Author: Mark Alexander

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Music That You Can Dance To

Prompted by a musical offering on Mostly Words, I went down another rabbit hole this morning. The version of Sparks’ Tryouts for the Human Race there was different from the one I had in my collection, so I put on my headphones and took a listen to the version I’d ripped from vinyl in iTunes after listening to Doug’s linked version. That led me for some reason to looking for the lyrics online and then I started searching for lyrics to other Sparks cuts and I eventually ended up at Music That You Can Dance To.

I haven’t played Music That You Can Dance To in years, but it still holds a special place in my heart because it is forever tied to a very specific memory from shortly after I arrived in San Francisco.

One Saturday morning, I was out exploring The City, and found myself driving south on Lincoln Drive out by the Golden Gate Bridge. At the time I was still staying with friends, and needed to get out and see this strange new place I’d decided to call home. This was also the first time I’d gotten to listen to  a mix tape I’d made from records in their collection. It was a crisp August morning, but I had the sunroof open and I was letting the music rip at angelic volume. Music That You Can Dance To came on just as I was rounding a curve that presented a beautiful vista of the Pacific Ocean off to my right.

It was as if the stars aligned and I was in the zone. I shall forever remember it.

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This Takes Me Back

Memories of sixteen years of daily commutes via the MUNI Embarcadero Station.

I’m surprised it still looks the same as it did the last time I rode the train in 2002…

I ran across these clips on Instagram after searching “Embarcadero Station San Francisco”—which led me down a whole new rabbit hole of adventures.

While so much of SF has changed over the last twenty years, via Instagram I was just as surprised to see how much has stubbornly remained the same as I remember.

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Quote of the Day

All you have to do is ask the question, ‘Can you have a universe without God?’ Suddenly you are called a militant just for asking the question…even politely asking the question. You can’t help but be called strident and militant in this world if you somehow say, ‘You know what, maybe it’s all bullshit.’ It’s sad because in every other area of human activity you can make fun of things. And you should be able to make fun of religion. And if we can’t there there is something seriously wrong.” ~ Lawrence Krauss

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