Need Help Figuring This Out

• Robert Johnson: The Centennial Collection, a new version of 1990’s The Complete Recordings updated for a new generation.
• Rarities From The Vaults, a double CD comprising Blues from the Victor Vault, a dozen rarely-collected 78s from the Victor archive by Frank Stokes, Tommy Johnson, Sleepy John Estes and other recorded between 1928 and 1932, as well as Also Playing …10 tracks featuring artists recorded during the same San Antonio and Dallas sessions as Robert Johnson.
• The Life & Music of Robert Johnson: Can’t You Hear The Wind Howl? a DVD of the critically-acclaimed 1997 documentary film, directed by Peter Meyer, hosted by Danny Glover, and featuring Keb’ Mo’ as Robert Johnson. The 76-minute film also includes interviews with Robert Cray, Johnny Shines, John Hammond, Honeyboy Edwards, Robert Lockwood Jr., Henry Townsend, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.

I find where the first item is for sale (two CDs for $14.99 at Amazon), and where to order the collector's set, but what about all three of the above together as a set like the Wall Street Journal reviewer described Saturday-Sunday?

Most Influential American Musicians

1. Al Jolson (1886–1950) dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer".
2. Jimmie Rodgers (1897–1933) considered "The Father of Country Music".
3. George Gershwin (1898–1937) he wrote numerous jazz and pop standards that have become part of The Great American Songbook, often with his lyricist brother, Ira. He also wrote Broadway musicals, the opera "Porgy and Bess", and the symphonically jazzy “Rhapsody In Blue”. Dying at 38 "his music is as fresh and vital today as when he originally created it." (Michael Feinstein)

4. Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong (1901–1971) called "the greatest of all Jazz musicians" and "the Founding Father of Jazz", Duke Ellington said: "If anybody was Mr. Jazz, it was Louis Armstrong. He was the epitome of Jazz and always will be."
5. Robert Johnson (1911-1938) "the most important blues musician who ever lived" according to Eric Clapton.
6. Woody Guthrie (1912-1967)  author of "This Land Is Your Land" and almost 3,000 other folk songs, father to Arlo, without him we wouldn't have Bob Dylan. 
7. Billie Holiday (1915-1959) she "changed the art of American pop vocals forever" according to critic John Bush.

8. Hank Williams (1923-1953) considered the father of contemporary country music.
9. James Brown (1933-2006) known as "The Godfather of Soul".
10. Elvis Presley (1935-1977) referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"; the best-selling solo artist in the history of popular music; regarded as "the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century" by Leonard Bernstein.

11. Bob Dylan (1941--) Edna Gundersen stated in USA Today that "Dylan's musical DNA has informed nearly every simple twist of pop since 1962."
12. Michael Jackson (1958-2009) referred to as the "King of Pop"; recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records.

Songs about Hank, Elvis, and Dylan

QUESTION: Who has more songs written about him, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, or Bob Dylan?

ANSWER: It ain't even close. See: Tributes to Hank. And to think he only lived to see 29.



CORRECTION: He's still The King. See "Elvis Presley Gets Hundreds Of Tributes: Wake-Up Video" (1/13/11).

"With All of Her Needs"

With all of her needs
. . Hopes and big dreams
She needs a scad
. . Of tricks, plans, and schemes.
April 24, 2011

"The Mooses Are Out"

The mooses are out
. . They're gazing at us
If not for the snout
. . They'd take the tour bus.
April 24, 2011

'Two Types of Activities'

"I have two types of activities. One is my real work, which is dreaming. My subconscious delivers me all of the concepts, finished, completely done, I just have to print. That is my real work. Otherwise, I do my job, which is communications and meetings."

French designer Philippe Starck



FROM: "60 SECONDS WITH: PHILIPPE STARCK--Starck Raving" in an interview with Deb Schwartz in the Wall Street Journal, April 23-24, 2011.

"The Farmer Is a Worker"

The farmer is a worker

. . Let's thank God for this

For if he were a shirker

. . His work would fall to sis.

April 16, 2011

"The People's Poet"

The People's Poet

. . The People's Bard

. . . The People's Laureate.

April 14, 2011

"She Smiled at Me"

She smiled at me

. . And through the glass

. . I got the pass

That only she could give.

April 14, 2011

Century Calendar: Reconciling Cycles

The need to reconcile the solar and lunar cycles is a major difficulty when designing a new calendar. What if we relieved ourselves of this need?

My Century Calendar (June 12, 2007) proposed swapping current month names with those of Zodiac signs. September 23rd, for example, becomes "Libra 1", dropping the ordinal suffix.

Using Zodiac month names neatly ties the months directly to the solar cycle, so every three months we'd land on (or pretty close to) a solstice or equinox.* This keeps the days clicking properly against the solar cycle backdrop, and the months from slipping against the seasons. It also obviates the need for fixer days like extra holidays (as earlier proposed).

But what of the lunar cycle? So much of our lives still revolves around that heavenly body (moods, romance, arts, agriculture, astrology). We can't simply ignore the moon.

The track the lunar cycle in the proposed calendar, the position of the moon would be noted on the newly-named and numbered days by sub- or superscript. Thus, the day of the lunar cycle would be properly noted and reported. The naming of days would have to be changed, putting the number before the month name (e.g., "Libra 1" changes to "1 Libra"). To demonstrate what this would look like, without claiming any scientific accuracy, it might go something like . .

1 Gemini²¹
6 Capricorn₃

Position in the lunar cycle would thus be displayed, but would not drive the main numbering system. The need to reconcile the two separate and distinct cycles--lunar and solar--would be dispensed with, but lunar cycle would be displayed for those who want (or need) to keep track.

---

*Getting days to land precisely would require a adjustment with help from astrology and astronomy experts. Months may grow or shrink a day at times, but how best to reconcile this with the Zodiac? Overlapping days?

"God's Greatest Gift to Man"

God's greatest gift to Man
Powers all the World
Puts fuel in can
And keeps our Flag unfurled.
April 7, 2011

"Such Excites the Marxists"

Such excites the Marxists:
. . Rebellion, insurrection
. . Cut and bloody, raised fists
Of all we know, destruction.

April 6, 2011

"The Moral Law of Genders"

The Moral Law of Genders
That powers all the World
Makes of the boys offenders
That must corral the girls.
April 6, 2011

"To Die on Texas Soil"

To die on Texas soil
After sucking out the oil
In blood and muck to toil
Sidestepping cobra coil.

From the harshness we might recoil
Alliances that embroil
Baking sun our skin must broil
But die we must on Texas soil.
April 6, 2011

"Principal of Badness"

Principal of badness
Architect of sad
Death to all gladness
(We hear that you've gone mad.)

April 2, 2011