8 Minutes On High

The Stark Show

June 30th, 2007 by Max

Leah and Linda were in about 95% of all the dances in the SRM Dance Recital last night:

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We don’t like your religion

June 28th, 2007 by Max

Think about it. No matter where you are, or what you believe, the majority of the people in the world think that you’re wrong about religion!

Yep. Most of the people of the world think your religion is the wrong religion.  Even if you think believing in religion is wrong, the majority thinks your wrong.

But all of the people think they’re right?

How about a little humility people…

[Not me  ]

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Gone but not forgotten

June 26th, 2007 by Max

I’ve been having – and still am, computer issues.  Which is why this blog has been a little light lately.  (That was a lovely little alliteration!).

 Anyway.  I’ve had a bunch of ideas for blogs – non of which I can remember right now – but I’m hoping will come back to me soon.

 As I hope, will my network connection.

 (This one was done on my work machine durning lunch.)

 Keep looking.  I’ll be back.  I’ve been very busy and have lots o new pictures and ideas.

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Music again?

June 17th, 2007 by Max

Recently almost all of my listening in the car has been podcasts. AirOurMyShorts http://www.airoutmyshorts.com/shorts.html of course is my favorite – and I’m sad for not hearing them recently. The Word Whore and Preston Buttons too often seem to be on hiatus. I also enjoy EscapePod http://escapepod.org/ which got me started with Podcasts – Thank you John Howell. And I’m fond of GeekFuActionGrip http://geekfuactiongrip.com/ . I also like books on tape – sort of – and highly highly most highly recommend “Singularity” http://www.podiobooks.com/title/singularity , and Podiobooks in general.

But here’s the thing. Creeping into my consciousness are three women singers who’s voices and style have me checking the channels on the radio these days before I go to my podcasts.

http://music.aol.com/video/smile-aol-sessions/lily-allen/1755771

Lilly Allen – with her irreverent “Smile” and Corrine Bailey Rae with “Get Your Records Out” appeared (at different times) on Saturday Night Live, and sang songs that I’d heard somewhere and didn’t realize what they were and who was signing them. Those appearances set in my mind that I liked these songs that I’d already liked and didn’t know who sang them.

http://music.aol.com/video/put-your-records-on/corinne-bailey-rae/1669476

There was an article on NPR about the new Jazz coming out of England. I think they were both mentioned in that story, although at that point I hadn’t put the faces and the music together and the story slipped by me till I remembered.

I don’t know if KT Tunstall fits into that Jazz (I think she’s country) and/or if she’s from England (I think she’s country) but she has two songs that I’ve found my self thinking either – Hey I like this song – as in “Cherry Tree” or Who sings this (I asked the DJ at McGirks) regarding “Suddenly I See”. (I’ve also heard that it is one of the possible songs supporters will vote on for Hillary Clinton’s fan’s choice theme song.
http://music.aol.com/video/suddenly-i-see/kt-tunstall/1751146

I like women’s voices. I’ve always liked women singers since Joni Mitchell. So maybe its no surprise that I should discover these three.

Bill Cosby once said that Jazz music is the best music and that everyone who truly loves music should evolve to Jazz fans eventually.

I don’t know if these women are smooth Jazz or smooth pop or what, but I do know this. If I’m in the car, and one of them comes on. I keep listening to the radio, just a little bit longer, before pushing play on my podcast!

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Hmm hmm hm hm hmmmm

June 14th, 2007 by Max

I think I know the reason that songs get stuck in your head!

Its not because you heard it on the way to work. Or not just becuase of that, thought recent hearing can bring on the annoying repitition.

Max’s Theory: You’re trying to remember the words. Song’s get stuck in your head because you’ve heard them enough to be familiar, but not enough to know them all the way through. I think this is more because of the lyric than the song. You’re trying to remember the words.

You’re trying to remember it. You keep going back in your mind playing the parts you know again and again, and then you stop because you’ve forgotten the lyric.

Its about momentum. When you know a song, you don’t plan on remembering it, or trying to remember it. It just comes.

With a song that you don’t know you keep going back and try to push it through your brain. Kind of like remembering how that map was folded. You know you know it. Just do it again it will come to you! Momentum. Like pushing the refrigerator through the door you revisit the attempt till you get all the way through.

The next question, the more interesting question, is why does that song get into your head in the first place?

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Need comments on logo

June 8th, 2007 by Max

I want to make one of my photo’s the offical 8 Minutes On High logo. The picture will have to have some adjusting to put it into the header where I want it … the current one is too centered, but otherwise a good picture. So I’m offering up some examples of possible logo worthy picts, and looking for input.

If you know of some other picture that you think I should use for my logo, please let me know.

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Ah C’s no B’s

June 6th, 2007 by Max

I was listening to Bill Maher’s podcast of Real Time and he was talking about there being a lack of bees this year. 

 Hillary has taken this up as an important issue for New York, I’ve heard.

It didn’t really register with me though, till Rhoda came out. 

I have this Rhodadendron that blooms once a year in front of my house.  For about a week its beautifully purpley red.  It started to bloom in January, so I was worried about it.  Global warming and all.  (I think its supposed to bloom on the same day every year, but I’m not sure about that.  If anyone knows anything about Rhodas let me know.)

Anyway.  Bumblebees.  Last year before and during the bloom bumblebees were ALL over that bush.   I hate bumblebees because I got stung in the ear when I was about 5, by one of those buzzing monstrosities.   I heard him just before he struck.   I still jump when I hear a bumblebee.

So last year, naturally, one got in the house because there were so many in front of the front door.  This year I’ve left my back door unlocked, so that I can get into the house, without going too close to the Rhodadendron, while it is in bloom and full of bees.

No bees.

None.

I kinda miss them.

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Just the latest attempt

June 4th, 2007 by Max

Hello world.  Welcome to the third itteration of 8 Minutes On High.  This site is well in need of work.  Its going to get that work.  For the moment this is just a marker to say Hi!

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