Today is National Bundt Day. The good folks at Nordic Ware, makers of the Bundt Pan, assure us of this and add proof by way of a photo…of a framed proclamation signed by the Governor of Minnesota:
Of course, this begs the question: Since when does a Governor have the clout to declare a NATIONAL Holiday?
This fact does not surprise me at all, since I am told that Minnesota is a hotbed of Swedes, Norwegians, North Pole Elves and various other folk of cheerful, hearty…well, Nordic…stock. I know this because my 100% Irish Father in Law grew up in Minnesota, and I have oft heard him reminisce fondly of his childhood days with those “friggin’ Swedes”.
...yep. That's ABBA...in front of the Swedish Flag...
Now, I don’t know for certain if Bundt’s Inventor, H. David Dalquist is from Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish or Danish ancestry. I’m thinking not Danish, because the Bundt Cake is in direct competition with their world famous circular pastry.
A loyal Dane wouldn’t do that, would he?
I’ve read the story of how he came to develop the Bundt Pan, but it’s not nearly as entertaining as the version I’ve developed in my head, wherein he imbibed a bit too much Akavit while ice fishing on a frozen lake and attacked big Thor Gustafson with the hubcap off his ‘57 Chevy, bending that sucker right down over Thor’s melon head, because Thor had the misfortune of catching the monster catfish H. David had been after for eighteen years.
(Yes, I’ve seen Grumpy Old Men a half dozen or more times…why do you ask?)
Anyway…for the last hour and a half of this glorious Holiday, I encourage you to celebrate the Bundt, and it’s contribution to Holiday Gatherings everywhere. Because, really…when you think of some of the OTHER things the Scandinavians have brought us…
…you realize that Bundt is something for which we should TRULY be thankful!
In a desperate attempt to force myself to write a post, I scanned my list of labels for inspiration, and my eye fell on ol’ AH. So, purely for giggles, I checked his name on Google News.
Turns out my man has had FIVE articles referencing him in the past week!
(The one about the White House Tuesday Night Jam is my personal favorite. Placenta & avocado trees andthe question of just how many spouses Mr. Chabon actually has were high points.)
Yeah, when we’ve been dead a hundred and five friggin’ years, let’s see if WE spawn quintuple news stories on some random week in May.
My dealer is now providing Drive Thru Crack, y’all…
Blogger has Mobile posting. From your cell phone. Are you KIDDING me, Blogger? Seriously – like I wasn’t ALREADY an addict?
(I have four blogs, dude. I know you don’t read them – you don’t even read this one, really, you’re only here for the music. But, I’m okay with that.) So, thrilled with the prospect of being able to post from my easy chair – which is all of two feet from the computer – while watching American Idol last night, I put my feet up on the ottoman, took a picture of the tv (photographic evidence of my vantage point) and tried to post.
Five times.
For some reason, it wouldn’t go through with the photo attached.
I ignored the shakes and the eye twitching, and tried again.
Six more times.
Before I broke out in the inevitable cold sweat, I went to bed. I can control this, right? It is NOT controlling ME.
This morning, after I got the kid fed and my first cuppa, I re-examined the issue. I posted without the photo. Success! It went through!
…the post was all in Techno-Greek, with a plethora of question marks peppered throughout. GAH! What are these people DOING to me? Do they not realize that this sort of thing will drive me out of my ever lovin’ mind? That now I HAVE to figure out how to fix this problem? That I will spend HOURS of my life trying to find an end-around or widget or downloadable gibberish translator?
So, as “Music Managers” go, I have two. iTunes for my iPod and Rhapsody for my cell phone.
I’ve discovered that the “Random Shuffles” on them are decidedly not random. These things are posessed. Now, I have the SAME music on BOTH of them – the entire library is identical. Should be random draws, right?
Well, you tell me. Here’s what came up not five minutes ago:
Rhapsody:
Black Crowes – Remedy
Squeeze – Another Nail in My Heart
The Cure – Friday I’m in Love
The Smiths – How Soon is Now
Go On, Say It – Blind Pilot
iTunes:
Lyle Lovett – That’s Right (You’re Not From Texas)
Neko Case – Jettison
Billy Bragg & Wilco – Caliornia Stars
Pat Green – Wave on Wave
Shane Nicholson – You and Your Enemy
See? I’m not nuts – see??? Today Rhapsody wants me to be all rock/punk/new wave. iTunes wants me to be altCountry.
Is it any WONDER I can’t get shit done? Even my music players are conspiring against me!
NPR has a link for a free download of ten songs by artists from the South by Southwest Music Festival. (Thanks for the heads up, faith. You’re awesome.)
(And if you don’t know about SxSW…quickly but carefully extricate yourself from beneath the rock under which you obviously live and go HERE. Sheese.)
I’m listening right now, and have fallen IN LOVE with Blitzen Trapper. ‘Furr’ = love, y’all…*sigh*…LOVE this song!
Go. Get yours. Then come back and tell me which one YOU love…
So, I was in Walgreen’s Drug Store a couple hours ago…and who should come on the radio/programmed piped in music for my listening while browsing pleasure but the one, the only…
JOE JACKSON!
No, not Shoeless Joe Jackson, although for what it’s worth, I think they should lift the ban and put him in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
No, not Michael, Tito and Janet’s Daddy Joseph Jackson, although for what it’s worth, I think they should have thrown his ass in jail years ago. (And probably some other family members, too…)
I mean, yes – I acknowledge that he does look a bit like the creepy dude who works at the Corner Drug Store in some sleepy little Southern town where inexplicably no one seems to have air conditioning in the sweltering summer heat, and who you’re not entirely sure hasn’t looked up your address in the Pharmacist’s records and been peering at you through the neighbor’s hedge while standing on his toolbox which is filled with crickets, duct tape, random kitchen knives and an Iggy Pop 45…
But, I don’t have to look at him to groove, now do I? I think I wore my Look Sharp album AND cassette tape slap out one summer. (Yeah, dude…I said album AND cassette. I’m old.)
Now, pop the player out and go back to what you were doing. Listen to these five songs, then come back and tell me if you haven’t found a lil’ love in your heart for ol’ Joey.
