We’re delighted to report that Owl Chatter has reached another gallstone: The post on Welly’s 60th birthday several days ago was our 550th. Hooooooray! And we’re going to keep at it until we get it right, by crackie.
Also happy to report we’ve tracked down the Gil Shaham mystery, thanks to long-time Owl Chatter friend Newton Don. Here’s what Marc had to say:
“I didn’t say anything specific about Gil Shaham at all. He’s a great violinist whom I’ve always liked, and whom I’m typically happy to hear. In recent years he’s developed some distracting visual mannerisms in terms of physical posture and how he moves around on stage, but the solution is to avoid watching him too much.
“The only thing I could possibly have said about Shaham that might have been construed as in any way negative was that it was too bad that Hillary Hahn cancelled and Shaham was the soloist instead.”
So there you have it: Gil Shaham does not stink!
But don’t take our word for it. Decide for yourself.
That expression you have surely heard: “It’s the greatest thing since sliced bread” has an historical foundation. First, yesterday was the anniversary of the first sale of sliced bread, back in 1928. Before, bread was sold in solid loaves, or people baked it themselves. The slicer was invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder, a jeweler from Davenport, Iowa, but he had a tough time convincing people of its worth. The fear was that the separate slices would go stale. Otto first tried to solve that problem by holding the slices together with hatpins: not a good idea. (not kidding) Next, he tried wrapping the sliced loaf in waxed paper. That was better but he still had a tough time selling the concept until he met a baker in Chillicothe, Missouri willing to give the five-foot-long, three-foot-high machine a try. Bread sales went through the roof. And, still, close to 100 years later, we talk of a new idea as “the greatest thing since sliced bread.”
This is a photo of the actual first loaf of sliced bread, from 1928. (No it isn’t.)
Run to the post office and buy stamps. Why do I say that? Because on July 14, the price of a forever stamp is going up from 68 cents to 73 cents. You may have to decide among horses, turtles, manatees, RBG, and Nancy Reagan. BTW, they are called “forever” stamps because whatever you mail will take forever to get there.
Remember BJORK? “One-named singer from Iceland.” Hardly a name you’d expect to see often in Crossworld, with those letters. But there she was today at 49D, hobnobbing with KEN Jennings the new Jeopardy host (off of the K in Bjork). She is unusually beautiful, with looks that are very changeable. Phil should get no argument from her on either of these.
Whenever there’s a band playing and they ask for requests, I ask for “Jumping Jack Flash.” This poem is called “Request.” It’s by Lawrence Raab and it appeared in today’s Writer’s Almanac. We have that in common, apparently.
For a long time I was sure
it should be “Jumping Jack Flash,” then
the adagio from Schubert’s C major Quintet,
but right now I want Oscar Peterson’s
“You Look Good to Me.” That’s my request.
Play it at the end of the service,
after my friends have spoken.
I don’t believe I’ll be listening in,
but sitting here I’m imagining
you could be feeling what I’d like to feel—
defiance from the Stones, grief
and resignation with Schubert, but now
Peterson and Ray Brown are making
the moment sound like some kind
of release. Sad enough
at first, but doesn’t it slide into
tapping your feet, then clapping
your hands, maybe standing up
in that shadowy hall in Paris
in the late sixties when this was recorded,
getting up and dancing
as I would not have done,
and being dead, cannot, but might
wish for you, who would then
understand what a poem—or perhaps only
the making of a poem, just that moment
when it starts, when so much
is still possible—
has allowed me to feel.
Happy to be there. Carried away.
This list of phobias was posted in the Dull Men’s Club (UK) today.
Have you got a favorite? Pogonophobia and Xanthphobia are new to me and pretty good. Here are some comments from club members:
Ray Wells added: AIBOHPHOBIA. Fear of Palindromes.
David Mortimor noted: For those who think Eurotophobia can’t be a real thing. It is often triggered by watching birthing videos in reverse!
Keyo Langford wrote: I think you’ll find that ecclesiaphobia is actually a fear of cakes.
Rosie Barker made a good point, IMO: Aren’t cremophobia and eremiophobia the same thing? Murray Atkinson replied: No, one starts with c and the other with e.. (D’oh!)
Another member posted: Chronomentrophobia (fear of clocks), batophobia (fear of being close to tall buildings). I have a very specific one – fear of being close to clock towers – so I guess that would be chronomentrobatophobia.
Leanne Brown gets the last word: Wrong group: way too interesting.
See you tomorrow!
The Wellington Files 