Shotgun - No Scatter

I just realized that the Official Shotgun Rules do not even address the issue of scatter.

Star Crunch and Banana Mango

Posting that link to the official shotgun rules, reminded me of another fond teenage pastime. Star Crunches and Banana Mango. Only a quarter a peice. Little Debbie acually had a shitload of snacks that were only 25 cents each. I usually opted for the Oatmeal Cream Pies, but the brownies, Swiss Rolls, Strawberry Shortcakes, Moon Pies, Fudge Rounds, Donut Sticks, and Honey Buns (35¢) were all good, too. They are like 75¢ to a dollar, now. We would scrounge for change in car seats so we could get a Little Debbie snack fro the Clark station and a Banana Mango soda from the machine at the park. I couldn’t any reference to Banana Mango soda online. It was made by a company called Old Time Beverages. They had other flavors, too, but the Banana Mango was addictive. Must not make it, anymore.

DEVO, What’s the story behind those red hats?

Gerald Casale: The red hats (Energy Domes) were inspired by an Art Deco ceiling fixture at my elementary school and a ‘Cancellator Helmet’ from a Nancy comic. I turned the ceiling fixture upside down and redesigned it to fit a human head. I had it painted red like the helmet in the comic. I made up a story about how the ‘Energy Dome’ captured all the energy that escapes from the top of your head when you are expending energy and recycles it through your body.

Perception

Something to think about….

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing?