Spitball Army

…and the hits just keep on comin’.  This parody of Tim James’ ‘language’ ad takes particular joy in skewering James’ awkward body language.

On 14 November 2003, singer/songwriter Libby Kirkpatrick came by Laser’s Edge for a visit and an in-store performance.  When I went to her car to help unload her stuff, she showed me what she called her current favorite CD, one she’d been listening to lately on the road, one that had her in its thrall.  It was a mix CD, made by a friend, and I was intrigued by the unusual assortment of tracks on it, songs with titles that were scribbled on the white tray card with a very fine ink pen.  Seeing my interest, Libby naturally did what any selfless, giving person might: she offered it to me as a gift.  I still have it somewhere (I ran across it recently, but hell if I can find it right now when I want to!).

I, in turn, made her a mix CD as a gift later that night, and gave it to her the following morning over breakfast at the Pancake House (in Five Points South).  The disc was inspired by her apparent eclectic interests, and features some of my favorite songs (“Tears of Rage,” “Michigan,” “You’re a Hurricane, I’m a Caravan”) as well as what I thought of at the time was an international flavor.  I adorned the cover of the jewel case with a nighttime photo of the alley behind my house, strung with hundreds of feet of white incandescent (see below) lights and taken with a handheld slow exposure, giving the picture a shaky, eerie, dreamlike quality.  I thought later that it would be just like Libby Kirkpatrick, and completely in character for her, to offer the CD I’d made to the next person she met who showed an interest, in whatever town she visited next, who might in turn make her a mix CD, and so on, and so on…

That’s the way the world goes, sometimes.

Here is a shot of Libby on that in-store performance day.  Yes, that is a plate containing an apple, a pear, a plum, some grapes, and chocolate (“green room” goodies).  And a candle, as she disliked the room tone provided by our overhead fluorescent lights (see above).  We turned them off at her very reasonable request.

(photo: spitballarmy.com)

Libby’s playlist has an approximate playing time of 80 minutes.

1. Grey Larsen & Andre Marchand
   “Acadian Mouth Music / Horses, Geese & One Old Man”  (1993)
2. Joseph Arthur  “Evidence”  (2002)
3. Oranger  “Static on the High Desert”  (2003)
4. Josh Rouse  “Princess on the Porch”  (2003)
5. Tractor Kings  “Gone to Heaven”  (2003)
6. My Morning Jacket  “The Way That He Sings”  (2001)
7. January  “Eyes All Mine”  (2001)
8. Bee Gees  “Please Read Me”  (1967)
9. The Shins  “New Slang”  (2001)
10. The Shangri-Las  “I Can Never Go Home Anymore”  (1965)
11. Thomas Newman  “Bloodless Freak” from American Beauty  (2000)
12. Neko Case  “Stinging Velvet”  (2002)
13. World Party  “You’re a Hurricane, I’m a Caravan”  (2000)
14. The Band  “Tears of Rage”  (1968)
15. The Vessels  “Delight”  (2002)
16. Antonio Plotino & New Music Studium
    “Poulenc: Suite Francaise (VI. Sicilienne – Tres Doucement)”  (1998)
17. June Tabor  “Paint Me, Redouté”  (2001)
18. Los Zafiros  “La Luna en tu Mirada”  (1965)
19. Chris Kowanko  “Modern Daze”  (1992)
20. Ron Sexsmith  “While You’re Waiting”  (1997)
21. Josh Rouse (again)  “Michigan (live, acoustic)”  (2003)

[audio:Fred_FM_playlist_050910.mp3]
Fred FM playlist for Libby Kirkpatrick (14 November 2003 / 9 May 2010)

The cover of Libby’s mix CD.

[Written to Alice in Frankfort, Indiana. Return addressed: Richard, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 1st Mar., c/o F.P.O., San Francisco, Calif. Postmarked at U.S. Navy, on 1 Dec 1944, A.M. Envelope stamped on front, “Passed by Naval Censor,” and initialed by the Censor.]

Nov. 29, 1944

Hello Sweetheart,

     I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to extend my Christmas greetings in any way other than by a letter.  Then they handed out these cards.  I’d like to send separate cards, but I’m afraid that will be impossible.  This will have to do for every body there – you, your Mother and Dad, and the pups.  I hope all of you there at home are well and much happier than we were a year ago.  It’s a rather unpleasant subject to bring up, but it’s on my mind so I’ll say it.  I’m terribly sorry it all happened.  That holiday season should have been very merry; but through ignorance on my part, it was far from it.  I am living and learning as does every one.  That is all in the past; it is something we should all remember, but there is no need to worry about it.  As I said before, it is in the past.  Let’s keep it there.  This Christmas, things are much different.  As far as I know, there is only one thing to be unhappy about.  In the past year, a lot of changes have taken place.  Now, in stead of having one Mother and one Father, I have two.  Most of all though, I have the sweetest and swellest person in the world as my wife.  If anybody was came out on the short end of that transaction, I definitely know that it was not I.  I think that you, all three of you, are the best.  I’m very proud to be so connected to the family – to call you Mother and Dad, and my wife.  I’m very happy at the present with the way things are back there.  Maybe I don’t know the whole story, but I hope I know enough to say that.  If we could all be together, I don’t see how any thing could be wrong with the world.  I know I’d be the happiest person in it.  But, there are many things wrong with this world we live in and call “our” world.  The way things look, we won’t have that little get-to-gether until quite a few things are settled on this side.  Then I will be able to get back on the right side of this old world of ours.  We’ll be back together, living like a family should.  I know living conditions will be quite different, but this will be a world at peace.  That’s all I can possibly ask.  After that, it will just take time, brawn, and brains.  I think all of those can be well taken care of in this family.  I hate to stop now, but there isn’t a lot of room left for me to write.

     Merry Christmas Everybody
          All my love to you all,
               R.

– Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005)
Mrs. Palfrey is carried on the strength of Joan Plowright’s characterization of the title character, but otherwise it is light fare. The quirky denizens of the hotel Claremont are an interestingly Dickensian bunch, and provide the needed contrast between the quite proper gentlelady and her new world – a residential London hotel where she has just arrived after being abandoned by her family. This film hasn’t the pedigree of a Merchant-Ivory production, or even Enchanted April, but it is a step above most of what passes for warm-hearted story-telling in the U.S. (read: Hallmark Hall of Fame productions). I did recommend it to my mother, who appreciates a simple story well told, preferably with an unambiguous resolution.

Time to leave for home, she dashes resistingly into the stacks. An empty shelf is a perfect hideout, next to Hoyle and Lasker.

[Written to Alice in Frankfort, Indiana. Return addressed: Richard, Co. G, 2nd Bn., 1st Mar., c/o F.P.O., San Francisco, Calif. Postmarked at U.S. Navy, on 23 Nov 1944, A.M. Envelope stamped on front, “Passed by Naval Censor,” and initialed by the Censor.]

Nov. 21, 1944

Hello Sweetheart,

     Well, Sweetheart, I’ve got some spare time here in the office so I thought I’d try to write you a short letter.  There isn’t any news to tell you and I can’t talk about the training we are getting.  Maybe I shouldn’t say “we.”  I’m not in on much of it.  I spend the majority of my time around the office answering the telephone.

     You know, you had me worried there for a while because I didn’t hear from you.  I, at times, almost let my imagination run away with me.  It seems to me that my address should have gotten to you sooner than it did.  I still can’t understand why you don’t have my pressent address.  Maybe you have by now.  It was rather bad until I got your first letter.  I didn’t know whether you got back from California all right or not.  And if you did, what was wrong at home.  The mails shouldn’t have been so slow.  Everything is all right now though.  I could stand to read a lot more mail, but all I’m interested in is hearing from you Sweetheart.  I love you with all my heart.  Do you remember that little card you sent me while I was at Pendleton?  I got that out last night and read it over a couple of times.  The little note you wrote on the back and the card itself are about the nicest things you have ever given me.  I’m going to keep that with me so I can read it whenever something needs to be done to keep my morale.  I love you Sweetheart.

     Is it ever hot today!  The sun isn’t shinning shining much, but it is very sultry.  It rained some last night but that doesn’t help a bit right now.  Think nothing of it if there are any blotches of on the letter.  I’ve been lucky so far; but the way the sweat is dripping off my forehead, I don’t think my luck will last.

     It’s time to go to chow (11:45), so I’ll quit for now.  See you later on today.  I love you, Sweetheart.

[next page]

     Well, Sweetheart, I’m back with you again.  The paper and pen are different than from what I started out with, but it’s the best I can do at the present.  Right now I’m watching the property tent for my buddy.  I came down to see him; he had some business to take care of; he needed someone to watch the tent, so here I am. – What a sentence that was.  Even if it wasn’t exactly grammatically correct, I think you can understand what I mean.  That reminds me of your old boy friend, but for the life of me, I can’t think of his name.  You know who I’m talking about.  He taught “Mr. Bell’s Book” and it was under him that you became such an excellent English student.  What was his name, anyway?  Do you think you’ll ever get tired of my kidding you about that?  I’m afraid that will be one of many things that I will never forget.

     There are a lot of things I’ll never forget, Sweetheart, a lot of happy and a lot of sad times we spent together.  I’ve loved you ever since that Monday.  Do you remember the song?  You should.  You wouldn’t let me make the song come true.  I tried, – you wanted to, – you were devilish and a little stubborn, – so, I didn’t.  Thursday at a quarter to ten. – — Then that night when you got out of bed to go out with me.  You’d been sick all the week before and I thought you were putting me off.  But, you went out with me and then you were really sick.  That was when I first knew that you cared for me. —- I have to laff to myself every time I think about the night I first met your folks.  You didn’t want to go because they weren’t expecting us.  You were afraid the house would be in a mess and that they would be too.  All you did during the ride to your house was apologize for the house, your folks, and especially how your Dad would act.  Then you just sat with your mouth open trying to get a word into your Dad’s and my conversation.  You sure got a surprise, didn’t you?  We had a lot of fun Sweetheart, but that was just the beginning.  When I get back, our happiness can really start.  Oh, Sweetheart, I wish we could be together the way we should.  It isn’t right that you should be at home and me so far away.  I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until the war is over.  The way things look, I’ll be here, or over-seas, until the last shot is fired against those Sons of Heaven.  That’s not what I really call them, but you had better confine your remarks to something on that order.  That is strong enough and we know what each other thinks along that line.

[pen change]

     Here I am back again with my own pen.  Since I wrote the last paragraph, I’ve been to chow and a show.  The chow wasn’t so good but it was a darn good picture.  The picture was “I Dood It” with Red Skeleton [‘Skeleton’ scribbled messily].  You know who it is even if you can’t read it [draws arrow to ‘Skeleton’].  I laughed till my sides ached in some parts.  In other parts, all I could do was think of you.  I love you, Sweetheart.  If I could see you now, I would be the happiest guy in the world.  I don’t know why I’m in this mood today; I guess I’ve had too much time to think.  I don’t exactly mean that.  There’s is nothing I would rather do than think of you, Sweetheart.  That’s what I do from the time I crawl under my mosquito net until I go to sleep.  The more I think, the less sleepy I get.  Then the more awake I am, the more I think.  It just goes around in a circle till I get so tired I fall asleep.  Then, if I’m lucky, I dream about you.  It makes me very unhappy if I don’t dream about you every night.  But, I don’t know of anything I can do about it.  I had two dreams last night.  It makes me mad though.  I can only remember one of them and it’s the wrong one.  I know that I had the crazy one, woke up, then I had a nice one about you.  NATURALLY, I remember the crazy one.  That’s what makes me mad.  I can tell you about the other one.  It seems that I was out in the bay swimming and an octopus wrapped a tenticle around my legs.  I didn’t know whether to fight it or just stay as still as I could.  While I was trying to decide, I woke up and found my cover wrapped around my legs.  It’s just 10 minutes until taps so
                                  Goodnight Sweetheart

     I love you with all my heart.
          Pleasant Dreams
               ‘Nite
                    x x

[written along side of page]

I just happened to think.  Dick, my buddy, put the stamp on my envelope and I’m to tell you to hold it to the light.

Trailer for I Dood It (1943):

“Ten Commandments” Judge Roy Moore is also running for governor of Alabama.  Here are a pair of Moore campaign advertisements featuring the same song: one sung by a white female country singer (Kelli Johnson, who wrote the song), the other by a 3:1 black/white male quartet (Elements of Difference).

And we have about one month to go until the Republican primary.  Bring it on!

The Elements of Difference ad aired during tonight’s episode of Lost, leading me to the conclusion that the Judge has raised a considerable amount of money so far.

I would enjoy the job of synthesizing topical news articles in the manner that newsy.com does it; their work and website were unknown to me until recently.

Never having heard of the website previously, today I received an e-mail from a member of the ‘Newsy Community Team’ asking me to consider embedding their take on the debate surrounding the Tim James ‘Language’ ad.  The note describing their video presentation read partially thus:

The video includes most of the television ad and shows a few different opinions on the ad, James and whether it will win him much popularity for governor amongst right-wing voters. Some think the ad is quite offensive and misleading. Others agree with the Republican candidate and want to see such an English-only law passed. Then are those who simply think the message and directness of James’ ad will attract a good number of conservative Alabamans.

My Newsy correspondent also said that ‘In your post, you point out that James nearly seems to be “switching his party affiliation from Republican to Tea.” ‘  While I didn’t say that (I actually said this: “Has Tim James switched his party affiliation from Republican to Tea?  No (not yet anyway).”), the Tim James platform, as it appears to be taking shape, does seem more slanted toward the conservative activism that is representative of the Tea Party movement than toward traditional Republicanism.

Herewith the newsy.com take on the Tim James brouhaha:

Organizing music books: Beatles > Dylan > artists, alphabetically > genres > regions > music biz > anthologies > jazz > classical.