Alia you have caught the changes beautifully. They are like musical shifts in an endless song. When I was a child I asked to wind the handle on my grandfather’s gramophone. The vinyl spun and your father, even younger, stood peering at this magical spinning disc. Sounds, songs and some words are always in our hearts.
Many, many years later we shared music from all over the world. In the midnight hours your dad came back to my place in New York City and was in raptures about seeing Muddy Waters play, with Bob Dylan seated in a corner on stage, hat pulled low, playing harmonica.
Our lives go on in the space between the notes. You take the time to listen and share the pleasure with us all.
Graceland is still a mystical destination in the great continuum.
A sequel: find the wonderful ‘In Dreams- The Music of Paul Simon’ …not in a cinema…but still with the African drum beat and the harmonies that remind me of the wonder of being alive.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Jeff. Dad recounted that Muddy Waters story many times, but mostly the part where Dylan walked in and peed next to him at the urinal, haha.
Thanks for the tip on In Dreams. I'll look that up. And another thank you for Graceland ;)
Ooohh, Alia this gave me all the nostalgia feels. Goosebumps actually. I feel gloriously sad for all those things of the past, but also so happy to be reminded of them. Love Paul Simon’s Graceland too and the little quotes from boy in a bubble. Wishing you a lovely summer with your family. :) Kate
I love how nostalgia does that. It's amusingly coincidental how the Boy in the Bubble fit in there. I put it on when I typed that line and realised how in many ways it was parallel to what I was writing. You have a lovely summer too Kate! We had planned to go camping at Cape Conran to celebrate the start of summer this weekend, but it's going to be storming and 18 degrees, so we're perhaps rethinking that plan, haha.
4:17 AM local time here in Western New York. My brain is somewhat worse than torpid at the moment, but I want to thank you for the chill that ran down my spine when I heard your theme music begin to play. Kind of like Kate’s goosebumps. And as usual, you delivered the goods. Holiday blessings, and a great and successful new year to you and yours. ❤️!
I try to take my naps at the same time for the same reason. One to three PM is what I aim for but often appointments interfere. You can see that I’m not getting nearly the recommended nine hours for someone my age.
I learned it on Drugs.com. It’s a free thing I subscribe to. Every day at 2 AM local time they send a newsletter and it’s a great resource for all sorts of health related information, not just about prescription drugs. And I did get a nap this afternoon, lol.
Sunrise in Buffalo is about 7:45 AM and sunset is about 4:45 PM, thank you. I’m trying to get to sleep consistently at 11 PM because they’ve found a connection between the time you turn in and your blood pressure. How about that?
Wow, this was a real trip down Memory Lane. Albeit with some cultural differences.
Growing up in the 1970s, I bought a lot of my first music as vinyl. Although cassettes were already a big thing for portability, an LP album was just such an event. The artwork was often sumptuous, particularly on the artsy albums that teenage Steve liked. But I was at the beginning of my teens before I could afford my own music, or anything to play it on.
Drive-in movies weren't a thing in suburban England, and I've never been to one.
Cinema in general … I have a feeling we went to the 'flicks' last year, but I can't remember what the film was. COVID rather killed the cinema experience for us. In my 20s I used to love independent cinemas showing obscure arthouse films, but I didn't love them enough to visit more than a couple of times a year, so maybe it was mostly the idea of them I loved. I remember the Penultimate Picture Palace in Oxford in the early 1990s: uncomfortable musty seats and unsettling films like 'Man Bites Dog'.
Yes, I wonder what the future of entertainment is going to look like. More immersive would be my bet.
Have a great break. I look forward to seeing what your flexible mind comes up with in 2026.
Yeah, you're right. I think COVID killed the cinema for everyone, and in that time TVs with streaming apps built in combined with new competitors like HBO and Disney+ have made it so easy to access any film in the comfort of your home and for a fraction of the price. Screen Australia has been trying to play it positive, announcing that box office takings looked like they would hit pre-COVID levels this year. The second half of the year hasn't been as good, so the verdict is out. But even if they do, the figures don't account for inflation. If they did, it would show box office takings have been stagnant for over a decade. The real number to look at is the number of patrons, which is half of what it used to be, and even then growth was flat, especially considering it wasn't keeping pace with increases in population. But, some cinemas will survive, I'm sure. Just like there are still a few drive-ins about. It's never too late Steve, haha.
Enjoy your break Steve! See you back here in 2026 :)
Alia you have caught the changes beautifully. They are like musical shifts in an endless song. When I was a child I asked to wind the handle on my grandfather’s gramophone. The vinyl spun and your father, even younger, stood peering at this magical spinning disc. Sounds, songs and some words are always in our hearts.
Many, many years later we shared music from all over the world. In the midnight hours your dad came back to my place in New York City and was in raptures about seeing Muddy Waters play, with Bob Dylan seated in a corner on stage, hat pulled low, playing harmonica.
Our lives go on in the space between the notes. You take the time to listen and share the pleasure with us all.
Graceland is still a mystical destination in the great continuum.
A sequel: find the wonderful ‘In Dreams- The Music of Paul Simon’ …not in a cinema…but still with the African drum beat and the harmonies that remind me of the wonder of being alive.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Jeff. Dad recounted that Muddy Waters story many times, but mostly the part where Dylan walked in and peed next to him at the urinal, haha.
Thanks for the tip on In Dreams. I'll look that up. And another thank you for Graceland ;)
Ooohh, Alia this gave me all the nostalgia feels. Goosebumps actually. I feel gloriously sad for all those things of the past, but also so happy to be reminded of them. Love Paul Simon’s Graceland too and the little quotes from boy in a bubble. Wishing you a lovely summer with your family. :) Kate
I love how nostalgia does that. It's amusingly coincidental how the Boy in the Bubble fit in there. I put it on when I typed that line and realised how in many ways it was parallel to what I was writing. You have a lovely summer too Kate! We had planned to go camping at Cape Conran to celebrate the start of summer this weekend, but it's going to be storming and 18 degrees, so we're perhaps rethinking that plan, haha.
4:17 AM local time here in Western New York. My brain is somewhat worse than torpid at the moment, but I want to thank you for the chill that ran down my spine when I heard your theme music begin to play. Kind of like Kate’s goosebumps. And as usual, you delivered the goods. Holiday blessings, and a great and successful new year to you and yours. ❤️!
Oh that's really early. I hope you got some sleep Rafael. What time is the sun up?
I try to take my naps at the same time for the same reason. One to three PM is what I aim for but often appointments interfere. You can see that I’m not getting nearly the recommended nine hours for someone my age.
I learned it on Drugs.com. It’s a free thing I subscribe to. Every day at 2 AM local time they send a newsletter and it’s a great resource for all sorts of health related information, not just about prescription drugs. And I did get a nap this afternoon, lol.
2 AM! That doesn't sound like a beneficial blood-pressure time 😂
But naps sure do!
Sunrise in Buffalo is about 7:45 AM and sunset is about 4:45 PM, thank you. I’m trying to get to sleep consistently at 11 PM because they’ve found a connection between the time you turn in and your blood pressure. How about that?
That's good to know. I'm looking that up now.
Wow, this was a real trip down Memory Lane. Albeit with some cultural differences.
Growing up in the 1970s, I bought a lot of my first music as vinyl. Although cassettes were already a big thing for portability, an LP album was just such an event. The artwork was often sumptuous, particularly on the artsy albums that teenage Steve liked. But I was at the beginning of my teens before I could afford my own music, or anything to play it on.
Drive-in movies weren't a thing in suburban England, and I've never been to one.
Cinema in general … I have a feeling we went to the 'flicks' last year, but I can't remember what the film was. COVID rather killed the cinema experience for us. In my 20s I used to love independent cinemas showing obscure arthouse films, but I didn't love them enough to visit more than a couple of times a year, so maybe it was mostly the idea of them I loved. I remember the Penultimate Picture Palace in Oxford in the early 1990s: uncomfortable musty seats and unsettling films like 'Man Bites Dog'.
Yes, I wonder what the future of entertainment is going to look like. More immersive would be my bet.
Have a great break. I look forward to seeing what your flexible mind comes up with in 2026.
Yeah, you're right. I think COVID killed the cinema for everyone, and in that time TVs with streaming apps built in combined with new competitors like HBO and Disney+ have made it so easy to access any film in the comfort of your home and for a fraction of the price. Screen Australia has been trying to play it positive, announcing that box office takings looked like they would hit pre-COVID levels this year. The second half of the year hasn't been as good, so the verdict is out. But even if they do, the figures don't account for inflation. If they did, it would show box office takings have been stagnant for over a decade. The real number to look at is the number of patrons, which is half of what it used to be, and even then growth was flat, especially considering it wasn't keeping pace with increases in population. But, some cinemas will survive, I'm sure. Just like there are still a few drive-ins about. It's never too late Steve, haha.
Enjoy your break Steve! See you back here in 2026 :)