I know. I know. Nothing is more mundane than talking about the weather. Here's the thing though: The weather here yesterday was remarkable. Literally. I heard at least ten people make remarks about it. Even I found myself muttering, "Damn, it's nice out here" a few times. And it was. Nice weather here is rare, especially in August. It was remarkable and blogworthy. Just barely.
I'm listening to Willie Nelson sing You Were Always on my Mind over the coffee shop music system, and it reminds me of something I dislike. Don't get me wrong: I love Willie Nelson, a fact that is not altogether uncontroversial. People either love Willie Nelson or they hate Willie Nelson. That's okay. People can't be right about everything.
I'm interrupting the previous thought. I will get back to it in a moment. My "people either love or hate" comment above reminded me of Mitch Hedberg, one of the funniest comedians I've seen in quite a while. He had this great joke about a band in which he was a member. He says, "People either loved us or they hated us..." And then, after a perfectly subtle pause, he adds, "...or they thought we were okay." His sense of humor was so dry, and I loved his mumbling, chuckling, indirect delivery, like his jokes were really just for him. I was sad when he died. You should look into him, if you're not familiar with him. He's not for everyone, I guess. You'll either love him or... well, you know.
About being annoyed with Willie Nelson. Here's the deal: Willie is one of those guys who believes he should never sing a song the same way twice. Whenever he does a live performance, he feels like he has to mix up the tempo and all the notes of the melody almost beyond the point of recognition. I once went to see a Squirrel Nut Zippers concert in which the lead singer practiced this principle to the total detriment of the show. Just sing the song, bozo. Not you, Willie. You've earned the right to sing the songs however you want to sing them. Would it kill you, though, to go back and listen to the album and at least stay somewhere in the vicinity of that melody and tempo? It would? Oh, okay.
That's all I've got today. Tell me what's happening with you, friends.
Later. Love.
