· · · — — — · · · Same Old Shite (Or, iPick-A-Little, iTalk-A-Little Less)

"Yes, I'm just rowing up to the dock (in my floppy 'I'm on vacation, and I don't care how stupid I look on a cell phone rowing a boat' hat on) now. Where are you? Oh, yeah, I can see you from here."

Nauti-call Lymie
Rockland Harbor
June 29, 2007

•••

I'm not sure if you've heard anything about this yet but, apparently, Apple has come out with some type of new 'phone' thingie, and people (which so far includes, the media, anybody owning stocks in Apple, and maybe that tool in the picture above, although my guess would be that he is PC all the way) are pretty darn giddy.

So, here's the deals, as I think I understand them. The iPhone itself, is only about $500. to $600. depending on how much money you have, and how much memory you require. (But, orders are limited to two per customer, so please, don't get greedy!)

You'll also be required to sign up for a two-year AT&T service agreement and an activation fee (and are subject to AT&T credit approval). The minimum plan prices out at $59.99 per month (or, $1,439.76 over the two-year required contract), not including any service charges (and, being AT&T, you know there will be plenty), which will only 450 minutes (which is only 7.5 hours. But who talks more than that on the phone in a month?) of talk time a month.

Intrigued yet?

Well, if you're coming out to The Rock, don't be — because your iPhone (or, cellphone for that matter) won't work here. (That would be another one of those great things about living out on The Rock.)

•••

Connection
(Buy: Elastica: Elastica)

Telephone Line
(Buy: Electric Light Orchestra: A New World Record)

Call Me
(Buy: Nancy Wilson: Cocktail Mix, Vol. 2: Martini Madness)

The Call Up
(Buy: The Clash: Clash On Broadway [Disc 3])

Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little
(Buy: Hermione Gingold & The Biddys: The Music Man [Original Soundtrack])

Isle au, Hey, Haut

Life like an Eric Hopkins painting.

Isle au Haut
On top of some rocky hill.
June 10, 2007

•••

About ten of us took a glorious trip out to the beautiful island of Isle au Haut (Pronounced AISLE-a-hoe — not EEL-a-hoe, not EEL-a-who, just AISLE-a-hoe — and if you say it any other way, you're saying it wrong!) yesterday. You could not have asked for nicer weather, which made for an even nicer day. Hiking, picnic, and, in the end (of a I don't know how far a hike), everyone was laden with plastic bottles, bouys, and miscellaneous flotsam and jetsam which we dumped into the back of a (fortunately parked) park ranger truck at the end of our trip.

Two of the Best Quotes of the Day:
When one of the two 5th graders who came on the hike with us, picked up a L-shaped piece of driftwood, held it under his arm like a machine gun, and said,

"Say 'Hello' to my little friend!"

(It is unclear, if he has actually ever seen 'Scarface', or just picked up on which is now, a classic line. Either way, his father was thoroughly teased about it.)

The same child, a mile or two later, was walking with myself, another adult, and a classmate of his, when they were noticing some of the bigger tree roots crossing the path. His friend made a comment, which I missed, when 'Lil' Scarface' said,

"If you don't keep moving, you'll root like those trees."

True enough, brother. Keep it moving.

(Eric Hopkins beautiful island paintings can be seen in just about every house on The Rock. For many, who have known him for years, they got his work quite inexpensively when he was just starting out. For others (summer folk), they paid for it well, as his work became a symbol of their connectedness to the islands. For the late-comers, who still love his work, but can't afford it any more, there are posters and prints, or the wonderful selection of packages of organic soils and fertilizers from Coast of Maine Organic Products, Inc.)

•••

In The Garden Of Earthly Delights
(Buy: Combustible Edison: The Impossible World)

Mr E's Beautiful Blues
(Buy: Eels (pronounced EELS, not AISLES): Road Trip Soundtrack)

Mr. Blue Sky
(Buy: Electric Light Orchestra: Out Of The Blue)

Rock The Boat
(Buy: Hues Corporation: Soul Hits of the 70s: Didn't It Blow Your Mind)

Goddamn Right, It's A Beautiful Day!

Hurricane Sound
August 29, 2006

The Eels: Mr. E's Beautiful Blues (Buy It!)
Electric Light Orchestra: Mr. Blue Sky (Buy It!)