Monday, December 31, 2012
Sunday, December 30, 2012
2012 that was
As an exercise in reflection on 2012, I looked at the first post of each month. This has been a year of transformations in my household, many of them wonderful, exciting, and joyful. And at the end of the year, I have had to buckle down to finish a task undertaken a while ago, but not yet completed. I'm ready for 2013.
January. We were in Spain for the holidays last year, too. We took a day trip to a restored wetland that has become a place where flocks of cranes and all kinds of other birds and wildlife are flourishing. Restoration, new life, possibilities!
February: I posted the Ted Talk by neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, because he writes (and speaks) so beautifully about the sense of self and our physiology. I'm working on changing up my meds so that I can live with my wonky brain chemistry in a healthier way.
March: "8: The Play" Same-sex marriage was to be theme throughout the year, up through the elections. It feels as if a corner has been turned. I can't/won't become cynical.
April A death: Adrienne Rich. I owe her a lot. Rereading "Diving Into the Wreck."
May: another death, another formative context; Tomás Borge, the Sandinista revolution. Idealism, degradation. Can we pardon those we feel betrayed us?
June: commencement speeches (from Laurie Anderson, from Neil Gaiman) for my high-schooler's graduation.
July: for me, this was the year of modest, but joyful gardening: a new rain garden in front, tomatoes and herbs in back. Tending my garden, rooting out invasive species:
August: Another death: Chavela Vargas, lived to see the world ready to celebrate her (public) coming out in her eighties.
September: a year of dance, a moment when my pop culture TV fix unexpectedly gave me with a shot of genius: Axis Dance Company's performance.
October: the video for "Get your cray on" by K-pop idol G-Dragon. Where do fandoms and pop culture meet up in acts of translation/opacity?
November. By the time election day arrived, I felt like Shamus the dog in this political ad Montgomery Burns made for Mitt Romney: quivering, whimpering, desperate to escape ("another jumper).
December: The Pixies, then and now. I only learned later that the performance I saw last year was by people who had created a second chances for themselves after breaking down and breaking up. "Where is My Mind?" (1988).
1988-2012. Twenty-six years
January. We were in Spain for the holidays last year, too. We took a day trip to a restored wetland that has become a place where flocks of cranes and all kinds of other birds and wildlife are flourishing. Restoration, new life, possibilities!
February: I posted the Ted Talk by neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, because he writes (and speaks) so beautifully about the sense of self and our physiology. I'm working on changing up my meds so that I can live with my wonky brain chemistry in a healthier way.
March: "8: The Play" Same-sex marriage was to be theme throughout the year, up through the elections. It feels as if a corner has been turned. I can't/won't become cynical.
April A death: Adrienne Rich. I owe her a lot. Rereading "Diving Into the Wreck."
May: another death, another formative context; Tomás Borge, the Sandinista revolution. Idealism, degradation. Can we pardon those we feel betrayed us?
June: commencement speeches (from Laurie Anderson, from Neil Gaiman) for my high-schooler's graduation.
July: for me, this was the year of modest, but joyful gardening: a new rain garden in front, tomatoes and herbs in back. Tending my garden, rooting out invasive species:
August: Another death: Chavela Vargas, lived to see the world ready to celebrate her (public) coming out in her eighties.
September: a year of dance, a moment when my pop culture TV fix unexpectedly gave me with a shot of genius: Axis Dance Company's performance.
October: the video for "Get your cray on" by K-pop idol G-Dragon. Where do fandoms and pop culture meet up in acts of translation/opacity?
November. By the time election day arrived, I felt like Shamus the dog in this political ad Montgomery Burns made for Mitt Romney: quivering, whimpering, desperate to escape ("another jumper).
December: The Pixies, then and now. I only learned later that the performance I saw last year was by people who had created a second chances for themselves after breaking down and breaking up. "Where is My Mind?" (1988).
1988-2012. Twenty-six years
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Nochebuena
- Assorted canapés with spreads like mousse de bacalao, oliva, anchoa, langosta.
- A very large crab called buey de mar
- razor clams (navajas) with a green sauce.
- Largish sea snails called canadillas.
- langostinos,
- champiñones rellenos,
- lomo embuchado,
- ensalada de quinoa,
- cardo en salsa de nueces,
- lubina al horno con salsa,
- macedonia de frutas,
- turrón, champán.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Great-aunt Alma:
My mother's aunt Alma is her mother's youngest sister. My grandmother, Giovanna Nitti, was the oldest sibling, and Alma was the youngest. Alma is only ten years older than mom, about the same age as my mother's oldest brother, Jim. She was the only woman in the family who didn't marry or have children. Instead, she had a career in Manhattan working at BMI until she retired in the '80s. She loved interacting with the musicians. I don't think she was well treated at the end of her career, something that happens to older women rather frequently.
When I used to visit her in New York, while she was still working, she would always send me to her hairdresser (she was always perfectly groomed, then as now, and was appalled by my lack of polish). She would buy me tickets to a Broadway show from the half-price dealers: I saw a Tommy Tune musical, Frank Langella in Dracula, and the original cast of Hurly-Burly. When we went out to dinner, she never let me pay, although I always tried. She told the maitre-d' ahead of time not to take my money. It seemed to me that she lived differently than many other women of her generation, as a career woman when it was not the norm, but she always upheld very traditional gender roles. The man was always right.
Now she is 92, and lives in an assisted living facility on Long Island. They have filmed these short interviews, or "Life Stories," and my mother shared this with me.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Zaragoza sunset
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Only a few more days of 2012
We are off to spend three weeks in Spain with our family in Spain. I'm so happy to know that our friends will be enjoying a creative retreat in our home, in the company of Master Leo. We'll be back for a few days, and then off to San Francisco to visit our family in SF. I will be glad to be away. These past few months have been hard. Our first-year student was rewarded with straight A's for her hard work and creativity in her first semester. I'm happiest about how much she enjoyed all the new things she tried, and how much she learned that wasn't on the tests.
I am eager to read the papers by my freshman class; they were at terrific group, and I'm only sorry that I wasn't able to say goodbye to them in person during the last week of class.
During these weeks, I will be meditating on the New Moon in Sagittarius post by Katie at Empowering Astrology. I have been finding these writings extraordinarily apt for my stage of life right now. "Head home" is a phrase that emerged, and the idea of rebalancing the feminine. What does she mean about Uranus going direct? Here are some questions to ponder:
So ask yourself, as this new moon begins to wax, as we head towards the much hyped solstice in 8 days, what does “head home” mean to you? How are you integrating and releasing your shadow? How are rearranging the parts? How are you rebuilding a better you? Uranus is about to turn direct. The alarm clock says it’s time to wake up.
Sagamihara
When I was five, our family left El Paso, Texas, on the first stage of our journey to Japan, where my father was to be stationed. We drove to California. I don't remember the drive, but I do remember that we stopped at the San Diego Zoo and Disneyland on our way to San Francisco. What must it have been like to have three kids under six in the back seat of the car?
From San Francisco, we took ship to Japan, a two-week trip with a stop in Hawaii. The ship was the USNS Gen. Hugh J. Gaffey, one of many ships in the Military Sea Transport Service (MSTS). This essay by Tom Barry on the JapanBrats blog includes the memories of many kids who made the trip with their families during those years. I also remember the spartan conditions, the boredom, the cramped cabins (I think we were all sick at one point), but also crossing the International Dateline, seeing flying fish, and arriving at Yokohama, welcomed by a band.
When we arrived, housing wasn't ready for us yet, so we lived for a few months in temporary housing at the Sagami Depot. I remember the rows of tanks and half-tracks parked on the other side of the fence. We slept in a bunk bed, which was exciting, but at least one of us fell out. I had my sixth birthday there.
We
then moved to Sagamihara Dependent Housing Area, which was part of the
military complex supporting Camp Zama, where my father was working in
the hospital as a surgeon. Here we see the base as an island of green in a highly urbanized area, but I remember farmland.
According to my father, in the first two years we were there, it was like working in a small town, but with the escalation of the war in Viet Nam, the number of wounded being transported was such that the 100 beds were increased to 500, and three other hospitals were built, to receive the thousands of casualties that were to arrive in the next few years.
Of course, I knew almost nothing of this. What I remember is my first grade teacher, Miss Bell, whom I adored. The Snack Bar had a jukebox and hamburgers. We loved an excuse to eat there.
Teachers from the Elementary School. We lived next door to Mrs. Allen.There were three kids: Sharon, who was twelve, was like a goddess to me. Debbie Cynthia, who was my age, beat me up. Billy, who was younger, was, according to my mother, a brat.
I learned to swim in this pool, where we spent hours and hours in the summer.
When we arrived, housing wasn't ready for us yet, so we lived for a few months in temporary housing at the Sagami Depot. I remember the rows of tanks and half-tracks parked on the other side of the fence. We slept in a bunk bed, which was exciting, but at least one of us fell out. I had my sixth birthday there.
According to my father, in the first two years we were there, it was like working in a small town, but with the escalation of the war in Viet Nam, the number of wounded being transported was such that the 100 beds were increased to 500, and three other hospitals were built, to receive the thousands of casualties that were to arrive in the next few years.
Of course, I knew almost nothing of this. What I remember is my first grade teacher, Miss Bell, whom I adored. The Snack Bar had a jukebox and hamburgers. We loved an excuse to eat there.
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Monday, December 17, 2012
The "Up Series" part 2:
As I finished my Netflix marathon of the Up documentary series, I realized that I am
the same age as this group. Well, slightly younger, but I also turned 7 in
1964, the year of the first film. I decided to make my own timeline,
parallel to the series: where was I in the year of the release of each
part, or when I was the age given in each title: 7, 14, 21, 29, 35, 42, 49,
and now 56? (although because I'm a year behind, I'll have to settle for
just-turned-55).
Because my family moved frequently when I was young (dad was a doctor in the Army), to make my timeline I found that I had to do some work to nail down the exact dates for events that I vaguely remembered: when did we move? when were we in each housing situation? what grade was I in at school?
As I worked out this chronology, I also wondered what I really remembered about those years, and how this somewhat arbitrary cycle relates to other milestones in my life, such as graduating from high school, or moving to Minnesota. I wondered what I might have said if I had been interviewed like those children: what was my heart's desire (to be a horse. And if I couldn't be a horse, to be an archaeologist in Egypt). Where would I go to school in the future (absolutely no clue). Did I have a boyfriend (no, but I had an intense crush on Mike Fukushima, to whom I never said a word, a pattern that would be repeated each school year until I was in high school).
My life has been at once typically American middle class in many ways and rather unorthodox in others. I've previously counted the number of times we moved (4), the number of homes we lived in (7) while we were still in the Army. I've reckoned my life in boyfriends/relationships with men. And then there are the more traditional timelines of schooling, career, parenting. How does this 7+7 timeline intersect with these?
I started to write about what I remembered from age 7, from the year 1964. My family had just moved from El Paso, Texas, where my brother and sister were born, to an Sagamihara Dependent Housing Area, near Tokyo because my rather had been stationed in Camp Zama hospita. I realized that Apted's films almost never refer directly to national or world events, whereas my life was shaped, at this point especially, by my father's work as an Army doctor during the major escalation of the Viet Namwar. Yet I know almost nothing about what my father was doing, what he thought or felt about the extraordinary experiences he lived through as a surgeon at Camp Zama from 1963 to 1967.
Because my family moved frequently when I was young (dad was a doctor in the Army), to make my timeline I found that I had to do some work to nail down the exact dates for events that I vaguely remembered: when did we move? when were we in each housing situation? what grade was I in at school?
As I worked out this chronology, I also wondered what I really remembered about those years, and how this somewhat arbitrary cycle relates to other milestones in my life, such as graduating from high school, or moving to Minnesota. I wondered what I might have said if I had been interviewed like those children: what was my heart's desire (to be a horse. And if I couldn't be a horse, to be an archaeologist in Egypt). Where would I go to school in the future (absolutely no clue). Did I have a boyfriend (no, but I had an intense crush on Mike Fukushima, to whom I never said a word, a pattern that would be repeated each school year until I was in high school).
My life has been at once typically American middle class in many ways and rather unorthodox in others. I've previously counted the number of times we moved (4), the number of homes we lived in (7) while we were still in the Army. I've reckoned my life in boyfriends/relationships with men. And then there are the more traditional timelines of schooling, career, parenting. How does this 7+7 timeline intersect with these?
I started to write about what I remembered from age 7, from the year 1964. My family had just moved from El Paso, Texas, where my brother and sister were born, to an Sagamihara Dependent Housing Area, near Tokyo because my rather had been stationed in Camp Zama hospita. I realized that Apted's films almost never refer directly to national or world events, whereas my life was shaped, at this point especially, by my father's work as an Army doctor during the major escalation of the Viet Namwar. Yet I know almost nothing about what my father was doing, what he thought or felt about the extraordinary experiences he lived through as a surgeon at Camp Zama from 1963 to 1967.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Colbert: funny AND a mensch
(via Alan Sepinwall, one of my favorite TV critics)
"Breaking Downton" Warning: NSFW and lots of insidery Breaking Bad jokes, but I love it!
The "real" Stephen Colbert started a super-PAC to draw attention to the evil of PACS (my words), and actually raised a boatload of money. Here is his way of sharing the fact that the money has all been donated to groups helping victims of Hurricane Sandy, and also a group working for campaign finance reform.
"Breaking Downton" Warning: NSFW and lots of insidery Breaking Bad jokes, but I love it!
The "real" Stephen Colbert started a super-PAC to draw attention to the evil of PACS (my words), and actually raised a boatload of money. Here is his way of sharing the fact that the money has all been donated to groups helping victims of Hurricane Sandy, and also a group working for campaign finance reform.
The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Nicholas David (Mrozinski)
Minnesota native son (Saint Paul! Eagan!) has made it to the final three on The Voice. Like the other two finalists, he has been gigging around, recording his own music, playing in bands. They aren't amateurs.
If you want to hear a genuine Minnesota accent, listen to his dad in this little bio clip. Pure.
You can find his original music at his website,
He's pretty scruffy in his audition with "Stand By Me," but Cee Lo picks him for his team. Wise choice, Cee Lo, because he has become a fan favorite.
Jennifer Hudson ("Holy Buckets!") worked with him on this Bill Withers song, "Lean on Me" (one of my favorite songs ever).
He gave his own flavor to this up-tempo Barry White song.
"The Power of Love" gets the soul treatment.
The other two finalists are good. I don't much care for Cassadee, but the rocker dude Terry McDermott has a great voice, of the power tenor rocker type, and sings with conviction. He has covered songs by The Who, Journey, Boston, and even the Kansas classic, "Carry On, My Wayward Son." (aka "The Supernatural song") Does that mean that the Supernatural fandom will vote for him en masse? If so, watch out.
If you want to hear a genuine Minnesota accent, listen to his dad in this little bio clip. Pure.
You can find his original music at his website,
He's pretty scruffy in his audition with "Stand By Me," but Cee Lo picks him for his team. Wise choice, Cee Lo, because he has become a fan favorite.
Jennifer Hudson ("Holy Buckets!") worked with him on this Bill Withers song, "Lean on Me" (one of my favorite songs ever).
He gave his own flavor to this up-tempo Barry White song.
"The Power of Love" gets the soul treatment.
The other two finalists are good. I don't much care for Cassadee, but the rocker dude Terry McDermott has a great voice, of the power tenor rocker type, and sings with conviction. He has covered songs by The Who, Journey, Boston, and even the Kansas classic, "Carry On, My Wayward Son." (aka "The Supernatural song") Does that mean that the Supernatural fandom will vote for him en masse? If so, watch out.
The "Up series" Part 1
Having seen the POV blog's list of best documentaries, I was reminded of my desire to see the series of films by Michael Apted, now known as the "Up series" In 1964, Apted was brought in on a project that later he made his: a group of children from widely different backgrounds was selected and then interviewed, with the premise: who will they be in the year 2000? The assumption or question behind the films, made every seven years since then, had to do with ideas about class in British society. Were these children already who they would be, by the age of seven? Were their paths laid out for them and constrained in such a way that they would conform or be limited by class expectations or opportunities such as education? The first documentary ended with the sentence "Give me the child until he is seven, and I will give you the man."
Here's the first part of the first film. You can watch the whole series on Netflix streaming.
The films don't set out to be anthropology, sociology or psychology in an academic sense, but they do prompt reflection on nature and nurture, the work of marriage, mental health, parenting, immigration, changing gender roles. The seven-year olds from the upper-class backgrounds are clearly parroting what they've heard from their parents when they list the schools they expect to attend, in contrast to the boy in the orphanage who asks, "What's university?" It is also not revealed that the boy who seems to be the most Tory in his statements, John, the most representative of a certain upper-class posture, lost his father at the age of 9, and was raised by his Hungarian mother, attending public schools on scholarship. Although he has privilege and wealth, his life was not as easy as the films imply.
One of my favorite moments in the 14-year old episode is when Suzy, also from a wealthy background, refusing to look directly at the camera and clearly uncomfortable about the whole deal, responds with a perfect teenager eye-roll to an earnest question by Apted, off camera.
The last of the series that I was able to see was 49 Up. Here's a clip:
The latest film, 56 Up, has already been screened in the UK, and will probably be released shown in the US in Jan 2013. Much has been said about the how this series of films has affected the lives of the participants, and how it continues to fascinate viewers, especially now that "reality TV" is present as a comparison. Apted has said that he regrets that there were not more girls in the bunch, or more middle-class children, but even if the group is not truly representative of their generation in that sense, the series is a fascinating longitudinal study of human beings, as well as compelling cinema.
Here's the first part of the first film. You can watch the whole series on Netflix streaming.
The films don't set out to be anthropology, sociology or psychology in an academic sense, but they do prompt reflection on nature and nurture, the work of marriage, mental health, parenting, immigration, changing gender roles. The seven-year olds from the upper-class backgrounds are clearly parroting what they've heard from their parents when they list the schools they expect to attend, in contrast to the boy in the orphanage who asks, "What's university?" It is also not revealed that the boy who seems to be the most Tory in his statements, John, the most representative of a certain upper-class posture, lost his father at the age of 9, and was raised by his Hungarian mother, attending public schools on scholarship. Although he has privilege and wealth, his life was not as easy as the films imply.
One of my favorite moments in the 14-year old episode is when Suzy, also from a wealthy background, refusing to look directly at the camera and clearly uncomfortable about the whole deal, responds with a perfect teenager eye-roll to an earnest question by Apted, off camera.
The last of the series that I was able to see was 49 Up. Here's a clip:
The latest film, 56 Up, has already been screened in the UK, and will probably be released shown in the US in Jan 2013. Much has been said about the how this series of films has affected the lives of the participants, and how it continues to fascinate viewers, especially now that "reality TV" is present as a comparison. Apted has said that he regrets that there were not more girls in the bunch, or more middle-class children, but even if the group is not truly representative of their generation in that sense, the series is a fascinating longitudinal study of human beings, as well as compelling cinema.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
POV blog offers a list of 100 documentary films to see
Now I know what to add to my Netflix queue! I copied this list from the PBS program POV's blog. They crowd-sourced a list of documentaries from their viewers. Naturally, some readers left their expressions of outrage in the comments, but also included more titles.
I have seen 33 of them (marked with strike-through) and have heard of most of the others. Some I will probably never see (The Cove, no, I can't). There are at least 2 or 3 that I think I might have seen, but I honestly can't actually remember if I just saw a clip in a class (Shoah, Gimme Shelter) or did see them at the PFA (For the 15 years I lived in Berkeley, I don't think I ever lived more than six blocks from the Pacific Film Archive, where I went instead of watching the TV I did not have: a different double feature almost every night of films new and old, from all over the world).
This list has struck my "completist" nerve, and I will probably look at the titles with a different sense of motivation the next time I am scrolling through my queue, trying to decide what I feel like watching.
I really want to see the Up series.
I have seen 33 of them (marked with strike-through) and have heard of most of the others. Some I will probably never see (The Cove, no, I can't). There are at least 2 or 3 that I think I might have seen, but I honestly can't actually remember if I just saw a clip in a class (Shoah, Gimme Shelter) or did see them at the PFA (For the 15 years I lived in Berkeley, I don't think I ever lived more than six blocks from the Pacific Film Archive, where I went instead of watching the TV I did not have: a different double feature almost every night of films new and old, from all over the world).
This list has struck my "completist" nerve, and I will probably look at the titles with a different sense of motivation the next time I am scrolling through my queue, trying to decide what I feel like watching.
I really want to see the Up series.
The 100 “Greatest” Documentaries
In November 2012, POV asked its viewers, “What do you think are the greatest documentaries of all time?” Viewers were allowed to define “greatest” however they wished, whether that meant the most expertly crafted, influential, illuminating, impactful, form-defining, beloved or simply those that were the most successful at the box office. After 30 days of voting on over 1000 submissions, these 100 came out on top. How many have you seen?
Grey Gardens (1975)Paris is Burning (1990)- Hoop Dreams (1994)
- The Thin Blue Line (1988)
- Bowling for Columbine (2002)
- Harlan County, USA (1976)
The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)Grizzly Man (2005)Roger & Me (1989)Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)Man on Wire (2008)- The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)
- The Up Series (1964-)
- Capturing the Friedmans (2003)
- Crumb (1994)
- Jesus Camp (2006)
- Food, Inc. (2008)
- King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007)
- An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
- Salesman (1968)
- Man With a Movie Camera (1929)
- Super Size Me (2004)
- Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Woodstock (1970)- Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
- American Movie (1999)
Night and Fog (Nuit et brouillard) (1955)- The Civil War (1990)
March of the Penguins (2005)- Titicut Follies (1967)
- Sherman’s March (1986)
Planet Earth (2006)- Eyes on the Prize (1987)
- Religulous (2008)
The Last Waltz (1978)- Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)
Spellbound (2002)- Born into Brothels (2004)
Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)- Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (1991)
Koyaanisqatsi (1982)- The Cove (2009)
- Nanook of the North (1922)
- The Corporation (2003)
- The Celluloid Closet (1995)
Buena Vista Social Club (1998)- Sicko (2007)
- Waltz with Bashir (2008)
- Gimme Shelter (1970)
Stop Making Sense (1984)- Shoah (1985)
- When We Were Kings (1996)
- Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)
- Inside Job (2010)
- Hearts and Minds (1974)
Murderball- The Gleaners & I (2000)
- Restrepo (2010)
Bill Cunningham New York (2010)- Sans Soleil (Sunless) (1983)
- Dont Look Back (1967)
- Touching the Void (2003)
- Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone (2010)
- Baraka (1992)
- This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Tongues Untied (1989)- Brother’s Keeper (1992)
- High School (1968)
- F for Fake (1973)
- Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)
- Dark Days (2000)
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)- Cosmos (1980)
- Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
Helvetica (2007)- Why We Fight (2005)
Winged Migration (2002)The Aristocrats (2005)- Last Train Home (2009)
- The Atomic Cafe (1982)
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)Wordplay (2006)Burden of Dreams (1982)Monterey Pop (1968)- The Battle of Chile (1975-1979)
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2003)- Gasland (2010)
- The Interrupters (2011)
- Catfish (2010)
- The Endless Summer (1966)
Marwencol (2010)- If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011)
Triumph of the Will (1934)- King Corn (2007)
Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)- No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)
Sweetgrass (2009)- The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
- The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
- Fast, Cheap and Out of Control (1997)
Sunday, December 09, 2012
So glad we bought a snowblower last week!
By the time I took the brand new "snow blower" out for its test run, seven inches of very wet snow had fallen. It is called a "quitanieves" in Spanish or "souffleuse de neige" in French, according to the trilingual manual. I got it on sale last week, fifty dollars less than today.
I was thrilled! It did a great job of shooting the snow over to the side ( your turn a little crank to redirect the spout), and cleared the sidewalks down to the last half inch, but there was so much water in the snow that I had to use a shovel to hack up the stuff that was packed down by pedestrians. Still a workout to haul it around without running over the extension cord (special! for super-cold temps!), but I got the hang of it really fast. It's easy to use, and I don't have to worry about gas. The snow is still falling, and they are predicting 14" total by tomorrow morning's commute. I'll be doing it all again in the morning, but at least I won't be trying to move over a foot of wet snow, which would surely burn out the belt in no time.
A Snow Emergency has been declared, so parking restrictions go into place. In Minneapolis, for those of us without garages, this means the dance of odd/even sides of the street. If you don't move your car correctly during the time frames, you WILL be towed and it will cost a lot of money and take at least half a day to get your car back.
My first snow tow, several years ago now, required a three-hour wait in a line at -11 degrees, so that by the time I got to pay my fine, I had to pee so badly I almost didn't make it home in time. NEVER AGAIN. Even with my butt-ugly Sorel boots that I bought in 1988 when I moved here, a full-length down coat with a hood, a wool hat, muffler and double ragg-wool mittens, I was miserable in that line
Tomorrow, I'll also have to shovel out the garbage and recycling bins aren't so they won't be behind a snow berm in the alley, that will freeze and be there for the rest of the winter.
UPDATED TO ADD: 15" total, and I"m so glad it shoveled the first 7" yesterday. It made today's job so much easier. But there is not getting around the fact that shoveling the snow away from the garbage and recycling bins, without getting it in the alley, is freakin' hard work. It is one good way to meet your neighbors, though.
Someone made this nifty little song to help remember where to move your car and when.
I was thrilled! It did a great job of shooting the snow over to the side ( your turn a little crank to redirect the spout), and cleared the sidewalks down to the last half inch, but there was so much water in the snow that I had to use a shovel to hack up the stuff that was packed down by pedestrians. Still a workout to haul it around without running over the extension cord (special! for super-cold temps!), but I got the hang of it really fast. It's easy to use, and I don't have to worry about gas. The snow is still falling, and they are predicting 14" total by tomorrow morning's commute. I'll be doing it all again in the morning, but at least I won't be trying to move over a foot of wet snow, which would surely burn out the belt in no time.
A Snow Emergency has been declared, so parking restrictions go into place. In Minneapolis, for those of us without garages, this means the dance of odd/even sides of the street. If you don't move your car correctly during the time frames, you WILL be towed and it will cost a lot of money and take at least half a day to get your car back.
My first snow tow, several years ago now, required a three-hour wait in a line at -11 degrees, so that by the time I got to pay my fine, I had to pee so badly I almost didn't make it home in time. NEVER AGAIN. Even with my butt-ugly Sorel boots that I bought in 1988 when I moved here, a full-length down coat with a hood, a wool hat, muffler and double ragg-wool mittens, I was miserable in that line
Tomorrow, I'll also have to shovel out the garbage and recycling bins aren't so they won't be behind a snow berm in the alley, that will freeze and be there for the rest of the winter.
UPDATED TO ADD: 15" total, and I"m so glad it shoveled the first 7" yesterday. It made today's job so much easier. But there is not getting around the fact that shoveling the snow away from the garbage and recycling bins, without getting it in the alley, is freakin' hard work. It is one good way to meet your neighbors, though.
Someone made this nifty little song to help remember where to move your car and when.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Midweek round-up: political metaphors, animal antidotes, Velvet Underground
Everyone and their brother has embedded this; let me jump on the bandwagon: Montgomery Burns gives his explanation of the "fiscal cliff."
Are you as tired as I am of the misleading metaphor "fiscal cliff"? George Lakoff, UC Berkeley professor of Linguistics and author of many books about metaphor and the embodied mind, tells us how it works, and why it is so hard to get rid of it.
When I am feeling particularly stressed out, I have found that visiting the site ZooBorns always makes me feel better. The videos of this lion mother with her four cubs have been especially lovely.
Wow, Science Friday, the NPR show that I love, has a Spanish-language blog!
Velvet Underground, live in 1969.
Set List:
1. Heroin (0:00)
2. Move Right In (8:26)
3. I’m Set Free (13:12)
4. Run Run Run (17:49)
5. I’m Waiting For The Man (25:39)
6. What Goes On (34:35)
7. I Can’t Stand It (39:05)
8. Candy Says (45:23)
9. Beginning To See The Light (50:10)
10. White Light/White Heat (56:00)
11. Pale Blue Eyes (61:42)
12. Sister Ray (68:10)
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Old school "Reading Rainbow"
Today I learned that this is Chaka Khan singing the theme song to Reading Rainbow. No wonder.
Monday, December 03, 2012
Pixies, "Where is My Mind" and second chances in life
I'm so glad I go to see the Pixies on their most recent tour, when they played the album "Doolittle." They were hugely influential, if not as commercially successful as some other bands, but broke up for a while. I missed knowing about them their first time around, in the late eighties: too busy finishing my PhD and trying to get a job. So, thanks to Rick, who snagged tickets and took me along. Their show was insanely great.
Their generous web site has boatloads of material you can download for free: live concerts, great stuff.
Live, 1988 "Where is My Mind"
loudQUIETloud is a documentary about the band's reunion in 2004. I found it totally engrossing, because it is a portrait of a second act in life, for people who have been through recovery, started new lives, had children, and who still can create that magic when they go out on stage together, even if they are not best friends when they are off stage.
This British Channel 4 documentary "Gouge" interviews many musicians about how hearing Pixies in the late '80s influenced them. Is not David Bowie mesmerizing? He's so intelligent, and so beautiful.
Not enough Kim Deal, though. Gotta fix that:
Their generous web site has boatloads of material you can download for free: live concerts, great stuff.
Live, 1988 "Where is My Mind"
loudQUIETloud is a documentary about the band's reunion in 2004. I found it totally engrossing, because it is a portrait of a second act in life, for people who have been through recovery, started new lives, had children, and who still can create that magic when they go out on stage together, even if they are not best friends when they are off stage.
This British Channel 4 documentary "Gouge" interviews many musicians about how hearing Pixies in the late '80s influenced them. Is not David Bowie mesmerizing? He's so intelligent, and so beautiful.
Not enough Kim Deal, though. Gotta fix that:
Friday, November 30, 2012
Change is good
This week, I made a big decision. It will take along time to put into action, but in my gut it feels right. I'm going to let go of a dream that has been dead for a long time now. I'm very fortunate that the change I'm going to make can be done slowly, and in a way that shelters me from uncertainty, but it will be a big change. Looking back, I realize that I have been working hard in the last few years to make positive changes, but the paths I followed were dead ends. It's time to cut it all loose.
No more gnashing of teeth, no more chasing my tail, no more struggling, mired in the Slough of Despond. It exhausts me; it is dreary, and boring, and it could go on forever while I sink in over my head, every semester, and gasp and drown and flail.
I hereby declare that my war on reality is over. I surrender, and I'm going to move on. I have tried valiantly, and then foolishly, to change things I cannot change. (Because it wasn't FAIR!) They are not going to change. I, on the other hand, have changed, and need to make change, for the better. I'm must try to move forward from possibility instead of fear. The fears have not gone away, but now I also feel a sense of certainty that I have always trusted in the past. This feels right.
Already, I am flooded with relief and eagerness for the future. At the same time, I'm humbled to recognize that I have choices that most people won't have. I can't, I won't let fear prevent me from making them.
Small steps.
I'm taking a medical leave to regroup, rest, recover. I'm leaning on my medical team: changing medications, working to find the right therapist, doing my spiritual homework.
So much clutter. It's time to cut it loose.
No more gnashing of teeth, no more chasing my tail, no more struggling, mired in the Slough of Despond. It exhausts me; it is dreary, and boring, and it could go on forever while I sink in over my head, every semester, and gasp and drown and flail.
I hereby declare that my war on reality is over. I surrender, and I'm going to move on. I have tried valiantly, and then foolishly, to change things I cannot change. (Because it wasn't FAIR!) They are not going to change. I, on the other hand, have changed, and need to make change, for the better. I'm must try to move forward from possibility instead of fear. The fears have not gone away, but now I also feel a sense of certainty that I have always trusted in the past. This feels right.
Already, I am flooded with relief and eagerness for the future. At the same time, I'm humbled to recognize that I have choices that most people won't have. I can't, I won't let fear prevent me from making them.
Small steps.
I'm taking a medical leave to regroup, rest, recover. I'm leaning on my medical team: changing medications, working to find the right therapist, doing my spiritual homework.
So much clutter. It's time to cut it loose.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Argle Bargle
One step out the door. I'm requested a medical leave today, something I should probably have done two months ago when I fell into the Slough of Despond *shudder*
Maybe I put it off because the round of paperwork, phone calls, and permission is so daunting, argle bargle. I have been waiting two months (TWO MONTHS) for a medical appointment with a specialist because the only way to be seen any sooner would have been to check myself into a hospital. Which I very seriously considered, but then I decided to hold out as long as I could.
Is it an omen that when I got home the cat had barfed on the bathmat and peed on a blanket in his basket on the porch? I think I need to take him to the vet, poor baby.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Warning Sign
I woke up sad this morning. The news is grim. Guns and war and greed and fear. In my own little corner of the world, I'm safe and showered with blessings, but paranoia seeps in.
Rob Brezsny has a bit from his book Pronoaia next to my horoscope:
Warning sign, warning sign,
I hear it but I pay no mind.
Hear my voice, hear my voice,
It's saying something and its not very nice.
Pay attention! Pay attention, I'm talking to you and I hope you're concentrating.
I've got money now, I've got money now,
C'mon baby, c'mon baby.
Warning sign of things to come (take it over, take it over)
It happened before, it will happen again.
Hear my voice, move my hair.
I move it around a lot, but I don't care. (what I remember)
Warning sign, warning sign,
Look at my hair, I like the design.
It's the truth, it's the truth.
Your glassy eyes and your open mouth
Take it easy, take it easy,
It's a natural thing and you have to relax,
I've got money now, I've got money now.
C'mon baby, C'mon baby.
Warning sign, of things to come (turn me over, turn me over)
Love is here but I guess it's gone now (hurry up babe,
hurry up babe),
Hear my voice, move my hair.
I move it around a lot, but I don't care what I remember.
Do you remember
What it is that you remember
Baby remember
Baby remember.
I hear it but I pay no mind.
Hear my voice, hear my voice,
It's saying something and its not very nice.
Pay attention! Pay attention, I'm talking to you and I hope you're concentrating.
I've got money now, I've got money now,
C'mon baby, c'mon baby.
Warning sign of things to come (take it over, take it over)
It happened before, it will happen again.
Hear my voice, move my hair.
I move it around a lot, but I don't care. (what I remember)
Warning sign, warning sign,
Look at my hair, I like the design.
It's the truth, it's the truth.
Your glassy eyes and your open mouth
Take it easy, take it easy,
It's a natural thing and you have to relax,
I've got money now, I've got money now.
C'mon baby, C'mon baby.
Warning sign, of things to come (turn me over, turn me over)
Love is here but I guess it's gone now (hurry up babe,
hurry up babe),
Hear my voice, move my hair.
I move it around a lot, but I don't care what I remember.
Do you remember
What it is that you remember
Baby remember
Baby remember.
Rob Brezsny has a bit from his book Pronoaia next to my horoscope:
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Sunday, November 18, 2012
Movies this week
Cloud Atlas. No, I haven't read the book. Yes, it does have some of the flaws of earlier Wachowski films, but damn if it isn't a spectacular, amazing, multi-narrative, multi-layered film that never slows down and provides some great actors with opportunities to play multiple roles. I'm not always a Tom Hanks fan, but he was brilliant. Halle Berry gets to be more than a pretty face, and Hugo Weaving is awesome as usual. Also features Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, Jim Sturgess, Ben Wishaw (he is always amazing), James D'Arcy, and Doona Bae, who was just wonderful. I want to see it again. Tom Tykwer is co-director, and he and his bandmates provided a gorgeous, gorgeous score.
Silver Lining Playbook (sneak preview). Finally Bradley Cooper gets a meaty serious role where he can show his acting chops. He and Jennifer Lawrence were terrific, and David O Russell managed to combine a serious and often frightening treatment of mental illness with humor and compassion, and a wonderful "redemption through ballroom dancing" ending that was both satisfying and self-aware. Robert DeNiro gives one of his best comedic performances, and the supporting cast is terrific. The audience I saw it with applauded at the end. Good use of songs with Danny Elfman coordinating the music. Mandy Moore was the choreographer and dance coach.
Howl's Moving Castle. We adore Miyazaki movies, but we have only ever seen them on DVD. To see this film in a movie theater was wonderful. The quality of the art, the colors, the animation, the wonderful music: it was all so much more vivid and compelling on the big screen. They were only showing the English dub, but the voice acting was terrific: Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Jean Simmons, Blythe Danner, Emily Mortimer, Billy Crystal.
Silver Lining Playbook (sneak preview). Finally Bradley Cooper gets a meaty serious role where he can show his acting chops. He and Jennifer Lawrence were terrific, and David O Russell managed to combine a serious and often frightening treatment of mental illness with humor and compassion, and a wonderful "redemption through ballroom dancing" ending that was both satisfying and self-aware. Robert DeNiro gives one of his best comedic performances, and the supporting cast is terrific. The audience I saw it with applauded at the end. Good use of songs with Danny Elfman coordinating the music. Mandy Moore was the choreographer and dance coach.
Howl's Moving Castle. We adore Miyazaki movies, but we have only ever seen them on DVD. To see this film in a movie theater was wonderful. The quality of the art, the colors, the animation, the wonderful music: it was all so much more vivid and compelling on the big screen. They were only showing the English dub, but the voice acting was terrific: Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, Jean Simmons, Blythe Danner, Emily Mortimer, Billy Crystal.
Life list #3: New recipe every week: Aloo Gobi
I'm getting a box from my CSA, Featherstone Farms, every two weeks this winter. In the past, I've always done the summer share, and I love it, but I'm a big fan of winter root veggies and the kind of greens that you can get in the late fall. I'm interested to see what kinds of crops we'll get. So far in the first two boxes I have received cilantro, parsley, delicata squash, beets, kale, spinach, potatoes, red and white onions, radishes, tender cauliflower, fabulous broccoli, cabbage, and napa cabbage. Oh, and a pumpkin!
I can tell I'm going to have to make sure I don't get behind on cooking all the vegetables! Today, I roasted some of the carrots and potatoes with olive oil and salt, roasted the beets in their jackets, steamed the spinach, and baked a kabocha squash I had from before. For my new recipe of the week, I made a cauliflower curry from the slow-cooker cookbook. All the vegetables were from the farm except the garlic and ginger.
Slow-cooker cauliflower curry (Aloo Gobi)
Chop a red onion, super fresh cauliflower and sweet crisp carrots. Throw in a few small potatoes, garlic and ginger, some chopped cilantro. Season with Garam Masala, salt, pepper, cumin. Add two T of good tomato paste (in the absence of fresh tomatoes) and a splash of beer to moisten. Mix it all up in the slow cooker, then cook on low for 4-5 hours. Everything gets melty and permeated with the sauce, and the whole thing is yummy.
The carrots are not typical, but I couldn't resist. I could have added a sliced jalapeño or serrano pepper, some turmeric, maybe toasted some black mustard seeds, but I didn't have them on hand. One can also prepare this on the stove top, but I LOVE my slow-cooker.
I can tell I'm going to have to make sure I don't get behind on cooking all the vegetables! Today, I roasted some of the carrots and potatoes with olive oil and salt, roasted the beets in their jackets, steamed the spinach, and baked a kabocha squash I had from before. For my new recipe of the week, I made a cauliflower curry from the slow-cooker cookbook. All the vegetables were from the farm except the garlic and ginger.
Slow-cooker cauliflower curry (Aloo Gobi)
Chop a red onion, super fresh cauliflower and sweet crisp carrots. Throw in a few small potatoes, garlic and ginger, some chopped cilantro. Season with Garam Masala, salt, pepper, cumin. Add two T of good tomato paste (in the absence of fresh tomatoes) and a splash of beer to moisten. Mix it all up in the slow cooker, then cook on low for 4-5 hours. Everything gets melty and permeated with the sauce, and the whole thing is yummy.
The carrots are not typical, but I couldn't resist. I could have added a sliced jalapeño or serrano pepper, some turmeric, maybe toasted some black mustard seeds, but I didn't have them on hand. One can also prepare this on the stove top, but I LOVE my slow-cooker.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Monday's Scorpio New Moon Eclipse
A new moon is a time for planting seeds, and the new moon in Scorpio means we have the chance to dive deep and work through our deepest truths, to be reborn like the phoenix from its ashes.
What would this mean for you? What does it mean for me?
Monday's total solar eclipse intensifies this moment; the sun, the moon, and the earth are aligned. The last such eclipse in this series was 18 years ago, within days of my child's birth and my own birthday. It was a moment of profound transformation, birth and rebirth. Now she is 18 and has moved out of the house, on her own journey as an artist and student and a young woman. I didn't realize how profoundly this would affect me, but after some hard struggle I am moving through, opening myself up to this moment of transformation.
The Scorpio archetype calls to mind Persephone's descent to the underworld, which she must do to detach from her mother Demeter.
Kelly Rosano says: be a conscious creator.
At Empowering Astrology, prepare yourself "To boldly go where no man has gone before".
Molly Hall suggests some Scorpio New Moon Tips
Today I listen to Lucinda Williams's song "Get Right With God"
What would this mean for you? What does it mean for me?
Monday's total solar eclipse intensifies this moment; the sun, the moon, and the earth are aligned. The last such eclipse in this series was 18 years ago, within days of my child's birth and my own birthday. It was a moment of profound transformation, birth and rebirth. Now she is 18 and has moved out of the house, on her own journey as an artist and student and a young woman. I didn't realize how profoundly this would affect me, but after some hard struggle I am moving through, opening myself up to this moment of transformation.
The Scorpio archetype calls to mind Persephone's descent to the underworld, which she must do to detach from her mother Demeter.
Kelly Rosano says: be a conscious creator.
At Empowering Astrology, prepare yourself "To boldly go where no man has gone before".
Molly Hall suggests some Scorpio New Moon Tips
- Avoid obsessing on "what ifs" -- gravitate to activities that make you feel hopeful.
- Take a long bath with special salts or oils. (I went to the sauna at the Y)
- Minimize the rushing around, in favor of some empty space on your day planner.
- Sage your space, and invoke spirits of protection, if necessary.
- Recall your energy from bad investments, and feel it concentrating around you.
Today I listen to Lucinda Williams's song "Get Right With God"
I would risk the serpent's bite
I would dance around with seven
I would kiss the diamond back
If I knew it would get me to heaven
(Chorus:)
'Cause I want to get right with God
Yes, you know you got to get right with God
I would burn the soles of my feet
Burn the palms of both my hands
If I could learn and be complete
If I could walk righteously again
I would sleep on a bed of nails
'Till my back was torn and bleeding
In the deep darkness of Hell
The Damascus of my meeting
I asked God about his plan
To save us all from Satan's slaughter
If I give up one of my lambs
Will you take me as one of your daughters?
Monday, November 12, 2012
Vote No: The moment they learned that their hard work had been successful
Waiting for the results on the MN constitutional marriage amendment, the campaign workers for Minnesota United for All Families listen to a pep talk and are told by campaign director Richard Carlbom that they should probably go home. But first, a list of their accomplishments in the campaign to get out the vote and talk to people about the issues. Suddenly, a phone call and the announcement that the AP has called it: the No vote won. Jubilation!
Friday, November 09, 2012
Antidote: Jon Stewart mocking Fox News
"Is that just math you do as a Republican to make yourself feel better?" Megan goes to the Decision Desk.
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Resaca
After a year of relentless psychic brutality, the campaigns are over. I'm feeling physically and mentally battered. I need to do some kind of cleansing ritual.
Saturday, November 03, 2012
"Dirt Day" Laurie Anderson at the Walker
I saw Laurie Anderson perform "Dirt Day" at the Walker last night. I ended up with an extra ticket at the last minute, so I left it at the box office; they said a woman was on the waiting list. After I had been in my seat for a while, she arrived, offering to pay me. I said that since it was going to be my birthday, the ticket was a gift. We talked and discovered some things in common, so after the show, exchanged emails.
The piece was nothing like the "hits" I know, but combined many of the elements of her previous work. It was infused with great melancholy, as well as humor.
And, for old time's sake, here's the first thing I ever heard her do:
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
HRC awward to Lana Wachowski
I want to watch this video a few more times. There are so many important things that Lana says.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Happy Birthday, Wanda Jackson!
Today is the day to channel your inner Wanda Jackson: badass at any age! Early star of rock and roll, Queen of Rockabilly, successful in country music, inspiration to new generation of musicians.
Here she is in 1956, singing"Hard-headed woman" with a great fringed dress!
Here she performing "Thunder on the Mountain" from the album The Party Ain't Over, produced by Jack White.
Here she is in 1956, singing"Hard-headed woman" with a great fringed dress!
Here she performing "Thunder on the Mountain" from the album The Party Ain't Over, produced by Jack White.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Roiling waters
Susan Miller's Astrologyzone forecast for me for the month of October is feeling very potent right now.
Free Will Astrology's Scorpio Horoscope for week of October 18, 2012:
Free Will Astrology's Scorpio Horoscope for week of October 18, 2012:
So, it turns out that my sun sign is Scorpio, but my rising sign and moon are both Aries.
Sometime soon you may dream of being naked at a public event like a class at school or a committee meeting. I think this would be an excellent omen, so I hope it comes to pass. It would signify that you're ready to shed the disguises that have been making it problematical for you to reinvent yourself. Who is the New You? Stripping down to the bare essentials in your dreams will help you see raw truths about your waking life.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Sneaker wave
Poor lonely blog! I have been spending too much time with Twitter and Tumblr, so I have neglected you!
Some of my energy this year has been invested in working on wellness, always a precarious balance for me. But I signed up for a phone coaching thingie through my employer's wellness program, and one of their people called unexpectedly tonight. As we talked, I was able to look back and recognize that I have made real changes, and my back pain has really diminished. Yay! It's kind of strange to have a conversation about your health with a total stranger who is working from a script, albeit unobtrusively, but it does give you a chance to say, "what are my goals? how am I doing? what is getting in the way, what is working?" without going to see a therapist.
So. Up until this past week, I felt as if I had been having an exceptionally good year. Accompanying my daughter through her high school graduation, college acceptance, and moving out to start her studies has been such a wonderful journey. So many long-term plans, so many past uncertainties, so much joy. I'm so happy to see her so happy. My goal has been to give her what was given to me: the opportunity to study without taking on debt. What was relatively easy for my family has now become a much more daunting enterprise for a middle-class family, but I'm grateful it is still within reach for us. I feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that I've been able to manage to meet whatever needs are left over after her talent and hard work helped her achieve her goals.
I also initiated some long overdue action to improve my working situation this year. This, unfortuantely, has not come to fruition the way I had hoped, and I have been more disappointed than I expected to be. In fact, this weekend and in the past few days I have experienced one of the worst bouts of acute depression I can remember in many years. It seems to come out of nowhere, like one of those sneaker waves that makes the west coast beaches so dangerous. Never turn your back on the ocean, they say. So I did something I have often failed to do in the past: I reached out for help until I found it.
Could it be the energy of the so-called "monster moon", the full moon in Aries of Saturday night, that my horoscope warned me would be so hard for Scorpios? I thought I was safe until Sunday night when I broke a toe. Bwah! But cosmic energy can also be channeled by intention: What will I choose to make of the message that I received today, an offer of support that I experienced as a threat?
Some of my energy this year has been invested in working on wellness, always a precarious balance for me. But I signed up for a phone coaching thingie through my employer's wellness program, and one of their people called unexpectedly tonight. As we talked, I was able to look back and recognize that I have made real changes, and my back pain has really diminished. Yay! It's kind of strange to have a conversation about your health with a total stranger who is working from a script, albeit unobtrusively, but it does give you a chance to say, "what are my goals? how am I doing? what is getting in the way, what is working?" without going to see a therapist.
So. Up until this past week, I felt as if I had been having an exceptionally good year. Accompanying my daughter through her high school graduation, college acceptance, and moving out to start her studies has been such a wonderful journey. So many long-term plans, so many past uncertainties, so much joy. I'm so happy to see her so happy. My goal has been to give her what was given to me: the opportunity to study without taking on debt. What was relatively easy for my family has now become a much more daunting enterprise for a middle-class family, but I'm grateful it is still within reach for us. I feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment that I've been able to manage to meet whatever needs are left over after her talent and hard work helped her achieve her goals.
I also initiated some long overdue action to improve my working situation this year. This, unfortuantely, has not come to fruition the way I had hoped, and I have been more disappointed than I expected to be. In fact, this weekend and in the past few days I have experienced one of the worst bouts of acute depression I can remember in many years. It seems to come out of nowhere, like one of those sneaker waves that makes the west coast beaches so dangerous. Never turn your back on the ocean, they say. So I did something I have often failed to do in the past: I reached out for help until I found it.
Could it be the energy of the so-called "monster moon", the full moon in Aries of Saturday night, that my horoscope warned me would be so hard for Scorpios? I thought I was safe until Sunday night when I broke a toe. Bwah! But cosmic energy can also be channeled by intention: What will I choose to make of the message that I received today, an offer of support that I experienced as a threat?
Monday, October 01, 2012
K-pop idol G-Dragon
Get your cray on
Great little introduction to K-Pop over on Boing Boing for those of us who have found Gangnam Style stuck in our heads for the last month. The dark underbelly of these pop star factories is a talent recruitment system that sounds terribly exploitative.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Birdboy
"Birdboy", an animated short film by Alberto Vásquez, (artist, animator, illustrator) was awarded the Goya, Spain's version of the Oscars.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Snack! Snack! Snack! CRUNCH!
Hot Cheetos and ....Takis? What are Takis? Mexican junk food, yo.
And this great viral hit was made in Minneapolis! Our favorite snacks of childhood are powerful memories.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Responding to art
Today in class we did some writing assignments in response to Frida Kahlo's painting The Two Fridas (1939). By coincidence, I found this video through Tumblr this morning:
FOUND by Carina Garcia from Van Maximilian Carlson on Vimeo.
FOUND by Carina Garcia from Van Maximilian Carlson on Vimeo.
Friday, September 07, 2012
Axis Dance Company performances on SYTYCD, 2012 and 2011
Performance on last night's SYTYCD by Axis Dance Company, based in Oakland. They describe what they do as "physically integrated dance."
A different duo also performed last year, and got a bit more of an introduction from Cat:
"On June 30th, 2011 AXIS dance Company was featured on Fox Tv's "So You Think You Can Dance?"
AXIS dancers Sonsheree Giles and Rodney Bell performed an excerpt from "to color me different" choreographed by Alex Ketley."
Music:
A different duo also performed last year, and got a bit more of an introduction from Cat:
"On June 30th, 2011 AXIS dance Company was featured on Fox Tv's "So You Think You Can Dance?"
AXIS dancers Sonsheree Giles and Rodney Bell performed an excerpt from "to color me different" choreographed by Alex Ketley."
Music:
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Janelle Monae performs "Cold War" at the Nobel Peace Prize concernt 2011
I'm so glad we got to see her perform live. What a great voice!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Janelle Monae for Cover Girl
Janelle Monae inspires me. I love that this ad features members of her band and creative posse.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Weasel war dance vs. "la flemme"
There is a wonderful French expression: "J'ai la flemme de..." It means "I can't be bothered to..." or "I'm too bored to...". I have been busy doing lots of things, but "J'ai la flemme d'écrire dans ce blog."
On the other hand, I've been bitten by the crafter bug. I have made three pillowcases out of dishtowels, knit about ten more inches on a scarf, made about 40 pieces of jewelry, painted or upcycled a number of things around the house, cared for a new garden, and taught myself some macramé.
I know that some of these impulses are bound up with my ongoing process of attempting to negotiate some issues at work, related to improving my conditions due to health issues. So far, I haven't achieved my goal, but I'm making some tiny progress. I will now perform my weasel war dance, as recommended for Scorpios by
Rob Brezsny's in last week's Free Will Astrology:
On the other hand, I've been bitten by the crafter bug. I have made three pillowcases out of dishtowels, knit about ten more inches on a scarf, made about 40 pieces of jewelry, painted or upcycled a number of things around the house, cared for a new garden, and taught myself some macramé.
I know that some of these impulses are bound up with my ongoing process of attempting to negotiate some issues at work, related to improving my conditions due to health issues. So far, I haven't achieved my goal, but I'm making some tiny progress. I will now perform my weasel war dance, as recommended for Scorpios by
Rob Brezsny's in last week's Free Will Astrology:
When a domesticated weasel captures some treasure or beats out a competitor for food, it performs a celebratory dance that's referred to as the "weasel war dance." During this triumphant display, it might hiss, arch its back, fluff out its tail, and hop around madly. I encourage you to come up with your own private version of this ritual, Scorpio. It can be more dignified if you like: snapping your fingers, singing a magical phrase, or raising your arms in a V-for-victory gesture. Whatever you choose, do it after every accomplishment, no matter how small: buying groceries, arriving at an appointment on time, getting a good new idea, or any other success.
Sunday, August 05, 2012
Hoy ha muerto Chavela Vargas, 93
Chavela Vargas was born in Costa Rica, but came to Mexico when she was young, and became identified with the Mexican rancheras and boleros she sang. In her eighties, she enjoyed a revival of interest in her music through the appreciation of fans, Pedro Almodóvar's promotion of her music in his films, and the support other musicians such as Joaquin Sabinas. She also came out as lesbian in her eighties, although she lived openly, and claimed that Frida Kahlo was one of her lovers. Recently she recorded a homage to García Lorca. She died peacefully at the age of 93. "Vamonos"
Que no somos iguales
dice la gente
que tu vida y mi vida
se van a perder
que yo soy la canalla
y que tú eres decente
que dos seres distintos
no se pueden querer
Pero yo ya te quise
y no te olvido
y morir en tus brazos
es mi ilusión
yo no entiendo esas cosas
de las clases sociales
solo sé que me quieres
y que te quiero yo
Y vamonos donde nadie nos juzgue
donde nadie nos diga que hacemos mal
vamonos alejados del mundo
donde no haya justicia
ni leyes ni nada
nomás nuestro amor
- Y le dije que nos fuéramos
lejos a un lugar diferente
donde fuéramos iguales
juntitos los dos ¡échele compadre! -
Si no somos iguales
qué nos importa
esta historia de amores
tendrá que seguir
Y como alguien me dijo
que la vida es muy corta
esta vez he venido
para siempre por ti
y yo quiero que sepas
que no te obligo
que si vienes conmigo
es por amor
di con todas tus fuerzas
lo que soy en tu vida
pa' que vean que me quieres
como te quiero yo
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Botanical queries
I had fun with the "flower" setting of my camera while in the Denver Botanic Garden, but now I don't remember the names of these plants! I know that this first image is a very close shot of a large Queen Anne's Lace "umbrella" (daucus carota), with the tiny red floret in the center. I remember my mother teaching us to distinguish between Queen Anne's Lace (wild carrot) and poisonous Hemlock when we lived in California.
There are some Egyptian walking onions down the block, next to a garage, that have produced their little baby onions. I may harvest a few and plant them in our yard.
But what is this bush? are these leaves, stems, or needles? are these orange berries or blossoms?
I think I remember something about Spain from reading the tag, but I don't even know how to begin to search for it by describing it. 
I've seen these pods with their jewel-like seeds before, but I can't remember what they are.
I'm fairly sure these are the bulbils of some kind of garlic. 
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Denver Botanic Gardens: some sculpture features
I was giddy throughout our time in the Denver Botanic Gardens. I was not only impressed by the beauty of the many gardens, but also by how well-cared for, how healthy the entire place was. I have been in other gardens not as well cared-for. You can tell that this is a well-run, well-loved place. And they have free wi-fi! I gave my friend and her family a gift membership, since they live so close, so that they can come any time, wander, sit, read, browse, even work.
My photos can only provide a glimpse of how gorgeous these are. You can't see the clouds of bees, hear the sound of water and birds, smell the myriad odors of plants and flowers, taste the apricots we picked up off the ground under the trees loaded with fruit. A few of the more dramatic sights are some of the many sculptures, fountains and ponds.
"Barracuda" suspended in front of a curtain of water
"Zen" is a highly polished bronze, curved frame for different views of the lilypads and flowers of this pond
Temporary installation of floating woven bamboo sculptures placed throughout the gardens.
This annual report gives a great overview of the Gardens
My photos can only provide a glimpse of how gorgeous these are. You can't see the clouds of bees, hear the sound of water and birds, smell the myriad odors of plants and flowers, taste the apricots we picked up off the ground under the trees loaded with fruit. A few of the more dramatic sights are some of the many sculptures, fountains and ponds.
"Barracuda" suspended in front of a curtain of water
This annual report gives a great overview of the Gardens
Saturday, July 21, 2012
On top of Mt Evans, Colorado
Denver: Jelly
While I was in Denver, we had brunch at a placed called Jelly.
The food was terrific. They passed the home fries test with flying colors.
There was a wait to get it, but the place was full of fun details, like the collection of vintage cerial boxes framed on the wall. My picture of the Spock Sugar Smacks is too blurry, alas, but the Krusty-0's are a classic.
The chandelier combined coffee cups and spoons.
What size coffee would you like: hobbit, elf, or wizard?
There was a wait to get it, but the place was full of fun details, like the collection of vintage cerial boxes framed on the wall. My picture of the Spock Sugar Smacks is too blurry, alas, but the Krusty-0's are a classic.
The chandelier combined coffee cups and spoons.
What size coffee would you like: hobbit, elf, or wizard?
Friday, July 20, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Testimony about Mitt Romney's record re: LGBT people
"Julie Goodridge was a lead plaintiff in Goodridge v. Dept of Public Health -- the lawsuit that brought same-sex marriage to Massachusetts. In this video, Goodridge shares her family's encounters with Gov. Mitt Romney, including a meeting with Romney, which Goodridge describes as "the most frustrating experience in the entire marriage case."
Mitt Gets Worse
Friday, July 13, 2012
Monday, July 09, 2012
I'm going to Denver!
A friend has recently moved to Denver to take a new job as a result of some major life changes. I am going to spend a few days with her and her daughter, and I'm so excited to spend time with them, exploring a place I've never been before.
Although at first, the "unsinkable Molly Brown" was not one of my first associations with Denver, this little video, a project by a second-grader that is included on the web site of the Molly Brown house, has made me want to learn more about her and her life.
as told by Lydia Weinshanker on the Learn page of the Molly Brown House in Denver.
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Lovely zucchini blossoms
I went to a local farmers' market, the Fulton Market (on 49th and Chowen) yesterday. It was charming and had terrific vendors of locally grown produce, meats, cheeses, honey, and baked goods. I saw some zucchini blossoms, and was tempted to buy them, but already had enough to last me for the next several days. I took home some delicious icelandic style yoghurt cheese, called skyr, from Star Thrower Farm. It's full of live cultures, but since rennet is used in making it, it's classified as a cheese.
Here's a segment from the New York Times about how to prepare squash blossoms without cooking them.
Thursday, July 05, 2012
Dies caniculares
We've been watching this coming for years, but just a month ago I met a man at a party who told all of us in rambling, incoherent, belligerent nonsensical detail that climate scientists are all incompetent and/or liars, that the warnings of human-accelerated climate change are a hoax, bla bla bla. I was filled with such a sudden rage that I had to leave the party. I want my daughter's future to be bright, yet all around me, for decades, I have been watching as we push the planet's limits. The planet will go on without us, but we can make life intolerable and even impossible in a very short time, in our lifetime, and when I look at that reality straight on, I want to break things.
Last year on the 4th of July, I was with friends from Spain here in Minneapolis. We were able to see the fireworks right next to the Stone Arch bridge, in the pouring rain. It was fun as hell. This year, everyone is out of town, and yesterday it was over 100 degrees with an excessive heat advisory, so I stayed home with the cat and heard the booms over the noise of the air conditioner and the fan that are keeping my place at a barely tolerable temperature. This past week of super-hot temps and super-high dew points is fraying my nerves. I think today it may be time to see 3 movies in a row so I can have some decent air-conditioned time. The headlines today are "This is what climate change looks like."
I finally gave up my foolishness and installed a window A/C unit in my bedroom, because the one in the living room can't cool the whole apartment, and it is 95 degrees inside my house. My poor cat and I just can't deal with it any more. This city was never intended for permanent human settlement in the first place. My consumption is part of the problem, but I don't want to die of heat stroke.
Last year on the 4th of July, I was with friends from Spain here in Minneapolis. We were able to see the fireworks right next to the Stone Arch bridge, in the pouring rain. It was fun as hell. This year, everyone is out of town, and yesterday it was over 100 degrees with an excessive heat advisory, so I stayed home with the cat and heard the booms over the noise of the air conditioner and the fan that are keeping my place at a barely tolerable temperature. This past week of super-hot temps and super-high dew points is fraying my nerves. I think today it may be time to see 3 movies in a row so I can have some decent air-conditioned time. The headlines today are "This is what climate change looks like."
I finally gave up my foolishness and installed a window A/C unit in my bedroom, because the one in the living room can't cool the whole apartment, and it is 95 degrees inside my house. My poor cat and I just can't deal with it any more. This city was never intended for permanent human settlement in the first place. My consumption is part of the problem, but I don't want to die of heat stroke.
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
Spain wins the Eurocopa 2012, 4-0 against Italy
Spain is grateful for the distraction from its economic woes and the wildfires raging near Valencia: the national team has won the UEFA Championship--the Eurocopa--for the second time in a row. With the World Cup, this makes three major championships in a row. The level of play in the final, against an Italian team that had also performed brilliansly, left no doubts as to the team's ability to integrate the individual skills of its players into a apectacular team effort. Yes, they have one of the best keepers in the world, yes, they have gifted strikers, but the ticking heart of the team is the unselfish, amazing work of Xavi, Iniesta, Fábregas-who control the ball.
the humble, the amazing, always at the heart of the team, Andrés Iniesta. He and Xavi are amazing together, and Cesc Fábregas will be returning to play on a Spanish team.
mad skills, yo! gotta ignore the crappy music that seems to be rule for these tribute videos.
The players' kids on the field after the game were ADORABLE!
And, once the hard work and focused, disciplined team play was over, we had a repeat of the triumphant bus tour of Madrid, culminating in that beloved tradition, the "megabotellón" in Cibeles, complete with jokes, singing, and lots of noise.
"el show de Pepe Reina" blew up Twitter (el megabotellón de Cibeles). His presentations of the players in order of their numbers are drunkenly hilarious and absolutely loved by the crowds.
mad skills, yo! gotta ignore the crappy music that seems to be rule for these tribute videos.
The players' kids on the field after the game were ADORABLE!
And, once the hard work and focused, disciplined team play was over, we had a repeat of the triumphant bus tour of Madrid, culminating in that beloved tradition, the "megabotellón" in Cibeles, complete with jokes, singing, and lots of noise.
"el show de Pepe Reina" blew up Twitter (el megabotellón de Cibeles). His presentations of the players in order of their numbers are drunkenly hilarious and absolutely loved by the crowds.
Sunday, July 01, 2012
Garlic Mustard, and other invasive species
I have an unidentified weed in my back yard. Is it garlic mustard? I will have to pull and bag whatever it is because it's going to crowd out whatever else can grow back there. Not that our back yard is very big, but this year I actually have had success in planting and keeping alive some perrenial herbs.
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