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.
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.
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...
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
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.
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.
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?"
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, TheBook 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.
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 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!
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.....
