Annual Xmas party in Miami. For the first time, we didn’t stay late. I met up with Alaine early and attended Mass at St. Jude’s. The acoustics in there are tremendous, just like the movies. There’s another first for me, I’ve never attended Mass. It’s ritualized but the preacher made an impromptu connection about geese and man I really liked. He described a man trying to get some geese out of the cold by spreading corn on the ground, but the geese were afraid of him. They didn’t know he was trying to save them. Yes, yes, I know geese were around before man but I still liked the story.
Now hold on, first here is where I should mention family dinner at the Lebanese restaurant in Coral Gables. It is now the tradition since the estate is gone. The crowd is everybody-knows-everybody but the next generation is catching up fast. The grandkids are already the ages of JZ’s nieces and nephews when I met him. That’s his brother’s wife snapping his picture.
Alaine did some readings at Mass, which was half in Spanish. Face it, the longer passages lose the non-speakers. I can’t speak it nearly that well myself, but there are printed programs and I can read Spanish. Remember the time I read my first Spanish hardcover? It was about a nuclear submarine that sailed under the north pole. St. Jude’s is a beautiful church but sadly, I developed a headache from the incense which kept me from being much company. I advised Alaine to take some time off with a good book. And to make a pot of tea.
Nor is it worth the risk to your equipment. You saw it here first. It does not seem to matter where you make the purchase or the best before date on the package. The leaky cells shown lying down here (because they have bulged too much to stand up) were bought all over town, this could indicate Duracell is dumping outdated stock. I don’t know if they recall old stuff or if it is others reselling their junk, but I do know it didn’t used to happen all the time before. Now, if only I could tell you these things before you bought all your Xmas stock. Hey, it’s been busy around here too.
Today’s quick study was flying boats. No, not the pontoon type, but the big clippers of the early days. Most sources stated land-based aircraft took over because they were faster. I wonder about that. The flying boats were plain (plane?) inefficient. I viewed some early films used to sell the aircraft. The features borrowed heavily from ships and are still evident on aircraft today. But ocean liner travel was heavily class segmented in that most travel protocol was based on the passengers having a comfortable stateroom nearby.
To this day, you still find lounges, bars, and things I don’t use remain carried over from way back. Those who know better, like me, often fall asleep as soon as possible on an airplane, so as to arrive sober and rested up. I wind up reading every available magazine on the plane but air travel is not half the fun. I have never met a girlfriend on an airplane flight, and I used to practically live on long haul trips. I’ve traveled with women, but never met one on the plane.
I had to cease watching these videos as it seemed Douglas aircraft designers in old age developed such terrible adenoid voice defects I could not stand to listen to them.
I’m old enough to remember when people really did get dressed up in their Sunday best to make an airplane trip. And the stewardesses were all babes. Sigh. Now the only memory of “stewardesses” is as the longest word that can be typed with one hand on a standard keyboard. Yes, Ken, we know you type everything with one hand, but you know what we mean.
And we have an update from Pat-B, our man on the cruise ships. He’s still playing the liners and having the time of his life. Hold on, what’s this? He also says there are far too many fat chicks on the boat. Hey dude, that’s what really happened to the SS Poseidon. Make sure they don’t rush the stage unless you want to paddle back to Frisco. Further, he says if there is a skinny chick on board, there’s 25 guys after her. So much for the personality and good grooming ticket, ladies—lose that lard. Now he knows why I don’t much go on cruises. I’ve dated ugly ones, but never fat ones.
Lots of information from studies today, as I was pricing out materials pending a trip for electronics supplies in Orlando. There’s a place [up there] I’d like to check out. Hence I kept reading about something called a magnetic stirrer, wondering what that could be. Ah, here is a video from a biodiesel site. Why such an elaborate device is needed to mix a cocktail, I can’t say, but here’s how it works. You put your unmixed liquid in a flask. Inside the flask is an oblong bead containing a magnet. Beneath the base is a motor that spins the magnet creating a vortex and there you have it. Whatever it is.
ADDENDUM
Booking agents. Notwithstanding that I started as a band manager at the age of 12, I have not really acted as a booking agent. My role was more the operations of the band at large than going out and drumming (ha-ha) up business. Moreover, I’m leery of “big city” agencies because I’ve instances where they block independent bands from playing certain venues. I see their point, but I still don’t like them much. Which is why I was not surprised to hear the very outfit (an agency in Ft. Lauderdale) my big band was considering has not worked out well for others.
There is another band in the area that plays 50s and 60s. They went through the agency and got one single gig. Then nothing since and after a while they were informed there was not that much of a market for that music. Funny how that would take an ageny by surprise, no? The difference? The $150 agency fee to sign up before they will book you. While I’m okay with finding an agent, I’m not okay with initiation fees. The only agent I would hire would be commission only. We don’t play, we don’t pay.
That being that, I am still concerned that the big band may never play at all. Musically, I’m not the type with infinite patience. All bands eventually collapse, but that occurrence is hastened when there is no money to be made.
