Nevertheless, she persisted

You may now officially call me an Old Battle Axe. 

A battle-axe is a derogatory term for an aggressive and domineering woman.

Perhaps the best example was Carrie Nation, who wielded a hatchet and made it her symbol. Not only was she a militant temperance activist, but she also became involved in the suffragette campaign for votes for women which cemented the stereotype.

So Momma and I were delighted when watching Doctor Who, and the Twelfth Doctor challenged a Viking to an axe battle. (Yes, yes, I know. We're a year behind.)

I knew I had to have one for myself! It took awhile, but then we spotted this beauty that sounded exactly like Peter Capaldi's description of the Twelfth Doctor's guitar: 

"We ended up with a guitar that looked like a Fender Stratocaster that had been described to someone who had never seen one."

Oh, yeah. I be jammin'. 

Anyone want to duel?

Bye bye Johnnie

Howling, bye, bye, bye, bye

Bye, bye, bye, bye
Bye bye Johnny
Good bye Johnny B. Goode

RIP Chuck Berry

1926-2017

Written by Chuck Berry • Copyright © BMG Rights Management

Hail thee, festival day!

Hail thee, festival day!

Blest day that art hallowed forever;

day wherein Christ arose,

breaking the kingdom of death.

Bridge over troubled waters

Fifty years ago today was the infamous Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Alabama. While Irish rockers U2 wrote "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" about the unrest in Ireland, Momma has always thought of it as Selma and the Civil Rights movement.

I can't believe the news today
Oh, I can't close my eyes
And make it go away

How long
How long must we sing this song
How long, how long
Cause tonight, we can be as one
Tonight

Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall

Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday

And the battle's just begun
There's many lost, but tell me who has won
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters
Torn apart

Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Rock Me Amadeus

I. Am. Outraged.

Outraged, I say.

Why? Grandmomma neglected to tell Us about next week's steampunk version of Mozart's opera, The Magic Flute.

Certainly, Arizona Opera's snake poster didn't alert us to this Wondrous Event.

Honestly, a steampunk version of one of Momma's very favorite operas and no one told us?!

The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart which premiered on Sept. 30, 1791 at Schikaneder's theatre in Vienna.

Full of magical melodies and fantastic creatures, Mozart's beloved tale follows Prince Tamino and bird-catcher Papageno on an adventure to rescue Princess Pamina. As they face unexpected trials and challenges on their journey, audiences will marvel as the genius and imagination of the composer unfolds before their eyes. 

Arizona Opera captivates audiences with a new and innovative production of The Magic Flute, created by Metropolitan Opera stage director, Daniel Rigazzi. Set inside the world of Tamino's imagination, the scenic design is filled with allusions to dreams and the idea of nature vs science. Surrealist imagery, inspired by the paintings of Rene Magritte with a nod to Victorian-era "Steampunk" style take the audience to an exciting place where imagination and reality blend together in Mozart's masterpiece.

The perfect opera for families, Mozart's The Magic Flute is full of magical melodies, dreamlike characters and mythical woodland creatures.

Sung in German with English supertitles.

Running time: 2 hours and 56 minutes including one 30 minute intermission

It was a rock lobster

Momma is happily sewing "It's a Peep" Bustle Skirts for me and Clementine. In fact she's made three since my Big Sister claimed the first one!

She has one "It's a Peep" jacket cut out (she says we can share - harumph) and plans to sew it tomorrow. Momma also has cut out my LeprCon outfit using both the Victorian Dream Gears and tea-stained muslin!

But what I am really looking forward to is the 1870-02 Lobster Tail Bustle and Petticoat by Thimbles and Acorns to go with my many 1870 Bustle Dresses.

Momma has found the perfect fabric, too.

Rock, rock
Rock lobster
Down, down

Lobster
Rock lobster
Rock
Let's rock

 

 

The good ship Lollipop

Well, shoot.

All these years Momma and I thought The Good Ship Lollipop was a ship, and it turns out it was an aeroplane. 

"On the Good Ship Lollipop" was the signature song of the late child actress Shirley Temple. Temple first sang it in the 1934 moving picture Bright Eyes on a taxiing American Airlines Douglas DC-2.

I've thrown away my toys
Even my drum and train.
I wanna make some noise
With real live aeroplanes.

Some day I'm going to fly,
I'll be a pilot too.
And when I do, how would you
Like to be my crew.

On the good ship lollipop.... 

Hmm....

So Long, It's Been Good to Know You

Smithsonian Folkways

I tip my tiny top hat today in memory of an American legend who died late last night, Pete Seeger.

Growing up in the late '60s and early '70s in Appalachian Ohio gave Momma an appreciation for folk music. In fact, my darling Clementine is named after his rendition of the old ballad, Clementine.
 
Seeger, who was 94 when he died, was an American folk singer. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s but was blacklisted during the McCarthy Era. In the 1960s, he re-emerged on the public scene as a prominent singer of protest music in support of international disarmament, civil rights, counterculture and environmental causes.

If you have never truly listened to this musical genius, Momma and I highly recommend Seeger's American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1 by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.

Welcome to a brave new world

Looking back, it appears I have never truly addressed my fondness for Disney's Phineas and Ferb.

Phineas and Ferb is an American animated comedy-musical television series. Originally broadcast as a preview on Aug. 17, 2007, and officially premiered on Feb. 1, 2008 on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation.  The boys embark on some grand new project every day which annoys their older sister, Candace.

So imagine my excitement when Phineas and Ferb went steampunk in Friday night's episode: Steampunx.

When Phineas and Ferb discover a commemorative coin from the 1903 Danville World’s Fair, Lawrence recounts the events of the festival to them, in which steam-driven devices were introduced and a set of kids, who were very much like them, were preparing for the highly anticipated event. 

It was so good my Perry the Platypus and I watched it twice! 

Now I shall be the first to admit their clothes weren't inspiring, but their inventions (as always) did not disappoint and my musical hero, Professor Elemental, made an appearance, too!

But what I simply can not understand is why Perry the Platypus became Sweary the Swan. I mean, what could be more steampunk than a semiaquatic mammal endemic? A platypus just screams alternative universe!

The Indian Capital of the World

As previously mentioned, the only city we visited last weekend that is actually mentioned in the song Route 66 was the city of Gallup, N.M. 

Gallup (Navajo: Naʼnízhoozhí) is is the county seat of McKinley County and the most populous city between Flagstaff, Ariz., and Albuquerque, N.M.

Gallup was founded in 1881 as a railhead for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. The city was named after David Gallup, a paymaster for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. 

During World War II, the city fought successfully to prevent 800 Japanese American residents from being placed in wartime internment.

Gallup is sometimes called the "Indian Capital of the World", for its location in the heart of Native American lands, and the presence of Navajo, Zuni, Hopi and other tribes. Gallup's nickname references the huge impact of the Native American cultures found in and around Gallup. 

One of Gallup's biggest events is the Red Rock Balloon Rally, which is the second largest balloon festival in the world and has been held annually in Gallup since 1981. The three-day event features a Friday lift off from both the Red Rock Park and Fox Run Golf Course.

The largest hot air balloon festival in the world is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta which takes place in Albuquerque, N.M. during early October. The balloon fiesta is a nine-day event, and has around 750 balloons.

Sadly, we did not see Saige while in New Mexico.

The Main Street of America

Have you gotten your kicks on Route 66?

We did!

Route 66 was established on Nov. 11, 1926. (Road signs erected the following year.) The highway became one of the most famous roads in America and ran through eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Covering a total of 2,448 miles, it was recognized in pop culture by many books as well as a hit song and the Route 66 television show in the 1960s. Sadly, Route 66 declined in popularity with the completion of Interstate 40 in 1984.

I don't know if Phoebe has ever taken the highway that is best (since she lives in Pennsylvania) but she hit three towns on this trip - although only one (Gallup, N.M.) is mentioned in the song.

The (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 lyrics read as a mini-travelogue as you head west: Chicago, Ill., St. Louis, Mo., Joplin, Mo., Oklahoma City, Okla., Amarillo, Texas, Gallup, N.M., Flagstaff, Ariz., Winona, Ariz., Kingman, Ariz., Barstow, Calif., San Bernardino, Calif., and Los Angeles, Calif.

(Winona is out of sequence with the rest of the cities because the author of the song, Bobby Troup, needed a word that rhymed with "Arizona.")

If you ever plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway that is best.
Get your kicks on Route 66.

It winds from Chicago to LA,
More than 2,000 miles all the way.
Get your kicks on Route 66.

Now you go through Saint Louie
Joplin, Missouri,
And Oklahoma City is mighty pretty.
You see Amarillo,
Gallup, New Mexico,
Flagstaff, Arizona.
(Don't forget Winona,)
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernandino.

Won't you get hip to this timely tip:
When you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66.

Did you know, of the eight states through which the actual route passes, only Kansas and its cities (Route 66 spends just 11 miles inside Kansas' southeast corner) are not mentioned by the song?

Take it easy

Phew, it will be a busy week telling you about our adventures in Navajoland and northeastern Arizona, but one of my geeky favorites was Winslow, Ariz.

You know, the small town mentioned in The Eagles 1972 hit song, "Take It Easy."

Well, I'm a standing on a corner
In Winslow, Arizona
And such a fine sight to see
It's a girl, my lord
In a flatbed Ford
Slowin' down to take a look at me

The city of Winslow erected a life-size bronze statue and mural in 1999 commemorating the song at the Standin' On The Corner Park.

The statue of a man holding a guitar stands near a lamp post, and a metal sign, crafted in the style of U.S. Route 66 shields, displays the words "Standin' On The Corner."

The trompe-l'œil mural on the wall behind the statue is that of a storefront, and what appears to be the reflection of a red flatbed Ford pickup truck driven by a blonde-haired woman. The second floor of the mural features an eagle perched in one of the windows.

(It is literally a wall. A fire destroyed the building in 2007. A grassy park now occupies the space behind the wall.)

If you ever make it to Winslow, make sure you go to the northwest corner of Second Street (Route 66) and Kinsley Avenue.

Mr. Mailman, bring me Phoebe

Phoebe is scheduled to arrive today.

I simply cannot wait!

Only one more day until Phoenix Comicon!

Mr. Mailman, bring me Phoebe
Make her the cutest that I've ever seen
Give her two lips like roses and clover
Then tell her that her lonesome nights are over

Mailman, I'm so alone
Don't have nobody to call my own
Please bring her oh so speedy
Mr. Mailman, bring me Phoebe

Mr. Mailman, bring me Phoebe
Make her the cutest that I've ever seen
Give her the word that I am a rover
Then tell her that her lonesome nights are over

Mailman, I'm so alone
Don't have nobody to call my own 
Please bring her oh so speedy
Mr. Mailman, bring me Phoebe

Mr. Mailman, bring me Phoebe
Give her a pair of eyes with a come-hither gleam
Give her a lonely heart like Leonard Nimoy
And lots of wavy hair like Nichelle Nichols

Mr. Mailman, someone to hold
Would be so peachy before I'm too old
So please bring her oh so speedy
Mr. Mailman, bring me, please, please, please
Mr. Mailman, bring me Phoebe. 

 

Just glue some gears on it

Check out this delightful ditty by Reginald Pikedevant!



As I read the Gazette to catch up on the news,
Some classified adverts I chanced to peruse.
When I saw a category called "Steampunk,"
I turned to it eagerly, but left in a funk.
For I quite enjoy the steampunk aesthetic,
But what I beheld there was rather pathetic!
These intrepid online auctioneers
Had just taken modern objects and stuck on some gears!
It's simply not cricket!
It shouldn't be done!
But it's clear how their thoughts had run:

Just glue some gears on it, and call it steampunk;
That's the trendy fashion nowadays!
A copper-painted chunk of some 1980s junk
Will fetch a pretty penny on eBay!

But it got even worse than that, I'm afraid:
And as I went on, I became more dismayed;
For they often didn't modify the things they wanted me to buy
Heavens to Betsy! They'll end up on Regretsy!
Steampunk is more than a mere mode of dress
or decoration, so it brings me some distress
To see a metal cicada described with that name,
Or a teacup, a mood ring, a silver gilt frame.
Gluing on gears at least takes effort;
This is sloth of the worst sort!

Just glue some gears on it, and call it steampunk;
That's the trendy fashion nowadays!
A copper-painted chunk of some 1980s junk
Will fetch a pretty penny on eBay!

"Steampunk" refers to a type of science fiction
about alternate pasts (not future prediction),
Often set in Victorian Britain,
But the history of technology has been rewritten.
So put a bit of thought into your designs!
Use leather and brass, 19th Century lines!
"Retro-futuristic" is a good explanation;
Blend antique reality with imagination.
But calling things "steampunk" to try to sound "cool'"
Makes you look like a bloody fool!

Just glue some gears on it, and call it steampunk;
That's the trendy fashion nowadays!
A copper-painted chunk of some 1980s junk
Will fetch a pretty penny on eBay!

Gauges and rivets, copper tubing and glass
Lend a steampunk creation a real touch of class
Gears are appropriate to introduce
If they look like they have a legitimate use.
Although Nixie tubes are undeniably splendid,
They date from long after the Age of Steam ended.
(Pity, really; I just love Nixie tubes.)
Anyway, I hope you've comprehended.
So use the word "steampunk" correctly, old chap
And don't use it to refer to crap!

Just glue some gears on it, and call it steampunk;
That's the trendy fashion nowadays!
A copper-painted chunk of some 1980s junk
Will fetch a pretty penny on eBay!

A Tale of Two Addies

You say it's your birthday,
It's my birthday too, yeah.

They say it's your birthday,
We're gonna have a good time.

I'm glad it's your birthday,
Happy birthday to you.

Major apologies to The Beatles.

His mistress' voice

Speaking of phonographs, His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label.

The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper, a fox terrier, listening to a wind-up gramophone. In the photograph on which the painting was based, the dog was listening to a phonograph cylinder.

The image of His Master's Voice now exists in the United States as a trademark only on radios and radios combined with phonographs, a trademark owned by the Radio Corporation of America, or RCA.

With that exception, His Master's Voice is in the public domain in the USA since its United States trademark registrations expired between 1989-1994.

Why am I wearing a (smashing) pirate outfit?

Haven't you heard of music piracy?

  

Lurkin' in ev'ry cove

While at Disneyland we had to go on our all-time favorite ride, Pirates of the Caribbean.

We liked it before there was a moving picture ... or even a Captain Jack Sparrow!

Pirates of the Caribbean was the last attraction overseen by Walt Disney himself; he died three months before it opened at Disneyland in 1967.

The ride tells the story of a band of pirates - including their troubles and their exploits.

It is also known for its song "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" written by George Bruns and Xavier Atencio. It also inspired the 2003 Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Since 2006, Disney has added characters from the film series into the Disneyland, Disneyworld, and Tokyo Disneyland versions of the rides.

At Disneyland, Captain Jack Sparrow has been added to the ride three times.

• He is seen hiding behind some dresses in the town square. 
• He is hiding in a barrel just behind the "Pooped Pirate," popping out and getting a good look at the map over the pirate's shoulder.
• Finally, he is seen in a room full of the hidden treasure, draped over a large throne-like chair and waving his new treasures around happily while talking to himself and to passing guests. Every once in a while he sings, "Drink up, me hearties. Yo ho!"

Ivy was mortified when I hoped off the boat to check out the pieces of eight.

Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys. And there be plundering pirates lurkin' in ev'ry cove, waitin' to board. Sit closer together and keep your ruddy hands in board. That be the best way to repel boarders. And mark well me words, mateys: Dead men tell no tales! Ye come seekin' adventure with salty old pirates, eh? Sure you've come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open, mates, and hold on tight. With both hands, if you please. Thar be squalls ahead, and Davy Jones waiting for them what don't obey.  

It's Girl Scout cookie time

Pippaloo

Say kids, what time is it?

 

It's time for Silly Songs with Addie!

 

(Sung to the tune of Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay.)

 

It's Girl Scout cookie time!
It's Girl Scout cookie time!
Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos™
Say howdy-do to you.
Let's give a rousing cheer,
Cause Tagalongs® are here,
It's time to start to eat,
So kids let's go!

No disrespect meant to Howdy Doody, Girl Scouts, Samoas®, Trefoils, or Lemon Chalet Cremes™.

 

 

Steampunk shenanigans

Momma and I have heard Steam Powered Giraffe before, but we've never seen them, so it is yet another reason we're looking forward to Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention II in March.

Steam Powered Giraffe (SPG) is a musical project formed in San Diego in 2008 that is popular in the steampunk subculture. The act combines the visual of robot pantomime with sketches, pop culture references, improvised comedic dialogue, and original music.

More than just a band, Steam Powered Giraffe is an experience that must be seen and heard by the entire family.

The robots of Steam Powered Giraffe are like nothing you've ever seen. The malfunctioning joke-spewing metal men play a collection of original Vaudeville inspired tunes fused with modern flare and executed in a super-sleek, one-of-a-kind performance.

The act combines the visual of robot pantomime with sketches, pop culture references, improvised comedic dialogue, and of course, original music.

From their heartwarming nostalgic melodies to their funky cabaret rock, Steam Powered Giraffe's songs are memorable, infectious, and as unique as the robots themselves.

Sleep Steampunk Addie

Momma and I are excited to be a part of the Marketing Team for Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention II in Tucson, especially since we shall get the opportunity to hear some of our favorite steampunk bands, including the quintessential Abney Park.

Abney Park (named after Abney Park Cemetery in London, England) is a steampunk band based in Seattle that mixes industrial dance, world music, and steampunk-influenced lyrics.

Formerly a goth band, Abney Park transformed themselves in early 2005 into a steampunk band. As part of that transformation, Abney Park invented fictional identities of themselves.

Since steampunk is largely derived from science fiction and fantasy literature, the band also created a fictional backstory to explain the shake-up in membership and who they were now, and to set a stage for their new music.

Abney Park comes from an era that never was, but one that we wish had been. An era where airships waged war in the skies, and corsets and cumberbuns were proper adventuring attire. They've picked up their bad musical habits, scoundrelous musicians, and anachronistically hybridized instruments from dozens of locations and eras that they have visited in their travels and thrown them into one riotous dervish of a performance. Expect clockwork guitars, belly dancers, flintlock bassists, middleastern percussion, violent violin, and Tesla powered keyboards blazing in a post- apocalyptic, swashbuckling, Steampunk musical mayhem.

Sometimes called the "quintessential" steampunk band, Abney Park has been featured in major news media and has performed at numerous festivals, including World Steam Expo, Dragon*Con, Steamcon, and Wild Wild West Con.

Their music has also appeared in several movie soundtracks,  and their song Sleep Isabella was used in the HBO series True Blood Season 5 episode We'll Meet Again.

(For a mere $500 Captain Robert will work with you to alter the lyrics of Sleep Isabella to be about your loved one. Then he will re-sing this song, and create your own custom version.)

In keeping with the season, Abney Park just released a Christmas album, Through Your Eyes on Christmas Eve.

I cannot wait until March!