Celebrate Pablo Picasso

"It takes a long time to become young."
—Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

I've actually seen an entire museum of his paintings in Barcelona and all throughout Spain. I rather like his Blue Period and some of his lesser known paintings (often the Cubism period is what people remember) I'm including a few I've stumbled upon in my search for a specific little dog (that perhaps wasn't even painted by him... for some reason I remember really liking it... oh well). Here's a link to his most famous work Guernica which I saw in Madrid. (more on that painting here.) It was quite impressive!

From the Depths

As I was reading Jasper Fforde's Lost in a Good Book I kept stumbling upon unexplained references to books I hadn't thought of in ages. Fforde's book is full of literary allusion and I can only wonder how many of them slipped by me unnoticed. At one point, Thursday Next is approached by a little boy who asks her to draw him a picture of a sheep (see chapter two) and later there is a mention of Ant and Bee. I haven't given a thought to these books in ages and this casual mention prompted me to dig out a copy of the only one of their books I own: Ant and Bee and the ABC. I think what is notable are the odd illustrations by Bryan Ward. These books were not life changing but still there is a fondness.

I must be delirious..... or my shopping lust has reached new levels

I was just catching up on Daily Candy's features and here's a little something I just have to have if I ever get "knocked up" and have to start carting diapers and Desitin. Check out a better picture on Susan Fitch's website here.

And while we are on the baby-train, this looks pretty funny.

Movies to See

I haven't been to the theatre in ages and ages and so today I saw previews for several movies I am now interested in seeing. Don't trailers always make movies look appealing? (trailers available at all four sites)

Here are the four that caught my attention.



Casanova -- From the director of Chocolat and starring Heath Ledger and Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Oliver Platt, and Lena Olin.



Aeonflux -- starring Charlize Theron.... finally an animated video-game girl brought to life to rival Angelina Jolie in her Tomb Raider disappointments (though I rather liked the first one... well, at least it made me want to get in shape)



The Family Stone -- From the director of Sideways and with a cast like this, I can't wait. (Claire Danes, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Craig T. Nelson, Luke Wilson)



Memoirs of a Geisha -- I've had the book for ages and always thought we might read it in book club. I might have to give it a go before the movie hits the theatres. It looks beautiful. This film stars Ziyi Zhang (House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

"a cinematic mix-tape"

Cameron Crowe, writer/director/producer of Elizabethtown says, "every movie I've ever written or directed has started with music." Perhaps that is why I love the soundtrack or at least the way it played out in the film. This film ends up being a series of favorite bits... that amounts to "a love letter to the resilience of the life force" as is stated in the story summary on the official website. The character of Claire, played by Kirsten Dunst, is delightful. I could fall in love with her... she speaks my language. Not only do Claire and Drew (Orlando Bloom) get to know each other in a non-traditional way, unexpected meeting on a plane, extensive cell phone conversation, but she persists in being "just what he needed" by showing up at the all the best moments, however stalkerish it may seem. Sometimes there is a fine line between psycho and amazing.

Ultimately, she wins me over with her final move as she gives him the map to top all maps... his first road trip guide and I am swept away. Not only do you get this map with specific stops along the way but the music to go with it. In Crowe's words, "as the movie ends you get the feeling of the road and America and how music is such an indelible part of that."


The movie was a treat and like most films many of my favorite bits are housed in the previews (which you can check out on the website if you have a high speed connection) still here they are:

Drew says as he kisses her, "Please don't take this as rejection."

"I really don't," replies Claire between kisses.

---------------------

Jesse, Drew's cousin asks, "you and your dad were close, right?"

Drew responds, "Oh very close, I knew him very, very well. Very, very well."

"Yeah, I don't know my father either."

----------------------

Claire: "You are always trying to break up with me and we're not even together."

----------------------

I also love Claire's little habit of capturing a special moment with an imaginery camera. Click.

Seven Times a Bridesmaid.....

Hmmmm...

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else."

- -Teddy Roosevelt Kansas City Star," May 7, 1918

The Time Has Come... The Time is Now

The Great Pumpkin

It made sense then... it makes sense now

In Favre I Trust

At some point in my blogging I mentioned my fantasy football draft. Well, I survived this new (for me) auction draft method of bidding on players rather than doing a typical snake draft in which we drew numbers to determine the order of picks. In fact, I apparently selected a team who performed well enough to win the first week and score enough points to put me on top. That didn't last and the next two weeks I lost in a rather humbling sort of way. My rank fell to seventh or maybe it was eighth out of ten and finally last week I won and pushed my standings to fourth. How I do in week five will be determined by the Pittsburgh defense when they play the Chargers on Monday night. Now I have some fondness for San Diego, but this week I'd like to see them trampled by the Steelers.

In my four years of fantasy football I have consistently chosen Brett Favre (Green Bay) as my quarterback and Dave Akers (Philadelphia) as my kicker. Now Akers is injured and I've had to do the unthinkable and drop him because it was a bye week for my backup and I didn't have a kicker. Furthermore Favre and his Packers had not been impressing me much as the season started and for a few weak moments I wondered if I was wrong in choosing him once again, and if all those who insisted Brett had reached his sell-by date were actually on to something. My argument was that Favre was reliable.... something I could count on in this unstable world.... After a terrible start to the season (0-4), the Packers finally found a win over the New Orleans Saints.... and oh, what a win. 52 - 3. Apparently Green Bay hasn't seen that kind of point spread since the sixties and Favre has never played in a game that reached over 50 points. The amazing part is the fact that the Green Bay team is sporting a sort of "thrown-together" offense since many of their key players were not playing. While there are those who remain stalwart despisers of Brett Favre, I maintain my love for him and his leadership on this team. Perhaps it's just because he looks like a nice guy. Perhaps it's because he reminds me of Ryan Mitchell, a kid I went to high school with. I'm not entirely sure I can put my finger on it. In the end, win or lose, healthy or injured... he shows up, does his thing and I can count on that.

I have a love of quarterbacks, to be sure, and Favre is no different. I think it's because they're so pretty. The following photo is one that I'm sure has ball-handling connotations what with the hand placement and all, but I have to admit my mind goes elsewhere. Though I have utmost respect for the sancity of marriage and I know Brett has a lovely wife, I must admit that my fantasy football world can venture into other fantasies as well... let's just say when I see those hands coming at me... football is the last thing on my mind.

Wind-up Sushi

My Wandering Mind

Today in class a student confessed to her wayward behavior in middle school... how when she had to turn in an assignment to a teacher who she was certain didn't actually read assignments she'd just make up random crap and write down anything to make it "look" like she'd done the work. It reminded me of a prof I once had who did a similar thing in his younger years only he'd use the pledge of allegiance or patriotic song lyrics as his "filler".... He was sure he'd gotten away with it until the end of the term when his teacher commented on how he'd never had a student with as much patriotism... That really cracked me up. I told the kids this story and then proceeded to get several patriotic songs stuck in my head... "You're a grand old flag, you're a high-flying flag and forever in peace may you wave..." or "From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli, we will fight our country's battles on the air, on land and sea..." Why do I know these songs and still remember all the lyrics? Because they were the songs we sang in elementary school music. In a sense they were the hymns of public school. Well my very favorite of the "patriotic" sort of song was and is "This Land is Your Land" which I proceeded to sing off-key for the edification of my students, commenting that it was a Woody Guthrie song. Only to have a girl ask, " Who's he?" Well, God bless the Internet because we looked him up and then I proceeded to talk about his son Arlo Guthrie who performed at Woodstock and his granddaughter who I recently heard on NPR. Then we found her website and found a picture of Arlo and decided Arlo and his daughter Sarah Lee look a lot alike and that both of them look more like Arlo's mother than Woody. Digressions can be interesting and informative... sure she was meant to be working on her research paper, but I think in the end it was worth it... Now she has heard of "Woody Guthrie!" Tomorrow I'll bring in that neat little picture book I have of the song lyric complete with paintings by Kathy Jakobsen and a sort of biography of Woody in the pictures.

Magnetic Poetry in the Classroom

While this seems like a good idea as a teacher and lover of poetry, I've discovered it does come with a slight drawback. My students' creativity only seems to have one direction.... This wouldn't be a problem if the principal didn't periodically wander through my classroom or if the school board didn't occasionally use our building for meetings that often included tours of the facility.... The student magnet creations don't really amount to poems so much as strings of words like graffiti or bumper sticker slogans.

What follows are the words I've been subtly weeding out from the word selection on the metal cabinet in my room. I was removing a word or two at a time, but the little devils are immensely creative and keep finding ways to say what they want to say... It's almost become a sort of game, only I am not sure they've figured out that certain words are disappearing... A few days ago I arranged the handful of magnetic tiles on the inside of my desk drawer and was rather impressed. It does make me wonder how Magnetic Poetry selects their words.


Women...............Lick..................Manipulate
Apparatus..........Lather..............Milk
Enormous..........Bare..................Feel
Yowza................Deep.................Tongue
Fiddle................Fluff..................Luscious
Drunk................Girl....................Pound
Easy..................Sausage.............Blow
Essential...........Fling..................Men
Breast...............Juice..................Plunge

Farmward Ho!

Today was my dad's 60th birthday! My youngest sister and I decided a trip home was necessary and we thought the dog might like a taste of freedom.... no fences, no leashes .... scampering and jumping with wild abandon! First off I washed my car so my dad wouldn't comment on the layer of tree sap and dirt concealing the color of my vehicle. Our dog was rather impressed by the whole affair.

Mardi Gras in the Midwest

Last week I took in the fundraising event for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. These were my two favorites from the night.

Honestly, who came up with the idea for cotton candy? It's surprising more children don't eat that pink fiberglass insulation people use in houses. I always thought it looked exactly like this and I had to resist the urge to taste it and see.

I love this cardboard box maze. I might have to make one at home!

Read, Watch, Listen.... September in Review

What I Was Reading in September

The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank

Imagined London a tour of the world's greatest fictional city by Anna Quindlen

Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Hadden

Expletive Deleted a good look at bad language by Ruth Wajnryb

What I actually completed?
Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-Time

Unless one counts my attempts at keeping up the tide of Entertainment Weekly magazines that keep showing up in my mailbox. I think I made my way through two issues of that interrupted by Rolling Stone issues I couldn't resist. Sigh. There has been no time to read.

What I Was Watching in September

I started out by watching a couple Bond films (still working on my 101 list). Then my TV viewing was overwehlemed by Hurricane Katrina footage until I could not watch any more. I found myself reverting to my daily habit of suppertime viewing (5-7pm) and not much else... Thus my Will and Grace interest which ended as quickly as it beg an. So, lately I've been discovering my lost love of Seinfeld during that time slot. I've managed to catch a few episodes of Inside the Actor's Studio which I always enjoy. I have also watched a number of movies in the past month. And let's not forget my obsession with the Panda Cam.
Taxi
Ice Princess
Bride and Prejudice
Monster-in-law
Sahara
An American in Paris
The Full Monty
Fever Pitch
A Lot Like Love
Crash (2005)
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

I have already blogged about a few of the titles... the others were ones I watched mainly because I have a Hollywood Video MVP deal and they were "free" as in they were available for no additional cost aside from the monthly fee I pay them.... this is about to end, however since they are ever-so-subtly trying to space out the availability of the new release title so that in the month of September I only managed to find three films that were eligible for rent on my MVP while the others were borrowed, rented with rainchecks or coupons. I may switch to Netflix. They have a better selection anyway. I am just not sure if I will get them fast enough when I want them.

My quickie reviews:

Muppets' Wizard of Oz was disappointing. Quite. Bride and Prejudice was an a version of Pride and Prejudice set mostly in modern day India. It was interesting, colorful and the songs were fun. I am not sure I'd recommend it, however. Most of the fun to be had was found in recognizing the classic story in this version. I'd seen The Full Monty before but I forgot how great it was. This is a must-see. Also it has a decent soundtrack. Finally, I really liked Crash. It was a moving film that depicted racial tensions in LA between a variety of characters in a range of lifestyles and experiences. I didn't know much about the film but I was pleasantly surprised.

What I Was Listening to in September

Mamma Mia! The Musical Based on the Songs of ABBA: The Original 1999 London Cast

The White Stripes...... Get Behind Me Satan, White Blood Cells, Elephant

Sleater-Kinney.......... The Woods, One Beat

ABBA Oro Grandes Exitos

I am not even sure I can express my love for the White Stripes. That's why I haven't tried yet. Sleater-Kinney was pressed into my hands by a student who insisted I needed to hear them... she is a cool kid who's actually heard of L7 and loves bands such as the Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Debbie Harry... I figured it might be worth a listen. She was right. Still, I am strangely obsessed with this Mamma Mia! soundtrack. This is my currently most played item. Also the Spanish ABBA CD was a trade for my ABBA Gold. Pam had the cd in Spanish and I had it in English so we swapped. It's also rather fun to hear the familiar songs in another language... ABBA, I admire your willingness to record in many languages. In addition I recently moved all my musical files from my old computer to my new laptop and I've been listening to old songs that I'd forgotten about. Terrific fun! It's sort of like having an Ipod shuffle only not as portable and convenient!