Bluto

My deepest apologies for not constantly sharing pictures of our new kitten Bluto. This picture is two weeks old, he has grown since then. He is astonishingly sweet, he is unbelievably adorable, & I can't believe I'm not doing more to promote his general awesomeness.

But come on over, he'd be glad to meet you.

One More Shot At Nothing

(An image of cosmic background radiation from here.)

If you've been following the sad tale of this "This Week On Self Help Radio," you may have heard the difficult plot points:

1) Because of inclement weather, & rather its feared return, I decided to postpone my regular radio show 7 quickly record an episode. My wife was convinced it would snow all night & be a rerun of last week, where many Portlanders were stuck in their cars as a record amount of snow fell.
2) I didn't check the weather myself because I'm a dumb or else I'd have known that wouldn't happen.
3) In my wife's defense, the record snowfall surprised everyone.
4) I finished the show & got confirmation from the Program Director that it was locked & loaded for a midnight airing.
5) I napped & stuff.
6) I sat down to live tweet the show at midnight. It all seemed to be going well for a show where every song was called "Nothing."
7) Around midnight-thirty, the next show began. The show scheduled for 3am.
8) I went to bed.

Because the show was prerecorded, I was able to upload it to the KBOO website (as well of course to the Self Help Radio website). But I felt bad for the artists that I played that they wouldn't go out over the air in Portland when I suddenly remembered: I also do an episode of Self Help Radio on XRAY!

Therefore tomorrow morning on XRAY, there's be nothing. Hopefully I'll be there live to present it. That's 5-7am on 91.1 & 107.1 fm in town & online at xray.fm. There'll be nothing different from the recorded show - except it'll only be two hours long plus it'll be live. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Self Help Radio 022823: Nothing

In typical fashion, this morning's Self Help Radio - which was really all nothing - aired for about thirty minutes, then I guess the KBOO automation got sick of it, & it started the next show. Which is fine. It was better than nothing.

But I did upload the show, which contains forty-nine songs all called either "Nothing" or "Nothin'," to the show's website & to the KBOO website. No one will listen of course, because who wants to listen to nothing?

Just in case (might as well, since I've done all the dumb work), it's at the KBOO website & also at the Self Help Radio website. Remember, at the show's website, you'll need a password (selfhelp) & a username (SHR).

Everything that I played on the show is below. Nothing I played on the show is below.

Self Help Radio Nothing Show
"Nothing" Ken Nordine _Wink: Ken Nordine Does Robert Shure_
"Nothin'" Luckey Roberts _The Good Time Jazz Story_
"Nothing" The Fugs _Golden Filth_

"Nothing" Dusty Springfield _A Girl Called Dusty_
"Nothing" The Four Tops _Soul Spin_
"Nothin'" The Ugly Ducklings _Somewhere Outside_
"Nothing" The Distractions _Nobody's Perfect_
"Nothin'" Townes Van Zandt _Delta Momma Blues_

"Nothing" Vice Squad _Avon Calling (The Bristol Compilation)_
"Nothing" Prats _Now That's What I Call Prats Music_
"Nothing" Flipper _Album Generic Flipper_
"Nothing" John Cooper Clarke _Walking Back To Happiness_
"Nothin'" All _Percolator_

"Nothing" Blind Mice _Something's Wrong_
"Nothing" The Mighty Lemon Drops _Ricochet_
"Nothing" The Popinjays _Flying Down To Mono Valley_
"Nothing" Super 5 Thor _Gazelle_
"Nothing" Cinnamon _Vertigo_

"Nothing" Depeche Mode _Music For The Masses_
"Nothing" Frazier Chorus _Ray_
"Nothing" Whirlpool Productions _The Sound Of Cologne Vol. 1_
"Nothing" Nitin Sawhney _Prophesy_
"Nothing" People Like Us _Abridged Too Far_

"Nothing" Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians _Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars_
"Nothing" Robyn Hitchcock _You & Oblivion
"Nothing" Daniel Johnston _Why Me? Live Volksbühne Am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz Berlin 6/6/99_
"Nothin'" Rowland S. Howard _Pop Crimes_
"Nothing" Editors _The Weight Of Your Love_

"Nothing" Julian Cope _Jehovahkill (Legacy Edition)_
"Nothing" Carney Hild Kramer _Black Power_
"Nothing" Belreve _Belreve_
"Nothing" Meat Puppets _No Joke!_
"Nothing" Nada Surf _Karmic_

"Nothing" Velocity Girl _Gilded Stars & Zealous Hearts_
"Nothing" Earthlings _Crippled Champions: The Crippled Bargain_
"Nothing" The Groovie Ghoulies _99 Lives_
"Nothing" The Damned _So, Who's Paranoid?_
"Nothing" The Cribs _Ignore The Ignorant_

"Nothing" Boom Boom Satellites _On_
"Nothing" Car Seat Headrest _Little Pieces Of Paper With "No" Written On Them_
"Nothin'" Coma Cinema _Baby Prayers_
"Nothing" Insects Vs. Robots _Theyllkillyaa_
"Nothing" Wild Palms _Live Together, Eat Each Other_

"Nothin'" Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers _Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers_
"Nothing" Lala Lala _Sleepyhead_
"Nothing" Sacred Paws _Strike A Match_
"Nothing" Ashley Shadow _Only The End_
"Nothing" Gladie _Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out_

"Nothing" John Fahey & Cul De Sac _The Epiphany Of Glenn Jones_

Whither Nothing?

The weather here has been weird. It snowed so much on Thursday I think that people were stranded on the streets. This has affected my wife, who woke me up this morning concerned that, if I were to go to KBOO tonight to do my show, I would be trapped there because she believed it was going to snow all night long.

This appears not to be the case but I decided to put aside the regularly planned show - with the theme "lifetimes" - I still had lots of editing to do for my fake interviews - & I gathered three hours of songs called "Nothing" (also "Nothin'") & quickly put a show together that will air in its place.

For my wife's sake, I'll be safe at home, though I'll still live tweet the show. It won't be a show about nothing, though - the entirety of the show is nothing. Listen to nothing at all for three whole hours - midnight to 3am Portland time - on 90.7 fm in town & online at kboo.fm.

& don't worry if you can't listen. You'll miss nothing.

Preface To Lifetimes: New Things Happening In My Lifetime

On tonight's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver the subject was AI, & I learned about Chat GPT, which I had heard about before but never paid much attention to. I went & signed up to use the AI & asked it to write a 500 word essay "about the program Self Help Radio on KBOO Portland."  Here's what it wrote. Spoiler alert: it's about 99.9% bullshit.

-----

Self Help Radio is a unique program that airs on KBOO Portland. It is a show that aims to inspire and empower individuals to take charge of their lives and make positive changes. This program provides a platform for people to share their stories, experiences, and insights on various topics related to self-improvement, personal growth, and holistic living. In this essay, I will explore the program in more detail, discussing its content, format, and impact.

The show is hosted by different individuals who bring their unique perspectives and expertise to the program. The format is generally an interview-style format, where the host speaks with a guest who is knowledgeable about a particular topic related to self-help or personal development. Some of the topics that have been covered on the program include mindfulness, meditation, yoga, nutrition, relationships, and addiction recovery. The guests are often experts in their field, including therapists, coaches, authors, and wellness practitioners.

One of the unique features of Self Help Radio is that it is a community-driven program. The show regularly features individuals from the Portland community who have inspiring stories to share. These individuals have overcome challenges and obstacles in their lives and have used their experiences to help others. The show provides a space for them to share their stories and insights, which can be incredibly inspiring and uplifting for listeners.

Another important aspect of Self Help Radio is its focus on holistic living. The show emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The guests often provide practical tips and strategies for listeners to incorporate into their daily lives, such as mindfulness exercises, healthy eating habits, and stress-reduction techniques. By focusing on holistic living, the program encourages listeners to take a comprehensive approach to self-improvement and personal growth.

Self Help Radio has had a significant impact on the Portland community. It has become a trusted source of information and inspiration for individuals seeking to improve their lives. The program has helped many people overcome challenges and obstacles in their lives and has provided them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. The show has also helped to build a strong sense of community among listeners, who often connect with one another and share their own experiences and insights.

In conclusion, Self Help Radio is a valuable program that provides a platform for individuals to share their stories, experiences, and insights on various topics related to self-help and personal development. The show's focus on holistic living and community-driven approach has had a significant impact on the Portland community, inspiring and empowering individuals to take charge of their lives and make positive changes. Whether you are seeking to improve your physical health, mental well-being, or spiritual growth, Self Help Radio is an excellent resource that provides practical tips and strategies for achieving your goals.

-----

Of course, I will be using this as much as possible.  After all, I have recently read that "[Self Help Radio] has become a trusted source of information and inspiration for individuals seeking to improve their lives."

Peanuts Of The Day

A hundred million years ago on my Facebook page, I spent two years scanning a Peanuts strip from that day (you know, like it it was February 25, I'd scour my Peanuts books & find a strip I liked from that day) & post it. I did it every other day because I knew I couldn't do it daily. I also, when I started, hadn't got all the Fantagraphics Peanuts reissues.

Anyway, here's the strip from February 25, 1959, posted to Facebook eleven years ago. It's a sentiment that would actually be echoed later by Linus. It also features the original Patty, whom some fans love more than Peppermint Patty, who wouldn't appear in the strip until 1966.

When I was first reading the reissues, I became a little obsessed with characters who were slowly phased out by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz over time. Wikipedia tells us, "Although the original Patty would make cameo appearances throughout the run of Peanuts, she had ceased being a featured character by about 1975. She continued to make cameo or background appearances until the early 1990s. Her last appearance was a rerun of a 1992 strip which was republished on November 27, 1997." I guess it's better than what happened to Shermy.

As for me, I have a more holistic love of the strip. While I am fucking obsessed with those early comics, I grew up in the 1970s reading Peanuts in the actual daily paper, & have real memories about certain storylines & stand-alone strips. So I can't dismiss middle-period Schulz.

Anyway, that's enough about Patty. I just went down a rabbit hole & read the last year of Peanuts strips. I know it's two decades ago, & I know he had cancer, but I still find Charles Schulz's death at 77 at too fucking young. He should've had at least another decade of Peanuts strips in him.

Insert pathetic Charlie Brown sigh here.

Wow It Snowed A Lot

Our backyard last night. Guess I won't be going to do Self Help Radio on XRAY tomorrow morning!

What? You didn't know I did that? No one does? Oh. Well, they're just like two-hour versions of the Self Help Radio show on KBOO a few days before. Is that a bad idea? Should I be doing something else?

Hmm, okay. I'll think about it. But until then, if you wanna listen to the XRAY version of Self Help Radio, why, you can do so right here.

Self Help Radio 022123: Wrecks

It's the first Self Help Radio of KBOO's Winter Membership Drive & the show is a wreck!

Can't blame it on the drive though - the show has been a wreck for quite a while. At least this time there's some music about wrecks on it - car wrecks, train wrecks, nervous wrecks, homewreckers, wrecking balls, truly all kinds of wreckage. Plus interviews! & of course no money raised for poor KBOO.

Some people enjoy watching wrecks. Maybe they'll enjoy listening to one too. You can do so at either the KBOO website or at the Self Help Radio website. At the show's website, you'll need a username & a password (that's SHR & selfhelp) but you can download it, if that's the kind of thing you like.

All the things that happened are below. Did we check ourselves before we wrecked ourselves? I should say not!

Self Help Radio Wrecks Show
"Wrecking Line" Varsity _Fine Forever_
"Wreck Of Mind" Bill Fox _One Thought Revealed_
"Call The Wrecking Crew" Cleaners From Venus _English Electric_

introduction & definitions

"Wreck My Style" Beatnik Filmstars _Astronaut House_
"Wreck My Flow" The Dirtbombs _We Have You Surrounded_
"Rent A Wreck" Suburban Kids With Biblical Names _#1_
"Wreck" Del Cielo _Us Vs. Them_
"A Train Wreck" Bearsuit _The Phantom Forest_

interview with Mr & Mrs Spellman, the unluckiest drivers in Portland

"The Wreck Of The Virginian" Blind Alfred Reed _People Take Warning! (Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs, 1913-1938)_
"Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train" Uncle Dave Macon _Hard Times In The Country_
"The Wreck Of Old '97" Johnny Cash _With His Hot & Blue Guitar_
"The Wreck Of The Number Nine" Rosalie Sorrels _Classic Railroad Songs (From Smithsonian Folkways)_
"The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" Gordon Lightfoot _Summertime Dream_

interview with shipwreck explorer Felix Fillman

"Shipwrecked Blues" Clara Smith _Louis Armstrong & The Blues Singers_
"Shipwrecked" The Gothic Archies _The Tragic Treasury: Songs From "A Series Of Unfortunate Events"_
"Shipwrecked" My Robot Friend _Open The Book_
"Shipwreck" The Luxembourg Signal _Blue Field_
"The Shipwreck Coast" The Lucksmiths _Naturaliste_

interview with wrecking ball operator Wesley Sanderson

"Wrecking Ball" Neil Young _Freedom_
"The Wrecking Ball Company" Marissa Nadler _The Sister_
"Wrecking Ball" Snow Machine _Snow Machine_
"Wrecking Ball" City Light _Memory Guide_
"Wrecking Ball" Interpol _Our Love To Admire_

interview with Todd & Jenny of support group Portland's Nervous Wrecks

"Nervous Wreck" Radio Stars _The Chiswick Story: Adventures Of An Independent Record Label 1975-1982_
"Nervous Wreck" Apex Manor _Heartbreak Manor_
"Nervous Wreck" Call & Response _Tiger Teeth_
"Nervous Wreck" Sera Cahoone _Deer Creek Canyon_
"The Nervous Wreck Of Edna Fitzgerald" Four Bitchin' Babes _Gabby Road_

a discussion of homewreckers

"Home Wrecker" Fontella Bass _Free: The Paula Recordings_
"Homewreckers" Tyrone Davis _Home Wrecker_
"Homewrecker" Nick Lowe _The Convincer_
"My Career As A Homewrecker" Jonathan Richman _Having A Party With Jonathan Richman_
"Homewrecker" Sarge _The Glass Intact_

conclusion & goodbye

"Crawling From The Wreckage" Dave Edmunds _Repeat When Necessary_
"Girl Singing In The Wreckage" Black Box Recorder _England Made Me_
"This Wreckage" Gary Numan _Telekon_
"Kling To The Wreckage (feat. Justin Wakefield)" The Crystal Method _Divided By Night_

Whither Wrecks?

It often feels like my life is a wreck, so why not a show about wrecks?

It's probably only of interest to me that the word "wrecks" & the name "Rex" are homonyms. One means "something badly damaged or destroyed" & the other is a name that comes from the Latin for "king." Although to be fair, some (most?) kings were good at wrecking things.

Anyway, when I would say, "This week's show has the theme 'wrecks,'" I would often worry that a listener might think it was about the name, not the damaged vehicle. That's why I thought of it.

Tonight's show is not fit for a king. It's on 90.7fm in town & online at kboo.fm - on from midnight to 3am Portland time. Not responsible for any wrecks that happen because of the show.

Preface To Wrecks: The Wreck Room

Here's a confession: I didn't see many live music shows in Fort Worth. I lived there for almost three years but when I saw live music, I mostly did so in Dallas. When I did see live music in Fort Worth, it was because I was volunteering at benefits for KNON. At one of those places, I saw the cross in the above picture, which reads "RIP Wreck Room."

Of course, Wreck Room is an awesome name for a club. It's a good pun & it sets the tone, like every good club name should. I wish I'd thought of it! Later on, I went to a search engine, to see what I could find. I found this article.

The internets tell me it was located at 3208 W 7th St, but that wasn't where I saw the cross & took the picture - that was at W 5th & Foch, across from Lola's Trailer Park. Apparently that club space has now moved, but I spent a couple of full days at the previous location probably in 2017 & 2018 helping with I think the Fort Worth Blues Fest. The picture above is dated February 2, 2018. I remember there being a table for tattoos & the person trying to convince me to get one. I shoulda just lied & said I already had one.

Would I have enjoyed the Wreck Room? I dunno, I didn't enjoy Fort Worth very much. I did love the house we had there, though, as I wrote about here. & a few of our neighbors. But not the town.

Tomorrow night I'll turn the little deejay booth at KBOO into a Wreck Room tho! Oh shit I can't even say that with a straight face.

Valentine's Day True Love Books

(all images from Goodreads)

It's an extra bonus post!

(I am repeating this from the earlier thing I wrote today:)
Hey. I know Valentine's Day was like a few days ago. The theme of the show this VDay was "true love." You can listen to it here or here. But the fact that it's no longer Valentine's Day doesn't mean we can't continue to talk about think about or hope for true love, does it?

Our favorite librarian Carole stopped by to talk about books featuring true love. The covers are above, but here are the details. Please click on the name for more info!

Bagel In Love by Natasha Wing & Helen Dardik*
Zombie In Love by Kelly DiPucchio & Scott Campbell
Slugs In Love by Susan Pearson & Kevin O'Malley
Viking In Love by Doug Cenko

Please enjoy these wondrous books - Carole picks things I know you'll love - so check them out at your library or, if you want to purchase one, please do so from a local bookstore & not Amazon, which hates writers & puts local bookstores out of business.

& remember! Even if you never find true love itself, but we can always find books about true love. & some of them will be filled with adorable kittens!

* Good Reads like to write the name of the author & then put the word illustrator in parentheses next to the artist, but as a long-time comic book nerd I assume the artist is as involved in the creation as the writer, so I don't single one or the other out, because it feels like it's diminishing them somewhat.

Valentine's Day True Love Movies

(image from the IMDb)

Hey. I know Valentine's Day was like a few days ago. The theme of the show this VDay was "true love." You can listen to it here or here. But the fact that it's no longer Valentine's Day doesn't mean we can't continue to talk about think about or hope for true love, does it?

Our resident cinephile Chuck came on the show to talk about films tagged with "true love" on the IMDb. You can see that list here. There's also a list on Letterboxd. (His reviews are on Letterboxd too.)

But what about the movies?  Why, watch some of them on his YouTube playlist. Or watch more on the IMDb list of films streaming elsewhere for free. There is so much to watch!

Keep up with what Chuck is watching (he'll be back in three weeks) at his Twitter account. Give him a follow! Watch movies along with him!

Because we might never find true love itself, but we can always find movies about true love. You old romantic you.

New Computer Woes

(I miss my Mac SE. Image from here.)

This is a completely dumb middle class problem but - I just got a new computer - & so many of my old fucking apps no longer work on it. These include applications that are essential for making radio shows - since I not only record at least one of them from home (The Dickenbock Report) but I also record funny people & use those recordings as interviews for Self Help Radio.  & it has been fucking exhausting trying to figure out what works & doesn't & then trying to research if I can get a decent replacement.

The first hard thing is transferring over all the data. That is fourteen hours of work - not work I have to do, but what am I supposed to do with my time while it's happening?  Not using a computer, that's what!

Then it's time to see what has transpired in the let's see oh no TEN YEARS?!? since I had a new computer. Hey developers, why don't you think of programs written in 2012 when you make your new computers? Why do we have to update? They were just grand - imagine how amazing they'd be when they're as fast as the new computer is? But nope!

& something else - I got my first computer in 1993 & was online at the end of that year. I don't want to use applications based on the web. Yes, I get it, I have email on the web, & social media on the web, but editing sound on a web-based app? Holy shit why? What if their stupid website goes down? Please just let me have the application on the computer. With the files too. I don't want to keep my files somewhere else. I know they're just dumb electron things but as someone smarter than me once said, "The cloud is just someone else's computer." I paid a lot of money so I could have space on my computer for my electron things.

Anyway, this could become what the British call a "proper whinge" but I'm too tired. Just so tired. & I'm going out tonight. & when I come back I'll see what needs to be done. & hope I can do some work tomorrow. & I know I'm going to walk in downtown Portland past people sleeping in the streets & they would love to have to fret over setting up a new computer instead of you know finding shelter in the cold weather, among other things.

& this tempers my frustration & weariness. Until I discover I have to do something with security settings to make something work & then I'm bouncing my head off my desk as the only logical reaction to the stupidity of it all. Do people who make computers use them? Have they ever had to upgrade from one computer to another?

Etc.

Self Help Radio 021423: Valentine's Day 2023 - True Love

That picture up there - I've colored it, of course, & added the show's logo - I took it sometime in the spring of 2022, & it looked to me like someone splattered paint around a telephone pole so it would look like the pole was piercing the heart. Maybe no one sees it but me. Still, I thought it a nice symbol of true love.

Because that is this Valentine's Day show's theme! All songs about true love, plus lots of conversations with friends about true love, & visits from our favorite librarian & our resident cinephile, who have books & movies about true love to discuss.

Perhaps you can listen with your true love. Or it can just remind you how romantic you are as you yearn for true love. Or like Valentine's Day in general it can be a real bummer.

Howsoever you feel, if you'd like to listen, you can do so at both the KBOO website & at the Self Help Radio website. As usual, the latter requires a username & password (SHR + selfhelp) but you can download it. All the stuff that happens is below.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Self Help Radio Valentine's Day True Love Show
"True Love" Herman Griffin _For This I Thank You: Motown R&B, Popcorn, & Rock 'N' Roll_
"True Love" George Harrison _Thirty Three & 1/3_
"True Love" Jilted John _True Love Stories_

a quick introduction

"True Love" Marching Girls _1_
"True Love" X _More Fun In The New World_
"True Love" Adrian Younge Presents The Delfonics _Adrian Younge Presents The Delfonics_
"True Love (feat. James Bay)" Montag _Phases_
"True Love" Crushed Out _Teeth_

our favorite librarian Carole talks about books featuring true love

"True Love" Fenster _The Pink Caves_
"True Love" Vince Mira _El Radio_
"True True Lovin'" The Bristols _Introducing The Bristols_
"Monologue For An Old True Love" Isobel Campbell _Amorino_
"From My Own True Love (Lost At Sea)" The Decemberists _Picaresque_

our resident cinephile Chuck talks about movies featuring true love

"True Love Cast Out All Evil" Roky Erickson _Reverend Of Karmic Youth_
"My True Love" The Bobby Fuller Four _The Bobby Fuller Four_
"Tell Me (I'm Your True Love)" Gore Gore Girls _Up All Night_
"When Love Is True" Susan Hampshire _The Girls' Scene_
"Don't Let True Love Die" Diana Ross & The Supremes _The Never-Before-Released Masters_

a conversation with my friend Derek

"True Love Will Find You In The End" Spectrum _Still In A Dream: A Story Of Shoegaze 1988-1995_
"Finding Out True Love Is Blind" Louis XIV _Illegal Tender_
"True Love Knows" La Luz _Weirdo Shrine_
"I Found A True Love" Wilson Pickett _The Midnight Mover_
"I Lost A True Love" Danny Wagner & The Kindred Soul _Big City Soul Volume 1_

a conversation with my friend Bobbie

"True True Love" Mickey & Sylvia _Love Is Strange_
"True Love Don't Grow On Trees" Helene Smith _Eccentric Soul: The Outskirts Of Deep City_
"My True Love" Freddie McKay _Soul Defenders At Studio One_
"True Love Tends To Forget" Bob Dylan _Street-Legal_
"Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair (Jaffa Remix)" Nina Simone _Verve // Remixed²_

a conversation with my friend Roger

"Glory Of True Love" John Prine _Fair & Square_
"True Love Leaves No Traces" Dead Famous People _I'm Your Fan: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen
By..._
"True Love Never Dies" Allen Orange _Crescent City Soul: The Sound Of New Orleans 1947-1974_
"You'll Never Cherish A Love So True" The Vells _Finders Keepers (Motown Girls 1961-67)_
"Even True Love" Widowspeak _Plum_

a conversation with my friend Jarvis

"First Dance, First Kiss, True Love" Billy J. Killen _Teen Town U.S.A. Volume 8_
"(If You Cry) True Love, True Love" The Drifters _The Definitive Drifters_
"Love So True" Tielman Brothers _The Golden Years Of Dutch Pop Music (A&B Sides)_
"A Love As True As Mine" The Roc-Kays Band _The Deepest Soul_
"True Love Don't Come Easy" Stephanie Mills _Tantalizingly Hot_

a conversation with my friend Joan
+ conclusion & goodbye

"A True Love Goodbye" Roy Orbison _Orbison 1955-1965_
"True Luv Gone Astray" Joey Tedeschi & The Idols _Sigh Cry Die_
"True Love Is Not Nice" Jonathan Richman _I'm So Confused_"True Love Ways" Buddy Holly _Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings & More_

Whither True Love (Valentine's Day Show 2023)?

(image found here)

It's that time of year again - & Self Help Radio is actually airing on Valentine's Day this time around!

At this point, the show has covered themes like  love, hate, crushes, jealousy, boyfriends, girlfriends, love songs, lovesickness, "love is...", valentines, famous lovers, heartbreak, sweethearts, roses, flirting, the heart, "make you mine," & dating. It seemed appropriate that the show focus entirely on true love on the day of the holiday itself.

In addition to lots of songs about true love, telling us what true love is & isn't, I'll talk to several friends about their experiences with true love.  It should be goofy & romantical!

Listen tonight, or tomorrow really, at the very start of Valentine's Day, midnight to 3am Portland time on 90.7fm in town or online at kboo.fm. It probably won't help you find true love, but it may rule out some of your more disturbing notions about it.

Preface To Valentine's Day 2023 - True Love: A Picture

While I have no idea if what I have is true love, it's lasted through some ups & downs now for more than twenty years. Here's a picture of my wife & me in one of those mirrors people put up so they don't drive into traffic. I have a habit of taking pictures of us together when we walk by those.

We're not doing anything for Valentine's Day, though. I guess I'm doing a radio show. But it's a regular day for us. In fact, she just said, as I showed her this picture, "Valentine's Day is this week? So that's why you've been playing all those songs about love!"

Steely Albini

(image from this place)

This article - which is just about a series of tweets - made the rounds on Facebook a couple days back. The article is entitled "Steve Albini On Why He Hates Steely Dan." To be fair, he never said he actually hated them - you can read the Twitter thread here. He said, a shot across the bow, "I will always be the kind of punk that shits on Steely Dan."

Personally I think it takes a great deal of energy to hate something. It's wearying. There's music I don't think about, & music I really don't like, but to say I hate any music is to imagine I've invested actual time into caring about it. & I don't like it, so why should I care about it?

Albini writes well, & is funny besides - I would need to have the money the Steely Dans have & their legion of fans to be able to withstand an insult as powerful as "Music made for the sole purpose of letting the wedding band stretch out a little." I mean, I feel wounded by the shrapnel of that remark!

On Facebook, there were the usual agreements & disagreements, with all the requisite huffing+puffing on one side ("he's only saying that because his music is worse than theirs"), & the smug "me too"s on the other side ("I've always said that!"). The amusing middle ground was the people who would say, "I totally agree & yet I love Steely Dan."

Many might think this is about the power of one person's opinion. How influential & amazing Steve Albini must be to cause such a reaction! It's actually not about that. It's about the insecurity of one's own opinion. Because there are few things that threaten a person's sense of self more than finding out someone else doesn't like what you like.

Which is just weird, right? Why should people like what we like?

It's very simple: we imagine we like stuff because it's the best. Why else would we like it? & if someone doesn't like it - especially someone famous! - it's like being told, it's actually not the best. Something you really love isn't the best. Why on earth would I like something that isn't the best?

This is a scenario I encounter over & over again, & have my entire life. I once told an acquaintance who values "sad music" that a record I recently heard I found terribly sad. This person listened to the record & he told me, "It's not sad at all." I said, "It may not be sad to you, but it's very sad to me." He seemed downright perplexed.

There is a prominent podcast person who, when he interviews musicians, he makes sure to ask them if they like some of his favorites. It's so painful for me to listen to this - a person who is more famous than I am desperate for his musical heroes to validate his own opinions - that I can't listen to that podcast anymore - especially if he talks to musicians.

There's a fellow I met who told me he & his friends were working on a way to determine which music was "objectively" the best. Why would someone want to do that? My first guess would be that they want to be able to "prove" they were listening to the best music.

These are things I've said a million times before. There is simply no way to be objective about subjective opinion. Things from the past that we consider "great music" were saved by elites with whom the vast majority of us have nothing in common - there were doubtless things created that many people enjoyed but didn't have the power to copy, save, etc. Using something like popularity (& in Grammy-speak, profitability) to gauge the artistic value of something becomes a dubious proposition because you find yourself weighing what you like against things you won't. Ditto things loved by critics.

For fuck's sake, just love what you love. It's nice when people like what you like - as a person who plays things I like on the radio, it's gratifying to have someone tell me they like what I play. But when they say, as a couple of people have, "You have great taste in music," I hear that as, "You like the same kind of music I do."

One of the acquaintances I mentioned above was regularly infuriated by movie critics. He usually disagreed with them, & that was upsetting for him in itself, but what really bothered him is that more people read their opinions than heard his. The very idea that their wrong opinion was more widespread than his right one caused him a great deal of anxiety.

It only bothered him because he believed the things he liked were good, great, the best & the things he didn't like were bad, terrible, the worst. He was (& probably still is) so painfully insecure that any disagreement with him was a powerful threat. (As an aside, I've known so many people like this, & almost all of them also hated to be "judged." Because they imagined someone like themselves would be judging them?)

How happy I would be if people didn't use words like "best" & used words like "my favorite" instead. Or if we all had radios shows! Do you know how you can tell what musicians I don't like? I don't play them on my radio show!

For me, discussing things I don't like isn't any fun. Like I said, love what you love. & let other people love what they love. The only way someone else's opinion can affect yours is if you give it the power to. Otherwise, your opinion is the most important for you.

Oh no I can hear people disagreeing with me already!

4101

A couple days & one post late - Tuesday's show recap was the 4100th post on this blog. I wasn't entirely aware of it - maybe I just noticed it now - so I didn't think to write something then. & since there's nothing inherently special about the number 4101 - it's not even a prime number!* - all I can do is note that I missed that round, arbitrary milestone, & share with you a picture of our new kitten Bluto.

* 3 x 1367 = 4101. Boo!

Self Help Radio 020723: Speech

This one is all over the place. Initially conceived of as a show full of speeches, it took a turn somewhere & decided to be about speech. Including the speeches you make, but also things like parts of speech or figures of speech. Why, I even tell a story about speech therapy I had as a kid! There's even a special section of songs & talk about freedom of speech.

Hopefully it's a nice listen. Which you can do at both the KBOO website & at the Self Help Radio website. Of course, at the show's website you'll need a username (SHR) & a password (selfhelp) but you can download it if you want. Everything that happened on the show (well, most everything) is noted below.

Unaccustomed as I am to speaking, here's my show about speech.

Self Help Radio Speech Show
"Captivating Speeches Made Easy: Even A Child Can Do It! (Introduction)" Better Speaking Institute _Public Speaking Made Easy_
"Universal Speech" The Go! Team _Proof Of Youth_
"Acceptance Speech" Deerhoof _The Magic_

introduction & definitions

"Speech Rapid Fire" Eyeless In Gaza _Photographs As Memories_
"Message Oblique Speech" The Associates _Fourth Drawer Down_
"Political Speech" George Carlin _When Will Jesus Bring The Pork Chops?_
"Speech For Heated Hearts (The Jaguar Song)" The Color Guard _Speech For Heated Hearts_
"Salad Of Speech" 100 Flowers _100 Flowers_

interview with members of a college Free Speech society

"This Speech Is Free" The Pheromones _Common Scents_
"Freedom Of Speech" Above The Law _Livin' Like Hustlers_
"Free Speech (1st Amendment)" Colin Quinn _Unconstitutional_
"Freedom Of Speech" Arrest! Charlie Tipper _Red_
"Freedom Of Speech" Swansea Sound _Live At The Rum Puncheon_

interview with Constitutional scholar Terrence Tasmin

"The Collected Speeches Of Groucho" The Marx Brothers _Original Voice Tracks From Their Greatest Movies_
"Checkers Speech" The Mr. T Experience _And The Women Who Love Them_
"Blaring Speeches" Blank Dogs _On Two Sides_
"Parts Of Speech" Lori Henriqes _The World Is A Curious Place To Live_
"Power Of Speech" Bob Evans _Goodnight, Bull Creek!_

interview with the Primate Speech Society

"Speech Therapy" Speech Debelle _Speech Therapy_
"Speeches (feat. Oxmo Puccino)" Inna Modja _Motel Bamako_
"Stump Speech" Great Lakes Myth Society _Compass Rose Bouquet_
"Speech Of Foxes" Gem Club _In Roses_
"Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart (No. 2)" Van Morrison _Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart_

interview with Speechifiers Anonymous

"Computer Speech" Bell Telephone Laboratories, Inc. _Computer Speech_
"Treated Speech" Cabaret Voltaire _Methodology '74 / '78. Attic Tapes;_
"Speech & Ambulation" Mouse On Mars _AAI_
"Frontline Speech (feat. Prince Far I)" Creation Rebel _Dub From Creation_
"No Speech, No Language" Gregory Isaacs _My Number One_

a story about childhood speech therapy

"Speeches" Faded Paper Figures _Dynamo_
"Speech Bubbles" Why? _Elephant Eyelash_
"Speech Coma" Blood Red Shoes _Blood Red Shoes_
"Beyond Speech" [A]Pendics.Shuffle _Helicopter Hearts_
"Figure Of Speech" Elusive _Allusions_

conclusion & goodbye

"Free Speech" Eddie Harris _Free Speech_
"Speech Of Form" Matthew Shipp String Trio _Visionfest: Visionlive_

Whither Speech?

(image from here)

Self Help Radio's theme tonight is "speech." But what does that mean? Will there be speeches? Will there be songs & talk about "freedom of speech"? What about the parts of speech? Will there be discussion & music about the ability to speak, which is speech? The answer is, of course, yes.

Initially I thought it might be fun to have a show all about speeches. Then I had a caller who requested several speeches, all of which I thought would be quite tedious to listen to on the radio. They were all quite famous, & all quite long (no recommendation of the Gettysburg Address!), & although I suppose they were edifying & historical, I decided a bunch of speeches played back-to-back for three hours, even in the middle of the night, would ultimately be kinda boring.

So what will I play? Oh dude, just tune tonight, midnight to 3am Portland time, on 90.7 fm if you're in town or kboo.fm if you're anywhere there's an internet. One thing is certain - I won't be making any speeches.