Better Living Through Literature
Words + Projects + Stuff I Like
When Toby was having his adventures outside, I would thought of that line from “Moon River,” and today I woke up with it in my head. So here’s the version from the film–we all need something pretty to look at on a Thursday, right?
However, my absolute favorite version of this is on the LP “Ben E. King Sings for Soulful Lovers.” Go check out the sample and you’ll probably agree with me.
It’s going to be a busy week at work, but at least I can listen to Otis Redding knocking it out of the park with his cover of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
Otis knows what it’s like to be unsatisfied! He knows how it feels to have to write websites when you just want to shop online! Sing it, Otis!
So as I mentioned, I’m going to Las Vegas (where it is even more warm and spring-like than it was here on Monday), so of course I had to track down some Elvis videos on YouTube. While this isn’t the original version of “A Little Less Conversation”, the mix below does a great job of showing him in his bespangled, be-jumpsuited Las Vegas glory. Enjoy.
1. Check out the Letters of Note blog, which posts scans and transcripts of, well, notable letters. The variety and historical background is really fascinating.
2. I watched Help! last night and now I want the sofa, the chair, and John’s boots from this clip:
3. And here’s something from McSweeney’s that tickled me (click through to read the other two-thirds of it):
What to Expect: The Third Decade
Keep in mind that all adults reach their developmental milestones at their own pace. It is important not to compare your adult’s rate of development to that of his peers. The following list is meant only as a guideline and not as a cause for alarm.
By thirty-years-old, your adult will probably be able to…
Feed and maintain a house pet
Hold down a job
Maintain eye contact while speaking
Refrain from discussing high school
Cook a meal (three-course)
Make small talk
Forgive his family
Acknowledge other viewpoints (social)
Detect and respond to ambiguity
Finish school
1. Happy May Day to everyone enjoying an eight-hour work day today. International Workers Day “is the commemoration of the Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886, when Chicago police fired on workers during a general strike for the eight hour day” (although someone did throw a bomb at the police first, apparently. But still.).
2. If I were ever going to knit anything for my brother, this would be it:
I actually think these are machine-knit anyway, but check them out on the collector’s Flickr page of “promotional knit beer sweaters from the 70s and 80s.”
3. And more music to finish the week–this is a blast from my past that I suddenly wanted to listen to, and then I was 15 again and riding around with my friend in the summer, going to malls.
In addition to shoes, I bought the first season of Mad Men with my first paycheck. Watching it again has been as enthralling as watching it the first time, but since I know to expect the sexism I don’t get so worked up about it–a win-win!
I watched the final episode last night and it closes with the main characters’ marriage (still) on the rocks, with “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” And listening to it, I thought, “Man, those are some bitter lyrics. But such a pretty tune. And wow, does that really work well to close the first season.”
So here is some early Bob Dylan for your listening pleasure:
…to Leonardo da Vinci, Bessie Smith, Emma Thompson, and my mom! Here is a song for her, with the big disclaimer that she is NOT 64. I just thought it was a good description of her life right now, what with the parts about gardening and going for a ride and having my dad around.
Unrelated: Yellow Submarine looks completely terrifying.
Because I have a job again! I’ll be starting here on Monday and I even have a title, one that has “senior” and “manager” and “writing” in it. Hot damn! Let the good times roll INDEED.
As Mr. Charles says at 1:47, I got fifty cents more than I’m gonna keep!
(No, not really, hon; I won’t spend it all. Don’t worry.)
We got the cold-weather greens in the ground yesterday afternoon. This was in my head the whole time, much to Mr. Isbell’s chagrin:
(Sorry to get this in your head, too, but I had to do it. There are SINGING FLOWERS. And John Denver, who is probably high as a kite and who kind of looks like a Muppet himself. )
“Gonna make a whole lot of money [while the gig lasts], gonna be big, yeah…”
(You know, every time I see pictures of Hendirx I want to give up trying to dress like a Frenchwoman and break out the big rings and the calico and the velvet.)