This is a quickie summertime blog on bits and bobs.

It’s been preternaturally quiet around these parts of late. Come September it’ll begin popping again. Blame it on a change of living conditions, traveling in India, China, Seoul and even some inside the soul journeys.

I’m organizing the next unfolding.

I’m at work on a number of videos, of varying content. Formally launching three further books in the second part of 2011. Also putting out the much delayed, too often spoken about T-shirt and stories on stuff: some nice, some odd, some for kids, some using illustrations from my books.

Meanwhile. I recently, actually purchased a couple of CDs.

Paul Simon’s “So Beautiful, So What”

Teddy Thompson’s “Bella”.

I like melody, these CDs deal in melodies. Superior lyrics. Real musicians playing real instruments. Not knob twisters with an ear. And Teddy’s dad is Richard Thompson who plays on some of the tracks.
There are three guitarist’s whose solos I always have time for:
J.J. Cale.
Richard Thompson
Lindsey Buckingham.
So many guitar solos seem meandering or show-offy or uninspired, but at some ear-based level, when these guys play a solo, I follow with happy pleasure.

Of the films I’ve seen so far this year (and I mean in a movie house, not a typical DVD experience of “that’s why I didn’t see this when it came out”), here are those that most engaged my imagination:
Des hommes et des dieux.
“Exit Through the Gift Shop.”
“The Tree of Life.”
“A Separation.”

Here are a few amusing links that I put on my Facebook & Twitter pages during the last months that might amuse:

Street Dance in Paris
Street Art
Testing Humans

Lastly, for years I’ve been a Darjeeling type guy, but after returning from India with bags of different, hand-rolled teas, I find I am now an Assam tea guy.

That’s it. Summer bunches of lazy days.

Thanks for dropping by and reading. -Vincent

Tags: A Separation, Assm tea, best movies first half of 2011, Des hommes et des dieux, Favorite guitarists, favorite movies 2011, guitar solos, J.J. Cale, Lindsey Buckingham, links to favorite pleasures, Paul Simon, Richard Thompson, Teddy Thompson, The Tree of Life, xit Through the Gift Shop

This entry was posted on Monday, August 1st, 2011 at 8:53 am and is filed under Musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.