he strikes like thunderball, because it’s not unusual that she’s a lady

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I heard a Tom Jones song yesterday, and resolved to spend some time listening to his catalog today while I worked. This lead me to discover two really great albums on Rhapsody that I probably never would have found otherwise. The first is called James Bond 007 13 Original Themes which is exactly what it sounds like. The second is called The Mod Scene, which is this sensational collection of British Invasion Modsound from the 60s that, unlike most compilations, doesn't seem to have a single lousy track on it (provided, of course, that you enjoy the Mod sound of the 60s as much as I do.) The two Tom Jones tracks which lead me to these albums, for the sake of completeness, were the theme to Thunderball and Dr. Love.

This reminds me of the time I saw a Tom Jones billboard on the way down to San Diego for Book and a Beer this summer, which prompted me to say to Anne (in what I decided is my Tom Jones voice): "I may be old enough to be your grandfather, but I'll still eat your panties for breakfast and lunch, baby!" It was, as most things are, much funnier in context and more amusing to me than it ever will be to anyone else. Oh well.

I can't record a Memories of the Futurecast today, because there's fifteen thousand pounds of giant crane parked in front of my house, making thirty thousand pounds of noise. When it goes away, though, I'll get to recording, and the Futurecast will post sometime tonight.

The good news, though, is that I'm able to make good progress on Memories Volume Two. I'm already behind schedule (because I stupidly gave myself a deadline last week, forgetting about Thanksgiving) but I think I'll be able to catch up by the end of this week. So far, it's been a lot of fun and tremendously amusing, which is always a good sign.

Speaking of things that are fun and tremendously amusing, here's a Twitter exchange that made me laugh quite a bit:

theelkmechanic: I love living in the future. Sitting in Charlotte airport using my machine in Troy to update 4 servers in Phoenix. Beat that, @wilw

wilw: @theelkmechanic I drove the Starship Enterprise. [::dramatic pause::] Your move.

theelkmechanic: @wilw <tips king over>

I'm not going to lie to you, Marge, that made me gigglesnort, and I was relieved that @theelkmechanic took my joke in the spirit it was intended.

Well, the power just went out, so it's time for me to pack up my Mac and head out to a cafe with WiFi where I can work on my novel in front of people and get this posted. The weird thing is, while it's likely going to take an hour at least from the time I finish writing this paragraph until it actually posts on the internet, there is no perceived delay from whoever reads this, because as far as you're concerned, the post didn't exist until it was published, though it already existed for me.

Um. Yeah. I'm sure someone who's actually studied physics is going to knock me around for that, but since my knowledge of the field is limited to what I've picked up on my own, it's a fun thought exercise.

Okay, little post, go sit in an eigenstate for the nice people.

60 thoughts on “he strikes like thunderball, because it’s not unusual that she’s a lady”

  1. I saw Tom Jones in Las Vegas a few years back on a lark. He put on a show that had more energy than acts 1/4 his age. If you haven’t seen him live, you should. He is just amazing on the stage.

  3. Darn, Aeruin beat me to it…..
    I also got a minor gigglesnort from the twitter exchange, but that’s because my internal voice went “Oh SNAP, geek-pwned”

  4. But by that logic, until the moment you posted it, you had been both writing AND not writing. And your experience isn’t permissible evidence because you’d been – um – what’s it called when you retroactively change canon? I’m confused.
    If a Wil Wheaton falls in his office, does it make a sound? Or do we have to wait until he complains to Anne, then it happened? I shouldn’t attempt philosophy and quantum mechanics on a belly full of pizza.

  6. I do a fairly decent Tom Jones impression. One time while singing “It’s Not Unusual” at a karaoke bar, an older gentleman about 65 (one of the regulars there) stopped me on my way back to my seat and said, “You’re no Tom Jones, kid, but you got a helluva set of lungs.” That memory still makes me smile to this day.

  7. “If a Wil Wheaton falls in his office, does it make a sound? Or do we have to wait until he complains to Anne, then it happened? I shouldn’t attempt philosophy and quantum mechanics on a belly full of pizza.”
    Is that Quantum Philosophy? ;P

  8. Wil, dude, that Twitter exchange? That’s beyond awesome. That’s beyond Super Awesome. That’s… I’m not sure there are words. I laughed out loud. It’s like Ludicrous Awesome. But better.

  9. “You’re no Tom Jones, kid, but you got a helluva set of lungs.”
    Sounds like you should reserve some space on the old tombstone for that one topcad. (when the time comes along that is – no need to rush!)

  10. Wil, don’t you go violating causality now! With the LHC up and running we have enough risk of world-ending paradoxes. (Paradoxen? Paradoxi? What’s the plural here?)

  12. I wonder if that’s the same as the “Best of Bond” album I have, with all of the opening themes through Tomorrow Never Dies. (Incidentally, if you want a copy of this one, I can get you a copy of mine.)
    That Twitter exchange was far too perfect. And even though I studied physics, what you said works, unless you want to express in a quantum state. Then things get odd. (Yes, I do have a BS in Physics. Got one in Chemistry, too.)

  17. I had that 13 Original Themes album on LP. Judging from the copyright on the AMZ page, I’m guessing I got it somewhere around 1983.
    To play on my Sears combination record player, cassette deck and radio.
    With my big headphones and the coiled cable.
    Your move.

  19. We have been telling Wil for several weeks now that he is HOGGING THE AWESOME and needs to leave some awesome for the rest of us.
    Geez, Wil, way to hog some more awesome.

  20. Thanks for posting that twitter exchange Wil.
    I now have soda coming out of my nose due to horrific timing of drinking while reading.
    Note to self: No more drinking anything while reading wwdn.

  26. Check the track list, man. Tom Jones also did a song called Dr. Love, and he did it FIRST, because he's that bad ass.

  27. INORITE? Let some other people have some Awesome. There’s evidently a limited amount of Awesome to go around, and if Wheaton’s usin’ it all up, well, there’s bound to be repercussions. Like a whole lotta Raging Suckitude. And nobody needs that.

  29. I was in Walgreens a half hour ago and they were playing “What’s New Pussycat” over the P.A. system. Not a muzak version. And not Christmas songs. Actual Tom Jones’ “What’s New Pussycat.” That was weird in and of itself but then to come home and read this? Something is up, man…
    …oh, and last night I fell asleep with the TV on and the remake of Flubber came on while I was sleeping, so I woke up to find Wil Wheaton yelling at me from inside my TV.

  30. The best live recording in the history of recorded music? No, not Ted Nugent’s Double Live Gonzo, or even Cheap Trick at Budokan:
    Tom Jones, Live at the Talk of the Town.
    My entire family used to sit around the TV and watch his variety show. That’s how old I am.

  31. You can totally use that line in almost any amusing interchange.
    “So there, Wil Wheaton!”
    “I drove the Starship Enterprise. ::cocked eyebrow:: Your move.”

  32. Speaking of which, if you ever end up on The Big Bang Theory again, that’s how you end the confrontation with Sheldon. Booyah.

  38. Retcon/Hogging the Awesome/Perfect Tweet/Tom Jones/Big Bang.
    Yes to all of the above. Commentators all get gold stars from wabbit today for providing much amusement!

  39. So many reasons to love your post today:
    I Love Love LOVE Tom Jones and British invasion, have the James Bond Album that you speak of, so awesome – Lulu kicks ass. Need to get the other album you linked. I dream of being able to see Tom Jones live one day but not sure if it will ever happen :(
    Loved the twitter exchange – gigglesnorted :)

  40. Pwned live on the Intarwebs by @wilw? I can die a happy geek. I knew I should have played him in poker instead, then I would have won. All in!!! (clutching my 7-4 off-suit and hoping I flop a straight…)

  41. Dude, I'm not afraid. [::dramatic pause::] I played poker with Riker.
    (Sorry, couldn't resist. And, seriously, thank you for the epic LOL today.)

  42. Hell, I’ll even cop to being a Tom Jones fan and I’m a metalhead. I’d throw a pair of thong underwear at him if I ever went to see him perform live. I’m also a huge Neil Diamond fan. I have what I call my “off limits” list. If anyone talks smack about Tom Jones, Neil Diamond, Genesis, Marvin Gaye, or Paul Simon in my presence, I will totally go apeshit on their asses.
    I’m totally fucking serious.

  43. Power failure? I’ve got UPSs on the chain of devices from my desktop (and wireless) to the internet, so I don’t lose my connection when the power fails. The UPSs last long enough to drag out my generator. (we seem to have a couple of power failures a year, so I get a bit of practice at this).
    I also have 2 separate ISPs, so if one goes down I can switch to the other (which is usually just filled will torrent traffic).

  48. wilw: @theelkmechanic I drove the Starship Enterprise. [::dramatic pause::] Your move.
    theelkmechanic: @wilw
    (M.Bison voice) Gaaaame Ovvverrr!

  49. See, I was thinking that Wil, in this case, *is* the cat. Though no one outside the box (post) can observe his actions until it’s opened (posted), Wil himself is perfectly aware of what’s going on. The big difference is that, in this case, the cat eventually opens up the box from the inside and says, “Hey, why is there a radioactive isotope in here?” or in this case, makes a witty observation about driving the Enterprise. Thus the cat is directing the outcome of the experiment on its own. This briefly makes him sort of godlike, really, in its own little enclosed, unobserved, feline little universe.
    Oh crap, is this why we’re all addicted to the internet? Because we get to be in charge of our own boxy little universes for a while?

  50. I used to be able to write through all manner of distraction, but in the last year or so I've lost that ability. Doctorow says we need to be able to just sit down and "open a vein" whenever and wherever we want, though, so I've been trying to do that by taking my Mac with me to public places where I'm forced to tune out the noise and other distractions.
    It's doubly hard to work with the construction noise invading my house, though, because it's louder and more intrusive than what would typically be background noise at a park, cafe, library, or other place.

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