Axis of Quasi-Evil
This is my list of individuals and businesses that I am sure exist solely to prevent me from accomplishing my personal goals.
Brookline Booksmith: One goal of mine is to remove the clutter from home. This clutter is mostly piles of unread medical journals and, increasingly, books I've finished reading. I don't have that much shelf space around here to store all these books, so I've decided to donate used books to a small store around the corner which helps fund the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University. And I've decided to put a stop to me purchasing more books and instead exploring the extensive Boston Public Library System. But then Brookline Booksmith has to go and open up a 'Used Books' section in their basement. On top of all that, they have a bunch of sale books in the regular part of the store for 50-60% off list price. My last visit there, I found 4 discounted books that were on my 'To-Read' List. And I bought each of them. Therefore: Brookline Booksmith is in the Axis of Quasi-Evil for wrecking my budget and the orderliness of my home.
Anna's Taqueria: Included in the AQE for their cheap, delicious, waistline-bulging burritos.
Gourmet India: These people are in the AQE for their Indian curry buffet, loaded with ghee. Now my coronaries are clogged with this:
Across-the-hall neighbor: Every other Sunday or so, this stinky fish smell invades my apartment because my across-the-hall neighbor cooks it. I spend most of my Sunday now trying to fumigate the odor from my home. AQE-listed for making me waste time on this chore.
Next-door neighbor: for late-night techno and making me lose out on sleep. I don't hate techno, I've been known to listen to a couple of techno tunes, but I certainly don't need that driving bass beat to put me to bed at night. Come to think of it, I've never even met this person. I don't even know what he looks like. How sad is that? I've talked more to people I've merely met online and I've not ever said one word to whoever lives right next to me. Perhaps I should use this opportunity to not only introduce myself but also familiarize him or her with the Chopin Nocturnes.
On the Transmigration of Souls, by John Adams. Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic in memory of the heroes and victims of September 11, 2001, this piece by the minimalist composer John Adams is haunting, moving, and heart-wrenching. The work begins with a child's voice intoning the word "missing" repeatedly. Gradually, other voices join in the chant, including the reading of victim's names by friends and family members, superimposed over a children's chorus, an adult chorus, and symphony orchestra. Often, the spoken words give a more personal description, such as "Jeff was my uncle" or "brown hair, brown eyes" or "I miss him so much." Some of the phrases are taken from the 'Missing' posters that were put up around the World Trade Center Site after the attack, evoking the emotions, hustle, and bustle of the city. Towards the middle of the piece, the choruses and instruments crescendo eventually drowning out the voices. The crescendo fades away and we hear the return of the sounds of the city and the voices of mothers who lost their children reciting more names. The last words we hear are a woman saying: "I love you."
This piece really brought back many of the emotions I felt during those days and weeks after September 11, 2001, something I'd forgotten with time. Having lost a friend on that day, I was looking for a way to reach back and revisit those feelings of loss and vulnerability, to remember her. On the Transmigration of Souls did that for me. Unfortunately, my words don't do this work any justice. Try to listen to it at least once. A powerful tribute.
Brookline Booksmith: One goal of mine is to remove the clutter from home. This clutter is mostly piles of unread medical journals and, increasingly, books I've finished reading. I don't have that much shelf space around here to store all these books, so I've decided to donate used books to a small store around the corner which helps fund the Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University. And I've decided to put a stop to me purchasing more books and instead exploring the extensive Boston Public Library System. But then Brookline Booksmith has to go and open up a 'Used Books' section in their basement. On top of all that, they have a bunch of sale books in the regular part of the store for 50-60% off list price. My last visit there, I found 4 discounted books that were on my 'To-Read' List. And I bought each of them. Therefore: Brookline Booksmith is in the Axis of Quasi-Evil for wrecking my budget and the orderliness of my home.
Anna's Taqueria: Included in the AQE for their cheap, delicious, waistline-bulging burritos.
Gourmet India: These people are in the AQE for their Indian curry buffet, loaded with ghee. Now my coronaries are clogged with this:
Across-the-hall neighbor: Every other Sunday or so, this stinky fish smell invades my apartment because my across-the-hall neighbor cooks it. I spend most of my Sunday now trying to fumigate the odor from my home. AQE-listed for making me waste time on this chore.
Next-door neighbor: for late-night techno and making me lose out on sleep. I don't hate techno, I've been known to listen to a couple of techno tunes, but I certainly don't need that driving bass beat to put me to bed at night. Come to think of it, I've never even met this person. I don't even know what he looks like. How sad is that? I've talked more to people I've merely met online and I've not ever said one word to whoever lives right next to me. Perhaps I should use this opportunity to not only introduce myself but also familiarize him or her with the Chopin Nocturnes.
*******
Music recommendation for today's post
On the Transmigration of Souls, by John Adams. Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic in memory of the heroes and victims of September 11, 2001, this piece by the minimalist composer John Adams is haunting, moving, and heart-wrenching. The work begins with a child's voice intoning the word "missing" repeatedly. Gradually, other voices join in the chant, including the reading of victim's names by friends and family members, superimposed over a children's chorus, an adult chorus, and symphony orchestra. Often, the spoken words give a more personal description, such as "Jeff was my uncle" or "brown hair, brown eyes" or "I miss him so much." Some of the phrases are taken from the 'Missing' posters that were put up around the World Trade Center Site after the attack, evoking the emotions, hustle, and bustle of the city. Towards the middle of the piece, the choruses and instruments crescendo eventually drowning out the voices. The crescendo fades away and we hear the return of the sounds of the city and the voices of mothers who lost their children reciting more names. The last words we hear are a woman saying: "I love you."
This piece really brought back many of the emotions I felt during those days and weeks after September 11, 2001, something I'd forgotten with time. Having lost a friend on that day, I was looking for a way to reach back and revisit those feelings of loss and vulnerability, to remember her. On the Transmigration of Souls did that for me. Unfortunately, my words don't do this work any justice. Try to listen to it at least once. A powerful tribute.
posted by Mikey at 9:00 PM
3 Comments:
I have heard parts of that Adams piece. I am not sure I could listen to the whole thing in one sitting.
You have a smelly food-making neighbor too!?! I thought we were the only ones. We regularly come home and we're like, "What the hell is that"? And you're not the only one who haven't met the neighbors. I've only met one of the people that live in our building, and that person isn't in one of the apartments that touch ours. Coincidentally, I also talk to more people who live hundreds of miles away than the people who live in my same city. Weird.
krystyn: I know what you mean.
Dave: People smell. Food smells. I understand that. I just wish my across-the-hall neighbor was the one down the hall, who cooks Indian food that smells AWESOME several times a week. Can't pick your neighbors and all that....
Post a Comment
<< Home