Episode 98: A Big Gecko Casting Tall Shadows

Show Notes:
Recorded Wednesday, March 25 2009 (9:00 PM – 10:30 PM) at Zodiac Racquet Club, Southgate MI
    “The guys talk about the new theme song and take a closer listen to the Hawaii concerts recently broadcast on Sirius XM. (Special guest: Joe. Cameos by Lee and Jennifer.)

    It’s here! It’s here! It only took eight days, but it’s here!
    00:00 – recorded off Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday, March 10
    00:38 – you can watch the South Park episode “Margaritaville” at South Park Studios
    02:42 – a reference to Episode 78
    04:42 – here’s the brand-new behind-the-scenes documentary of our theme song recording session…

    (The video at Viddler includes pop-up notes. Video is also available at at Vimeo, at our Facebook group, and was originally posted on youTube in two parts.)
    04:57 – featuring the talents of Jim Auquier (The Jimmy Show) and Rob Norum of, together, Acoustic Rewind.
    05:30 – we had to whip up a final verse on the spot. I think Scott offered the “Shadows tall” line, about which I was skeptical. I doubted the tilt of the Earth was substantial enough to change shadows in Autumn and the rhyme smacked of desperation. The following morning Scott “took me to school”, offering the following information in an e-mail.

Summer sunlight is more direct. More energy per unit area is received by sun. Thin[k] of the longer shadows cast in winter. Also think of the beam of a flashlight illuminating a spot on a table: Direct illumination provides maximum light per unit area. Tilting the flashlight means that the beam is spread over more area but its is giving of the same energy per unit time. Thus the energy per unit time per area is smaller in the tilted case, and similarly as applies to the sun in the winter.

    10:21 – …that said, the acoustic guitar in the clip you heard was Jim Auquier
    16:39Live from Key West – EP on iTunes
    19:56 – Scott means the cellphone video on YouTube, as mentioned on Buffett News
    20:55 – Cyndi Lauper sang “iko Iko” on her 1986 album True Colors
    21:33 – hear that crackling in the left speaker? That’s not our usual cellphone interference. You are witnessing the start of the slow death of my beloved Core Sound mics.
    21:51Buffett News’s write-up of Jimmy at the Jim Clark & Kristy Hinze nuptials
    23:42 – “Buffett Looking at New Sea Plane”, as mentioned on Buffett World
    24:30 – “Jimmy Buffett Wants South Side Bar to Shut Down”, from WPXI.com
    26:20Buffett News’s write-up of the Key West Margaritaville Café fire | Buffett World’s write-up of the Key West Margaritaville Café fire. P.S.: it appears the San Carlos Institute re-opened in time.
    28:56the sneak peek photo, on Twitpic
    30:51the fabled Schmoeonade™ recipe

      >  Download Episode 98

Episode 97: Changes in Laxatives

Show Notes:
Recorded Wednesday, March 4 2009 (10:00 PM – 11:30 PM) at Zodiac Racquet Club, Southgate MI
    “Some news, some banter, some making fun of Greg. You know, the usual. (Cameo by Jennifer.) (The Roger Clyne podcast starts at 15:46.)

    01:35 – well…they’re not exactly new.  It’s the same design, but the material is now light gray instead of white, which we all agree looks better.
    03:00 – Mike is cruising for a lawsuit from North Coast Brewing Co
    03:41Ambassador Bridge
    04:10Senior Walking Club does more than boost the heart rate, from the North Andover Citizen
    04:45 – inspired by Hud’s playlist idea, here are some other song titles we came up with (the following day, via e-mails):

Mike’s Senior Citizen Playlist:
      Everybody’s Got a Grandson in Miami
      Far Side of the Room
      Fruitcups
      Growing Older But Not Up
      Hot Flash at Sunset
      If It All Falls Down
      My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I’m Really Old
      Off To See The Doctor
      Pirate Looks at 80
      Please Bypass This Heart
      Sending The Old Man Home
      Who’s The Grey Stranger
      Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Sleep

Schmoe’s Senior Citizen Playlist:
      If It All Falls Down (and I Can’t Get Up)
      Wonder Why We Ever Go To The Home
      A Salty Piece of Baked Fish
      Once In a Lifetime
      Ensure Blues
      Beyond the End
      Some Old People Can Dance
      Metamucil Si Agua No
      Livin’ It Up
      Doris Talks To Statues
      Son of a Son of a Son of a Sailor
      Last Man Standing
      Pre-Pre-You
      Survive
      Makin’ Music For Oatmeal

Mickey’s Senior Citizen Playlist:
      My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, My Back is Sore, My Arthritis is Acting Up, I’ve Got This Pain Running Up My Left Side, and What’s With the Kids These Days and All Those Piercings
      Stories We Can’t Remember
      The Captain and the Kidney Stone
      A Thousand Steps to Nowhere
      Incontinento
      Blue Haired Girl
      Sea of Hipbreak
      That’s What Living Was to Me
      Metamucilville

    05:56Newsday story on Richard Fields
    07:28Zachary Richard on MySpace and Zachary Richard’s official site
    08:27 – “Hearing Begins On Ticketmaster Live Nation Merger“, from FMBQ.com
    10:04 – for the record, the song had been peformed three times previously, according to the Buffett News song database
    12:04Live from Key West, available at Mailboat Records
    12:20 – my memory still fails me.  Buffett News states the song was last performed in 1992!

      >  Download Episode 97

Episode 96: The Information Supergoatpath

Show Notes:
Recorded Wednesday, February 25 2009 (10:00 PM – 12:00 AM) at Zodiac Racquet Club, Southgate MI
    “On the agenda: reviewing Jimmy’s new digital download EP. What we really talked
about: more bitching about Ticketmaster. (Special guests: Jennifer and Joe.)

    01:52Buffett News’s write-up on Jimmy’s participation with the latest Google Earth update. And information on Buffett’s Google Earth plug-in
    03:02an example of “Lover of Mine” from YouTube
    04:45 – Buffett News’s write-up on the South Carolina license plate
    06:43Ticketmaster Will Stop Linking Customers to Subsidiary, at NJ.com
    14:44Live from Key West, available at Mailboat Records
    22:50 – a reference to the joke which ended Episode 62
    23:29 – taken from The Colbert Report on Tuesday, February 10

      >  Download Episode 96

GMA’s Worst Lubb Songs

    Usually I hate this kind of article, lists so thoughtlessly thrown together you know they were printed just to take up space. Yet, here I am blockquoting the article nevertheless. Good Morning America has assembled what they consider the “Worst Love Songs of All Time” and, whaddaya know, Jimmy Buffett is on it. But, instead of arguing some controversial point, the writer of the list chooses the decidedly non-love song “Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Screw”.
    Way to make a stand there. Choose a song that already is not a love song and tell us how it’s not a love song. Didn’t Jimmy, himself, already say as much on Feeding Frenzy with the “A Love Song (From a Different Point of View)” track name?
    But I guess I’m asking too much of the writer to know what she’s talking about. For example…

Jimmy Buffett: ‘Why Don’t We Get Drunk and Screw’

    Doesn’t the name just say it all? What’s not to love in this explicit token of affection Jimmy Buffett wrote? I guess you could argue that Buffett should get bonus points for being direct and honest. (That’s plus two for Buffett.) There’s no wasting time here. But, there’s also no cuddling afterward.

Honey why don’t we get drunk and screw
I just bought a waterbed
It’s filled up for me and you
They said you’re a snub queen
Honey, I don’t think that’s true
So, why don’t we get drunk and screw

    Yeah, we heard you the first time and so the repetition makes this overt come-on more lame and lackluster — if that’s possible. Once again, Buffett gets a point for calling his lady “honey,” but it’s minus 1,000 for referring to her as a possible snub queen and bringing up a waterbed.
    First, if she has a bad back, a waterbed is the last place she’ll want to be. Second, a waterbed — seriously? How 1970s gross of you. She’ll love it so much, she’ll probably close out her tab and go home — to her bed — alone.

    Yes, what was Jimmy thinking calling his lady a snub queen (whatever that is). And how dare a 1970s song make a 1970s reference. But what should I expect from someone who thinks she’s uncovered a heretofore hidden stalker subtext in The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”.
    P.S.: Oh yeah — Happy Valentine’s Day. Hope this wasn’t too bitter.

Episode 95: TicketsNowJob

Show Notes:
Recorded Wednesday, February 4 2009 (9:30 PM – 11:30 PM) at Zodiac Racquet Club, Southgate MI
    “With the tour dates confirmed and an unexpected Michigan date among them, the guys relate their latest ticket-buying adventures. Another volume in the unending multipart series, “Ticketmaster Sucks”. (Roger Clyne podcast starts at 40:45.)

    01:58 – text of Springsteen’s letter to fans, via Ticket News.com
    03:34Tour Dates at Margaritaville.com
    03:37Jimmy’s Google Earth plugin info
    04:37 – “Yeah-yeah!” ©Schmoe
    07:17 – “Buffett Participates in Launch of Google Earth 5.0“, at Buffett News
    09:28 – “Pascrell Seeks Investigation Into Ticketmaster Business Practice“, at the Congressman’s website
    09:54Ticketmaster/TicketsNow FAQ page
    29:42 – see 09:28
    42:30The Railbenders
    As a bonus, here’s a bit of audio which was cut from the episode. It’s stuff we’ve talked about before, but Scott liked it.

    February 9 update: Senator Charles Shumer (NY) has joined Representative Pascrell (NJ) in calling for a probe of Ticketmaster, in the response to the Spingsteen tickets sale snafu. New Jersey’s attorney general says Ticketmaster may indeed have broken the law. And Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff avows to stop linking so blatantly to TicketsNow.

“This redirection only occurred as a choice when we could not satisfy fans’ specific search request for primary ticket inventory,” writes Azoff, “but to make sure there is no misunderstanding in the future, we also publicly state that we will never again link to TicketsNow in a manner that can possibly create any confusion during a high-demand on-sale.”

A quick check of Ticketmaster’s site shows that scalped tickets are now located under a “Marketplace” tab.
    Coincidentally, Azoff is Buffett’s manager, and Azoff’s becoming CEO was part of selling his Front Line Management agency to Ticketmaster. Which means Buffett now literally works for Ticketmaster. And Ticketmaster can brag they have a direct relationship with top name artists, just like Live Nation does — a company Ticketmaster is currently attempting to merge with.
    Sigh.
    February 10 update: from this morning’s Detroit Free Press, “Names & Faces” column, “Life” section, 5C:

Ticketmaster gets a 15% cut from TicketsNow, according to the [above mentioned] complaint filed Friday in Los Angeles federal court. A New Jersey congressman called for a federal antitrust investigation into Ticketmaster’s sales practices. And attorneys general in Jersey and Connecticut are looking into the matter.
    Ticketmaster is accused of breaking Ontario laws that prohibit the resale of tickets at greater-than-face-value in a complaint filed Monday in Toronto. The suit seeks more than $400 million in damages.

    February 10 afternoon update: according to USA Today:

    The boards of Live Nation and Ticketmaster Entertainment unanimously agreed on Monday to merge their companies — potentially creating a concert and live entertainment behemoth.
    In announcing the deal Tuesday morning the companies said they plan an all-stock merger of equals. The combined company will be called Live Nation Entertainment.
    Under terms of the deal, Ticketmaster shareholders will receive 1.384 shares of Live Nation stock for each share of Ticketmaster they hold. The companies estimated the value of the combined business at about $2.5 billion and said the deal will help them save about $40 million annually.

    Of particular note is this little gem: “the deal could end up benefiting concertgoers by giving the combined company more bargaining clout with artists, potentially reducing performers’ stakes in ticket sales and thus lowering ticket prices.”
    Erm, yeah. Right. Of course. We’re sure this whole cluster is engineered to drive down ticket prices. Based on past practices, why would we think otherwise?

      >  Download Episode 95

BONUS: 2009 Radio Ad

    After four days, recording for countless hours in the morning and evening, monitoring up to four local stations, here at last is the radio commercial for our 2009 Summerzcool concert. Caught Saturday morning, at around 8AM, off WYCD Young Country 99.5 FM:

2009 Newspaper Ad

    Dang me! I almost threw out the newspaper without scanning this. Here’s the new ad:

From the Sunday Detroit Free Press, January 25, “Entertainment” section, page 3F

Episode 94: Knock on the Storm Cellar

Show Notes:
Recorded Wednesday, January 21 2009 (9:30 PM – 11:30 PM) at Zodiac Racquet Club, Southgate MI
    “A big crowd tonight, as the boys gather to discuss Nadirah’s album Nod to the Storyteller. (Special guests: Joe and Jennifer.)

    Admittedly one of the lamer pun names in our repertoire, but it was late and I was in a hurry.
    01:04Amendment XX
    01:16Elizabeth Alexander’s poem [YouTube], Aretha Franklin and her hat, and the Reverend Lowery’s speech
    04:23 – © Norm Peterson
    05:072009 BCS National Championship
    05:36Buffett News’s write-up on Cozumel and Grand Cayman appearances
    05:58Buffett World’s write-up on Rock Band songs for the Wii
    06:22Buffett News’s write-up on Beachcomber
    06:51Buffett News’s write-up on CIP closings
    07:32 – these are some of the Buffett-related iPhone apps we’ve found:

            Beer o’Clock [iTunes]
            Steel Drum [iTunes]
            Steel Drum Caribbean [iTunes]
            Distant Shores [iTunes] [added 1/30]
            iPirate: Pirate Insult Generator [iTunes] [added 2/9]
            Pirate Insult Generator [iTunes] [added 2/10]
            Pocket God [iTunes] [added 3/10]
            Rasta Monkey [iTunes] [added 3/16]
            iSurf [iTunes] [added 3/17]
            Island Escapes [iTunes] [added 3/24]
            Parrot [iTunes] [added 4/4]
            iSwear Pirate’s Curse [iTunes] [added 4/5]
            iBabalu Lite [iTunes] [added 4/14]
            Pirate Roulette [iTunes] [added 4/16]
            SLAP: Speak Like a Pirate [iTunes] [added 4/16]
            Beach Madness [iTunes] [added 4/18]
            Beach [iTunes] [added 4/18]
            Beach Shell [iTunes] [added 4/19]
            iParrots [iTunes] [added 4/20]
            Pirates [iTunes] [added 4/22]
            Pirates 25 [iTunes] [added 4/22]
            Pirates 100 [iTunes] [added 4/22]
            iGecko [iTunes] [added 4/22]
            iToastUAll [iTunes] [added 4/26]
            Beer Goggles [iTunes] [added 4/30]
            Beach Sounds Lite [iTunes] [added 5/2]
            Piratizer [iTunes] [added 5/4]
            Pirate Radar [iTunes] [added 5/4]
            SupaFan – Jimmy Buffett Fans [iTunes] [added 5/14]
            Hurricane Radars [iTunes] [added 6/2]
            Margarita [iTunes] [added 6/8]
            iEncore [iTunes] [added 6/9]
            Shark Island [iTunes] [added 6/11]
            Ukulele [iTunes] [added 6/14]
            Relax at the Beach [iTunes] [added 6/28]
            Whose Round? [iTunes] [added 6/28]
            Beach Drawing [iTunes] [added 6/28]
            Pirates Style [iTunes] [added 7/3]
            Bud Light Lime Summer Hotspots [iTunes] [added 7/3]
            Sea Captain [iTunes] [added 7/5]
            iHula [iTunes] [added 7/6]
            Aqueous [iTunes] [added 7/6]
            iMapsPro – Key West [iTunes] [added 7/9]
            iTequila [iTunes] [added 7/12]
            iRum [iTunes] [added 7/12]
            iSunburn [iTunes] [added 7/14]
            iConcertCal [iTunes] [added 7/15]
            Harbor Master [iTunes] [added 7/15]
            iBeach [iTunes] [added 7/20]
            SI Swimsuit 2009 [iTunes] [added 7/20]
            Me Booty! [iTunes] [added 7/20]
            ProGuides – Key West [iTunes] [added 7/22]
            ProGuides – Florida Keys [iTunes] [added 7/22]
            ProGuides – Hawaii [iTunes] [added 7/22]
            ProGuides – Jamaica [iTunes] [added 7/22]
            ProGuides – Cuba [iTunes] [added 7/22]
            Beach Burger [iTunes] [added 7/22]
            The Beer Finder [iTunes] [added 7/25]
            The BBQ Finder[iTunes] [added 7/25]
            Lifeboat [iTunes] [added 7/31]
            Jimmy Cliff – Official App [iTunes] [added 8/3]
            Beach Finder [iTunes] [added 8/3]
            Beach Rush [iTunes] [added 8/6]
            Beach Ball Fun [iTunes] [added 8/6]
            Florida Weather [iTunes] [added 8/6]
            iFlamingo [iTunes] [added 8/7]
            Beer Trumps [iTunes] [added 8/7]
            Burger Bash Lite [iTunes] [added 8/7]
            Beach Calendar [iTunes] [added 8/8]
            Coastalwatch [iTunes] [added 8/9]
            INeedADrink [iTunes] [added 8/13
            Bikinis and Beer [iTunes] [added 8/15]
            SharkTube – a shark video lounge [iTunes] [added 8/20]
            BeerTube – a beer video lounge [iTunes] [added 8/20]
            Tiki Golf 3D [iTunes] [added 8/21]
            My Set List [iTunes] [added 8/22]
            Pirate Wars [iTunes] [added 8/22]
            Pirate Pickup Lines [iTunes] [added 8/23]
            Beach Relax [iTunes] [added 8/23]
            Margaritas! [iTunes] [added 8/24]
            Margaritas! – San Antonio, TX [iTunes] [added 8/24]
            ParrotTube – parrot vide lounge [iTunes] [added 8/25]
            Pirate Coins – iBlower [iTunes] [added 8/31]
            Beat the Tiki [iTunes] [added 9/1]
            iBeer Challenge [iTunes] [added 9/1]
            Pirate Names [iTunes] [added 9/16]
            Sea Monster Video [iTunes] [added 9/18]
            HurricanePlus [iTunes] [added 9/18]
            Carnival Steel Drum [iTunes] [added 9/23]
            Perfect Burger Recipes [iTunes] [added 9/26]
            Beach Video [iTunes] [added 10/30]
            Parrot Head [iTunes]
            Stranded Without a Phone [iTunes]

    08:40Get Nod to the Storyteller from Amazon | or order it from Mailboat Records
    10:52 – Greg refers to how the LP version we were originally familiar with is shorter than the CD version
    13:51 – music clips provided, for Hud’s benefit, by Scott’s MacBook

      >  Download Episode 94

Episode 93: Looking Fourward

Show Notes:

Recorded Wednesday, January 7 2009 (9:30 PM – 12:00 AM) at Zodiac Racquet Club, Southgate MI
    “Schmoe, Scott, Mickey, and Mike pick the four JB songs that exemplify the holidays and the new year.  (The Roger Clyne podcast starrts at 20:56.)

    00:18 – the Steve Jobs-less Macworld keynote had been the day before
    00:27 – our second week or never-ending false starts
    01:11 – Mike said the forecast for Houston was sunny and 76°.  Meanwhile, the Detroit area was under a snowy cold snap which made driving tonight particularly perilous
    02:49 – “Christmas Message from Jimmy” at Margaritaville.com
    02:55 – “Outer Banks Diary, Part 3” at Margaritaville.com
    03:03 – Jimmy in St Bart’s for New Years, according to Buffett News
    03:22 – AP’s “Jimmy Buffett, Mogul of Margaritaville” article
    03:39 – “Lucy Buffett Builds Own Brand” article
    04:07 – “GI in ‘Margaritaville’ Brawl Died of Head Trauma” article
    04:52 – evidently the “G.I. Died of Head Trauma” headline threw me off
    06:28StubHub’s Top Tens for 2008
    12:50 – Schmoe and I can be heard talking to Jennifer, our waitress, who had quietly come into the room
    18:46 – as heard in Episode 90
    19:13 – as seen below
    20:50 – Scott also suggested “Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season” along the way, but this didn’t make the final cut
    21:25 – as discussed in Episode 85
    23:08 – a reference to Courtney, the girl who cries at WALL•E

      >  Download Episode 93