July 22, 2011
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Yost and Freud and Twombly

I want to acknowledge the passing of three most interesting people this month, Elwy Yost, Lucian Freud and Cy Twombly.

Elwy Yost, who passed this week, was host of Saturday Night at the Movies, aired on TV Ontario from 1974 to 1999. On Saturday nights, they aired two movies commercial free and as a bonus, Mr. Yost and guests would chat about them. They showed all kinds of movies and Yost seemed to be able to find positive things about all of them, even films I had little interest in. I admired his enthusiasm, his knowledge and his affection for movies, and I watched Saturday Night at the Movies off and on for years. Mr. Yost was 86.

British painter Lucian Freud  also died this week. He was 88. Mr. Freud was known for his portraiture, including a portrait of the Queen that made some noise not so long ago. I haven’t seen many of his works outside of photographs and I’ve never felt a strong personal connection to his work, although I recognize the difficult problems of portraiture.

American artist Cy Twombly died earlier this month at 83. I’ve been aware of Twombly’s work for many years, but it wasn’t until we spent some time at the Cy Twombly Gallery of the Menil Collection in Houston just a few years ago, that I really began to appreciate his efforts (what do I call them…paintings? drawings?). I think his work is intense and intensely personal, poetic and magical and the work in Houston stopped me in my tracks.

RIP

Filed under: RIP
July 21, 2011
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I can’t say I know…

Somebody landed on this chunk of blog real estate after having entered the following question in a search engine: “Are Norwegians Happy?” Seems like a sweeping generalization to me. I wondered how that strange question would lead someone to 27thstreet, until it struck me that I once posted the following tune:

Here’s Myron Floren performing The Happy Norwegian

This of course in not part of our drinking song list, although trying to dance like that couple in the video might drive one to drink.

July 21, 2011
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Drunken Angel vs Drunken Angel

It made my day when I stumbled into this gem on YouTube thinking about song should be Drinking Song #20 on our little list. This video features scenes from the 1948 Kurosawa film Drunken Angel set to the song Drunken Angel by Lucinda Williams. Very clever somekindofman.

The tune is from the album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. I could listen to that album 100 times in a row and never get bored. I’m not sure what that says about the music or about me but there it is. Every tune seems to me to be just right. By the way, I’m pretty sure the harmonica player on this cut is Steve Earle. At least it sure sounds like Steve Earle.

Songs about drinking seem to fall into two basic camps, party and heartbreak. Drunken Angel is squarely on the heartbreak side.

July 21, 2011
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New Weather Language

The data we use to describe the weather is such that it always needs qualification. It’s 37 c out there but it FEELS like it’s 43 c. Or, in the the winter, It’s -4c but with the wind chill it FEELS like it’s -18c. Then add in the UV index just to muddy the waters a little more. What we need is a new scale. Forget temperature readings. Who cares if it’s 37 if it feels 43?

Here’s the scale I propose:

Flames of Hades
Stupid Hot
Freakin’ Hot
Perfect Hot
Warm
Pleasant
Cool
Chilly
Cold
Freakin’ Cold
Stupid Cold

If I hear a weather forecaster say it’s going to be stupid hot in Toronto today, I know the score. If it’s going to be Perfect Hot, I’ll light up some charcoal and get the bbq going. That’s all I need.

Today in Toronto, I understand it will be actually hotter than the flames of Hades. In fact, the sun may explode. Hang on tight and hope the roof stays on.

July 20, 2011
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Yes, more songs about drinking….

Let’s start off with Psychostick and their little ditty, Beer is Good for Drinking Song #19…

Drinking Song #20 is an instrumental I think you all know. It’s The Champs performing Tequila

This tune was written by the so-called Godfather of Latino rock, Danny Flores, although to avoid contractual problems, he was credited as Chuck Rio.  At one point, Glen Campbell and Seals and Crofts were all part of The Champs. It didn’t matter if these guys recorded anything else. They nailed this tune way back in 1958 and it still sounds great today.

I’m going to leave you with one more today. Here’s Tex-Mex crooner, the late Freddy Fender, singing Wasted Days and Wasted Nights, Drinking Song #21.

July 20, 2011
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Garden Update

This is year two for the front garden, and year three for the Japanese Maple on the left side of the shot.  As this garden begins to mature, it is becoming less of a collection of plants and more of a garden. Does that make sense? I planted the clematis you see blooming last year to add a height element. There will be another height element as well, though you can’t see it in the picture. I have a small Saskatoon berry bush growing in the centre area of the garden. In another year or two it will reach the height of the clematis and taller. The fawn ornament in the foreground is one of the few things I have from the house I grew up in, and it has moved around this garden and various gardens at our old place too.

I’m enjoying watching this garden change as the season progresses. Before the clematis and the black-eyed Susans started blooming, we had some very showy irises and before that, the peonies. We have two sunflowers growing at the very front of the garden, and later in the season these will give us some crazy big yellow blooms that will tower over everything else. I actually planted an entire package of sunflower seeds along the front. Last year, we had several beautiful sunflowers and I was looking for a repeat performance, but only two came up.

Tuffy P has done a fantastic job keeping our front garden weed free and looking beautiful. She has way more patience than I do for the details, and her effort really pays off.

 

July 19, 2011
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A philosophical question?

Drinking Song #18 features Louis Jordan performing What’s the use of Getting Sober (when you’re gonna get drunk again).

I always associate this tune with Mr. Jordan, but there are some other good performances around as well. For instance, Joe Jackson…

Finally, here’s Washboard Bill playing a uke-driven version…

July 18, 2011
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Oh no, the rain didn’t fall….

The lack of rain over the past three weeks has been hard to swallow for those of us who enjoy foraging for wild mushrooms. Last year at this time, the summer mushroom season was in full swing and I was picking enough to enjoy fresh, to share with friends and to dry for winter. My former friends at the weather office were promising rain today. I was hopeful. When I pulled into work, there were a few drops in the air. The clouds were thick overhead and I was happy I left home a little early to beat the thunderstorm in. Unfortunately, that was it. There wasn’t enough water to dampen the sidewalks. Now we’re in for more heat.

It’s going to take a really good solid rain, preferably the kind of system that gets socked in for two or three days before I’m going to sally forth into the enchanted mushroom forests. I hope that comes soon.