the sloppy copy

“Angel in the Snow” / Elliott Smith (2007) *

First, I can’t remember if this has been an SOTD yet. If it’s a repeat, I’m sorry, but it bears repeating.

Second, When my brother was little – I mean, really little, like one-year-old – he would cry every time he heard Gerry and the Pacemakers’ “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'” on the radio. We never understood why, but as soon as any of us (my Dad, Mom or I) heard the opening bars, we would practically dive for the radio to change the station. This song sent him into inconsolable weeping that would abruptly end with the next song. Brother doesn’t remember this, so he can’t explain why it made him so sad, but I think the answer isn’t all that complicated: Some songs just hit a random spot in our brain in just the right way.

Today’s song is, without a doubt, the saddest song I know.  Just hearing the opening notes makes my heart sink, and I can’t explain why. I don’t have some clear, singular memory attached to it and it doesn’t conjure any specific image. To me, it’s just what sad sounds like. I don’t know. Just give it a listen and maybe you’ll get it too.

*It was hard to find a good link to this song, so I’m sorry if that link doesn’t work. There are a ton of folks singing it on Youtube, but it’s not quite the same. Oh, and while you’re there, listen to more of the album. It’s good stuff.

Hello, beautiful.

Was I a little hesitant to purchase this product? Yes.
Did the delicious-looking cupcake on the label influence my decision? Yes.
After trying said product in my coffee, was I disappointed? Oh, hell no.

I’ve always prided myself on the ability to make slightly awkward situations into full-blown awkward situations.

Went to see Up in the Air today with the folks. As we prepare ourselves to leave, there’s a report on the news about viruses attacking iPhones. After hearing the report, Mom asks me what a “smartphone” is. I explain to her it’s not a brand like “Nokia” or “Samsung” but rather a reference to what the phone can do.

Then we go see the movie. A little weirdness (wasn’t aware that we’d see, uh, so much of Vera Farmiga) but nothing of the earth-shattering variety. However, during a scene in which Farmiga’s character exchanges explicit texts with George Clooney’s character on their crack-berries, I leaned over to my mom.

“That is a smartphone,” I said.

“Trashcan” / Delta Spirit (2008)
For the record, this song is pretty bitchin when performed live.

“The Message” / Grandmaster Flash (1982)
Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Yesterday I had a very brief flash of – what’s the opposite of “brilliance”?
I was thinking about a book that I once owned many many years ago, and wondered where the heck it had gotten to. I wish I could type “Where did I put that book?” into Google and it would tell me where to look, I thought.

The sad thing is, I wasn’t even joking when this thought crossed my mind. It was as if my brain actually thought this technology was possible, just not yet put into form; like some beta version of Google existed with this feature.

I stayed away from the computer for awhile after that.

“Table Scraps” / Silversun Pickups (2007)

Good luck at the Grammys tonight!

“Oh Dear” / Brandi Carlile (2009)