No. 591 – The Sacred and Profane

Performer: Smashing Pumpkins

Songwriter: Billy Corgan

Original Release: Machina/The Machines of God

Year: 2000

Definitive Version: None

And now back to live blogging.

Yes, dear reader—or even readers—I haven’t written a blog entry in more than two weeks, but through the almighty power of the Internet, I was able to keep the blog rolling, albeit with the odd editing mistake here and there (since rectified), due to preposting.

What happened? Well, Laurie and I went to Italy for a two-week vacation, which, of course, was incredible. Upon return, I realized that it would take weeks, if not months, to properly sort out and process everything that we saw and did.

One way that the trip will affect things is with respect to this blog. Obviously, I’m almost halfway through the list, and every song the rest of the way is one that was chosen before the departure. Most of the time in Italy, I listened to new music that I picked out specifically so I’d have something new to listen to.

Fortunately, I worked on the song list on the almost interminable flight home from London, and I realized that I could use a few of those songs that didn’t have a particularly compelling story to mention the Italy trip, because that’s how I probably will associate those songs.

Take this song, for example. I worked on the blog entry for this song during that flight, which led me to conclude that whenever I fly more than 5 hours in a single shot, I’m never, EVER flying economy again. The savings in money isn’t worth the constriction in seating space—and subsequent inability to get anything done.

I’m not an airplane sleeper, so I have to have something to do to escape the boredom, and the cramped quarters at the back end of the 747 we took from Heathrow to O’Hare made it all but impossible to work on my computer, as is my preference.

Well, that’s enough of that. I’ve reached an age (and, fortunately, an economic standing) where upgrading despite a lack of accumulated miles is an option. And I’ve determined that my comfort level is now worth more to me than the savings of a thousand or so dollars.

Anyway, I had a full entry for this song ready to roll, but I pulled it this morning when I realized that in the future, when I hear this song, I won’t think about an event that took place when this song came out in 2000, but the flight home from Italy—the airline food, the mix of bodies around us, the turbulence from flying into a 30-mph headwind.

The entry I wrote on the plane can apply to a later song, so it wasn’t a fruitless effort. And as far as the actual vacation goes, there’s a lot more to come. I’ll just leave you with this one quick thought: If you ever have the chance to go to Italy, do it. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

Ciao!