So it goes

I was saddened to find out today that Kurt Vonnegut died. He was 84 years old. I have been a fan of his for years. I think that Slaughterhouse Five was one of the best novels of the 20th Century. Vonnegut was far head of his time as a writer. His work was funny and horrific at the same time, and despite the bizarre subject matter of many of his books, there was always a powerful presence of humanity. It's sad to know that he's gone, but at least he left behind a great legacy.

Strange but not a stranger

I guess I'm a part of the MTV generation. While I find MTV nearly impossible to stomach now, it had a tremendous impact on my life when I was a child. I will never forget going to my Dad's house on a Friday night when I was about 8. He had just got MTV IN STEREO (for you younger folks, it used to be a big deal for a TV station to have stereo compatibility, and I think MTV might have pioneered that, but not sure). He popped a cassette tape into the stereo and recorded several songs to tape for me. I listened to that tape until it wore out. There were several great songs: Red Skies by The Fixx, Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran, Every Little Thing - The Police, and many more. But there was one song and one video that stood out, Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads. WOW! This video had the kind of impact that a great novel has, or Star Wars. I think that TH had a finger on the mood of the age better than anyone. I will never forget David Byrne shaking around in his business suit, like a tax auditer (everyman) who is way past a nervous breakdown. Far more memorable than the hair-and-makeup popstars that graced MTV at the same time. The lyrics too, seemed to reflect the times, oh the places you may find yourself, and the things you may say to yourself. The money, the excess, the doubt, the confusion of the early 1980's so well illustrated. It's brilliant! Much praise be to Mr. Byrne and Talking Heads for giving this to the world.

Monday Monday

Hi all! To start it off, I have a case of the Mondays, but I guess I have that once every week. Why should this Monday be any different? I had a great weekend: Food, movies, Easter! Nuff said, eh? Isn't Easter the holiday where we celebrate the resurrection of the Easter Bunny? I don't know, but it has something to do with eggs. Another question I have about Easter: Why do they show The Ten Commandments every Easter? Shouldn't they show The Greatest Story Ever Told?

Matisse

Hello Earth! So, we went to the Matisse exhibit at the DMA (Dallas Museum of Arts) on Sunday. Very nice, but not too big. We checked out the Sculpture Gardens as well. It was such a beautiful day! I can't imagine a better thing to have done, honestly. This is the part of the blog where I give out advice, whether you want it or not. Let art be a part of your life! I don't care if it's creating art or experincing it! You must! It's important to your well being! Few things sicken me more these days than when I hear about schools dropping their art, music, and theatre programs. Don't educators understand how important these things are? Of course, I was the guy who never went to football games and went to all of the plays and art events in school.