Last chance
Before you say we're through
I know I drive you crazy, baby
It's the best that I can do
-- Vince Gill

Good Morning to everyone! I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Just a few random musings from this weekend…

Wouldn't you love to know the story behind the miscellaneous crap that is on the side of / in the road? How did a pair of blue socks come to be in the middle of a very busy 3 lane road right in front of Chick-Fil-A? How did that even happen? And has anyone else ever noticed the stuff on the side of the road that looks like someone has un-spooled their broken “Very Necessary” tape and promptly discarded the actual tape out the window? Seriously, my entire life I have wondered what this is. I see it all of the time and that’s what it looks like to me. Oh well. Yes, I am that weird.

Second thing – I like nice people. Don’t you like it when a random stranger speaks to you in passing? Or how about the Pharmacist at Bruno’s just sincerely saying, “I hope you have a good evening, sweetie.” That’s just nice. No one makes these folks do that (well, maybe Publix does) and they get nothing in return. I try to at least be friendly back. You never know when a kind word will positively impact someone’s day. So now, on that note, go out there and conquer the world with niceness, my friends!

Ames

Why is it my fault?
So maybe I try too hard
But it’s all because of this desire
I just wanna be liked, I just wanna be funny
Looks like the jokes on me
So call me captain backfire
-- John Mayer

****BIG SMILE*****

how appropriate?? Come on my friend, Isoetes, I hope you didn't take my last post as more than the tongue in cheek jab as it was intended. Are we cool?

-- dabbs

And if you're trying to cut me down
You know that I might bleed
'Cause if you're trying to cut me down
I know that you'll succeed
And if you want to hurt me
There's nothing left to fear
Cause if you want to hurt me
You're doing really well, my dear
-- Annie Lennox

Very nice to meet you (albeit it a web based meeting), Holli’s boyfriend. Despite the grief you are intent on giving me about musicals, etc. any friend of the lovely “English speaking” Holliwood is a friend of mine. Since you’re new here, I’ll hit a few housekeeping type random details for you.

I, too, wonder with bemusement why people visit this site at all. When I left my job in Huntsville 2 years ago, my good friends Chris and Keith wanted to build a site for me so I could post info about what was going on at the new job and in the new town. But it turned into more of a place for me to rant about anything and everything. I am known for silly tirades that just seem to flow stream of consciousness from the brain to the keyboard.

Anyway, I vote we give the musical banter a rest, for now, but you know I can’t leave it as it is. So you'd rather sit at home and peel skin off your feet than watch a musical -- I dare say I’d rather do the same than to listen to 80’s alt pop punk music like the Smiths, the Cure, the Clash, the Blow Monkeys, Echo and the Bunnymen and various and assundary other bands that all of my 30ish friends adore. Again, my distatse for that stuff doesn’t mean it sucks anymore than your distaste for musicals mean that they suck. If we all had the same taste, the world would be dull, perhaps with a "Touch of Grey."

So give a girl a break here and cut a sister some slack – I won’t make excessive fun of your likes and you extend the same courtesy. Fair?

Now, on to further rebuttals – I was a child in the 80s, not an angsty teenager. I had leg warmers, Rainbow Brite and Strawberry Shortcake dolls and listened to, yes, Bobby Brown, Bell Biv Devoe, Bon Jovi, New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson, Richard Marx and later on Vanilla Ice (it was a huge novelty hit, no denying that). I never said those artists were the cream of the lyrical crop by any means. In fact, most didn’t write their own material. (It should be duly noted, however, that my girl Debbie Gibson was 16 and was writing and producing her own stuff and was the youngest kid in history to do so at that point in time). Point being, we're looking at the 80s from a different reference point, you know?

Now, if you’ll notice, the lyrics I choose for the beginning of each entry directly correlate to the entry. But sometimes they have a double meaning that the average bear won’t get and that's purposeful. Like “Walking on Broken Glass.” That’s in reference to a comment made last night at dinner by the random strangers sitting next to us, and also a nice beginning for this entry, but I digress. Bobby Brown’s “My Perogrative” is on the brain for 2 reasons: First, I just read that the newlywed Britney Spears has recorded a version for her Greatest Hits Package and Second, Like it or not, Mr. Keener, I can say whatever I want on this site – it is my prerogative. =)

I will not cease citing whatever random lyrics I want and I will do so with no regard as to the flack I am sure to receive in return. And believe me, sir, I wish I had time to post more “fast and furious” but, alas, work beckons and the last thing I want to do after work is get online. Now, let the healthy debates continue and I hope you continue to enjoy reading my nonsensical banter….

Peace,
dabbs

p.s. -- the rest of you dabbs readers feel free to jump in with comments at any time, ok?

what I'm looking for
-- U2

I responded to a comment left about my entry on Fred Ebb's death. Then I decided I would post it here, lest it get lost in the archives.

To each his or her own, Isoetes. I believe I said it was a sad day for "musical lovers" not animation lovers. I chose to give posthumous props to Fred Ebb, because as Bobby Brown would say, it is, in fact my prerogative. Nothing against Mr. Thomas, for I too, am a Disney fan, but as people that know me know, I’m more of a musical fan and this was a more obvious choice for my site. And I take offense to calling “Chicago” a “weird movie.” Just because you don’t like it or don’t get it, doesn’t mean it’s “weird.” And comparing Ebb’s lyrics to Bono’s and Morrissey’s is like comparing apples and oranges. While Bono bemoans the fact that he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for, Ebb helps create dialogue through lyrics which furthers a story. I completely understand that lots of folks don’t like and don’t appreciate musicals and that’s fine, maybe I don’t understand Morrissey, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t appreciate that other people love him. Cool? Cool.

Amy

We're not the dying swans
We just move on
We move on
-- From "I Move On" from the musical Chicago

Famed Broadway lyricist Fred Ebb died Saturday. Ebb was known for his numerous collaborations with John Kander, including the gem we all love, Chicago. And you all know I'm a lyric freak, so this is a sad day for musical lovers. Here's a nice article.

Amy

would do you good
A change would do you good
-- Sheryl Crow

Big UPs to my pal Janet for her recent promotion at HiWAAY!! way to go! no one deserves it more than you!! And, also, big UPs to my pal Chris for his recent career move over to army.com. Way to go to the both of you! It's about time that good things happened to those that have languished at HiWAAY for so long. Congrats!

Amy