Saturday, February 19, 2011

February Mystery Tour 3

A small mystery next--more introspective in nature.  I am wondering about the relationship of this blog to the web.

My very first blog entry in 2008 mentions how my oldest daughter, Katherine put me up to it.  The title is a little play on X-Files' "The Truth is Out There."  At the time I was curious about what stuff I might put into it over the months and, surprisingly, over the years.  Since then I have complained often about some aspect of daily life, written two poems, one (very) short story, and shamefully, embedded you tube videos of music I have enjoyed.  In some I try to be funny; in others, serious; in a couple, introspective.

Though I started this for my kids, I left the blog "public," meaning it is searchable on the web.  I figured over time some stranger might come across it and offer a comment or two.  In fact, this has happened only once, and the anonymous comment was about the blog entry "Put on your big boy pants and deal with it," from all the way back in 2008.  All other comments have been from friend or family.

I recently figured out how to monitor page visits, and said visits are few indeed.  However, I was shocked to find that, almost weekly, people are still visiting "big boy;" almost to the exclusion of all others, even the recent entries!  What, exactly, is the draw of "big boy pants," particularly amongst all the frangible, friable and/or thoroughly forgettable drivel I have posted?

Backing up for a moment, I want to comment on how hard it is to actually find my blog.  Unless you use very specific terms in Google, it is all but impossible.  Even when you type in the exact title of my blog, it is invisible to Yahoo, Ask, and Dogpile.  Likewise, if you search those 3  for "put on your big boy pants and deal with it," you will not find my blog.  You will, however, find Maureen McGowan's blog with an entry entitled "Put on your big girl pants."  What up with that?  (Kath, you might want to check out her site, she is a budding author). This is confusing-- both Maureen and I use blogspot.com for our platform--so how did I get missed?  For those who don't know, Blogger is a Google publishing tool--but why did those others find her and not me?

OK, back to big boy pants.  This is a very old cliche, seems to me it goes back to at least my childhood.  My titled entry was about coping with, and persevering through adversity.  First, it is about recognizing that almost nothing is so bad as it first seems; and second, if something really is that bad, well, buttercup, you'll just have to deal with it.  So the exact wording, if searched in Google, gets me the VERY FIRST ENTRY!!!  How cool is that?  Apparently when people use the old cliche they find themselves at my door.  Sadly, the entry must not be that engaging since no one ever comments; but I'm thinking of doing an update and see if that gets more attention.

There are other, similar euphemisms I can try for titles:
"Don't be a crybaby."
"Cry me a river."
"Are those violins I hear?"
"Suck it up/in."
"Grow a set/pair."
"Man-up, for crying out loud."
"It's better than a stick/poke in the eye."
"Get your head out your butt/a**/rectum."
"You appear to have suffered a cranial-anal inversion."
"Think much?"
"Hello, McFly, Hello?"
"Bueller?  Bueller?"

Um, well, losing the bead there... definitely want to stay away from copyrighted stuff.  Ok, which of these do you think might actually get some hits?  Ah, time will tell...

Friday, February 11, 2011

February Mystery Tour 2

Rhyming riddles are lots of fun,
though it is rare when I solve one.
Below are two on which I thought,
I got one right; the other, naught.

After that I give two more,
so simple, you can raise your score!
I could not make the last two rhyme,
I frankly didn't have the time.

Answers, tomorrow.

1. From Lewis Carroll:

John gave his brother James a box,
About it there were many locks.
James woke and said it gave him pain,
So he gave it back to John again.
The box was not with lid supplied,
Yet caused two lids to open wide.
And all these locks had never a key,
What kind of box, then, could it be?

2. Compliments to Riddles.com:

Four men sat down to play.
They played all night till break of day.
They played for gold and not for fun,
With separate scores for everyone.
When they had come to square accounts,
They all had made quite fair amounts.
Can you the paradox explain,
If no one lost, how all could gain?

Two for the road:

3. Why does the barber in Oatmeal, Nebraska, say he'd rather shave ten skinny men than one fat one?

4. One of the fastest runners alive once claimed he was so fast he could turn off the light in his bedroom and get into his bed before the room went dark.  On one occasion, he proved it.  How?

Saturday, February 5, 2011

February Mystery Tour 1

I've decided I will write at least one blog entry a week in February and dedicate each to some small mystery.  Warning: I make no promise that I will solve the mystery for the curious reader; maybe yes, maybe no.  Have you ever noticed that part of the wonder lies in wondering?

My children routinely amaze me with their dynamically eclectic taste in music.  All three have journeyed all over the musical map, no destination too remote.  This one is for them...

I have two music pieces in mind. Kids, here is proof that I have found and listened to some Indie music all on my own.  What follows is a piece by The Twang.  I love it when people transmit their joy through their music, and these guys just seem to be having a great time, and the crowd too. 

"F*** it all Manchester, I think this is one of the best nights of me life."




Here is a special treat, one you can crank up and float away on.  Let the video mesmerize you, or do something else while you listen, either way it's tough not to be travelling somehow when you hear this song.  Sometimes the You Tube comments tell a neat little story about the vids:

"I went to see Rocky Votolato at a festival on the other side of Washington. Me and my friend found these guys outside of a motel room. We smoked with them and played hacky sack for a while then they gave us a cd and we saw them the next day at the show. I was really surprised whenever I find a band and they give me a cd they usually suck but this band is incredible. "


Just nice.  Here is Mimicking Birds.

"...dark matter and toxic fumes...it's just a dusty interstellar saloon..."



So what's the mystery?  Each of these songs has a particular, special meaning to me; one has very deep, even painful meaning; the other just served to be a pleasant little surprise.  Which is which and why?  Sorry, not telling...