Number 001 of 149
I have decided to begin another three-digit series that I may or may not finish.
Probably won't.
Malcolm Gladwell describes the "Principle of 150." Without going into details, the idea is that 150 people is the ideal group size (something about ratio of the neocortex to entire brain, I don't know, I'm not really a geologist). The gist is that 150 is the maximum number of people a group can have before its members cease to have a genuinely social relationship with each other. So I have decided to assemble a list of 150 people my daughter will need to know when she shows up in, uhh, about EIGHT WEEKS!
More to follow on the primary criteria. These are the no-brainers. If there is anyone out there worried about not being on the list, well, you should worry. Feel free to submit an application to me outlining the reasons you should be part of my daughter's 150 circle.
These are people she NEEDS TO KNOW, regardless of whether I like them or not. In fact, there may even be people on here I can't stand.
Actually...actually there won't be.
_______
TO MY DAUGHTER: YOUR 150 LIST :
001: Jon "Ponderosa Pine" Ponder.
Relevancy: literature fiend, poet, music wonker*, existential travelist, listmaker, real good spellist, Radiohead conversationalist, believes in libraries, sometimes laughs at your dad's insights, thinks your father is cool, will probably visit you out of the blue if you consistently bother him about it, will introduce you to poets your dad doesn't know about.
*if Mr. Ponder ever reads this, please submit a list for "Top Five Albums to Listen to in the First Six Months of Existence."
genius...brilliant...man i did a good job on raising you...ahhh seems like only yesterday.. those days. i especially like the "don't smoke weed until you've done something succesful", once again the word genius arrises. :-)
ReplyDeletejoseph, of course i love your blog, but i also like that you wrote it BEFORE 10:45 ...i will refresh your memory, wake up at 4 p.m. got to sleep at 2 am, otherwise known as "plan 1".
ReplyDeleteTop 5 Albums (Joseph Long style and also box sets count as albums) To Listen To In First 6 Months Of Life:
ReplyDelete1. Beethoven's Symphonies (box set)--Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Karajan.
2. Kind of Blue--Miles Davis.
3. Lady Soul--Aretha Franklin.
4. 20 Greatest Hits--James Brown (to be discontinued when the child begins to process language meaningfully, whatever age that is, but you want to embed appreciation for sounds).
5. Harvest Moon--Neil Young.
6. Roses in the Snow--Emmylou Harris.
7. The Ultimate Collection (box set)--Hank Williams.
8. Live from the Hungry i--The Kingston Trio.
9. Probably something by Bach would be good because it's supposed to make you smart but I've made it this far without knowing his discography.
10. Abbey Road--The Beatles.
11. Nabucco--the opera by Verdi.
12. The Best of Ponder, Harp, and Jennings--Ponder, Harp, and Jennings.
Need some more jazz in the above list--some early Louis Armstrong, his Hot Fives and Hot Sevens stuff.
ReplyDeleteAs I type my login gmail address to post this comment, I just realized I want to start an email service called he-mail.com.