The Dining Zone-Podcast

 The Dining Zone

Welcome to the first episode of my new podcast series, The Dining Zone

Yours in food,

Count Robot

Speak

 

Back in early May I got to see a short experimental movie that my wife is in with improved audio.

It really made a difference. The movie is called Speak. No release date yet, but I am looking forward to seeing it out in the world.

I am fan of David Lynch and this hits that sweet spot of being like his work but not being a clone.

Yours in movie watching,

Count Robot

Lighthouse in the Rain

 

Lighthouse in the Rain

I was on a trolley tour of Salem Mass when I saw a lighthouse in the rain

Each droplet felt like a forgotten friend rolling down the glass pane

As the water crashed to the shore, poems were born then receded into the eternal sea

This trolley ride in the cold rain is more than my words can see

Yours in poetry that matches a photo,

Count Robot

The Saxophone Colossus

 

The Saxophone Colossus no longer walks on this planet.

Saw him play a number of times. He was a great talent.

You are not forgotten.

Yours in listening to a jazz legend,

Count Robot

Sights of the Unseen

Sights of the Unseen

Sights of the unclean

A low cost cafeteria closes

Only the original neighbours care

All those memories have fallen and lay bare

Gently sweep aside the generation before,

you bloated real estate whore

Gentrification is neighbourhood assassination 

Sights of the unseen

Yours in copyrighted poetry,

Count Robot

Rise

 

Rise

I am a fan of Herb Alpert with or without the Tijuana Brass, although his time with the brass is my favorite period of his music overall.

If you don't know about Herb Alpert here's a link to his wiki page.

Yet, I am addicted to the song Rise which doesn't feature the brass at all.

Rise is a disco era song.

The backing music is pure disco. It's not great, its kind of standard disco.

So why am I hooked on this song?

It's all about Alpert's playing.

I can hear his playing in the jukebox of my mind without the backing track and it sounds glorious, but it even sounds better with it.

Because his playing is so purposeful that it elevates the material and gives it a life it otherwise wouldn't have.

Alpert's playing starts off low, haunting, almost nostalgic, then it does indeed rise to become joyously triumphant, then slowly descends down into longing melancholy. 

Sublimely beautiful. Most times I don't even think about the fact that the track is over seven minutes.

I've been lucky enough to see Herb Alpert on his current tour and he's played Rise both times and nailed it both times. 

Here's a video I shot of him playing it on the current tour.

Yours in wonderful music,

Count Robot

Infinite Mirror of Dreams

 Infinite Mirror of Dreams

I dreamt of you and your mummified squirrel

Then I dreamt of your spirit’s transferal

How many dreams are we away from madness?

How many dreams are we away from gladness?

When your shape is re-shaped

there’s every chance you’ll be miss-shaped

You used to feed the squirrel in the park

then you found it dead and dark

Then I dreamt of you two

Two that I never knew

Yours in words,

Count Robot