Yeah, um, in all my years of news junkie-ness during the W. Bush administration, or any administration, for that matter, I don't think I'd ever read a quote like this, from the AP:
For the dinner, Mrs. Obama wore a sleeveless, gold and cream colored sheath dress with an overlay of silver and matching shawl by Indian-born designer Naeem Khan. At the State Dining Room event earlier in the day, the first lady wore a skirt by Rachel Roy, who is Indian.
even with unemployment at an all-time high and Afghanistan policies ramped up and whatever else there is out there, there's just something a bit comfortind reading that today's state dinner was mostly vegetarian for India's prime minister, Singh, and that all sorts of inspiration was drawn from an international scope.
You see, the thing is, the very terrible fact of everything is, is that all policies will have a center-base. It's just this: where to the leanings, where to the branches outstretch to? And that's why I'll forever vote Democrat, instead of Green or Independent, when it comes to elections.
No matter the dire, yet less dire than they could have been, state of things, I still see the merits in voting for a mderate Democrat over any type Republican
More on tonight's state dinner at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091125/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_state_dinner
Dancing in the Street with Bowie and Jagger
Three versions of "Dnacing in the Streets" with Mick Jagger and David Bowie are available on Youtube, and it's rather hilarious to watch them...Very homoerotic in the slow mo, very awesomely 80s in the fast mo and just all around nostalgic-ly fun in original mode:
Slow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GTAIhksPcw&feature=related
Fast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wif2zv4t_lI&feature=related
Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATw7HIJCuLY&feature=related
Slow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GTAIhksPcw&feature=related
Fast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wif2zv4t_lI&feature=related
Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATw7HIJCuLY&feature=related
Sam Adams Cream Stout - Adventures in Beer
Sam Adams Cream Stout - First, I would like to mention that Sam Adams Imperial Stout is one of my most favorite beers, period. That being said, their cream stout is merely just fine. I don't dislike it but it's nothing special. No fun notes on the tongue, nothing dazzling or strong, but nothing bad either. I won't be purchasing it again, but I don't mind having four more to drink in the fridge, you know what I mean?
New Books - Caterpillar 7, Paul Klee and even Anne Sexton (for relz)
New books!
Took a trip to Pazzo as part of this mid week day off. I picked up a few titles...
- Caterpillar 7 Vol II #2: very provocative cover in purple and green, a grid of turn you head sideways picture of what is maybe? perhaps? could be? body parts or bodies in the act of conjugation or just something to make it look that way...Don't know. Inside is Chapter 4 of Robert Duncan's book about HD, poems from Paul Blackburn, Cid Corman, Garrit Lansing and Jess - no artowrk, but two poems, one with some sheet music in it, even - Ted Enlsin and Allen Ginsberg among others. What a fun find!
- a $3 mixed b & w and color book on the art of Paul Klee
-Selected Poem of Anne Sexton because my friend Pete and I got in a fight about poetry. He called the Beats the disco of poetry and asked how I could call myself a feminist and not like Sylvia Plath. I said the Confessional poets didn't really do it for me because it was too much about the drama and not enough about the whole art of poetry. Anyway, to be a sport, and because she's appreciated by others whom I like quite a bit, I got the Anne Sexton books. It's good to have a rounded out collection, I think. Heavy on what you love, smatterings of others, just to keep yourself in check, I say.
Took a trip to Pazzo as part of this mid week day off. I picked up a few titles...
- Caterpillar 7 Vol II #2: very provocative cover in purple and green, a grid of turn you head sideways picture of what is maybe? perhaps? could be? body parts or bodies in the act of conjugation or just something to make it look that way...Don't know. Inside is Chapter 4 of Robert Duncan's book about HD, poems from Paul Blackburn, Cid Corman, Garrit Lansing and Jess - no artowrk, but two poems, one with some sheet music in it, even - Ted Enlsin and Allen Ginsberg among others. What a fun find!
- a $3 mixed b & w and color book on the art of Paul Klee
-Selected Poem of Anne Sexton because my friend Pete and I got in a fight about poetry. He called the Beats the disco of poetry and asked how I could call myself a feminist and not like Sylvia Plath. I said the Confessional poets didn't really do it for me because it was too much about the drama and not enough about the whole art of poetry. Anyway, to be a sport, and because she's appreciated by others whom I like quite a bit, I got the Anne Sexton books. It's good to have a rounded out collection, I think. Heavy on what you love, smatterings of others, just to keep yourself in check, I say.
Coffee House Porter - Adventures in Beer
Coffeehouse Porter, Berkshire Brewing Company - whoopsy! Be careful when you drink this as I believe it has some real caffeine in it and all that. It tasted delicious, even if it did keep me up late. This was for the better, though, since Season 3 of Dexter expired On Demand yesterday, so I was able to catch the last three episodes before they disappeared to DVD land.
This porter has a thick, sweet taste. It's toasty, as well.
(Note the entry's time stamp. I'm up late tonight because the non-drowsiness of Advil Cold and Sinus is just as effective as the decongestant for me. But I took it anyway, since I didn't want to have a headache throughout my shift at work.)
http://www.berkshirebrewingcompany.com/coffee.html
This porter has a thick, sweet taste. It's toasty, as well.
(Note the entry's time stamp. I'm up late tonight because the non-drowsiness of Advil Cold and Sinus is just as effective as the decongestant for me. But I took it anyway, since I didn't want to have a headache throughout my shift at work.)
http://www.berkshirebrewingcompany.com/coffee.html
Adventures in Beer - a new series
Beer is the new wine. That is, as complex and fun and different as wines tastes, and sophisticated, so does beer, nowadays.
So, here's a running list of my adventures in beer:
right now: Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout - even though "chocolate" is in the description, it's not sweet at all. It has the same mouth feel as very dark semi sweet chocolate. http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/beer/ Click on the Black Chocolate Stout
last week: Arrogant Bastard Ale - hard, hoppy, tangy and fun. Their label reads like Dr Bronner's soap label, all manifest-y and whatnot, and it's an arrogant manifesto, too, with a little dig, I believe, at my beloved Sam Adams. It reminds me of the poetry in-fighing, to be honest. And I just want to say, Stone Brewing Company, that there's plenty of room under the beer umbrella for us all. I know. I see the consumers almost daily.
http://www.arrogantbastard.com/faq/index.html
before that: Harpoon Leviathan IPA - definitely has that strong hoppy jowl-spot hit but then also a sweetness that some may or may not like
before that: Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA - yup, good. And goes down easy. And then you're like, "Whoo!" and you didn't realize it was as potent as it was. http://www.bearrepublic.com/ourbeers.php
before that: Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout - it being colder and all, stouts are selling like crazy. This is hearty hearty hearty. http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith_oatmeal_stout.html
There's more, but we'll stop here. Look for more updates.
So, here's a running list of my adventures in beer:
right now: Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout - even though "chocolate" is in the description, it's not sweet at all. It has the same mouth feel as very dark semi sweet chocolate. http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/beer/ Click on the Black Chocolate Stout
last week: Arrogant Bastard Ale - hard, hoppy, tangy and fun. Their label reads like Dr Bronner's soap label, all manifest-y and whatnot, and it's an arrogant manifesto, too, with a little dig, I believe, at my beloved Sam Adams. It reminds me of the poetry in-fighing, to be honest. And I just want to say, Stone Brewing Company, that there's plenty of room under the beer umbrella for us all. I know. I see the consumers almost daily.
http://www.arrogantbastard.com/faq/index.html
before that: Harpoon Leviathan IPA - definitely has that strong hoppy jowl-spot hit but then also a sweetness that some may or may not like
before that: Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA - yup, good. And goes down easy. And then you're like, "Whoo!" and you didn't realize it was as potent as it was. http://www.bearrepublic.com/ourbeers.php
before that: Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout - it being colder and all, stouts are selling like crazy. This is hearty hearty hearty. http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith_oatmeal_stout.html
There's more, but we'll stop here. Look for more updates.
Coming back more often, I think
Hello! I've been focusing on other blogs, journals and creative writing so I haven't posted as frequently here. But I think I feel like going back to it. See you in the next post!
Good thing I'm eating mostly raw & vegan these days...
Um, well, you see, I have been a mostly vegetarian with occasional visits to piscatarianism (fish) for eighteen years now. Lately I've been eating mostly vegan and raw, for digestive health reasons.
And this story from the AP makes me never want to buy farm factory eggs ever again:
Video show chicks ground alive at egg hatchery
E-gads!
And this story from the AP makes me never want to buy farm factory eggs ever again:
Video show chicks ground alive at egg hatchery
E-gads!
Sedona Picture Blog
Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village of Sedona
tlaquepaque whirligigs
Mother & Child sculpture
Buddha, etc.
fountain
American Indian sculptures Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona AZ
Chapel of the Holy Cross mailbox & handyman
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Chapel of the Holy Cross side view
copper statue of St Francis of Assissi in garden of Chapel of the Holy Cross
inside the Chapel of the Holy CrossViews of the Red Mountains of Sedona
view from Schnebly Hill
view from our hotel balcony
our new friend, The Lizard
me, meditating in the Vortex
view on the Red Rock Loop Road
view from Schnebly Hill
view from our hotel balcony 
our new friend, The Lizard
me, meditating in the Vortex
view on the Red Rock Loop RoadCost, Coverage and Quality - a link about Health Care Reform
T. R. Reid, a journalist who studied the health care systems in other "first world" countries to look for answers to our nations's health care crisis. PBS's NewsHour featured an interview with him today:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/health/healthreform/
Around 6:17 is where I really perked up. What Reid points out is that in these other countries, the first focus, the baseline was to get everyone covered by health insurance and then manage costs and quality after that goal was met. Here, it seems, we are trying to manage costs then look to cover everyone and ensure quality.
That made a light bulb go off in my head. We should have it as a right not a privilege that every person have health insurance and then figure out the best ways to do it after it's set. Otherwise, isn't it like that gopher game at arcades? Once you hit one hole something pops up in another. Once you cover everyone, you have less ER visits, less overhead costs getting absorbed in the system..etc, etc.
There's lots of waste in our health care system, but that seems to me a secondary level of concern. You know, if there's a flood, don't start checking your bank account to make sure you can get new drywall before you stop the leaking and sop up the water.
Another good link:
"Money-Driven Medicine" on Bill Moyer's Journal - http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08282009/profile.html
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/health/healthreform/
Around 6:17 is where I really perked up. What Reid points out is that in these other countries, the first focus, the baseline was to get everyone covered by health insurance and then manage costs and quality after that goal was met. Here, it seems, we are trying to manage costs then look to cover everyone and ensure quality.
That made a light bulb go off in my head. We should have it as a right not a privilege that every person have health insurance and then figure out the best ways to do it after it's set. Otherwise, isn't it like that gopher game at arcades? Once you hit one hole something pops up in another. Once you cover everyone, you have less ER visits, less overhead costs getting absorbed in the system..etc, etc.
There's lots of waste in our health care system, but that seems to me a secondary level of concern. You know, if there's a flood, don't start checking your bank account to make sure you can get new drywall before you stop the leaking and sop up the water.
Another good link:
"Money-Driven Medicine" on Bill Moyer's Journal - http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08282009/profile.html
Javier Tellez and the ICA
I went to the Institute for Contemporary Art yesterday with my mom. Shepard Fairey's exhibit comes down tomorrow. I used to want to see it, then I heard him talk on NPR a few times and decided he was a bit of a tool, and a kind of moron. A vacuous sort of celebquasiartist whose allegedly anti-commercialism "Obey" message rings flat when you hear him discuss his work in commercialism, like for Macy's Department Store...But that's neither here nor there. What I came here to tell you about is the film "Letter on the Blind, For Use of Those Who See" by Javier Tellez.
The film is based on the old Indian parable "Six Blind Men and an Elephant". In the parable, six blind men feel a part of the elephant. None can tell what it is they're touching because they don't feel the whole thing.
Tellez's film features six blind people, each individually approaching and touching an elephant. The different responses and reactions tell a lot about human nature in general, possible dispositions in people. One man is excited like a child and recite Horton Hatches and Egg as he goes round the elephant, touching her skin. Another just taps and doesn't stay long. Another touches but ultimately dislikes the experience. And then there's one part that just MOVED me, and, from what I can tell of the reviews, moved a lot of people. I think I've admitted here that I cry easily but that doesn't always mean that I'm deeply moved. (It just means I'm a sentimental sap in so many ways...) But this film, and especially this one part, which I can't describe well enough to honor its poignancy, so you'll just have to track it down and view it yourself, truly moved me.
Links to reviews, interview with Tellez & the ICA home:
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/03/27/hands_on_experiments/?page=1
http://whitney.org/www/2008biennial/www/?section=artists&page=artist_tellez
http://creativetime.org/programs/archive/2007/performance/tellez_interview.html
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Arts/79501-Video-verite/
http://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/exhibit/acting-out/
The film is based on the old Indian parable "Six Blind Men and an Elephant". In the parable, six blind men feel a part of the elephant. None can tell what it is they're touching because they don't feel the whole thing.
Tellez's film features six blind people, each individually approaching and touching an elephant. The different responses and reactions tell a lot about human nature in general, possible dispositions in people. One man is excited like a child and recite Horton Hatches and Egg as he goes round the elephant, touching her skin. Another just taps and doesn't stay long. Another touches but ultimately dislikes the experience. And then there's one part that just MOVED me, and, from what I can tell of the reviews, moved a lot of people. I think I've admitted here that I cry easily but that doesn't always mean that I'm deeply moved. (It just means I'm a sentimental sap in so many ways...) But this film, and especially this one part, which I can't describe well enough to honor its poignancy, so you'll just have to track it down and view it yourself, truly moved me.
Links to reviews, interview with Tellez & the ICA home:
http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2009/03/27/hands_on_experiments/?page=1
http://whitney.org/www/2008biennial/www/?section=artists&page=artist_tellez
http://creativetime.org/programs/archive/2007/performance/tellez_interview.html
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Arts/79501-Video-verite/
http://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/exhibit/acting-out/
Shakespeare in the Park Boston Common 2009 Review: A Comedy of Errors
Yay! Yay! Yay! What larks abound in Shakespeare's "A Comedy of Errors" and this year's Shakespeare in the Common production was a fun evening out this past Saturday.
Plot rundown: two sets of male twins, one set the slaves to the others, are separated at birth. Many years later as adults, they end up at the same place but, not knowing they're each of a set of twins, people keep mixing them up. A comdey of errors ensues.
Boston's Shakespeare in the Park production takes place in a sort of Carribean or Floridian 1920's. The blues and purple were dazzling. I didn't feel there were any miscasts, although the Courtesan got a little pitchy, dawg, as Randy would say it, during the finale. That's my only 
complaint. The twin servants, dressed in Tweedle Dee & Dum gear, were the show stealers.
complaint. The twin servants, dressed in Tweedle Dee & Dum gear, were the show stealers.I was especially dazzled by the details of the costumes -- costume design, especially the courtesan's purple outfits, were my favorite part of the show. I also just like going to free shows in a beautiful park on a gorgeous night with a whole bunch of other theatre lovers. I made a new friend, a rescue tiny-sized mixed breed dog named Honey, who belonged to the family behind me. Just came along for some petting and eventually ended up curling up in my lap for a bit. So cute!
Go see the show before it's over! Last night is Aug 16. All shows start at 8 PM except Sundays, which start at 7.
Picture Blog of Millenium Park, West Roxbury
Repost: Tiger Refuges
I forgot all about the old blog and reposting entries here. While I'm on blog hiatus, I'll repost more old blogs:
September 5, 2006
For some reason, my dad has an obsession with, or rather a serious passion for the welfare of, tigers.
I’ve never asked why, so I suppose I should do that.
Anyway, he says he wants to remortage the house and tag tigers in Thailand. My mom and I think that’s a little extreme.
But we’re looking into a trip to a tiger refuge here in the US. There’s one in Florida, one in Texas and one in Arkansas.
It’ll be an adventure.
September 5, 2006
For some reason, my dad has an obsession with, or rather a serious passion for the welfare of, tigers.
I’ve never asked why, so I suppose I should do that.
Anyway, he says he wants to remortage the house and tag tigers in Thailand. My mom and I think that’s a little extreme.
But we’re looking into a trip to a tiger refuge here in the US. There’s one in Florida, one in Texas and one in Arkansas.
It’ll be an adventure.
New Obsession: Long Jersey Cotton Dresses
Rene and I are both quite happy with the flattering new trend in dresses. They remind me of the Regency dresses the chicks wear in Austen flicks, with the empire waist and long length. Only, our modern version is made of jersey cotton and is a little more alluring, if you will.
I now have a sapphire blue and dusky orange halter top floor length dress and a greenish turquoise one with a v neck and rusched (sp?) waistline. I have a violet knee length one as well. Oh, and a baby blue plaid sundress.
Summer is dress season!
A Tour of Maine - Itinerary
Next week is my vacation to Maine, where I have not been since January! Can you imagine?
Sat 3-5: Cc & Nona's Bday Party, Lewiston
Sat 6-???: Graduation & Dance Party, Bowdoin College, Brunswick
Sun AM - Alum meeting @ Stonehouse, Freeport
Sun noon - say bye bye to everyone in SC, head up north
Sun 2-6: Steve & Anna (I hope!), Orono
Sun 6 -???: to Emily and her bf, who I finally get to meet, Bangor
Mon AM: head to Lisa's in..uh-oh, what's her new address? Msg via FB, ?St Albans?
Mon 6-9ish: Chris's for dinner, Manchester
Mon night: arrive in Lewiston
Tue: All day back in my old neighborhood in Lewiston
Wed AM: say bye to Lewiston peeps
Wed afternoon: to see Liz, who'se a bit gimpy, she says & gets PTSD from Mad Men but likes the show anyway, Harpswell
Wed evening: to Jenny's - yay! Rosa! Catchup! Good times!, Brunswick
Thu: leave
EIGHT towns in SIX days! Whirlwind! Can't wait!
31 Was a Good Day
Here, open this up in a second tab and play it while you read this post and the acoompanying link.
Ice Cube's "Today Was a Good Day" at YouTube.
Now, open a new tab and go to this link to a Flow Chart about Ice Cube's "Today Was a Good Day".
People are funny!
Anyway, I thought of this song because even though DFG's dear grandma Rose passed away and her funeral was in the morning, the rest of the day was very nice and even fun at the end there.
Thanks to Rene for the Wonderful Berfdae cake from Sugar Bakery. Buttercreme frosting is to die for.
Ice Cube's "Today Was a Good Day" at YouTube.
Now, open a new tab and go to this link to a Flow Chart about Ice Cube's "Today Was a Good Day".
People are funny!
Anyway, I thought of this song because even though DFG's dear grandma Rose passed away and her funeral was in the morning, the rest of the day was very nice and even fun at the end there.
Thanks to Rene for the Wonderful Berfdae cake from Sugar Bakery. Buttercreme frosting is to die for.
31
31 is less of a no big deal event than 22 - because it least then, you're 22.
I took myself for some shopping and a massage. I think I'm going to be a massage therapist.
Dinner with the family was very good; good food, lotsa laffs, fun times.
I'm still here, just ramping down the weekly posts, as note previously.
Have a good one!
I took myself for some shopping and a massage. I think I'm going to be a massage therapist.
Dinner with the family was very good; good food, lotsa laffs, fun times.
I'm still here, just ramping down the weekly posts, as note previously.
Have a good one!
Books & Boston in The Globe
The Globe highlights 29 books that are set in the various neighborhoods of Greater Boston. A highlight:
WEST ROXBURY
8. “The Blithedale Romance”by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1852)
“And, by-the-by, we were favored with many visits at Blithedale [Brook Farm], especially from people who sympathized with our theories. …In their view, we were as poetical as Arcadians, besides being as practical as the hardest-fisted husbandmen in Massachusetts.”
For the rest of the list (and it's quite a fun little read), go to:
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2009/07/05/literary_boston_neighborhoods/
WEST ROXBURY
8. “The Blithedale Romance”by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1852)
“And, by-the-by, we were favored with many visits at Blithedale [Brook Farm], especially from people who sympathized with our theories. …In their view, we were as poetical as Arcadians, besides being as practical as the hardest-fisted husbandmen in Massachusetts.”
For the rest of the list (and it's quite a fun little read), go to:
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2009/07/05/literary_boston_neighborhoods/
Cape Cod for the 4th
Ali cia had a huge group of people (20 in total) down the Cape this weekend. It was tons o fun and the best was that the sun came up and stayed up for our vacation weekend. How nice!
Fun things to do:
Of course, none of this would be half as fun if it weren't for the company. I have good friends. And they have cute children. T was down with DTC and she's such a cutie pie. Very expressive face and says "Mumma!" and "Hi!" clear as day. So fun. I srsly can't wait until I'm old enough to have one. Hahahahahaha. Ugh.
To wait out traffic, I hit up the Cape Cod bookstores. I wrote about that over at the poetry blog, so if you feel like seeing my latest acquirements, check it out.
Fun things to do:
- bocce - we were doing well the first three tosses then it all fell apart
- grillin' and cookin' - I liek the kitchen there a lot
- making sand castles - esp. since there's a kid nearby and I don't look nearly as silly as if I were alone
- lobsters and steamers - lobster was super sweet and tasty
- ladder ball - a game anyone can play. I love it. I'm obsessed.
- spectatoring for sporting events - Sox finally pulled out a win, Wimbeldon mens was loo-oo-oong (I'm starting to like tennis since Rene is so into it...I think I'd like to try it and be very bad at it) and the hotdog eating contest
- camp fire - there's a fire pit now and we all sat around it at night and had fun playing Would You Rather; I'm also partial to Marry Chuck or F*ck.
- and, of course, my favorite: swimming in the ocean - great waves on Saturday
Of course, none of this would be half as fun if it weren't for the company. I have good friends. And they have cute children. T was down with DTC and she's such a cutie pie. Very expressive face and says "Mumma!" and "Hi!" clear as day. So fun. I srsly can't wait until I'm old enough to have one. Hahahahahaha. Ugh.
To wait out traffic, I hit up the Cape Cod bookstores. I wrote about that over at the poetry blog, so if you feel like seeing my latest acquirements, check it out.
Cilantro - if you don't like it, you're deformed
Summer time brings out the salsa for a lot of folks - lovely, cilantro filled salsa. For instance, Mom and I went to Margarita's yesterday (there's one in Weymouth now but it feels so very different from the one in Orono where I saw Howie Day play on St Patrick's Day in 1999) and their tasty salsa reminded me of this fun little diversionary story about cilantro I once heard on NPR.Apparently, there are people out there who loathe the taste of cilantro. To them, it is like eating poison, or soap. The reporter on the story hypothesized that this was because the cilantro haters had some kind of gene that we non cilantro haters didn't have. Turned out it was the opposite: cilantro haters are missing a sensory of a scent and the lack of this abilty to smell this scent is considered a deficiency! Ha!
Full story here:
This Week in WTF - Gainesville Mayor Arrested for Nudity
Hooray for Wonkette for providing this link:
This is the best police report in the history of the world. Former Gainesville Georgia Mayor Mark Musselwhite was arrested for nudity. He was drunk and camping. Oh my giddy gumdrops. As I noted in my comments on the Wonkette, this makes me wanna go camping in Georgia real real bad.
This is the best police report in the history of the world. Former Gainesville Georgia Mayor Mark Musselwhite was arrested for nudity. He was drunk and camping. Oh my giddy gumdrops. As I noted in my comments on the Wonkette, this makes me wanna go camping in Georgia real real bad.Best line: "[I] ASKED HIM IF HE'D DO THAT AT WALMART HE SAID NO HE WOULDN'T."
Nothing You Can Do But Dance Dance Dance
When the report was still just a hospitalization, I posted a blog entry saying I hoped it wasn't true, but, tragically, it is. Michael Jackson is dead.
This is so strange to think about. I don't really believe it yet. And yes, he was a really wacked out person, but I loved his music. It's funny how music can move you so much, even though it comes from someone who perpetrated some very morally questionable behavior. But my, does it move me.
I remember when I was 5 and 6 years old, how much I worshipped Michael Jackson. That's when I knew
I wanted to be an artist of some kind. He inspired my imagination and my creativity. I had a red jacket and a white glove and I would play my Thriller tape on my purple plastic tape player stereo and dance and sing for hours on end. My Thriller tape actually broke because I wore it out.
Later, in college, my recreation of Beat It, from lying on the couch, to looking over kitchen counters, to breaking up a pretend dance-y knife fight, was quite the party trick. At weddings, I grab a gentleman's coat and pretend to be Michael, with the tiles lighting up under my feet (so I like to think). And when I taught middle school and high school, I kept the end-of-class Friday chaos under control by having Dance Party Friday for the last five minutes of class, if everyone was good for the first 75 minutes, and then showing off my Michael Jackson moves. Nothing endears you to a group of high school kids like the willingness to be a total and utter dork in order to keep them from bouncing off the walls. And they loved it, so they've said.
Last night, to commemorate this artist whose work meant so much to me, I stayed up listening to his songs and other 80 pop dance tunes (thanks to the "Thriller" station on Pandora.com radio) and dancing the night away into the evening. I hadn't had so much fun in ages.
So, yeah. Yeah, he was definitely a freak. But, my oh my, was he a musician, was he a genius, the likes of which we won't being seeing anytime soon, I don't think. and I'm sorry to see such talent and inspiration go. I hope his troubled soul is at rest.
This is so strange to think about. I don't really believe it yet. And yes, he was a really wacked out person, but I loved his music. It's funny how music can move you so much, even though it comes from someone who perpetrated some very morally questionable behavior. But my, does it move me.
I remember when I was 5 and 6 years old, how much I worshipped Michael Jackson. That's when I knew
I wanted to be an artist of some kind. He inspired my imagination and my creativity. I had a red jacket and a white glove and I would play my Thriller tape on my purple plastic tape player stereo and dance and sing for hours on end. My Thriller tape actually broke because I wore it out.Later, in college, my recreation of Beat It, from lying on the couch, to looking over kitchen counters, to breaking up a pretend dance-y knife fight, was quite the party trick. At weddings, I grab a gentleman's coat and pretend to be Michael, with the tiles lighting up under my feet (so I like to think). And when I taught middle school and high school, I kept the end-of-class Friday chaos under control by having Dance Party Friday for the last five minutes of class, if everyone was good for the first 75 minutes, and then showing off my Michael Jackson moves. Nothing endears you to a group of high school kids like the willingness to be a total and utter dork in order to keep them from bouncing off the walls. And they loved it, so they've said.
Last night, to commemorate this artist whose work meant so much to me, I stayed up listening to his songs and other 80 pop dance tunes (thanks to the "Thriller" station on Pandora.com radio) and dancing the night away into the evening. I hadn't had so much fun in ages.
So, yeah. Yeah, he was definitely a freak. But, my oh my, was he a musician, was he a genius, the likes of which we won't being seeing anytime soon, I don't think. and I'm sorry to see such talent and inspiration go. I hope his troubled soul is at rest.
Don't take things for granted
My friend from high school, Pete, (admittedly more than my friend for senior year - my high school boyfriend, my prom date, my Lollapalooza mate and a whole bunch of other Very Significant Things) who has lived out West for quite a while now has come to live back in Weymouth
at least for the summer. He and I got together and did some Old School things, like take the train to the Other Side Cafe on Newbury St and walk the street to the Public Garden (which looks SO PRETTY right now) and then Boston Common, through Downtown Crossing to the train, where we parted ways.
at least for the summer. He and I got together and did some Old School things, like take the train to the Other Side Cafe on Newbury St and walk the street to the Public Garden (which looks SO PRETTY right now) and then Boston Common, through Downtown Crossing to the train, where we parted ways. It was a nice little night and along the way, I found a post-it, attached to a large ceramic replication of a leather cowboy boot outside a cowboy boutique called Rick Walker's. I had spotted another post-it note before that stuck on a chained up bicycle so I stopped for the second one. Guess what? It was a good thing I did, because I found it was a part of something called The Note Project. My note said, "Don't take things for granted," and I reposted it on a fancy modern parking meter, pictured above.
The day after Michael Jackson's passing, this is a prescient note to find. I think, though, that I'm doing well with following its advice. Case in point: Pete and I. We hadn't talked from 1997-2004 and then one day in Cape Cod, I ran into his mom and brother, gave them my number to give to Pete and we've been talking again ever since. So, there you go!
NOOOOOO - I know he's WEIRD but I can't be without my MJ
I know he's a big giant freak, but the world can't be without Michael Jackson yet! He has to be okay! Ahhhh!!! I mean, c'mon, Thriller. What's better than Thriller? Nothing. No album is better than Thriller, as far as being Important to the World-at-Large.
http://cbs5.com/national/michael.jackson.hospitalized.2.1059770.html
I hope this is a publicity stunt to promote the new tour or something........please please please...
http://cbs5.com/national/michael.jackson.hospitalized.2.1059770.html
I hope this is a publicity stunt to promote the new tour or something........please please please...
Cute Little House
Mom and I are always remarking on "cute little houses" that we see while driving around town. She's looking to downsize.
Here's one in Winthrop, ME, which is a nice little town. A cute little white house with black shudders. I'd put a purple door on it, too.
There's a purple house with white and yellow trim on VFW Pkwy that I see on my way to work. It is always so adorable.
Obsessed with cute little houses....
Here's one in Winthrop, ME, which is a nice little town. A cute little white house with black shudders. I'd put a purple door on it, too.
There's a purple house with white and yellow trim on VFW Pkwy that I see on my way to work. It is always so adorable.
Obsessed with cute little houses....
He's Just Not that Into You - On Demand
This movie is making me uncomfortable in the same way that the embarassing moments of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" does.
It's because I'm guilty of all the delusional stupidity of all these women. And so I just want to stop watching the movie and also quit life.
I had a copy of the book but threw it out the window because though its advice is salient, I didn't want to believe it and was mad at it being so appropo.
Anyway, I like Scarlet Johanson's hair in this: long, curly. So I'm going to grow out mine to be like that. Holly Hunter wears her hair this way in that Saving Grace show. I'm heading in that direction.
It's because I'm guilty of all the delusional stupidity of all these women. And so I just want to stop watching the movie and also quit life.
I had a copy of the book but threw it out the window because though its advice is salient, I didn't want to believe it and was mad at it being so appropo.
Anyway, I like Scarlet Johanson's hair in this: long, curly. So I'm going to grow out mine to be like that. Holly Hunter wears her hair this way in that Saving Grace show. I'm heading in that direction.
Summer Means Ice Cream
How do you like your ice cream? I usually like it in milk shake form and in the mint chocolate chip flavor. But if I have it in a dish, I like it a smidge soupy so each bite is part unmelted part soupy ice cream that way. It's tasty.Today I had half blackberry fat free frozen yogurt and half mocha chip. I walked to
do some errands (we were in need of some TP here at Alham) and stopped to indulge in a small cup at iScreamWorks.
do some errands (we were in need of some TP here at Alham) and stopped to indulge in a small cup at iScreamWorks.I was in the mood after hearing Jim Gaffigan talking about i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m on his stand up special that aired on Comedy Central at 7 tonight.
The Business of Health
I'm horrified and forlorn as I listen to this story on Fresh Air about how health care providers over-order too many things, tell patients to schedule an appointment rather than follow up calls because they make money off of visits and other despairing things occurring around the nation...
Listen to the interview with Dr. Atul Gawande, doctor and Boston's Brigham and Women's (down the street from where I live) and staff writer for The New Yorker (very far away from where I live):
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105483669
I heard another story the other day of a Massachusetts task force declaring that we need to completely overhaul the health care model by shifting the focus from healing the sick to maintaining the health of the healthy. The incentive gets shifted to wellness and maintaining it, rather than patching up the sick...This is how it is explained on WBUR.org's coverage page:
The idea is to spend less on health care by rewarding doctors for helping patients stay healthy instead of rewarding them delivering unlimited care when patients get sick. If that sounds straightforward, it’s not.
Full story from WBUR is here:
http://www.wbur.org/2009/05/27/health-cost-control
Listen to the interview with Dr. Atul Gawande, doctor and Boston's Brigham and Women's (down the street from where I live) and staff writer for The New Yorker (very far away from where I live):
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105483669
I heard another story the other day of a Massachusetts task force declaring that we need to completely overhaul the health care model by shifting the focus from healing the sick to maintaining the health of the healthy. The incentive gets shifted to wellness and maintaining it, rather than patching up the sick...This is how it is explained on WBUR.org's coverage page:
The idea is to spend less on health care by rewarding doctors for helping patients stay healthy instead of rewarding them delivering unlimited care when patients get sick. If that sounds straightforward, it’s not.
Full story from WBUR is here:
http://www.wbur.org/2009/05/27/health-cost-control
This Week in WTF - Uh, Sprite, what are you trying to say?
Have you seen the Sprite commercial where 2 groups of guys are on either side of an outdoor basketball on a really hot day and they look menacingly at each other then run into each and become giant bursts of water? Uhh, okay. Wtf is that supposed to mean? If I drink a Sprite then aggressively chest bump my enemy on a hot day, we'll become aqua? Sounds...really really stupid.
I can't find a link yet, and maybe never will but I just wanted to say...
I can't find a link yet, and maybe never will but I just wanted to say...
Successful Search for Gold at West Roxbury Public Library Book Sale
Holy Moly did I score a good batch a books at the WRPL book sale! Each for a dollar:
Poetry
Kaddish and Other Poems: 1958-1960 (City Lights Pocket Poets Series) by Allen Ginsberg
Shadow Train by John Ashbery
A Geology by Clark Coolidge
The Crystal Text (Sun & Moon Classics) by Clark Coolidge
The Scripture of the Golden Eternity (City Lights Pocket Poets Series) by Jack Keroauc
For Fun
Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving - because that's where I live
For the Fiction Kick
Tom Jones (Wordsworth Classics) by Henry Fielding (was Jane Austen's favorite)
& I got this for 2.50 at Pazzo The Turn of the Screw and Daisy Miller by Henry James
For the Lulz (LOL omg u r so phunnie David Sedaris)
Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays by David Sedaris
Poetry
Kaddish and Other Poems: 1958-1960 (City Lights Pocket Poets Series) by Allen Ginsberg
Shadow Train by John Ashbery
A Geology by Clark Coolidge
The Crystal Text (Sun & Moon Classics) by Clark Coolidge
The Scripture of the Golden Eternity (City Lights Pocket Poets Series) by Jack Keroauc
For Fun
Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving - because that's where I live
For the Fiction Kick
Tom Jones (Wordsworth Classics) by Henry Fielding (was Jane Austen's favorite)
& I got this for 2.50 at Pazzo The Turn of the Screw and Daisy Miller by Henry James
For the Lulz (LOL omg u r so phunnie David Sedaris)
Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays by David Sedaris
Palin-Letterman Conspiracy Theory
Yesterday I decided that this recent Palin-Letterman controversy is an elaborate ruse on both the part of the Palin and Letterman camps.
Here's the thing: Letterman's ratings have probably been slipping, what with Jay leaving and Conan replacing him, so he needed a reason for people to tune into The Late Show, instead of the Shiny New Conan at the Tonight Show. Palin's been out of the national spotlight since the end of the election and, being the mediawhore she is, doesn't like it. So when Letterman's stupid 6-second-long joke aired, boom!, opportunity came a knockin'.
First of all, I would like to mention that the joke was a)not the funny and b) aimed at 18 year old Bristol, not the actual daughter who was at the Yankees game (the younger one). On the other hand, children of politician's really should be left alone, despite the inane things said children may do. (Bristol Palin being the spokeperson for Abstinence Only? ieieiei).
What Palin really wants is to bring herself into the daily news programs again and regain some of that attention that she was missing after the election. If she really cared about protecting her children, she wouldn't do over-the-top things like accuse Letterman of being a pedophile. She'd've accepted his apology and let the thing go, so as to limit the amount of time the public was talking about her 14 year old daughter. But, anyone with a brain has to know that she's not making this fuss to protect her children. She's doing it to exploit her children in order to be the subject of conversation, articles and -whoa, hey, look at this - blogs.
Letterman's camp probably don't care so much about this, since the people who are Palin supporters aren't the ones who tune into him at night. If anything, it's her biggest detractors who are his audience, the more Left-Wing or Don't Care people. And with him being attacked by someone they essentially loathe, it might prompt them to tune into him, in support of him, rather than flip over to Conan, as they had been doing.
So it's a win-win for just about everyone except for the poor, unfortunate kid who's the center of it all, Palin's 14-year-old daughter, Willow. It's already hard being a teenager, especially at 14 year old teenager (remember freshman year? ugh ugh ugh). I can't imagine what it's like being the 14 year old daughter of an exploitative dipshit mediahog mom who makes a mountain out of a molehill in order to further her own political career.
Sorry, Willow. I hope that this is forgotten by the time school starts next year and you don't have to face loser 9th grade boys asking you about A-Rod's schlong or something descpiable like that. You have to admit that if Sarah Palin never brought this up, not one of us would be talking about it. And now her daugher has to suffer the consequences of her loathsome mother. Poor thing.
But what a boon it is for Letterman ratings and Palin political exposure!
Here's the thing: Letterman's ratings have probably been slipping, what with Jay leaving and Conan replacing him, so he needed a reason for people to tune into The Late Show, instead of the Shiny New Conan at the Tonight Show. Palin's been out of the national spotlight since the end of the election and, being the mediawhore she is, doesn't like it. So when Letterman's stupid 6-second-long joke aired, boom!, opportunity came a knockin'.
First of all, I would like to mention that the joke was a)not the funny and b) aimed at 18 year old Bristol, not the actual daughter who was at the Yankees game (the younger one). On the other hand, children of politician's really should be left alone, despite the inane things said children may do. (Bristol Palin being the spokeperson for Abstinence Only? ieieiei).
What Palin really wants is to bring herself into the daily news programs again and regain some of that attention that she was missing after the election. If she really cared about protecting her children, she wouldn't do over-the-top things like accuse Letterman of being a pedophile. She'd've accepted his apology and let the thing go, so as to limit the amount of time the public was talking about her 14 year old daughter. But, anyone with a brain has to know that she's not making this fuss to protect her children. She's doing it to exploit her children in order to be the subject of conversation, articles and -whoa, hey, look at this - blogs.
Letterman's camp probably don't care so much about this, since the people who are Palin supporters aren't the ones who tune into him at night. If anything, it's her biggest detractors who are his audience, the more Left-Wing or Don't Care people. And with him being attacked by someone they essentially loathe, it might prompt them to tune into him, in support of him, rather than flip over to Conan, as they had been doing.
So it's a win-win for just about everyone except for the poor, unfortunate kid who's the center of it all, Palin's 14-year-old daughter, Willow. It's already hard being a teenager, especially at 14 year old teenager (remember freshman year? ugh ugh ugh). I can't imagine what it's like being the 14 year old daughter of an exploitative dipshit mediahog mom who makes a mountain out of a molehill in order to further her own political career.
Sorry, Willow. I hope that this is forgotten by the time school starts next year and you don't have to face loser 9th grade boys asking you about A-Rod's schlong or something descpiable like that. You have to admit that if Sarah Palin never brought this up, not one of us would be talking about it. And now her daugher has to suffer the consequences of her loathsome mother. Poor thing.
But what a boon it is for Letterman ratings and Palin political exposure!
This Week in WTF - porcelain Michelle Obama doll
Someone - the Danbury Mint, in fact - has manufactured a freakishly life-like Michelle Obama porcelin collector's doll. How did I find this? Because Random Ads show up to the right of my Facebook homepage, as they do for you I'm sure, and this was one of them. I clicked out fo morbid curiousity.
And now I'm freaked.
And now I'm freaked.
Welcome to My New Garden
It's tiny but I like it. This is the reason I haven't been doing much of the bloggin.
Let's see - from right to left and back to front we have:
BACK ROW
**??? - a white, tall perennial
**a bunch of baby pink impatients
**Russian Sage -purple flower, about 12" high perennial
**Hosta - this one's green with white border
**sunflower - which I hope will get enough sun but since it's Rene's favorite flower, I had to get it
**another bunch of baby pink impatients
MIDDLE ROW
**a half ring of baby pink and salmon impatients annuals
**a dark purple petunia bunch, also an annual
BOTTOM ROW
**periwinkle veronica which is excellent groundcover and is recommended for the edge of beds
Then I put up a fence and some butterfly stakes along with a cute "Welcome" thingy. I'm totally buying a Garden Gnome to put in the corner, as well.
The white thing to the right is where I'm going to *try* to grow some red peppers, chives and basil. Under the white things are: wet newspaper, covered with bags. This helps kill the sod so that it's easier to pull up and turn loose. After that, I'll add the planting soil and some mulch and wait while my seeds grow inside before transplanting them...
Such Fun!
This Week in WTF - Brett Michaels Is Awesome
Did you see this? After Lip Synching his way through a Tony Awards appearance, Brett Michaels linger too long in the glory of the stage and TOTALLY WIPES OUT because a scene drop goes BLAM! on his head.
Here's the link but it will get pulled from terms of use, I'm sure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvEIEVaagVE
If it doesn't work, just google "youtube brett michaels tony awards".
The awesomeness knows no bounds.
Here's the link but it will get pulled from terms of use, I'm sure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvEIEVaagVE
If it doesn't work, just google "youtube brett michaels tony awards".
The awesomeness knows no bounds.
Observations during BBC's P&P
**How does Colin Firth look older in this than he does now, it seems? I think his face is thinner now-a-days and that's why.
**The Jane actress is not as pretty as Jennifer Erhle, not even close. But maybe if she didn't have to have parted-down-the-middle curlequed bangs she'd look better? Ohm you know what, yes. I remember seeing a nice photo of her--yes, here. The Google image results.
**And Mary - are we to suppose that she has autism, though somewhere early on the spectrum?
**I still just love how Caroline Bingley later played the treacherous fiance of Colin Firth in "What a Girl Wants".
**Oh, and look, there's Maria Lucas, AKA the girl from the British "Office" AKA the woman who was the TV gf of shortlived real life bf from my youth.
Fun times!
**The Jane actress is not as pretty as Jennifer Erhle, not even close. But maybe if she didn't have to have parted-down-the-middle curlequed bangs she'd look better? Ohm you know what, yes. I remember seeing a nice photo of her--yes, here. The Google image results.
**And Mary - are we to suppose that she has autism, though somewhere early on the spectrum?
**I still just love how Caroline Bingley later played the treacherous fiance of Colin Firth in "What a Girl Wants".
**Oh, and look, there's Maria Lucas, AKA the girl from the British "Office" AKA the woman who was the TV gf of shortlived real life bf from my youth.
Fun times!
Pride and Prejudice and Pride and Prejudice AND ZOMBIES
I just re-read Pride and Prejudice in preparation for reading Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which I hear, on NPR, is actually a clever spin off of the book. Some of the other spin-offs out there are dreadful beyond all belief. I read a Mr Darcy one last year. Turbull, jes turbull.I think I'm going to get a copy this weekend or so, and I will let you how it is when I'm done. In the meantime, my fiction kick continues. I picked up Middlemarch today, which is so many people's favorite book, and might start that soon.
Shakespeare in the Park Boston 2009 - A Comedy of Errors
It's baaa-aaack! Shakespeare in the Park, or more accurately, Shakespeare in the Common, will return again this summer. The play for this season is "A Comedy of Errors" and the show runs from Jul 31 to Aug 16, starting at 8 PM, at the Parkman Bandstand.
I thought to look this up because Anne Hathaway is on Jimmy Fallon (improving every day!) promoting her stint in NYC's Shakespeare in the Park production of "Twelfth Night".
Anyway, I shall see you in the park some night this summer, okay? I'll bring a pic-a-nic-a.
Coming My Way - DVDs & Books
DVD - Don't ask me what took me so long, but I finally ordered and will be receiving Colin Firth in "Pride and Prejudice." FIVE HOURS of my fav thing: the wet shirt, Jane Austen and The Best Book in the Whole Wide World (adapted to the screen).
FREE BOOK - I've been chosen as an early reviewer from Library Thing for "Superfoods". Stay tuned for a post on the book, once it come in the mail. I picked this book to review because of the whole health kick/ Mediterranean Diet thing.
NEW to ME BOOK - To round things out, I have also ordered Veil, Rae Armantrout's selected poems. I can't remember who it was that said they love "selected poems" rather than "collected works" because they're more portable and discriminating, but I agree.
This Week in AWESOME - 500 Plus Pounds of Pot at Costco
"Police seized more than 500 pounds of marijuana when officials broke up a large-scale narcotics delivery" at a Costco parking lot in Danvers.
Seriously.
More info:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/05/five_arrested_5.html
This Week in WTF - Uro Club
This is kind of an older commercial but I just saw it recently. Wrong on so so so many levels.
Get it? "URO", as in urologist and urine and Europe, where people are weird?
Get it? "URO", as in urologist and urine and Europe, where people are weird?
Tori Amos Things
Abnormally Attracted to Sin, Tori's latest album, came out on Tuesday. She got the title from the musical "Guys and Dolls". Ha! I do understand the sentiment, though, and I think the first time I really started to get that sentiment was...hmm...oh, when I was in the play "Guys and Dolls". Weird.
Anyway, she was on Leno last night, for the last time as a Tonight Show guest for Leno. He loves her. She's been on that show a bizillion times.
It made me look her up on IMDB. Now I have some Things To Remember To See:
Snow Cake - starring Sigourney Weaver & Alan Rickman
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448124/
Tori Amos: The Complete Videos 1991-1998 (how many hours did I wait to catch one airing on MTV and video tape it? And now they're all in one handy little DVD...)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362249/
This one I'm going to purchase, actually.
Must google Graham Norton appearance.
And her Tavis Smiley one should be free to access, since I paid for it with my tax monies...I hope?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0718324/
Oh, look. The transcript:
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/200504/20050426_amos.html
Lots of good quotes in this. Here's one sampling:
Tavis: [Tori just talked about listening to her Cherkee grandfather's stories growing up.] How does that translate, years later, into how you go about constructing your lyrics, because I get the sense that lyrical content is important to you.
Amos: Everything's important to me. What is not music within the song is important. When you breathe, the silence is essential. Every ingredient. That's like saying to a chef, 'Well, the salt, where is that?' Doesn't even matter. It's so simple, like breathing. Every element is part of this structure that you're creating. Music is ether, so I'm trying to translate this ether entity into a sonic...hmm...building, if you will, that you can walk into without leaving your chair.
What's hard is not having a desk to sit at. I don't have a private desk to sit at here in Weymouth, so I've been in a dryish spell. I also haven't been alone much. I wonder how artsy-people-who-are-mums create while being interrupted and such. (Well, I won't be learning any time soon, so I guess it doesn't matter...)
Ish Klein and the Boo Show
Well, this is something special: ish klein and the Boo! show. I found it through a meandering trail of clicking and reading things about this and that (namely CA Conrad) and now I'm watching a bunch of episodes on the YouTube.
Different in a good way & I feel better for having stumbled upon them.
Different in a good way & I feel better for having stumbled upon them.
Funny Blogs
I've been dragoness (dragging ass) for the last few days. One way to combat such doldrums are the funny blogs:
see more Fail Blog
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/04/apostrophe-is-silent.html
http://www.sexypeople-blog.com/2008/12/ronald.html
http://img.wonkette.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/bankrupt-california.jpg
see more Fail Blog
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/04/apostrophe-is-silent.html
http://www.sexypeople-blog.com/2008/12/ronald.html
http://img.wonkette.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/bankrupt-california.jpg
Inter-league Play, the Sox (& a revisit to Phantom Husband Nate Silver)
If history is any indication to performance, don't expect much from this upcoming inter-league series. The Red Sox always play weird at this time. They make wins, but it's not in inspiring games (like yesterday - phwoar! Still can't believe I was there for it all, too). They lose in games that it seems that they're going to win. Everything just gets all cocked up. It could be the loss of the DH; it could be that they're less familiar with the teams they're playing. There isn't the scouting history or the playing history. They don't know the nuances of pitching and whatnot. I'll leave it up to the expert to say exactly why, but something about May interleague play has always been "meh, eh, hmph"-ish.
It's times like this when I wish Nate Silver weren't just my Phantom Husband, but my real life one so that he could explain, by his magical number crunching PECOTA machine, in concrete facts what I mean by "meh, eh, hmph."
You know, he still hasn't responded to all those emails I sent back in the fall. I mean, I can't imagine why. They were totally normal and sane and everything.
(Maybe not. At all. But they were fun to write I tell yah, until it turned out he was probably actually reading them. Then it became mortifying.)
Hennywhey - stay tuned for some not-as-electric baseball in the next weeks, is all I'm sayin'.
A Magical Night at Fenway
WHOO HOOO!!!! My hippie crap worked! I didn't get to get the sodalite & tiger orchid, but I did wear bright, rejuvenating yellow and a giant Buddha Medallion and went "ohmmmmm" with my hand in that "o" shape, touching my middle finger to my thumbs.
As a result, Papi hit a 2-run homer in the 5th, making my prediction two runs and one inning off. This makes me *kinda* and not *fully* psychic.
And it wasn't just Ortiz who had a good 5th. Varitek, Bay and Lowell all hit homers. My throat hurts from screaming for joy so much. Electric Fenway!
All our neighbors -- the people in front, beside and behind us in the obstructed view Grand Stand Section 1 -- were fun folks and we had a good time high fivin' and chatting and all that throughout the game.
Also - WHY DIDN'T ADAM WIN IDOL???!!!! I don't get it. Men in eyeliner are just the bestest.
As a result, Papi hit a 2-run homer in the 5th, making my prediction two runs and one inning off. This makes me *kinda* and not *fully* psychic.
And it wasn't just Ortiz who had a good 5th. Varitek, Bay and Lowell all hit homers. My throat hurts from screaming for joy so much. Electric Fenway!
All our neighbors -- the people in front, beside and behind us in the obstructed view Grand Stand Section 1 -- were fun folks and we had a good time high fivin' and chatting and all that throughout the game.
Also - WHY DIDN'T ADAM WIN IDOL???!!!! I don't get it. Men in eyeliner are just the bestest.
Bicycle Bicycle
I'm thinking of getting a new bike. The foldable one isn't really ideal for the slightly hilly West Roxbury area. The small diameter of the wheels and the bumpy roads don't go well with my little bike. Plus, it's not very easy for me to port, even if it's supposed to be portable.
I found a very nice site with detailed information on bicycles and what type of bicycle is the right one for any given potential rider:
http://bikes.jump-gate.com/
I think that the best choice for me is either a street bicycle or the street/trekking hybrid. I need a bike that is comfortable to ride; speed isn't a factor for me.
http://bikes.jump-gate.com/bicycles_types/trekking.html
Only I'll have to look around for a deal, since I haven't got lots of discretionary fund laying around. Bicycle riding is so much fun, though! I can't wait until I can get back on the road...
I found a very nice site with detailed information on bicycles and what type of bicycle is the right one for any given potential rider:
http://bikes.jump-gate.com/
I think that the best choice for me is either a street bicycle or the street/trekking hybrid. I need a bike that is comfortable to ride; speed isn't a factor for me.
http://bikes.jump-gate.com/bicycles_types/trekking.html
Only I'll have to look around for a deal, since I haven't got lots of discretionary fund laying around. Bicycle riding is so much fun, though! I can't wait until I can get back on the road...
Ay-ight A-eady REPEAL This Sh*t Now
Up late watching Rachel Maddow rebroadcast and she just SLAMMED Obama et al when it comes to that stupidstupidstupid Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy.
It's 8:50 and completely worth watching.
The other annoying thing about this whole deal, besides the stupid bigotry and discrimination, is that Fehrenbach is gay. Phwoar. I wish I were a gay dude just for him. No I don't. But you know what I'm saying. Sizzlin'.
I'm not just going to copy and paste news stories to my blog. When I come up with some concrete action to take, I'll share here.
It's 8:50 and completely worth watching.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
The other annoying thing about this whole deal, besides the stupid bigotry and discrimination, is that Fehrenbach is gay. Phwoar. I wish I were a gay dude just for him. No I don't. But you know what I'm saying. Sizzlin'.
I'm not just going to copy and paste news stories to my blog. When I come up with some concrete action to take, I'll share here.
Rejuvenating for David - what I'm bringing to the Sox game tomorrow
I'm bringing Tiger Orchids, a Scarab Beetle & Sodalite to the Sox game tomorrow, for David. They have rejuvenating properties, you see, and baseball is a game of "superstitions". I'm also going to wear yellow, since it's a rejuvenating color.
Here's what I'm talking about, for those of you who don't follow baseball: All-Star slugger David Ortiz is in a slump. His usual booming bat has been flat, silent & non productive. We are all pulling for him, from the stands, our couches, etc.
Since I'm going tomorrow, I've decided to concentrate my thoughts on rejuvenation, for our beloved Big Papi. He needs all the support he can get and if it takes some silly hippie bullshisse, than that's what it takes.Here's hoping.
dream man
My dream man has yet to find me, but to get myself ready, I made a mix tape to myself from him. WHA???!!!
I put together a shuffle on my iTunes that a phantom Ideal Man would make for me. I listen to it while I take walks and do errands, to put my in the mindset of being open to his coming along.
I think what will also help is making sure to moisturize and wear make up, even if I'm just going to the grocery store, like it says to do in How to Make Any Twit Fall in Love with You.
I put together a shuffle on my iTunes that a phantom Ideal Man would make for me. I listen to it while I take walks and do errands, to put my in the mindset of being open to his coming along.
I think what will also help is making sure to moisturize and wear make up, even if I'm just going to the grocery store, like it says to do in How to Make Any Twit Fall in Love with You.
Recipe: Red & Green Frittata
Red & Green Frittata
6 eggs, scrambled
4 handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 avacado chopped
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
olives, chopped
5 soy sausages, chopped
about 1/2 cup gouda cheese -I used a peeler on the block of cheese I had left
1 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat over to 425. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over med high. Add all the veggies and saute until the spinach begins to wilt, stirring and mixing ever-so-often. Add the sausage then pour the egg around the skillet. Mix up everything some more and turn heat to med low. Spread everything evenly around the skillet. Shave the cheese over the top of the mixture. If your skillet has a plastic handle, wrap the handle with alum foil to prevent melting. Cover the pan and pop in oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5-10 minutes until the top is slightly browned. Remove and serve. I cut it up like a pizza and serve it that way. The bottom my be a bit sticky, so be gentle.
Damn good.
6 eggs, scrambled
4 handfuls of baby spinach, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 avacado chopped
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
olives, chopped
5 soy sausages, chopped
about 1/2 cup gouda cheese -I used a peeler on the block of cheese I had left
1 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat over to 425. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over med high. Add all the veggies and saute until the spinach begins to wilt, stirring and mixing ever-so-often. Add the sausage then pour the egg around the skillet. Mix up everything some more and turn heat to med low. Spread everything evenly around the skillet. Shave the cheese over the top of the mixture. If your skillet has a plastic handle, wrap the handle with alum foil to prevent melting. Cover the pan and pop in oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5-10 minutes until the top is slightly browned. Remove and serve. I cut it up like a pizza and serve it that way. The bottom my be a bit sticky, so be gentle.
Damn good.
Slightly Sweet Sauteed Kale
I keep experimenting with greens.
Recipe: Slightly Sweet Sauteed Kale
1 half med onion, quarters and sliced thin
1 tbs honey
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 head of kale, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs olive oil
In a large pot, heat olive oil over med high. Add onions, honey and ginger. Cook till onions begin to brown. Add kale, vinegar, water and sesame seeds. Stir well. Cover and turn heat to low. Cook until kale is limp and smooshyish. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to bottom of pot. I think it took about 40 mins.
Recipe: Slightly Sweet Sauteed Kale
1 half med onion, quarters and sliced thin
1 tbs honey
1/2 tsp ginger
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 head of kale, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs olive oil
In a large pot, heat olive oil over med high. Add onions, honey and ginger. Cook till onions begin to brown. Add kale, vinegar, water and sesame seeds. Stir well. Cover and turn heat to low. Cook until kale is limp and smooshyish. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to bottom of pot. I think it took about 40 mins.
This Week in WTF: Rumsfeld Plays with Page Maker & the Bible
In the first days of the Iraq War, Rumsfeld would bring by the daily briefings himself in person. The covers had photos from the war and quotes from the Bible. Not only is this creepy in the way is smacks of the Crusades, but the covers were done rather poorly and look terribly cheesy. The JUXTAPOSITION (SAT word!) is unnerving: here's a war we went to on a sham, executed awfully poorly in its first years and the guy in charge is fiddling around with PageMaker, or maybe just Paint, and jacking up the steps on his pedometer by bringing it by in person, instead of, say, monitoring the infrastructure of the country we've waged war against.
GQ has the story and the photo slide show of the cover:
http://men.style.com/gq/features/topsecret
Oh well! Live and learn*!
*Learn this election cycle, forget it in in 2-3 election cycles and have the political offspring of these cockups back in charge again in a vicious, 1984-like circle of ineptitude.
"Between the Bars" Cover
This is two years old, but I just heard it today. It's great. I love both Elliot Smith's orginal (reminds me of my youth, that whole soundtrack does) and this cover by Madeline Peyroux:
Give a little listen, kay? I think Peyroux may be my next iTunes purchase. Love her voice.
This Week in WTF - THIEVES!!!!!!!
Thievery! Thiefs! Not fair! ARRRGGGHHHH! Olbermann!!!!!!
Keith Olbermann has taken my idea of "This Week in WTF" and tweaked it for his own sinister purposes and calls it the "WTF Moment".
STEALERS!
I demand at minimum a nod of thanks for the idea. This is bullshisse. I mean, they obv. rd. my blog. So, they totally got the idea from me. Cheeky bastids.
Keith Olbermann has taken my idea of "This Week in WTF" and tweaked it for his own sinister purposes and calls it the "WTF Moment".
STEALERS!
I demand at minimum a nod of thanks for the idea. This is bullshisse. I mean, they obv. rd. my blog. So, they totally got the idea from me. Cheeky bastids.
Secrets of the Dead - Michelangelo Revealed
I think because of the upcoming movie, PBS aired a neat-o "Secrets of the Dead" about Michelangelo. Michelangelo was part of a group called "The Spirituali", which also included, and was in fact headed by Reginald Pole. I did not know that Reginald Pole (this is a sorta bullshisse link to the Crazy Catholic entry on Reginald Pole) was actually a progressive Catholic with many more Lutheran ideas than even Henry VIII. In "The Tudors", he just seems like he hates Henry because Henry eschews Catholicism from England. But it looks as if that's artistic license that Tudors writers are taking with history. They don't let the Reginald Pole character have any depth whatsoever, he's just this steadfast against Protestantism.
I went to the PBS "Secrets of the Dead: Michelangleo Revealed" website. There's all kinds of poo-poo from Adamant Catholics, hating on the documentary and throwing in some hatred for Dan Brown and Angels and Demons, too. Then there's someone promoting his website that's anti-Catholic, too. Ha ha. I wrote this:
This comment section is almost as interesting as the program itself! This documentary is prescient for its pairing with the release of “Angels and Demons” and also with The Tudors. It shows a very different Reginald Pole than the one currently portrayed, rather one-dimensionally, in the very fun though not always historically accurate “The Tudors”. The figure that grabbed my attention most was Vittoria Colonna. I love finding out about women who shaped history. And finally, forget the religion stuff you all are arguing about! As a poet, I took exception to one of the commentators saying that the reformist Spirituali did not succeed over the conservatives because they were artists and poets and therefore lacked discipline. Ummm…does the Sistine Chapel look like work that comes from someone who lacks discipline? C’mon, man, give us artsy people some credit here! Thanks for a very provocative and topical show!
Because, honestly, if artsy people really lacked discipline, how would anything ever be created? Weirdo prejudiced facty fact man. Lame-o.
Can't wait for Angels and Demons
Hmmm, I think since I am academically writerly and whatnot I'm not supposed to enjoy things like "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" but I absolutely and totally love them.It's a blend of some of my favorite things: mysteries, history - especially subversive groups in history, and European Things. How could I not love them? Just because the prose is so purple it belongs on a Drag Queen Float on Gay Pride Parade Sunday, doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself.
I watched Charlie Rose constantly interrupt, er, I mean, interview Tom Hanks, Ron Howard and Ayelet Zurer (the woman who plays the female main character, Vittoria). They look like they had fun making the movie. I'm looking forward to seeing it sometime soon...
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