janeowit's Journal: The paradox in judging woman's barrel racing

You duped me. I noticed everything, but I didn't put it together. Stop showing off, you'll always be smarter than me, but I'll always be younger.

Since I have become so comfortable with expressing the most personal of secrets to this assemblage of relatives, friends, and strangers, I thought this the perfect setting for my affirmation.

There's this song that you've never heard, and probably wouldn't like. But I sort of think of it as our song. It's as accurate as anything written by a stranger from Iowa City (or perhaps Coralville) with the intention of mass appeal when performed in front of large crowds can be about us. But it is what it is, and if you would like, you can hear it here.

I've had the pleasure of hearing it live twice, and both times it has been prefaced by the singer explaining that he and his brother used to put a sled at the top of the stairs and a skateboard at the bottom, and with the help of gravity much fun would be had. And that's the set up. Now, the lyrics with commentary.

Last Blast Off- Small Towns Burn a Little Slower

Baseball cards and matchbox cars (Remember the card shop around the corner from Rose's, and sitting up in your room, unwrapping them all? You let me eat all the gum.)
Let's pretend that we are rock stars (How come I always had to be Paul? He was the crappiest Beatle. On the other hand, you always let me be a good ninja turtle)
Let's build a ramp behind the house, let's jump our bikes off of it (Remember all that slightly dangerous exploring we used to do in the drainage tunnels by Honey Creek, it's different but friends)
Let's make a list, let's follow it
Rainy day surprises and military exercises.

Let's build a fort just outside the trailer park (No trailer parks for us, we did play in dumps though. But what about the fort outside Port Superior? Or those cool forts we would make with sheets on staircase at the old house?)
We won't let anyone else in (I loved that you let me watch you and your friends play NES, even though it was probably annoying)
Last blast off the ship is going down
to the bottom of the stairs across the floor. (So many dangerous step games. Like the one where you had to jump from the stairs onto the foam mattress and see how far you could get it to slide across the basement floor- in the dark)
Last blast off the ship is going down
to the bottom of the stairs across the floor.

Times have changed, you're 26 now with a wife and kids of your own
And I'm not far behind you, and I can't help but remind you
That I'm not far behind you. (We may be taking a little different path, but I'm not far behind you.)

Even when all your friends are gone. I will be here. Because I am your brother. (Not going to cry, not going to cry...)

For no particular reason...

[arb]

Answer to a Child's Question

Do you ask what the birds say? The Sparrow, the Dove,
The Linnet and Thrush say, "I love and I love!"
In the winter they're silent--the wind is so strong;
What it says, I don't know, but it sings a loud song.
But green leaves, and blossoms, and sunny warm weather,
And singing, and loving-all come back together.
But the Lark is so brimful of gladness and love,
The green fields below him, the blue sky above,
That he sings, and he sings; and for ever sings he--
"I love my Love, and my Love

Re:For no particular reason...

[Ethelred Unraed]

I wish to protest in the strongest terms at the repeated outbreaks of poetry of late.

Cheers,

Ethelred

Re:For no particular reason...

[janeowit]

Oh, Ethelred. Jealousy doesn't look very pretty on you.

Well it does. Just not as pretty as pure malevolence.

A prior duping

[addle_wit]

I hate to have to tell you this, my friend, but I duped you again, or rather, previously. Raphael is the good ninja turtle. He was the cynic of the group, which is admirable because cynicism is the only thing there is with which to face fanaticism. I'll embrace his ideological pose over competing visions such 'enjoy pizza' or 'take command of your peers' anytime, then or now.

And now; contrary to local custom, skipping the to end, in regards to this:

We may be taking a little different path, but I'

Interesting...

[Allen Zadr]

Well, I actually like the song, but I'm not a fan of the band. I'd go so far as to say I like all of their songs, but - besides the lyrical points - all of their songs are similar, which makes it difficult for me to listen to many at a time. Thus, not a fan of the band. I would bet they'd be fun to see live though.

They need to do more to mix up their sound.

There is something deeper in the text that is just mysterious enough to pique my curiosity. Hmm.

Re:Interesting...

[janeowit]

I completely agree. There isn't too much variety in their sound, and they are far from ground breaking. This sound was pretty much perfected several years ago, and they haven't tread too far from the beaten path. That doesn't bother me though. It's part of the odd way that I like music. I'll want to hear Small Towns, I'll pop in the cd, and I'm as happy as Larry because I wanted to hear music that sounded like X, and I got all songs that sound like X. But they do it so well. And, blinder likes them [slashdot.org] . So tha