Okay, the truth is that I kept on listening to Vök last week. But I also dug into the blogs a bit, and did find some music I liked: Zatokrev, Masterboot, Mongol, and Kikagaku Moyo, to be specific.
ByGD
Giant Crab
When I was growing up, my family was really into sasquatch and ufos and ghosts. We dug anything that wasn’t supposed to exist. The tendency to prefer magical explanations over mundane ones is pretty universal. Even pragmatic people get into horror stories in October. This giant crab, preserved at an aquarium in Qingdao, China, is proof that nothing we can imagine is as terrifying as what nature offers us. We entertain ourselves with magical stories, all the while ignoring a real world greater than anything we could imagine.
ByGD
Missing The Turn (of the Screw)
Forrest Wu (Miles). Jacob Lucas photo c/o Seattle Opera
I thought about calling this post “Skipping the Screw” because dirty-sounding titles get more hits. Anyway, for the first time in years, I’m going to miss a Seattle Opera production. The Turn of the Screw is heading into its second weekend at Seattle Opera, and I’m not going. It’s partly due to logistics, but the truth is, I just don’t want to see it. Why would I skip out on this opera when wild horses couldn’t keep me from seeing operas as different as Tosca and Hansel and Gretel?
ByGD
Presidential Compensation – Constitution Article 2 §1.7
These days I’m studying Article 2 of the Constitution, which deals with the Executive branch of government. Article 2 §1.6 is about presidential succession, which was a happier topic than we’ve had for a while. This week I’m looking at Article 2 §1.7, a relatively harmless clause dealing with presidential compensation.
ByGD
Music I Liked – Reykjavik Calling
Taste of Iceland has become an annual tradition for me. I try to make it to as many events as I can each year: the tasting, the museum exhibits, laser shows, and literary events. But for me the biggest event is the Reykjavik Calling concert. In the past it was held at Neumos with some cool collaborations between local and Icelandic artists. Now it’s in KEXP’s Gathering Space with a simple lineup of two Iceland bands followed by a local band. It’s a simple setup, but it always lets me see Icelandic bands that rarely play Seattle, and I always discover local music I’ve previously overlooked. This year, I saw Gyda, Vök, and Navvi. I liked it.