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Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025

1:14pm EST

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Max's Musings

by Max Griffin 🏳️‍🌈

Rated: 18+ · Book · Writing · #2041762

A math guy's random thoughts.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Max Griffin 🏳️‍🌈

Feb 7, 2025 at 12:39pm
In response to "Soundtrack, Day 4, Hallelujah"

Allan, that's a nice rendition. Here's another by a group I like.

Allan Charles 🐾

Feb 7, 2025 at 11:33am
In response to "Soundtrack, Day 4, Hallelujah"

I absolutely love this song. It gives me goosebumps every time. This is personally my favorite cover of the song:

🐕GeminiGem🎁

Feb 6, 2025 at 3:36pm
In response to "Soundtrack, Feb 6, Come Sail Away"

I became a rabid Styx fan in the early 80's. At one point I had all the vinyl they had released, but those are long gone. I rely on greatest hits CD's or a Styx mix on Spotify. This song comes up often. I always wondered about the line about climbing aboard the starship, but not enough to research it or anything like that, LOL

1 Like

Dave Ryan

Feb 18, 2024 at 2:19pm
In response to "La Mer"

One of my favourites as well. I used to think the English version was a translation of the French, but as you say it's a different song altogether.

The film "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" from 10 years or so ago got indifferent reviews but I quite liked it, and it has a great montage ending where all the loose ends are tied up, with the French version of La Mer (performed by Julio Iglesias) providing the background.

If you'll forgive the impertinence of adding to your blog, here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SSIp2J3YHM

Dave Ryan

Feb 17, 2024 at 11:14pm
In response to "I Think I'll Make a Cake"

I'm not a great fan of Glass on the whole, but for some reason I do quite like his violin concerto.

And Stravinsky has just gone up in my estimation by several orders of magnitude for the Fantasia quote!

1 Like

Dave Ryan

Feb 16, 2024 at 6:23am
In response to "M'appari, Tutt' Amor"

I know that, in the eyes of some, this will destroy my credibility irrevocably as he appears to be a love-him-or-loathe-him type of performer, but as I've listened to the nostalgia radio stations over the years I have to admit that Billy Joel has grown on me. The man has quite an impressive body of work.

KingsSideCastle

Feb 6, 2024 at 8:12pm
In response to "Take On Me"

Take on me is an excellent choice.

Kåre เลียม Enga

Dec 19, 2021 at 11:53pm
In response to "Visiting"

Two years late to read this but...

I loved Tulsa when I lived in Oklahoma. Read my poetry at the Gypsy... back in the day... 2004? Joined WDC because of someone I met there.

When I had a home I would've been delighted to have folks stay with me. Now? No room.

I've met folks in Minnesota, Iowa, England, Sweden, Romania, Australia and even here in Montana. Precious memories.

🐕GeminiGem🎁

Dec 9, 2019 at 12:24pm
In response to "Floaters"

At one of my eye exams in the last couple of years, the optometrist told me that floaters were just pigment from the colored part of my eye that detached and are literally floating around. Completely harmless. Dark-eyed people, like me, are more "susceptible" to them. I have them all the time.

WebMD is known for scaring the pants off of people. It is kind of like knowing what is running through your doctor's head while you are going through the history of your symptoms. The difference is, the doctor filters that information better than the web site does (usually).

When I was consulting a surgeon after my cancer diagnosis, she said, "So, how much research have you done on the internet?"

When I said, "None, I thought that's why I hired you," I thought she was going to jump up and kiss me.

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing, but if it got you in to get examined by a medical professional, I guess it wasn't so bad, lol

Cubby~On the Road Again!

Dec 8, 2019 at 12:17pm
In response to "Floaters"

I have a couple floaters, too, and at my last eye appointed, the doctor said they are nothing to worry about UNLESS, as what happened to you, the sparklers begin to flash and that could mean a detached retina and would need immediate attention. Just like you said! Whew, I'm so glad it turned out well for you.

1 Like

February 11, 2025 at 8:43am

#1083692

Soundtrack, Feb 11, Piano Man

Billy Joel's first album, the 1971 release Cold Spring Harbor, was a commercial failure.

He left New York for Los Angeles, and spent the next two years working as a lounge musician. During this time, he wrote "Piano Man," which became his breakout hit and his signature song. The song narrates his real-life experience, and includes people he encountered at the lounge.

The combination of the haunting tone of the music and the undercurrent of hopelessness in the lyrics make the song a particularly powerful. The people of the song have broken dreams and broken lives. They use the lounge to escape the harsh reality of the outside world.

The song brought to mind an old Poul Anderson story I'd read ages ago, "My Object All Sublime."

Anderson's story was about a fugitive--a time traveller--hiding in the present from the crimes he'd committed in another era. It tells the story his capture in a bar. I'd just finished a time travel novel of my own--Timekeepers

--and so I had time travel on my mind.

I wrote a story inspired by Poul Anderson's, but also by the mood of Joel's song. It's "Amazing Grace"

. While the title of the story refers the famous hymn, only the lyrics and not the music play role in the story. The story does specifically reference a Joel song, "The Stranger," but the opening paragraph was wholly inspired by "The Piano Man." I hope that that short paragraph captures the mood of Joel's masterpiece. Overall, it's not a very good story--Poul's story is much better. I never submitted "Amazing Grace" publication, but did find it a worthwhile writing exercise.

Here's the official video of "The Piano Man."

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