream. There are many songs about dreams. The song didn't get pass number 2 on the charts. The number 1 spot at the time was "Daydream Believer". In my extensive research (at least an hour) I discovered the rain sound at the beginning of the song was a recording of bacon sizzling (I might dream about that tonight)

 

(Thank you for reading my post. Check back for another post from Lisleman's think tank and psychic center. (oh honestly it's not much of a tank. More like a saucer dish which might dry up over winter.)

About 25 or 6 to 4

It was about 25 or 6 to 4 when it happened. 

the break of day - oh is that when the day breaks you?

I’m searching for something to say for this post.

Flashing lights against the sky, oh the police!

Giving up, I close my eyes, my attempt to sleep again.

I never could sit cross-legged on the hardwood floor.

I find myself staring blindly into space. My back hurts.

Don’t splash my face. Be nice.

Wondering how much I can fake.

Feeling like I ought to sleep

Spinning room is sinking deep

Searching for something to say

Waiting for the words of my post.

That’s all I have to say about 25 or 6 to 4. How about you?

whoa-oh

I've got troubles, whoa-oh.

I've got worries, whoa-oh.

 

I need to find that feeling down in my shoes. Maybe I should take off my slippers and put on some shoes. Then I might be able to walk away my blues. 

I need to move out of this.

No good being a hot head about it.

Comfort food?

Easier to stay in bed but shouldn't.

Love and Mercy

When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

I admit that mind trick has worked for me a few times. Seems lately it doesn’t work quite as well. Maybe I’ve become allergic to whiskers on kittens.

No post here for all of November? My time last month for the most part was occupied in sharing joyful activities. My wife and I both got sick at the end of the month. No fun for about a week.

 

 

I shared good food and time with family.

 

We traveled to warm place for awhile

 

Recently as I was exploring songs on spotify I came across a Brian Wilson song from the 1980’s titled “Love and Mercy”. As I looked up more about the song I discovered that the title was used for the Brian Wilson biopic (2014). That film tells how Brian struggled under his crazy controlling psychotherapist. Finding love saved him eventually. If you haven’t seen the film, it is well worth you time.

I found this beautiful cover of the song. Libera performed for Brian at the Kennedy Center Honors (2007).

 

 

 

Love and mercy that's what you need tonight
So, love and mercy to you and your friends tonight

~~~~~~~~~~

When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember to post on my blog
And then I don't feel so bad

Every picture tells a post

Do you remember when there were blogs that just posted pictures of stuff? That was so pre-instagram. I'm not joining another source of distraction so these pictures will be shown here.

 

I offer you a few pictures of outdoor art and a song.  

 

How many youngsters know what this is?

This next one was not taken by me. I've never been to Belgium. I pulled this picture off the artist's page so I suspect the artist is in the picture (the human sized one). His name is Wilfried De Cock.

 

 

Bird watcher keeper

I snapped (clicked?) the picture of the next one. This object (leave your guess) was displayed inside but didn't start that way.

what is it?

Two of the parks nearby seem to be competing for visitors with art installations. Here's a picture from each of the them.

that nature look

too many fruit loops

Interested in a Spanish song by Linda Ronstadt? I know very little Spanish. No matter (no problema) I still like the beat that starts up after the intro. The title means frenzy.

 

 

Don't need no credit card to ride

Don't need no credit card to ride this train.

 

That's a bit long for a post title. However, it's a good line for a song.

The power of love can move people to act in good ways.

It's strong and it's sudden and it's cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life

There are many powers, solar power, hydro power, muscle power, etc. But here in the US we need to remember the power of voting.

"The Power of Love" was released in the mid 1980's. Compared to today, I had more muscle power back then.

I could even slalom (BTW I had to look up the spelling of that) on the water. Here's a short clip my younger sister shot from the boat.

 

 

 (Hey did I do a good job fitting that clip of myself in this post? Just posting the clip by itself seems like too much self promotion.)

Bloggin me softly

Time for a tune post?

I grabbed this picture over at She Who Seeks blog.

Those of us my age, enjoying the songs of our past (as in Classic Rock) probably remember the song "Killing Me Softly With His Song". If your ears are now wanting to hear it, I've included a youtube clip at the bottom.

 

But first

 

nice spectrum I found at NASA

I thought by changing a few words in the lyrics I could create a blogging parody. Blogland could use a good song because blogging ain't what it used to be.

 

Bloggin me softly with his/her (whatever fits) post.

Expressing my pain with his phrases
Posting my life with his words
Bloggin me softly with his post
Bloggin me softly with his post
Telling my whole life with his words
Bloggin me softly with his post

I heard he wrote a good post
I heard he had a style
And so I came to see him, and read for a while
And there it was, this fresh post
A wonder to my eyes

Well ok maybe bloggin me softly is a stretch too far. This song has an interesting back story. Over the years I've found the back stories of songs can be very interesting. The wikipedia page for this song describes the story.

 

I first heard this story in a documentary about Don McLean. Singer songwriter Lori Leiberman (whom I had never heard of) had the idea behind the lyrics while listening to Don McLean perform at the Troubadour back in 1971. Two others (songwriter and a composer) were also involved but they didn't give Lori credit for the lyrics. Also, she was having an affair with that other songwriter. You can read the details at the wikipedia page.

nitty

My guardian angel is still hanging with me and we keep on keeping on. Honestly, I’m very doubtful about this guardian angel thing. But if I have one, no need to piss him or her off.

Eleven years ago the rapture was a viral internet thing.

 

 

Rapture marketing

 

Rapture by robot

 

This rapture idea seems very weird in today's world. I posted about the lack of anything extraterrestrial happening back in 2011. Here’s the poem I wrote about the rapture that didn’t happen. 

 

failed rapture poem by lisleman (May 2011):

Fear was their tool for capture
Of many minds regarding the rapture.
Unlike the time the story was first told
Our media connected world was quickly sold.
I consider myself an optimist
This end date doesn’t show on my list.
But on this day, I here confessed
About the rapture I became obsessed.
So another day I will grow
To watch time’s steady flow.
With much doubt ringing in my ear
Just leave me alone to finish my beer.

Maybe the problem is the devil is in the details. 

 

Often in life you need to get right down to the real nitty gritty. This clip is worth watching to hear Peter Lawford say “interpretation of the nitty gritty”.

 

 

 

one word too many meanings

Maybe you don’t give a shit. Maybe you find my blog the shit.

Whatever. What the shit?
Shit you say.

Yes you are correct. This post is about shit slang. Have you seen the pile of poop emoji? It’s so popular they sell bean bags resembling it. Maybe you have sat on one.

Looks soft but don't get too deep in it.

There are other slang words with multiple meanings and usage but shit is the shit. Instead of getting too deep in shit I’ll just share this youtube video I discovered recently. It’s long for a youtube video, 13 and half minutes. The video is by “Rachel's English”.

Her self-help videos are offered as an online American English pronunciation resource. I learned some of the latest slang and got a few laughs too.

If you had the time to watch the clip you now know some shit. Hopefully this post didn’t stink too bad.

how about a little youtube

I still enjoy youtube. More than a decade ago (wow those decades just keep adding up) I enjoyed youtube even more by making and posting videos. I've created a few in the last few years but not like my goofy gadget ones like this one:

 

 

Back then I kept track of many of the favorite clips I would discover. This one ponders how the story of Lassie would be if Lassie was a cat:

Here's another favorite. Not funny but interesting. How often do you get to watch a movie stunt being made?

We now return you to your regular programming. Oh wait it's 2022, what regular programming? It's mostly streaming off the internet. Oh how quickly things change.

Roy Rogers is riding tonight

Roy Rogers is not riding tonight. He died in 1998. This post is about the song "Roy Rogers" that was recorded on Elton John's double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".

 

PBS has a series of documentaries called "Classic Albums". There's about 15 albums/episodes covered in the series. The story behind each album is told by interviews of all involved including some music critics. Another episode I enjoyed was the story of the "American Pie" album.

 

I wrote a memory that involved this Elton John album back in a 2014 post titled "oh this post has no title".

Fans of Elton John probably heard of lyricist Bernie Taupin. Bernie wrote the lyrics for most of Elton's songs. Elton would get the lyrics and figure out a melody for the song.

I thought it odd that this rock-n-roll album would have a song about an old movie star cowboy. Bernie, who is just a few years older than me, watched much more American westerns than I did. Bernie titled himself the "Brown Dirt Cowboy" on an album a few years later (Elton was Captain Fantastic). American cowboys (at least their on-screen personas) were Bernie's heroes.

Turn on the TV, shut out the lights

Roy Rogers is riding tonight

Nine o'clock mornings

Five o'clock evenings

I'd liven the pace if I could

Don't let the post go down without a comment.

still have it

I thought of this post title and wrote it down. Then the next day as I started to write the post I forgot what the "it" was.

I still have many things while I don't have other things. As you just read, I still have the ability to write the obvious.

So many people have come and gone
Their faces fade as the years go by
Yet I still recall as I wander on
As clear as the sun in the summer sky

Yes many faces from my past have faded away. I can still get lost in music. Especially songs with good lyrics.  (more than a feeling)

Seems I've got to have a change of scene
Cause every night I have the strangest dream
Imprisoned by the way, yeah, it could’ve been
Left here on my own or so it seems
I got to leave before I start to scream
But someone's locked the door and took the key

I still have plenty of strange dreams. Most of them are ok and every so often a bit interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

Off the top of my head, no I mean on the top of my head I still have plenty of hair. Now inside my head is a different story. My brain is the creator of illusions so it's hard to know what is an illusions and what is real.

Of course, I still have my blog therefore I'll post a joke I still have.

Late one day, my friend gets pulled over for speeding. This tired looking state trooper comes up to the window. As he hands back the license he says, “My shift ends in a few minutes so if you can give me a reason for speeding that I have not heard, I’ll just give you a warning.”
My friend thinks for awhile and tells the officer, “My ex-wife left me and married a state trooper. I saw your flashing lights and thought it was him bringing her back.” No ticket for my smart thinking friend.

Please share what you still have.

Feedback can be amazing

Back in the sixties I was amazed by Jimi Hendrix’s innovative use of feedback to create his unique sound. This post isn’t about that type of feedback that I enjoyed then. It’s about human feedback I enjoyed recently.

Out of the blue a couple of days ago, I opened an email from an unknown sender. The email was titled, “One of your old hexbug videos”. My initial thought was what a strange scam email. No, the email was a surprising positive feedback message. It didn’t take much reading before my thought became this personal message is amazing.

 

I reread this sender's line a few times: “Something you did changed my life and I wanted to thank you for that.”

I suspect if you reflect long enough, you’ll recall a time that your actions/words probably had a positive effect on a person in your life. Of course, some (thank goodness for them) expand their positive influence beyond their close group. This email started me thinking I might be able to join that impressive group.

This “life changing” action was something I created back in 2011. It was a short video that I hope would be enjoyed by others and maybe bring a few readers to this blog. It was fun to make. Here’s the video.

 

 

 

He explained in his message:

"...I liked hexbugs and did the same thing you did by modifying them. I had several of your videos but the video "fun with hexbug nano and other home made bots" was my favorite as there was something about your video which made me happy..." 

"In 2011, I had an extremely stressful job and at times, was having serious stress/anxiety problems...."

"...Your video always calmed me down when I played it. Over time, I memorized your video and also the song so I could mentally play it whenever I got overly stressed or anxious. Your video or my memory playback of it has worked for the last ten years."

 

WOW

I had no idea

 

Showing appreciation and gratitude benefits both sides. Little things can make a big difference. I once told a granddaughter during our discussion about the world that everyone should try to leave the world a better place.

Running down a

Running down a dream ? Sometimes I wonder if I'm running down a blog. Do you heard the crickets?

 

running down to a Blues Brothers cover band concert

 

Just today I came across (I don't recall how) a quick little song by Barbra Streisand titled "The Minute Waltz". It has me thinking of people who often run late. In other words running down the clock.

 

Oh if you do go running down the highways and byways, don't forget to protect your ducky.

 

Oh here's a clip of the song that started this post. Dreams are weird.

 

 

Up for a tune?

Having one of those days that leaves you wanting some old weird song? Maybe you have a feeling for your Ouga Chaka Ouga Ouga Ouga Chaka.

Is your life a rock?  (click here to let the radio roll you)

 

Lots of windmills spinning in your mind? (lisleman has it for you) 

 

Don't say you don't remember.

Walk, don’t run

Actually the advice is stop walking and back away slowly.

Click on pic to read the wonderful advice

The various “tips” I read at the start of my short hike just about stopped me from proceeding. I thought of backing away from the sign and my idea.

An even better tip would have been bringing along a baton for dazzling the bear.

 

While enjoying the scenery, I constantly studied the scene for any creature movements. After getting further down the trail I decided to heed that last bear tip. I picked up a rock and heavy pointed stick. Then I saw a jogger (BTW I’m not a jogger but jogging on this trail seem stupid given just the random rocks and uneven surface) coming the other way towards me. I assume he was running for exercise and not escaping a bear or mountain lion. I said hello but he didn’t stop to talk. Before he had reached me I dropped the rock and stick. I didn’t want to appear menacing. Ok I really didn’t want to look foolish. Later on I came upon two hikers who talked with me a bit. One of the hikers was familiar with the area and the biggest animals he had seen in the past were deer. 

 

A couple of pictures from the trail.

Hey about 1 minute into the following educational twirling video you'll see the best batons for bear/lion defense. Flaming batons!

California burning

All the leaves are burnt
And the sky is grey
I've been for a walk
On a fall day
I'd be scared and burning
If I was in L.A.

Trying to step up

Tree advice

I guess changing the lyrics of the hit song, California Dreamin’ to reflect the many wildfires would not be kind to California. Wildfires are not humorous. My mind drifts while listening to lyrics. Often those drifts turn into new lyrics.

I should be more serious. I do tire of being serious and thinking of serious problems. We all should be more serious about climate change.

Oh, one more for the road (one more for your browsing?). Remember the sixties song, “Stop Stop Stop”. Actually youtube suggested I listen to the song. It was easy to rework the chorus part.

Stop, stop, stop all the tweeting
Give me time to breathe
Stop, stop, stop all the tweeting
Or I’ll have to heave

I’ll leave the following two lines unchanged.

Heavy hand upon my collar
Throws me in the street

Hopefully next month we will throw commander-in-tweet out into the street. He and his cabinet should be locked away in a cabinet. In addition to that change, having Mitch McConnell sent into retirement would improve our world even more.

Here’s some non-political news (I think that type of news is still possible)

The NASA spacecraft called ORIRIS-Rex traveled 200 million miles to grab some gravel from an asteroid Bennu. This is really old gravel, like 4.5 billion years old. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-osiris-rex-spacecraft-successfully-touches-asteroid

Another NASA news release announced that they selected Nokia Bell Labs to deploy a 4G wireless network on the moon. Fly me to the moon, to get a better mobile connection. https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/solicitations/tipping_points/2020_selections

Enjoy the original lyrics of those songs via the youtube clips I included.