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Posts filed under ‘Notes’

evening notes

November 21, 2009

I can’t think of anything to post at length about that doesn’t bore me to tears, so we’ll just another session of notes:

  1. Guitar playing is coming along pretty well. Like I told my brother David yesterday, I know 8-9 chords and can switch haltingly between them. It makes for some herky-jerky songs, but I’m getting there… The main thing now is that it’s actually fun. I’ve gotten to the point, six months in, where I can eke out something resembling a song, and that’s a big confidence booster. It makes me want to practice and play more, and I have, almost every day.
  2. Diane’s anniversary present to me was Mario Kart Wii, and let me just say I’ve been greatly enjoying it. The gameplay is just brilliant, the tracks and characters are fun, and aside from a few niggles (no dedicated one-on-one battle mode, for instance), I can’t find a fault with it. Part of the reason why I enjoy that game in particular and the Wii in general is just the utter creativity of it—the ingenuity of the movements and interaction with the games leaves me satisfied creatively in addition to the quality of the games themselves. I think it was a good purchase.
  3. This year we decided it’s my parents’ turn for a Thanksgiving visit. We’ll be packing up Wednesday night and leaving bright and early (read: 10 a.m.) Thursday morning. I’m really looking forward to it—I love my mom and dad, and of course the change of scenery for a few days is nice.
  4. I’ve got to resume running. It’s been a good month and a half since I hit the pavement, and while the scale may not show it, I feel it—psychologically and physically. I miss the physical high, as well as the time to just clear my head and the knowledge that my need for exercise is fulfilled. Tomorrow evening I’ll get out there.

afternoon notes

October 30, 2009

  1. Listened to Pauline Croze‘s “Quand Je Suis Ivre” a few minutes ago, and was freshly struck with how poetic the concept of drunkenness is in French, as opposed to English, something obviously tied to the loveliness of the word itself—contrast ivre with drunk. Pronounced correctly, the French word just slides off the tongue in a tumble of decadent grace… And the English word crashes through my teeth in a crumpled heap.

    The word and concept reappear in Rufus Wainwright’s “Complainte de la Butte:”

    et sous ta caresse
    je sens une ivresse
    qui m’anĂ©antit

    Clearly, it’s much more artistic to be drunk in France than in the English-speaking world.

  2. The Ares I-X launch occurred a couple of days ago. From all accounts I’ve read it was completely successful. It’s the first launch of the next phase of the US space program, the sequel to the ill-conceived Shuttle. I’m pleased and hopeful the next steps will go well and see us on our way back to the Moon, and beyond.