Soon To Be Aquarium?

 

• I Finally Try Cartoon Beer
• Tchaikovsky Encounter Prolonged
  

I got up a few birds short of Jeopardy this morning. I had to open the blinds to let daylight in, so the birds on the Singing Bird Clock would chirp; in case I fell back asleep.

The thing has a photo sensor in it, which stops it from chirping when it is dark in the room, when you might be sleeping.

And, frankly, the birds chirp at appropriate times, during the day, with, the morning dove right on time at 7 in the morning. The Robin at 1 in the afternoon is definitely a: "Alright, lunch break's over, let's get back to work!" chirp. But, you probably wouldn't want that at 1 o' clock in the morning.

1 Minute Sober

I gulped down a swallow off a can of Catahoula Common lager that was sitting on the counter, when I went into the kitchen; but that was over a minute ago, now.

This is a very good lager that has kind of the syrupy heaviness of a Red Stripe, has just a tad more alcohol at 5%, than that Jamaican brew; but comes from a nearby brewery. Those breweries were recently featured on one of the local news shows. I figure I've always ignored Catahoula because of the cartoon-ish looking cans. Neither the hues of wheat, nor barley, are represented. I guess the same could be said of Budweiser, with its red and white can.

The can above represents just one of about 2 dozen local "micro" breweries. And, they are in some kind of competition over the can artwork. The whole section of local beer at the supermarket looks like a boxcar splattered with graffiti, from a distance.

I always ignored them, I believe after thinking about it, because of all the other products that come in loud colors. Call it the 4 Loco effect.

Unless its spiked with liquid LSD, the colors don't work, IMO. I'm always afraid that in the fine print it's going to say "sour gummy flavored malt beverage" after I paid 10 bucks for a 6-pack.

Chain cutter.

In other news, the Sacred Heart Church, which sits about 60 feet from where I now do, is where Louis Armstrong married, I think his first wife, Lucy, in the early 1960's

I have always wanted to cut the chain that is the only thing keeping me from recording my music in a huge ass church, with maybe 120 foot ceilings.

Once I get inside, I will turn around and chain the door from the inside.

That way, no skeezer who might have seen me go in; from under his rock nearby, will be able to go in after me, and try to rob me of my guitar, laptop, microphone and Jesus candle...

The cops would only show up if some genuinely concerned citizen called, thinking I was about to bomb the place.

They would find the door chained shut from the inside, and maybe believe that nobody could have gotten in there past that deterrent. What would be the punishment for trespassing in a vacant church?

But, it would have to be a one-time thing, because, after I cut the chain, there is no putting it back together. 

I think I would feel an exhilarating sense of freedom, to be locked in that impenetrable fortress, which I guess the Catholic Church still owns. Maybe they are looking to sell it cheap to someone who might turn it into an aquarium.

They could leave Jesus hanging from his cross; and that could be the "theme" of the aquarium. "Yeah, this used to be a church before it was an aquarium; they left the Jesus there, you know, like when they make a diner out of an old boxcar, they might keep it on rails, or something....

But, talk about freedom and safety to experiment with vocals. The only horrific outcome would be if they had some kind of alarm in there; or, security type stuff is so cheap these days, some guy who's job it might be to physically check up on the place, routinely, may have automated that task just by installing a webcam with a motion sensor.

I may be talking myself out of it; maybe I can just find a priest or a pope or someone, and then just ask them if I can "record my Christian rock music" in the glorious ambiance of a big, empty church, soon to be aquarium.

95 Points

But, I tried the Catahoula after listening to brewers talk about how there is indeed a competition for the most outrageous can art, and excusing them on that count. They seemed like they knew what they were doing, and had some high-end looking brewing equipment.

So, other than a beer recommendation (I have no idea how far this stuff that they make 5 miles from where I sit now, ships. Are there "1001 Beers" stores in Oregon that send for a couple cases a month? I might investigate that...) this post has not much substance.

Tchaikovsky continues to spin on my turntable.

It's hard to find anything wrong with the music. Maybe his strength with ensemble composition is offset a tiny bit by his compositions for solo instruments? After being blown away by everything I've heard, including one really famous piece that I recognized, from a Mel Bay book, or something, became a wonderland of textures and different ways to play that melody that I plunked out as a 16 year old.