[This started out as an email but i decided to post it here instead. It's not intended to be a biography of the late great Dio (refer to wikipedia or countless other blogs for that), but just a tribute in the form of an introduction and some thoughts.]
I'm a little bummed out today because i found out that Ronnie James Dio died of cancer this weekend. If you're not familiar with Dio, he's one of the legendary singers of heavy metal history. He played in a series of great bands in the 60s and 70s (including Elf and Rainbow), then joined Black Sabbath after Ozzy was kicked out in 1979. And if you're not familiar with Black Sabbath, they're one of the forefathers of the entire heavy metal genre. (Led Zeppelin is the other one.) After Sabbath and Zeppelin came Iron Maiden and Judas Priest and others, followed by Metallica with the "Big Four" of thrash and others, and the progression only continued from there with so many other awesome bands and subgenres. Actually right now is an interesting time because you can go out and see about four generations of metal bands, sometimes sharing the same bill. Oh, and to clarify - i used the word "after"; it's not an order of succession, but more like new members joining a family. But i digress.
Dio had some huge shoes to fill, taking Ozzy's place in the legendary Black Sabbath, but he friggin stepped up and created his own era of legend with the band. He then ventured off to start his own band, called Dio. I'm sure at some point or another you've heard Holy Diver or Rainbow In The Dark (the two Dio songs which are still played on mainstream radio today). There was some back and forth over the years with Black Sabbath reuniting with Dio in the early-90s for a short time, then back with Ozzy in the mid/late-90s (i had the fortune of seeing that reunion live several times myself). But Ozzy continued doing his own stuff, and various issues prevented the band from recording new material together. So about 4 years ago they joined up with Dio again, this time calling the band "Heaven and Hell" (named after the first album they did with Dio back in 1979), recorded some new material, and embarked on a series of successful tours. (And yes, i'm oversimplifying all of this; there were many lineup changes and different incarnations; for more information on Black Sabbath consult your school library.)
For years and years all i've heard is how nice a guy Dio is and how hard he works. I mean Ozzy is a legend of his own, but he struggled so much with drugs and alcohol (that's why he was fired from Sabbath, actually) and that really cut into his music. Dio, on the other hand; i read somewhere that during his entire time with Black Sabbath he was never late for a gig and never missed a rehearsal. His voice is unique and powerful; often imitated, but nobody can really sing like him. Actually i think whenever any comedian belts out some hilariously overblown vocals, they're usually imitating Dio. Prime example: Jack Black.
Another interesting legacy is that Dio was the one who popularized the "devil horns" gesture which is now ubiquitous in rock and metal circles. He said he got it from his Italian grandmother who used the gesture to ward off evil spirits. It's also similar to the sign for "love" in ASL.
Like many other music legends, i'm only now starting to catch up with Dio's amazing work. Just a few months ago i started cutting playlists on grooveshark and dropped a couple of Dio compilations into my Amazon cart to buy eventually. (Now i feel like a toolbag, joining the sales spike of a musician upon their death, but i was going to pick them up anyway, dammit.)
Anyway, thanks for listening to my little music history lesson for the day. I guess this is part of getting older - waking up every couple of days and finding out that someone else i knew or admired died. I'll leave you with a few of my favorite songs.
Time Machine (Dio-era Black Sabbath) from the Wayne's World soundtrack. This is actually the first Black Sabbath song i ever heard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQv0GEeaJrk
Rainbow In The Dark (Dio). This one was the source of an ongoing debate between my old roommate and me. Every time we heard it on the radio he'd insist that it was Randy Rhoads while i maintained it was the Scorpions. (And this was pre-internet so we couldn't just look it up.) Obviously we were both wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmSt1oEIshE
Stars (Hear'n Aid). I can't resist dropping this one in here because it demonstrates that wherever there's metal, Dio will be there. I was just thinking about this the other day - it was the response from the heavy metal guys who weren't invited to Live Aid in 1985. (i.e. "Oh yeah? Well we'll have our *own* benefit concert. With blackjack. And hookers.")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZktrrqT1A0
Oh, one more. Live recording of The Mob Rules - Dio-era Sabbath, performed here by Heaven and Hell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rajfsx0sUnU
Rock on, brother \m/
Ronnie James Dio [1942-2010]
Monday, May 17, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Story of a Lost Kitty
Around 07:30 Saturday morning my phone rang with Jen's ringtone. I knew that something had to be wrong for her to be calling that early in the morning, so i braced myself and answered.
Jen (upset): "Avalou got out last night and i don't know where she is."
Me (fumbling for my glasses): "She squeezed out through the window?"
Jen (more upset): "Yeah."
Me (rolling out of bed): "I'm on my way; we'll find her."
Avalou is Jen's adorable little kitty (and in Jen's own words, her baby). She's one of the most loveable cats i've ever met; i'm not really an animal person (and i'm allergic to cats) but she still managed to win me over. So Jen was understandably upset that Squish (aka Avalou aka Squishy Girl - she has many names) was lost, and i of course threw on some clothes and ran out the door (after making coffee to take along).
Arrived at Jen's and commenced the search. Squish has always been an indoor cat so we figured (hoped) she hadn't gone far. We slowly combed her apartment complex, checking all of the bushes, under the dumpsters, along the fences, calling out her name (Avalou always responds when Jen calls her). I even poked my head into a shed left unlocked next to the laundry room, prompting a surly "Can i help you with something?" from a maintenance guy. Oops.
There's a cemetery adjacent to the complex and we felt (hoped) that the peaceful, grassy space would be more appealing to a scared kitty than a noisy street. The gates were open so we walked right in and searched the the hedges along the perimeter; no cat.
Back to Jen's apartment to regroup; i searched for tips online and confirmed the thoughts we already had - she most likely would stay close to home and was probably hiding nearby with her cat stealth. Jen had set out some cat food and water on her patio; she now added one of her t-shirts and Avalou's little bed; hopefully she'd smell the familiar scents and follow her nose home. We headed out to print up a bunch of fliers and proceeded to post them all over her apartment complex and on telephone poles along the streets. Also walked down to a nearby coffee shop and left some fliers there.
By the time we got back it was getting into evening and Jen and i were feeling emotional and tired. It was hard to stay in her apartment with all of Avalou's stuff around but Av herself conspicuously absent. We figured (hoped) she was napping somewhere but might come out after dark so we decided to get something to eat in the meantime. Checked yelp and found a pizza place which sounded promising. Turned out to be a great little place. Good pizza (a little greasy but still good), a stage with live bluegrass music, and 30 beers on tap - not a single one of which was Budweiser. I think we both felt better after eating food and getting a mental break.
Back to the search; it was dark now so we took flashlights and searched the complex again; still no kitty (except for two outdoor cats whom we'd been seeing around all day). With nothing more we could do we turned in for the night, hoping the little one would find her way home overnight.
I didn't realize until Saturday night how attached i'd gotten to Avalou. I mean i've always liked her since she's such a sweet kitty, and of course i wanted her to get back safe and sound. But i was a little surprised at how strenuously upset i felt.
Slept uneasily, got up Sunday morning and checked the patio hoping she'd be fast asleep in her little bed but found it empty. Someone else had eaten her food though; probably one of the neighbor cats.
So we continued the drill; searched, ate food (found this cute 50s style diner with great breakfast food), searched more. Around mid-afternoon (cat still nowhere to be found) Jen needed to throw in some laundry so i suggested we drive down to my place so she could use my washer & dryer (instead of paying for the ones in her complex's laundry room). This would also give me a chance to pick up a few things and throw in a much-needed load of my own laundry.
Just like the day before i think the mental break helped us both. Then, right as the last load was ready to go into the dryer, Jen's phone rang. It was a lady from her apartment complex with a sighting - she'd seen Avalou in the cemetery right by the fence near the corner of the complex. Go time! We threw our stuff in the car and hauled ass back. Ran up to the spot and...no kitty. Dammit!
We decided to walk through the cemetery again in case she was still in there; this time the gate was locked so we jumped the fence (with no disrespect intended towards those resting in peace or their families). Walked the cemetery perimeter again with no luck, and then tried the adjacent subdivision (we saw a gap in the wall which a medium-sized cat might want to slip through). Ended up having to jump a few more fences and wandering down a few walking paths near the wall but still no luck.
Disappointed but feeling a little better knowing that Avalou was nearby and ok, we put out a little dish of food at the spot of her sighting along with Jen's t-shirt from the patio (again hoping she'd smell something familiar and meet us there). Came back to the spot after an hour; no luck. Swept the fences then waited another hour and went out again; still no luck. It was now around 22:00 and we were feeling dejected and worrying because it was going to be a chilly night with rain in the forecast. We stood still at the spot, thinking, listening. Then i thought i heard a noise coming from the nearby bushes so i crept up with the flashlight and Jen called Avalou's name. *Then* we heard a meow! But not from the bushes; it seemed to be coming from back towards the parking lot.
Jen continued calling, the meow continued responding...we followed the sound to a nearby sewer drain. Shone the flashlight down through the drainage grate and saw Avalou's adorable little face looking up at us!
My first thought was "Aw frak, how are we going to get her out of there?" but Jen, without hesitating, demonstrated that it was the kind of grate which lifts right out of the ground. Avalou darted back into the sewer as we pulled the grate away but Jen continued talking to her in her comforting/reassuring voice, coaxed her out, and got her into her arms. Oh what a relief!
As soon as Avalou got back into the apartment she started marching around, checking things out, getting her bearings back. She ate her food a little at a time and drank some water; she also played with some of her toys, meow'd at the door (to which Jen replied "Oh *hell no*"), and started cleaning herself. It was good to see that she was alert with a nice energy level; maybe she found some clean water to drink while she was out. Eventually she started coming down, curled up on the bed and fell asleep.
Yay, happy ending!
Discussing this afterward, Jen and i were amazed at the series of events which led to finding Avalou; it was like a movie. First the phone call tip from her neighbor which drew us to that particular spot. [Sidebar, i wasn't expecting the fliers to actually work; i thought they were a shot in the dark, mostly something to do to make ourselves feel better. From now on i'll definitely keep an eye out whenever i see lost animal fliers.] Then Avalou managing to get from the cemetery on the other side of the fence into the sewer back on the apartment complex side (maybe through a drain in the cemetery or the subdivision). And then getting to the drain right by the spot where we were looking, hearing Jen's voice, and responding with enough force to lead us to her.
Jen and i are currently casting for the film adaptation. We're trying to get Bruce Campbell to play the role of me. Jen, of course, would be played by her doppelganger, Tina Fey. We also want Christina Ricci to do the voice of Avalou (just meows; no talking animals in this movie). And finally, we need a niche character actor to play our heroic phone tipster. Jen suggested Amy Sedaris.
So that was our weekend. I'll close with a photo of Avalou playing with her ball and figure-8 track.
Jen (upset): "Avalou got out last night and i don't know where she is."
Me (fumbling for my glasses): "She squeezed out through the window?"
Jen (more upset): "Yeah."
Me (rolling out of bed): "I'm on my way; we'll find her."
Avalou is Jen's adorable little kitty (and in Jen's own words, her baby). She's one of the most loveable cats i've ever met; i'm not really an animal person (and i'm allergic to cats) but she still managed to win me over. So Jen was understandably upset that Squish (aka Avalou aka Squishy Girl - she has many names) was lost, and i of course threw on some clothes and ran out the door (after making coffee to take along).
Arrived at Jen's and commenced the search. Squish has always been an indoor cat so we figured (hoped) she hadn't gone far. We slowly combed her apartment complex, checking all of the bushes, under the dumpsters, along the fences, calling out her name (Avalou always responds when Jen calls her). I even poked my head into a shed left unlocked next to the laundry room, prompting a surly "Can i help you with something?" from a maintenance guy. Oops.
There's a cemetery adjacent to the complex and we felt (hoped) that the peaceful, grassy space would be more appealing to a scared kitty than a noisy street. The gates were open so we walked right in and searched the the hedges along the perimeter; no cat.
Back to Jen's apartment to regroup; i searched for tips online and confirmed the thoughts we already had - she most likely would stay close to home and was probably hiding nearby with her cat stealth. Jen had set out some cat food and water on her patio; she now added one of her t-shirts and Avalou's little bed; hopefully she'd smell the familiar scents and follow her nose home. We headed out to print up a bunch of fliers and proceeded to post them all over her apartment complex and on telephone poles along the streets. Also walked down to a nearby coffee shop and left some fliers there.
By the time we got back it was getting into evening and Jen and i were feeling emotional and tired. It was hard to stay in her apartment with all of Avalou's stuff around but Av herself conspicuously absent. We figured (hoped) she was napping somewhere but might come out after dark so we decided to get something to eat in the meantime. Checked yelp and found a pizza place which sounded promising. Turned out to be a great little place. Good pizza (a little greasy but still good), a stage with live bluegrass music, and 30 beers on tap - not a single one of which was Budweiser. I think we both felt better after eating food and getting a mental break.
Back to the search; it was dark now so we took flashlights and searched the complex again; still no kitty (except for two outdoor cats whom we'd been seeing around all day). With nothing more we could do we turned in for the night, hoping the little one would find her way home overnight.
I didn't realize until Saturday night how attached i'd gotten to Avalou. I mean i've always liked her since she's such a sweet kitty, and of course i wanted her to get back safe and sound. But i was a little surprised at how strenuously upset i felt.
Slept uneasily, got up Sunday morning and checked the patio hoping she'd be fast asleep in her little bed but found it empty. Someone else had eaten her food though; probably one of the neighbor cats.
So we continued the drill; searched, ate food (found this cute 50s style diner with great breakfast food), searched more. Around mid-afternoon (cat still nowhere to be found) Jen needed to throw in some laundry so i suggested we drive down to my place so she could use my washer & dryer (instead of paying for the ones in her complex's laundry room). This would also give me a chance to pick up a few things and throw in a much-needed load of my own laundry.
Just like the day before i think the mental break helped us both. Then, right as the last load was ready to go into the dryer, Jen's phone rang. It was a lady from her apartment complex with a sighting - she'd seen Avalou in the cemetery right by the fence near the corner of the complex. Go time! We threw our stuff in the car and hauled ass back. Ran up to the spot and...no kitty. Dammit!
We decided to walk through the cemetery again in case she was still in there; this time the gate was locked so we jumped the fence (with no disrespect intended towards those resting in peace or their families). Walked the cemetery perimeter again with no luck, and then tried the adjacent subdivision (we saw a gap in the wall which a medium-sized cat might want to slip through). Ended up having to jump a few more fences and wandering down a few walking paths near the wall but still no luck.
Disappointed but feeling a little better knowing that Avalou was nearby and ok, we put out a little dish of food at the spot of her sighting along with Jen's t-shirt from the patio (again hoping she'd smell something familiar and meet us there). Came back to the spot after an hour; no luck. Swept the fences then waited another hour and went out again; still no luck. It was now around 22:00 and we were feeling dejected and worrying because it was going to be a chilly night with rain in the forecast. We stood still at the spot, thinking, listening. Then i thought i heard a noise coming from the nearby bushes so i crept up with the flashlight and Jen called Avalou's name. *Then* we heard a meow! But not from the bushes; it seemed to be coming from back towards the parking lot.
Jen continued calling, the meow continued responding...we followed the sound to a nearby sewer drain. Shone the flashlight down through the drainage grate and saw Avalou's adorable little face looking up at us!
My first thought was "Aw frak, how are we going to get her out of there?" but Jen, without hesitating, demonstrated that it was the kind of grate which lifts right out of the ground. Avalou darted back into the sewer as we pulled the grate away but Jen continued talking to her in her comforting/reassuring voice, coaxed her out, and got her into her arms. Oh what a relief!
As soon as Avalou got back into the apartment she started marching around, checking things out, getting her bearings back. She ate her food a little at a time and drank some water; she also played with some of her toys, meow'd at the door (to which Jen replied "Oh *hell no*"), and started cleaning herself. It was good to see that she was alert with a nice energy level; maybe she found some clean water to drink while she was out. Eventually she started coming down, curled up on the bed and fell asleep.
Yay, happy ending!
Discussing this afterward, Jen and i were amazed at the series of events which led to finding Avalou; it was like a movie. First the phone call tip from her neighbor which drew us to that particular spot. [Sidebar, i wasn't expecting the fliers to actually work; i thought they were a shot in the dark, mostly something to do to make ourselves feel better. From now on i'll definitely keep an eye out whenever i see lost animal fliers.] Then Avalou managing to get from the cemetery on the other side of the fence into the sewer back on the apartment complex side (maybe through a drain in the cemetery or the subdivision). And then getting to the drain right by the spot where we were looking, hearing Jen's voice, and responding with enough force to lead us to her.
Jen and i are currently casting for the film adaptation. We're trying to get Bruce Campbell to play the role of me. Jen, of course, would be played by her doppelganger, Tina Fey. We also want Christina Ricci to do the voice of Avalou (just meows; no talking animals in this movie). And finally, we need a niche character actor to play our heroic phone tipster. Jen suggested Amy Sedaris.
So that was our weekend. I'll close with a photo of Avalou playing with her ball and figure-8 track.
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