Treasured

GOLDMINE:  We ran many an errand today. We dropped off a sizable donation of fabric for the Refugee Women's Sewing Program at Hillside Church in Kent (https://worldreliefseattle.org/sewing), and dropped off a couple of dozen brand new Mariners lunch boxes for students in need at Kent Elementary. Afterward, we hit up the "BinWill" (a Goodwill where things are sold by the pound), in hopes of finding some vinyl albums for CJ, a new and avid collector. 

We dove into the bins, hopes high. CJ didn't find anything he was initially interested in, but I found things he should be interested in. We came home with a half dozen 'new' albums, most notably I, Robot from Alan Parsons Project.

CJ played it when we got home, and instantly fell in love. Here's his review. ... 

Way back in 1950, famed science fiction author Isaac Asimov's novel, I, Robot, was published, and soon after became a renowned classic. The novel takes the form of an extended interview with robopsychologist Dr. Susan Calvin concerning robots with intelligence.

27 years later, British progressive rock (prog-rock) band The Alan Parsons Project released their album I Robot, named after Asimov's novel. I Robot, a concept album, revolves around many of the same themes featured in its namesake novel.
I Robot opens with a track of the same name, a six-minute long electronic instrumental. After the instrumental ends, the song I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You (probably the most well known song from the album) begins playing, featuring iconic British pop singer Lenny Zakatek as a guest vocalist.

As a whole, I Robot, as is to be expected with most any prog-rock album post-1973, has heavy Floydian influence. I Robot came out in the same year as Pink Floyd's iconic album Animals, also a concept album.

In the end, I Robot makes for a very interesting listening experience.

What CJ didn't know at the time of listening to it - Pink Floyd didn't influence Alan Parsons. Rather, it was the other way around. One Mr. Alan Parsons was the producer of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon." 

I, Robot is a PHENOMENAL album. A treasure acquired for a dollar today. 

FINALLY, IT ADDS UP: We spent our morning doing Algebra, and were thrilled we actually finally maybe totally get the latest concept Khan Academy is trying to teach us. We failed hard and often the first go-round, but by talking it through and working things as a group, we nailed dimensional analysis this go round. Yay for us!

DUNKIRK: We've seen the 'blockbuster' movie, and we visited the site itself in France back in September. During World War II it was a war torn spot, but what a beautiful spot it was when we visited.

Thanks to a friend's social media post today, I learned there's a new PBS documentary about Dunkirk. 

We will definitely check it out!