Dead Computer Blues

(image from here.)

My computer died on Tuesday morning.  It appeared to be working fine as I did Self Help Radio on Tuesday night.  But when I booted it up - I shut down my computer at night - it took a bit longer than it usually does, & it gave me an unusual screen, which asked me if I wanted to reinstall my system, erase my system, run diagnostics, or (I can't really remember) maybe panic like my world was falling apart.  I tried to run diagnostics & I tried to reinstall the system.  I tried to erase it.  Nothing worked.

It's very much in my nature to fall into deep depressions at the slightest sign of unhappiness.  This happened to me, & I was unpleasant to my lovely wife during our morning dogwalk.  But I did a little research & found a place to drop it off - I felt very nervous about doing so because my entire life is on that computer - but I did, & waited, & waited, & waited for their diagnosis.

Before I went to sleep after Self Help Radio, I recorded my airbreaks for the Dickenbock Report.  These were saved by a backup, & I was able to edit them on a very small laptop - something I am not used to working with, & something I am using right now.  Still not familiar, still not happy.  It enabled me to put the show together for Thursday.  But I stayed up late working on it & I hate hate hate having to do this on a laptop.

Because I called the place as soon as they opened on Wednesday I discovered they couldn't help.  It appeared to be my hard drive.  Is it strange that in almost thirty years of using Macs my hard drive has never failed like that?  They could order a new one.  It would arrive Monday.  I could have my computer back on Wednesday.

Could I record Self Help Radio on the shitty little laptop?  Would I have to preempt the show?

The answer is, yes.  I tried it today.  It should be fine, more or less.  I don't have access to my CD library - the CD drive doesn't run on the laptop, not enough power.  I am grateful my computer backed up before it died so I have access to the old computer & to external drives.  But it's damn slow-going.

Have I already said how much I hate that my life is wrapped up in this stupid device?  If there weren't a pandemic, I could still very easily go to a radio station & do a radio show.  But I am at home.

Some other sadnesses have happened in my life that make this seem utterly, completely inconsequential.  Those are stories for another time.  But I sit here tonight, working on Self Help Radio, lamenting the loss of the big ol' computer that's helped me put the show together for seven years.  I wish the dumb bastard had been able to say something before it died.  I hope it can be resurrected effectively with some new hard drive.

The Films Of Paris

(image from the IMDb)

This week's Self Help Radio was about Paris, & had lots of interviews with experts on Paris, & if there had been time, it would have also contained another installment of Chuck's Happily Unsophisticated Cinema Korner in which the show's resident cinephile explored some films tagged both "Paris" along with "psychotronic"*.  Alas, there wasn't enough time, but Chuck watched lots of movies anyway, so it's only fair to show his work.

Here's a list of movies on the IMDb tagged with "Paris" & psychotronic.
Here's a list of movies & television shows tagged with Paris as a location.
Here is Chuck's YouTube playlist of Paris movies.
Here are his Letterboxd reviews of the Paris films.

Chuck detailed the Paris things he watched on his Twitter account.  That takes you to the start of his Parisian adventures.  To see what he's going to watch next, keep an eye on his Twitter feed.

Thankfully he's not too sore about not being on the show - he's going to watch the films anyway!

*If you need a definition of 'psychotronic,' try this link: toward a definition of psychotronic film. 

Self Help Radio 042021: Paris

 

(Me in front of the Eiffel Tower, January 2007)

Self Help Radio visited Paris earlier today but at some point in the morning my computer died, so I am posting this on a tiny MacBook that's no fun to use so I'll keep it brief.  Lots of songs about Paris! Lovely people who know Paris talked to me! I butchered the French language with what seemed like malice aforethought! All in all, I think it went pretty well.

Find the show at Self Help Radio's web site as well as on the KBOO website.  If you listen to it on the Self Help Radio website, you'll need a username & a password, which are SHR & selfhelp.  Why is that?  I explained it long ago.  In any event, it's three hours of Paris, & some nice interviews, & if you love the city, or have wanted to visit, or you love French music, I think you'll find lots to like.

As the French say, enjoy!  They say it if they speak English, I mean.

Self Help Radio Paris Show
"I Love Paris" Wild Billy Childish & The Blackhands _Play: Capt'n Calypso's Hoodoo Party_
"Oh Paris!" Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele _The Good Feeling Music Of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele_
"Give Paris One More Chance" Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers _Jonathan Sings!_

introduction

"Les Prenoms De Paris" Jacques Brel _N° 5_
"Sous La Ciel De Paris" Edith Piaf _Éternelle_
"Rive Gauche" Alain Souchon _Au Ras Des Pâquerettes_
"Paris Au Mois D'Août" Charles Aznavour _Collected_
"Moi Mon Paris" Renée Lebas _Best Of Boris Vian_

interview with Parisian Lydie Francart (part one)

"Il Est Cinq Heures, Paris S'Éveille" Jacques Dutronc _En Vogue_
"J'ai Deux Amours (Mon Pays Et Paris)" Josephine Baker _J'ai Deux Amours_
"La Seine (avec -M-)" Vanessa Paradis _Best Of_
"J'Veux Un Mec" Adrienne Pauly _Adrienne Pauly_
"La Belle Vie" Sacha Distel _Best Of Sacha Distel_

interview with Parisian Lydie Francart (part two)

"April In Paris" Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong _Ella & Louis_
"Under The Bridges Of Paris" Eartha Kitt _That Bad Eartha_
"En Flânant Dans Paris" Les Double Six _Les Double Six_
"Made In Paris" Trini Lopez _The Look Of Love: The Burt Bacharach Collection_
"Paris Blues" Tony Middleton _The Wigan Casino Story Volume Three (The Final Chapter)_

interview with American in Paris Rachel Rhodes (part one)

"Mission À Paris" Gruppo Sportivo _10 Mistakes_
"Paris Tokyo" Mathématiques Modernes _Les Visiteurs Du Soir_
"Let's Tango In Paris" The Stranglers _Feline_
"Paris, France" Tom Lucy _D-I-Y Do It Yourself_
"Chez Moi A Paris" Marie France _39° De Fièvre_

interview with American in Paris Rachel Rhodes (part two)

"Deux" Rachel Rhodes _Bisou_
"I've Seen That Face Before" Grace Jones _Private Life: The Compass Point Sessions_
"Je Vous Emmerde" Philippe Katerine _Les Creatures_
"Le Petit Voisin" Jeanne Cherhal _Douze Fois Par An_
"The Seed (Edit)" Tony Allen & Jeff Mills _Tomorrow Comes The Harvest_

interview with Belgian Paris expert Annelies De Waele (part one)

"I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" Morrissey _Years Of Refusal_
"Paris" The Bloody Marys _Sixteen Hail Marys: The Best Of The Bloody Marys 1985-2004_
"Paris" Acid House Kings _Advantage Acid House Kings_
"Paris C'est Toi" The Shebrews _Off With Their Hearts_
"The New Parisienne Pop & Soul" Baxendale _The Revenge Has Just Begun: The Story So Far_

interview with Belgian Paris expert Annelies De Waele (part two)
plus conclusion & goodbye

"Paris 1919" John Cale _Paris 1919_
"Crimes Of Paris" Elvis Costello _Blood & Chocolate_
"Paris" Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside _Untamed Beast_
"Paris To Sleep" Violent Femmes _Hotel Last Resort_

Whither Paris?

Yes, that is a picture of me kissing Oscar Wilde's grave in the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris.  No, I didn't have lipstick on at the time.  & no, I didn't get hepatitis from pressing my lips where so many had before.

It was in January of 2007 that I visited Paris for the first (& so far only) time in my life.  But tonight on Self Help Radio, we'll not only visit Paris for three hours, we'll talk to a real Parisian, to a friend (I guess you'd call her an expatriate) who lives in Paris, & to a friend in Belgium who loves Paris.  In addition to my usual clumsy musical choices, my guests picked songs which made them think of Paris.  It should be a lovely experience.

Oh I almost forgot!  The idea for the show came from a listener.  The show has a text line (it's 971-319-4847) & I was chatting with someone a month or so ago, & he said I should do a show about Paris.  & so I shall.

It's on tonight from midnight to 3am on 90.7 fm KBOO in Portland, kboo.fm everywhere.  (That's around 9am to noon Paris time.)

Preface To Paris: The Name Of The City

(Paris was a jerk.  From here.)

There wasn't a lot of research done for this week's show because it's mainly interviews - good interviews but long interviews, two with people in Paris (one of whom is French), & one with a friend in Belgium - but I did discover that the city was not named after the dumbfuck up there whose coveting started the Trojan War.

Oh yeah I sided with the Greeks.  I mean, I guess Homer hated him too - he portrays him as a coward & a rapist & a kidnapper.  & he lets him kill Achilles, who was like a superhero.  Except for his knee or something?*

No, Paris is named after the Gallic tribe that settled there.  That maybe Julius Caesar wiped out?  Maybe he just mentioned them.  Mentioned wiping them out?  But isn't it a little weird that the city Paris & the mythological character Paris have basically the same name.  & that Greek mythology was basically the religion of the part of the world where Paris was founded?  Has anyone made the case that the name stuck because people were like, "Okay, the Parasites lived here" (or whatever they were called) "but it's so much like that really terrible person who caused that ten-year war & he also murdered Achilles.  It's be easy to remember."

Maybe not.  But all my life I thought the city was named after the mythological dingleberry.  You learn something new every day!  Although you forget three old things every day as well.  So the chance you might be re-learning something is quite high.  But you'll never really know.

*I stole that joke in a sense from a very fun tweet from a while back that said something like "My lack of knowledge of Greek mythology is my real Achilles' horse."

Pictures Of Paris, 2007

It's absolutely true, we walked under the city through the catacombs.  It wasn't pleasant - I felt very strange being in such a confined place but I'm glad I did it.

Here's me & my then-girlfriend, now wife Magda, at the Eiffel Tower.

Here I am in the Père Lachaise being all sad about the fate of the Paris Commune.

If you ask me why Magda is laughing in a cemetery, I'll tell you, but it's embarrassing.

This one's called "jazz hands by the Seine."

We spent a great deal of time traveling that trip - London to Ghent to Basil to Paris & back to London.  From London we went to Cambridge & Oxford.  I think we had only two weeks, possibly less.  So if we look tired in these pictures, that is why.

 

Lost In Paris

Here's a young(er), short-haired Gary looking at a guidebook waiting for a train in Paris. My beard is almost free of grey, which places it a decade or more ago.  In fact, it was January 2007.  The woman who would become my wife was doing research for her dissertation & had the opportunity to go to London & Paris, & since I had never been, I tagged along.

Actually, I did get lost on the Metro once, but luckily for me, I had been in subways before, so I knew I could get off at the next stop & go the other direction.  I had very little to do but wander around & although Magda (my girlfriend) obviously took the picture (which was doubtless posed) I spent most of my time there during the day alone.  I kinda wish I had done some research beforehand.  It was an amazing experience.

Now I didn't want to talk about Paris too much but I suppose it's on my mind since that's what the show is about.  Tomorrow I'll post some pictures from that trip.  It's hard to believe it was so long ago - & that it happened so recently.

Self Help Radio 041321: A Calm Show

(Original image here.*)

Did Self Help Radio calm down this week?  Had you listened, would you have found the show calm, cool, & collected?  Or would you have thought, "This is the calm before the storm!"

Maybe "a calm show" isn't such a calm thing after all?  Maybe instead the show was exploring aspects of calm - like in idiomatic phrases.  Maybe you shouldn't expect so much from a show that's way too literal for its own good.  Maybe just don't get so excited?  What do you mean, calm down?  You calm down!  I was talking about a radio show about calm!

Breathe.  Just breathe.  Okay.  You can listen to the show in two places.  It's on the KBOO web site.  It's also on the show's web site.  If you listen to it on the latter site, you'll need a password & username.  The password is selfhelp, the username is SHR.  There were so many songs about calm but also there were interviews & other nonsense.  That is detailed below.

Is this the calm after the storm?  Is that a thing?  Who knows.

Self Help Radio Calm Show

"Calm" Haruka Nakamura _Afterglow_

"Calm" Maxïmo Park _Quicken The Heart_

"Calm" Air Waves _Parting Glances_

introduction & definitions

"The Calming Seas" Beachwood Sparks _Beachwood Sparks_

"Cool, Calm, & Collected" The Druids _Fuzz, Flaykes, & Shakes, Vol. 2: The Day Breaks At Dawn_

"Cool Calm & Collected" The Rolling Stones _Between The Buttons_

"Be Cool, Be Calm (& Keep Yourself Together)" Stevie Wonder _Down To Earth_

"The Sea Is Calm" CocoRosie _Noah's Ark_

interview with Hollywood Meditation Coach Denver Smith

"Cool & Calm" Israel Vibration _Strength Of My Life_

"I Remain Calm" The Roots _Do You Want More?!!!??!_

"I Am Calm" Scannerfunk _Wave Of Light By Wave Of Light_

"Keep Calm & Carry On" Luke Vibert _Rhythm_

"Lazy Calm" Cocteau Twins _Victorialand_

interview with inadvertent celebrity Rocky Kirkpatrick

"Calm Down Dad" Helen Love _Calm Down Dad_

"City Calm Down" Architecture In Helsinki _Fingers Crossed_

"Calm Down" Loney Dear _Hall Music_

"Calm Down AKA I Should Not Be Alone" Ezra Furman _Twelve Nudes_

"Calm Down" The Love Language _Ruby Red_

interview with Clarence Clearwater of Calming Clams Aquatic Farm

"Calm" Sleepy Vikings _They Will Find You Here_

"Calmer Song" Unisex _Stratosfear_

"Calm & Collected" Routine _And Other Things_

"Calming Water" Ceremony _In The Spirit World Now_

"Through The Calm" Pooma _Persuader_

idioms with calm

"The Calm Before The Storm" Judy Lynn _The Best Of Judy Lynn_

"Calm Before The Storm" Scott Free _Come On Down To Earth_

"Calm Before The Storm" The Bats _Daddy's Highway_

"The Calm Before The Storm" Sparks _Balls_

"Calm Before The Storm" Imaginary Cities _Temporary Resident_

"Calm Before The Storm" The Abigails _Tundra_

two things I wanted to tell you

"Calm Me Down" The Human Expression _Love At Psychedelic Velocity_

"Calm You Down" The Dentists _Beer Bottle & Bannister Symphonies: A Collection Of Some Of The Finer Moments Of Dentistry_

"Calm Down, Come Down" Throwing Muses _University_

"Calm Down" Matt Suggs _Amigo Row_

"She Calms Me Down" Purling Hiss _Water On Mars_

"Calm Down" Ari Roar _Calm Down_

conclusion & goodbye

"Becalmed" Brian Eno _Another Green World_

"A Calm But Steady Flow" Quaeschning & Schnauss _Synthwaves_

"Night On A Calm Sea" Raymond Scott _Three Willow Park: Electronic Music From Inner Space 1961-1971_

*"Calm water" by palestrina55 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Whither A Calm Show?

(image from here)

While not exactly known for being lively, Self Help Radio has been accused at times of being "fidgety" & "excitable."  We thought it might be worth it to search the show's reserves of calm for an exploration of calm on tonight's program.  Does the show have reserves of calm, you wonder aloud?  We'll find out, won't we!

Included in tonight's show along with the dizzying variety of musics will be interviews & other spoken-word diversions.  Nothing to rile, or agitate, or vex.  Just calm.  Or, really, just songs about different kinds of calm, & also discussions thereof.  So perhaps one might exhibit something more than calm.  Let the listener be admonished.

Tonight!  (Or more properly, tomorrow morning.)  On 90.7 fm KBOO Portland.  Online at kboo.fm.  An unusually calm show.  It ought not bother you at all.

Preface To A Calm Show: The Shit I Find

Here's something I found online: "Oddly Satisfying Video That Calms You Down"

This is the pitch: "Have you ever seen something that makes your skin tingle & for some unknown reason provides you with a sense of unbridled peace & happiness? Gears working in perfect synchronization, a cake frosted with absolute precision, mouth-watering chocolate, balls of fish & marbles rolling so smoothly it hurts. Something that is just...satisfying? Well here's exactly ten solid minutes of that feeling."

Balls of fish?

Have a look, tell me what you think:

(For some reason, I can't embed the video.  You can find it by clicking this sentence.)

Was it in fact oddly satisfying?  Not really.  Was it kind of weird?  Oh yes.

& that's why I'm sharing it.  The "calm down" content wasn't there, but I do appreciate weirdness.  I appreciate taking aim & missing by a mile.  & I appreciate when someone says "balls of fish" like it's not only a thing but that they roll "so smoothly it hurts."

Please enjoy.

Bojingles' Story

Technically, this is isn't the story of the little dog up there; it's the story of how we met.  I know very little about him.  He was in my life for maybe twenty-four hours.

We - my wife, my dogs, & myself - met him on a walk.  He approached us, he was a bit yappy but unafraid, & he didn't have a human anywhere near him.  Nor did he have a tag.  He was impossibly small - he couldn't have weighed five pounds.  & he was pretty filthy.

He walked with us for a while, but when it seemed like he was going another direction, I scooped him up & I carried him home.  He was immediately docile.  He seemed like a dog who was used to being carried.  I got him home & we had to find a way to seal the space under the gates to our backyard - our dogs are too big to escape under them, but this little fellow had no such problem.  My wife nicknamed him "Harry" - after Houdini - when I had to go out to find him once he left.  The name didn't take - he didn't respond to it - because it wasn't his name.

He wasn't hungry, but he was a little thirsty, mainly because he marked everything as he went along.  If I had to guess his age, I'd say maybe a year - I'm no expert - but he was unneutered, which may have accounted for the relentless lifting of the leg.  I immediately took a picture of him - that was the one from the previous post - & I posted it to Next Door & to Facebook via Paw Boost.  Paw Boost was extremely popular - my post was shared over three hundred times.

But we heard from no one who knew him that night.  My wife gave him a bath, & we left him in the garage.  I almost slept out there with him.  I fell in love with him on our walk home.  He ate a little, but when I would sit next to him, he would immediately come into my lap like in the picture above.  It's what, I'm sure, he was bred to do.  I felt awful making him sleep alone that night.

The next morning we found a leash for him & walked him to a nearby vet to check for a microchip.  He had none.  My wife wanted to take him immediately to the Humane Society because she knew the longer he was with us, the harder it would be for us to let him go.  He wasn't terrible on a leash, & my dogs didn't seem to mind him, & he did enjoy the walk.  He ate so little, he was so little.

A neighborhood person who volunteers with a rescue group contacted me & told me she'd keep him the next night if no one came forward.  I thought that was a good idea.  We decided to take him for one more walk in the afternoon to near where we found him so we could see if someone had put flyers up.  But just as we were leaving, I got an email.  It was entitled, "Party yorkie - the little black and white dog found on Raymond."  The body read:

Hi,

I'm a friend of the dogs mom. The puppies name is Bo Jingles. What does she need to do to get him back? Who does she need to get a hold of?

James

Immediately he got my phone number & we soon were texting.  I spoke with his mother, who didn't have a phone herself.  She did not live far - although Bojingles - I spell it that way, I am not certain of the proper spelling - had made it about six blocks to the east of that home - it was quite a distance for such a little fellow.

The story gets a little sad here.  His mother is living in what appears to be a halfway house in our neighborhood.  It might just be a rooming house, but other people have confidently told us it's a halfway house.  We've walked by it many times, & there are often people in front smoking, some with dogs, to whom we say hi as we pass.  The dog's mom is named Red.  Her friend James looked half her age.

There are some who, seeing the difficult situation in which the woman lived, might have felt uncomfortable surrendering the dog.  But there were three things that made it a no-brainer for me.  One, it's not my dog.  I would hate for someone to find one of my dogs & then tell me I couldn't have him back because they somehow didn't like my lifestyle or the circumstances in which I lived.  Two, the dog was so very excited to see her again.  He almost flew into her arms - & she confirmed that she carried him everywhere.  & three, Red herself explained her unpleasant living situation - which may have been the reason he escaped in the first place - & it seemed to me that Bojingles was one of the few joys in her current predicament.

My wife & I were masked, but no one else at that place was, so, after briefly trying to impress upon Red & James that Bojingles should be neuters & microchipped - Red said she was told he was! - we said goodbye to that little darling & left the uncomfortable situation.  I missed him immediately & miss him still.  When we walk near where we found him - or where he found us - I look around for him.

The neighbor who was willing to adopt him has gone the extra mile & has spoken with Red.  She told me that tomorrow they are taking him to be microchipped, although I am not certain her current address is going to be any kind of permanent address.  I can't complain, though - she's doing more than I have offered to do.

When I lived in Fort Worth, we saw stray dogs regularly.  We saw dogs who lived nearly alone in backyards, always there, even in the Texas heat.  Here in Portland dogs are treated like the family members they surely are.  Bojingles was literally the first stray I've seen in almost two years of living here.

& I truly hope he'll be okay.  What little I have read about party terriers is that they love to be with their owners in the exact same way Red carries Bojingles with her.  I am sorry this story doesn't end on a happier note - like me adopting Bojingles!  But I take a small amount of consolation from the fact that I did get him home.  Which is a success of a sort.

There's A Story About This Little Guy

That I want to tell but I've run out of time today!  But here's a teaser: a week ago today, he approached us, with no owner in sight.  He followed us for a bit, but when he seemed to be going in a different direction, I snatched him up & brought him to our house.  The search began for his family!  But that story has to wait till tomorrow.

Self Help Radio 040621: Sunflower

One last sunflower picture from me.  The original was called "sunflower shrine," it's from some private garden I walked past one day in southeast Portland.  I kinda liked the weird structures the flowers were growing around.  It's not a very good picture, but look at all the sunflowers!

Vera Nazarian said, "Never look directly at the sun, instead look at the sunflower."  But Edna Ferber said, "Big doesn't necessarily mean better. Sunflowers aren't better than violets."  Wait, didn't Edna Ferber write a book called So Big?  Hypocrite.  Anyway.  Let's not concentrate on what's bigger or better, let's just look at sunflowers.  Which is what we did on this week's Self Help Radio.

There are no sunflowers out as I speak, they're all in seeds waiting to grow when the days get longer & warmer.  I don't believe in magic spells but this show could be seen as a magic spell to hasten the days when the sunflowers dominate the gardens & tower over everything.  I'll think of this show when that happens.  Until then, I'll probably forget all about it.

Did you hear?  If not, you can listen in two different places: at the KBOO website; & at Self Help Radio dot net.  If you choose the latter, remember these two things: the username is SHR, the password is selfhelp.  There are so many songs & so many things that happened on the show, you'll have to look below to see the details.  But remember: don't lose the florist for the flowers!

Self Help Radio Sunflower Show

"Sunflower" Frank Sinatra _The Columbia Years 1943-1952: The Complete Recordings_

"Sunflower" The Springfields _Singles 1986-1991_

"Sunflower" Smack Dab _Queen Crab_

introduction & definitions

"Sunflower" Glen Campbell _The Glen Campbell Collection (1962-1989): Gentle On My Mind_

"Sunflower" Paul Weller _Wild Wood_

"Sunflower" Lovesick _It's The Cheap Damaged Goods Sampler CD_

"Sunflower" Toni Price _Talk Memphis_

"Sunflower" Alice Peacock _Who I Am_

interview with artist Henry O'Rourke

"Sunflower" Eric Elder _Mixed Up Minds Part Seven (Obscure Rock & Pop From The British Isles 1969-1974)_

"Sunflower (Version Anglaise De Ah Tournesol)" Kate & Anna McGarrigle _La Vache Qui Pleure_

"Sunflower" Low _Things We Lost In The Fire_

"Sunflower" The Courteeners _Concrete Love (Extra Love)_

"Sunflower" Mercury Rev _The Light In You_

Marge Most interviews television host Dame Drear Hannah Frothington-Jones

"Sunflower In The Snow" Bubblegum Lemonade _Laz Christmas_

"Sunflower Seeds" The Orielles _Silver Dollar Moment_

"The Sunflower Sutra" Allen Ginsberg _Howls, Raps, & Roars: Recordings From The San Francisco Poetry Renaissance_

"Sunflower Suit" Buffalo Tom _Buffalo Tom_

"Morning Sunflower" The Dirty Filthy Mud _The Forest Of Black_

'Dramatic Readings Of Classic Rock Songs' featuring Sir Archibald Von Poesy

"I'd Like That" XTC _Apple Venus Volume 1_

"Sunflower Sutra" The Babe Rainbow _The Babe Rainbow_

"Sunfish, Sunflower" The Mommyheads _Coming Into Beauty_

"Sunflower" Vampire Weekend _Father Of The Bride_

"Day Of The Sunflowers (We March On)" Basement Jaxx _Scars_

Let's take some calls (part one)

"Pyzate Stoneczniki (Chubby Sunflowers)" Novi Singers _Bossa Nova_

"Sunflower, Sunflower" P.F. Sloan _Here's Where I Belong_

"You Missed The Sunflowers At Their Height" Linda Thompson _Give Me A Sad Song_

"Sunflower Man" The Waifs _The Waifs_

"In Every Sunflower" Bell X1 _Music In Mouth_

"Sunflower" Le Futur Pompiste _Your Stories & Your Thoughts_

Let's take some calls (part two)

"Tournesol" Yves Montand _Yves Montand_

"Le Tournesol" Nana Mouskouri _Le Tournesol_

"Il Girasole" Simone Lo Porto _Italia_

"Girasole" Farabrutto _Estremoriente Mediocre Occidente_

"Girasol Rojo" ...Al Cruzar La Calle _Ashell II_

"Girasol" Lightships _Electric Cables_

Conclusion & goodbye

"Little Sunflower" Freddie Hubbard _The Love Connection_

"Sunflower (feat. Leah Zeger)" Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox _Sepia Is The New Orange_

Whither Sunflower?

This week's Self Help Radio celebrates the sunflower.  Perhaps only second to the rose as the most recognizable of flowers.  & in my native Texas, there would be a time - perhaps after mid-summer but certainly before what passes for fall - when sunflowers would spring up everywhere.  But even in Portland, where sun is not nearly as common in poor, desertifying Texas, sunflowers crowd into gardens as the summer turns to autumn.  They are striking.

& when you find out that young sunflowers turn to follow the sun?  That's some true nature magic right there.  It makes sense that it's a flower that has found its way into song - & of course you'll hear lots of sunflower songs tonight, should you listen.

But why a show about sunflowers?  I noticed I took a lot of pictures of sunflowers - like the one above - last fall.  & I thought, since it was fresh on my mind, I should do a show about sunflowers.  & so I shall!

Self Help Radio's Sunflower show happens tonight (or Tuesday morning) from midnight to 3am on 90.7 fm KBOO Portland, online at kboo.fm.  It'll be the regular amount of good tunes & ridiculousness.  But there will also be pretty flowers & delicious seeds!

Preface To Sunflower: My Favorite Sunflower Pic

Of the ones I've taken, I mean.  I call this "Sunflower & Moon."

This weekend was chaotic for me & I have a story to tell about a stray but it'll have to wait until after the sunflower show!

What? More Pics Of Sunflowers?

It's true.  That's what the show's about this week.  So here are some more photos I've taken of this most photogenic plant.

The first is from Texas, just sunflowers growing wild along the road.  The last two are from here in Portland, taken last year.  The final picture - perhaps you can tell - is a sunflower that was as big as my head.  I thought it might fall on me as a I wandered under it.

Someone Sure Takes A Lot Of Pictures Of Sunflowers

It's true!  I love sunflowers, I love to look at them, & they're very photogenic!

You might know that I post my amateurish photographs over at the Self Help Radio Tumblr Page.  I started the Tumblr blog & didn't know what to use it for, so I just started putting pictures I took there.

Anyway, I thought I'd share some sunflower pictures here that I might have posted there.  Like these three from many years ago:

Maybe I'll post more tomorrow?

Self Help Radio 033021: Cinnamon

(original image here*)

"Nice Spicy Show" someone texted during last night/this morning's Self Help Radio, & believe you me it wasn't the only spice pun made during all three hours of show's exploration of cinnamon.  There was so much cinnamon on the Self Help Radio cinnamon show we are obligated to remind you of the six side effects of an excess of cinnamon: liver damage, risk of cancer, mouth sores, low blood sugar, breathing problems, & problems interacting with certain medications.  So for the love of Pete, please listen carefully!

The show in at the Self Help Radio website (you can also listen if you want on the KBOO Self Help Radio page).  There will be a username & password required at selfhelpradio.net - they are SHR & selfhelp respectively.  Lots of music happened on the show & other stuff too - that's detailed below.

Take the Self Help Radio cinnamon challenge!  Listen to three hours of songs about cinnamon!

Self Help Radio Cinnamon Show

"Cinnamon" Derek _1968: Blowin' Your Mind_

"Cinnamon" Comateens _Pictures On A String_

"Cinnamon" Wild Strawberries _Bet You Think I'm Lonely_

introduction & definitions

"Cinnamon" Grifters _Crappin' You Negative_

"Cinnamon" The Long Winters _When I Pretend To Fall_

"Cinnamon" Airiel _Airiel EP_

"Cinnamon" Picnic _The Weather's Fine_

"Cinnamon" Marika Hackman _Sugar Blind EP_

interview with the Rev Dr Howard Gently

"Cinnamon Girl (Live At The Cellar Door)" Neil Young _Live At The Cellar Door_

"Sassafrass & Cinnamon" The Glitterhouse _Color Blind_

"Sons & Daughters" The Decemberists _The Crane Wife_

"Cinnamon Girl" Prince _Musicology_

"Cinnamon" Palehound _Dry Food_

interview with Hollywood reporter Denver Smith

"Cinnamon Blonde" Martin Newell _A Summer Tamarind_

"Susie Cinnamon" Damien Youth _Sunfield_

"Cinnamon Road" Shawn Colvin _These Four Walls_

"Cinnamon Tree" Esperanza Spalding _Radio Music Society_

"Tea With Cinnamon" Katzenjammer _Le Pop_

interview with Self Help Radio's resident apothecary Barney Fisher

"Sally Cinnamon" The Stone Roses _The Complete Stone Roses_

"Cinnamon Garden" Poison Girls _Statement_

"The Hills Of Cinnamon" The Lilac Time _Return To Us_

"Cinnamon Roll" Jad Fair & R. Stevie Moore _FairMoore_

"Cinnamon Sky" Harriet Brown _Mall Of Fortune_

interview with the Very Old Historian

"Cinnamon Sinner" Tony Bennett _His Greatest Hits & Finest Performances_

"Flor De Canela (Cinnamon Flower)" Yma Sumac _Fuego Del Ande_

"Cravo E Canela" MPB-4 _Brazil Bossa Beat! (Bossa Nova & The Story Of Elenco Records, Brazil)_

"Cinnebon" Jim Gaffigan _The Last Supper_

"Like Cinnamon" Math & Physics Club _Lived Here Before_

"Cinnamon Baby" The Wave Pictures _Susan Rode The Cyclone_

idioms with cinnamon

"I Saw Cinnamon" Dressy Bessy _Sound Go Round_

"Cinnamon Roll" The Crack Pipes _Snakes In My Veins_

"Cinnamon Winter" Cinderpop _A Lesson In Science_

"Cinnamon Square" The Moovees _Cinnamon Square_

"Cinnamon Cinder (It's A Very Nice Dance)" The Pastel Six _The Downey Story: Landlocked_

"Cinnamon Sound System" His Name Is Alive _Rare Tracks In The Snow_

conclusion & goodbye

"Rock & Roll Cinnamon Tree" Maggie Sue Wimberly _Feel Like Rockin': Tennessee Rock & Roll_

"Cinnamon Cindy" Jimmy Gilmer _The Best Of The Rest Of The Fireballs' Vocals (featuring Jimmy Gilmer)_

"Cinnamint Shuffle (Mexican Shuffle)" The Johnny Mann Singers _Cinnamint Shuffle (Mexican Shuffle)_

"Cinnamon Grahams" Death By Chocolate _Zap The World_

"Cinnamon Smiles" Liar's Club _Drop Dead_

* "Cinnamon - Spice Related (Free stock photo)" by trophygeek is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Whither Cinnamon?

(Image from this article on cnn.com)

Why a radio show about cinnamon? Did you read that article linked above? "'I think the strongest evidence lies so far with diabetes & the promise of cinnamon & blood sugar control,' Lauri Wright, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, said, pointing to studies in test tubes & mice & even small studies in people showing that cinnamon helps with insulin sensitivity & glucose transport while decreasing inflammation."

Did you hear that?  Insulin sensitivity & glucose transport while also decreasing inflammation?!?  Isn't that enough to justify a three-hour radio show?!?

All right then.  You can listen to Self Help Radio's show about cinnamon tonight (Monday night) or tomorrow (Tuesday morning) if you prefer from midnight to 3am on 90.7 fm KBOO, online at kboo dot fm.  It's three hours of cinnamon songs, interviews, & other stuffs.  & it'll smell really, really good.

Preface To Cinnamon: Cinnamon Challenge

Check this shiz out: "The cinnamon challenge is a viral internet food challenge. The premise of the challenge is that one films themself eating a spoonful of ground cinnamon in under 60 seconds without drinking anything, with the video being uploaded to the internet as evidence."

Cool, thanks Wikipedia!  Oh no, you're going to be a downer aren't you: "The challenge is difficult & carries substantial health risks because the cinnamon coats & dries the mouth & throat, resulting in coughing, gagging, vomiting, & inhalation of cinnamon, which can in turn lead to throat irritation, breathing difficulties, & risk of pneumonia or a collapsed lung."

Collapsed lung?!?  You can read more at the Wikipedia.  I paid almost no attention to this & very little even now as I'm about to do a show about cinnamon.  Like that ice bucket thing, I thought this was recent but the Wikipedia says different:

"The challenge has been described online since 2001, & increased in popularity in 2007, peaking abruptly in January 2012 & falling off almost as sharply through the first half of that year, then tapering off almost to its previous level by 2014. By 2010, many people had posted videos of themselves attempting this challenge on YouTube & other social networking websites. At the peak, Twitter mentions reached nearly 70,000 per day."

People are weird.  Also, the phrase "viral internet food challenge" is concerning.

One thing I don't know is if Blogger lets you post animated gifs.  Maybe it does, I don't know.  But I'm not going to post any.  Instead, I'll point you to this page of animated gifs related to the cinnamon challenge.  Minutes of fun for the entire family!