Yes,
another early SNLC (I'm a loser, what can I say?). Today is the second and last of the numerologically coincided calendar Saturdays of 2006. Compared to
9/9, it's a lot harder to find cultural references that refer to the number 11, at least for self. To keep things somewhat under control, any movies etc. related to that day in September 2001 are not included or to be included here, although that knocks out at least
one feature film from 2002 as a result. Samples below the flip....
Movies:
Ocean's Eleven (original and remake)
11:14
Music (samples):
"Seven, Come Eleven" (old jazz standard covered by Benny Goodman, among others)
Robert Simpson: classical music composer of 11 symphonies (just released in a new boxed set)
"Eleven" (album from same self-titled group)
"Finger Eleven" (ditto)
"El Ten Eleven" (ditto)
"Cloud Eleven" (ditto)
Books (you can tell I'm really stretching here):
Eleven (Patricia Highsmith)
Eleven Minutes (Paulo Coelho)
The Machine in Ward Eleven (Charles Ray Willeford)
Eleven Days (Brianda Domecq)
But the classic pop culture reference to "eleven" is, of course, from This is Spinal Tap, this exchange between Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner):
N: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
M: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
N: Exactly.
M: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
N: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
M: I don't know.
N: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
M: Put it up to eleven.
N: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
M: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
N: [pause] These go to eleven.
OK, it's after the midterm elections, so a slight twist on the rules for tonight's SNLC, unless you're thoroughly sick of talking about them by now. In keeping with the poll below, loser stories of the week to be shared are to be election-related, preferably with a local touch. Thus they don't necessarily have to be about yourself (but indulge if you wish. Those reading this from outside the US are, of course, exempt from this condition).