Tag Archives: muzak

Timing

Did you ever notice when Muzak disappeared from corporate elevators because employers/employees found it so distasteful? I just know that, phew, it’s gone. I was so tired of hearing electronic devices murder the Beatles, then other artists. Woody Allen would have called it a travesty of a mockery of a sham.

Now we have it in ads. I’ve been laid up with an eye injury so sometimes keep the tv on for noise. All the songs of my youth are being used to sell drugs for old people, yogurt that makes one have bowel movements or food from a box with recipes. Gimme a break.  Pretty soon I’ll see Marge again with Bounty, “the quicker picker upper.” Mom will be back and vacuuming in high hair and high heels and a dress. I’ll be counting the minutes until chores are done and I can go barefoot to the creek.

* * *

For lunch I made sea scallops. Just seared in butter, salt and pepper and served with a wedged, seasoned Campari tomato.

I’d planned on an unexpected find this evening, soft-shelled crab. I may even have some bay seasoning around here but was thinking of soaking them in buttermilk for a while, coating them with seasoned panko crumbs and just sauteeing them in a bit of butter. I’ve more tomatoes or greens if I need them.

This morning was a toasted sesame bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon. Hey, I can’t eat fish when my husband is here so I’m reaching the tolerance limit. He gets back in three days. All the fish smells should be gone by then. He gets frozen pot roast from two weeks ago and my all homemade pizza with pepperoni and sauteed mushrooms.

He finds it strange that when he calls from across the country each night I ask what he ate yesterday. His family has a cattle ranch in Texas and as expected, he’s a meat and potatoes guy. Now I try fish during the week when he’s gone and he eats steak or burgers. On the weekend I want to treat him to a steak and he says “no, honey, I’ve had that all week!”

It reminds me of the touching story of the girl who sold all her hair to buy her intended a chain for a gold watch? And the boy sold his grandfather’s pocket watch to buy a clip for his gal’s hair that she cut off for his gift.

Well, I just cut off, or had Bert cut off, most of my hair. My husband prefers it longer but it was too long and hadn’t been cut in a year. This feels better, is better.

Since the first rule of my household, except three square meals per day, two for the dog and five walks, is no hair in the food. So the front is longer so I can have a scrunchie for cooking, a bow or hairband for going out. Bert agreed and I haven’t even brought him any food. Next week I may make chili. I always need to bring some to my butchers to taste. Why not my Harley-driving barber???

Yes I select and grind my own beef, Texas style. Chiles, cumin, garlic, onion, tomatoes. Simmer 2-3 hours and you’ve Pedernales Chili. Serve with sour cream, lime wedges, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, whatever you like. Cerveza or expensive red wine from a private vineyard in Italy…….. Dee

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Please Listen

Call your company’s main number, and listen to the choices. Listen to the muzak that is played when you wait for a human to come to the phone. Is it scratchy, awful stuff? Do something about it.

Please do this in any business, especially our government offices that our taxes pay for.

Thanks, Dee

The Music of our Youth

I don’t know what your milestones are in remembering a time, but mine was food, of course, and music. I’m trying to think of the old ’45 the local DJ gave me for touring the studio with my class. Well, the name would date me anyway. No, I didn’t have a high school prom or college semi-formal song. In high school, I had the flu and was back home within the hour. In college I worked at it taking tickets and hung out with my roommate.

Classical was all there was for me in grade school and junior high. Then I quit playing music and my tastes started to form. Luckily they’re still forming today but the music I like to learn to play is more folk, folk-rock, even country. I astounded my music teacher with a song I heard on the radio that was actually from this century!

But my college years were a confusion of music from different genres and a friend has sent me a few songs from back in the day. We were east coast but listened to rock, country, even disco. It was a long time ago that another friend had me listen to a new Stones hit, but news is that ten years later I had a neighbor with a “Nacho Cheese” VW convertible and had Donna Summers “I Will Survive” on the radio and we sang along en route to buy champagne for her party.

To Dave Mason, John Lennon, Dan Fogelberg, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez. Joni Mitchell, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Bad Company, just a few that came to mind. ELO for some friends who play air guitar and finally took up the real instrument, bravo.

When I got into an elevator years ago and heard the Beatles on muzak my ears were offended, my brain was assaulted with the sound. When I hear “my” music on muzak it does the same now. I’m just older and the muzak is creeping up on me.

Run! The hip-hop, rap culture must end because it is finite. Otherwise music will die. I learn to play Joan Baez and Bob Dylan and Peter, Paul and Mary but musicians and music lovers must look to the future. If children only know rhythm and not tone then it will be lost. Where is the piano, the guitar, the orchestra? They have a place. It can’t all be hip hop and no tone or melody? Where are you, Ernie Ball?

Our schools don’t teach music any more. It’s a tragedy for those who could use that music to pull out mathematical and musical genius. Mozart composed when he was five years old.

Let’s keep the music, and can the muzak. Cheers, Dee