October 22

It was in the late summer or early fall of 2014 when I started taking pictures of things with a cheap little digital camera.  I've discussed why I do it here before - I've mentioned I put those pictures on my personal Facebook account as well as the show's Tumblr page - & I've made a habit of occasionally looking back through those photos & sharing them when I can on the anniversary days of when they were taken.

For some reason, the last few years I've skipped October 22.  I might have taken pictures that day but I didn't save them.  Two years in particular though I saved lots of photos - in 2014 (not represented here) & in 2016, when I was obviously in Garland & took a picture of the street named after me.

You know I could swear I've written about this nondescript street on this blog before but I can't seem to find that page.  Hm.  Anyway, there's a street named after me in Garland.  It's completely unimportant.

In the years I've lived in Portland, I haven't taken (or saved) any pictures on October 22, but I did save this one from 2019.  It was taken in a swell vegan pizza place called Secret Pizza Society.  Can you make out the price?  I think it was 100 bucks.  I almost convinced my wife to buy it!

As if sensing that I didn't take a lot of pictures on this day, I took a few today, but it's getting darker earlier you know.  & my camera is still pretty cheap.

Reishahr

(image from here)

One thing I do when I'm drinking is I look at maps.   Not just regular maps (including taking virtual drives through my past on Gurgle Marps), but also historical maps.  & this morning I was thinking about something that I read last night about a city that everyone left.

What was that?  I don't know how I found it - except that it was on a map I'm certain, an ancient map - which I probably saw on Tumblr but Tumblr doesn't save its places the same as Wikipedia pages in my browser history - but here's what I was reading, from Wikipedia:

Reishahr was a city on the Persian Gulf in medieval Iran & is currently an archaeological site near Bushehr. It may be identical to the Antiochia-in-Persis of the Seleucid period, but was refounded by Ardashir I (d. CE 224), the first ruler of the Sasanian Empire. In the Church of the East, it was seat of the metropolitan bishop of the province of Fars from at least 424.

The city is mentioned by many historians, such as Farhang-i Anandraj, Hamdollah Mostowfi's Nuzhat al-Qulub, Majmal al-tawarikh, & Ibn Balkhi's Farsnameh. In particular, some historians such as Yaqut al-Hamawi's Mu'jam Al-Buldan write of the city being centered on a pre-Islamic academic center of higher learning where scholars converged to study medicine as well as Indian & Greek sciences.

Dehkhoda dictionary mentions that the city was eventually deserted & its inhabitants moved to Bushehr.

It's that last line that haunted me.

Another website (this one) adds: Reishahr was one of the major Maritime Silk Roads' ports under Sassanian Empire in the Persian Gulf.

The Sassanian Empire ended in the mid-8th century.  Is that when everyone just left?  Who does that?!?

The truth is, I don't know much about the pre-Islamic Middle East.  But I do know a dumb anecdote about my brother-in-law & oldest sister who used to argue about stupid stuff & somehow would involve me.  This was when my sister was alive, & I was living in Lexington.  She said to me once, "You wanna know something my dumb husband told me?  He said there were no Muslims at the time of Jesus!"

"He's right," I told her.  "Mohammad died in the 7th century, & there couldn't be Islam before then."

"So," she said, still suspicious, "what were all those people back then?"

"Pagans & Jews, I guess," I told her.  "After Jesus, there were Christians.  Just look it up on your phone."

She did, & had to concede the fact.

Later on, I mentioned this to my brother-in-law & said, "Why didn't you just tell her to look it up?"  He didn't have an answer.  I asked if she ever acknowledged to him that he was right.  He said, "Nope."

Anyway, if you know why everyone left Reishahr, clue me in will you?  Thanks.

Self Help Radio 101822: Paralyzed

It's true, I convened a panel of experts to decide whether it was fine or not to have a radio show with the theme "paralyzed."  It was a close vote (I assume, I didn't count them as they were voice votes) but they approved the theme.  It happened on the show - you can listen!  It's in the first airbreak.

Also, every song for the first two hours is called "Paralyzed."  That's cool, right?  Oh what, you notice some of them are called "Paralysed"?  Same word!  It counts!

You can listen now or when you like at either the KBOO web page or at the Self Help Radio website.  On the latter, you will need a username (SHR) & a password (selfhelp) to listen or download.  Everything that happens on the show (most everything anyway) is listed below.

Self Help Radio Paralyzed Show

"Paralyzed" Elvis Presley _Elvis Studio Sessions '56 The Complete Recordings_

"Paralyzed" Betty Wright _Eccentric Soul: The Deep City Label_

"Paralyzed" The Legendary Stardust Cowboy _Paralyzed!! His Vintage Recordings 1968-81_

introduction/panel votes on whether the theme is allowed

"Paralysed" Suzi Quatro _Your Mamma Won't Like Me_

"Paralyzed" Graham Parker & The Rumour _The Up Escalator_

"Paralyzed" Rachel Sweet _Blame It On Love_

"Paralysed" Gang Of Four _Solid Gold_

"Paralysed" Ride _Nowhere_

definitions

"Paralyzed" Heavens To Betsy _Calculated_

"Paralyzed" Charming _Giant_

"Paralyzed" The Cardigans _Gran Turismo_

"Paralyzed" Trish Murphy _Captured_

"Paralysed (feat. Emma Stow)" Hector Zazou _L'Absence_

interview with sleep paralysis expert Keith Johnson

"Palalyzed" Mando Diao _Bring 'Em In_

"Paralyzed" Bob Mould _Body Of Song_

"Paralyzed" Elf Power _In A Cave_

"Paralyzed" Hanni El Khatib _Savage Times Vol. 2_

"Paralyzed" Lee Fields _Emma Jean_

interview with analysis paralysis sufferer Henrietta Kane

"Paralyzed" Big Fresh _Fall Preview EP_

"Paralyzed" Wild Belle _Hurricane_

"Paralysed" Nilüfer Yanya _Miss Universe_

"Paralysed" The Staves _Good Woman_

"Paralyzed" Oneida _Success_

interview with psychologist Dr. Caspar Jarvis

"Deaf, Blind, Paralyzed" Honey Cone _Sweet Replies_

"Halfway Paralysed" The Godfathers _More Songs About Love & Hate_

"Ballad Of A Paralyzed Citizen" The Faint _Danse Macabre_

"Option Paralysis" Githead _Profile_

"Sleep Paralysis" Youth Lagoon _Wondrous Bughouse_

interview with Portland Dating Game show host Squint Carpenter

"Paralyze My Mind" Nat Stuckey _Nat Stuckey Really Sings_

"Paralyzed Waltz" Sarah Bethe Nelson _Weird Glow_

"Analysis Paralysis" Jen Cloher _Jen Cloher_

"Paracetemol Paralysis" The Distractions _Nobody's Perfect_

conclusion & goodbye

"Paralyzer" Suuns _Hold/Still_

"Paralyzed" The Vanishing _Still Lifes Are Failing_

"The Spider Has To Paralyse The Victim" Coil With Black Sun Productions _The Plastic Spider Thing_

Whither Paralyzed?

(image from here.)

The reason the theme for tonight's Self Help Radio is "paralyzed" is possibly the main reason I pick themes: I noticed that there were lots of songs I liked called "Paralyzed."  (Or "Paralysed" because British English.)  I know that's a boring answer for a theme but it really is how it works most of the time.  I'm listening to a record, then another one, & I notice a couple of songs, & I think, "Maybe that would make a good theme."  I create a folder on my computer & as time passes I find other songs & come up with other ideas that might go into the folder.

One of my obsessions - which I think I've realized a few times - is to have an entire show with all the songs having the same name.  If Self Help Radio were still two hours long, I do believe I would be able to fill the entire show with nothing but songs called "Paralyzed" (or, you know, "Paralysed").  Alas, it's three hours long.  Which is fine, I have found some songs I really like & hope you'll like too.

Three hours!  Tonight!  Midnight to 3am Portland time!  On 90.7fm in town!  & online at kboo.fm!  I'll try not to be like a deer in the headlights.

Preface To Paralyzed: Nothing Literal Here

(image from Discogs)

The show this week - on tomorrow night! - has the theme "paralyzed."  Initially I thought I'd use the noun form - "paralysis" - but really the show isn't going to be about paralysis in its main meaning at all.

This website tells us, "Paralysis occurs when you're unable to make voluntary muscle movements. A nervous system problem causes paralysis."

& that's fucking heavy.  There's just no way I could do a light-hearted radio show with a topic like paralysis.  The internet search that found that web page linked there says in a sidebar - & I don't know if I've ever seen a sidebar like this on a web search - it says "See a doctor immediately if you experience sudden paralysis or weakness in any part of the body."

My hope is that it's obvious that the sort of paralysis one finds in a song is a metaphorical paralysis - or maybe just plain hyperbole.  "All I could do is stand there paralyzed," Elvis sang.  He wasn't actually paralyzed!

Mostly no one will care, it's just a dumb radio show, but I hope no one thinks I'm going to have songs about paraplegia!

What I will do is play that Legendary Stardust Cowboy tune.  I don't think it's the world's worst record!  I remember the first time I heard it, on a compilation at KVRX, I immediately played it on the radio.