Song of the Month January 2017

There’s been a slight Avett Brother’s obsession happening this month, and strangely, it was brought on by videos, not radio.

Granted, I first heard “Ain’t No Man” on the radio, the Avett Brothers being a KINK favorite.  I put the video on while I was folding laundry and half-watched it.

I liked the journey to the airport, which took them to another airport, a van and then into a studio.  The video ends with the three of them sitting in chairs.  The side bar of YouTube showed me that there was another Avett Brothers video with them also sitting in chairs.  As a person who likes to put things in order, I appreciated the flow to the second video.

Though I think they might be a little young for an end-of-life song (both brothers are younger than me), I enjoy such songs.  But what makes this a very good video is the flickering back to their younger selves. (Favorites: 1:08 skateboarding; 1:48 grinning; 2:10 90’s rocker look)  As the video continues, the flickers transition into their young musician days, then their established musician days, then pictures of them with their children.

It’s the last bit of footage that keeps me coming back.  The two of them, one still a child, one working on being grown. The arm easily slung around the shoulder. “There’s Scott causing trouble with Seth.”

These songs together, I feel like they can be taken a couple of ways.  The most generous way is the way I think they are intended to be taken.  “Ain’t No Man” is an upbeat affirmation of their confidence in themselves.  “No Hard Feelings” is a reminder to let things go and focus on the good things.

However, the success of the Avett Brothers means I am more likely to interpret these songs in a less generous fashion.  Through that lens, “Ain’t No Man” feels like the winner bragging how great he is.  “No Hard Feelings” is a song about someone who has enough currency that he believes that him not having hard feelings means that no one has any negative feelings of him, so much so that he has no enemies.  The line “I have no enemies” is repeated three times to end the song.  It’s the kind of line that has me wondering how fast I can find some enemies of the Avett Brothers.  Not just people who don’t like their music, people who know them and don’t like them.  Ex-wife?  Former drummer? I think they’re out there, those enemies.  You can’t be that successful of a band without dragging some grudges behind you.

From that viewpoint, these two songs present life philosophy that seems more douch-baggery than laid-back good guy.  It the song of a person who can sing that no one can change them, and that they have no hard feelings and also no enemies.  That sounds like someone fairly confident of their own actions, and fairly clueless of the reactions of the people around them.  They’re good looking men, they grew up in a prosperous family and Rolling Stone tells me that their dad was friends with fingerpicking master Doc Watson.  I’m sure life hasn’t been completely easy for them, but it doesn’t look like it’s been very hard, either.

This slots these songs into the Conflicted Music category. I like them, I will probably continue liking them, but I don’t think they are as true as the people who sing them think they are.

Three sentence movie reviews: 20th Century Women

There is no discernible plot arc in this film, which could be the kiss of death, were the characters not so delightful to hang out with.*  I related to Lucas Jade Zuman’s Jamie trying so very hard to connect with his much-older mother about feminist issues** despite the fact that she was not interested in relating to her son in that manner.    The cast was outstanding, and there are several scenes in this movie I will think of with fondness for many years to come.***

Cost: $5.35
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12 with S. North

*It’s also full of other stuff that could be really annoying, like intrusive voice over.  Somehow, it manages to make those annoying things not-so annoying.
**Using Sisterhood is Powerful!  Which was a seminal work of my teen years in the 80s and 90s.
***”Art Fags”; Elle Fanning’s list of why she likes having sex; the dinner party scene where Gerwig talks about things not talked about during dinner.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/twozeroth_century_women.html

Three sentence movie reviews: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

I had low expectations going in and really enjoyed myself.  The cast was marvelous.* I found that some of the fantastic beasts scenes went on for too long, but otherwise was happy to add this to the Harry Potter world.

Cost: $5.00
Where watched: Jubitz Theater with Matt.

*Waterston, Folger & Sudol were new to me.  Obviously I know Redmayne.

I have pledged to call out “funny” fat jokes in movies when I see them and I’m disappointed to say that this movie contains one.  When Dan Folger first attempts to follow Redmayne into the suitcase, he gets stuck and must jump up and down to get the rest of the way in.  Later in the movie, a beast larger than a house goes back into the suitcase without getting similarly stuck, so there was no reason for this fat joke.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/fantastic_beasts_and_where_to_find_them_ver4.html

Three sentence movie reviews: You Can Count on Me

Having loved Manchester by the Sea, I did a nostalgia re-watch of this film.  This was the film where I sat up and took notice of Linney and Ruffalo.*  It’s still good, though a few fashion details have aged unattractively.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*IMDB tells me that I had seen Laura Linney in several things in the 90s, but this was the first big thing.  Ruffalo was unknown to me the first time I watched this.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2000/you_can_count_on_me.html

YALSA Mock Printz

Today was the day for the YALSA Mock Printz.

For me, this was not a good year for this organization’s Mock Printz.  Most of the books I found to be books that did not work for me on any level (The Passion of Dolssa; The Reader: Sea of Ink and Gold; Golden Boys) or were okay, but kind of a slog (Railhead) or were fine, but I didn’t think they would win (Burn Baby Burn; We are the Ants; We Will Not be Silent).

Also, the programming wasn’t super interesting.  There is usually a chunk where you learn something interesting.  The year that one of the Printz Committee Members spoke was very informative, but this year it was a roundtable interview with the Jefferson County Library District Teen Book Council.  They seemed quite nice, but I could have done without 25 minutes of them.

Also, I wasn’t much of a fan of my discussion leader, or the fact that we sat on the floor for the discussion.  We were so far apart, it seemed hard to connect with anyone.  In the end, I voted for only two books in the small group discussion, and I only voted for Burn, Baby Burn out of spite, because I liked it and didn’t feel like my group appreciated it enough.

Tally of the Small Group Discussion results.  Overall, the small groups were in agreement that Lie Tree was the superior book.

After small group results, we had a big group discussion, then re-voted.  Our official winner:

The Lie Tree. (91 votes)

Runners-up:

We Are the Ants (72 votes)
Railhead (62 votes)
The Passion of Dolssa (52 votes)

Overall, I learned that I probably shouldn’t attend if I don’t like the majority of the books.

The crew heading off for the Women’s March (and pictures from the road)

People were over for breakfast, and some of the group was headed downtown for the Women’s March.  I had a workshop, so was not going, but Kelly, Burt, Laurie and Matt were gearing up.

“I’ll take a picture” I said, and got my camera ready.  Laurie and Kelly were waiting by the door, Burt was sitting in a chair and Matt was getting on his coat.  “Maybe Laurie and Kelly should go stand by Burt.” I suggested, trying to efficiently get my ducks in a line.

“Wait, are we starting the Women’s March, by having the women orient themselves around a man?” Matt asked.

Below is the photo that came from that statement.

And the official photo.

A little later, I headed out for my own trip downtown.  I have never seen this many people at the Kenton Max stop.

It’s not a protest unless the Margeliz Jewelry Shop is boarded up. I notice the Banana Republic also had the plywood out.  They needn’t have feared, there wasn’t a single arrest.

After my workshop ended, I waited for the Max, watching various people get their picture taken with the riot police.

How do you make a curved wall?

The office across the hall from mine was vacated, and a new company moved in.  As part of their move they installed a curved wall just inside the front door.  I watched the metal studs go up.  They were six inch or so inches apart and framed in an arc.  I wondered how they would make the flat drywall fit onto the curve.

I got my answer the next day.  It involves a heck of a lot of drywall screws.

The peaceful transfer of power

I’d hoped for a different kind of day. One with historic implications. One where I set aside my daily doings to watch the ceremony, so I could say, “I watched her inauguration.” I was looking forward to the day when, after 241 years of US history, we finally had a president who looked like me.

This morning, reading my friends’ final “Obama: Yay!” posts, I broke down. It’s hard to see a woman I voted for lose, but it’s even harder to see a highly qualified, nose-to-the-grindstone, over-prepared woman who really, really wants the job lose. It’s even worse that the man who won is not highly qualified, woefully unprepared and I suspect him of wanting to win the election more than wanting to govern the country.

The clip from Facebook that tripped me over to sorrow was Barak Obama at his second inaugural. After giving his inaugural address, he left the podium, then turned back saying something to the effect of: “I want to take a second look at this. I won’t see this again.” That appreciation—of how lucky one is to be the US President—will be missing for the next four-to-eight years. We’re setting aside a leader who understood gratitude, and struggle, and going high when others go low and we’re swearing in a leader who thinks his success was inevitable, who never misses an opportunity to promote himself, and who responds to the smallest slight with a full-bore attack.

Maybe something good will come out of this chaotic and often hate-filled leadership style. It’s possible. In the time between the election and the inauguration I’ve looked for signs that the man we will call President takes seriously the gravity of his duties. I’ve found little evidence.

In four years, I’m guessing my life won’t be very different than it is now. Sure, we could get sucked into some sort of war that’s entirely unnecessary, but we’ve been doing that since 2003. My hopes for the next four years include the wish that people aren’t hurt by policies I disagree with (ban on Muslim immigrants, repeal of the health care law, bathroom “safety” laws) and that maybe things take a turn for the better.

Joining the government is public service. I’ll be watching to see who is being served, who is being left behind and who is being left out.

Image from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/20/donald-trump-inauguration-pictures-protests-plaudits-divided/members-mormon-tabernacle-choir-seats-west-front-us-capitol/