All This and Superpowers Too

O Sweet Lord. I'm Excited

2012-01-12T17:40:00.001-06:00

What you thought I had big news? That I was about to reveal all that's been keeping me away from my blog... well, that may be coming friends... but first THIS!

I'm over the moon with excitement. God bless you, Wes Anderson. I knew 2012 was going to be a good year.

Happy New Year. Embrace the Present.

2012-01-04T21:00:00.000-06:00

Nostalgia

Remember the 1340's? We were doing a dance called the Catapult.
You always wore brown, the color craze of the decade,
and I was draped in one of those capes that were popular,
the ones with unicorns and pomegranates in needlework.
Everyone would pause for beer and onions in the afternoon,
and at night we would play a game called "Find the Cow."
Everything was hand-lettered then, not like today.

Where has the summer of 1572 gone? Brocade and sonnet
marathons were the rage. We used to dress up in the flags
of rival baronies and conquer one another in cold rooms of stone.
Out on the dance floor we were all doing the Struggle
while your sister practiced the Daphne all alone in her room.
We borrowed the jargon of farriers for our slang.
These days language seems transparent a badly broken code.

The 1790's will never come again. Childhood was big.
People would take walks to the very tops of hills
and write down what they saw in their journals without speaking.
Our collars were high and our hats were extremely soft.
We would surprise each other with alphabets made of twigs.
It was a wonderful time to be alive, or even dead.

I am very fond of the period between 1815 and 1821.
Europe trembled while we sat still for our portraits.
And I would love to return to 1901 if only for a moment,
time enough to wind up a music box and do a few dance steps,
or shoot me back to 1922 or 1941, or at least let me
recapture the serenity of last month when we picked
berries and glided through afternoons in a canoe.

Even this morning would be an improvement over the present.
I was in the garden then, surrounded by the hum of bees
and the Latin names of flowers, watching the early light
flash off the slanted windows of the greenhouse
and silver the limbs on the rows of dark hemlocks.

As usual, I was thinking about the moments of the past,
letting my memory rush over them like water
rushing over the stones on the bottom of a stream.
I was even thinking a little about the future, that place
where people are doing a dance we cannot imagine,
a dance whose name we can only guess.

-- Billy Collins

All I want for Christmas...

2011-12-25T22:41:00.000-06:00

...is a dog. But I'm going to have to wait. I know that if I want a young dog, puppy and the like I will need a LOT of time to dedicate to training and so I will need my summer months to do it.

Step one. Get my own place.
Step two. Settle in. Save money. Read puppy books. Research breeds. Find a dog.
Step three. Celebrate my birthday with a new dog instead.

Some breeds I'm considering...
Bichon Frise
Yorkshire Terrier
Maltese/Shih Tzu
Papillion

I need a dog that is hypo-allergenic or as close as one can get... so non-shedding. A dog that is small, not too barky, is friendly, doesn't need long walks in sub-zero weather etc. I think I'm in the right ball park with these breeds. We'll see.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T14:00:00.000-06:00

Wisdom from my Favorite Wise Ass

2011-12-18T23:30:00.000-06:00

Read this today. It resonated. Someone needs to remind me of this frequently.

"I enjoy making lists and spreadsheets and plans of attack, but I can get a little obsessed with efficiency. When things get really bad I realize that I am not only multitasking, but mentally rerouting my actual steps to maximize my efforts (I will take the laundry downstairs and bring X and Y on the way, that will save me a trip, blah blah blah). There is no prize for doing everything correctly, you know? At the end, we’re all just dead, no matter how sensibly and rationally we complete our activities of daily living." -- Mimi Smartypants

Wordless Wednesday... The Thanksgiving Edition

2011-11-24T10:36:00.000-06:00

Happy Art for Happy Walls

2011-11-09T19:50:00.001-06:00

I just framed my new North Dakota print today and wanted to give a shout out to this Etsy shop -- Happy Art for Happy Walls by Uplifting Prints The next ones I buy might have to be this Julia Child collection -- though I think I like it best with the red background!

My Halloween Tree

2011-10-24T10:42:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday -- Puns are Fun

2011-10-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-05T11:16:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I forget that today is more than just a long weekend, end of summer, beginning of NFL... If you like having a day off, thank a union. That's how this holiday got started.

Listen to more songs about labor here!

Alice in Wonderland

2011-08-28T11:52:00.006-05:00

A few of my Alice in Wonderland books on display

And my new discovery -- Emily Martin does it again!

Inside the Black Apple is Miss Martin's creative blog full of inspiration and artistic endeavors. We share a lot of the same passions and have a remarkably similar appreciation for the quirky. She's capable of turning those passions into works of art. I, in turn, am here to love her art.

Here's one of my favorites from the Alice in Wonderland series!
Check out her blog and her shop for a trip through her wonderland.

Creativity Abounds.

2011-08-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Saving for my next big road trip!

I had to have 'em.

I adore these wedding invitations.

The Perfect Finish

2011-08-14T20:26:00.005-05:00

After 16 days of travel, my impromptu trip to the lake was perfect. Not only is it, "on the list," but I got to really soak up some quality time with my pal Lorri. I'm really thankful I got to share the weekend with her and her family at their lake cabin.

coffee on the dock, just me and the ducks

cloud watching

croquet playing

relaxing in the hammock

S'mores!

Sunset. Ahhhh...

Now loving...

2011-07-26T07:03:00.000-05:00

watching all ten seasons of Sei nfeld

birthday cake ice cream

my Let it Be necklace from at P atina

Special thanks to Sara and Carrie for getting me hooked!

Luxury Modal Cotton Jersey Knit Sheets from Walmart
I love these so much I never want to leave my bed.

Who can turn the world on with her smile?

2011-07-25T10:33:00.005-05:00

Mary Tyler Moore outside Macy's in Downtown Minneapolis

I love this iconic lady. She's right up there with Lucille Ball in sitcom history. First the beloved Dick Van Dyke show and later a show with her own name. She's the inspiration to every apartment dwelling, single, career girl with an eye for fashion. Whenever I start to feel a little low, I just remember... You're gonna make it after all!

Dear friends...

2011-07-24T17:22:00.003-05:00

I am in love with this idea!

Type a message to a friend, family member, pet, politician, or lover, and email it to snailmailmyemail@gmail.com. Then sit back and relax while your email is handwritten, sent out, and delivered to the recipient of your choosing, completely free of charge!

Snail Mail My Email is a month-long (July 15 - August 15), interactive community art project which seeks to both share the warm-fuzzy feeling of receiving a personalized letter as well as inspire people to send their own snail mail. Anyone with internet access can partake by simply sending an email, after which the very same message will be handwritten and physically mailed to the chosen recipient anywhere in the world, completely free of charge.

Like a Candy Store!

2011-07-23T14:30:00.000-05:00

Legoland, Mall of America

Minneapolis, MN

Delicious!

The Rumors are True

2011-07-21T21:54:00.004-05:00

I've been hearing about this place for ages and finally had an opportunity to try it out. I'm not going to lie, the Dante's Inferno English teacher part of me really enjoyed the trip to hell.

Pretty sure my lemon pancake tasted like a little bit of heaven, not a fresh piece of hell.

More menu humor -- I like good coffee too!

Artwork by Ralph Steadman, of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson fame.

Eating my Way through the Summer...

2011-07-20T17:36:00.000-05:00

The best part of traveling is discovering new restaurants. Recently my pal Julie and I were in St. Paul and we followed up a recommendation from Rebecca who has her finger on the pulse of all things gluten free and good to eat in the Twin Cities. Neither Julie, nor I required the GF menu but that didn't stop us from enjoying Pizza Luce!

I love a good pizza and they had a wide variety of deliciousness to choose from. I got the Pizza Athena -- fresh spinach, tomato, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, Greek oregano, artichoke hearts, red onions, with toasted garlic and light mozzarella on Bianca sauce. I'd highly recommend it!

Even their menu had a sense of humor. I love that in a menu.

Tool-Time

2011-07-19T22:08:00.000-05:00

I was just reading Design*Sponge and was reminded of my incompetence when comes to your average DIY home improvement project. I have decided it's because I don't have the proper tools.

I am frequently attempting to do something like hang a shelf or assemble a TV stand or an oscillating fan and if there's a witness to the madness I usually hear an incredulous cry, "You don't have a level? Who doesn't have a level? Where's your pliers? What? You don't have a pliers." Sigh. So, I think those may be the first things on my list of purchases. However, based on the Design*Sponge recommended tools I do have a surprising number of them. Just never the ones I need. And as it turns out, the "stud finder" I bought is pretty useless.

Swedish Storage Solutions

2011-07-18T19:08:00.000-05:00

God bless IKEA. Where else can you get a breakfast like this for $2.67. Of course, the rest of my trip cost nearly $200.00. That's how they get you... Lure you in with tasty inexpensive breakfast items, seduce you with good deal after good deal until you're buying extra blue IKEA bags to haul your booty away.

I set out to buy a CD storage set up... something to house my 500 CDs and I found it, but I couldn't haul it home in the Civic. Also it cost about $120 and that seemed a bit much. Earl's solution was to upload the CDs and ditch the hard copies, but I'm old school. I like cover art. I like to be able to hold my music in my hand from time to time. I needed to buy two of the BESTA shelves and an additional 7 shelves for each of them in order to make this work. Instead I invested in drawer liners that hold about 100 CDs each.

When I got home I discovered my mom had an unused 5 drawer dresser that matched the wood of my TV stand and I was sold. Here you have it. Chockful of CDs all cozy and alphabetized in my new somewhat Swedish storage solution.

The black shelves are ALSO from my IKEA trip.

DIY -- HD Antenna

2011-07-12T19:47:00.004-05:00

Supplies: Wire (this worked better than coat hangers), washers, screws, and a transformer/co-axial/deelybobber. Though I would recommend buying your deelybobber at Radio Shack rather than ACE. Mine seemed defective so I swapped it out.

No worries, I was heavily supervised. In fact, I could not make this at home... as I do not have a drill, square, wire cutter, pliers, sawhorses or large plank of wood or a metal grinder/sander thing to smooth out the points on the other side. Heck, I don't even have duct tape.

Here's my Jedi-master, Noel who guided me (read -- did all the work) through the entire process. Apparently this is a video that shows one how to make your own. There's also an instructable available here.

I tried it in my living room with my new TV and had some trouble getting it to work, so I opted for my less fussy TV in the bedroom and the old school girl worked. However, I did have to alter the design a little using a clothespin to lift the deelybobber up off the antenna some. That seemed to do the trick. Either way, I am now pulling in ABC and CW which are from a tower that is 90 miles away. Go antenna! This is unprecedented. No store-bought antenna has managed this feat!

A Handful of Highlights from the Tour of Friends

2011-07-11T20:18:00.008-05:00

Me in Sioux Falls, SD

Rebekah and Jenny at Utopia cafe at the Falls.

Josiah teaching me how to play Settlers of Catan
(He also taught me the basics of chess.)

An afternoon of visiting with the Jenny (i)s.

Me and Ang

Delicious cafe in Rock Valley, Iowa

Levi and Me taking off

A view from the cockpit

A yummy breakfast in Hospers, Iowa

In the center of the street sits an elaborate patriotic statue

Loving the library here in Hospers, Iowa.

Impressed by the Meteor they have on display

Despite the heat, the awesome pool in Hospers was mostly empty.

Cinco de Mayo in Orange City, Iowa

One more in a series of MANY margarita shots
over the past decade or so. It had to be done.

The pool in Sioux Falls was plenty busy.

The boys

the girls

A more posed reunion shot of the whole crew. So, my school didn't manage a twenty year high school reunion like one might expect. Instead I had a 19 year reunion of my college pals. I think this worked out pretty well. We met up in Larchwood, Iowa and neither of the boy or girl action shots were comprehensive in the kid count but were still reflective of the good times that were had by all. Good food, good conversation. Frankly, I would have driven the 5 hours just for a round of hugs.

Water, Water, Everywhere!

2011-07-07T09:48:00.006-05:00

For the past few months I've been watching updates of flooding in the Bismarck-Mandan area and hearing about my friend's flood fight in Burlington, ND. It's been a bit eerie and has certainly sent me into a spiral of Flood of '97 flashbacks. Yesterday I saw some sweet pictures young students from Grand Forks made to send to the kids in Minot to show their support. They were a lovely gesture, but a few of them made me laugh out loud with the irony of it all.

I have to share my three faves. The whole collection can be found here!

The typed message at the bottom is the BEST. It reads: "I'm sad because of what happened to you. I don't like major flooding." .............. as opposed to minor flooding. That's okay. :)

This was just sweet and then I looked at WHO created the picture. It has Biblical allusions. Tee hee.

Yep. Move to Grand Forks. It NEVER floods here!

Google does it Again!

2011-06-10T17:30:00.004-05:00

Okay, this is officially sooooo cool. You can actually PLAY today's Google logo and RECORD it too for playback. This one is in honor of Les Paul's 96th birthday. Here's a link to an article about it! This was actually yesterday's logo but its popularity got it held over to today. Crazy.

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

2011-05-29T11:35:00.007-05:00

When my friend Sean asked me if I wanted to see this concert a few months ago, I was apathetic. I'd never actually heard of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. But, I listened to a few songs and I was sold. Best decision ever. What a show!

Sharon Jones is a fireball of energy; despite being 55, the woman just doesn't slow down. The Dap-Kings effect really did a lot to sell the entire event to me. From their CD packaging to their well-crafted atmosphere, the Dap-Kings and Daptone Records works hard to create a hip, vintage feel to the music, to their stage presence, to their website and more. Go their website to hear the songs from the new album. GREAT stuff.

The opening act was pretty terrific too:

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
Opening Act, Fargo Theatre May 18, 2011

I was tempted to buy their CD, despite being able to understand anything Joe Lewis sang -- his lyrics were indecipherable but the overall sound was pretty great. In the middle of the opening act, a Fargo Theatre usher approached us and asked if we'd be willing to move up the front row so an older couple could have our seats... it was too close, too loud for them. I was skeptical. I know enough about theatres and sound to know that we'd be trading quality sound for a close-up view. Still, it was pretty cool to be so close so we went for it. I tried to take pictures but my digital camera has given up the ghost so I had to rely on my Droid phone which leaves a lot to be desired. Still here's one of Sharon getting down.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Fargo Theatre, May 18, 2011

The song I was most looking forward to hearing....

The song I came home loving...

The Dap-Kings

Before the concert we stopped at Charlies for some ice cream and while we waited in line I was swaying to the awesome in-house music, doing my own little dance. All of sudden, Sean cracked up and I could hear snickers behind me. I was totally freaked--thinking, Good lord, Carmyn, what have you done now? I guess the cause for laughter was that there was a guy behind me reading the High Plains Reader doing the same thing as me--moving to the music--without knowing I was doing it too. So, to the rest of the folks it was a smile-worthy moment as Jimmy and I were dancing our way to the front of the ice cream line. Then an hour or so later, it hit me. Yep. The folks behind us in line were half of Dap-Kings line up. And my unintentional dance partner? Their baritone player Jimmy. Good times.

Summer Vacation!

2011-05-28T15:02:00.000-05:00

Time to get started on my 86-days-o-fun!

Blessed by Lucinda Williams

2011-05-27T22:26:00.012-05:00

Lucinda Williams, Fargo Theatre, May 17, 2011

I love Lucinda Williams with her gritty voice and provocative lyrics. She's awesome and her concert was too. She didn't play a few of my very favorites ("Essence," "World Without Tears," "Little Rock Star"), but there were enough that I don't blame her for not tailoring her show to the needs of one ND fan. :)

Her second set was better, if for no other reason than the energy that the rocking bit engendered. If it were me I wouldn't have separated the song sets quite like this.

My pal, Pam said that Williams reminded her of a female Tom Petty and part of it might be her skinny little body, but I think it's all because musical sound has that stoner feel to it--some of my favorite music, people. Ironic, eh?

Set list:
Side of the Road
Jackson
Ventura
Something About What Happens When We Talk
Over Time
Blue
Sweet Love (this one was featured in the True Blood series)
Born to be Loved
Fruits of my Labor
2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
Ugly Truth

Intermission -- pause for set analysis:
I loved "Sweet Love" and "Ugly Truth" which were new to me. "Over Time" and "Blue" were terrific. I loved the guitar on these. Blake Mills was amazing in his own right. Still "Fruits of my Labor" was the show-stealer for me. Wow.

Rocking, "Bad Boy Song" set:
Can't Let Go
I Lost It
Drunken Angel
Buttercup (only "bad boy" song on the new album)
Those Three Days
Out of Touch
Real Life Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings
Righteously
Change the Locks
Honey Bee
Blessed
Joy

Best songs --"Those Three Days," "Real Life Bleeding Fingers," "Change the Locks," "I Lost It." "Righteously" is a favorite song of mine, but this version wasn't the best rendition of it. Nevertheless, it still kicks most songs asses!

Evidence that I am Loved.

2011-05-12T17:55:00.003-05:00

Last week, I was out sick with strep throat. I know I've had that before but I don't remember it being quite so awful. I lost 8 lbs (all gained back thanks to special ordered cupcakes), had a 102 degree fever for awhile, and generally moaned and wept in solitude because even my mother was unwilling to risk exposure to strep in the first 24 hours. Ugh. Eventually I did get a kindly visitor bearing some Gatorade and soup and of course, wouldn't you know then my mom decided it was safe to visit. Either way I wasn't totally neglected. While I am finally feeling a bit better, I was tickled to find this fantastic care package in the mail this week from my pal Emma.

Contents include some royal wedding news, packs of tissues, soups, chocolate, nail polish, a tabloid, a get well card, sunflower seeds, and some cough drops...

a puzzle to keep me occupied for about 5 minutes.

Noticeably absent was that gun I requested. It was pretty touch and go there for awhile last week.

Thanks, Em, for the terrific dose of kindness and indulgence. It was just what the doctor ordered and by doctor I mean, Dr. Emma P.!

Wordless Wednesday -- Cream Cheesy Cupcake Heaven

2011-05-11T17:52:00.000-05:00

The 86 Days of Summer

2011-05-10T19:00:00.007-05:00

Grand Beach, Manitoba

Some people create New Year's resolutions.

I create a list of...

68 things to do in 86 days of summer!

Here's the approximate breakdown:

10 items are food related
5 are related to exercise and wellness
17 of them are sports/leisure/hobby type activities
7 are literacy related
at least 12 of them involve travel
11 will help me build some mad skills
and 9 of the list items are purely indulgent

I'm sooooo looking forward to summer!

Wow. I can only say wow.

2011-05-09T21:34:00.002-05:00

Mimi Smartypants, I bow to you.

YOU know how to analyze some lyrics.

Do follow the link the discover a little 50 cent fun.

It's All Been Done Before

2011-05-08T21:19:00.005-05:00

These are two parts of a four-part video series by Kirby Ferguson, a NY based filmmaker and it's a fascinating look at remixing, sampling, songwriting, films, and the like. He talks about the fine line between inspiration and original art and explores Led Zeppelin's music and later its influence in Everything is a Remix part one. Then in part two Ferguson explores the remixing of films and a closer look at Star Wars and Quentin Tarantino. It's worth the 15 minutes to watch both and worth waiting for the next 2 parts. I owe this awesome little discovery to Swiss Miss. Thanks!

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

Everything is a Remix Part 2 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

"So help me, I don't know I might just give the old dark side a try"

2011-05-06T23:21:00.019-05:00

Flashback to three years ago -- for my musical tastes that's like blinking one's eyes.

I was looking for this post recently and then discovered it was on a now-defunct blog and lest I forget my musical tributes of days gone by, I'd better re-post and re-post now with edits and updates! My love of The Shins still rings true and if anything it's deepened.

The Shins is an indie rock group based in Portland, Oregon featuring singer, songwriter and guitarist James Russell Mercer, keyboardist/guitarist/bassist Martin Crandall, bassist/guitarist Dave Hernandez, drummer Jesse Sandoval, and Eric Johnson of the Fruit Bats. Their sound draws on several musical genres, including pop, alternative, alternative country, and folk.

Wincing the Night Away by The Shins was released in January of 2007. The Shins are one of many indie-pop groups that have caught my attention in recent years, though I've only listened to this album, their most recent. It's been on the playlist a lot lately. Because of that, I decided to scrutinize and offer up some of my thoughts on the album.

Update --BTW: You can hear the tracks in these places:
Australia, Phantom Limb, Turn on Me are available on myspace
Phantom Limb, Turn on Me, and Sleeping Lessons are available on their official site.
And since I can't find good places to hear all the rest of the tracks here's a link to my You Tube Shins playlist.

1. Sleeping Lessons
This might be the song I like the least on this album and perhaps the reason I hadn't discovered the album sooner. I think the spacey, Lost in Translation-esque sound isn't really my thing. The lyrics are fine. In fact something I discovered AFTER I decided I loved this disc was the lyrics. The best moment in this song is the part that is ushered in by this phrase at "And spill it out on the ragged floor, a thousand different versions of yourself" at 54 seconds in. I do have to admit, I like these lyrics:

"You're not obliged to swallow anything you despise
See, those unrepenting buzzards want your life
And they got no right
As sure as you have eyes
They got no right "

The last part of the song from that point on is more like the rest of the album and I like that quite a lot.

Update--the spacey start no longer bothers me. I really like this song a lot! And I stand behind my love of the "unrepenting buzzards" line. Awesome. I wish I had a definitive band approved printing of the lyrics because they are hard to decipher and as I tell my students one word makes all the difference in poetry and songs. That said, I have a decided Alice in Wonderland feel as I listen to this. Though that can only be supported by one line for certain, "Off with their heads."

2. Australia
This one reminds me of The Smiths. Not sure why, exactly. This song doesn't seem to have any kind of lyrical hook or chorus... but it's great. There are moments toward the end that remind me of the late 60s music, The Archies, and all that,

"Been alone since you were twenty-one
You haven't laughed since January
You try and make like this is so much fun
But we know it to be quite contrary "

Update--Wow, what a weak commentary on what is one of the best songs on the album.
I guess I was alluding to the music of the piece in saying it had a light Archies tone, but that's not quite right, either. It's not pop-like. But it is bubbly? With a heavy message, perhaps.

After years of listening to this one I'm still not entirely sure where the title fits in, so I'll let that be. But the rest of the song seems to be about being tied down to an obligation, to a dead relationship, to "the man." The girl just wants "one more Saturday" and she's being directed to "keep your wick in the air and your feet in the fetters" and being warned that she'd be:

"damned to be one of us, girl
faced with the dodo's conundrum
I felt like I could fly
But nothing happened every time I tried"

Later in the song that bit is replaced with "android's conundrum".... basically a bird with wings who cannot fly; a robot that is replicating life, but cannot truly "live."

This next part offered new revelation... I'm thinking all kinds of passivity accepting of the scraps or dregs life offers and of gentle oppression.

"He never dreamt of such sterile hands,
You keep them folded in your lap,
Or raise them up to beg for scraps,
You know, he's holding you down,
With the tips of his fingers just the same,
Will you be pulled from the ocean,
But just a minute too late,"

Again the next line suggests a life starved of joy. One that is quietly, suffocatingly, oppressively lived (truly my worst nightmare--how did Mercer know?)

"Watching the lantern dim starved of oxygen
So give me your hand and let's jump out the window"

It just really seems to be screaming screw the normal life, the life you could have with the ordinary Joe and be free... but be free with me.

3. Pam Berry
I don't like this track as well. The sound, maybe? Here are the full lyrics to the 56 sec. song.

"This lass
Some fifteen odd years
Is widely known
To have spat
In her teacher's lap
And will not take it back
For now I see
How after all their crap
She rightly came to that."

Update--I don't dislike the lyrics or the message. Again it's a nice little rebellion piece. As a song it doesn't do much on it's own but it serves as a nice little intro to the next song or bridge between each of them.

4. Phantom Limb
The lyrics of this song are sort of bizarre and difficult to meld together to find some kind of deeper meaning.. I guess I'm not trying that hard.. but I will say I admire any song that uses words like this: pilfered, latent, trite, zombie, and goathead. Actually, I take that back. I do have a sense of the meaning of the song, but it's full of allusion I don't understand.

Here's a snippet of lyrics that I think sum this one up a bit more:

"So when they tap our Sunday heads
Two zombies walk in our stead
This town seems hardly worth our time
And we'll no longer memorize or rhyme,
Too far along in our crime,
Stepping over what now towers to the sky,
With no connection "

Update-- I do think I understand this a bit more especially if Pam Berry is any kind of introduction. I get the impression it's about a girl who is subjected to the all-powerful mean girls of her high school:

"And they could float above the grass
In circles if they tried
A latent power I know they hide
To keep some hope alive
That a girl like I could ever try
Could ever try

So we just skirt the hallway sides
A phantom and a fly
Follow the lines and wonder why
There's no connection"

And if I weren't already convinced that it's about high school angst, then the line about "rolling eyes" and "pilfered booze" seals the deal.

5. Sealegs
This one is not one of my first favorites but I'm liking it better all the time. I like the imagery it brings to the concept of a love relationship.

"Girl, if you're a seascape
I'm a listing boat, for the thing carries every hope.
I invest in a single lie.
The choice is yours to be loved"

"Of all the intersecting lines in the sand
I routed a labyrinth to your lap."

Update -- "I invest in a single lie" I would strongly urge against this. Especially if you are planning to go all in. There's a very good chance you'll lose.

"We've no time to start a protocol
To hem us in."

And I like that line. Please don't "hem" me in. :)

6. Red Rabbits
Update/Original blended--This one has a strange opening bit too, much like "Sleeping lessons." Listening to it again, I can't help be see sexual images in everything. Perhaps I've been "in the desert" too long, but you listen again, you have to see what I mean.

"The necessary balloon lies a corpse on the floor..."

"We've pissed on far too many sprites
And they're all standing up for their rights"

I really like the "sound" of that last line, though it makes makes me think of that Oscar nominated foreign film from 2007, Pan's Labyrinth. This is a line that's repeated in the song.

"Born on a desert floor you've the deepest thirst
And you came to my sweet shore to indulge it"

This just has a great image to it.

This one too:
"So help me, I don't know I might
Just give the old dark side a try"

Honestly what the hell are "red rabbits"? Is this another Alice in Wonderland reference? I looked online at what some folks think this song is about and WOW, wildly different interpretations and not one like what my brain was thinking... So it goes.

7. Turn on Me
This was the first song I loved on this album and not for any particular reason. I do like the first few bars of the song. It reminds me of some 60s songs or some country song... it resonates. I like all the lyrics in this one. Here's a favorite clip:

"So affections fade away
And do adults just learn to play
The most ridiculous, repulsive games
All our favorite ruddy sons
And their double-barreled guns
You better hurry
Rabbit run run run
'Cause mincing you is fun
And there's a lot of hungry hatters in this world (or is it there's a lot of hungry howlers in this one cell?)
Set on taking it over
But brittle thorny stems
They break before they bend
And neither one of us is one of them"

Update--Oh my, now I'm seeing Peter Rabbit in this one. "Mincing you is fun" and "the tears will never mend" (maybe I have the lyrics wrong?) and the reference to the Hatters make me think of Alice in Wonderland. What the heck. Is this deliberate or is my brain stuck?

"The worst part is over,
Now get back on that horse and ride."

Amen.

Actually this remains my favorite song on the album. It's one of the few songs to which I know most of the words in the sing-a-long style I love. I find the Shins songs aren't typical of the kinds of catchy little tunes that sort of embed in the brain. Instead each seems to be a single story, picture, word craft that isn't full of repetition and lyrical hooks at least not in the same trite way I typically fall subject to. And that doesn't make me love it more or less... just differently.

8. Black Wave
This one has minimal lyrics and yet seems just as poetic as the rest. While it's not my very favorite, it's still not one I'd skip.

Update-- Here are the lyrics as far as I can tell.

"This goose is cooked, these tongues are tied,
Around the block and airborne blind,
But looking on the brighter side,
There's far less to which I’d be obliged,

In the meadow where the black breeze blows,
Where underneath the waves, you were most alone,
Can you hear a subtle, aching tone?
Through the water, through the Earth, trimmed up bone,

Looking on the brighter side,
Looking on the brighter side,
Looking on the brighter side,
Looking on the brighter side."

Again, this is some dismal business. It seems to suggest heartbreak or something that's now over. but this line "But looking on the brighter side, There's far less to which I’d be obliged" seems to say it all.

9. Split Needles
For some reason, the music in this one appeals less to me. It's funny to say that since so many of the songs are alike in sound. It's hard to put my finger on it.

Update-- I have to laugh. Most of these songs say that I like it less than others. Which begs the question which song or songs do I really love? Right now, I'd say all of them. I love this album. It's complete and good. But when I originally posted about this had I listened to it one or two times? I mean, what the heck? Lame reviews, Carm. Perhaps, these updates are no better, but it's still a fun exercise listening to the full album and reflecting song by song on a happy Saturday.

This one reminds me of a song by the Police. Not sure which song. But there's a feel.

This song has a great image of feeling out of control:

"It's like I'm perched on the handle bars,
Of a blind man's bike,
No straws to grab, just the rushing wind,
On the rolling mind"

Also there are some bizarre sorts of cartoon painting of holes and jumping in going on in this song. At least that's how my brain is interpreting it.

10. Girl Sailor
This is a good one. It has more of a clear story than any of the other songs. And the sound is great. Totally my kind of tune. "Oh girl, sail her, don't sink her"

Update-- I officially heart this song. It's freaking awesome. I think it's the story of a girl who has been in control too long and been too good at it and tends to burn bridges and sink ships and walk away.

"You've been at the helm since you were just five,
While I cannot claim to be more than a passenger,"

And there's a boy who's out there admitting he can't give her anything if this is her view:

"You've made it through the direst of straits alright,
Can you help it if plain love now seems less interesting?"

Maybe? Maybe not? I don't know. But I love the song. She sounds scrappy.

I also love the line "never give it more than a frowning hour."

11. A Comet Appears
This is a dismal ditty, but it's still worth a listen.

"One hand on this wily comet,
Take a drink just to give me some weight,
Some uber-man I'd make,
I'm barely a vapor"

Update-- This is a wee bit more of the dismal. But I like the idiomatic images: pie in the sky, hitching posts, sinking stones...

"But with each turn,
It's this front and center,
Like a dart stuck square in your eye,
Every post you can hitch your faith on,
Is a pie in the sky,
Chock full of lies,
A tool we devise,
To make sinking stones fly"

Yep. And that's all she wrote. Thank you, Shins for the lovely album. When is the next one?

Rumours

2011-05-06T20:52:00.004-05:00

Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, 1977

I'm typically hard-pressed to admit a favorite song, a favorite album, a favorite band... sure I can name a current fave but of all-time? Forget it. During one car ride my friend Sarah heard me exclaim, "Oh, this song is my favorite" one too many times and she laughingly said something like "they're all your favorites," but even though that statement is true, I don't mind. I'm full of joy for a LOT of good songs.

Usually I am more of a single song gal, than a fan of the full album. But there are a few albums out there that are rock solid from start to finish. Rumours is one of those albums from me. And Fleetwood Mac makes my list favorite favorite artists, if you will.

I'm trying to relearn whatever shallow knowledge I once had on the guitar and I crave the skill to be able to play one of my very favorite songs from that album. "Never Going Back Again." Of course I can't learn something simple with three chords and a strum... Nope. I go for the gold.

I love that Glee did this album this week. I know that some folks are disgusted with Glee and with musicians who are letting them cover their music, but honestly, it's fantastic in my eyes. It brings to another generation a fresh look at some awesome classic music that people might not otherwise experience. It begs the viewer to seek out the original and then it really is like discovering treasure.

Here's a link to the episode for as long as it stays on their website.

Even better, here's Fleetwood Mac's official site.

Don't Forget to Vote May 3rd!

2011-04-30T19:35:00.003-05:00

Here are some yard signs that can't be torn down or stolen!

If you're a Grand Forks resident and have questions about the library revitalization project and the upcoming vote (on Tuesday) for a 1% sales tax increase to fund it, please check out this blog: Speak Up For Your Library

Down came the rain and washed the culvert out...

2011-04-29T18:40:00.000-05:00

The road to my Dad's farm.

My route home for Easter took a little longer due to road conditions. I expect this sort of thing in the Valley or near Devils Lake. But, this? This is unprecedented.

"Who died and made you crotch goalie?"

2011-04-06T00:34:00.004-05:00

The following is a small clip from a recent episode of Traffic Light that had me laughing out loud. This new Fox TV show has been described by some as "lame" but I rather enjoy it. It features three guys in their 30s, Mike, Adam, and Ethan in three different types of relationship situations and much of each episode is spent in cars with them talking on the phone about their latest dilemma.

Mike is married and has a small child. Adam has recently moved in with his girlfriend and in this particular episode the sister has also moved in after a rather messy divorce. Ethan is the bachelor who works hard to keep it that way.

Here's the scene from the "Stealth Bomber" episode I wish I had a clip of--Kate, most excellently played by Kathryn Hahn steals the show:

Kate: Well, well, well. Ethan, good to see you again.

Ethan: Hi. (shakes her hand) You must be Callie's sister, right?

Kate: Hi. Kate, exactly. good memory.

Ethan: Enchanté (in his British accent, still shaking hands)

Kate: Oh, French too.

Ethan: Mais oui, Mais oui I must say that sundress is fantastic on you.

Kate: Oh? It comes off super fast too.

Ethan: Excuse me?

Kate: Mmmhhmmm (still shaking hands)

Callie: (rushing up to grab her sister) Can I borrow her for one second?

Ethan: Must you?

Callie: yes. Just for a minute. Girl Talk

Kate: (still holding his hand... both of them not wanting to let go) Soo much heat.

Callie: Come on We're walking.

Kate: It's hot out here.

Callie: Not Ethan.

Kate: What do you mean, not Ethan?

Callie: He's a great guy, really nice, but he's really only interested in one thing, sweetie.

Kate: Yes, and I have it for him underneath this sundress. It's Christmas morning, let's unwrap the package.

Callie: Oh...

Kate: Actually. Small confession. It's not exactly wrapped.

Callie: Oh... that's great information.

Kate: It's not mine to keep, you know what I mean.

Callie: uh-huh

Kate: I have to share it.

Callie: Ahhh... let's keep it for a couple more minutes, huh? Let's save it up.

Callie: Okay, as an alternative, what about Kenny G over there (motions to freaky dude). He's kind of sexy in a hippie way?

Kate: Honey, he looks like a cat toy.

Callie: If I was single I'd, I'd ... hit that.

Kate: If you were single? Where's Adam, he's been avoiding you all afternoon? It's like you're clinging to me.

Callie: He's not avoiding me. He's just having a little... hey this isn't about me. It's about you and your bad decisions and your oversharing and your little unwrapped hoo-ha.

Kate: Who died and made you crotch goalie?

Guilty Pleasures

2011-04-03T20:05:00.006-05:00

This week I've been indulging...

Season 6 -- I could not stop watching. Thank you, Sidereel.

Everything's better with a little music.
The hard part is not singing along when others are present.

Sometimes a romantic comedy just hits the spot. I'd recommend this one.

And a Peanut Buster Parfait... well, what can I say?

Wordless Wednesday -- Paper Moon

2011-03-30T17:22:00.003-05:00

Love this collection of paper moon pictures.

Well, it's one louder, isn't it?

2011-03-28T21:30:00.002-05:00

Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: 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?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.

from This is Spinal Tap
watch the scene here.

As Sweet as Candy.

2011-03-09T20:47:00.005-06:00

Tonight I picked up a guitar stand. Apparently this is the gateway to actually playing my guitar! Instead of it hiding out in the other room tucked away in its case with clasps which clearly are just too much effort to open, I will be forced to acknowledge my guitar. Because it will be staring at me, begging to be played.

Of course, she's barely on the stand and already I'm mentally cheating on her. When I went to Scott's for my guitar supplies I saw these:

Yep. Multicolor ukuleles. Like candy. I literally had to flee the store to avoid buying one. I think I only managed to escape because I couldn't decide between the red one and the baby blue one. The sales clerk, not helping at all, suggested, "buy both." She was joking, I think. But those who know me well, know that it's a real possibility when faced with two great options. I'm a big fan of "buying both." :)

The brown one (second from the left) was $20 more and had a better sound, but really no ukulele has a "great sound" so I'm thinking cool color might be more my speed.

I have no idea how to play a ukulele, but something tells me that if I own one of these my coolness meter might go through the roof. Yep. I'm sorry guitar, you've got some competition.

Landslide a la Glee & Gwyneth

2011-03-08T19:46:00.008-06:00

Only caught part of tonight's Glee but something tells me I'd love their cover of Joan Jett's "Do You Wanna Touch Me" too. "Kiss" by Prince was terrific as a tango and I loved "Landslide." Of course, I've always loved the song and there's not much to dislike if the cover is true and this one was.

"Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks caught wind of Paltrow’s cover, and she has a few words on her rendition and the impact of ‘Glee’ in general. “They did a great job,” Nicks says of the ‘Landslide’ performance. “Gwyneth sang it beautifully. Whether Natalie’s [Maines] singing it, or Gwyneth is singing it, or I’m singing it — everybody who has done it is very loyal to the original version and they don’t want to touch it — they don’t want to change it.”

Nicks continues, “I hope that seeing this song for those little 15, 16, 17-year-old kids that are watching this, they’ll go ‘Well, where did this song come from?’ Then this will go back from Gwyneth to ‘Glee,’ back to the Dixie Chicks … back to Fleetwood Mac. Then the music stays alive, and these great songs from the past that would otherwise be — unless you happen to be a big Stevie Nicks fan and come see me in concert — these songs are going to fade,” she says.
The songstress adds that ‘Glee’ plays an integral part in how music progresses, and that it holds a special place in her heart. “Everybody should show some interest in this show because this is important for where music goes in general,” she says."

Taken from this article. (If you are craving some Stevie, I posted about her last summer here.
)

I took my love and I took it down
Climbed a mountain and turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Till the landslide brought it down

Oh, mirror in the sky - What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?
I don't know, I don't know

Well, I've been afraid of changin'
Because I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder, even children get older
And I'm getting older, too

So, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down
The landslide will bring it down

------
Yep, this song speaks to me. Sigh. Love it.
-C

Winter Woes.

2011-03-06T21:48:00.005-06:00

My dependable road guide.

I am so over this weather--this winter. I was starting to believe we'd seen the last of the winter yuck and then I hit the highway for my trek across the state. Good lord.

Despite the fact that it was clear and snowing only very minimally, I-94 was a freakin' mess. It started out pretty well for 20 miles or so and then suddenly the fun was done. Top speeds for the next few hours were around 50 mph and mostly I was driving around 40. I am never too worried on slippery roads, especially in the daylight with good visibility. What does worry me is other drivers. There had to be at least six different accident clusters along the way. Near Fargo the true crazy drivers kicked it into high gear and as I was driving 35 I swear people were whipping by me at 60. I am fond of the high speeds too, and am not unwilling to pass others when it's warranted, but I can ASSURE you that no one should have been driving faster than 40. I now understand the 100 car pile-up near Fargo a few months ago. So winter, I think we are ready for you to go.

On a positive note, two signs of spring were sighted by Facebook friends this weekend.
1. The north-end Dairy Queen is now open.
2. Daffodils

I think I'd like to celebrate with a peanut buster parfait and a sweet little bouquet of flowers -- maybe if I buy into the hope, the weather will follow.

Don't be attached to outcomes.

2011-02-24T18:07:00.003-06:00

Show up.

Pay attention.

Tell the truth.

Don't be attached to outcomes.

--Hal Pepinsky's view of restorative justice via ELouise.

My pal, Emma's recent posts have been dedicated to restorative justice and some of her soul seeking. In the midst of what is clearly murky in her life, I see real peace and joy. So, Emma, thank you for that. Of all the ways to walk this world, I find that your path has been profoundly inspirational to me. You take the next step. You give it your all. You go when it's time, you stay when it feels right. You embrace the experiences you are given and you are open.

There's a bravery in stepping out and making choices when nothing is certain. When one suffers from control issues and type A personality like I do, the most terrifying thing is to not have every duck lined up, quacking with precision. An elaborate flow chart that anticipates even the worst of scenarios. So what happens when someone lights the flow chart on fire and then shoots the ducks? Well, it forces people like me to be brave.

I made only a couple new year's resolutions this year:
1. Take my vitamins daily.
2. Go easy on myself.

Number two on the list is more difficult by far to accomplish and I HATE to take pills. I need to stop giving in to the demon of paralyzing perfection that says I "ought to be" doing, saying, thinking, weighing, eating, exercising, creating, writing, reading... I just need to let me be... who I am in the moment. I think this quote stolen out of context seems to really sum it up.

"Show up.
Pay attention.
Tell the truth.
Don't be attached to outcomes."

In the present. One day at a time. Accepting what is.
For me this resonates with Taoist parable I have long loved, "The Farmer's Luck"

There once was a farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day, his horse had run away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically. "Maybe," the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it two other wild horses. "Such good luck!" the neighbors exclaimed. "Maybe," replied the farmer.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown off, and broke his leg. Again the neighbors came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune."Such bad luck," they said. "Maybe," answered the farmer.
The day after that, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army to fight in a war. Seeing that the young man's leg was broken, they passed him by. "Such good luck!" cried the neighbors. "Maybe," said the farmer.

Things are looking up. Maybe.

Embroidery Meets Nature

2011-02-20T13:43:00.003-06:00

Check out the full post here.

V-Day

2011-02-14T19:20:00.003-06:00

NPR has some amusing valentines!

More than a Western.

2011-02-05T22:26:00.003-06:00

I saw True Grit about a week ago as part of my Oscar prep and Coen brothers love affair. I'd been led to believe it was mind-blowingly good. and while I did enjoy the film, it didn't rock my world. I'd never read the book or seen the John Wayne film, but I don't care all that much for John Wayne, so I suspect that's not a problem. The Coen brothers picture has that elusive element that seems to be stamped on their films. Quirky in a more subtle way than Wes Anderson, perhaps (whose work I also adore). There's just "something" there in the cinematography, the costumes, the characterization (hard to say how much was Coen and how much was the novel or the early film).

I enjoyed the acting immensely and felt that the actors had rich characters to work with. I particularly liked Mattie Ross, but who wouldn't? Obviously, her assessment of Rooster Cogburn-- that he had 'true grit'-- applied more to her than any character. That fact was fairly evident right from the start by her willingness to spend the night at the undertakers in the presence of three dead bodies. I always love Jeff Bridges and I am starting to get the feeling that he's playing the same role again and again. Good thing, I love me a scraggly, foul-mouthed, drunken curmudgeon.

I just discovered an article in Slate (via Brooke V) that points to some mythological connections between True Grit and Indo-European mythology. I love Norse mythology and even "lightly" teach it to students, so I always enjoy seeing the references show up in pop culture. Even though the Coen brothers deny any knowledge of the old stories, it's still pretty dang cool. Be warned, the article is loaded with spoilers.

Mercy.

2011-02-04T22:21:00.003-06:00

I realize this is a bit of a lazy post. I can't help it. I've had music on my mind and today that's all I have to say.

On the Way to the Oscars...

2011-01-30T17:15:00.003-06:00

This article explains the rationale behind the expansion of the "best picture" nominees category and the origins of the Academy Awards overall.

"The Academy was concerned that the majors were concerned. No one expected any of the majors to take their marbles and go home, but still… The majors spent millions on Oscar campaigns every year, and big studio glamour was very much what made the Oscars The Oscars!!! If, at some point, the Big Guys began to figure all they were doing was putting out a lot of effort – and money – to support what had become, in effect, a publicity platform for a bunch of beret-wearing, pony-tailed, artsy-fartsy competitors… Well, really; what would be the point?"

Let’s look at the just-announced nominees for this year’s Best Picture field:

Black Swan (indie)

The Fighter (indie)

Inception (major)

The Kids Are All Right (indie)

The King’s Speech (indie)

127 Hours (indie)

The Social Network (major)

Toy Story 3 (Pixar – you call it)

True Grit (major)

Winter’s Bone (indie)

Check out the full article for the full analysis. Good stuff.

The Academy Award Nominees

2011-01-29T21:19:00.005-06:00

So, I'm not sure why I feel compelled to post the nominees for each of these award shows and try to watch the films each year, but some habits are hard to break. I've seen a few more films in the past couple weeks so I'll mark them off (with red type) as I get them watched. I've already decided that Colin Firth deserves the Oscar for his performance in The King's Speech and maybe Geoffrey Rush, too. Well done!

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
127 Hours
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening (The Kids are All Right)
Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole)
Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone)
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)
Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine)

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem (Biutiful)
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network)
Colin Firth (The King's Speech)
James Franco (127 Hours)
Jeff Bridges (True Grit)

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale (The Fighter)
John Hawkes (Winter's Bone)
Jeremy Renner (The Town)
Mark Ruffalo (The Kids are All Right)
Geoffrey Rush (The King's Speech)

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams (The Fighter)
Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech)
Melissa Leo (The Fighter)
Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit)
Jacki Weaver (Animal Kingdom)

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Best Documentary Short Subject
Killing in the Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Best Short Film (Animated)
Day & Night Teddy Newton
The Gruffalo Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
Let's Pollute Geefwee Boedoe
The Lost Thing Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary) Bastien Dubois

Best Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession Tanel Toom
The Crush Michael Creagh
God of Love Luke Matheny
Na Wewe Ivan Goldschmidt
Wish 143 Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Achievement in Art Direction
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

Achievement in Cinematography
Black Swan (Matthew Libatique)
Inception (Wally Pfister)
The King's Speech (Danny Cohen)
The Social Network (Jeff Cronenweth)
True Grit (Roger Deakins)

Achievement in Costume Design
Alice in Wonderland (Colleen Atwood)
I Am Love (Antonella Cannarozzi)
The King's Speech (Jenny Beaven)
The Tempest (Sandy Powell)
True Grit (Mary Zophres)

Achievement in Directing
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan)
David O. Russell (The Fighter)
Tom Hooper (The King's Speech)
David Fincher (The Social Network)
Joel and Ethan Coen (True Grit)

Best Documentary Feature
Exit through the Gift Shop Banksy, director (Paranoid Pictures)
Gasland Josh Fox, director (Gasland Productions, LLC)
Inside Job Charles Ferguson, director (Representational Pictures)
Restrepo Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, directors (Outpost Films)
Waste Land Lucy Walker, director (Almega Projects)

Achievement in Makeup
Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

Achievement in Film Editing
Black Swan (Andrew Weisblum)
The Fighter (Pamela Martin)
The King's Speech (Tariq Anwar)
127 Hours (Jon Harris)
The Social Network (Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall)

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Biutiful (Mexico)
Dogtooth (Greece)
In a Better World (Denmark)
Incendies (Canada)
Hors la Loi (Algeria)

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)
How to Train Your Dragon (John Powell)
Inception (Hans Zimmer)
The King's Speech (Alexandre Desplat)
127 Hours (A.R. Rahman)
The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song)
"Coming Home" from Country Strong Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
"I See the Light" from Tangled Music and Lyric by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
"If I Rise" from 127 Hours Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
"We Belong Together" from Toy Story 3 Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Achievement in Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
TRON: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Achievement in Sound Mixing
Inception
The King's Speech
Salt
The Social Network
True Grit

Achievement in Visual Effects
Alice in Wonderland
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

Adapted Screenplay
127 Hours (Simon Beaufoy and Danny Boyle)
The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin)
Toy Story 3 (Michael Arndt, story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich)
True Grit (Joel Coen and Ethan Coen)
Winter's Bone (Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini)

Original Screenplay
Another Year (Mike Leigh)
The Fighter (Paul Attanasio, Lewis Colich, Eric Johnson, Scott Silverand Paul Tamasy)
Inception (Christopher Nolan)
The Kids are All Right (Stuart Blumberg and Lisa Cholodenko)
The King's Speech (David Seidler)

Selling my Body to Science -- a reflection in poetry

2011-01-27T16:03:00.003-06:00

Plasma

My blood spools,
spinning like the dizzy maker
on my childhood playground and
if I think too hard
or stare too long at this whirring machine,
literally playing with my life's blood,
I get the same motionless feeling.
And I start to slump a little to the left
afraid
to embrace that weightless feeling when
as a child I'd hold on like Superman
with my legs spindling out behind me.

And my mouth is a copper penny
as my platelets return.
Welcome home, my own red sea.
I pray I won't feel the shiver
of my vein collapsing
as the cuff's chokehold tightens on my arm.

I require
a bit of gauze--a game I play with myself
to pretend there is no 16 gauge needle
thrust into my vein like a ball point pen,
something to squeeze,
my brain immersed in book,
and a blanket, thick to work its warmth
when the saline slams through the tube,
reverse motion washing the coagulant-rich crimson back to shore,
a glacial melt spilling in my veins.

--Carmyn Juntunen

This is a draft... this is only a draft... (that's meant to sound like those TV warning signals. tee hee. )

Two Song Tuesday -- Sam Cooke

2011-01-25T06:12:00.000-06:00

This past weekend, my pal Janet got me thinking about Sam Cooke and some favorites from my youth. Yep. That's right. MY youth, you know, in the early 80s. While kids today are gaga for Justin Bieber, I was a few decades behind my classmates stuck in the 60s. I spent much of my preteen angst wallowing in Lesley Gore melodrama and a whole host of K-Tel "electrifying hits" of the 60s and the like. I had a favorite Righteous Brothers album that featured both of these Sam Cooke songs and well, like another of his songs say, they "send me."

The Art of Self-Editing

2011-01-24T20:03:00.000-06:00

This is almost painful to watch. Come on, kids, life is about taking risks. It's bittersweet. So dear. So awkward. So unlike reality, in that we're privy to both minds at once in this video. If we only had a God's eye view, it would be so much easier. Of course, at 2 am... with the help of a little alcohol the filter seems a bit less intrusive. :)

On Pins and Needles...

2011-01-23T21:03:00.003-06:00

Knitting, for me, is at a bit of a standstill. I am a one trick pony. Washcloths. Sigh. I really need to branch out but for the "sport" to be relaxing it needs to involve a low level of risk and thought. So, for now, I'm just happily knitting some washcloths with the potential for legwarmers, cowl scarves, and sweaters on the horizon.

In the meantime, I am picking up some needles of a different sort. Embroidery. I started in 2008 and didn't make it past the sampler, but I just got a fresh burst of motivation and so I'll see if I can complete this latest project before I show it off. Let's just say if this proves successful, there may be no stopping me. :)

You Tube is a Terrific Time Waster and other things I've learned from my students...

2011-01-22T14:41:00.003-06:00

I ran across this video quite by accident but I just love it. So much so, that I felt the need to embed it here for your viewing pleasure. I just love that little kiddo who is so young and singing sooooo earnestly. They seem like they are having such a good time. I love it.

PS It's come to my attention that sometimes when these posts show up on my Facebook page that the formatting or the videos don't transfer there... if you are reading me on Facebook, click through to the original post. I think it's worth it! :)

Music that Matters to Me --a Reprise

2011-01-18T21:48:00.006-06:00

A few years ago I wrote a handful of posts about my favorite music -- one of those posts was on Dwight Yoakam. Well, he's been on my mind again lately--ever since last summer when I heard a terrific little acoustic album a friend played for me, though it's not as if Dwight's ever too far from my mind. In fact, since I last paid tribute to Dwight my collection has grown to eight albums. My last post focused just on one album--his 2004 Greatest Hits album, and so this time I'd like to just celebrate a few new faves.

If I could put into words the feeling --the physical, mental, spiritual, all-consuming rush -- some songs give me then maybe I could do the music justice. Instead I'm sure I'll just sound freakin' crazy to say that some times I have a warmth that spreads over me, a general good will to all, a blissed-out feeling that some only feel after sex or possibly after injecting some heroin. Yeah, some music does that.

Well, here are a few songs that fall under the love of Dwight category which lately have me closing my eyes, leaning back and letting the music wash over me.

Buenos Noches From a Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses)
Now this one almost doesn't need words... the opening bars just about kill me. But the whole dang song is great--one of those grim story songs that seems almost wrong to love as much as I do. "She wore red dresses and told such sweet lies..." The version I am loving is the one found here.

Two Doors Down
This one is ridiculously sad and so, so, good.
Jukebox full of sad songs + barmaid who serves 'em real strong + heartache + unending memory +bar stool that knows my name + endless waiting + bottle + pay phone that never rings ... I think you get the picture. It's slow suicide in a song bathed in drink, wallowing in self pity. Man, that's how I like my country music!

The Wild Ride
This one is from my first Dwight album, This Time (1993). Wild Ride is a little more rockin' but something about it feels a little sexy and well, wild.

"I looked up, there she stood,
I said 'If you didn't look so great, I'd say you look good.'
Oh, she took her hand, ran it up my thigh
and said, 'Cowboy, you ready for the wild ride?'"

I Sang Dixie
I think this song epitomizes Dwight. Also I do like it when he references California in his songs. I'm weird. I know.

The Back of Your Hand
Not sure why I like this as much as I do. I guess everyone wants to believe someone out there knows him or her like "the back of your hand." This one is a sort of a gentle song and for what it's worth, it makes me smile.

"Take a guess where I stand
pick a number one or two
Take a look at the back of your hand
just like you know it you know me too"

Music is Good for the Soul

2011-01-17T20:51:00.000-06:00

On Monday I had a ton of organizational type work to do at school and I cranked up my mp3 player and got down to it. There is something so utterly liberating to be alone in a building and to have the music blasting and to SING ALONG and know that no one is listening... no neighbors are clutching their ears and cursing the thin walls... And sometimes I felt such joy in that wild abandon that I found myself unable to keep from dancing like... well, like no one was watching. :)

Here are a couple of the songs that brought on the groove.

Go Bears!

2011-01-16T22:07:00.000-06:00

This was a fun football weekend. Like a crazy fool I watched all four games after hooking up my TV's antenna & digital conversion box. I didn't realize how much I missed my NFL until I started watching again. I was having Hollywood Video fantasy football flashbacks and was wishing I could be serving up some trash talk to my pal, Rick! This will be a good year for a super bowl party, I think. Fingers crossed it will be the Bears and some team they can easily beat. I'm pretty sure I have a few friends who would be over the moon happy with that. Go Bears!

The Golden Globes

2011-01-13T15:10:00.004-06:00

I am usually much more on top of the whole film scene. Year by year, my ability to keep up with current films depreciates. Still, it wouldn't be right to ignore the Golden Globes this weekend, despite the fact that I've seen a mere handful of the films--literally FIVE of the films and three of them were animated. One of my new year's resolutions is to go easy on myself. Keeping up with the latest new movie should not a race, a competition, or even a reasonable goal, really. That said, here are the film nominees. I rarely get too excited about the TV portion and am focused mainly on the GGs as a preview to the Academy Awards, my favorite award show of the year. (films I've seen are highlighted in red--I don't pretend to have a clue who will win)

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Halle Berry – Frankie and Alice
Nicole Kidman – Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence – Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman – Black Swan
Michelle Williams – Blue Valentine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network
Colin Firth – The King's Speech
James Franco – 127 Hours
Ryan Gosling – Blue Valentine
Mark Wahlberg – The Fighter

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
Alice in Wonderland
Burlesque
The Kids Are All Right
Red
The Tourist

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
Annette Bening – The Kids Are All Right
Anne Hathaway – Love And Other Drugs
Angelina Jolie – The Tourist
Julianne Moore – The Kids Are All Right
Emma Stone – Easy A

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical
Johnny Depp – Alice in Wonderland
Johnny Depp – The Tourist
Paul Giamatti – Barney's Version
Jake Gyllenhaal – Love And Other Drugs
Kevin Spacey – Casino Jack

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams – The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter – The King's Speech
Mila Kunis – Black Swan
Melissa Leo – The Fighter
Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Christian Bale – The Fighter
Michael Douglas – Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Andrew Garfield – The Social Network
Jeremy Renner – The Town
Geoffrey Rush – The King's Speech

Best Animated Feature Film
Despicable Me
How To Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Tangled Toy Story 3

Best Foreign Language Film
Biutiful (Mexico, Spain)
The Concert (France)
The Edge (Russia)
I Am Love (Italy)
In A Better World (Denmark)

Best Director - Motion Picture
Darren Aronofsky – Black Swan
David Fincher – The Social Network
Tom Hooper – The King's Speech
Christopher Nolan – Inception
David O. Russell – The Fighter

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Simon Beaufoy, Danny Boyle - 127 Hours
Christopher Nolan - Inception
Stuart Blumberg, Lisa Cholodenko - The Kids Are All Right
David Seidler - The King's Speech
Aaron Sorkin - The Social Network

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat - The King's Speech
Danny Elfman - Alice in Wonderland
A. R. Rahman - 127 Hours
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network
Hans Zimmer - Inception

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
"Bound To You" – Burlesque
Music By: Samuel Dixon
Lyrics By: Christina Aguilera and Sia Furler

"Coming Home" – Country Strong
Music & Lyrics By: Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey and Troy Verges

"I See The Light" – Tangled Music By: Alan Menken Lyrics By: Glenn Slater

"There's A Place For Us" – Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader
Music & Lyrics By: Hillary Lindsey, Carrie Underwood and David Hodges

"You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me" – Burlesque
Music & Lyrics By: Diane Warren

Vacation Day Four-Twelve -- Mission NOT Accomplished

2011-01-12T15:56:00.002-06:00

And then vacation got busy and my reading dwindled...

Oops. I should have known. I did manage to read five books during break:

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Paul Fleischman
Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman (audiobook)
White Cat by Holly Black (audiobook)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

I really enjoyed all of them. During break I started three others:
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
Moominpapa at Sea by Tove Jansson
Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? by Bill Maher

While I've still not completed any of those I did take a brief break and read Ender's Game for my RRVWP book club and really enjoyed it. I am hopeful that I'll get back to these three again soon since I am also determined to read Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout in the next few days before the Great Reads Book Club at the library next week.

Already January is half done and I managed to pick up another fine stack of tantalizing books when I was at Half Price Books in the Twin Cities over Christmas break.

Vacation Day Three... Audiobooks

2010-12-25T21:38:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Today my sister and I drove to see my dad for the afternoon and I was thrilled to discover her willingness to listen to a book. Since I was equally excited about all the choices I'd picked up at the library for my holiday, I let her pick.

First we listened to the full cast recording of Once Upon a Time in the North by Philip Pullman -- a prequel to The Golden Compass. The main character was Lee Scorsby and in this episode we also get our first glimpse of the armored bears-- Yorick Bernison, in particular.

Then on the drive home we started White Cat by Holly Black. This is a young adult story of a boy named Cassel whose family is full of "curse workers." So, I guess you'd call this part of the fantasy genre too. We got nearly to the halfway point and as I am packing for my trip to The Cities tomorrow I hope to hear the rest of it. Perhaps my pal, Rebecca and I will listen to another one on the drive there--I have some other gems picked out.

What's been particularly fun this holiday break is seeing my sister devouring books via her kindle. In fact, when she got home she downloaded White Cat on audio so she could continue to listen to the story at home. It's fun to have people who share my enthusiasm for books and reading.

Vacation Day Two... More Books!

2010-12-24T10:08:00.001-06:00

Well, Behemoth is done and as satisfying as it could be with its unresolved ending. I do love the Steampunk genre and this book's alternate history (set in a version of WW I). The Darwinists and the Clankers, the Beasties and the Stormwalkers are actually a lot of fun for the likes of me.

I've finished my Houdini book too and I can wholeheartedly say that I love the juvenile nonfiction genre tremendously. Or perhaps it's just Fleishman whom I admire. For a girl who thirsts for knowledge the book serves up just enough to whet the appetite and then if I can't resist I can always dig deeper. I've had similar experiences with the Catherine Gourley volumes on "Images and Issues of Women in the Twentieth Century" and Elizabeth Partridge's fantastic biography of Woody Guthrie. As a wee Christmas present to myself I did indulge in another Sid Fleishman biography -- Sir Charlie, but that is for another day.

Today's a day for multiple volumes and possibly no finishes as there is this thing called Christmas Eve happening at my mom's tonight.

Today I officially started the following books:
Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
Moominpapa at Sea by Tove Jansson
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Vacation--Day One, Book One

2010-12-23T06:51:00.006-06:00

A few weeks ago I planned to take on the challenge of reading a book a day over Christmas vacation. Then I started planning some reading choices. Well, I'm already behind before I begin because I'm in the MIDDLE of a book I was going to read for the challenge. Will I put it aside to pursue today's daily book? I'm afraid I just can't do that. Instead I will not take this challenge so literally as to assume I will complete a book a day each day... and instead aim for a grand total of 12 (or 13 since I'd already started Behemoth before the challenge). I am a fan of reading a multitude of books at once anyway.

I'm currently reading Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

and today's read in my #bookaday challenge is ...

Escape! The Story of The Great H oudini by Sid Fleischman

Wordless Wednesday -- The Christmas Edition

2010-12-22T07:17:00.001-06:00

Free printables here at Craftily Every After

Happy Solstice.

2010-12-21T06:20:00.000-06:00

I have a fascination with the equinoxes and solstices. I'm a time oriented girl who operates on many schedules and calendars -- the school year, the fiscal year, the passage of the moon and the broader calendar nature provides with the equinox and the solstice.

Those happy seasonal landmarks draw nearer the days I'm longing for or grant me the satisfaction of knowing that I'm saying goodbye to the days I want to be done with. The winter solstice smacks of the latter. I find that dark mornings make it increasingly difficult to leave the shelter of my cozy bed and I crave morning sunlight. What's funny is that Dec. 21st is the first day of winter, but for me it's a reminder that each day's dose of sunshine increases from that point forward. The Winter Solstice reminds me that spring is coming...nearer and nearer every day and that seems like a reason to celebrate.

Why Kids Are Fun

2010-12-19T10:35:00.004-06:00

I'm suddenly cool because I can sort of draw a tree waiting to be decorated.

I feel like a commissioned artist when my "little director"
is shouting now blue, now green.
Make a yellow one for my mom!

My tea bag dish repurposed

Taste is a Curious Thing

2010-12-18T11:24:00.003-06:00

I just discovered Taste Test Etsy via Swiss Miss. If you love Etsy, which I do, you might agree that it's a bit overwhelming with all its awesomeness. Tons of choices. Tons of fantastic products. Well, Taste Etsy determines your particular "taste" based on choices you make between different groupings of items.

I actually think they might be on to something because this little black polka-dotted briefcase was among the items Etsy recommended to me, based on my taste and they were right on. You can buy this for me here! :)

How Do You Know

2010-12-18T09:46:00.003-06:00

How Do You Know (2010)

For the first time in a long time I saw a movie on its opening day and I really enjoyed it. How Do You Know's star-studded cast was only one level of appeal. The writing was great, which translates--somewhat quirky and unpredictable. Ebert didn't love it, but I thought it was 3.5 stars at least. I realize it's a bit shallow but there are such gems in the film that I forgive its weaknesses. Lisa's (Witherspoon) reference to Bambi, George (Rud) literally running away from bad news, Matty's (Wilson) unbelievable apartment fully stocked with all the amenities of the one night stand and the scene at the hospital. Watch it. See if you agree. If you, like me, have been waiting for a romantic comedy worthy of the Nora Ephron legacy this one comes close.

Thai Today, Gone Tomorrow?

2010-12-17T22:14:00.000-06:00

Demers and Philadelphia Sushi Rolls

Recently a new Thai restaurant opened in my area. For months, the rumors had been circulating, but I wasn't sure when or where it would appear. I've been eagerly awaiting its arrival and was even more excited to learn that it came with yummy sushi options too. Little Bangkok & Wasabi is on the corner across the street from Cabela's in East Grand Forks and my heart sank a little when I saw the location. It's the Bermuda triangle in the restaurant circuit. I think we've seen an Irish Pub, an Italian restaurant, and something else too all reside in that location for a brief time before poof it closes its doors for good or gives way to something new. Now, I may be wrong on this, but I think this new restaurant is a branch of the successful Fargo Thai places: Drunken Noodle, Thai Orchid, Wasabi.

Pad Thai

My first visit was two weeks ago and I had pad Thai and shared a rainbow sushi platter with my pal, Anna. This time I ordered the basil stir fry with chicken and I shared some sushi--one sushi roll from the regular (Philadelphia) and one from the deluxe (Demers Ave). Both times I had a small garden salad (mainly iceberg lettuce) but the ginger salad dressing? To die for. Tonight, we made the meal complete with some heavenly coconut ice cream. Yum!

Basil Stir Fry with Chicken

Coconut Ice Cream

Tonight was my second trip and I suspect I'll need to keep working my way through the menu. I hope this place sticks around long enough for me to do that!

P.S. Rumor has it we'll have an Iraqi place called Babylon down the street from The Toasted Frog. Yum! Things are looking up!

Never the Same Day Twice

2010-12-16T22:34:00.005-06:00

Teaching has its extremes. Some days pure joy. Other days, well, not so much. After 15 years I thought I'd seen it all, but this year keeps proving me wrong at every turn. In one week, I've been accused of "giving up on a student" by a frustrated parent and then I've also had a colleague tell me she met a former student of mine now living in Minneapolis who said I "changed her life" and I think she meant for the better. Two summers ago in one of my gardening moments I caught up with a former student who said I was the person who "got her reading for fun" and that she reads all the time now. Of course, I have a few who are doing time for all sorts of sad crimes. I wish I knew where more of my students ended up or in what ways I influenced them for good or taught them useful things like when to use it's and its... One boy admitted that was the one thing he learned in my class. Thanks, Kiah. Well, it's something, eh?

One thing can be said for teaching. It's never the same day twice. I have a dynamic job with unique challenges and I get to be a "teacher/parent/social worker/mentor" 185+ days a year and my "kids" never really age. I just keep dealing with that same sophomoric behavior and can't figure out why they can't figure it out... Hmmm... perhaps because it's a fresh crop of kiddos every fall! Forget the challenges for a minute and ponder these gems--moments that made me grin from ear to ear this week.

Two spelling errors made by two different students:
S. Cargo (Escargot)
Hycute (Haiku)

And today?
Today I watched a 5 month old baby kangaroo hop around in the hallway at school. He was wearing a diaper with a little hole cut out for his tail. A former student whose family has a small petting zoo brought this little guy in for the teachers to see.

He's tucked up in his "pouch."

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-15T16:08:00.000-06:00

Seasons G-read-ings!

2010-12-11T11:39:00.001-06:00

I love this childhood book of mine,
Cranberry Christmas by Harry and Wende Devlin.

A few more holiday treasures for all ages.

If you are interested in a little holiday humor, David Sedaris, you can listen to his holiday story Santaland Diaries here in four parts: part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

Frankie says...

2010-12-10T21:42:00.003-06:00

This is my new favorite wine.

And it's a shocker, since Riesling isn't typically my thing... I'm more of a Pinot Noir kind of girl.

To Judge a Book By Its Cover

2010-12-05T11:58:00.010-06:00

In recent years I've been amassing a collection of Bond books with a particular set of covers I so love, those put out by Penguin in the early 2000's with cover art by Roseanne Serra and Richie Fahey. I have ten of the 15 books (if you count the short story collection Quantum of Solace). I try to pick these up "used" when I'm at Half Price Books or some other reasonably priced book joint. Still on my must-have list are these: You Only Live Twice, Quantum of Solace, The Man With the Golden Gun, Diamonds are Forever, and From Russia With Love.

Today I discovered another edition that I feel I MUST own. Despite the fact that I've seen all the films and am a huge fan, I've only actually READ two books by Ian Fleming: Goldfinger and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Still, the new Penguin cover a rt blows me away. Good job, Michael Gilette. Take a look.

If you're curious about the order of the books. Apparently one ought to read them in the proper order and little attention has been paid to this by book publishers in the past. Not so, this time with the new Penguin editions. Seriously. Aren't these just yummy?

Book a Day Options

2010-12-02T14:54:00.004-06:00

So the hard part about finding 11 books to read over break is that I have to choose from the 555 in my Goodreads "to read" category. Last night, I started pulling unread books from my shelves and I had to stop when I got to about 25 titles. So, no matter what, I'll have no trouble FINDING great titles... I just may have some trouble NARROWING my options.

Care to help? Feel free to weigh in on these titles.

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (young adult fiction)
2. The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke (short stories)
3. Men and Gods by Rex Warner, illustrated by Edward Gorey (myths)
4. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell (memoir)
5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (memoir)
6. White Cat by Holly Black (young adult)
7. Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus (children's)
8. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (young adult)
9. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (young adult)
10. A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami (fiction)
11. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (juvenile/young adult fiction)
12. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (memoir)
13. Escape! The Story of The Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman (young adult nonfiction)
14. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell (nonfiction)
15. Big Fish by Daniel Wallace (fiction)
16. Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (juvenile/young adult fiction)
17. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson (nonfiction/roman a clef)
18. The Summer Book by Tove Jansson (fiction)
19. Modesty Blaise by Peter O'Donnell (mystery)
20. Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson (juvenile fiction)
21. Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James swanson (young adult history)
22. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
23. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (juvenile/young adult fiction)
24. Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby (fiction)
25. Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle (3 Young Adult holiday romances)

UPDATE:
Books in red, I completed for the challenge
Books in green, I read BEFORE the challenge began. :)

A Book a Day

2010-12-01T20:10:00.003-06:00

Since I love a good challenge, I'm going to try for a "book a day" over my holiday break. For me that's only 11 days... 11 books.

If you choose to participate, you can share your progress and your titles on Twitter with the hashtag #bookaday.

Donalyn Miller, of Book Whisperer fame, is leading the charge. Now I just have to decide which choice morsels to devour over my brief break.

Miller reminds us that anything is fair game... novels, nonfiction, picture books, graphic novels, your challenge, your pick. With that in mind I should be in good shape. After all, I think I have more than 500 titles on my "to read" list.

Graphic Organizers -- Flow Chart

2010-10-20T04:56:00.000-05:00

Everthing's Better with Feta

2010-09-06T11:33:00.002-05:00

Labor Day Lunch

Fresh From the Garden Salad: lettuce, onion, cucumber slices (soaked in vinegar), cherry tomatoes, and feta cheese... I added lemon pepper chicken chunks before I ate... it was still a-cooking when I got camera happy.

Time for a peck of pickled peppers?

This is just Friday's take from the garden. I have some spaghetti squash for a few meals this week and I'm trying to think of something yummy to make with the Acorn Squash (is that the right name for that variety?). I have been looking online for ideas for my peppers. I think I'm going to try to do some preserving. Yikes. Directions differ wildly and some stress caution when canning to avoid botulism but other recipes seem to suggest it's easy peasy... I'll keep you posted.

I Admire the Enthusiasm.

2010-08-28T21:15:00.000-05:00

About a week ago I heard a Ray Bradbury tribute video that both stunned me and made me laugh out loud. I am most certain it crosses several lines and then tap dances with glee on the other side. While I won't be posting the video here, it's certainly something you can search out when you aren't at work or in the presence of the easily offended or young ears of the world. Here's a link to an article that describes and discusses it better than I do.

The Ray Bradbury Tribute I Never Expected to See posted by David Barnett on the book blog page of The Guardian.

The Current State of Affairs.

2010-08-18T22:06:00.005-05:00

image by Kenglye

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

And did they get you to trade
Your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.

--Pink Floyd

Mashups.

2010-08-15T16:28:00.006-05:00

I wanted to see if I could really clip part of a Hulu vid and share it somewhere else... I absolutely LOVE the mashups on Glee and this partial Bon Jovi one is particularly grand.

And it worked! That was a clip from Glee Season I episode: Vitamin D in which Will's wife gets a job as a school nurse (totally without credentials) in an effort to spy on him and Emma. She also gets all the kids hopped up on the active ingredient in cold medicine. You can tell that Finn is a bit hopped up in this number, but it's appropriate. I've seen Jon Bon Jovi perform recently. He was exactly like that!

To be fair, here are the girls. Equally manic.

Does Tweeting Make me a Twit?

2010-08-11T06:20:00.001-05:00

Despite the fact that I have managed to take a class on Twitter for Teachers and teach two workshops on social media, I remain a bit of a skeptic. I find it intriguing. I suspect there really is no fighting it. Yet, I'm not sure we really understand the way that social media is altering our reality, our literacies.

Today I was struck by a NY Times article from a few weeks ago, I Tweet, Therefore I Am. And one slice in particular:

"Back in the 1950s, the sociologist Erving Goffman famously argued that all of life is performance: we act out a role in every interaction, adapting it based on the nature of the relationship or context at hand. Twitter has extended that metaphor to include aspects of our experience that used to be considered off-set: eating pizza in bed, reading a book in the tub, thinking a thought anywhere, flossing. Effectively, it makes the greasepaint permanent, blurring the lines not only between public and private but also between the authentic and contrived self. If all the world was once a stage, it has now become a reality TV show: we mere players are not just aware of the camera; we mug for it."

And I don't think Twitter is the only target here. I'm sure this can be said for all forms of social media, this blog included. I'm not sure the realization is enough to change anything for me, but awareness is worth something, I think.

article found via Swiss Miss

Sounds Sketchy? Not at all.

2010-08-10T18:53:00.003-05:00

Every year I contemplate NaNoWriMo and am unable to truly give it a go, especially in November. It's just not the month for me at this stage of my life... And a novel. Wow. I don't know.

So, now I've gone and done something radical. Well, for me at least.

I signed up for The Sketchbook Project. I just couldn't help myself. It's too cool not to be a part of this.

I am not even good at art... at least not in its traditional forms, but this is a really freeing project based on what I read and I'm VERY excited to see what emerges.

Please check it out for yourself and consider joining me in The Sketchbook Project.

Sweet Eats.

2010-08-09T22:15:00.000-05:00

I love food blogs. I've said it before--they are my "porn." I experience a lust that I imagine is how some men view the other sort. I can feel it all through me... the appreciation for the beauty of the food. The mouthwatering. The ache. :)

I have a few favorites that do the exaggerated explicit photographic instructions on how to craft their delectable recipes. Yet, another favorite foodie is Oh Joy Eats. Joy's blog features favorite restaurants, food related products, desserts, dishes, recommendations, sweets, treats and more all styled to perfection. I enjoy her other blog too.

13 Ways of Looking at a Hamster

2010-08-08T21:45:00.001-05:00

Oooh... please click here - Eden Kennedy of Fussy gets poetic.
And it's great fun. Well... Peanut liked it!

Jane Austen Fight Club -- A Double Parody

2010-08-05T09:01:00.000-05:00

There's Something About Stevie.

2010-07-28T08:13:00.000-05:00

It seems like the world is trying to encourage my music mania by offering up little gems at every turn. I've long loved Fleetwood Mac, in general and Stevie Nicks especially. I am sure others might not approve, but I heartily admire her signature style, and while to affect a "Stevie look" would be nothing short of poor imitation, it does inspire me to find that look of my own. I'm all about the music, the stage presence, the memories I've made with the music, but sometimes it's also just how ridiculously cool some musicians are. Today I stumbled upon this video on Hello Lindello. It's Stevie backstage singing Wild Heart. Though a longer You Tube video says it was getting ready for a Rolling Stones photo shoot... you can watch that longer vid. here.

The Look

2010-07-27T08:10:00.005-05:00

So yesterday was Mick Jagger's 67th birthday and what do I do? I celebrate by looking at You Tube clips of Marianne Faithfull. Naturally. :) You can listen to her songs here on her site!

Though I am not over the moon in love with all her music, I love her trainwreck of a voice and how she managed to become two different singers in about 15 years due to what--smoking, drugs, wild living that left her a shell of her former self. Hmmm... that might be an exaggeration, but she IS a fascinating woman and one would be a fool to ignore her resilience and her relentless pursuit of a career in both film and music.

AND she's got "the look," to quote Roxette. I think she's quite beautiful at any age and couldn't stop myself from watching interview after interview on You Tube. Good stuff.

Set the time travel dial to 1962 Greenwich Village... or maybe 1967 Monterey... 1965 in London. I am convinced I should have grown up in the midst of the 60s music scene; I would have been a totally different person. Or maybe the same person with a totally different set of experiences. Sigh.

Superpowers Playlist -- Volume III

2010-07-26T06:09:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I've done a Superpower Playlist -- Clearly, I am a slacker...
Lately, I've been updating my laptop with CDs, transferring files from my old computer, and my headphones have been a-humming... So, no fears. A playlist of current faves is in the works. In the meantime...

Superpower Playlist Volume I
Feb. 2008

You Turn Me On I'm a Radio by Joni Mitchell
Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds
Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On) by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
Samson by Regina Spektor
Modern Girl by Sleater-Kinney
Ride a White Swan by T.Rex
Oh Very Young by Cat Stevens
Hot Child in the City by Nick Gilder
Third Time Lucky by Foghat
MmmBop by Hanson
Your Daddy Don't Know by Toronto
Hold On, Hold On by Neko Case
Diamonds on the Inside by Ben Harper
Turn Me On by Nina Simone
Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money
Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield
Little Willy by Sweet
Knock Three Times by Tony Orlando and Dawn
Oxygen by Willy Mason
Peace Will Come (According to Plan) by Melanie
Love is All Around by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

The closest I can manage to an online version is a You Tube Playlist.

Superpower Playlist Volume II
June 2008
1. Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
2. Bad 4 You by Alannah Myles
3. I Want to Hold Your Hand by T.V. Carpio
4. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright by Indigo Girls with Joan Baez
5. Burning for You by Blue Oyster Cult
6. Against the Wind by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band
7. It Ain't Me, Babe by The Turtles
8. Change is Hard by She and Him
9. Teenagers by My Chemical Romance
10. Turn on Me by The Shins
11. Does Your Mother Know by ABBA
12. Forever for Her (Is Over For Me) by The White Stripes
13. I'm Your Man by Leonard Cohen
14. Never Going Back Again by Fleetwood Mac
15. I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher
16. Baby Boomerang by The Shins
17. Kamera by Wilco
18. The Outdoor Type by The Lemonheads
19. I Know There's Something Going On by Frieda
20. All Summer Long by Kid Rock

My You Tube Playlist link for this version

And stay tuned for Superpower Playlist III.... coming soon to a computer near you.

In the meantime, here's a link to my You Tube Channel... I almost never have original videos on there but I do tend to add to my favorites regularly.

Camp or Cool? Who Cares!

2010-07-25T10:03:00.000-05:00

I can't remember where I've posted this before, but I couldn't find it when I looked so I think it warrants another shout out. I LOVE this little video montage of Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in The Avengers... and what a great song, consider this a tribute to Pete Quaife of The Kinks.

Make Yourself Scarce.

2010-07-24T11:34:00.003-05:00

pics via Andy Smith who's been reading my mind!

This past week I attended a conference in Bismarck --Invest North Dakota Teacher Academy. Because it was held at University of Mary, I got to experience the college dorm room all over again. I can't say I've missed it. :)

After every session my brain felt full to bursting. Conference topics ranged from looking at economics in the elementary classroom to diversifying your own financial assets. At every turn we were offered free resources, curriculum, websites, suggestions, games, ideas, and the latest laws and good-to-know-facts about everything from the most simple wants/needs concepts to exploring the benefits of a Roth IRA versus a Traditional IRA. We learned about protecting ourselves from fraud and scams and what do to if we are exposed so suspicious activity. We learned about the stock market and about bonds and about the new credit card laws. We even had a representative from our pension plan --TFFR--Teachers Fund for Retirement--talk about some of the potential changes and its impacts. I left with more motivation to share some of this knowledge with the loved ones in my life. Even helping students to understand the power of compounding interest and creating a realistic budget would be a great start.

And one final thought that blew me away... some of the most successful people don't work for anyone. They are entrepreneurs. Are we giving students the tools they need so that entrepreneurship is an option? I heard this message again and again throughout the week. Dr. John Hail, professor Missouri State University said, "When your students ask you what is the secret to success, tell them the following. Think of yourself as a resource. Now, make yourself scarce." Be able to do something no one else can.

Susan Beacham reminded us of the importance of being able to "delay gratification" and that we need to live BELOW our means, not within it. In one of her sessions she talked about how to live like a millionaire-- as people who are disciplined, who work hard, are patient, persistent, frugal, charitable. They budget, have good social skills, supportive spouses, love what they do-- are passionate about their work. They use their resources, time, talent, energy and money to survive and really thrive. Four of five millionaires are college graduates and yet 3/4 of all millionaires are self employed--they aren't getting a degree to "get a job." But I think that statistic still speaks to hard work, education, and delaying gratification. It speaks to being passionate about what you do and not holding back.

Seth Willis of Greeley Colorado presented about using the Internet in the classroom and I loved his use of literary quotes to support his theories--hey I am an English teacher, after all.

Dr. Debra Peppers provided humor and inspiration and echoed another reminder that excellent teachers can surprise students, keep things fresh, and truly care. The right word at the right time can change a life. Who would think that at an investment conference I would be moved to tears multiple times during her session? She was a powerful presenter.

I can't recommend this workshop enough. I don't even teach personal finance in school or any family and consumer science classes or economics and I still left motivated and excited about my charge as a teacher of young people who need to be prepared for the world before them.

Nine

2010-07-18T11:25:00.000-05:00

Nine (2009)

Ebert rates this film 2 stars and reminds us that this film " pays homage to a Broadway musical, and not Fellini at all." Having seen neither 8 1/2 nor the musical, for me it is what it is. And overall, it was a bit disjointed and blase. The ladies were lovely, especially Marion Cotillard. I loved the costumes. I enjoyed several of the musical numbers, despite Ebert's claim that the musical has no good songs. I liked the lighting and the colors and the sort of "style" that Stephanie (Kate Hudson) talks about... but the story, meh. I think Ebert explains pretty well, how it fell short.

Here are Ebert's parting comments in his review, I plan to follow his advice.

"Nine is just plain adrift in its own lack of necessity. It is filled wall to wall with stars (Marion Cotillard as the wife figure, Penelope Cruz as the mistress, Judi Dench as the worrying assistant, Nicole Kidman as the muse, the sublime Sophia Loren as the mother). But that's what they are, stars, because the movie doesn't make them characters. My closing advice is very sincere: In the life of anyone who loves movies, there must be time to see "8½." You can watch it instantly right now on Netflix or Amazon. What are you waiting for?"

Two Film Friday

2010-07-17T12:03:00.004-05:00

What began as a plan to see either Inception at the theatre in town or Toy Story 3 at the Sky Vu Drive-In Theatre turned into quite a different movie night. We ruled out the drive in based on the fact that it was going to start much later in the evening and so we opted for Inception, only to find it sold out. This has to be the first sold out film I've attempted to see in YEARS. I guess I don't often make it on opening weekend.

After a brief jaunt around Blockbuster we picked up four choices -- Princess and the Frog, The Book of Eli, Leap Year, and When in Rome. We ruled out the two romantic comedies thanks to Rotten Tomatoes low ratings and opted for a bit of both worlds... Disney-rific and Post-apocalyptic.

Princess and the Frog

I don't have a lot to say about this one. It was heavily hyped by my animation-analyst sister, Ashley who was excited that it was hand drawn. I did appreciate some of those finer elements of the film, but overall it wasn't my favorite. Ray, the lightning bug, and his enduring love for Evangeline was probably my favorite part. I'd give this one 3 stars.

The Book of Eli

The post-apocalyptic novel/film is one of my favorite genres so already this one was a winner. I love Mila Kunis and Jennifer Beals so they were assets. Of course, I loved the message of the importance and value of literacy, but mostly I just loved the way the film could still surprise me even when I thought I knew what was going on. The elderly couple were a real treat, and while I didn't enjoy the violent aspects of the film, it was fun to see Eli (Denzel Washington) kicking butt. This one is a four star film for sure!

A Summer Treat -- Revised

2010-07-16T14:20:00.004-05:00

S'mores Stuffed Brownies

I just saw this recipe on The Picky Palate blog and can't wait to try it. I'm forever trying to figure out how to ingest S'mores when there's no campfire to be found. Follow the link for details... Mmmmmm.....

God Bless Dairy Queen!

2010-06-04T23:11:00.002-05:00

It was my birthday today and I celebrated by helping my youngest sister break in her new grill. She's recently moved out of my mom's place into a house with four other girls, three dogs, and three cats. :)

Her roomies were so sweet and joined in the feast, provided mostly by my mom who knows how to do cheezy potatoes right. And since most everyone knows I do not like cake, my mom went the extra mile and picked up a yummy Dairy Queen number. Delish!

The best bit was Shade (Ashley's border collie) was back home and on the mend (will post more on him later).

Every year I forget to get my free movie rental on my birthday over at Hollywood Video and for once I remembered, probably because they've got "going out of business" signs up all over. Still, I stopped in to pick one out and discovered they aren't even renting anymore. Just selling everything off. Sad, sad day. Maybe they are out of business because they gave away too many free birthday rentals? Oh well, not to me, anyway.

Instead we watched 2012 which I picked up at the public library. As films go, it wasn't fantastic or anything, yet it was a bit thrilling and my geologist loving was kicked into high gear as I tried to imagine the south pole shifted into the space where Wisconsin once was. And of course, there's John Cusack.

I had a good night and a good birthday. Yay. Here's to an even better year!

Wordless Wednesday: The Cheerful Edition

2010-06-02T07:06:00.000-05:00

Peek-a-Boo Peanut!

2010-05-30T19:09:00.000-05:00

Here's a recent picture of my little guy!

Gaga for Glee

2010-05-26T21:55:00.000-05:00

Well, Glee continues to wow me week after week. I have enjoyed the remake of "V" and Flashforward and of course, Lost. (Though it may be too soon for me to talk about that--I'm still mourning its departure). Yet, nothing really compares to the musical fun of Glee. This recent Gaga episode was fantastic. I love the Rachel meets her mother twist on things and I think both Lea Michele and Idina Menzel are fantastic singers.

In this video, however, it's Kurt's character doing the lead vocals--Chris Colfer. Costume-wise I think Quinn's pink gown and crazy eyelashes were a fave and I think Santana's bit was probably the best part of the performance.

I'll admit I've never really listened to Lady Gaga and after this episode I was revved up to do so. She certainly lives up to her reputation. And I love the song "Bad Romance."

On a sidenote-- "Like a Virgin" was probably one of the most well done song/video sequences on the show. I wish I had a clip of that. I suspect this is one TV show that I will have to own when the full season is available for purchase. I already have three of the four CDs--yup, I'm a Gleek.

You Grow Girl!

2010-05-21T20:41:00.001-05:00

Mom decided to rent a garden plot this year after I'd decided I'd probably pass. She went with All Seasons instead of the GF Park District which is probably wise considering last year's crab grass fiasco. I agreed to help her with her garden and so this week we planted. I helped stake out the rows on Sunday and on Wednesday she planted most everything. On Thursday I planted my rows--mostly lettuce and flowers.

If I remember correctly we planted mini pumpkins, gourds, spaghetti squash, cucumbers, corn, Indian corn, potatoes, peas, carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, four kinds of peppers (sweet bell, jalapeno etc), zinnias, bachelor buttons, spinach, lettuce (several varieties blended), nasturtiums, and glads.