Today's word of the day (the paper calendar--not the daily email version which was 'incunabulum') is raffish. an adjective marked by flashy vulgarity or crudeness: rakish, unconventional. Comes from the ME raf which meant trash --as in rif-raf-- dates back to the 1400's
Methinks tis a lovely choice.
This was genuinely funny and painfully honest and very very very sad. (I just broke my own cardinal rule #4--Only use 'very' once.) I went through five kleenexes. I was crying like a little girl. I was crying like I still miss my Emery. I would recommend this book if:
a.) you are thinking about a large breed dog
b.) still missing somebody you had to put down or
c.) need an excellent cathartic cry.
(considering moving to Boca Raton or getting preggers? your plans might be changed by reading this also)
snert!! this photo cracks me up. Andy took it at beerfest last weekend. I am SURE I was being VERY coherent!
I would have accepted this sign at face value, except that I was hoping it would have been remedied by now.Perhaps the employees are waiting for an exec to okay the changes!
That title is from the end of this blog. Thanks Krause! I owe ya one. I wish I could get hotties like Tony Bourdain to guest write on MY blog! gods! he is so hot.
by--Alfred Hickling 2/26/07 The Guardian
Nothing Like the Sun is an ambitious collaboration between the Royal Shakespeare Company and Opera North, led by composer Gavin Bryars, in which five artists from the worlds of folk-rock to electronica have been invited to set the sonnet of their choice. Meanwhile, Bryars himself has composed an hour-long suite for two opera singers and a goth icon, former Virgin Prunes frontman Gavin Friday.
Natalie Merchant, formerly of 10,000 Maniacs, provides a folky lyricism to the autumnal imagery of Sonnet 73, while Antony Hegarty and Nico Muhly give the insomniac ode of Sonnet 40 a decadent, three-in-the-morning feel.
DJ Mira Calix adds an uncompromising overlay of industrial noise to "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun". But the most charismatic moment occurs when Friday stalks on in gold jewellery and inch-high brothel-creepers to intone Sonnet 40 like a diabolical lounge entertainer.
Bryars heads for the sonnets dealing with memory and mortality, establishing a dark sound-world based around violas, bass clarinet and electric guitar. A video accompaniment by Pippa Nissen adds a further atmospheric dimension: yet no amount of cross-genre eclecticism will ever match the richness of the sonnets themselves.
***
Well amen brother! Well done! I look forward to this!.jpg)
I wonder if it will be as lilting or as biting as Sting's interp of Sonnet #130 ("My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun"), which Sting used in the song "Sister Moon". I hope so. I love Natalie Merchant's voice--she has that throaty velvet that wraps around one's brain and claws into your spine.
Okay that was a good time! We arrived at the park about 12:30 and got inside after about a ten minute wait--that part was very organized-- but dude--inside the big T shaped pavillion--it was so packed you could hardly move. It was literally a sea of people. The tents were FULL. PACKED! and I do mean packed-- like sardines in a tin. That full. By the better known breweries there would be knots of people 15-20 thick. Not moving just hovering because it took so long to get from one end of the thing to the other. There was a rocking band (everything from Led Zep to Johhny Cash to Sex Pistols!) and finally we found a spot outside and made friends and got down to some serious experimenting. I was on a dark beer mission and I started with a Dark Heathen Triple Bock from Kuhnhenn. It set the bar high. Very Yummy. and also Tigerclaw Spiced Ale from Schmoz, sweet but dry--veddy goot. Atwater had a nice Doppelbock they named Voodovator--had to taste that one twice.mmmmmm. Andy got the Black Pilsner from North Peak Brewery and that was yummy. I of course got a Final Absolution from Dragonmead --cuz I love them. Shortz had a couple tasty treats and they were the closest to our table!, their Black Cherry Porter was a little fizzy for me-- so I "cleansed my palate" with their Snowwheat Ale, which wasn't bad at all. I never made it back upstream to get the Solar Eclipse from Bo's, but Petey brought me back a whole bunch of nummy stuff that I forgot to write down. I have two new photo albums up at the .mac page One is Fuzzy Hats. And the other is cleverly titled Winter Beerfest!
Go look!
I read a very interesting thing in the paper this morning. (I wanted to use my tagline "this morning in the freep--but because of the JOA I can't.--insert Andy's voice "is she havin a laugh?) Okay--so in the Gardening section of The Detroit News I read Jeff Ball's column. Apparently The UN has pledged to get 1 billion trees planted in the next year. I'm in!! I want a birch tree. Pete loves willow trees, a pear tree would be the shit. Ball mentions that the canopy in Michigan isn't that bad but as an effort to replace what has been lost ON THE WHOLE...everybody should plant a tree, c'mon get off yer duff and dig a hole. Trees are good!
I remember when we lived in Lansing and Matt and Aidan went to the same preschool (where Fina and I worked) Spartan Village Child Development Center--god what a great place--now it is HUUUGE--we used to take the kids out for walks in the nearby woodlot and they would all hug a tree. It was so damn cute. All these little toddlers trying to get their arms around these huge maple trees. Hi! My name is Daye and I hug trees.
It was extremely windy yesterday.
I am sure I heard the DJ on WEMU state that we 50 mph winds! Breezey! Said wind was causing all the previously secured pinecones to leap from their branches. I was amazed to see that many pine cones this late--seems like they would have given it up by now. So all these spent seed pods are swirling around on the street. Light enough to be dashed about on the ground, but at the same time heavy enough to be unable to lift above the curb. You have to imagine that feeling you get when, at the beginning of autumn as you are driving down a quiet road--a leaf suddenly darts across your path--that brief instant when you want to hit the brakes because it could be a bunny..or a squirrel--that is the feeling I got as I witnessed about 100 pinecones (the long sausage shaped ones--not the conical fat ones) whirling around in a mini tornado of chaos. They made an odd noise as they scratched across the asphalt in front of Dan's house. A sound not unlike that of the paper plate & dried bean tambourines so favored in preschool bands. It was a bizarre scene. I could not help but think of all the crappy productions of The Nutcracker I have either been in or witnessed. The Battle of the Mouse King? These pine cones were demonstrating what so many ballet teachers have tried to convey--like West Side Story but colder and much smaller. Outraged little armies of pinecones spinning and swirling, like drunks in bumper cars.
Okay my patience is about to die. What is with these crazy ass ABC people? I wonder if they have any brains at all? 10 pm? five minutes of program and then 7 minutes of commercials? They have already pissed off half the viewers with the bloody hiatus!! HELLOOOOO??? McFly..Anybody home?? just put it on DVD and to quote my darling Emmert--Have a cup of shut the fuck up.
Oh, I like this very much! The artist goes by Nundu and is obviously quite skilled. I love the casual arm Hermione has draped around Ginny. Luna is perfect--her eyes are gorgeous and they just look so wonderful and happy. This could be a snapshot Harry carries with him on the Horcrux quest--cuz you KNOW these three will get left behind. ): I wonder will Ron go? Maybe Harry will head up the whole DA, they will all skip school and save the world. Will Hogwarts even be open?? gods 149 more days....
I can't stand it!
I snatched this from the NPNA list, Rebecca did a nice job summing it all up--
"Ypsilanti Public Schools' Estabrook Elementary School was one of 23 elementary schools in the state to receive Blue Ribbon status. The Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Program is designed to recognize schools that have made outstanding improvements and demonstrate a strong commitment to academic excellence. Estabrook is the only elementary school in Washtenaw County to receive the distinction.
The Blue Ribbon program was established in 1982. Schools under consideration for the award must complete a comprehensive report of key criteria for school effectiveness that serves as a basis for an extensive assessment of the building and programs. For details contact Estabrook principal, Pat DeRossett, (734) 714-1900."
Pat does run a tight ship. Her staff are all happy and the kids are individuals without bouncing off the walls. We heart Estabrook!
Good Job Ms DeRossett!!
Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!
Wow. When I woke up this morning and realized it was National doughnut day I soon recalled that at this time last year I was convincing myself I DID NOT have a hangover. I was not going to be sick and whimpery with my oldest (sorry guys we are--and bestestest frens all in the same city. I was in paradise.
We were at The Drake. Petey had asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I responded "all my friends at the same dinner table". Well, super hero that he is-- he managed that twice! The first night we were all together we went to a secret place called Mathilda's, absolutely divine. Then on Mardi Gras we took the crazy taxi driver race to what was basically a very well behaved house party. Our concierge guy had silly hats--he looked like Alex from Clockwork Orange--OMIGAWD!! LOST brainfart just happened. Sorry--staying focused-- ahem... I was looking at the pics from that trip and waxing nostalgic. What a fantastic four days. I chose out the orchid to share here because it is a quieter, calmer memory. Along with the delish take out sex toy room service menus, we all had live orchids in our rooms. Here are the rest of My old photos from Toronto.
Yes. I could have warped up the rigid heddle. Yes, I could have worked on the Ravenclaw scarf. The couched beadwork project I started for Border wars isn't even 35% done--but what do I do? Of course ADDgirl would start a new project before any of the others is finished! at least I did NOT go to the Fleecefair. I chose to start experimartinis for the cordial games!! Pear necter is nummy!
These come out next month (hmm anybody need a b-day gift suggeston?) I swear they are exquisitly detailed. Look at the facial features--Hermione is esp. nice but oh sweet haysuess--I gotta git me this un.
Vouloir, Pouvoir, Devoir
To want, to be able to, to have to.
I may need a new motto.
February 16, 2007--BY CAROLYN STARKS CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Just what made that little old terrier think she could lug an 8-pound ball around a bowling alley? Anyone knows a dog can't bowl.Well, maybe not, but one night three years ago Zoe sank her canines into the holes of a pink bowling ball at King-Pin Lanes and took off at an awkward trot. Making a U-turn in the locker room, she dropped the ball by the bar, where baffled regulars put down their drinks.
Grown doggone tired of all those rolling balls egging her on, Zoe apparently wanted to play fetch.
"I was shocked," said Jeff Nielsen, who owns the 7-year-old Jack Russell terrier and the Fox River Grove bowling alley near Chicago. "Her back feet could barely stay on the ground."
The brown and white dog with the bandit face has become a local celebrity with her antics. She doesn't bowl -- maybe she hasn't quite figured it out -- but she has her own cherry red ball that patrons roll to her as if it were a rubber toy.
Nielsen, 39, a former engineer and account executive, bought the puppy when she was 6 weeks old. The two were virtually inseparable, even more so after Nielsen quit his job in 2002 and bought the bowling alley. He shares the upstairs apartment with the dog.
As a pup, she quickly demonstrated a talent for opening zippers, which explains her name and could have been a tip-off of things to come. Nielsen wanted a name that started with Z.
Once Zoe became a regular at the lanes, she showed an obsession with bowling balls. And never mind that at 19 pounds, she was toting balls easily more than half her weight.
Nielsen finally gave her one of her own to carry around, then another and another. She wore out the finger holes with her dedicated clawing and chewing.
Her fourth ball is already showing wear and tear. So are Zoe's teeth, which are ground down from all that ball-carrying.
Originally bred to hunt foxes in 19th-Century England, Jack Russell terriers need a mission.
"They're dogs that absolutely have to have a career, and they will just make one based on what their environment is, and that's obviously what that dog has done," said Terri Batzer, administrative director of the Jack Russell Terrier Club of America.
"She's the star," said an admiring Pamela Lee, who sat at the bar on a recent weekend with Zoe perched on her lap. "I'm allergic to her and I still hold her."
If that isn't love, consider Luke Barnett. Summoned from a cozy spot at the bar, he dutifully led Zoe outside in subzero cold for a potty break.
"We all take care of her," Barnett said, grabbing the leash from a hook next to the front door.
When he wasn't busy tending bar, Nielsen played his unusual game of fetch with Zoe. He tossed the ball and she bolted after it, growling and snarling. Easily picking it up, she hauled it 10 feet then dropped it with a thud on the carpet.
When the bowling turns serious, the dog's interference isn't always welcome. If she chases a ball down a lane at the wrong time, she pays a price: banishment to the apartment.
Today is Thursday, as usual Petey and I got to have lunch together. Today I made minestrone soup and was gonna throw some tuna together. But I got clever--
1 small yellow onion chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1 tablespoon dried celery (pete hates the fresh stuff)
2-3 dashes olive oil
sautee until onions are golden and carmelized
mix in with the tuna and light mayo, slice of provolone
on toasted challah
oh my! lovely and warm
See, how bored I get? I make up my own damn game and can't even stick to it. I may have ADD. No; I can focus--I just don't WANT to! So today we offer for your consideration, an image that is not necessarily FAN art per say, but while still working the same old bone, a movie still. This makes me think about screen caps. I need to learn more about that pirate-y little activity. Ahem the topic at hand.
This image has particular resonance for me as I do enjoy the hunt. There is nothing more attractive to me than an aloof poet boy who wants nothing to do with me. Thus the walking away thing. I want to chase after him and beg him to look over my "homework". I wonder how many people will fit comfortably in that billowing black cloak? two for sure. A confident stride, luxuriant fabric. He is prly on his way to his rooms. Not the lab (er I mean dungeon), no more students. The end of the day, a leather armchair, maybe a quiet glass of red wine before he heads to the great hall for dinner. See if the owl post brought an acceptance letter to a conference. Anything to get him off this bloody campus. Away from the Potter brat who looks sooo much like Lily.
Visit this artist's profile.
This fan art appeals to me because it freezes the exact nanosecond after Snape kills DD. It is my firm belief that DD and Snape had a plan. (and this would be what I am taking to Phoenix) JKR would not have us know that DD and Snape are both accomplished occulmens and then have the pause. That second where "Snape gazed for a moment at Dumbledore, and there was revulsion and hatred etched in the harsh lines of his face." (HBP American ed pg 595) I am not saying DD is still alive. I am saying that this was staged. With the "Severus please..." I am sure that Snape was hesitating and DD had to remind him. I don't think Snape wanted to kill DD. I believe he was under orders to kill him. So that Harry would have enough balls to finish the quest alone. Snape then disappears running off with Snotface (er I mean Draco) even Buckbeak joins in the play acting only screaming and chasing..NOT tearing flesh from bone as he easily could have. Look at the art again--he is so sad. My poor darling having to axe his mentor. painful. Consider again the text-- revulsion and hatred. You can certainly be repulsed by something you have to do (anybody changed a diaper lately?) and why not hatred when you are faced with such a hideous task?
My Snape is innocent.
I think I prefer the view from the window last night. I love snow, especially fresh clean snow. I love the twilight blue color the sky takes on when it is dark but the moonlight reflects silver. The fairy glitter of snow in a cloud around streetlights. The ebony shadows trees scratch on the virgin white.
It isn't really white. So calm, hearing the furnace blower kick on and watching the snow fall outside. No traffic--before the plows come through. Gods! they are so fast and harsh. Abrupt. They scare me.
There is a poetry exercise I love to give students. I take 'em outside (yeah..I am one of those teachers) and have them look at a cloud and ask how many colors they see. Make a list--can you see more than 20? Look closely, you can--Right now I look at the snow out the window and I see gray,three shades of blue, yellow,white, a little pink where the sun touches-- you get it.
Anywho--this morning the snowblowers are out. Loud stinky and oh so very helpful. Slicing straight paths through the heavy velvet, so everybody walking to campus can get there without getting snow in their socks. I hate that. when your snowpants ride up and a dose crystal cold wraps around your ankle and startles you out of your rut.
my favorite bit was "studies show that only porn and cartoons hold up to repeated viewing..." it flagged by the end but i laughed out loud a couple times i must say... and yes we're so old we're trailing wrongly predicted futures behind us like polyester vapor trails... xox rx
the above quote was in response to this and this.
I clearly remember the first music video I encountered. I was 17. It was 1984 and I was visiting CMU and Matt's dad. He shared a rather smokey house with some other guys. That afternoon--on the TV, I saw Tom Petty and the Alice in Wonderland video. Where he cuts a piece of her torso out like it is cake?
What a trip--literally and figuratively.
I absolutely am loving the theme from Samurai Champloo. This little Minmi, amazing,beautiful babe singing the Song of Seasons, in Japanese or English. I don't care --it is ethereal music. Music cleanses the soul.
I believe that.
I am also in love with the music from the HBO Series ROME. 
Very tribal dance. Which is good cuz I am about over all my belly dance music. This score features a theme by Emmy award winning composer Jeff Beal. Apparently I am a fan of his! I was digging around trying to find the music from Rome and discovered that Mr. Beal also did the score for Pollock, a lovely film (horrible book). HBO's Carnivale AND Six Feet Under share themes written by Beal also. Both of which, I really admire. The shows have pretty people, well written story lines. HBO has good shit. I wonder if I can get a job writing for HBO. My pal Monique use to do production for them. Then she went to NBC. I wonder if she knows anybody...I could write Sopranos..hmm
Well, here we are. A fresh new look for my daily second mug of coffee. I began to consider the title "This morning in the Freep", but that screams structure and I doubt I can maintain a theme for that long. I chose the title because I definitely feel frenzied. I like little wrens, nobody sees them-- they just do their thing and nobody is too concerned about them. Plus, I love the internal rhyme. I did toy with not doing a daily journal at all, but this is so shiny and attractive--I need to touch it. Forcing myself to generating complete sentences is a good habit/exercise. If nothing else It makes me happy. The Linen Bomb had quite a learning curve. I feel a lot more code-competent this time around. I don't feel the need to call Andre (my darling tech support!) every other day! I have a myspace addy but that page is for my inner 17 year old boy. I think I'll keep the blog to remind me that I am scholar and a writer. Not a laundry drone trapped in the dungeon of cat boxes.
