Thursday, Part Deux

Laundromat AAR: The laundry bag is empty, the clothes are put away, and if it weren’t so danged early I’d pop a beer and try to recover from the traumatic experience that is the laundromat. I’ve only occasionally run into folks with whom I can have a pleasant conversation with while doing laundry; today wasn’t one of those days. Nope…today was Morbidly Obese Women’s Day at the local washateria. Not plump, not large, but morbidly obese… as in 300 pounds or so. Four of ‘em. Complete with Ritalin-deprived children pushing those little wire baskets on wheels all over the place while giving their lungs some serious exercise. Continuously, for the first 20 minutes I was there. Then they left.

Thank God for small favors. I was left wondering just exactly who would mate with such women. They couldn't have possibly gained all that weight in only four years or so, which was the approximate ages of the little monsters playing with the laundry carts. A mystery, that.

I frickin’ HATE laundromats. Have I mentioned that before? I think I might have.

Now this is Way-COOL!

You’ve heard of air pollution and noise pollution? Don’t look now, but another depressing form of toxicity is taking the fun out of life: ad pollution. That’s the creeping commercial crud that has sapped the pleasure out of TV, faxes, e-mail and, of course, radio. These days, it seems as though AM radio has 52 minutes of ads an hour.

But you have an alternative. Internet radio stations offer an endless smorgasbord of audio entertainment. Some of it is a simultaneous broadcast of what’s on from NPR, ESPN, the BBC and so on; others are Internet-only stations that serve both mainstream and niche tastes. The variety is staggering, all of it is free, and it is largely uncluttered by ads.

Trouble is, to listen to Internet radio, you pretty much have to sit at your computer all day. Why doesn’t somebody invent a physical radio that can tune in all of this streaming goodness? Not a stereo component or computer peripheral, but a true-blue old-time tabletop console, with a row of preset buttons and built-in speakers?

Somebody finally has. Several somebodies, actually. Companies like Roku, Com One, Revo, Terratec and Tivoli have all produced tabletop or bookshelf radios that are freaky hybrids of the old and new. You tune into radio shows just as you have for decades, but the radios’ antennas are internal Wi-Fi receivers that connect to a wireless home network. Talk about good reception: these radios can pull in any of 10,000 Internet radio stations from all over the world, without a single pop of static.

I won’t buy one. Well, not until I resume a conventional sort of life, anyway. As it stands I can listen to Radio Paradise …and do… from anywhere within El Casa Móvil De Pennington, and often when I’m outside, if the windows and door are open. All I have to do is turn it up. While my ‘puter doesn’t provide the sound quality (or the sheer volume) my stereo does, it’s perfectly adequate. Just ask my neighbors. But an internet radio that isn’t a computer IS a way-cool idea.

Pictured is the Phoenix radio (one of five boxes featured in the article), about which the NYT sez: “(Com One, $250). This model is made to move, thanks to its small size and weight (just over two pounds) and its ability to run on four AA batteries. Indeed, it’s the only portable stereo Internet radio here; the others are all monaural.”

Dang. I wish I had been here last night, instead of in P-Ville:

Mr. King was headlining his own tour, the B. B. King Blues Festival, which made a local stop at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden (formerly known as the Theater at Madison Square Garden). So it’s his party, but he makes a lot more of these in-between monologues than the average concertgoer might want. Maybe it’s just that he knows his physical limits. (It’s no joke to be 81, with diabetes and one-nighters scheduled into the foreseeable future.)

[…]

Etta James was to be on the tour but canceled two weeks ago; she is recovering from complications after abdominal surgery. This left more time to the third performer on the bill, Al Green: about an hour and a quarter of magnificence.

In a tuxedo with cummerbund, gold star of David hanging from his necklace, and chewing gum, the Rev. Al Green spent the first 10 minutes laughing, singing a few newer songs, and delivering red roses to the audience. Then, with two synchronized male dancers working around him, he began a row of hits from the early 1970s: “Let’s Get Married,” “Let’s Stay Together,” “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” “Tired of Being Alone.”

I’ve seen Etta James…several times. But I’ve never seen Al Green. And The Reverend Green and B. B. King on the same bill? Priceless. I’m gonna go dig out an Al Green CD now…

Dang. Just DANG!

Today’s “imagine the disappointment” moment…is a tie. First:

Location:
State: New Mexico
City: Portales
Time of Visit: Aug 9 2007 11:26:38 am
Visit Length: 58 seconds
Referring URL: http://www.google.co...s&btnG=Google Search
Search Words: women looking for sex in portales
Out Click: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_esgHMfCm1AYVQomGmzIu8PABwEJa0lk5LUQgLupoGbxfp_lQj1PYiK578_Fq8hzU4ZP-UpusLRz-C_A6d4Mp2NqANrxiy-nUjqMCwYN59HA_9HX25bQiHrSBSkoNUJGAMP78Iy5396ar/s200/Father and Friend.jpg

That was interesting, especially the out-click… but this?

Location:
Country: United Kingdom
State/Region: Norfolk
City: Saint James
Time of Visit: Aug 9 2007 10:43:06 am
Referring URL: http://www.google.co...ear old boys&spell=1
Search Words: pictures of a good looking 14 year old boys
Visit Entry Page: http://exileinportal...looking-kids-eh.html
Visit Exit Page: http://exileinportal...looking-kids-eh.html

Just weird.

Today’s Pic: Pelicans…yes, pelicans…on a mirror-calm lake somewhere in Yellowstone. I was up, out, and about quite early in the morning, if memory serves, and stopped by this lake to take in the sheer beauty of these graceful birds feeding on the lake. The picture just doesn’t adequately capture the moment, Gentle Reader. But it’s close.

May, 2000.