Laugh or Cry - Spinoza or The Monkees

I posted a video on Sunday of the Monkees doing “Pleasant Valley Sunday.” I posted it along with Carole King’s demo recording of the song from 1966. I got 700 hits in the first 24 hours. I had to check my counter and make sure it wasn’t counting any spam hits. It wasn’t. 68% of the hits came from Facebook, while the rest came from, well, everywhere.

Now this was a surprise. I posted it Sunday only as a place holder, and because it had the word Sunday in it. I never expected more than 25 hits at best. I average about 200 a day; with most coming from people googling different things. At this point I have a couple of thousand posts out there, so people bump into my site all the time; just not 700 per day.

This got me thinking about what topics were the most popular. Here is a sampling of what I found just by looking at one typical week from June 2011.

Conrad Shuman – 1095 hits.

Einstein and Spinoza –  812 hits.

“Shifty’s War” – 8,842 hits.

Thomas Cole’s “The Course of Empire” – 683 hits.

“Pictures of Matchstick Men” by Staus Quo -432 hits.

Wendell  Berry’s “Manifesto” – 1,041 hits.

Remember, those totals are for over 3 years. Compare those totals to the Monkees getting 700 hits in 24 hours on a silly little blog like mine, and you will understand why I say I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

For the benefit of those who may not have read it before, here is Wendell Berry’s powerful poem “Manifesto.” I hope it gets a couple of dozen hits.

Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front

Love the quick profit, the annual raise,

vacation with pay. Want more

of everything ready-made. Be afraid

to know your neighbors and to die.

And you will have a window in your head.

Not even your future will be a mystery

any more. Your mind will be punched in a card

and shut away in a little drawer.

When they want you to buy something

they will call you. When they want you

to die for profit they will let you know.

So, friends, every day do something

that won't compute. Love the Lord.

Love the world. Work for nothing.

Take all that you have and be poor.

Love someone who does not deserve it.

Denounce the government and embrace

the flag. Hope to live in that free

republic for which it stands.

Give your approval to all you cannot

understand. Praise ignorance, for what man

has not encountered he has not destroyed.

Ask the questions that have no answers.

Invest in the millenium. Plant sequoias.

Say that your main crop is the forest

that you did not plant,

that you will not live to harvest.

Say that the leaves are harvested

when they have rotted into the mold.

Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.

Put your faith in the two inches of humus

that will build under the trees

every thousand years.

Listen to carrion -- put your ear

close, and hear the faint chattering

of the songs that are to come.

Expect the end of the world. Laugh.

Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful

though you have considered all the facts.

So long as women do not go cheap

for power, please women more than men.

Ask yourself: Will this satisfy

a woman satisfied to bear a child?

Will this disturb the sleep

of a woman near to giving birth?

Go with your love to the fields.

Lie down in the shade. Rest your head

in her lap. Swear allegiance

to what is nighest your thoughts.

As soon as the generals and the politicos

can predict the motions of your mind,

lose it. Leave it as a sign

to mark the false trail, the way

you didn't go.

Be like the fox

who makes more tracks than necessary,

some in the wrong direction.

Practice resurrection.

"The Sugar's at the Bottom of the Cup" by By Elda Del Bino Willitts and Patricia Henley

It was 5 years ago today that I began this blog by re-posting a book review I had written for a friend at the time who had a blog of her own. That review led to another which led to still another and before long I was in the “habit”, so to speak, of blogging daily on a variety of subjects. I no longer have the friend, but the blog lives on thanks to people like you stopping by. As long as people read it, I’ll write it.  And so, with this re-post I begin my 6^th year of Rooftop Reviews.

Ever wonder what the Marina District along the Northern edge of San Francisco was like in 1916? Or what Ocean Beach was like before all those houses arrived in the Richmond and Sunset Districts? Then “The Sugar’s at the Bottom of The Cup” by Elda Del Bino Willitts is a book for you.

With a sparse and direct approach to the subject, Mrs. Willits takes you back in time to an era when steamships still arrived daily in San Francisco and filled the streets with newly arrived Americans from all over the world. Adding to this mix was the influx of European immigrants arriving by train from the East.

Elda Del Bino was seven years old when she stepped off the train and into the fast moving cosmopolitan world of San Francisco. With straightforward prose she vividly describes her journey by ship to New York and Ellis Island and then the train trip across rural America prior to the First World War, arriving in San Francisco in 1916.

Taking up residence in the Cow Hollow area South of Lombard Street and the present day Highway 101, finding jobs, enrolling in school, learning English, Mrs Willitts draws a clear and accurate picture of San Francisco’s bygone era. Through the changes of the 1920’s and the dark years of the Depression, the book captures the flavor of a changing city. The World War Two years in San Francisco and the changes in morals and values that flowed from that war are all here to examine in the life of one elderly woman.

Full of wit and inescapable charm, Mrs. Willitts has written a wonderful and informative book about San Francisco, the City by the Sea.

This review has also been featured on Garden Lust Journal: http://mendogardens.blogspot.com/

Typical Month at Rooftop Reviews

"Jimi Hendrix - A Brother's Story" by Leon Hendrix... Aug 14, 2012	4397
The Vance Hotel - Statesville, N.C. Sep 19, 2010, 24 comments	3857
The King and Elvis Aug 16, 2010	1136
Birmingham, Alabama - September 15th, 1963 Sep 15, 2011	397
"Ants in the Plants" - Max and Dave Fleischer (1... May 11, 2013	372
Leap Year, George Washington and the Jewish Calend... Feb 28, 2012	146
Popeye Meets Bluebeard - Chivalry Is Not Dead Aug 13, 2013	139
Oleans Street - My Secret Walks Oct 1, 2010	135
Midnight - Cat Napping at Noon Mar 11, 2013	125
Follow up on "Decoding the Lost Symbol" by Simon ... Dec 5, 2009	115

It's been a typical month at Rooftop Reviews. The things I write today won't even "chart" until next year. Sometimes I'm surprised at what gets on there at all! Dismiss the Jimi Hendrix one; it's largely junk mail. I just keep it for the numbers it generates. By next month it will be gone and something else will replace it.

Sometimes it's seasonal. Like in April; my top hit then will be about the Civil War and also about the American Revolution. Surprisingly; overall; the Civil War is the more "popular” of the two. I wonder if that says anything about us as people?

The Vance Hotel is a regular in the top 10. It actually gets comments and also generates e-mails; which I prefer. The Vance is one of those places which attracts people; partly because of its reputation as one of the better hotels of the "old days"; and partly because it has a ghost. Now, that's unique...

Of course; the King and Elvis. I mean, anything about Elvis will get you a hit. I am putting Elvis in the keywords for this. Hey, I may start doing that with all my posts! But seriously, some folks actually do read this stuff. And I'm glad they do.

From cartoons to old films and books and history and stuff that I don't even recall, this is the best value for your buck on the web. Why? A- It’s free. B- There are 7 articles at any given time, as opposed to most other blogs where you can only look at one article at a time. They do that to get the extra hits. I don't need to. That's why I have Elvis and Jimi.

Black Friday - Free PDF File

Rooftop Reviews is pleased to announce that there is now a full, chronological listing of every article posted here since March 29, 2009; which is the actual birthday of this blog. It runs about 69 pages long and grows longer with each day. Which; of course; makes it too long to post.

It runs the gamut from our first, non-illustrated book review of “The Sugar’s In the Bottom of the Cup”, a memoir set in San Francisco of the early 1900’s, and goes on to reviews of music, a 30 chapter auto-biography of myself, some short stories, poetry, a bit of politics, and everything you can possibly think of in between. There are even a few guest columnists in the mix, ranging from Stuart Sokol’s cab driver story to a few crew members reminisces of the Coast Guard  Cutter Cardigan, which used to sit in Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, near where I grew up. I've interviewed a few interesting people and even made some close friends along the way. Not a bad job, though it doesn't pay well at all. As a matter of fact; it doesn't pay at all!

If you would like a copy of this list just e-mail me at robertrswwilliams@yahoo.com and I will wing a PDF copy of the index right back to you free of charge. I don’t expect many takers, but the offer stands. The next logical step is for me to begin the laborious process of creating an alphabetized Index, a task which I am not looking forward to. This table of contents is the start of that endeavor. With about 1700 postings; and some 5,000 pages of writing; to review, it will take a bit of time.

I never even thought that I would be doing this blog for a long period of time, and although it has a limited following, which is currently down to about 150 people a day, from 59 different countries, I have really enjoyed doing it. Sometimes I get ready to give up on it, but then I get an e-mail from someone who just read something I wrote months, or even a couple of years ago, which touched them in a special way.

I've had notes from the children of my elementary school teachers; and other people whom I’ve never met that ran across something I wrote about their parents, who owned a local store where I worked as a kid; and even some authors and a couple of bonafide stars. My all-time favorites are from Ernest Borgnine and Olivia DeHavilland, which are both framed and hang in my den.

At any rate, starting about the 10th of December I will be posting some of my favorite Christmas postings from the last 4 years. It’s mostly a collection of holiday movie reviews, some unusual Christmas music and a few assorted stories, including something new about my Uncle Irving and the Fat Man.

As always, it’s a pleasure to write these posts, and an even greater pleasure when you respond to something which I have written. So, keep the e-mails coming. I prefer them to comments as they allow me to be more expansive and personal in my responses. But, either way, I always answer each and every one. Remember, if you do comment anonymously I can only reply beneath your comment, so you have to check back.

Well, no matter how you may have landed here, thanks for stopping in. About 30% of the people who do find their way to this page return, and I look forward to their visits every day. Thanks!

Scraps - The Makings of a Blog Post

Where do ideas come from? And, more importantly, where do they go when you don’t write them down? I wish I knew the answer to that one so that I could retrieve all of the wonderful ideas which have gotten away when I didn’t get the chance to jot them down. It’s precisely for that reason that I carry a pen and paper everywhere I go. I’d hate to miss something later on.

I could use the electronic devices I carry to make a note to myself, but that just doesn’t feel natural to me. I’m a pen and paper type of guy. And by paper, I mean anything made from the pulp of a tree, be it a legal tablet, notebook, or even a paper bag; preferably one from the fried chicken place, complete with grease stains. There’s something very Faulkner like about writing on a bag of fried chicken. And that’s especially true when you live in North Carolina.

I have written poetry on napkins, book reviews on tiny pieces of paper which had already been written upon; leaving me only the margins within which to write. Ideas are ethereal and unless it is something conceptual, which can be later recalled, capturing the essence of the idea is imperative. This is especially true of songs, which I consider to be gifts; taken right from the air. There are melodies floating out there just waiting to be received. You just have to be tuned in.

And when committing these ideas to paper I usually throw away the notes; eschewing them for the essence of the original thought; and then just go with it. But it’s always different, and that’s what makes it fun.

I don’t pretend to do any real creative writing on here. Oh, now and again a good story works its way in; but they are becoming more and more rare as the years pass. I suppose I am running out of stories worth telling, and I’m not much for fiction. And things like “The Old Black Man” or “The Lovers” are just gems which fall into your lap. The only responsibility for the writer is to record them as accurately as possible, perhaps with a bit of flair to add some drama; or pathos; that will elicit the empathy of the reader.

Does this little article have a purpose? Not really. But it was on one of the scraps of paper indicating that I had thought about writing something on this subject. And, now that I have, I can’t imagine why. I should have written that part down...

Re-posts - A Conundrum

This time of April poses a real conundrum for me. With so many things of note in history occurring at this time of April it is almost impossible to keep my mind focused on just one event. Imagine, all in the space of a week, the numerous stories worth telling about some of the most important events in our history.

The onslaught of historical events begins tomorrow with the anniversary of the Civil War, and the shelling of Fort Sumter. Only 4 years later, President Lincoln would be assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14^th.

Move forward in time and April 14^th would come to represent the Titanic disaster, in which the unsinkable ship did the unthinkable, and sank, taking most of her passengers with her.

And, if these events were not enough, this coming week also marks the “shot heard ‘round the world” with the anniversary of the events at Lexington and Concord, triggering the start of our American Revolutionary War.

So, bear with me while I reprise some of my older posts on these subjects. It would be hard to pass over these events and have new readers here think that I am uninterested in them, and yet I have nothing further I wish to add on the subjects; hence; the re-posts.

Happy New Year Baby!

Well, it’s New Year’s once again, with people all over making promises which they’ll never keep. I don’t recall ever having made a New Year’s resolution; not that I couldn’t use some reforming in certain aspects; but rather that I knew I wouldn’t be keeping them, so why kid myself? But, seriously, I do have some goals in mind for the New Year, among them some changes to this blog. I’m just not sure what they will be; if any.

I find that making myself post something each day diminishes the quality of what I write. So, to that end, I may only post three, or four times, per week. I will, of course, stick to a book review each week; as well as a movie; and a music video with some related commentary. If I can, I’ll post the other days. I have some very bad arthritic pain which makes it difficult to type; or sit at the keyboard; for too long a period of time. The average 2 page review, including research of names etc., takes about an hour, sometimes more. So, doing this daily actually hurts! But, being the compulsive person that I am, we will have to wait and see to find out what I actually decide upon.

I do know this; having this blog gives me focus and purpose; two commodities which I value more and more as I get older. It also keeps me from bothering Sue too much...

So, thanks for reading, and Happy New Years from us both  as I enter into my fifth year of Reviewing Rooftops! Wait… that can’t be right. I mean a fifth year of Rooftop Reviews. Happy New Year and Good Health to all in 2013!

Blogging Without a Plan

You’d think it would be easy to do a short blog like this on a daily basis, but it’s not. Sometimes I stay about 3 or 4 days ahead of schedule, which is why I am often several days behind the news, but somehow I always end up back at a point where I am out of something to say. But, being a verbose person by nature, I feel compelled to post something daily. It wasn’t always that way.

When I began this blog, over 3 years ago, I posted once a week, usually a book review; indeed, that is what this site purports itself to be. But, somehow over the 3 years I have been doing this, I caught the bug, and as a result post each day. Some of the material I post is so bad that this looks easier than it really is.

Oh, I get lucky now and again, with a good story like “The Old Black Man”, or  the one I wrote a few months ago about the Police Gazette, but mostly I just post whatever happens to attract my attention that day. Take today as an example. It’s 7 Pm here in North Carolina, and I had planned on having a book review done for tomorrow, and have actually begun working on it, but, with the grandkids coming on Tuesday night there were things to be done. (Mostly that involved watching Sue get things ready for their visit.)

So, I’m taking it easy on myself today, as usual, and posting this, for what it’s worth. The illustration at the top of the page is actually from the family album. It was done by my Dad, who was a draftsman, which is ironic considering he refused to serve in Korea when called up, but a draftsman he was. He was pretty good at it, too. He drew this the day after I was born. I still remember marveling at it as a kid. It still gives me pleasure to look at.

So, that’s all I got for today. No plan of my own, except to finish the book review for tomorrow. After that it will be a couple of days of winging it while my granddaughters Aliyah and Trinity are here to visit. We’ll be sharing our adventures here a bit. With this blog reaching something like 80 countries, I’m sure that other grandparents will find something of interest in what we do. I’m sure as heck curious myself! Remember, unlike my dad, I’m not working from a plan.