Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, Part I is now available. Please, do yourself a favor and check it out.
I'm not joking around, people. Get your lazy asses out of bed and hit the site!
7/15/2008
7/13/2008
Where am I?
I am busy at work, my home computer is still dead, and I've been having lots of excitement.
1. I was on vacation! As I wrote below, I took 5 days off from work and basically just read a lot.
2. My darling husband was in the hospital with a staph infection. You do not want to get a staph infection. He had a temperature of 103.5, and his poor, needlephobic self had to get 3 IVs (pulled the first one out while he was sleeping, the second one didn't work, and so he had to get a 3rd one for his intravenous meds. He is feeling entirely better now.
3. On the plus side, his doctor wouldn't let him go back to work until today, so we've been spending lots of time together.
4. He got 2 pairs of Converse All Star sneakers, and I have to say, seeing him wearing them makes me a little weak in the knees.
5. I'm working on a writing project that I will tell you about later.
6. I've been watching my Mad Men DVDs. Jon Hamm makes me almost as weak in the knees as my husband in his Converse All Stars.
7. Monkey is at camp, so it's just grownups in our house.
8. This is the week we will get our first look at Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog. I am practically palpitating with excitement.
1. I was on vacation! As I wrote below, I took 5 days off from work and basically just read a lot.
2. My darling husband was in the hospital with a staph infection. You do not want to get a staph infection. He had a temperature of 103.5, and his poor, needlephobic self had to get 3 IVs (pulled the first one out while he was sleeping, the second one didn't work, and so he had to get a 3rd one for his intravenous meds. He is feeling entirely better now.
3. On the plus side, his doctor wouldn't let him go back to work until today, so we've been spending lots of time together.
4. He got 2 pairs of Converse All Star sneakers, and I have to say, seeing him wearing them makes me a little weak in the knees.
5. I'm working on a writing project that I will tell you about later.
6. I've been watching my Mad Men DVDs. Jon Hamm makes me almost as weak in the knees as my husband in his Converse All Stars.
7. Monkey is at camp, so it's just grownups in our house.
8. This is the week we will get our first look at Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog. I am practically palpitating with excitement.
6/30/2008
To answer the question that no one is asking....
...I've been busy.
Plus, my home computer has a virus, and I don't want to pay the Geek Squad's extortionary rate, so I'm looking for something better.
Also, I took a wee vacation so I could spend some time with Monkey and go to the beach. We happened to pick the only cold day in the past week to go to the beach, but eventually it started raining, so we didn't stay at the beach for long.
I've also been reading. I read The First Casualty and Dead Famous by Ben Elton, Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer; The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett; A Long Way Down by Nick Hornsby; and I just started The Historian by an author whose name I cannot currently remember.
Lastly, I've been going to bed at a reasonable hour - before 11pm most nights. It helps that I put an air conditioner in my room and it's bloody humid right now. I want to sleep more so I can wake up in October, when it's cool again.
Plus, my home computer has a virus, and I don't want to pay the Geek Squad's extortionary rate, so I'm looking for something better.
Also, I took a wee vacation so I could spend some time with Monkey and go to the beach. We happened to pick the only cold day in the past week to go to the beach, but eventually it started raining, so we didn't stay at the beach for long.
I've also been reading. I read The First Casualty and Dead Famous by Ben Elton, Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer; The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett; A Long Way Down by Nick Hornsby; and I just started The Historian by an author whose name I cannot currently remember.
Lastly, I've been going to bed at a reasonable hour - before 11pm most nights. It helps that I put an air conditioner in my room and it's bloody humid right now. I want to sleep more so I can wake up in October, when it's cool again.
6/16/2008
Tony Awards
I used to love all awards shows when I was younger, but I've definitely lost my love. However, I make an exception for the Tony Awards. When I was a child, the Tony Awards was a window into a world that I wanted to belong to. I pictured myself singing and dancing, in fantastic costumes, on stage in front of a live audience.
I liked a lot of things about last night's show. But the highlights for me were Lin Manuel-Miranda's acceptance speech for winning the Best Original Score Tony - which he delivered in freestyle rap - and the presentation from Sunday In The Park With George, which might be my favorite Sondheim musical.
I'm not sure if it's the music or the words or what, but that song gets me every time.
I liked a lot of things about last night's show. But the highlights for me were Lin Manuel-Miranda's acceptance speech for winning the Best Original Score Tony - which he delivered in freestyle rap - and the presentation from Sunday In The Park With George, which might be my favorite Sondheim musical.
I'm not sure if it's the music or the words or what, but that song gets me every time.
6/09/2008
I am so happy
that Jesse Taylor is back at Pandagon. I didn't realize how much I missed him until I started reading his posts again.
Maureen Watches Too Much TV: The Dance, Dance, Dance edition
This week, my TV viewing was almost entirely dedicated to dancing, with a small foray into changing partners with the new CBS drama Swingtown.
So You Think You Can Dance: We had one episode dedicated to auditions, which were kind of boring, and then the Thursday night ep was the Vegas episode. This is when the top 200 dancers get put through the ringer. At the end of the episode, they introduced the top 20 dancers, which surprisingly did not include Kelli Baker or Brandon Bryant, both of whom I thought were locks for the show. The show gets much better once the top 20 are chosen, so I'm looking forward to this weeks episodes.
Step It Up And Dance: This week was the finale, and the final 4 dancers were to present their solos. Of course, first they had to participate in a choreography set to a terrible, terrible song by Fergie. As one of the contestants said "we thought we were going to the finale, but instead, we have finale purgatory." But the solos were impressive. Each one of the dancers presented their solo to notable choreographer Jerry Mitchell, who gave really useful critiques to each one of them. Based on what they presented to Mitchell, I was convinced that Mochi would win - her solo was powerful and beautiful. But when they presented their dances on stage, it was clear that the only possible choice to win the competition (and $100,000) was Cody Greene.
America's Best Dance Crew: I will watch anything dance related that doesn't have the word "star" in the title, I guess. This is an MTV show, produced by the mostly incoherent Randy Jackson. I recorded this one, which was a wise call, because in a TWO HOUR program, there was possibly 8 minutes of dancing. Since I don't care about all the chit chat, I fast-forwarded through everything except the routines. None of the finalists in this one grab me as much as the winners of the last season of this show, Jabberwockees. But it's early days yet.
Swingtown: I was as surprised as anyone when I heard CBS was going to do a show about swingers in the 70s. The premiere episode was okay - they opened the episode with a fake-out blow-job, and they had to make the nod to price differences (heavens forfend, ground beef for .88 cents a pound!), but this could be interesting summer viewing. Molly Parker (Susan) is dreamy (although she either got new boobs or the costumer can do miraculous things), Miriam Shor (Janet) is uptight and judgemental, Jack Davenport (Bruce) is so cute but he's too mumbly, and the swinging couple across the street (Grant Show and Lana Perilla as Tom & Trina Decker) are positively predatory. I'll keep watching this one, for the time being.
So You Think You Can Dance: We had one episode dedicated to auditions, which were kind of boring, and then the Thursday night ep was the Vegas episode. This is when the top 200 dancers get put through the ringer. At the end of the episode, they introduced the top 20 dancers, which surprisingly did not include Kelli Baker or Brandon Bryant, both of whom I thought were locks for the show. The show gets much better once the top 20 are chosen, so I'm looking forward to this weeks episodes.
Step It Up And Dance: This week was the finale, and the final 4 dancers were to present their solos. Of course, first they had to participate in a choreography set to a terrible, terrible song by Fergie. As one of the contestants said "we thought we were going to the finale, but instead, we have finale purgatory." But the solos were impressive. Each one of the dancers presented their solo to notable choreographer Jerry Mitchell, who gave really useful critiques to each one of them. Based on what they presented to Mitchell, I was convinced that Mochi would win - her solo was powerful and beautiful. But when they presented their dances on stage, it was clear that the only possible choice to win the competition (and $100,000) was Cody Greene.
America's Best Dance Crew: I will watch anything dance related that doesn't have the word "star" in the title, I guess. This is an MTV show, produced by the mostly incoherent Randy Jackson. I recorded this one, which was a wise call, because in a TWO HOUR program, there was possibly 8 minutes of dancing. Since I don't care about all the chit chat, I fast-forwarded through everything except the routines. None of the finalists in this one grab me as much as the winners of the last season of this show, Jabberwockees. But it's early days yet.
Swingtown: I was as surprised as anyone when I heard CBS was going to do a show about swingers in the 70s. The premiere episode was okay - they opened the episode with a fake-out blow-job, and they had to make the nod to price differences (heavens forfend, ground beef for .88 cents a pound!), but this could be interesting summer viewing. Molly Parker (Susan) is dreamy (although she either got new boobs or the costumer can do miraculous things), Miriam Shor (Janet) is uptight and judgemental, Jack Davenport (Bruce) is so cute but he's too mumbly, and the swinging couple across the street (Grant Show and Lana Perilla as Tom & Trina Decker) are positively predatory. I'll keep watching this one, for the time being.
6/02/2008
6/01/2008
Banned Book Meme
Tagged by Deborah
These are the top 100 banned books. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you've read only in part.
#1 The Bible
#2 Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
#3 Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
#4 The Koran
#5 Arabian Nights
#6 Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
#7 Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
#8 Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
#9 Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
#10 Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman#11 Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli
#12 Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
#13 Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
#14 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
#15 Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
#16 Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
#17 Dracula by Bram Stoker
#18 Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin
#19 Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
#20 Essays by Michel de Montaigne
#21 Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck#22 History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
#23 Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
#24 Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
#25 Ulysses by James Joyce
#26 Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
#27 Animal Farm by George Orwell
#28 Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
#29 Candide by Voltaire
#30 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
#31 Analects by Confucius
#32 Dubliners by James Joyce
#33 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
#34 Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
#35 Red and the Black by Stendhal
#36 Capital by Karl Marx
#37 Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire
#38 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#39 Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence
#40 Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
#41 Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
#42 Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
#43 Jungle by Upton Sinclair
#44 All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
#45 Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
#46 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
#47 Diary by Samuel Pepys
#48 Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
#49 Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
#50 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury#51 Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
#52 Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant
#53 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
#54 Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus
#55 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
#56 Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
#57 Color Purple by Alice Walker
#58 Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger#59 Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke
#60 Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison
#61 Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
#62 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
#63 East of Eden by John Steinbeck
#64 Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
#65 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
#66 Confessions by Jean Jacques Rousseau
#67 Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais
#68 Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
#69 The Talmud
#70 Social Contract by Jean Jacques Rousseau
#71 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
#72 Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence
#73 American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
#74 Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
#75 A Separate Peace by John Knowles
#76 Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
#77 Red Pony by John Steinbeck
#78 Popol Vuh
#79 Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith
#80 Satyricon by Petronius
#81 James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
#82 Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
#83 Black Boy by Richard Wright
#84 Spirit of the Laws by Charles de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu
#85 Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
#86 Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
#87 Metaphysics by Aristotle
#88 Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder#89 Institutes of the Christian Religion by Jean Calvin
#90 Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
#91 Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
#92 Sanctuary by William Faulkner
#93 As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
#94 Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
#95 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
#96 Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
#97 General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud
#98 Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood#99 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Alexander Brown
#100 Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess#101 Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines
#102 Émile by Jean Jacques Rousseau
#103 Nana by Émile Zola
#104 Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
#105 Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
#106 Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
#107 Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
#108 Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
#109 Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark
#110 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Consider yourself tagged. Also: some of these books are puzzling inclusions. Little House On The Prairie?
These are the top 100 banned books. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you've read only in part.
#1 The Bible
#2 Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
#3 Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
#4 The Koran
#5 Arabian Nights
#6 Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
#7 Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
#8 Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
#9 Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
#10 Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman#11 Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli
#12 Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
#13 Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
#14 Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
#15 Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
#16 Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
#17 Dracula by Bram Stoker
#18 Autobiography by Benjamin Franklin
#19 Tom Jones by Henry Fielding
#20 Essays by Michel de Montaigne
#21 Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck#22 History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon
#23 Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
#24 Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
#25 Ulysses by James Joyce
#26 Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
#27 Animal Farm by George Orwell
#28 Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
#29 Candide by Voltaire
#30 To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
#31 Analects by Confucius
#32 Dubliners by James Joyce
#33 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
#34 Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
#35 Red and the Black by Stendhal
#36 Capital by Karl Marx
#37 Flowers of Evil by Charles Baudelaire
#38 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#39 Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence
#40 Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
#41 Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser
#42 Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
#43 Jungle by Upton Sinclair
#44 All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
#45 Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
#46 Lord of the Flies by William Golding
#47 Diary by Samuel Pepys
#48 Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
#49 Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
#50 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury#51 Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak
#52 Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant
#53 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
#54 Praise of Folly by Desiderius Erasmus
#55 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
#56 Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
#57 Color Purple by Alice Walker
#58 Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger#59 Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke
#60 Bluest Eyes by Toni Morrison
#61 Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
#62 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
#63 East of Eden by John Steinbeck
#64 Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
#65 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
#66 Confessions by Jean Jacques Rousseau
#67 Gargantua and Pantagruel by François Rabelais
#68 Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
#69 The Talmud
#70 Social Contract by Jean Jacques Rousseau
#71 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
#72 Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence
#73 American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser
#74 Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler
#75 A Separate Peace by John Knowles
#76 Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
#77 Red Pony by John Steinbeck
#78 Popol Vuh
#79 Affluent Society by John Kenneth Galbraith
#80 Satyricon by Petronius
#81 James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
#82 Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
#83 Black Boy by Richard Wright
#84 Spirit of the Laws by Charles de Secondat Baron de Montesquieu
#85 Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
#86 Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
#87 Metaphysics by Aristotle
#88 Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder#89 Institutes of the Christian Religion by Jean Calvin
#90 Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse
#91 Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
#92 Sanctuary by William Faulkner
#93 As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
#94 Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin
#95 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
#96 Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
#97 General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud
#98 Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood#99 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Alexander Brown
#100 Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess#101 Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines
#102 Émile by Jean Jacques Rousseau
#103 Nana by Émile Zola
#104 Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
#105 Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin
#106 Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
#107 Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
#108 Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Peck
#109 Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark
#110 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Consider yourself tagged. Also: some of these books are puzzling inclusions. Little House On The Prairie?
It's a Mr. Death? Something about the reaping?
A couple of weeks ago, our lawn mower passed away, and since it was late spring, the grass grew and grew and grew, until it was very long. I was starting to feel anxious about it (since we live in a neighborhood of people who are obsessed with their lawns), thinking everyone was talking behind our backs about how we were letting things slide, so I decided I had to do something about it.
My initial thought was to buy a reel mower, so we could mow our vast .14 of an acre yard using only man/womanpower. But our grass was too long for a reel mower to be effective. So I bought a grass whip.
It took a little while to get the hang of it, but it was pretty darn effective. You basically swing it like a golf club, only less hip action. The best part: the children in the neighborhood gathered around to watch me reap, and they all wanted turns. I was happy to oblige. My shoulders feel well exercised, and Loki went out and evened out my work (and then did some more), so it looks good now. It's also quiet, uses no fuel and will be handy for those times when we let our lawn get a little out of control.
I think I'll still get the reel mower, though. My friend Katrina has one and she says it works great.
My initial thought was to buy a reel mower, so we could mow our vast .14 of an acre yard using only man/womanpower. But our grass was too long for a reel mower to be effective. So I bought a grass whip.
It took a little while to get the hang of it, but it was pretty darn effective. You basically swing it like a golf club, only less hip action. The best part: the children in the neighborhood gathered around to watch me reap, and they all wanted turns. I was happy to oblige. My shoulders feel well exercised, and Loki went out and evened out my work (and then did some more), so it looks good now. It's also quiet, uses no fuel and will be handy for those times when we let our lawn get a little out of control.
I think I'll still get the reel mower, though. My friend Katrina has one and she says it works great.
5/28/2008
Update
My friend Leslie has created a new blog, and the link has been updated in my blogroll: Leslie's Life.
5/27/2008
5/20/2008
Maureen watches too much TV
ETA: Can you give me feedback on this post? I would like to know if you think I should have included a plot synopsis for the episodes...sometimes I forget that other people read this and that it's not just for my own personal enjoyment. Do you think a brief synopsis of the plots of the shows listed below would have improved this post?
It's only Tuesday, and thanks to the magic of the Tifaux, I've watched the following series finales since yesterday:
The Big Bang Theory: I only started watching this after the writer's strike was over. I was recording another show and I caught a snippet of the end of this one, and it made me laugh, so I started watching. It's kind of spotty, humor-wise, and this episode featured one character, Leonard (who is a nerdy science type, although I'm not sure which field he works in) kissed Penny (dumb blonde who lives across the hall whom Leonard has had a crush on), and the studio audience reached Married With Children levels of whooping it up. That bothers me. I do like some of the characters: Raj, who is a computer guy, is adorable and consistently makes me laugh; Howard, an engineer, is creepy-funny, and physicist Sheldon, Leonard's hyper-rational roommate can be hilarious when used in small doses.
How I Met Your Mother: I had to start watching this show. I was a huge fan of both Freaks & Geeks and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and this show has Jason Segel (Nick Andopolis from F&G) and Alyson Hannigan (Willow from Buffy). I like to keep up with the careers of actors from shows I like. This show has moments of absolute brilliance, and I enjoy the out-of-order storytelling. The finale was a little more sentimental than I like, and they may make the character Neil Patrick Harris plays grow and change, which I'm not sure is a good thing, but I trust the writers.
Bones: I watch this one because David Boreanaz was on Buffy and Angel. The finale sucked. It's like the show is being written by fan fic writers. All I can say is that I've guessed who the bad guy is in every single episode I've seen this season. I might have to drop this one.
House: The season finale was the second part of a 2 episode story that started last week. I was a little disappointed last week because I figured out that Amber was the victim the first time House noticed the beautiful woman's necklace, but otherwise, these two episodes featured stellar work from Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard, and Anne Dudek, who was radiant in the final episode. RIP, Cutthroat Bitch, you were just too awesome for this world.
It's only Tuesday, and thanks to the magic of the Tifaux, I've watched the following series finales since yesterday:
The Big Bang Theory: I only started watching this after the writer's strike was over. I was recording another show and I caught a snippet of the end of this one, and it made me laugh, so I started watching. It's kind of spotty, humor-wise, and this episode featured one character, Leonard (who is a nerdy science type, although I'm not sure which field he works in) kissed Penny (dumb blonde who lives across the hall whom Leonard has had a crush on), and the studio audience reached Married With Children levels of whooping it up. That bothers me. I do like some of the characters: Raj, who is a computer guy, is adorable and consistently makes me laugh; Howard, an engineer, is creepy-funny, and physicist Sheldon, Leonard's hyper-rational roommate can be hilarious when used in small doses.
How I Met Your Mother: I had to start watching this show. I was a huge fan of both Freaks & Geeks and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and this show has Jason Segel (Nick Andopolis from F&G) and Alyson Hannigan (Willow from Buffy). I like to keep up with the careers of actors from shows I like. This show has moments of absolute brilliance, and I enjoy the out-of-order storytelling. The finale was a little more sentimental than I like, and they may make the character Neil Patrick Harris plays grow and change, which I'm not sure is a good thing, but I trust the writers.
Bones: I watch this one because David Boreanaz was on Buffy and Angel. The finale sucked. It's like the show is being written by fan fic writers. All I can say is that I've guessed who the bad guy is in every single episode I've seen this season. I might have to drop this one.
House: The season finale was the second part of a 2 episode story that started last week. I was a little disappointed last week because I figured out that Amber was the victim the first time House noticed the beautiful woman's necklace, but otherwise, these two episodes featured stellar work from Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard, and Anne Dudek, who was radiant in the final episode. RIP, Cutthroat Bitch, you were just too awesome for this world.
5/18/2008
Oblivious
Did you ever have one of those days where you suddenly found out all kinds of secrets about your family? I never realized how completely oblivious I am to what's going on around me.
5/11/2008
Ten things about my mother
1. She never says goodbye on the phone. When she's done talking, she just hangs up.
2. She will not accept any presents.
3. If you tell her you like something in her house, she will immediately force you to take it.
4. She has never said "I love you" to any of her children.
5. She has the most lovely singing voice, which she will only rarely share.
6. She once stole a cat and returned it when her mother found out. She then collected the reward for the missing cat.
7. She will drive across state lines for a great pizza.
8. She taught the kids in our neighborhood how to jump double dutch.
9. She made up funny nicknames for teachers she didn't like; the principal of my elementary school, Mr. Reardon, is actually called (according to my mother) Mr. Rearend.
10. She taught me the following rhyme to say to kids I didn't like:
Scab sandwich
pus on top
monkey's vomit
camel's snot
eagle's eyeballs dipped in glue
that's a sandwich made for you
My mom's not perfect, and I can trace certain issues I have back to certain behaviors of hers, but I love her so much. If nothing else, she provides me with some of my best stories.
2. She will not accept any presents.
3. If you tell her you like something in her house, she will immediately force you to take it.
4. She has never said "I love you" to any of her children.
5. She has the most lovely singing voice, which she will only rarely share.
6. She once stole a cat and returned it when her mother found out. She then collected the reward for the missing cat.
7. She will drive across state lines for a great pizza.
8. She taught the kids in our neighborhood how to jump double dutch.
9. She made up funny nicknames for teachers she didn't like; the principal of my elementary school, Mr. Reardon, is actually called (according to my mother) Mr. Rearend.
10. She taught me the following rhyme to say to kids I didn't like:
Scab sandwich
pus on top
monkey's vomit
camel's snot
eagle's eyeballs dipped in glue
that's a sandwich made for you
My mom's not perfect, and I can trace certain issues I have back to certain behaviors of hers, but I love her so much. If nothing else, she provides me with some of my best stories.
Kittens
Monkey is a hog in mud right now, because we are foster parenting two adorable little kittens for the next month.
The sprawled out kitty is Fiona; the curled up one is Candy. When they aren't curled up sleeping, they are climbing furniture, crawling underneath things from which it is hard to get them, and engaging in the impossibly cute things that kitties do.
The sprawled out kitty is Fiona; the curled up one is Candy. When they aren't curled up sleeping, they are climbing furniture, crawling underneath things from which it is hard to get them, and engaging in the impossibly cute things that kitties do.
5/09/2008
Clinton v. Obama
My .02 on this volatile subject:
I am loathe to tell other people how they should vote, but if you tell me that you will stay home if your preferred candidate doesn't get the nomination, I reserve the right to think that you're a self-centered idiot.
I don't think Obama is the savior of the Democratic Party, or that Clinton is the only one who can defeat McCain. I don't expect either one of the them to be perfect; if I had my druthers, we would have a truly progressive candidate instead of two mushy centrists to choose between. But if you can't see that either of them is better than the alternative, you need more than the services of a good opthalmologist - you need to ignore the past 8 years, pretend that the 2000 election never happened, and think so highly of your own personal take on the political situation that you can't fathom that maybe you don't have all the answers.
I am loathe to tell other people how they should vote, but if you tell me that you will stay home if your preferred candidate doesn't get the nomination, I reserve the right to think that you're a self-centered idiot.
I don't think Obama is the savior of the Democratic Party, or that Clinton is the only one who can defeat McCain. I don't expect either one of the them to be perfect; if I had my druthers, we would have a truly progressive candidate instead of two mushy centrists to choose between. But if you can't see that either of them is better than the alternative, you need more than the services of a good opthalmologist - you need to ignore the past 8 years, pretend that the 2000 election never happened, and think so highly of your own personal take on the political situation that you can't fathom that maybe you don't have all the answers.
Choir Update
Way back in November, if you recall, I left the Congregational church where I sang for 7 years, along with the choir director and the accompaniest, and started singing at a Catholic church with them. The new choir was...not good, to put it as succintly as possible, and I wasn't sure I wanted to continue with them.
I just wanted to share that huge leaps and bounds of progress have been made with the choir. I'm really proud of my section in particular, since we have a committed group of altos who are there every week and put in the work to make our part as good as we can.
In addition to vast improvements in our sightreading and musicality, I've grown to love the people in this choir. They are kind, generous, warm...just a lovely group of people. So I think I'll be continuing with them for a while.
I just wanted to share that huge leaps and bounds of progress have been made with the choir. I'm really proud of my section in particular, since we have a committed group of altos who are there every week and put in the work to make our part as good as we can.
In addition to vast improvements in our sightreading and musicality, I've grown to love the people in this choir. They are kind, generous, warm...just a lovely group of people. So I think I'll be continuing with them for a while.
5/08/2008
I saw it, so I'm tagged
Meme via Angelos
1) Ten years ago I was...
Working at Cox Communications, at about this time of the year, I was promoted to work in their new telephony department as a Broadband Analyst. I worked kind of insane hours, but I loved the job. Although, if I hadn't gotten the promotion, I would have been laid off in a great economy, with a year's severence. I would have gotten another job and 2 years salary in one year's time. I regret that, sometimes.
2) Five things on today's (tomorrow's) to-do list:
Buy eggs
Do some yoga
walk the dog
finish the book I'm reading
laundry
3) Things I'd do if I were a billionaire:
Pay off all my debts
Set aside money for Monkey and Sio
Give a big chunk of change to my parents, my siblings, my father-in-law, my aunt-in-law and my sister-in-law
Quit my job so I could go to school full-time and get my damn degree already
Travel around the world
Buy a house in Ireland
Find a way to use my money to help create the kind of world I want to live in
4) Three bad habits:
Overeating
laziness
nail-biting
5) Five places I've lived:
Hebron, CT
Meriden, CT
Yalesville, CT
Portland, CT
Glastonbury, CT
6) Six jobs I've had in my life:
Meat wrapper
video store clerk
grocery store cashier
retail wage slave
waitress/sandwich maker
secretary
1) Ten years ago I was...
Working at Cox Communications, at about this time of the year, I was promoted to work in their new telephony department as a Broadband Analyst. I worked kind of insane hours, but I loved the job. Although, if I hadn't gotten the promotion, I would have been laid off in a great economy, with a year's severence. I would have gotten another job and 2 years salary in one year's time. I regret that, sometimes.
2) Five things on today's (tomorrow's) to-do list:
Buy eggs
Do some yoga
walk the dog
finish the book I'm reading
laundry
3) Things I'd do if I were a billionaire:
Pay off all my debts
Set aside money for Monkey and Sio
Give a big chunk of change to my parents, my siblings, my father-in-law, my aunt-in-law and my sister-in-law
Quit my job so I could go to school full-time and get my damn degree already
Travel around the world
Buy a house in Ireland
Find a way to use my money to help create the kind of world I want to live in
4) Three bad habits:
Overeating
laziness
nail-biting
5) Five places I've lived:
Hebron, CT
Meriden, CT
Yalesville, CT
Portland, CT
Glastonbury, CT
6) Six jobs I've had in my life:
Meat wrapper
video store clerk
grocery store cashier
retail wage slave
waitress/sandwich maker
secretary
Exactly how I feel
D. Aristophanes at Sadly, No! has captured my opinion of the Clinton v. Obama slugfest. Indeed, I could have written the same post, word for word, if A. I wasn't too lazy to write that much at one time and B. excepted the parts about interblog fighting, because I don't really do that.
5/07/2008
Invitation to the Dance
Ferdy on Films is running a blogathon called Invitation to the Dance. The subject is dance in the movies. Check out the site for links. There are some great videos out there, too. And this gives me an opportunity to share, again, one of my favorite dance scenes from the movies: the dance battle between Bob Fosse and Tommy Rall in My Sister Eileen.
I'm a huge fan of dance battles, and I think we should consider resolving all the world problems with dance battles.
While I was looking up this video, I noticed that several people have taken a video of Gwen Verdon and two other women doing what I describe as a K-Tel Records Easy Listening Songs of the 70's dance, choreo'd by Bob Fosse, and set it to some rather more contemporary songs. For example:
Damn, I love the internet.
I'm a huge fan of dance battles, and I think we should consider resolving all the world problems with dance battles.
While I was looking up this video, I noticed that several people have taken a video of Gwen Verdon and two other women doing what I describe as a K-Tel Records Easy Listening Songs of the 70's dance, choreo'd by Bob Fosse, and set it to some rather more contemporary songs. For example:
Damn, I love the internet.
Birthday and hiccups
Monkey opened up some cool presents tonight. She got a couple of books (A Wrinkle In Time and Gossamer, the latter of which caused her to jump up and down with happiness); some chocolate, a new bathing suit, some unmentionables* that she refused to open even in front of Loki, and a boombox (and that's what it's called, because it was in the aisle marked "Audio - MP3 - Boombox").
I made a homemade pizza, which is always an adventure because no two doughs ever come out the same. The last one I made didn't want to rise; this one wouldn't stop rising. It was a fluffy crust, which is not my preference, but it did mean that one piece was enough for me. For dessert, we had birthday cake. As per Monkey's request, we had an ice cream cake, and rather than buying a Carvel ice cream cake at the grocery store, I MADE an ice cream cake. I liked a Pyrex bowl with parchment paper, then put a layer of Breyer's Vanilla. I let that freeze up a bit, then I added half a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie, a layer of cookie crumbles, and then a layer of fudge. I let that all freeze a bit, and then I added a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie, and then the remaider of the Chocolate Fudge Brownie went on the bottom.
It was pretty awesome.
*yes, I am the kind of mother who buys things like underwear and socks for birthdays and Christmas. If I'm buying something, I like buying something that will get used.
Oh, hiccups. I've been getting them a lot over the past couple of days, usually at night before bed and in the morning when I wake up. It's extremely annoying.
I made a homemade pizza, which is always an adventure because no two doughs ever come out the same. The last one I made didn't want to rise; this one wouldn't stop rising. It was a fluffy crust, which is not my preference, but it did mean that one piece was enough for me. For dessert, we had birthday cake. As per Monkey's request, we had an ice cream cake, and rather than buying a Carvel ice cream cake at the grocery store, I MADE an ice cream cake. I liked a Pyrex bowl with parchment paper, then put a layer of Breyer's Vanilla. I let that freeze up a bit, then I added half a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie, a layer of cookie crumbles, and then a layer of fudge. I let that all freeze a bit, and then I added a whole pint of Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie, and then the remaider of the Chocolate Fudge Brownie went on the bottom.
It was pretty awesome.
*yes, I am the kind of mother who buys things like underwear and socks for birthdays and Christmas. If I'm buying something, I like buying something that will get used.
Oh, hiccups. I've been getting them a lot over the past couple of days, usually at night before bed and in the morning when I wake up. It's extremely annoying.
Eleven Years Ago Today
I woke up at 5:30 in the morning. I thought I was wetting the bed, but my water had not so much broken as sprung a leak. I felt the first contraction, and called Loki, who was at work. While I waited for him to come home, I turned on the TV and watched the movie Party Girl, where Parker Posey plays a Club Kid who discovers a love of the Dewey Decimal system.
We got to the hospital around 7, I was having contractions, but they were all over the place: 13 minutes apart, then 6 minutes apart, then 12 minutes apart, etc. But they admitted me, and soon enough, the contractions were coming hard and heavy. And back to back, which meant that I would have 2 minutes of contraction, and then 30 seconds in between to recover.
Sidebar: Everyone always makes jokes about pushing the baby out, but the part of labor and delivery that is hardest, in my opinion, are the contractions. They feel like the worst menstrual cramp you've ever had, doused with gasoline and set on fire. Pushing the baby out is sweet relief after that.
It wasn't easy, but it was fast: at 11:08 a.m., Maeve was born. She weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz., and was 18 inches long. When we went for her first checkup, a week later, she had lost a whole pound, and it took her 2 months to gain that one pound back. So my time off from work was spent going to the doctor every other day, getting tons of tests done on a tiny screaming baby, all the while knowing in my heart that she was just fine.
So Happy Birthday, my Monkey.
We got to the hospital around 7, I was having contractions, but they were all over the place: 13 minutes apart, then 6 minutes apart, then 12 minutes apart, etc. But they admitted me, and soon enough, the contractions were coming hard and heavy. And back to back, which meant that I would have 2 minutes of contraction, and then 30 seconds in between to recover.
Sidebar: Everyone always makes jokes about pushing the baby out, but the part of labor and delivery that is hardest, in my opinion, are the contractions. They feel like the worst menstrual cramp you've ever had, doused with gasoline and set on fire. Pushing the baby out is sweet relief after that.
It wasn't easy, but it was fast: at 11:08 a.m., Maeve was born. She weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz., and was 18 inches long. When we went for her first checkup, a week later, she had lost a whole pound, and it took her 2 months to gain that one pound back. So my time off from work was spent going to the doctor every other day, getting tons of tests done on a tiny screaming baby, all the while knowing in my heart that she was just fine.
So Happy Birthday, my Monkey.
5/05/2008
This post brought to you by the letter M
Generically tagged by Toast for this "meme" (I really hate that term). All answers start with the first letter of your first name.
What is your name? Maureen
A four-letter word: math
A vehicle: motorcycle
A city: Montreal
A boy's name: Michael
A girl's name: Margaret
Alcoholic drink: martini
An occupation: mayor
Something you wear: mittens
A celebrity: Marilyn Monroe
A food: mussels
Something found in a bathroom: mess
Reason for being late: migraine
Something you shout: MAEVE!
An animal: monkey
A body part: mouth
What is your name? Maureen
A four-letter word: math
A vehicle: motorcycle
A city: Montreal
A boy's name: Michael
A girl's name: Margaret
Alcoholic drink: martini
An occupation: mayor
Something you wear: mittens
A celebrity: Marilyn Monroe
A food: mussels
Something found in a bathroom: mess
Reason for being late: migraine
Something you shout: MAEVE!
An animal: monkey
A body part: mouth
The inserts are getting weird
I don't subscribe to any newspapers, but our office subscribes to three: The Hartford Courant, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. (We also get Newsweek, The Economist, and, oddly enough, Glamour). I'm the first one in on Mondays, so I picked up the papers, and when I took them out of their bags, I found an interesting insert in all three of them.
The top of the page says GODS Planet Earth ForEver Isaiah 44-24. Then there's a picture of a woman making the Home Alone face next to a title that says IT'S BACK. IT'S LIVE. next to a picture of the logo for The Connecticut Forum.
Below that is a paragraph with the title Journalism. I'm typing the paragraph as it is written on the insert.
I'm pretty sure that this wasn't a paid insert.
The top of the page says GODS Planet Earth ForEver Isaiah 44-24. Then there's a picture of a woman making the Home Alone face next to a title that says IT'S BACK. IT'S LIVE. next to a picture of the logo for The Connecticut Forum.
Below that is a paragraph with the title Journalism. I'm typing the paragraph as it is written on the insert.
As Some Of My Coworkers In Freedom Of The Press*Try To Play Hillary Against Barack*And Try To Play Obama Against Clinton*Please Stay Focused*That Hillary And Barack Isnt The Problem*The Problem Is The bush Administration*Over One Million Human Beings Have Been Killed*Over One Million Human Beings Have Been Injured*And Over Two Million Human Beings Have Been Made Homeless Because Of The bush Administration*Not To Omit That 90 Percent Of Those Human Beings*Were UnarMed Innocent Ladies*Unarmed Innocent Women*UnarMed Innocent Children*Unarmed Innocent GentlemaNs*And Unarmed Innocent Men*Corrupt Politician george bush Is A War Criminal*Guilty Of War CriMes Against Creation And Humanity John 8-32*Yes Now You Have The Truth Humanity*And The Truth Can Set Human Beings Free John 8-32**
I'm pretty sure that this wasn't a paid insert.
5/04/2008
In A Funk
That's where I am these days. We've had some cold and wet weather, which is bad for my hip, and I'm still coughing because I haven't been able to get to the doctor, and I'm slightly stressed out about money because I have three birthdays to shop for this month, one of them on Wednesday, when my Monkey turns 11, and I STILL have no idea what I'm going to get her, and I'm trying to eat right and stay on top of the cleaning I've done recently and get a good night's sleep, and it's all sort of turning me into a cranky and kind of anxious person, and I hate feeling that way. Or being that way.
Which is why I haven't posted.
Which is why I haven't posted.
4/27/2008
Guess what we're having for dinner?
This weekend, Monkey had to work on a project of dubious educational value: the pasta car. This involved going to 5 different grocery stores in search of wheel shaped pasta, the purchase of about 5 metric tonnes of various shapes of pasta, including the aforementioned wheel shape, trying to figure out whether the pasta should be cooked or uncooked, and then various attempts of varying levels of success to make pasta into what roughly resembles a car.
In the end, Monkey and I ended up with 2 prototypes, neither of which promise to be big winners in tomorrow's pasta car race. One of them is kind of cool looking, though.
In the end, Monkey and I ended up with 2 prototypes, neither of which promise to be big winners in tomorrow's pasta car race. One of them is kind of cool looking, though.
4/24/2008
Will I ever be healthy again?
Last night, I had a rough night of sleeping because I kept coughing. I've been coughing for a while now - it seemed like it was about 6 weeks of coughing. But I went to refill my albuterol inhaler today, and the original prescription was filled on February 6. So I've been coughing for almost 80 days. For most of 2008. I've been so busy at work that I didn't realize that much time had passed.
I'm definitely calling the doctor tomorrow.
I'm definitely calling the doctor tomorrow.
4/17/2008
The Club
Down the stairs to the dive
the pit
the bar
The Club
Cool and dark like a cave
Smell of beer and smoke
like dad
The men turn in their stools
and cheer with their brogues
"Ah, a round for Billy!"
Me and my sister play pretend
and War
and pool
I sing a rebel song
and collect quarters from men
who pinch my cheeks
We are seven and eight
we can pour a perfect pint
As the sun goes down
The Club fills up
The men are three deep at the bar
and we dodge lit cigarettes
as we push through the men,
playing tag
and hide and seek
until next week
when we come back to the bar,
the dive
the pit
The Club
(c) Maureen Barton (aka: maurinsky)
(Obviously, I know this poet, too.)
the pit
the bar
The Club
Cool and dark like a cave
Smell of beer and smoke
like dad
The men turn in their stools
and cheer with their brogues
"Ah, a round for Billy!"
Me and my sister play pretend
and War
and pool
I sing a rebel song
and collect quarters from men
who pinch my cheeks
We are seven and eight
we can pour a perfect pint
As the sun goes down
The Club fills up
The men are three deep at the bar
and we dodge lit cigarettes
as we push through the men,
playing tag
and hide and seek
until next week
when we come back to the bar,
the dive
the pit
The Club
(c) Maureen Barton (aka: maurinsky)
(Obviously, I know this poet, too.)
A Neolithic Meditation
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They'd have handed you a hide sack
and a cow's shoulderblade to shovel with
here, and sentenced you to daily quotas
from the gravel pit or a sod-field
past its prime, or with better luck, to paddling
a dugout down the Boyne where that salmon
and its wisdom was always beyond
the spearhead. Out of the overseer's eye
you'd be able to pace yourself until
you returned with a boatload of white stone
for enhancing this burial mound's face.
Full of noose-around-the-neck wisecracks,
you'd have been an unwilling toiler,
envying the horse its stamina,
the hare its jagged speed over broken
fields, and bog cotton its deference to wind
on peatlands against blue mountains,
where it crowds white-headed
as ancient peasants herded off the best
grazing, enduring as if they'd do better
as plants hoarding minerals through winter,
hairy prodigals spinning existence from clouds,
from mistfall two days out of three, the odd
shoal of sun drifting across. If you've come here
for your roots, lay an ear at grazing level,
down where even the sheep-splats
awry on stones are beginning to raise moss,
the level of folk wisdom, where maybe
you'll hear, "Need teaches a plan,"
or "Better to live unknown to the law."
© by Brendan Galvin
I actually know this poet. He teaches (taught?) poetry at Central Connecticut State University. He is also the stepfather of Loki's best friend from high school.
They'd have handed you a hide sack
and a cow's shoulderblade to shovel with
here, and sentenced you to daily quotas
from the gravel pit or a sod-field
past its prime, or with better luck, to paddling
a dugout down the Boyne where that salmon
and its wisdom was always beyond
the spearhead. Out of the overseer's eye
you'd be able to pace yourself until
you returned with a boatload of white stone
for enhancing this burial mound's face.
Full of noose-around-the-neck wisecracks,
you'd have been an unwilling toiler,
envying the horse its stamina,
the hare its jagged speed over broken
fields, and bog cotton its deference to wind
on peatlands against blue mountains,
where it crowds white-headed
as ancient peasants herded off the best
grazing, enduring as if they'd do better
as plants hoarding minerals through winter,
hairy prodigals spinning existence from clouds,
from mistfall two days out of three, the odd
shoal of sun drifting across. If you've come here
for your roots, lay an ear at grazing level,
down where even the sheep-splats
awry on stones are beginning to raise moss,
the level of folk wisdom, where maybe
you'll hear, "Need teaches a plan,"
or "Better to live unknown to the law."
© by Brendan Galvin
I actually know this poet. He teaches (taught?) poetry at Central Connecticut State University. He is also the stepfather of Loki's best friend from high school.
4/15/2008
Another poem
maggie and milly and molly and may
by E. E. Cummings
10
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
Copyright © 1956, 1984, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust from The Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, Edited by George J. Firmage. Reprinted by permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.
by E. E. Cummings
10
maggie and milly and molly and may
went down to the beach(to play one day)
and maggie discovered a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,and
milly befriended a stranded star
whose rays five languid fingers were;
and molly was chased by a horrible thing
which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:and
may came home with a smooth round stone
as small as a world and as large as alone.
For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)
it's always ourselves we find in the sea
Copyright © 1956, 1984, 1991 by the Trustees for the E. E. Cummings Trust from The Complete Poems: 1904-1962 by E. E. Cummings, Edited by George J. Firmage. Reprinted by permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.
4/14/2008
For at the first glance of the glory of god in the east
It's Monday morning, and I'm as chipper as a thing that is really, super-chipper, and why is that, you ask?
THE SUN IS OUT!
We have sunny days in the winter, but the springtime sun is special. It offers not just light, but warmth, and it makes me feel like dancing. (I was going to say it made me feel like bursting out into song, but there is very little that DOESN'T make me feel like bursting into song, so...dancing it is.)
Yeah, it's Monday morning, and my cat woke me up early by leaping on top of my bad hip, and I had trouble motivating those people I live with to get out the door in a timely fashion, *but* I'm sitting here, taking a quick break from work, with a perfect cup of coffee, and the sun streaming in through the office windows, and I feel GLORIOUS!
I'm twitterpated, I tells ya.
THE SUN IS OUT!
We have sunny days in the winter, but the springtime sun is special. It offers not just light, but warmth, and it makes me feel like dancing. (I was going to say it made me feel like bursting out into song, but there is very little that DOESN'T make me feel like bursting into song, so...dancing it is.)
Yeah, it's Monday morning, and my cat woke me up early by leaping on top of my bad hip, and I had trouble motivating those people I live with to get out the door in a timely fashion, *but* I'm sitting here, taking a quick break from work, with a perfect cup of coffee, and the sun streaming in through the office windows, and I feel GLORIOUS!
I'm twitterpated, I tells ya.
4/09/2008
National Poetry Month
My thanks to Sir Robin for letting me know that April is National Poetry Month. How appropriate, when my part of the world becomes a visual poem every day! Since I am completely twitterpated owing to spring, I thought this would be a good poem to share.
Spring and All
by William Carlos Williams
By the road to the contagious hospital
under the surge of the blue
mottled clouds driven from the
northeast-a cold wind. Beyond, the
waste of broad, muddy fields
brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen
patches of standing water
the scattering of tall trees
All along the road the reddish
purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy
stuff of bushes and small trees
with dead, brown leaves under them
leafless vines-
Lifeless in appearance, sluggish
dazed spring approaches-
They enter the new world naked,
cold, uncertain of all
save that they enter. All about them
the cold, familiar wind-
Now the grass, tomorrow
the stiff curl of wildcarrot leaf
One by one objects are defined-
It quickens: clarity, outline of leaf
But now the stark dignity of
entrance-Still, the profound change
has come upon them: rooted, they
grip down and begin to awaken
Copyright © 1962 by William Carlos Williams. Used with permission of New Directions Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this poem may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher.
Spring and All
by William Carlos Williams
By the road to the contagious hospital
under the surge of the blue
mottled clouds driven from the
northeast-a cold wind. Beyond, the
waste of broad, muddy fields
brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen
patches of standing water
the scattering of tall trees
All along the road the reddish
purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy
stuff of bushes and small trees
with dead, brown leaves under them
leafless vines-
Lifeless in appearance, sluggish
dazed spring approaches-
They enter the new world naked,
cold, uncertain of all
save that they enter. All about them
the cold, familiar wind-
Now the grass, tomorrow
the stiff curl of wildcarrot leaf
One by one objects are defined-
It quickens: clarity, outline of leaf
But now the stark dignity of
entrance-Still, the profound change
has come upon them: rooted, they
grip down and begin to awaken
Copyright © 1962 by William Carlos Williams. Used with permission of New Directions Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this poem may be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher.
4/08/2008
Olivier Messiaen
Back at the Congregational church where I used to sing, after the service, the choir would all stay until our accompaniest was finished playing the postlude. One Sunday, as conversations swirled around me, I sat, transfixed by this otherworldly music emerging from the organ. The music was glorious and terrifying, as if inspired by the Old Testament God.
That piece was Apparition de l'église éternelle by French composer Olivier Messiaen. This year marks the 100th anniversary of his birth, and a New York Times profile on the composer and tributes to him ran this past Sunday.
I'm still learning about Messiaen, but I found this video of the piece I mentioned above on YouTube. This is Daniel Roth playing Apparition de l'église éternelle.
I'm getting chills listening to it. (The video is kind of boring, although that is one hell of a magnificent looking organ.)
That piece was Apparition de l'église éternelle by French composer Olivier Messiaen. This year marks the 100th anniversary of his birth, and a New York Times profile on the composer and tributes to him ran this past Sunday.
I'm still learning about Messiaen, but I found this video of the piece I mentioned above on YouTube. This is Daniel Roth playing Apparition de l'église éternelle.
I'm getting chills listening to it. (The video is kind of boring, although that is one hell of a magnificent looking organ.)
This is why I use recipes
Tonights dinner didn't really need a recipe, I just needed an idea, and the recipe provided it. I made salmon with roasted leeks. I just trimmed the leeks and cut them into quarters, cleaned them, drizzled some olive oil over them and seasoned them with salt & pepper, and then roasted them. When I had about 10 minutes left to cook them the way I like them, I added some salmon (salted & peppered) to the pan. So lovely. I squeezed a lemon over the whole thing, and that was perfect. Simple and perfect, just what I like.
4/06/2008
Why do I follow recipes?
It so often turns out badly for me. For example, I am making a pork loin roast with garlic and au gratin potatoes. I checked the website for Pork, and it said a loin roast the thickness I was preparing should be cooked 20 minutes per pound. That seemed a little low to me, so I upped it to 25 minutes per pound. The roast is only 1 and a quarter pounds, and it's been in the oven now for 45 minutes, and it's nowhere near done.
Also, the au gratin recipe I was using called for 2 lbs of potatoes. I used slightly more than that, about half of a 5 lb bag. The recipe also called for 1 cup of cream and 1.5 cups of milk. Now I've got potato and milk soup with cheese on top.
I really should just go with my gut. I almost used less milk and cream, but I didn't. I almost put the roast in even earlier, but I didn't. It's not a disaster, but it's not the beautiful dinner I had invisioned, either.
Also, the au gratin recipe I was using called for 2 lbs of potatoes. I used slightly more than that, about half of a 5 lb bag. The recipe also called for 1 cup of cream and 1.5 cups of milk. Now I've got potato and milk soup with cheese on top.
I really should just go with my gut. I almost used less milk and cream, but I didn't. I almost put the roast in even earlier, but I didn't. It's not a disaster, but it's not the beautiful dinner I had invisioned, either.
4/02/2008
Making Music
I spent much of last week involved in a women composer's festival, and this afternoon, on my way home from work, I caught Nellie McKay on NPR's Project Song.
I am entranced by the process of crafting a song. It is like magic to me. I was speaking to one of the composers last week, and I told her that, and she was puzzled. "Haven't you ever had a tune running through your head?"
I had to answer yes to that question - but the tune is never one of mine. It's the curse of having a good ear and memory for music that anything that sounds even marginally similar will morph into a tune you already know.
Then there is the fact that I don't play an instrument.
I would love to write a song, and I'm going to make it a goal for myself, but from where I am now - it's going to take some magic. I hope I can get there.
I am entranced by the process of crafting a song. It is like magic to me. I was speaking to one of the composers last week, and I told her that, and she was puzzled. "Haven't you ever had a tune running through your head?"
I had to answer yes to that question - but the tune is never one of mine. It's the curse of having a good ear and memory for music that anything that sounds even marginally similar will morph into a tune you already know.
Then there is the fact that I don't play an instrument.
I would love to write a song, and I'm going to make it a goal for myself, but from where I am now - it's going to take some magic. I hope I can get there.
3/31/2008
There was a turf war
and I was the turf.
Our Saturday morning rehearsal for the afternoon concert got pushed back an hour, so there was going to be a significant overlap between the afternoon concert rehearsal and the evening concert rehearsal. I was sitting there, all warmed up, and all of a sudden, there was a fight going on over who needed me more.
Afternoon concert won, and I think they probably did need me more, since we had a lot of non-sight readers singing with us. So I didn't go to the evening concert rehearsal, which meant I couldn't perform in the evening concert. Kind of a bummer, because they had an outstanding piece that I was looking forward to singing, composed by Jessica Rudman. (It's her SSA "Two Poems" - so, so beautiful.)
Our Saturday morning rehearsal for the afternoon concert got pushed back an hour, so there was going to be a significant overlap between the afternoon concert rehearsal and the evening concert rehearsal. I was sitting there, all warmed up, and all of a sudden, there was a fight going on over who needed me more.
Afternoon concert won, and I think they probably did need me more, since we had a lot of non-sight readers singing with us. So I didn't go to the evening concert rehearsal, which meant I couldn't perform in the evening concert. Kind of a bummer, because they had an outstanding piece that I was looking forward to singing, composed by Jessica Rudman. (It's her SSA "Two Poems" - so, so beautiful.)
3/25/2008
Local Women Composer's Concert
...or how I gave my week to women composers.
One of the women in my a cappella group asked if any of us were interested in singing in a local women composers concert. I said yes, because I have been looking for songs to sing for my eventual audition into a music ed program, and I was specifically hoping to sing pieces composed by women.
So I got the music, and I talked to the woman organizing the event, and had a rehearsal on Saturday morning. She gave me postcards and brochures for the event, and we quickly went over most of the music. We had another rehearsal scheduled for tonight.
(This was happening, btw, during the music marathon that is Holy Week).
Tonight, I got another new piece, and I got to meet the composer, Sebastiana (I can't remember her last name). Sebastiana speaks at least three languages, and she set the song to a poem by Goethe. It's gorgeous. It's not an easy piece, but somehow, it is easy to sing - I think that's the mark of a good composition. This one will be performed tomorrow evening, so that's an additional concert I just found out about today.
We also went over another piece, one that the organizer asked me sing tenor on, and this one kicked my ass and then played a game of keepaway with it. Ho. Lee. Crap. I'm not sure I'll be able to get this one. It's one of these pieces where it's not so bad when you sing you're own line, but as soon as another part is singing, it all falls away.
Then the organizer asked me to go to another location where the other choir was practicing for another concert, which will take place on Saturday evening.
This is probably getting difficult to follow, so I'll just point you towards the website for the event, which has been going on all month: The 8th Annual Women Composers Festival of Hartford.
(oh, and hey, there's Sebastiana's last name: Sebastiana Ierna, from Sicily. Which means she speaks at least 4 languages: Italian, English, German, and Portuguese.)
So I went down the road to the other rehearsal, they were just finishing up with the SATB pieces (S-soprano, A-alto, T-tenor, B-bass, for the non-singers), and I had just enough time to get all the music and practice 2 pieces, both of which were lovely.
So, if you're in the Hartford area and you would like to either meet me, hear me sing, or are generally interested in women composers, I will be in the following concerts:
Wednesday, March 26, 2008: 7:30 p.m. at the Hartt School of Music, Konover Building - Women of the World Concert.
Saturday, March 29, 2008: 2:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Meeting Hall, Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford - Local Woman Composer's Concert.
AND
Saturday, March 29, 2008: 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Meeting Hall, Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford - Concert Pro Femina
And as my choir director would say, I'm putting the music under my pillow.
One of the women in my a cappella group asked if any of us were interested in singing in a local women composers concert. I said yes, because I have been looking for songs to sing for my eventual audition into a music ed program, and I was specifically hoping to sing pieces composed by women.
So I got the music, and I talked to the woman organizing the event, and had a rehearsal on Saturday morning. She gave me postcards and brochures for the event, and we quickly went over most of the music. We had another rehearsal scheduled for tonight.
(This was happening, btw, during the music marathon that is Holy Week).
Tonight, I got another new piece, and I got to meet the composer, Sebastiana (I can't remember her last name). Sebastiana speaks at least three languages, and she set the song to a poem by Goethe. It's gorgeous. It's not an easy piece, but somehow, it is easy to sing - I think that's the mark of a good composition. This one will be performed tomorrow evening, so that's an additional concert I just found out about today.
We also went over another piece, one that the organizer asked me sing tenor on, and this one kicked my ass and then played a game of keepaway with it. Ho. Lee. Crap. I'm not sure I'll be able to get this one. It's one of these pieces where it's not so bad when you sing you're own line, but as soon as another part is singing, it all falls away.
Then the organizer asked me to go to another location where the other choir was practicing for another concert, which will take place on Saturday evening.
This is probably getting difficult to follow, so I'll just point you towards the website for the event, which has been going on all month: The 8th Annual Women Composers Festival of Hartford.
(oh, and hey, there's Sebastiana's last name: Sebastiana Ierna, from Sicily. Which means she speaks at least 4 languages: Italian, English, German, and Portuguese.)
So I went down the road to the other rehearsal, they were just finishing up with the SATB pieces (S-soprano, A-alto, T-tenor, B-bass, for the non-singers), and I had just enough time to get all the music and practice 2 pieces, both of which were lovely.
So, if you're in the Hartford area and you would like to either meet me, hear me sing, or are generally interested in women composers, I will be in the following concerts:
Wednesday, March 26, 2008: 7:30 p.m. at the Hartt School of Music, Konover Building - Women of the World Concert.
Saturday, March 29, 2008: 2:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Meeting Hall, Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford - Local Woman Composer's Concert.
AND
Saturday, March 29, 2008: 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Meeting Hall, Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford - Concert Pro Femina
And as my choir director would say, I'm putting the music under my pillow.
RFA
Or, Request for Assistance.
Can anyone help me figure out the correct HTML coding (and where in my template it should go) to increase the amount of white space between the timestamp/comment line and the title of the post below it? This is bugging me, I've tried increasing the margins that are in the template, but I can't find the right one for the space that I want to change.
Can anyone help me figure out the correct HTML coding (and where in my template it should go) to increase the amount of white space between the timestamp/comment line and the title of the post below it? This is bugging me, I've tried increasing the margins that are in the template, but I can't find the right one for the space that I want to change.
3/24/2008
I'm not sure I like it
Well, I've made all these changes, and I'm not sure I like any of them. But they are made and I probably won't go through the hassle of changing it again for another few years.
Working on it
Blog changes are underway, but I have a very short lunch period, so more updates will be coming...including an updated blogroll.
3/20/2008
Updating ye olde blogge
I'm going to be updating the blog soon, and if you think I would enjoy your blog and you would like to be included in the new blogroll, let me know.
For today, I've added Sir Robin Rides Away. I first noticed Sir Robin over at Shakesville, when he agreed with me about something, and I love when people agree with me. I didn't read his blog until recently, but I like it very much, so I included him in the Friends and Family section.
For today, I've added Sir Robin Rides Away. I first noticed Sir Robin over at Shakesville, when he agreed with me about something, and I love when people agree with me. I didn't read his blog until recently, but I like it very much, so I included him in the Friends and Family section.
This is what happens when I clean
Monkey lost something very important for school, and we turned the house upside down looking for it, until we figured out that it had accidentally been disposed of. Which sucks, because now she'll have to do the work all over again, but it did provide me an opportunity to find pictures from our 2003 trip to England. You can double click the pictures to enlarge them.
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This is Sio, Monkey and me using the Underground. Sio and Monkey are singing something, and damned if I can remember what. ETA: I finally remembered: they were singing a song they learned from the Peter, Paul & Mommy CD, Leatherwing Bat . As an additional sidebar: I was watching a documentary about Peter, Paul & Mary at my parents house last weekend. Mary Travers was the shit when she was a young woman, I couldn't take my eyes off her.
I love this one of Sio & Monkey. We were shopping with my cousin Eileen in Enfield (north end of London), and Sio was keeping Monkey entertained by reading her a Power Puff Girls comic.
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Driving by not just a henge, but THE henge: Stonehenge.
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Great picture of the girls on their way up to the Glastonbury Tor. Loki took this one, I was writing postcards down in the village, where it was lovely and sunny and warm; it was a wee bit colder and windier up where they were.
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Monkey and I on the London Eye - you can see Big Ben behind us.
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Loki and the girls. I can hardly remember him without his beard!
This white peacock was at Leeds Castle. It was kind of a sad story - he had a mate, an albino peahen, but she was killed by a fox, and none of the other peahens would have anything to do with him because he was albino.
Sio and Monkey enjoying a picnic lunch at Leeds Castle.
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Honestly, I cannot remember when or where this picture was taken (although it's obviously on a boat), but my god, Monkey is a gorgeous child. Not that I'm biased.
I don't know if you noticed, while you were looking at the England pictures, but if not, I'll point out the unusual thing in all of them: sunshine. Everytime I've been to Ireland the UK, the weather has been gorgeous. They really should pay me to visit them.
.JPG)
This is Sio, Monkey and me using the Underground. Sio and Monkey are singing something, and damned if I can remember what. ETA: I finally remembered: they were singing a song they learned from the Peter, Paul & Mommy CD, Leatherwing Bat . As an additional sidebar: I was watching a documentary about Peter, Paul & Mary at my parents house last weekend. Mary Travers was the shit when she was a young woman, I couldn't take my eyes off her.
I love this one of Sio & Monkey. We were shopping with my cousin Eileen in Enfield (north end of London), and Sio was keeping Monkey entertained by reading her a Power Puff Girls comic.
.JPG)
Driving by not just a henge, but THE henge: Stonehenge.
.JPG)
Great picture of the girls on their way up to the Glastonbury Tor. Loki took this one, I was writing postcards down in the village, where it was lovely and sunny and warm; it was a wee bit colder and windier up where they were.
.JPG)
Monkey and I on the London Eye - you can see Big Ben behind us.
.JPG)
Loki and the girls. I can hardly remember him without his beard!
This white peacock was at Leeds Castle. It was kind of a sad story - he had a mate, an albino peahen, but she was killed by a fox, and none of the other peahens would have anything to do with him because he was albino.
Sio and Monkey enjoying a picnic lunch at Leeds Castle.
.jpg)
Honestly, I cannot remember when or where this picture was taken (although it's obviously on a boat), but my god, Monkey is a gorgeous child. Not that I'm biased.
I don't know if you noticed, while you were looking at the England pictures, but if not, I'll point out the unusual thing in all of them: sunshine. Everytime I've been to Ireland the UK, the weather has been gorgeous. They really should pay me to visit them.
3/17/2008
Obligatory St. Patrick's Day Post
Apparently, some people are bothered by pipes and fiddles, so here's a harp. Go ahead, try and complain about the sound of a harp.
3/14/2008
Photo Meme
I've been meaning to do this one for a few days, since I saw it over at Konagod's. Today I saw at Brave Sir Robin's, and I have insomnia, so here we go:
what's your first name?
where do you live?
what is your relationship status?
what is your favorite color?
favorite food?
what are you listening to right now?
what is your favorite movie?
where is your dream vacation?
what are you thinking about right now?
who is your best friend?
nickname?
where do you work?
what (who) makes you laugh?
what are you going to do after this?
how do you feel right now?
and
and
what are your plans for the weekend?
what is your favorite thing to do?
what school do you go to?
what are you addicted to?
what's your best feature?
what's your first name?
where do you live?
what is your relationship status?
what is your favorite color?
favorite food?
what are you listening to right now?
what is your favorite movie?
where is your dream vacation?
what are you thinking about right now?
who is your best friend?
nickname?
where do you work?
what (who) makes you laugh?
what are you going to do after this?
how do you feel right now?
and
and
what are your plans for the weekend?
what is your favorite thing to do?
what school do you go to?
what are you addicted to?
what's your best feature?
3/12/2008
If you're wondering why I've been quiet...
...it's because I've been playing this game over and over again.
I've made it to level 9 a few times, but the continent of Africa kills me. To be fair, when I took Geography, Rhodesia had only just become Zimbabwe, and there was this place called the Soviet Union.
Update: I'm now regularly making it to level 10, but so far I've come 15 points short of advancing to level 11.
I've made it to level 9 a few times, but the continent of Africa kills me. To be fair, when I took Geography, Rhodesia had only just become Zimbabwe, and there was this place called the Soviet Union.
Update: I'm now regularly making it to level 10, but so far I've come 15 points short of advancing to level 11.
3/10/2008
Four Years Ago Today....
I started writing this blog. It was, as I have mentioned many times, a response to a round of "where are the women bloggers?"
In the beginning, I mostly wrote about politics, but that subject has reached epic levels of burnout with me, so now I mostly write about movies or music or random stuff that wanders through my brain.
Thanks to everyone who stops by here, even if only occasionally.
In the beginning, I mostly wrote about politics, but that subject has reached epic levels of burnout with me, so now I mostly write about movies or music or random stuff that wanders through my brain.
Thanks to everyone who stops by here, even if only occasionally.
3/09/2008
One Man Guy
People will know when they see this show
The kind of a guy I am
They'll recognize just what I stand for and what I just can't stand
They'll perceive what I believe in
And what I know is true
And they'll recognize I'm a one man guy
Always was through and through
People meditate
Hey that's just great
Trying to find the inner you
People depend on family and friends
And other folks to pull them through
I don't know why I'm a one man guy
Or why I'm a one man show
But these three cubic feet of bone and blood and meat are all I love and know
'Cause I'm a one man guy in the morning
Same in the afternoon
One man guy when the sun goes down
I whistle me a one man tune
One man guy a one man guy
Only kind of guy to be
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy is me
I'm gonna bathe and shave
And dress myself and eat solo every night
Unplug the phone, sleep alone
Stay way out of sight
Sure it's kind of lonely
Yeah it's sort of sick
Being your own one and only
Is a dirty selfish trick
'Cause I'm a one man guy in the morning
Same in the afternoon
One man guy when the sun goes down
I whistle me a one man tune
One man guy a one man guy
Only kind of guy to be
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy is me
The kind of a guy I am
They'll recognize just what I stand for and what I just can't stand
They'll perceive what I believe in
And what I know is true
And they'll recognize I'm a one man guy
Always was through and through
People meditate
Hey that's just great
Trying to find the inner you
People depend on family and friends
And other folks to pull them through
I don't know why I'm a one man guy
Or why I'm a one man show
But these three cubic feet of bone and blood and meat are all I love and know
'Cause I'm a one man guy in the morning
Same in the afternoon
One man guy when the sun goes down
I whistle me a one man tune
One man guy a one man guy
Only kind of guy to be
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy is me
I'm gonna bathe and shave
And dress myself and eat solo every night
Unplug the phone, sleep alone
Stay way out of sight
Sure it's kind of lonely
Yeah it's sort of sick
Being your own one and only
Is a dirty selfish trick
'Cause I'm a one man guy in the morning
Same in the afternoon
One man guy when the sun goes down
I whistle me a one man tune
One man guy a one man guy
Only kind of guy to be
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy
I'm a one man guy is me
3/04/2008
Movie Quote Meme
I've added hints
Now I've answered the last one left
Lifted from Toast:
I don't know how to cross out, so I will just post any answers under the quote, along with the name of person who guessed it.
1. "She can't act, she can't sing, she can't dance. A triple threat."
SOLVED by Hazel: Singing In The Rain
2. "She said her fiancé had run off with a student cosmetologist, who knew how to ply her feminine wiles."
turn to the right
SOLVED by Hazel: Raising Arizona
3. "I've met another man. He's the best man I've ever met. He's bright, handsome and he's crazy about me. And, he's married. There's only one thing; he doesn't like my hat."
based on a philosophical novel
SOLVED by Tart: The Unbearable Lightness of Being
4. "It's okay to leave them to die."
SOLVED by Deborah: Serenity
5. "It's been many years since I had such an exemplary vegetable."
SOLVED by Tart: Pride and Prejudice
6. " I can remember everything. That's my curse, young man. It's the greatest curse that's ever been inflicted on the human race: memory."
SOLVED by Hazel: Citizen Kane
7. " You know Mr. Gorbachev, the guy that ran Russia for so long? I am a firm believer that he would still be in power today if he had had that ugly purple thing taken off his head."
Suzanne was willing to do anything to get on TV
SOLVED by Angelos: To Die For
8. "Like I'm gonna put a bullet hole in your fuckin' forehead, and I'm gonna fuck the brain hole! "
SOLVED by Deborah: Grosse Point Blank
9. "As a matter of fact, Father, I know I can get my hands on an entire shipment of religious relics, blessed by the Pope himself. The Germans swiped them and put them on the open market. As I understand it, the stuff includes a wrist and collarbones of some of your top saints!"
Norman Fell, Richard Benjamin, Art Garfunkel
SOLVED by Tom Hilton: Catch-22
10. "I got off that boat with nothing but my dancers belt and a tube of CHAPSTICK! "
ASSFACE
SOLVED by Angelos: Waiting for Guffman
11. "We are number one. All others are number two, or lower."
anger, vengeance, silverware, farting, invisibility, shoveling
NOT SOLVED: Mystery Men
12. "He's the fastest jack in Jefferson County!"
SOLVED by MuzakBox: Groundhog Day
13. " I must have some booze. I demand to have some booze. "
classic British comedy from the '80s
SOLVED by Tom Hilton: Withnail & I
14. "He's payin' so he don't have to look. See... guy goes to work every day, eight hours a day, seven days a week. Gets his nuts so tight in a vice that he starts questioning the very fabric of his existence. Then one day, 'bout quitting time, Boss calls him into the office and says, "Hey Bob, whyncha come on in here and kiss my ass for me, will you?" Well, he says, "Hell with it. I don't care what happens, I just want to see the expression on his face as I jab this pair of scissors into his arm."
dancing in Grand Central
SOLVED by Angelos: The Fisher King
15. "Holy dog shit. Texas? Only steers and queers come from Texas, Private Cowboy. And you don't look much like a steer to me so that kinda narrows it down. Do you suck dicks? "
SOLVED by Mr. Furious: Full Metal Jacket
Read, guess, enjoy.
Now I've answered the last one left
Lifted from Toast:
Instructions: Look up 15 of your favorite films on IMDb and take a quote from each. List them below. When someone guesses the quote correctly, cross it off the list. Leave a comment with your answers. And NO CHEATING.
I don't know how to cross out, so I will just post any answers under the quote, along with the name of person who guessed it.
SOLVED by Hazel: Singing In The Rain
turn to the right
SOLVED by Hazel: Raising Arizona
based on a philosophical novel
SOLVED by Tart: The Unbearable Lightness of Being
SOLVED by Deborah: Serenity
SOLVED by Tart: Pride and Prejudice
SOLVED by Hazel: Citizen Kane
Suzanne was willing to do anything to get on TV
SOLVED by Angelos: To Die For
SOLVED by Deborah: Grosse Point Blank
Norman Fell, Richard Benjamin, Art Garfunkel
SOLVED by Tom Hilton: Catch-22
ASSFACE
SOLVED by Angelos: Waiting for Guffman
anger, vengeance, silverware, farting, invisibility, shoveling
NOT SOLVED: Mystery Men
SOLVED by MuzakBox: Groundhog Day
classic British comedy from the '80s
SOLVED by Tom Hilton: Withnail & I
dancing in Grand Central
SOLVED by Angelos: The Fisher King
SOLVED by Mr. Furious: Full Metal Jacket
Read, guess, enjoy.
2/27/2008
On the passing of William F. Buckley
I was listening to NPR on my way home from work today, and I heard this report on the death of William F. Buckley.
First, I have to comment on this response by Buckley's hand-picked replacement to head up his magazine, The National Review - Rich "Right, but never Correct" Lowry:
This is perhaps what Lowry intended to say, but due to his inability to pronounce multisyllabic words correctly (and I'm not joking), he said "eriudite" and "incalcable" influence.
The part of the story that blew my mind was from his biographer, but that part of the story is not part of the audio at npr.com (not sure why). The essential gist of the biographer's comments (and I wish I could remember his name) were that Buckley had a genius for friendship, and never talked about politics unless he was getting paid to do so. He stated quite plainly that Buckley didn't care about politics and thought it was boring.
He didn't care. He didn't care. He founded the Young Americans for Freedom, he started a magazine trying to make conservatism respectable, said that people with AIDS should get tattooed so we can identify them, and fought against every step of the civil rights movement (a position he later regretted, although I take that with a grain of salt.) And he didn't care. Banality of evil, my friends.
The good news, though, is that according to his son Christopher:
Thank goodness there are no more kooks, anti-Semites, isolationists or John Birchers (scroll down the the Notable Members section: Ronald Reagan was a member of the Beverly Hills branch!) amongst the conservative movement anymore! Thanks, Mr. Buckley!
First, I have to comment on this response by Buckley's hand-picked replacement to head up his magazine, The National Review - Rich "Right, but never Correct" Lowry:
Buckley was, Lowry said, "an Ivy League-educated, silver-tongued, witty and erudite guy who could take on all comers — and he had just an incalculable influence."
This is perhaps what Lowry intended to say, but due to his inability to pronounce multisyllabic words correctly (and I'm not joking), he said "eriudite" and "incalcable" influence.
The part of the story that blew my mind was from his biographer, but that part of the story is not part of the audio at npr.com (not sure why). The essential gist of the biographer's comments (and I wish I could remember his name) were that Buckley had a genius for friendship, and never talked about politics unless he was getting paid to do so. He stated quite plainly that Buckley didn't care about politics and thought it was boring.
He didn't care. He didn't care. He founded the Young Americans for Freedom, he started a magazine trying to make conservatism respectable, said that people with AIDS should get tattooed so we can identify them, and fought against every step of the civil rights movement (a position he later regretted, although I take that with a grain of salt.) And he didn't care. Banality of evil, my friends.
The good news, though, is that according to his son Christopher:
He drove out the kooks of the movement. He separated it from the anti-Semites, the isolationists, the John Birchers. He conducted, if you will, a kind of purging of the movement.
Thank goodness there are no more kooks, anti-Semites, isolationists or John Birchers (scroll down the the Notable Members section: Ronald Reagan was a member of the Beverly Hills branch!) amongst the conservative movement anymore! Thanks, Mr. Buckley!
Done!
I finished my first draft of the script for Monkey's talent show. The theme that the organizer of the show decided on was Award Show/Red Carpet, so I did a mock awards show that includes a parody of a nominated TV show and a nominated movie. My favorite part of the script is the Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? section:
MC3: Now let’s see a scene from one of the shows nominated for Favorite TV Show: Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
Jeff Foxworthy: Okay, our contestant Dr. Alexander Andopolis, BS, MA, PhD, MD, DDS, RSVP is about to select the category for the $500,000 question. Dr. Andopolis, your partner is _________. There is only one subject on the board, 1st Grade Math
Dr. AA: Jeff, as you know, I have advanced degrees in Medicine, Dentistry, Psychiatry, and Etiquette. What you may not realize is that my Bachelor's degree is in Math, so I am confident that I can solve a first grade math question.
2/26/2008
New to Blogroll
My friend Sarah Callinan, who is a delightful and incredibly talented soprano, has a gorgeous new website all about her gorgeous self. Please check it out.
2/25/2008
The most terrifying two words in the English language*
Clown Ministry
I would write more, but I have to go curl up in the fetal position and whimper.
*aside from (all the gods of the ages forbid) President Cheney.
I would write more, but I have to go curl up in the fetal position and whimper.
*aside from (all the gods of the ages forbid) President Cheney.
2/21/2008
I miss Paris
Last night, Loki and I were hanging out at Barnes & Noble, and I picked up a book called Paris, Then and Now . It was only 2 years ago that we went to Ireland and Paris for February vacation.
That trip started out as a family trip to the Grand Canyon, but vastly cheaper airfares to Europe made the trip eastward more desirable. It was a life changing trip for Loki, Sio and Monkey, all of whom declared that there was no place in the world they would rather be than Ireland.
I loved Ireland, but I was completely swept off of my feet by Paris, even though it was ridiculously cold and a cite d'escalier, not very friendly for gimpy folks like me. Paris was a place I could see myself living, everything you need just outside your door.
The book was kind of neat, as it juxtaposed two pictures of the same location, one from the past, one from the present. I was pleased to see 2 shots of the area we stayed in in the Latin Quarter, on the Passage des Postes off of Rue Mouffetard, as well as a shot of Rue Lepic, where we stayed in Montmartre.
Passage des Postes
Loki and I will make it back there at some point, preferably in nicer weather. I just have to figure out how to get rich, and quick.
That trip started out as a family trip to the Grand Canyon, but vastly cheaper airfares to Europe made the trip eastward more desirable. It was a life changing trip for Loki, Sio and Monkey, all of whom declared that there was no place in the world they would rather be than Ireland.
I loved Ireland, but I was completely swept off of my feet by Paris, even though it was ridiculously cold and a cite d'escalier, not very friendly for gimpy folks like me. Paris was a place I could see myself living, everything you need just outside your door.
The book was kind of neat, as it juxtaposed two pictures of the same location, one from the past, one from the present. I was pleased to see 2 shots of the area we stayed in in the Latin Quarter, on the Passage des Postes off of Rue Mouffetard, as well as a shot of Rue Lepic, where we stayed in Montmartre.
Passage des PostesLoki and I will make it back there at some point, preferably in nicer weather. I just have to figure out how to get rich, and quick.
2/20/2008
2/14/2008
Tagged
I already put a response in the comments at konagod, but since the lovely Deborah Lipp has tagged me, I will pick another one of of the many, many books that are near the computer.
Here's the deal:
1. Grab the nearest book (that is at least 123 pages long).
2. Open to p. 123.
3. Go down to the 5th sentence.
4. Type in the following 3 sentences.
5. Tag five people.
"I liked the informal style of it, too. I crossed London in the morning on the rickety old Metropolitan Line and came out into the street market at Goldhawk Road and went round the corner to an ordinary looking house with a front garden, which was the office. I had splendidly bizarre clients."
Here's the book I used.
Now for the tagging: I tag Hazel, Toast, John Howard, Kirk and Kathleen.
Here's the deal:
1. Grab the nearest book (that is at least 123 pages long).
2. Open to p. 123.
3. Go down to the 5th sentence.
4. Type in the following 3 sentences.
5. Tag five people.
"I liked the informal style of it, too. I crossed London in the morning on the rickety old Metropolitan Line and came out into the street market at Goldhawk Road and went round the corner to an ordinary looking house with a front garden, which was the office. I had splendidly bizarre clients."
Here's the book I used.
Now for the tagging: I tag Hazel, Toast, John Howard, Kirk and Kathleen.
Oh, Turner Classic Movies, you're the only channel I ever loved
It's Oscar Month on Turner Classic Movies, and I've been recording and watching up a storm.
1. An American In Paris
I'm a total sucker for a musical, and I'm a total sucker for Paris, and I'm a total sucker for Gene Kelly and Oscar Levant. Clearly, this movie was made for me (18 years before I was born, but still).
What I like about this movie is that it is 2/3s of a typical romantic musical comedy, and 1/3 surreal and/or ballet. Set to great Gershwin tunes.
2. The Hospital
Script by Chayefsky and a bravura performance by George C. Scott. The middle section of the movie features a monologue, essentially, for Scott, and he had my heart pounding. He plays Doctor Bock, a man who is about to commit suicide, feeling hopeless about what is happening in his hospital and in his life. The end of the monologue is disturbing as he sexually attacks Diana Rigg, the daughter of a patient, after she has propositioned him and he initially rejected her. Darkly satiric and prescient about the business of medicine.
3. Casablanca
Believe it or not, I had never seen this movie from beginning to end. I love a good morally ambiguous character, and here we have them all over the place: Rick, who can't help but help out a gambler who is in over his head, but refuses to get involved in the larger issues; Captain Renault, who cheerfully fraternizes and supports the Nazis but still comes through in the end; Ilsa Lund, who is married to Mr. Perfect but has an affair with Rick while Mr. Perfect is in a concentration camp! You know this already, I loved it, although the dialog definitely sounds a bit cheesier having been parodied and copied a thousand times.
4. Sense and Sensibility
This is another one I'd never seen, and now it's another one I could watch over and over again when I'm feeling in the mood for something perfectly romantic. Of course, Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman are all fantastic; Hugh Grant was completely in stuttery mode, but adorable. But my favorite moments by far in the movie were when Hugh Laurie was on screen, especially when Imelda Staunton, who played his wife, was chattering away. He was thoroughly unpleasant, and I found it delightful.
Also watched: Seven Brides of Seven Brothers - hurts my feminist head, but I love that barn raising dance scene, Howard Keel's magnificent voice and presence, Tommy Rall and Russ Tamblyn. Anchors Aweigh - kind of boring and enough already about Jose Iturbi! but it did have a very adorable Dean Stockwell and Rags Ragland, one of my favorite "hey, it's that guy!" guys.
1. An American In Paris
I'm a total sucker for a musical, and I'm a total sucker for Paris, and I'm a total sucker for Gene Kelly and Oscar Levant. Clearly, this movie was made for me (18 years before I was born, but still).
What I like about this movie is that it is 2/3s of a typical romantic musical comedy, and 1/3 surreal and/or ballet. Set to great Gershwin tunes.
2. The Hospital
Script by Chayefsky and a bravura performance by George C. Scott. The middle section of the movie features a monologue, essentially, for Scott, and he had my heart pounding. He plays Doctor Bock, a man who is about to commit suicide, feeling hopeless about what is happening in his hospital and in his life. The end of the monologue is disturbing as he sexually attacks Diana Rigg, the daughter of a patient, after she has propositioned him and he initially rejected her. Darkly satiric and prescient about the business of medicine.
3. Casablanca
Believe it or not, I had never seen this movie from beginning to end. I love a good morally ambiguous character, and here we have them all over the place: Rick, who can't help but help out a gambler who is in over his head, but refuses to get involved in the larger issues; Captain Renault, who cheerfully fraternizes and supports the Nazis but still comes through in the end; Ilsa Lund, who is married to Mr. Perfect but has an affair with Rick while Mr. Perfect is in a concentration camp! You know this already, I loved it, although the dialog definitely sounds a bit cheesier having been parodied and copied a thousand times.
4. Sense and Sensibility
This is another one I'd never seen, and now it's another one I could watch over and over again when I'm feeling in the mood for something perfectly romantic. Of course, Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman are all fantastic; Hugh Grant was completely in stuttery mode, but adorable. But my favorite moments by far in the movie were when Hugh Laurie was on screen, especially when Imelda Staunton, who played his wife, was chattering away. He was thoroughly unpleasant, and I found it delightful.
Also watched: Seven Brides of Seven Brothers - hurts my feminist head, but I love that barn raising dance scene, Howard Keel's magnificent voice and presence, Tommy Rall and Russ Tamblyn. Anchors Aweigh - kind of boring and enough already about Jose Iturbi! but it did have a very adorable Dean Stockwell and Rags Ragland, one of my favorite "hey, it's that guy!" guys.
2/11/2008
New Project
My actual new project is a creative writing project for Monkey's school, but I'm also thinking about working on a graphic novel. I have these funny little visuals that pop into my head, and I think they might best be conveyed in graphic novel form. It might be just for me, but I'm going to get out my pencil and a sketchpad and start drawing.
2/08/2008
FIREFLY SEASON 2
Yeah, you read that right.
Hat tip to the lovely and Bond-eriffic Deborah at Property of a Lady. That's a woman with good taste, my friends.
Hat tip to the lovely and Bond-eriffic Deborah at Property of a Lady. That's a woman with good taste, my friends.
2/06/2008
I was on the radio today
I had a doctor's appointment today (no bronchitis, just reactive airways responding to congestion), and on the way down I turned on the radio, and the station was tuned to WAMC, which is an NPR station out of Albany. The show was Vox Pop, hosted by Dr. Alan Chartock (I have to check that spelling), and his guest was NY state Republican Assemblyman/Minority Leader James Tidesco. The subject was discussion of the results of Super Tuesday.
I happened to tune in right in the middle of a commenter who talked about how radical the Republican party has gotten, and Tidesco kind of pissed me off by talking about how both parties has their wingnuts. Since it's a 20 minute ride to my doctor, I dialed in and waited on hold through several digressions into the Iraq War.
Right before they picked up my call, another woman called in to talk about what I wanted to talk about, which is that the Republican party is no longer a hospitable place for moderates. I felt I did pretty well in responding to Assemblyman Tidesco, but as soon as I was done talking, I had to go into the doctor's office, so I don't know if he badmouthed me after I got off the phone or just kept spinning about McCain being a moderate.
You can listen here I'm Maureen from Hartford.
I happened to tune in right in the middle of a commenter who talked about how radical the Republican party has gotten, and Tidesco kind of pissed me off by talking about how both parties has their wingnuts. Since it's a 20 minute ride to my doctor, I dialed in and waited on hold through several digressions into the Iraq War.
Right before they picked up my call, another woman called in to talk about what I wanted to talk about, which is that the Republican party is no longer a hospitable place for moderates. I felt I did pretty well in responding to Assemblyman Tidesco, but as soon as I was done talking, I had to go into the doctor's office, so I don't know if he badmouthed me after I got off the phone or just kept spinning about McCain being a moderate.
You can listen here I'm Maureen from Hartford.
2/03/2008
Damn, damn, damn
I think my cough is morphing into bronchitis. I can feel the tightness in my chest.
I'm concerned, because shortly after the first time I had bronchitis (when I was about 12), I started having asthma attacks. I had them until Sio was about 3 or 4. The last time I had an asthma attack, I had to use one of those mist machines to bring my oxygen levels back up. Then the doctor gave me a combination of steroids and an inhaler that made me feel paranoid and anxious. I felt so horrible that I stopped taking them.
And oddly enough, my asthma went into remission after that.
Well, even though the timing is awful (hugely busy week at work ahead), I have no choice now, I have to go to the doctor tomorrow.
I'm concerned, because shortly after the first time I had bronchitis (when I was about 12), I started having asthma attacks. I had them until Sio was about 3 or 4. The last time I had an asthma attack, I had to use one of those mist machines to bring my oxygen levels back up. Then the doctor gave me a combination of steroids and an inhaler that made me feel paranoid and anxious. I felt so horrible that I stopped taking them.
And oddly enough, my asthma went into remission after that.
Well, even though the timing is awful (hugely busy week at work ahead), I have no choice now, I have to go to the doctor tomorrow.
1/31/2008
1/30/2008
Already a fun year in sickness
January's almost over, and I've been ill for most of the month. In addition to my regular allergies, and the weird neck thing I had a couple of weeks back, I spent the weekend with a fever and a snot factory in my head.
I was talking to Loki this morning, and he said "usually when you get sick, your voice gets all sexy...what happened this time?" It is true that when I'm sick, my voice usually gets sexily husky. It's almost Thursday (rehearsal), and I sound like Elaine Stritch if she had laryngitis and smoked a little more. Not sexy at all.
On top of that, the horrible neck pain I had has migrated to my lower back. I can't bend over or pick things up off the ground, or stay in one position for too long, without feeling this dull ache just near my left kidney.
I don't feel horrible, in fact, I tend to feel better if I get up and go to work as opposed to lounging in bed. I think, I haven't actually tried lounging in bed, but that would involve staying in one position for a while, which I already know is not good.
I do feel generally demotivated. I don't feel like eating or watching TV. I've been on the internet but I don't feel like staying on for very long. I have to wash some dishes, and I don't feel like doing that. Malaise, I guess. If my work schedule lets up some, I'll try to get the doctor.
I was talking to Loki this morning, and he said "usually when you get sick, your voice gets all sexy...what happened this time?" It is true that when I'm sick, my voice usually gets sexily husky. It's almost Thursday (rehearsal), and I sound like Elaine Stritch if she had laryngitis and smoked a little more. Not sexy at all.
On top of that, the horrible neck pain I had has migrated to my lower back. I can't bend over or pick things up off the ground, or stay in one position for too long, without feeling this dull ache just near my left kidney.
I don't feel horrible, in fact, I tend to feel better if I get up and go to work as opposed to lounging in bed. I think, I haven't actually tried lounging in bed, but that would involve staying in one position for a while, which I already know is not good.
I do feel generally demotivated. I don't feel like eating or watching TV. I've been on the internet but I don't feel like staying on for very long. I have to wash some dishes, and I don't feel like doing that. Malaise, I guess. If my work schedule lets up some, I'll try to get the doctor.
1/29/2008
Audition Songs
I am once again looking for audition songs, but this time, it's for my audition when I transfer from the Community College to the University. The website has no suggestions as far as what kind of pieces - most auditions will ask you to prepare an art song and an aria, one in a foreign language. The school I am planning to transfer to says nothing.
I went to this website today, and found the list of composers helpful. I was thinking of focusing on woman composers, but I am having a hard time tracking down song samples, so I can hear before I buy anything. I want a song that will play to my strengths (which are limited as far as classical music is concerned) but will challenge me.
I've probably got at least a year before I have to have anything ready, I'm looking now so I can know it backwards and fowards and inside and out, so it's a part of me.
I went to this website today, and found the list of composers helpful. I was thinking of focusing on woman composers, but I am having a hard time tracking down song samples, so I can hear before I buy anything. I want a song that will play to my strengths (which are limited as far as classical music is concerned) but will challenge me.
I've probably got at least a year before I have to have anything ready, I'm looking now so I can know it backwards and fowards and inside and out, so it's a part of me.
1/27/2008
How you know it's time to change the channel...
"Ladies and gentleman, Debra Messing and Zac Efron!"
1/20/2008
Brief Movie Reviews
Fast Times At Ridgemont High
I recorded this movie off of Cinemax even though I've seen it before. In fact, I saw it when it was released, in the movie theater, when I was 14 - my mother bought me the R rated ticket and I went with a boyfriend (not the kissing kind, the boy who is my friend kind).
This movie could not get made today. A comedy where a main character has an abortion? That doesn't ruin her life? Teenage girls who want to have sex but aren't deemed sluts or whores?
It is more flawed than I remember - the emotional lives of the female characters are given short shrift, and there is little style in the direction. I have some problems with the storyline for Jennifer Jason Leigh's character, Stacy. I like that she is not afraid of pursuing a sexual relationship, but the fact that she seems to be motivated by peer pressure from her friend Linda (who is clearly fronting about her own sexual experience) makes her pursuit of a sexual relationship to be somewhat coerced.
The male characters are generally more richly drawn, I assume this is due to the source material being written by a young man (Cameron Crowe).
Not as good as I remember, but this movie would be positively revolutionary if it was released today.
Imagine Me & You
The good: it's a very pretty movie. Matthew Goode is completely charming as the husband of a woman who falls in love at their wedding - with another woman. Giles is in it!
The bad: it is 35 minutes of Piper Perabo moping. There is no chemistry between the two women who are in love. It's boring.
Latter Days
This is a low-budget movie about a West Hollywood boytoy who falls in love with a Mormon missionary. That is a rich topic. Steve Sandvoss was terrific as Aaron Davis, the Mormon missionary who knows that he is attracted to men, but still fights against it because he believes in the religion in which he was raised. Wes Ramsay plays Christian, who makes a bet that he can bed a Mormon, but ends up (as they always do in these "I made a bet" kind of movies) finding the good within himself.
My only problem with the movie (aside from the low-budget, which negatively impacted the appearance of the film, and a couple of the supporting performances, which were amateurish) was the sex scene between Christian and Aaron. I love a good gay sex scene, my friends - men or women. This one was hot, no doubt. But it took me out of the movie - it was movie, movie, movie, soft-core porn! movie, movie, movie. I didn't think that with everything Christian had been through, the sex would have looked like that. It's a quibble, the movie could stand without the sex scene, since the truly intimate moment happens the morning after.
Alphaville
Jean Luc Godard's most accessible and linear film. It's still not terribly accessible or linear, but it is interesting, even if the ending seems simplistic. Since we kept going back to see things we missed, it took Loki and I about 4 hours to watch this 1 hour and 40 minute long film.
I recorded this movie off of Cinemax even though I've seen it before. In fact, I saw it when it was released, in the movie theater, when I was 14 - my mother bought me the R rated ticket and I went with a boyfriend (not the kissing kind, the boy who is my friend kind).
This movie could not get made today. A comedy where a main character has an abortion? That doesn't ruin her life? Teenage girls who want to have sex but aren't deemed sluts or whores?
It is more flawed than I remember - the emotional lives of the female characters are given short shrift, and there is little style in the direction. I have some problems with the storyline for Jennifer Jason Leigh's character, Stacy. I like that she is not afraid of pursuing a sexual relationship, but the fact that she seems to be motivated by peer pressure from her friend Linda (who is clearly fronting about her own sexual experience) makes her pursuit of a sexual relationship to be somewhat coerced.
The male characters are generally more richly drawn, I assume this is due to the source material being written by a young man (Cameron Crowe).
Not as good as I remember, but this movie would be positively revolutionary if it was released today.
Imagine Me & You
The good: it's a very pretty movie. Matthew Goode is completely charming as the husband of a woman who falls in love at their wedding - with another woman. Giles is in it!
The bad: it is 35 minutes of Piper Perabo moping. There is no chemistry between the two women who are in love. It's boring.
Latter Days
This is a low-budget movie about a West Hollywood boytoy who falls in love with a Mormon missionary. That is a rich topic. Steve Sandvoss was terrific as Aaron Davis, the Mormon missionary who knows that he is attracted to men, but still fights against it because he believes in the religion in which he was raised. Wes Ramsay plays Christian, who makes a bet that he can bed a Mormon, but ends up (as they always do in these "I made a bet" kind of movies) finding the good within himself.
My only problem with the movie (aside from the low-budget, which negatively impacted the appearance of the film, and a couple of the supporting performances, which were amateurish) was the sex scene between Christian and Aaron. I love a good gay sex scene, my friends - men or women. This one was hot, no doubt. But it took me out of the movie - it was movie, movie, movie, soft-core porn! movie, movie, movie. I didn't think that with everything Christian had been through, the sex would have looked like that. It's a quibble, the movie could stand without the sex scene, since the truly intimate moment happens the morning after.
Alphaville
Jean Luc Godard's most accessible and linear film. It's still not terribly accessible or linear, but it is interesting, even if the ending seems simplistic. Since we kept going back to see things we missed, it took Loki and I about 4 hours to watch this 1 hour and 40 minute long film.
1/14/2008
Oh, insomnia, my too frequent companion!
I have had about 3 hours of sleep in the past 2 days; I have put myself to bed 4 times tonight and as soon as my head hits the pillow, my eyes pop open and my brain starts going like mad - I have one sided conversations with people I know, imagine what my bedroom will look like when I get around to working on it, make lists of all the things that need to be done in the house, try to think about ways to make more money....and sleep eludes me.
And then there is the pain in my hip, which makes it difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep in.
I've taken Nyquil, and I've taken Tylenol PM. I'm tired, but I don't seem to be able to shut down.
I was up really late last night because we went to SIL's house to play Parcheesi, and we kept having to play rematches because Loki is a Parcheesi savant - nearly every time he had the dice in his hand, he rolled the optimum roll. It took the combined power of me, SIL and BIL, playing with the primary goal of taking down Loki, to keep him from winning the final game. And even so, he came in second!
So we didn't get home until 2:30, and then I couldn't get to sleep right away, so I slept from about 5 or so till about 7:30, when I had to get up for Mass. I was pretty bleary, but I didn't nap because I was worried that if I slept too much during the day, I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Clearly, that didn't work.
And then there is the pain in my hip, which makes it difficult to find a comfortable position to sleep in.
I've taken Nyquil, and I've taken Tylenol PM. I'm tired, but I don't seem to be able to shut down.
I was up really late last night because we went to SIL's house to play Parcheesi, and we kept having to play rematches because Loki is a Parcheesi savant - nearly every time he had the dice in his hand, he rolled the optimum roll. It took the combined power of me, SIL and BIL, playing with the primary goal of taking down Loki, to keep him from winning the final game. And even so, he came in second!
So we didn't get home until 2:30, and then I couldn't get to sleep right away, so I slept from about 5 or so till about 7:30, when I had to get up for Mass. I was pretty bleary, but I didn't nap because I was worried that if I slept too much during the day, I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Clearly, that didn't work.
1/11/2008
Music for Albert
I knew Albert for seven years, but I didn't know that he preferred to be called Albert until his memorial service, which was held last Saturday.
Most of the choir members I sang with during my tenure at South Church came to the service, and we put on our old robes and gathered in the choir loft and sang for Albert.
First: Most of Sing Me To Heaven
The first few lines are missing, but the lyrics are:
In my heart's sequestered chambers lie truths stripped of poet's gloss.
Words alone are vain and vacant and my heart is mute.
In response to aching silence memory summons half-heard voices
and my soul finds primal eloquence and wraps me in song.
Wraps me in song.
If you would comfort me, sing me a lullabye.
If you would win my heart, sing me a love song.
If you would mourn me and bring me to God,
sing me a requiem.
Sing me to heaven.
Touch in me all love and passion, pain and pleasure
Touch in me grief and comfort, love and passion, pain and pleasure.
Sing me a lullabye, a love song, a requiem.
Love me, comfort me, bring me to God.
Sing me a love song, sing me to heaven.
This is the not the best we've ever done, but that may be because several of us were weeping.
Next is the Kyrie Elaison from John Rutter's Requiem:
Our organist and I had a discussion about Rutter, who is kind of a guilty pleasure of both of ours. He mentioned that in his one of his music theory classes in college, the students all used to make fun of silly Rutter, but damned if the sweetness of his compositions doesn't just grow on you.
Also from Rutter's Requiem: Lux Aeterna
This features Sarah Callinan on the soprano solo. She was our soprano section leader for 4 or 5 of the years I sang at the church. I think much of the piece sounds better when sung by a boy's choir (that "lux aeterna, luce at eis" sung with the purity that can only really be achieved by young treble voices is so lovely), but I love her voice on the solo.
Sadly, my camera ran out of memory and Loki wasn't able to capture our last song, And I Saw A New Heaven, which is a glorious piece of music, and one that I think we actually performed better than we ever had before, but....like all of us, it was ephemeral and fleeting and will only live on the memory of those who were there. Which is appropriate, I guess.
Most of the choir members I sang with during my tenure at South Church came to the service, and we put on our old robes and gathered in the choir loft and sang for Albert.
First: Most of Sing Me To Heaven
The first few lines are missing, but the lyrics are:
In my heart's sequestered chambers lie truths stripped of poet's gloss.
Words alone are vain and vacant and my heart is mute.
In response to aching silence memory summons half-heard voices
and my soul finds primal eloquence and wraps me in song.
Wraps me in song.
If you would comfort me, sing me a lullabye.
If you would win my heart, sing me a love song.
If you would mourn me and bring me to God,
sing me a requiem.
Sing me to heaven.
Touch in me all love and passion, pain and pleasure
Touch in me grief and comfort, love and passion, pain and pleasure.
Sing me a lullabye, a love song, a requiem.
Love me, comfort me, bring me to God.
Sing me a love song, sing me to heaven.
This is the not the best we've ever done, but that may be because several of us were weeping.
Next is the Kyrie Elaison from John Rutter's Requiem:
Our organist and I had a discussion about Rutter, who is kind of a guilty pleasure of both of ours. He mentioned that in his one of his music theory classes in college, the students all used to make fun of silly Rutter, but damned if the sweetness of his compositions doesn't just grow on you.
Also from Rutter's Requiem: Lux Aeterna
This features Sarah Callinan on the soprano solo. She was our soprano section leader for 4 or 5 of the years I sang at the church. I think much of the piece sounds better when sung by a boy's choir (that "lux aeterna, luce at eis" sung with the purity that can only really be achieved by young treble voices is so lovely), but I love her voice on the solo.
Sadly, my camera ran out of memory and Loki wasn't able to capture our last song, And I Saw A New Heaven, which is a glorious piece of music, and one that I think we actually performed better than we ever had before, but....like all of us, it was ephemeral and fleeting and will only live on the memory of those who were there. Which is appropriate, I guess.
1/10/2008
Things you may not know
One pet rabbit can make a surprising amount of noise. The bunny is hopping around his cage upstairs, and it sounds like an adult male is thumping around. It is disconcerting.
1/08/2008
Question
Why is the preferred drive-time offering on the average FM station a pair of obnoxious men with 1 raspy voiced woman?
As a follow up: do people actually like morning DJs and find them amusing?
(I was forced to turn on the radio this morning because I left my CDs in the backseat, and I just don't understand this seemingly ubiquitous configuration or how people find it something that they want to listen to.)
As a follow up: do people actually like morning DJs and find them amusing?
(I was forced to turn on the radio this morning because I left my CDs in the backseat, and I just don't understand this seemingly ubiquitous configuration or how people find it something that they want to listen to.)
1/01/2008
2007 Meme (via Toast)
1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? felt confident about my abilities as a singer.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?I did keep my NY resolution from last year, which was to cook more often for my family. By the middle of the year, I had a weekly menu that got posted to the refrigerator. This year, my resolution is to get 8 hours of sleep a night. I may be purchasing either more Nyquil or Tylenol PM to make this happen.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?One of my co-workers had a baby girl last Friday.
4. Did anyone close to you die? My friends Al and Linda.
5. What places did you visit?New York City for Tartfest. The Bronx and Worcester for college visits.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? more self discipline
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I can't think of anything right now.
8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? getting into a professional a cappella group; getting recognition for my work at my workplace, even if it was not recognized in as green and dollarlike a fashion as I would have preferred; keeping my patience with my husband.
9. What was your biggest failure? I didn't lose any weight.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? too often
11. What was the best thing you bought? a dishwasher
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? my sister Bernadette
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Joe Lieberman; everyone associated with the Bush administration.
14. Where did most of your money go? according to Quicken, most of my money went to "other". Of course, I just downloaded it, so I'm sure that as we move forward in 2008, most of my money will go to the mortgage, followed by education, insurance, medical needs, food, pets, other.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Sio going to college.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007?And I Saw A New Heaven, even though it's an old song.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? sadder and wiser
b) thinner or fatter? same
c) richer or poorer? poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? read, socialized with friends, written letters, been a better parent.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?Eating of garbage food, watching TV, spending time on the computer.
20. How did you spend Christmas last year? In 2006, I spent Xmas with my in-laws.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007? no
22. How many one-night stands? zero
23. What was your favorite TV program? Pushing Daisies
24. What did you do for your birthday in 2007? I can't remember
25. What was the best book you read? Pride & Prejudice
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Ruthie Foster
27. What did you want and get? a dishwasher
28. What did you want and not get? a computer for myself
29. What was your favorite film of this year? Waitress
30. Did you make some new friends this year? yes
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? graduating from college
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? What Not To Wear
33. What kept you sane? I think this question makes an unfair assumption about my current level of sanity.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?I'm sure there's someone, but I can't think of anyone at the moment.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?The continued loss of civil liberties in the US.
36. Who did you miss? my sister Theresa, who I hardly saw at all in 2007.
37. Who was the best new person you met? the women in my a cappella group, to a person.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.That sometimes you can only rely on yourself.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?I did keep my NY resolution from last year, which was to cook more often for my family. By the middle of the year, I had a weekly menu that got posted to the refrigerator. This year, my resolution is to get 8 hours of sleep a night. I may be purchasing either more Nyquil or Tylenol PM to make this happen.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?One of my co-workers had a baby girl last Friday.
4. Did anyone close to you die? My friends Al and Linda.
5. What places did you visit?New York City for Tartfest. The Bronx and Worcester for college visits.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? more self discipline
7. What dates from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? I can't think of anything right now.
8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year? getting into a professional a cappella group; getting recognition for my work at my workplace, even if it was not recognized in as green and dollarlike a fashion as I would have preferred; keeping my patience with my husband.
9. What was your biggest failure? I didn't lose any weight.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? too often
11. What was the best thing you bought? a dishwasher
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? my sister Bernadette
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Joe Lieberman; everyone associated with the Bush administration.
14. Where did most of your money go? according to Quicken, most of my money went to "other". Of course, I just downloaded it, so I'm sure that as we move forward in 2008, most of my money will go to the mortgage, followed by education, insurance, medical needs, food, pets, other.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Sio going to college.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007?And I Saw A New Heaven, even though it's an old song.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? sadder and wiser
b) thinner or fatter? same
c) richer or poorer? poorer
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? read, socialized with friends, written letters, been a better parent.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?Eating of garbage food, watching TV, spending time on the computer.
20. How did you spend Christmas last year? In 2006, I spent Xmas with my in-laws.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007? no
22. How many one-night stands? zero
23. What was your favorite TV program? Pushing Daisies
24. What did you do for your birthday in 2007? I can't remember
25. What was the best book you read? Pride & Prejudice
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? Ruthie Foster
27. What did you want and get? a dishwasher
28. What did you want and not get? a computer for myself
29. What was your favorite film of this year? Waitress
30. Did you make some new friends this year? yes
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? graduating from college
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? What Not To Wear
33. What kept you sane? I think this question makes an unfair assumption about my current level of sanity.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?I'm sure there's someone, but I can't think of anyone at the moment.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?The continued loss of civil liberties in the US.
36. Who did you miss? my sister Theresa, who I hardly saw at all in 2007.
37. Who was the best new person you met? the women in my a cappella group, to a person.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.That sometimes you can only rely on yourself.
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