iPod: The Next Ten Mellow Gold

11. Not Enough Time -- INXS some folks have Barry White to get them feeling romantical I 've got this song by the Michael Hutchence version of INXS

12. How's It Going to Be -- Third Eye Blind ultimate cheese, but quel fromage!

13. Sullivan Street -- Counting Crows "I'm almost drowning in her sea, she's nearly fallen to her knees, it's almost...everything I need..."

14. Closer to Fine -- Indigo Girls particularly like the backing vocals by James Taylor and Jackson Browne

15. 1979 -- Smashing Pumpkins nostalgic pumpkins

16. Beautiful Girl -- INXS another INXS, from the same album "Beautiful girl, stay with me..."

17. Jesus Was an Only Son -- Bruce Springsteen "Well Jesus kissed his mother's hands
Whispered, 'Mother, still your tears, For remember the soul of the universe
Willed a world and it appeared.'"

18. Under Pressure -- Queen with David Bowie still can't forgive Vanilla ice for stealing this beat for Ice Ice Baby

19. Running to Stand Still -- U2 One of several overlooked gems from the Joshua Tree an elegy about addiction

20. Secret Garden -- Bruce Springsteen another romantical song... from Jerry Maguire

iPod Playlists

I'm interested in talking music with any who visit the blog. I've got a couple of different playlists on my iPod; I'll start with "Mellow Gold" and list ten songs each time I do the iPod post, until I've exhausted the playlist. Be interested in recommendations, comparisons, just generally what you think... These are in no particular order, but "Shuffle"

1. She Was the One -- Peter Holsapple
2. If I Had $1,000,000 -- Barenaked Ladies
3. Desert Rose -- Sting
4. Drops of Jupiter -- Train
5. Hurt -- Johnny Cash
6. Bohemian Rhapsody -- Queen
7. Angels -- Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey
8. Lullaby -- Shawn Mullins
9. Dancing Queen -- ABBA
10. Nothing Man -- Bruce Springsteen

Got introduced to Peter Holsapple in New Orleans at a bar called Carrolton Station. He's played in REM's touring band, and he's a great songwriter...

Hurt is just a great song -- liked Nine Inch Nails original, but Cash's is definitive...

Nothing Man is one of a great album full of songs...

William Carlos Williams

"It is almost impossible to state what one in fact believes, because it is almost impossible to hold a belief and to define it at the same time."
-William Carlos Williams

For some reason, I had the following poem, written by William Carlos Williams
in my head all day:

This Is Just To Say

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

This is one of my favorite poems, and I memorized it in junior high for an English assignment, but it hadn't crossed my mind in years. Funny how the mind works.

Anywho, here's a couple more of WCW's poems, which I also enjoy:

A Sort of Song

Let the snake wait under
his weed
and the writing
be of words, slow and quick, sharp
to strike, quiet to wait,
sleepless.
— through metaphor to reconcile
the people and the stones.
Compose. (No ideas
but in things) Invent!
Saxifrage is my flower that splits
the rocks.


The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

Slow Movement

All those treasures that lie in the little bolted box whose tiny space is
Mightier than the room of the stars, being secret and filled with dreams:
All those treasures—I hold them in my hand—are straining continually
Against the sides and the lid and the two ends of the little box in which I guard them;
Crying that there is no sun come among them this great while and that they weary of shining;
Calling me to fold back the lid of the little box and to give them sleep finally.

But the night I am hiding from them, dear friend, is far more desperate than their night!
And so I take pity on them and pretend to have lost the key to the little house of my treasures;
For they would die of weariness were I to open it, and not be merely faint and sleepy
As they are now.

The Full Monty...

Python, that is. A small tribute to their genius from...

The Holy Grail

The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch

King Arthur: How does it... um... how does it work?
Sir Lancelot: I know not, my liege.
King Arthur: Consult the Book of Armaments.
Brother Maynard: Armaments, chapter two, verses nine through twenty-one.
Cleric: [reading] And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying, "O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the Lord did grin. And the people did feast upon the lambs and sloths, and carp and anchovies, and orangutans and breakfast cereals, and fruit-bats and large chu...
Brother Maynard: Skip a bit, Brother...
Cleric: And the Lord spake, saying, "First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it.

A Witch

Sir Bedevere: There are ways of telling whether she is a witch.
Peasant 1: Are there? Oh well, tell us.
Sir Bedevere: Tell me. What do you do with witches?
Peasant 1: Burn them.
Sir Bedevere: And what do you burn, apart from witches?
Peasant 1: More witches.
Peasant 2: Wood.
Sir Bedevere: Good. Now, why do witches burn?
Peasant 3: ...because they're made of... wood?
Sir Bedevere: Good. So how do you tell whether she is made of wood?
Peasant 1: Build a bridge out of her.
Sir Bedevere: But can you not also build bridges out of stone?
Peasant 1: Oh yeah.
Sir Bedevere: Does wood sink in water?
Peasant 1: No, no, it floats!... It floats! Throw her into the pond!
Sir Bedevere: No, no. What else floats in water?
Peasant 1: Bread.
Peasant 2: Apples.
Peasant 3: Very small rocks.
Peasant 1: Cider.
Peasant 2: Gravy.
Peasant 3: Cherries.
Peasant 1: Mud.
Peasant 2: Churches.
Peasant 3: Lead! Lead!
King Arthur: A Duck.
Sir Bedevere: ...Exactly. So, logically...
Peasant 1: If she weighed the same as a duck... she's made of wood.
Sir Bedevere: And therefore...
Peasant 2: ...A witch!

(Lack of) Choice 2006

Was talking to Mrs. Tarzan (Jane?) recently, about the lack of excitement the 2006 elections are generating for me. Here in Illinois, we have a choice between two of the Seven Dwarfs, Sleazy (Governor Blagojevich) and Angry (the un-gubernatorial Judy Barr Topinka). Sleazy, is just that -- a "lite" version of the equally sleazy William Jefferson Clinton, whose policies I by and large agreed with, but whose ethically challenged leadership was lacking -- although Blago's sleazy deals largely with family and friends accepting questionable payments, kickbacks, rather than strange tricks with cigars. Also, with the Gov., none of the charges have yet to result in any indictment.

The problem with Angry is that she refuses to disown the sleazy Republican establishment in Illinois (she's a disciple of those that ennabled George Ryan) and she's running a campaign like the grumpy old man on your block who threatened to steal your baseball if it landed on his lawn when you were a kid (and did to me, at least once). Her policies are also far from the type I can get behind. Unfortunately, there's no real third party candidate to speak of.

So, what to do about the gubernatorial election in November? I've actually considered refusing to vote for governor given the choices, but given my belief exercising my right to vote, I'm more likely to vote with the uninspiring Dems than the equally uninspiring Republicans, because, I figure, go with the party that brought you to the dance, all other things being equal. Or maybe I'll write in "Abe Lincoln". Or Franklin Roosevelt. Or Diamond Joe Quimby.

What I'm Watching

The new fall season has been solid -- I'm TIVOing the following at my house

Prison Break -- currently on hiatus after 4 episodes (World Series on Fox) But the wait has been worth it

Vanished -- it stinks, but I'm hooked. Shame it's going the way of the Big Bands

Studio 60 Live on the Sunset Strip -- the West Wing meets Saturday night live. Who knew Matthew Perry could do drama?

30 Rock -- only one episode so far... we'll see

Lost -- is driving me nuts -- how stupid can the prinicipals be? After living on the island for two years, you'd think they'd have learned not to trust strangers...

Kidnapped -- has been relegated to Saturday nights, and will apparently run its course after 13 episodes -- which stinks, because it's excellent, particularly Timothy Hutton.

The Office -- rocks. What an ensemble.

Grey's Anatomy -- appeals to the Soap Opera-y part of me. McDreamy and now McSteamy.
Tarzan Joe's not gay, but these guys are hot!

The Nine -- haven't seen it yet, but it's on TIVO


And the piece de resistance -- 24, which won't open until January...

Where to Begin?

Hello. I'm Tarzan Joe Wallis and it's been 6 months since my last blog. Quite frankly I feel like a recovering blog-a-holic. I'm going to try and take it a bit slower this time around to avoid blog burnout. Easiest place to begin is probably where I finished off last time, hope again springs eternal with the Cubs' imminent hiring of Lou Piniella to light a fire under some dead wood on the team. I don't expect miracles, but quite frankly, the Cubs could have been a .500 team had they been able to do the things Little Leaguers are taught, like catch the ball, throw the ball, watch and listen to your coach when you're running the bases. Don't think that fundamentals will be a problem for Sweet Lou. He'll tear some of the Cubs a new one if they persist in their wayward behaviors...