Dustings #103
/I’m not sure what the allure of such a thing is, but a number of times over the course of this site’s lifetime, people have asked me for a “random blog post” link. Well, Squarespace doesn’t have such a thing built into it. Or an easy way to code such a thing, at least not that I can tell. Fortunately, my secretary, Miss Nanny Finebottom, has been studying a little JavaScript and has come up with a way to do it. So now, on the right side of your computer screen (or under the first page of posts if you’re on your phone) below the Search box, you’ll find a link which goes to a random post. See below.
Sorry, I just wanted to be stupid and post a screenshot to illustrate a screen you’re already looking at.
Miss Finebottom also found a great Hook for any effects that are done with a hypnotism premise. It’s a legitimate document called
You can find the full document here.
You can print out a copy and keep it on an end-table or something when someone comes over. If they notice it, they’re bound to comment on it, and this sort of thing can be used to naturally flow into a seemingly “unplanned” performance. Which is always a satisfying way to get into a trick.
Even if they don’t notice it or say something, an object like this is still a relatively gentle way to segue into a performance. Just ask them to hand it to you and make some comment about how you’ve been studying some of the ideas in here for something you’re working on. “Actually… can I try something with you?”
Here, the document serves to “soften them up” a little bit. Rather than if they were to just come over to your house and you say, out of the blue, “Hey, I want to hypnotize you!” With something like this, the Hook introduces the subject, then you comment on why you have the Hook, and then you can be like, “You know what might be fun?…” As if it’s just now occurring to you.
In an effort to keep posts and ideas together, I’ve started adding an asterisk to posts that have been updated. (If there are more updates, I’ll add more asterisks. I don’t care. They’re free.)
If there’s a small update to a post, I’ll just make the update with no notation.
If there’s an update of some significance, I’ll make the update and add a * to its title.
If there’s an update that I think everyone needs to see, it will be its own post or mentioned here in one of the Friday posts. So you don’t need to go searching for asterisks unless you really want to.
As of now, only one post, The Protection Spell*, has had an update that I thought warranted notation. But I just wanted to let you know in case you see that in the future.
The Juxe
“Today’s music is terrible. It’s just auto-tuned songs about ‘mother-effer this’ and ‘mother-effer that.’ Nobody can play an instrument or even sing anymore! ”
It’s been ages since I’ve posted any music here. (Most of you can leave now.)
The idea that there’s no good music being made anymore is perpetuated by people whose source for “new music” is the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
There’s always great music being made by talented people.
An easy transitional step to listening to more modern music is listen to new music that’s been inspired by music of the past. So here are some songs that came out on albums last year that don’t sound too different from whenever you thought “good music” was being made.
1950s
Steven Sanchez recalls the crooners of the 50s with Until I Found You.
1960s
The Televisionaries recall the Merseybeat scene of the early 60s with You Can Do What You Want To Do.
1960/1970s
The Lemon Twigs recall the sunshine pop of the late 60s, early 70s with My Golden Years.
1970s
Girl Ray recalls the disco of the 70s with Everybody’s Saying That.
1980s
The Uni Boys recall the power-pop of the early 80s with Let’s Watch A Movie.
1990s
Palehound recalls 90s girl-rockers with The Clutch.