While those of us who have thrilled to ‘The Gilded Age‘ since its first season go into withdrawal, eagerly awaiting Season 4 (which at its typical shooting and production pace won’t see the light of day for at least a year or two) I give you Ben Ahlers as Dazzler of the Day to tide you over. Ahlers played the inventor affectionately dubbed ‘clock twink’, and his character Jack Trotter endeared himself to viewers thanks to Ben’s earnest and winning portrayal. Until ‘The Gilded Age‘ returns, enjoy these other Dazzlers:
BAM – just like that, Snoopy takes a big old shit on any of my hoped-for ideas of pretending that everything was cool in a delusional but safely-emotionally-dead way, as this philosophical post rears its head and gives me another gut-punch. Like all things that really bother me and stick somewhere in my brain, it’s bothersome because it must ring partly true. Or at least some part of me thinks so.
Yes, I suppose the truth is that at my age I’ve lived more years than I’ve got left. Most of my friends have. We don’t much notice because we’re all doing it together. Maybe none of us thought enough to point it out. Maybe the others have wisely pretended it away. It’s true, but it feels like it’s not because I don’t feel like I’ve accrued enough wisdom to have it be so. Maybe… so many maybe’s in this post. I’m embracing that, because when over half your life is done, you want a few more maybe’s – you know how soon they will end.
“A son who never quite felt loved, who had to go out on his own to find unconditional acceptance… A man who never quite felt loved, who had to be out on his own to realize his worth… And I did that. I went into the world to find what I could not get at home.”
This is the last week of my 40’s, and I’m finally starting to feel it. I’ve been unexpectedly emotional, and we will leave it at that. Here’s a weekly recap as I’m clearly not in the mood to write much more.
“With all due respect” usually implies there is more respect than is deserved, and often comes at the start of something that shouldn’t get any respect at all.
“Your Uncle needs a hug today,” I said as I surprised the twins at their summer jobs with their favorite Starbucks drinks. It was the second anniversary of Dad’s death, and after I visited the cemetery and Mom, I needed a little bit of joy, and a glimpse of the family future. After confirming their work locations (they had summer jobs at two parks in Amsterdam, where they had to entertain the younger kids who visited) I stopped by to see Emi first, followed by Noah, and spent a few minutes talking and enjoying what was actually quite a beautiful summer moment in a summer that didn’t quite have enough of them.
When I stop to think about it, I don’t envy being a kid today. Especially over the past decade, when a pandemic shut down schools and technology threatens to overwhelm, I realize how lucky I am to have grown up in a world without social media and cel phones. These kids don’t have such quaint luxuries, and they’ve already had to contend with more than any child should, so this is my little tribute to the twins for managing to turn into decent teenagers in spite of the madness that sometimes swirls around them. Too often we focus on the bad things that kids do, and the way the future sometimes looks bleak – may this serve as a reminder that there is still hope here, and I see it whenever I see my niece and nephews.
Emi and Noah, you’re doing all right, and better than I could imagine doing if I were in your shoes, so keep leading the noble lives you are leading and you will always make us proud. Whenever you need a little extra love or support, your Uncle Andy and I are here. (Now get ready to celebrate your Uncle Al’s 50th birthday at dinner tonight because he’s old and needs your flattery.)
Muse of my muses and Queen of Our Popdom, Madonna celebrates her birthday today. As a tribute, here’s a list of some of my favorite songs from each of her albums. Her musical legacy is set in stone, even if it’s been six long years since her last proper album. Here’s hoping the whispers about the next one are true, and that it comes out sooner rather than later.
Madonna ~ ‘Borderline‘ is the song that spoke to me most, even if everybody else loved ‘Lucky Star‘.
Like A Virgin ~ ‘Material Girl‘ and ‘Dress You Up‘ were the very first songs by Madonna that I loved. Not gonna hate on title track ‘Like A Virgin‘ though, especially given all its vast and varied interpretations over the years.
Bedtime Stories ~ There’s no ‘Secret’ that the lead single is probably my fave song from this underrated musical moment, though ‘Take A Bow‘ has more than its merits too.
Music ~ A fun bop, ‘Music‘ takes the favorite track crown, but I’m always up for an ‘Impressive Instant‘ too.
American Life ~ The unfairly-maligned collection of perhaps-poorly-timed truth-to-power musical statements made here contained jewels like ‘X-static Process‘ and ‘Mother and Father‘.
Confessions on a Dance Floor ~ Another musical resurrection, Confessions brought us opening banger ‘Hung Up‘ but my favorite remains the equally-thrilling ‘Sorry‘. (Shout out to ‘Jump‘ for inspiration.)
Hard Candy ~ Thought this album was a slow-burner, it gave us ‘Give It 2 Me‘ and that will have to be enough.
MDNA ~ This was an under-appreciated ‘Masterpiece‘ in my mind, with cuts like ‘Girl Gone Wild’ and ‘I’m a Sinner‘ being sweet aural candy.
Glamour, grit, genius, and grace are sometimes not enough to stop the tragedy that an artist will occasionally bring upon themselves. We court extremes – love and hate, happiness and sorrow, life and death – and there is little room for calm when there is no peaceful midpoint.
Easy living? The stuff of dreams…
Living for you is easy living It’s easy to live when you’re in love And I’m so in love There’s nothing in life but you
I never regret the years I’m giving They’re easy to give when you’re in love I’m happy to do whatever I do for you
For you, maybe I’m a fool But it’s fun People say you rule me with one Wave of your hand Darling, it’s grand They just don’t understand
Living for you is easy living It’s easy to live when you’re in love And I’m so in love There’s nothing in life but you
Careening toward the darker final section of The Divine Diva Tour: A Fairy’s Tale, this entry finds a brief respite of glamour and sparkle, courtesy of bugle beads and sequins, and a backing track from the musical ‘Applause!’ Hit it…
Apologies for using the ‘F’ word this early, but when Halloween has taken over the stores, part of me has already given up the glorious ghost that is summer, letting the gardens turn to dried hay and refocusing on what’s inside the house and going to see us through the fall and winter. In that spirit of preparation, this picture of Snoopy may be my inspiration piece for the season to come.
Happy Friday, everybody. Take it easy in these final weekends of summer… and a reminder that next weekend is my 50th birthday. If you need to drop any gifts off to Andy to make sure he brings them to Boston with us, please contact him directly. Blessings.
Queen Ann’s lace is practically a weed in these parts, and for many years I decried and condemned it as such. (As is so often the case, I was the cause of my own trauma, having plucked a plant from the roadside and bringing it back to my childhood home, where it soon filled the entire garden with volunteers quickly putting those stalwart taproots down like little carrots, and giving me ample weeding opportunities.) As much as I’ve come to appreciate the plant and its delicate lace-like flowers, it has no place in the cultivated garden.
Its use as a cut flower is also iffy in my experience. Sometimes it’s grand, and sometimes the flowers wilt no matter what kind of magic one employs. While I can relate to and respect that sort of temperamental moodiness, I’m approaching the age where I just don’t have the energy for such games. Best to admire this beauty from afar, along the edges of things, where roads and meadows mingle, and the sun illuminates the creamy dreaminess of the blooms.
There comes a point in every summer where I tend to feel a little anxious for fall. I mean that in all the varying meanings of the word – the excitement of looking forward to it, the anxiety of what might be to come, the mixed emotions of rushing to the end of a favored season. Maybe that explains my feeling on the verge of tears and wanting to throw up lately – perhaps it’s not just the turn of 50 around the corner, but just the usual machinations of a season in flux.
It’s puzzling to me, as the weather has been ideally summer-like of late, and after a slow start and agonizingly-paced build-up to the sun and heat, I should probably simply enjoy it, but my mind has rarely done what it’s supposed to do. To combat such foolishness, I will re-focus my energy on enjoying the moment at hand, on my daily meditation, on the idea of being mindful and aware of every sensation before summer slips by.
Summer – always some towering, insurmountable idea, always some indefinable force, always shining when you least expect it, and always waiting for you to indulge just as she’s about to leave.
I’m not at all mad about the fact that the release of a new Taylor Swift album has become the world-shaking event that a new Madonna album used to be. Considering that Taylor has released about four albums – one a full-on double – in the time since Madonna’s last album, along with several re-recorded Taylor’s Version reprises, she earns the accolades. On October 3, the next era of Ms. Swift begins, with the release of ‘The Life of a Showgirl’. I’m already hooked, thanks to its fertile visual possibilities, the orange and turquoise aesthetic, and the glitzy promise of some Max Martin bangers.
While we eagerly await the first single and whatever musical breadcrumbs she will be dropping for us to follow, here’s a list of some previous notable blog posts featuring Ms. Swift:
