Goertz Thoughts

I'm okay with ads on Facebook (and other websites). Nothing is free and I'd (usually) rather see an ad then pay out a monthly fee (the main exception is with streaming. I will  pay to remove ads from Youtube and other sites). I also don't mind targeted advertising. I already know that Facebook is collecting and selling my information and I'd rather see a product that I might  be interested in rather than something that I'd never buy.  For example, my left foot has been acting up recently (interesting story on that one if you like Anatomy), so I've been seeing a lot of ads for orthotic shoes. Sometimes, though... the algorithm gets me wrong. Here are some examples: Thomas Kincade Beauty and the Beast Christmas Celebration Art Print At first glance, this is a safe bet for an ad: I like Disney (particularly Beauty and the Beast), I like Christmas, I like Thomas Kinkade. But really take a look at this image. It's all kinds of mixed up. There are human servants/g...

I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to share my love of musicals with you (I used to do this with my students when I taught and I miss that). I'll start with the classic shows that I grew up with. Rodgers (music) and Hammerstein (lyrics) were a musical writing team from the mid-Twentieth century. They made a lot of classic shows and were envied by others. Scene from one a movie that you should definitely watch at least once a year: White Christmas Between their shows, they earned 34 Tony awards. While often lighthearted, their shows require audiences to confront social issues. The difficult thing about making a list of songs you should know is what to focus on: The best? (definitely subjective) Most well known? A sampling of styles and themes? I've decided to go with the songs that I think you should hear if you never hear another thing from this team (that means that you've probably heard them all before. You are reading this article after all). Although the list ...

Our Advent theme day yesterday was Ugly Sweater. There's a lot of room for interpretation there (it was not well received when I commented that I guess I could wear an A&M sweatshirt). It got me thinking though. There is an entire industry in America for producing sweaters that are "ugly". To be worn for a specific party once or twice a year. What would our grandparents think? We're spending money to purchase something because  it looks bad. It's fun. This is not necessarily going to be a post saying that consumerism is a bad thing (I'll let Pope Francis speak on that). However, you've got to admit, we buy a lot of things that are not necessary. Of course, most anything that we buy  could  be considered a luxury. If we wanted to really get into it, any food beyond that required for basic nutrition  could  be considered frivolous. We don't  need  vacations to Disney World. We probably  should  keep using our phones until they no longer wo...

 I just finished listening to a lecture series about the development of the American musical, so I'm planning a series on songs from shows that you really should hear. Before I go into that, I'd like to talk a bit about why music is so important in my life (as it should be in everyone's). I grew up in a musical family. Not musically trained (at least not classically), but a musical appreciation family. A few examples: I'm the only one with a real instrument in this picture (Kazoo) My parents met at the Kerrville Folk Festival in the 70s. Some of my earliest memories are my dad and his friends sitting around the porch with their guitars and banjos in a jam session. My mom used to sing us to sleep and wake us up by playing music (usually Thus Spoke Zarathustra ) My mom was a preschool teacher for most of my life. She would play the harmonica for the children (and by extension us). In fact, she taught young kids for so long that she still sounds like she's singing when...

One of the many things that I've been accused of is overanalyzing song lyrics (as well as everything else). Christmas is no exception. If you say I think too much, my answer is that you're not thinking enough. Here are a few songs that bother me (I've done a deep dive of another already ) Mary Did You Know? Yes. The short answer is that she did know. There's been some detailed  analysis done on this. Christmas Shoes The kid in this song is sus. How does he know his mom's shoe size? How is he out alone on Christmas Eve? Why does he think that it matters what his mom wears? I suspect a scam to get new sneakers. (As I type this, I feel my heart growing two sizes too small) Here Comes Santa Claus "He doesn't care if you're rich or poor / He loves you just the same"... I guarantee that if you are poor you know that Santa doesn't love you the same as your rich friends.  Last Christmas "...but the very next day, you gave it away". You can...