Yes, please…and thank you!

From ABC: The Muppets return to primetime with a contemporary, documentary-style show. For the first time ever, a series will explore the Muppets’ personal lives and relationships, both at home and at work, as well as romances, breakups, achievements, disappointments, wants and desires. This is a more adult Muppet show, for “kids” of all ages.

Yes, please…and thank you! Read More ➤

Everything and Nothing

I’ve never been a big fan of Robin Williams’ comedy. I often found his frenzied standup painful to watch and sometimes had to turn from talk shows during his segments, because even his interviews were just too manic during my “wind down” time. I was wary of his movies for the same reason, and I haven’t seen many of them. I have, however, always been a fan of Robin Williams, the man.

No, he wasn’t a hero by any stretch and didn’t accomplish… Read More ➤

Getting Jazzy

For all its quaint, laid-back charm, Vermont likes a good time!

Having a few errands in the Burlington area, I decided to check out a few of the free outdoor performances of the Discover Jazz Festival—and to see how much Vermonters enjoy the outdoor performances. I was not disappointed.

On the center block ofof the Marketplace, Burlington’s own The High Breaks were performing their not-quite-jazz but very enjoyable surf rock. I believe I heard… Read More ➤

Oh, how I ♥ New York!

When spring arrives in New York City, something special happens.

As warmer, drier weather sets in and the days get longer, outdoor dining returns, music fills the streets, and pedestrians find many more reasons to smile. New York is a happier, friendlier place in spring, and the increase in outdoor activity is the obvious sign.

But in a place that gets a reputation for having no joy or sense of humor, spontaneous outbursts of either (or both) are a much better glimpse into the… Read More ➤

Bizarre Treat

This is perhaps one of the strangest, yet most engrossing renditions of this song you’ll ever encounter.

This is Puddles the Sad Clown, and all showmanship aside, his voice is amazing, especially considering there’s no “studio magic” added. Sorry, Lorde, but this guy’s appropriately haunting vocals make your Best Pop Solo Performance Grammy seem like a Cracker Jack prize.

Hopefully we’ll hear more from Puddles… Read More ➤

The Little Things

Sometimes the little things have the most power over us. It could be a movie scene, a certain scent, or a familiar taste. For me, it’s often a song—especially lately.

Because the radio was free and we rarely had cable, music was always a big part of my life growing up. So just about any song from the 1980s or 1990s has some meaning, whether a specific relation to the lyrics, or simply an attachment in my mind to some event. Chaka Khan’s “I Feel for You” always means “Mississippi State Fair” to me. In the 1980s, they played it HEAVILY at all the rides that included music. “Come On Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners always has the feeling of zooming down an Interstate cloverleaf on the way to a friend’s birthday party, since that’s the first time I… Read More ➤

Mental Masturbation

Okay. I admit it. I have a problem.

I have to be mentally stimulated all the time. I can’t just watch TV…I have to be on the internet or reading at the same time. I can’t just work on one project, but must check the news, weather, or even map something in a different window. I can’t even finish a long email (or blog) without getting distracted and pulling up something else to read or watch. My brain is… Read More ➤