The view is from the tunnel that runs between the Government Center and City Hall. I imagine when it was conceived, the architect's drawings showed throngs of men in brown synthetic suits and yellow ties with briefcases moving two by two in steady motion. A new street, under the old!
I rarely see anyone there. Minimal legal intercourse conducted in person, it would seem. There was a cafeteria along the corridor, but it closed during COVID. There was a selection of historical memorabilia from the Hennepin County Museum along the walk, but it closed during COVID and no one has bothered to start it up. There is a fountain on the ground level that pours into a transparent pit on the underground level, but of course it's dry in winter. The paving is burnt umber / red / brown in varying gradients, the sort of thing common to shopping malls, suburban office buildings, and Burger Kings.
It was all incredibly cool when I discovered it. Now it feels like I've entered Tut's looted tomb.
Well, we are week's end, and I am watching a lackluster football game while tidying up this and that. Sometimes you just want to spend a quiet hour sorting photos and backing up things. Cleaning out the photo roll I see something I saved today, because it was so incongruous.
I've removed the opening acts, but I want you to consider what bands might have a rep and a sound that fits this hard RETVRN image of strength, power, and ancient codes forged in the fires of war. I'll show the real version down the page.
Okay brrrrrrr again, and I do mean brrrrrrr with that many r’s, no fewer, no more. It was four when I woke. Four . I considered not leaving the house, which is a perfectly natural thing to consider. Why should I? I could cut the Diner in my warm studio. I could run on the treadmill. I could skirt the pain, the usual winter pain, entirely. But no. We are a hardy sort. Go forth and be productive. Hit the gym. Lift those weights. Tote that bale. Most importantly, eat that licorice. My stash of post-lunch licorice is at the office, and if I wanted the daily treat, I would have to drive, park, and walk. So I did.
It’s the little motivations that launch you into greater accomplishments.
I also decided to carve up the walk to work into five zones. It’s about four blocks, but the route can be carved into five discrete areas, so I could tick them off and tell myself I’d two zones behind me and only three to go, and the last one is short, so this isn’t so bad. But it was bad. At one point I crossed in the middle of the block, sprinting a bit because a car was approaching - if the car hit me it would feel cold, and the street on which I fell would be colder still are actual thoughts that passed through my mind. Eventually I reached the sanctuary of the 333 Building, and noted to my horror that the back door was closed. I’d have to go around. That attenuated Zone 5 by several dozen steps.
Wasn’t that bad. I was wearing my heavy winter coat instead of the leather jacket, because my wife upbraided me for not dressing correctly. And my Floyd R. Turbo hat.
I was looking around to see if I could find Floyd’s middle name, and landed on an AI generated site that spewed out vague junk in the standard stilted manner. The site was called “Madly Odd.”
The “More” dropdown menu has some interesting selections.
There's someout there who thinks "it's like they read my mind! This is everything I've ever wanted to read about. I mean, sometimes you'll get elephants, but elephants AND Carol Burnett?"
Okay, ready?
Hard core!
Wikipedia notes that no one currently involved with Men At Work is from the original band, except for lead singer Colin Hay. Are they a punchline band now? No? I mean, those were good 80s songs, and even though Hay's voice could be described as "baritone Geddy Lee," it all had a bright clean appeal. Even though they had to do the obligatory "nuclear war is bad and the West should just not have nuclear weapons" songs.
As for Cross, I really enjoyed this interview with Rick Beato. Smart talented guy, and one of those musicians where you think "heck, I'm glad he was successful. Seems like it happened to a good guy." In the case of both bands, it's no small feat to write a song someone can hear 40 years later, and smile: it's still good. It still works. It hasn't aged a day, and for three minutes here, neither have I.
My friend the Giant Swede had offered to replace the backyard gazebo, which was a two-story structure. I was unsure why he wanted to do this, since the one we had seems fine, but it was a generous offer. I don’t recall agreeing to it, but one day I came home and there was a much smaller structure, almost comically so.
It had a second floor like the old one, but when you climbed up into the narrow space the flimsy quality of the whole structure was evident. He showed how it could be folded up and put away for storage, and I had no idea why I would ever want to do this. I was about to point out this and other problems when he said he had to go, as one of his children had become unaccountably tired and gone to bed. My wife explained after he left that all four of his children had become tired and gone to bed, and this was a worrisome thing for a man.
There has to be better ways to knock off your lab competitors.
Wikipedia: "Nino Tempo (born Antonino LoTempio; January 6, 1935) is an American musician, singer, and actor. He was a duet partner with his older sister April Stevens as well as the frontman for a 1970s funk band, 5th Ave. Sax."
Now we're done. Thanks for your visits this week! Substack up at 10 AM, for paid customers. Consider chipping in, won't you? It'll be going to five-times-a-week next year with no price increase.
