Let me know what you think, leave me a comment.
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Terrific Tunes For Tuesday – Take 64
It’s been a while, but today’s Terrific Tune For Tuesday is Melanie Martinez video for “Pity Party”. Old-timers like me will recognize the piece of Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party”, but don’t worry, credit is given and Melanie takes it into a whole new area. Actually, I’d recommend the whole “Cry Baby” CD by Melanie, but here’s a bit of it. Enjoy this Pity Party.
Let me know what you think, leave me a comment.
The 2016 Stevenology Voter Guide Makes Voting Easy!
Are you wondering how to vote in this election? Well, wonder no more. Here at stevenology we make it easy. No need to think for yourself, we’ll do that for you! It’s simple, just vote like this:
President – Hillary Clinton
US Senate – Kamala Harris
US Rep, District 6 – Doris Matsui
US Rep, District 7 – Ami Bera
State Assembly, District 7 – Kevin McCarty
Prop 55 – Tax Extension For Education and Healthcare – VOTE YES
Prop 56 – Cigarette Tax – VOTE YES
Prop 59 – Corporations and Political Spending – VOTE YES
Prop 61 – Drug Prices – VOTE YES
Prop 62 – Death Penalty Repeal – VOTE YES
Prop 63 – Firearms Control – VOTE YES
Prop 64 – Marijuana Legalization – VOTE YES
Prop 65 – Carry Out Bags – VOTE NO
Prop 66 – Death Penalty Procedures – VOTE NO
Prop 67 – Plastic Bag Ban – VOTE YES
I left some items off, vote however you want on those 😉
Now see, wasn’t that easy? Feel free to argue with me or (better yet) praise my wisdom by leaving a comment below!
Pictures From The 2016 Seattle And Bumbershoot Trip
Hello again, family, friends, and everyone else. The pictures from our 2016 trip to Ocean Shores, Seattle, and the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival (and much more!) are now online! We had a great time and so did our friends. Take a look at the pictures!
If you are thinking of going in 2017, let me know!
If you have any questions, just ask. And leave a comment if you want….
2016 Seattle and Bumbershoot photos
What we did on the 2016 trip – part 1
The 2016 Seattle And Bumbershoot Trip – Part 2
Wait! You should read part one first.
Already did that? Then let’s continue with our Seattle and Bumbershoot trip for 2016.
Friday September 2
First day of the Bumbershoot Festival. We started with lunch at Veggie Grill, then took the monorail over to the Seattle Center, where Bumbershoot happens. It’s our 16th year in a row to attend, ever since we discovered it. First on the bill today was an exclusive, private radio performance and interview with Michael Franti. This was a VIP perk and we we fortunate that all three of us could go. Nice start to the day! Then we caught a couple songs by Atlas Genius, ok but just that. We watch some of the break dancing exhibition, which Josephine liked, and checked out some of the Visual Arts exhibits too.
The 2016 Seattle And Bumbershoot Trip – Part 1
It’s our annual trip to Seattle for the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival. We go every year, since 2001, making this our 16th year in a row. And we love it more than ever. And this year our granddaughter Josephine went with us. Also traveling, our friends Cal, Laura, Mama O, Aunt Sam, and Margaret.
I’ll post some pictures soon, but first, here’s what we did on our trip.
Sunday August 28th
We took the blue van to the airport and then flew Southwest Airlines to Seattle. Once there, we rented a car and drove to Ocean Shores on the Washington coast. On the way we stopped at Chipotle for lunch. We checked in to Worldmark Mariner’s Village, our home for two nights. After a quick trip to the grocery store for supplies we relaxed back at the condo. We saw deer on the lawn and the field below our balcony.
Our Latest 58 Music Items
Here is the latest music update. Some of these were new, some were used, most were cheap. Do you love any of these? Hate any of them? Or are you just confused?
Read all the way to the end and then leave me a comment!
ARTIST – TITLE – FORMAT – SIZE – COUNTRY – COMMENTS
Prince – HitNRun Phase Two CD 5 US
Chvrches – The Bones Of What You Believe CD 5 US
Sumner, Eliot – Information CD 5 US
Murphy, Peter – Ninth CD 5 US
King, Elle – Love Stuff CD 5 US
Bowie, David – Blackstar CD 5 US
Bowie, David – The Next Day CD 5 US Two CDs and one DVD
Bowie, David – The Deram Anthology 1966-1968 CD 5 US
Airborne Toxic Event, The – The Airborne Toxic Event CD 5 US
I Blame Coco – The Constant CD 5 US
Wombats, The – The Wombats CD 5 US
Zevon, Warren – Sentimental Hygiene CD 5 US Two bonus tracks
Be Bop Deluxe – Unforgettable Tune CD 5 Unk Bootleg
Thenewno2 – You Are Here CD 5 US
Thenewno2 – Thenewno2 CD 5 US
Mates Of State – Our Constant Concern CD 5 US
David Bowie – RIP
One of the truly greats has passed on. David Bowie has died too young at 69.
There was no one like him. So innovative, such a talent. Any one of his personas would be worth celebrating but he did so many different things so well. He is already missed and will be missed for a long, long time.
Yeah. What’s So Funny About It?
Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. All that and more. Yeah yeah yeah. But whatever you believe, I still have one question, thanks to Elvis Costello, The Imposters, David Letterman, and Nick Lowe. What the #$%^& is so funny about Peace, Love, and Understanding?
Here’s Elvis hosting the Letterman show, introducing himself and his band The Imposters and performing this classic Nick Lowe-penned tuned. Not a holiday song but what better time to hope for peace, love, and understanding.
Hope you find all three of those things.
If not (or if so) you can leave me a comment…
Shop for Elvis Costello | Nick Lowe | David Letterman
Our Latest 27 Music Items
Here is the latest update. Some of these were new, some were used. Do you love any of these? Hate any of them? Or are you just confused?
CDs and DVDs/Blu-rays are listed first, then vinyl, then 8-tracks! Yes, you read that right! Read all the way to the end and then leave me a comment!
ARTIST – TITLE – FORMAT – SIZE – COUNTRY – COMMENTS
CD/BLU-RAY
Beatles, The – 1+ CD 5 US CD plus two Blu-ray discs and book
XTC – Oranges And Lemons CD 5 UK CD plus Blu-ray
Prince – Hit N Run Phase One CD 5 US
Parker, Graham – Mystery Glue CD 5 US Autographed
Parker, Graham – Official Bootleg Box CD 5 US Autographed
Metric – Pagans In Vegas CD 5 US
New Order – Music Complete CD 5 US
Mullins, Shawn – My Stupid Heart CD 5 US
Hart, Beth – Beth Hart & The Ocean Of Souls – 1993… CD 5 US
ABC – The Remix Collection CD 5 US
Bowie, David – Day In Day Out – Radio Broadcast 1987 Au CD 5 Unk
Sheeran, Ed – 5 CD 5 US Five CD Eps
Squeeze – A Round And A Bout CD 5 US
Wilson, Ann – The Ann Wilson Thing! #1 CD 5 US
Carlile, Brandi – Live At Benaroya Hall With The Seattle S CD 5 US
Jethro Tull – War Child CD 5 US Seven bonus tracks
Pictures From The 2015 Seattle And Bumbershoot Trip
Hello again, family, friends, and everyone else. The pictures from our 2015 trip to Seattle for the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival (and much more!) are now online! We had a great time and so did our friends. Take a look at the pictures!
If you are thinking of going in 2016, let me know!
If you have any questions, just ask. And leave a comment if you want….
2015 Seattle and Bumbershoot photos
What we did on the 2015 trip – part 1
The 2015 Seattle And Bumbershoot Trip – Part Two
Wait! You should read part one first.
Already did that? Then let’s continue with our Seattle and Bumbershoot trip for 2015…
Sunday September 6
After a leisurely morning, we went for lunch to Veggie Grill, a chain of vegan restaurants that we’ve loved in many cities now. This was the downtown Seattle location and, while the food was delicious, it was more remarkable that Karl and Betty came with us to eat. Why? Well, Karl is a notorious carnivore but he humored us and even found a tasty sandwich that he devoured. A win for the veg people! Then we headed out to day two of the Bumbershoot festival. The first act that we saw was Eliot Sumner and her band. All through the set I kept thinking that she sounded a lot like Sting (in a good way) and that the music was a bit Police-like (later police, not the earlier reggae-incluenced stuff). It was uncanny how much she sounded like him. We were right up in front and Petra managed to get the set list and had Eliot autograph it! As we walked to the stage for next act, I googled her and discovered why the resemblance. She is Sting’s daughter. Doh! It was not mentioned on the web site, in the app, or anywhere, but true nevertheless. Moving on, we watched part of set by Mikal Cronin. His music is kind of power-pop, a bit jangly, and while not bad we soon ventured in search of the next act.
The 2015 Seattle And Bumbershoot Trip – Part One
It was time for our annual trip to Seattle for the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival. We go every year, since 2001, making this our 15th year in a row. And we love it more than ever.
I’ll post some pictures soon, but first, here’s what we did on our trip.
Wednesday September 2
Nine of us were headed to Seattle this year, eight from Sacramento and one from Portland. We had various flights and ways to get there. Karl and Betty were taking the same flight, in the late morning. They came to our house and we took the Blue Van (Super Shuttle) to the airport. We took Southwest to Seattle, a quick and smooth flight. Once at the Seattle airport (SEA/TAC), we caught the convenient Light Rail and a bit later we were checking in to our condos at The Camlin.
The Book I Read: Gone Girl
This book, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, has been a best seller for a few years now and I finally found a copy of it used. So yes, I am behind the times, but yes also, I did read it!
It was a great read and I could hardly put it down. She has a writing style and a story that pulls you in. There were plot twists in the best way. If there was a flaw in the book it was the ending, which was ok but not great. But the rest of the book WAS great and I recommend it.
From the description on Amazon:
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
I’ve already gone out and bought another book by Ms. Flynn, and I even bought this one new!
What do you think? Leave me a comment!
The Book I Read: The Storyteller
I’ve read a couple other books by this same author, Jodi Picoult, (Nineteen Seconds and My Sister’s Keeper) and I enjoyed them both. She has a sharp knack for rich and engaging characters and for what moral choices they might make in difficult situations. Well, this book is that and more.
“Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shameful secret and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor.”
The story is set in the current day and the protagonist (Sage) is a modern young woman, but much of the story centers around an elderly man (Josef) she meets and the difficult request he makes of her. It turns out he was once a nazi working in concentration camp and a large chunk of the book takes place there in war-time Germany.
Life under the nazis and in the camps was awful beyond imagination and the harrowing narrative doesn’t shy away from that at all. I said “Whoa” and “Holy crap” out loud a few times and was moved by the characters and their gripping situations. At times it was a bit of a difficult go, with the terrible things that happened, but at the same time(s), it was so absorbing that I couldn’t put it down. This is a really good book and I do recommend it.
Have you read this book?
What do you think? Leave me a comment!
Our Latest 63 Music Items
Here is the latest update. Some of these were new, some were used, some were gifts, a few we burned. Do you love any of these? Hate any of them? Or are you just confused?
CDs are listed first, then vinyl! Read all the way to the end and then leave me a comment!
ARTIST – TITLE – FORMAT – SIZE – COUNTRY – COMMENTS
Hozier – Hozier CD 5 US
Hart, Beth – Better Than Home CD 5 US Deluxe Edition
Carlile, Brandi – The Firewatcher’s Daughter CD 5 US
Hicks, Dan – The Most Of Dan Hicks And The Hot Licks CD 5 US
Morrissey – Your Arsenal CD 5 US
Lennox, Annie – Nostalgia CD 5 US
Eurythmics – 1984 CD 5 US
Queen – Forever CD 5 US
Merchant, Natalie – Natalie Merchant CD 5 US
Sheeran, Ed – X CD 5 US Five bonus tracks
Sheeran, Ed – + CD 5 US
Jethro Tull – Minstrel In The Gallery CD 5 US
Jethro Tull – Under Wraps CD 5 US
Armatrading, Joan – Classics Volume 21 CD 5 US
Etheridge, Melissa – A Little Bit Of Me: Live In L.A. CD 5 US Bonus DVD
Etheridge, Melissa – Live CD 5 US Promo
Prince – NPG-TV: Channel Two 1989-1993 CD 5 Unk Bootleg
Bowie, David – Fame In Werchter CD 5 Unk Bootleg
Bowie, David – Boy Could He Play Guitar CD 5 Unk Bootleg
Bowie, David – The Lost Beeb Tapes CD 5 Unk Bootleg
Harrison, George – Beware Of Adkco! CD 5 Unk Bootleg
The Book I Read: The Beatles – A Hard Days Write
Are you a major Beatles fan? Not just liking their music, but wanting to know a lot more about it. If so, then this thorough but easily-readable book is just the thing. The author, Steve Turner, takes a look at every single song that they wrote and the story behind each song. Some song explanations take less than a page, others a few pages. Most of the song stories are quite interesting and informative If you wanted to know about any (or all) of their songs, then start with this book. It reads so easy but it is packed full of Beatle knowledge. I really enjoyed it.
Every song they wrote is represented here, up to and including the ones on the Anthology albums. It’s all chronological so you also get a sense of the increasing complexity and maturity of their music as time went on.
OK, yes, I know the picture here is the german version but believe me I read the English version. The German cover was a better graphic so I used that one. I got this book in the bargain books section of Barnes and Noble. So run down there and get one!
Record Store Day 2015
Today was Record Store Day, one of my favorite holidays. I was busy part of the day, but I still managed to go to a couple Dimple Records stores. You can see in the pictures that I did a little damage, not too bad. Three David Bowie picture discs, a Brandi Carlile/Lone Bellow split 7″, a Wesley Stace (John Wesley Harding) LP, a Ting Tings 7″ (on colored vinyl), a Jimi Hendrix 7″, a Pickwick 7″ (on colored vinyl), the new Annie Lennox CD, two Live promo single CDs, and a Morrissey CD that I didn’t already have for some reason. Nice haul, eh?
What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment!
