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That Which is Better than Wicked

One of the best musicians I’ve heard in a long time will be performing in Middleboro next week: Ms. Kayla Ringelheim.  Of course, that’s the weekend I’ll be confined nicely within the Boston city limits (for a change).  I of course already marked her October 17th appearance (with Antje Duvekot) on my calendar.

This is the music that finally got me to stop listening to Wicked incessantly – and if you know me, you know that’s saying a lot.  Of course, you should immediately buy both her albums on iTunes.

The Sighted Leading the Blind

I applaud the Washington Metro’s film Metro Madness: Riding the Metro through a Service Dog’s Perspective – a 3.5 minute film narrated by a service dog riding the Metro.

I particularly enjoy the closing scene where a courteous and enlightened traveler steps aside to let the visually impaired Barbara walk through a fare gate, making the universal “you go ahead” gesture.  Which she can’t see.  Because she’s blind.

(Okay, she’s not completely blind.  As the film points out at the opening, “Many people don’t know that you don’t need to be completely blind to use a leader dog.”)

How Did We Get Here Again?

It’s absolutely fascinating to watch Steve Jobs deliver the 2001 keynote speech introducing the iPod for the first time.

In structure it’s the same as the modern-day keynotes (and yes, we have to contrast 2001 with “modern day”) but the audience is smaller and more subdued, and even Jobs’ own enthusiasm is lower.  He’s reviewing a marketing analysis for shareholders, not announcing a new product to the world.

You can almost tell that even Apple itself had no idea how far the iPod would really take them.

The Waiter

From a 2004 post on Waiter Rant:

“Whadyya mean it’s not available?” the man practically screams

“The table has already been reserved. I’m sorry.”

“Well move them and give it to me.” the prick says huffily.

“I cannot do that sir. Perhaps you would like a reservation at ten o’clock. That’s the next available opening.”

“Put the owner on the phone right now.” the man yells.

…

“Listen I am a good friend of Flavio. Put him on the phone.”

The owner’s name is Fluvio. Some friend.

The author has a book coming out July 29th.

Play Ball!

Tonight’s Boston Pops concert (part of the ongoing OoP day celebrations) featured music from the Baseball Music Project, including a 1969 novelty song called Van Lingle Mungo.  Far funnier in theory than in execution, the song’s lyrics consist entirely of the names of 1940s baseball players – particularly those that sound funny.  The first verse:

Heeney Majeski
Johnny Gee
Eddie Joost
Johnny Pesky
Thornton Lee
Danny Gardella
Van Lingle Mungo

The author, David Frishberg, got to perform the song for Van Lingle Mungo himself, who griped that he wouldn’t get any money despite his name being the title and the refrain:

“When he heard my explanation about how there was unlikely to be any remuneration for anyone connected with the song, least of all him, he was genuinely downcast. ‘But it’s my name,’ he said.  I told him, ‘The only way you can get even is to go home and write a song called Dave Frishberg.'”

They also performed a far more entertaining song titled Let’s Keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn, accompanied by slides of the team.  Tip for the future: don’t show slides of a Brooklyn team wearing what is, in the end, the Red Sox insignia on their caps.  We’re easily confused about that sort of thing.

Like a Million Bucks

Suppose that many students in New York public schools own cell phones.  Summon all your powers of imagination for this one.

Now suppose that instead of banning phones, the city gives one to every student in the system – a phone called the Million.

During school hours the phone can’t make calls or send texts, but it can be used to do research online and interact with materials teachers distribute electronically.  As students do homework and get good grades, they’ll receive an allowance of minutes to call their friends after school.

(via Freakonomics)