A change of scenery
Feeling just a bit disloyal, I went walking in Rocky River Reservation of the Metroparks today instead of going to Edgewater. I was a little surprised that the all-purpose trail had been plowed, so I parked the car and walked for about a mile and a half.
It was a gorgeous sunny day, blue sky, cold but not brutal. After the first ten minutes or so it felt great, once the blood got pumping.
The river is snow-covered, but I imagine there's water flowing underneath, with fish & other critters doing whatever it is they do when they're on winter break.
Walking along the river is pretty, but since Valley Parkway runs alongside you never escape the traffic noise. I prefer the sound of gulls.
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I read the news today, oh boy
So I ask you, who you gonna believe? 2,500 scientists from around the world, or five weathermen from Cleveland? It would be pretty amusing—if it weren't so scary—that TV weathermen consider themselves better judges of this, given their track record on predicting tomorrow's weather.
The two columns were in today's Plain Dealer, while the cartoon is from The Funny Times, a far better newspaper in nearly every respect. The day that The Funny Times arrives is always a good one for me. And to top it off, it's published right here in Cleveland. Subscribe today, you won't regret it.
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[red] again [an orchestra]
Another really interesting, enjoyable concert by red [an orchestra]. This time it was music by Varese, Stravinsky, Weburn and... Frank Zappa. Apparently Zappa loved composing and even as a kid, loved music by the composers whose work shared the bill with his tonight.
It was intensely interesting to listen to—no recognizable melodies to get caught up in, just sound. Lots of different sound, from lots of different instruments. At various times, in addition to the usual orchestral woodwinds, brass, etc., there were guitars, banjos, a harp, keyboard, all sorts of percussion, a rock drum kit, a big brass gong, and several things that I have no clue about.
One of my favorite Zappa pieces was G Spot Tornado, played here by a different group:
[red] is one of the most amazing musical groups around, yet are still almost unknown. Their concerts attract only several hundred people each, despite the fact that they're never boring and always show you things about music and connections between music that you never saw before. Go to a concert, you won't regret it.