You winsome...

The "Label Me Beck" issue of Filter magazine features a well-written interview with Mr. Hansen by Mikel Jollett that shares a story about the time Beck was scheduled to be on the American Music Awards and found out that he and his band would have to pantomime their performance on live TV.

After the show producers arranged camera shots during the sound check, Beck gave his band directions on what to do when their performance began. At showtime, Beck stood behind the mic singing while his band began goofing off on-stage and running into the audience to do sit-ups. After the cameras caught a few awkward moments, like the drummer in a ski mask, the cameramen decided to stay on Beck.

"So they just cut to my face," Beck explained. "A tight close-up of my face for the rest of the song. But just by my left earlobe, just on the side there, you could see somebody doing jumping jacks or running across the stage with an umbrella. It was just enough to make you feel like the universe, the real universe behind the television, was somehow winking at you."

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Speaking of the universe winking--while going through some papers this weekend, I came across a poem my then 84-year-old great aunt wrote for me "in the wee, small hours" one morning. She must've been concerned about my lathered talk about "cute guys" for her to scribe this rhyming advice for her shallow great niece:

Searching, searching everywhere
How I wonder where you are
In the classroom? No, not there.
On the campus? No, not there.
In the church? No, not there.
But out in the business world
With its hustle and bustle
Many chances there, but you must hustle
But look! Not so tall, not so handsome
But a friendly smile and eyes that sparkle
A bit of a nod and a friendly "hello"
Could start a friendship that says "go"
Settle for less than your ideal? Oh, no!
It's what's in the heart, as you well know.