Three Beautiful Things 01/01/09: Grand Ole Floyd, Slips Sheep, Ron Franklin

1. I listened to Luther Wright and the Wrongs transform Pink Floyd's "The Wall" from a rock opera to a Grand Ole Opry and it works. It really works.

2. My first prayer of 2009 was answered at about 1:00 a.m.: The Floydian Slips played "Sheep" in their encore. Rich Sellars comes out from the percussion section at the back of the band and fronts the band for "Sheep" and his sense of drama makes me think of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. Perfect Theater of Alienation.

What do you get for pretending the dangers not real.
Meek and obedient you follow the leader
Down well trodden corridors into the valley of steel.
What a surprise!
A look of terminal shock in your eyes.
Now things are really what they seem.
No, this is no bad dream.

3. I listened to the Orange Bowl on the radio. It wasn't that compelling of contest, but I enjoy listening to Ron Franklin do football play by play so much that I remained fixed to my seat.

Three Beautiful Things 12/31/08: Shine On, St. Mary's, Ham Soup

1. I'd been riffing a little on Pink Floyd's song title, "Shine On, You Crazy Diamond" as a New Year's greeting during the run up before going to the Floydian Slips show tonight. And wouldn't you know it! The Floydian Slips opened their show tonight with "Shine On, You Crazy Diamond"!

2. I had business to take care of at St. Mary's Episcopal Church today and realized that it's been months, maybe over a year, since I went to the church during the day to take care of something or go to a meeting. It's a funny thing to say, but I feel much more like I'm really getting back into life at the church just by having gone there today and asked Louise for help and then dropped in on the church bookkeeper.

3. Marla fixed a flavorful and comforting ham and potato soup and she and Randy and family invited me over for dinner before Randy and I went to the McDonald to hear the Floydian Slips.

Three Beautiful Things 08/18/08: Snarky, History, Cloudy

1. I went out to my work place to tie up some loose ends on a couple of projects and Margaret was there, too, and I got to unburden myself of some snarky comments that had been building up inside. Always good to get rid of those.

2. Having heard the band the Floydian Slips has inspired me to find footage of Pink Floyd from their hey day and to listen to interviews with the group, especially Roger Waters and David Gilmour. I've never been a big enough fan of Pink Floyd to dig deep into their music and their history, but that has changed.

3. All day the sky was cloudy, gray and air cool and damp: my favorite weather. No glare. No heat. Perfect. I'd be happy if the sun hid behind gray clouds every day.