Tuesday, December 24, 2024

New Gifts!

 

 

          Candy Cane Hard and Snowfall Soft Holiday Mix, Vol.6 (Spotify)

1. Michelle-The Beatles (for my former boss Michelle P.)

2. Do You Want to Build a Snowman?-Kristen Bell, Agatha Lee Monn,      Katie Lopez ('Frozen' Orig. Motion Picture Sdtrk.)

3. Angels We Have Heard On High-Fourplay

4. Come On Christmas, Christmas Come On-Ringo Starr

5. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas-Perry Como, The Fontane Sisters, Mitchell Ayres & His Orchestra

6. Christmas Vacation-From "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"-Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann

7. Sleigh Ride-Muriel Anderson & Jean-Felix Lalanne

8. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)-Aaron Neville

9. Miss Fogarty's Christmas Cake-The Irish Rovers

10. Christmas of My Dreams-Bob's Burgers, et al.

11. Whence Is That Goodly Fragrance Flowing?-The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, Orchestra at Temple Square

12. Main Title "Somewhere in My Memory" From "Home Alone"-John Williams, The American Boychoir, Boston Pops Orchestra

13. Winter Wonderland-Jason Mraz

14. Joy to the World (with Georgia Mass Choir)-Whitney Houston

15. Christmas Tree Farm-Taylor Swift

16. Christmas Time Is Here-David Benoit, Elliot Scheiner

17. Angels We Have Heard On High-Paul Cardall

18. Do You Hear What I Hear?-Bing Crosby

19. Here Comes Santa Claus-Ramsey Lewis Trio

20. Santa's Beard-They Might Be Giants

21. White Christmas-Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers

22. First Christmas-ROZES

23. Winter-Richard Stoltzman, et al.

24. Still, Still, Still-Yolanda Kondonassis

25. Christmas Saves The Year-Twenty One Pilots

26. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)-Alvin & The Chipmunks, David Seville

27. Frosty the Snowman-The Ray Conniff Singers

28. Groovy Xmas-The Linda Lindas

29. Ring out Wild Bells! (Canto CVI from In Memoriam A.H.H.)-Alfred, Lord Tennyson, read by Jonathan Jones

30. Auld Lang Syne-Guy Lombardo

31. Auld Lang Syne-Knights to Remember

 

DB/12.2024 

 

Happy, Happy Holidays, everybody! Have fun, be safe, see you next year!🎄🎅🤶⛄🍷🎇


 

 

 

 









Tuesday, October 29, 2024

MWA-HAHA!BOOO!CREEE!YAAA!: (SOME OF) THE BEST OF HELL-O-WEEN 2024 Mix (Spotify)

 

 

1. Toccata and Fugue in D Minor- Johann Sebastian Bach, William McVicker

2. Haunted (Taylor's Version)-Taylor Swift

3. Black Magic Woman-Santana

4. I Put a Spell On You-Screamin' Jay Hawkins

5. Strange Days-The Doors

6. The Purple People Eater-Sheb Wooley

7. Pictures at an Exhibition: IX. The Hut on Fowl's Legs (Baba Yaga)-
    Modest Mussorgsky, Mariss Jansons, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra

8. To Think Of a Story ('Mary Shelley's Frankenstein'-Patrick Doyle
                                       Orig. Motion Picture Sdtrk.)

9. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)-David Bowie
 
10. Everyday Is Halloween-Ministry

11. The Miracle of the Ark ('Raiders of the Lost Ark' Orig. Motion Picture Sdtrk.)- John Williams, London Symphony Orchestra

12. You Want It Darker-Leonard Cohen

13. Mama-Genesis

14. Ghostbusters-Ray Parker Jr.

15. I Love You So Much (It's Scary)-Bob's Burger's, et al.

16. Danse Macabre-Camille Saint-Saens, Slovak Radio Symphony Orch.

17. Once Upon a Dream (from "Maleficent"/Pop Version)-Lana Del Rey

18. Prelude (from "Psycho" (Orig. Motion Picture Sdtrk.)-Bernard Hermann

 19. Hush Hush Hush Here Comes the Bogey Man-Henry Hall & His Orch.

20. Halloween Theme-Main Title - John Carpenter

21. Monster Mash-Bobby "Boris" Pickett, The Crypt-Kickers

22. Main Titles-From "Beetlejuice' Sdtrk. - Danny Elfman

23. Thriller-Michael Jackson

24. Crystal-Mannheim Steamroller

25. Main Title (Theme From "Jaws")-John Williams

26. Pet Sematary-Ramones

27. Halloween-Siouxsie and the Banshees

28. Dracula-The Beginning - Wojciech Kilar

29. The Phantom Of The Opera-Gaylord Carter

30. Bat Out of Hell-Meat Loaf

31. Happy Halloween-The Blanks


DB/10.2024


Happy Halloween, all you Super Monsters and Scary Creeps!!!👻🎃💀

 
 
                                                   

 

           

 

 

Saturday, August 3, 2024

Man Is An Island

 

 


 

This is your Hero,

  The Man of Your Dreams,

But-I don't understand,

  Why your cheers are now screams.


DB/8.3.2024

 

Saturday, June 8, 2024

10!

 

 

           

            HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY, IDYLLS & CURIOSITIES!!!!!!!!!

                                                     2014-2024

Thanks for reading this humble blog all these years. The best is yet to come! 

                                                        -Dan



Thursday, June 6, 2024

Photographie II


 

 

 

 

                                              Natur, ERWACHE!

 

 

 

                                             Who won the war?

 


                                   Januswaves (Readymade #2)
 

 

 

                        Albino Kermit the Snake Head (Readymade #3)

 

 

                                                      
 


                            Elton John Panem Solvit (Readymade #4)                                       

   


                           Panem cum Salami Iratus (Readymade #5)


                                                                          

         Victor Hugo (singing): "Master of the house, 
                                             doling out the charm, 
                                             ready with a handshake and an open palm"
                                             -huh? what's that?
         Benjamin Franklin (from below): Oof! Ugh! Arrgh! Ouch!
         VH: Now who's that climbing up here? Wow, whoever he is he moves pretty quick for a paunchy fellow!
         BF (same, muttering to himself): My God, there is just way too much simulated boinking in that box today, and I'm Ben Franklin! Just gotta get away for a bit, climb up here to get away from those randy people! Oof! Almost there! A little bit more aand-there! Whew! Made it! AAHHH!!! OH, MY GOD, WHAT IS THAT?!!!
        VH: Hey.



      BF: OH, MY GOD, IT'S A WHITE PERSON!!! AND HE TALKS!!! OH. MY. GOOOOOOOOD!!
      VH: You done?
      BF: Yep, yep. Just a little drama for the handful of readers of this guy's blog. And hey yourself!
      VH: A handful is probably a bit too generous a measurement.  And 'The White People'? Really? Racist much? 
      BF: Nnoo, not really. Aren't you made of white marble or something? Like the others with you?
      VH: Most of the others. You haven't met us all yet. But yeah, on further reflection maybe 'White People' is apt. Okay, I rescind my racism accusation.
      BF: Thanks. So what happens now? Intros? We're not supposed to have known each other from before now, right?
      VH: I doubt it. So...hm, well, as you can see I can't seem to bow or shake hands with you but I'm Vic Hugo, largely unread 19th century giant of French literature. Pleased ta meet'cha, Mr.-?
      BF: Ben Franklin, 18th century Anglo-American, randy jack-of-all-trades. Charmed, I'm sure.
      VH: Cool. 
      BF: Verily. So I think our tribes are supposed to meet up eventually - uh, the 'Dolls' and the 'White People', I guess we are?
      VH: Sounds about right, if a bit unfair. And wrong.
      BF: But when?
      VH: Dan knows? I'm not gonna hold my breath waiting. Not that I could because I can't really draw breath.
      BF: Nor can I. Well, I guess I ought to head back down now and let the others know I'm all right. (muttering) Not that they care.
      VH: That's probably a good idea. Rosie's coming to take my place here soon, anyway. She's another *sigh* 'White Person' such as I am.
      BF: Oh. Should I stay and introduce myself to her?
      VH: Nah, not now. Maybe whenever the meet-up's gonna happen. 
      BF: Sounds good. Okay, I'll see you soon, Vic! And I think I'll make a dramatic exit here by falling backwards off this plateau. I mean, I am plastic so I probably won't break apart on the carpeting below.
      VH: Go for it, Ben! Au revoir! 
      BF: Bye, Vic! Here I GOOOOOOOOOOO!
     
                                               

     VH: Ouch. Maybe. HEY, BEN?!
     BF (from far below): 'Sall good, Vic! Nothing broken, incredibly! Catch you later!
     VH: OKAY, SEE YA! Man, what a cool guy! I miss him already. Heh, I'm actually feeling pretty good right now. I don't think anything could ruin-
     

      
     Suddenly Rosette appears at his side.
     
     Rosette: Space. Beads. Leave. Now.
     VH: Aw, merde!



      
BEHOLD! The lost Altar of the Ice Goddess Virgilia in the Red Tube Caves of the planet Grilsoom has finally been discovered! (Oh, just go with it!) (Readymade #6)
      
 
                                                 

RED ALERT! RED ALERT! You sprung a trap (?) as you neared the lost Altar of the Ice Goddess Virgilia in the Red Tube Caves of the planet Grilsoom. (What in the hell were you THINKING?!)

                                                 


                                                   Accident? 2

                     ("Chorus Line A-G" (1925) by Albert Arthur Allen)

  
                                            
           
                                                         Flight
                                                       
    


                                            She Gazes Unto You
                                    
                                         

                                            Hello...and Goodbye

           

DB/6.2024         

 

Thanks once again goes to Design Toscano and Basil Street Gallery of Illinois for some of the art pieces featured here.

                      

Sunday, March 31, 2024

Tuck Fexas

 

AWESOME! 
Bloody bag lunches!
Brainy Trapper Keepers!
Shell carpets!
(YOUR KID HERE?)
 
(Perp)le Nerple!
Lock an' load, boys!
RIGHTCHEW READY 2 ROCK 'N' ROLL??!!!??
But wait! No! No! No!
First clean your hands!
 
Your hands are clean!
Your hands are clean!
Your hands must always be clean! 
So important!

But I'm always afraid!
Sooo afraid!

Red suns bob...
Thorn wire, tiny
GINSU KNIVES, eh?!
Nice!

Moriremos libres!
 
Ayudanos!
 
Madre
 
Por favor!
 
 
 
Madre...
 
 
 
 
 *Glub* 
 
 
Women are born with pain built in.

Plotted grids groan,
trolls flee south.
Sweet!

Oh, Steen! Oh, lock them doors!
LOCK THEM DOORS!! 
SUCCOUR THEM NOT!!
WICKED MUST DROWN!!
GAWD WILL KNOW HIS OWN!!
(Wait, does that sound bad? Eh.)
GLORY BE, WE HAVE WIDENED THE NEEDLE'S EYE
ENUFF TO FLY A GULFSTREAM THRU!!
HALLEUJAH!! YEE-HAW!!
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE!

 
 
              (Soon?)
AUSTIN IS STILL OURS!!!
THEY WON'T-hey, were those shots?
Wait, are those-? Are they-?
SHI-!!
 
 
They, like Zion, at the dead center (core) of the universe...
(God Swill).
 
 
Hitchhike...drive...fast...soon...


DB/3.2024



Wednesday, February 14, 2024

H

 

                                                           


                                       Millicent Lilian 'Peg' Entwistle

                                                         💔

                                                 

broken doll
of paper and fire 

boards groaned in weeping
at the loss of your tread,
then forgot

 
one two three 

"peg" your place in the sun,
maybe have a little fun


HeadHeartHandsHealth

wrestle the rarebit fiend
 

four five six

O, AND THEN WHAT??!!!??

seven eight nine

 

summer's dying kiss

 
the giants in those days
spelt longer words

ladder, climb, hoist, sweat (I bet)

see below the shimmering,
silver Babylon
of masques and mayhem
 
eternal traffic

studios grind

tin Jazz somewhere, faint (wa-wa mute)

 

bright sun

dizzying blue

swirl of clouds

breeze

(is this a fucking weather report now?)


indifferent titty scrub hills
cicadas, crickets may witness, sing,
then in time
forget &
die

birds are angels that poop

ten eleven twelve

 

O, AND THEN WHAT??!!!??

 

last feelings, breaths,
tears

 


dive


thirteen

 

broken doll

 

woman

"sorry" why?
"coward" how?

 

o, and now what?

 

Hollywoodl__d sends its ravishings and regards

 

hazy slathered sunset

cold

 

fade out



except-

except-



DB/2.2024


Music: "Only A Broken Heart" by Tom Petty





Thursday, February 1, 2024

Nick Duche (pronounced dooSHAY)

                         

                                              



     As a Gen Xer I’ll be the first to tell you frankly that, though I don’t closely follow trends  popular with the young’uns(well, mostly Millennials - sorry/not sorry Zoomers and Alphas), trends like kombucha tea, avocado toast, TikTok and its really bizarre challenges, TAYLORSWIFTTAYLORSWIFTTSYLORSWIFT!!!!!!! –that last one’s not a typo. I do have awareness of them, and I’m fairly indifferent to, if not slightly annoyed by, all of them. I have not (yet) armed myself with dual Super Soakers and a pile of Rubik’s Cubes for throwing (my secret special weapons being black market Jarts) in a crotchety “Hey, get-off-my-lawn, ya damn kids!” hostility against those young’uns and their likes, nor would I ever because, as I said, I’m fairly indifferent. There is, however, a certain male Millennial type that oftentimes flickers across the TV screen of my Consciousness, a vivid icon of almost scuzzy machismo – not a type that’s too prevalent among Millennial males, to be sure, but one that’s very familiar on sight: the hipster.

     I don’t understand, nor really want to understand, the hipster, his mien, his likes and dislikes, or even his overall relevance in American culture, and as a Gen Xer that’s a perfectly sensible prerogative I have. Honestly, the depth of my interest in understanding him really goes no further substantially than a spoonful of ice cream delved out of a full quart, but I don’t doubt for a moment that many of them are perfectly nice, polite, socially aware gentlemen. I’ve seen enough of them, though, to create a template for a curious hipster type I’ve created in my own imagination. It’s true they don’t all resemble each other, though there are similarities in appearance, but for my hipster I’ll use those I’ve already visualized and that are listed below. The difference, unfortunately, is that I’ve wedded him to the gruesome specter of sexist Toxic Masculinity.
     
     And you already know my bouncing baby boy’s name: Nick Duche (pronounced dooSHAY – or so he says).
    
     So without further ado, let’s begin with the top of his head and move down from there:
     1. The Man Bun - I do realize that many men with long hair wear their hair up in a bun, or topknot, like samurai warriors did, for instance, yet I’ve so closely acquainted it with hipsters (which it usually is, anyway) that it permanently figures as part of Nick’s appearance.    
     2. Long Bushy Beard - Still a lot of these even now.
     3. Black Horn-Rimmed Glasses, but no piercings anywhere on (or in) his head.
     4. Black Crew Neck T-Shirt with the word ‘Monstre’ printed across the chest in Germanic gothic letters.
     5. Colored-In Sleeve Tattoos (Both Arms)
     6. Many Onyx Rings on Fingers - This is a homage to the hip-hop group Onyx and their 1993 hit ‘Slam’, which he considers the most macho song ever and, therefore, the greatest song ever written.
     7. Black Jeans where he keeps his loose cigarettes and lighter.
     8. (Mostly) Clean White Sneakers.
      
     Now that I’ve sketched Nick’s basic appearance, I want to give him a temp job at my workplace, which is a library in the Village of L___ in the State of I___, and though my job as shelver keeps me fairly busy, I’ve been at it for so many years that it has become second nature to me and left me to sometimes do a bit of daydreaming. Among my flitting thoughts was the possibility of a flesh-and-blood Nick filling in for me as a temp for only one day.
       
     What better day to do that on than on Halloween?
       
     Judging from the above list of traits, it’s fairly simple enough to purchase what’s needed to costume oneself as Nick for Halloween. One of the most humorous features of his ensemble that I conjured up is a possible hollowed-out man bun for him to stash his lighter and prop cigarettes. But I want to make it clear that I would not dress up as Nick for Halloween at my library, nor do I recommend any other male reading this do so, either. It’s one thing to have the general look of a Millennial hipster, and that’s it, that’s harmless enough, but it’s quite another to play out a role that’s toxic especially towards women, of which my library employs many. Also I wouldn’t do it even if my female co-workers had advance notice of this strange and off-putting young man filling in for me on Halloween and approved of him beforehand despite possibly triggering them with his leering advances, because my hitting on them even in jest, especially as it goes against my introverted personality, violates their personal space and my personal code of honor -- not to mention that I just recently completed my annual Sexual Harassment online course. And as far as harassment goes, one way I’ve thought of in making Nick look somewhat non-threatening and ridiculous to a woman is when he attempts to approach her in flirtation while man spreading, making him look like a bowlegged cowboy. Naturally, this confuses her, or, just as likely, causes her to laugh, which in turn makes him embarrassed, angry, and ready to throw off all physical restraint against her. Then she’s well within her rights to shout for help or, just as effectively while sitting or standing, give him a cock punch. It’s just one more reason for even a good guy to not even try donning this toxic persona.
     
     Before I conclude this essay, I’d like to further elaborate on some points of Nick’s character. For instance, his voice is brazenly loud and stentorian, startling anyone he comes into contact with, the exception being when he switches it to a low, oleaginous bedroom voice when being flirtatious. His job performances, even for positions he’s qualified for, are generally good, depending on his attitudes and interest in the job and for how long his co-workers can abide him.  I’ve already written about how he would behave towards his female co-workers but with any males’ attempts with bonding (e.g. with bumps both chest and fist, or roaring out the refrain from ‘Slam’ – “LET THE BOYS BE BOYS!!!”) and sharing his interests (among which are heavy metal music and scantily-clad magazine models) without once inquiring after theirs and even assuming they would share by dint of swimming in the same gender pool would only serve to alienate many of them. But some positive aspects of Nick Duche are a complete dearth of any racist and anti-LGBTQ+ attitudes and his helpful, pleasing demeanor when assisting patrons or customers, even winning them over despite his appearance.
     
     Also he takes his smoke breaks outside, but that’s more lawful than common courtesy.
     
     Nick Duche, as I have clearly indicated, is my own imaginary figment, my own Frankenstein’s monster. Unfortunately in reality Nick Duche comes in many different guises and exists anywhere and everywhere, in any generation, from the avuncular, kindly old gentleman who insists on unsolicited kissing and touching to the young man suspiciously tailing behind a woman walking alone to any incel infesting the darkest corners of the internet. Good men can be the antidote for aiding women how and whenever they can, but good men can White Knight it only so much; good women also need to take up sword and shield, so to speak, for themselves as much as for each other. And when a woman finally, inexorably, grabs that Brass Ring in the game that is Success in Life, she can refashion it for her finger, to use as a potential cock punch. Just in case.

 

 

12/2023