My only faith’s in the broken bones and bruises I display

[Library Loot]

An idea taken from here…. these are the items we have checked out from the library right now. Too bad the CD titles don’t photograph well and I’m too lazy to list them all.

Media Whore Sampling. Thanks to the library for supporting my addiction

[Backyard]

Tigerlily

[Garden]

The first beans, "Royal Burgundy" . they turn green when you cook them. My kids love these.

[blog title from "The Wrestler" by Bruce Springsteen]

So… that’s why they call you One-Eyed Willie… One-Eyed Willie.

Today’s Highlights

[FREE] Spearmint,peppermint,lemon balm & chocolate mint plants. I asked on Freecycle. I received.  I missed havng mint. You know, mint is an excellent deterrant to mosquitos and other pests. Everyone should have a potted mint plant in their patio area ( for easier access to mint leaves for making mojitos).

[BOOK]

Power and Glory by Emily Rodda

A fun read-aloud. A kid playing a new video game is continually interrupted by family members (represented by characters/monsters in the game) whle tryng to reach new levels. We noticed that no one n ths storybook family ever says please and they’re kind of rude…..sometimes a little bit like at our house.  Noted and will be worked on. Vibrant and kinetic illustrations by Geoff Kelly. Author Emily Rodda is most definitely a mother, probably of boys. I can tell wthout even reading her bio.

[Food] Curried Cauliflower & Chickpea Stew .Except I added broccoli,too.

[Family Movie]

[blog title from The Goonies]

The Mississippi Delta was shining Like a National guitar

I swear,people…some day soon, you’ll get a real blog post from me. Until then,I’m still one day late and feel like only doing bite sized blurbs.

People have asked about my kid’s progress so far biking across the country. My mom drove him to Tennessee earlier this week because she wanted to see Graceland and other Tennessee-things so he’s staying with her, doing the touristy thing until tomorrow, and then he’ll be off on his own with the bike.

I’m doing daily updates on my  blip.fm, tracking his trip with music. I’ll probably throw in some tracks from his 10 CDs he took with him ,too.

Wednesday Media Mix, 3.11.09

[Listen] Some people don’t like music being categorized into genres at all. Are genres helpful, or do they hinder a musician’s creative potential?

I do not like confining music to genres.I think it says so in one of those points on my 100 Things About Me list somewhere.  And have you noticed the genre classifications for music these days? I look at what some stuff is labeled and think ,”What the hell is THAT?”. Clearly, someone out there feels it’s necessary to define genres even further .Possibly because more and more artists are pushing the limits and trying to break barriers and musical parameters the industry & consumers have pre-defined and they don’t fit into some neat little pre-set notion of what rock or country music is supposed to be, so it has to be something OTHER than what it is.

I say it a lot, about a lot of different things but when it comes to music, it is what it is. If you like it, listen to it. Why do we have to call it anything ?

oh…and one of my huge pet peeves about music and genres -

Say you’re talking about a musical artist you recently discovered to a friend. Friend says, “Well, what kind of music is it?”. So, you’re forced to come up with a label. You say ,”Well, I guess it would be considered hip-hop..sort of?”. Automatically, friend’s face looks like they smelled something nasty and says,”Ohhh, I don’t like hip-hop.I only listen to alternative rock”  So, right away…genre defined – it’s a no-go because of some other music listened to in that genre that turned that person off at one time or another…and god forbid they listen to something defined as outside their usual listening zone.

I hate that people have such a closed mind about music. It’s like trying new food. Listen to something new once in awhile. You might discover new taste bus sensations.

[Watch] Are there types of movie genres you tend to watch with different social circles? (I.e., maybe you watch romantic comedies with your parents, action flicks with your spouse, horror movies with a special friend, etc.)

Most movies I like don’t interest my hubby but I can count on him wanting to watch comedies or something action-packed with me…and certain TV series, like Dexter,Big Love & Queer as Folk. My oldest son is who I tend to watch foreign, “award winners” and old film noir.

I watch documentaries alone. Would anyone like to be my Documentary-Watching Buddy? I’m tired of hitting pause when I have a profound thought about what’s happening on the screen and having no one to share it with. (Oh…but if my hitting oause annoys you, i can wait until the end for any discussion, I swear)

[Read] Is there a type of genre you feel a little ashamed to enjoy reading?

The Twilight series was a guilty pleasure. Other than that, I really don’t read anything I’m ashamed of reading.

[blog title from "Graceland" by Paul Simon]

Oh, what’ll you do now, my blue-eyed son? Oh, what’ll you do now, my darling young one?

10 songs from the weekend

I wish I had time to do the links for all of them but I don’t have much time this morning. Just did this quick like.

1. “Hard Rain is Gonna Fall”, Bob Dylan -I used to sing this to my son when he was a baby. This weekend he turned 19 and this morning left for that whole bicycling across the country shenanigans . It seemed like a good song to be replaying.
2. “Teach your Children Well” , Crosby Still Nash you,who are on the road….
3. “Hard-Headed Woman”, Wanda Jackson – my poor dear husband puts up with so much nonsense from me
4. “Hard Headed Woman”, Cat Stevens – aforementioned husband must fall into this category, gods and goddesses bless him ….Im looking for a hard headed woman,
   One who will make me feel so good,
   And if I find my hard headed woman,
   I know my life will be as it should
   
5. “Sex Bomb” , Spinnerette I can’t mention nearly enough how much I want to have Brody Dalle’s baby
6. ‘Song for Bob Dylan” ,David Bowie Oh, hear this Robert Zimmerman
   I wrote a song for you
   About a strange young man
   called Dylan
   With a voice like sand and glue
   His words of truthful vengeance
   They could pin us to the floor
   Brought a few more people on
   And put the fear in a whole lot more
   
7. “Queen Bee”, Devendra Banhart And I’m blessed, she treats me so damn kind
   She’s grown every seed I’ve grown
   She’s known everything I’ve known
   And my dreams they always coincide
   And bows always float in time
   And oh queen bee, I’m always happy to see
8. “This Is How You Spell. “HAHAHA, We Destroyed the Hopes and Dreams of a Generation of Faux-Romantics”, Los Campesinos
   
9. “Danger,High Voltage!, Electric Six - Fire in the disco, fire in the…Taco Bell! (my kids….they think I’m insane when I yell this out randomly. “No,Mom…it’s PANIC at the Disco,duh. “. I’m gonna start a band and call it Panic! @ The Taco Bell (Because it’s on Fire!) . Just because I can.
10. “Darling Nikki”, Foo Fighters

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Monday Movie Meme

This week: Documentaries. Favorites. List ‘em.

1. When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts
2. Be Good ,Smile Pretty
3. Be Here To Love Me- Townes van Zandt documentary.
4. Heavy Metal in Baghdad – I wonder how those guys are doing sometimes….
5. Nanking
6. Sierra Leonne All-Stars – proff that there’s a lot of healing power in music
7. What Would Jesus Buy? – yeah, he wouldn’t shop at Wal-mart but that’s kind of common sense.
8. Winged Migration – beautiful movie to veg to
9. Helvetica – because I’m a dork
10. Born into Brothels
11. Wal-mart: The High Cost of Low Price
12. King Corn

…and my time is up.

[blog title from #1 on the list]

You can take a road that takes you to the stars now

The Music Memoirs

Random 10: Week 194

10 8  songs that sum up your weekend…or were on your weekend playlist…and one picture that relates back. (oh, and if you feel like it, tell us why you picked the songs you did)

1. Pink Moon, Nick Drake Listening to Nick Drake is a simultaneously beautiful & heartbreaking experience. Pink Moon as an album is haunting, mesmerizing, melancholic soul-purging that makes me feel calmer,wiser,luckier  and better after having listened. “Road” is probably my favorite. Listened to this weekend totally by proxy as it was playing in my son’s room.   I think I chose this following video off of you Tube primarily because I was so impressed by someone having Pink Moon on vinyl . Makes me wonder what else is on those shelves in the background.
   
2. “Smile,I’ve Got Knives”, Scarlet’s Wake Newly discovered by me, Scarlet’s Wake is defined as “Female-fronted *DIRTY* *FILTHY* *ROCK* *METAL* band!”. Love it. Listen here.
   
3. “Do You really Want To Hurt Me”, The Violent Femmes - cover of the Culture Club.  Thanks to Scarlet Lotus via BLIP.fm <—-listen there.
   
4. Milagrosa,Totimoshi Another recent discovery I’m in love with. From the band’s Myspace: Totimoshi, the gritty and raw Bay Area band, have pointed to their Latin heritage as playing a key role in the shaping of their sound; turning the two disparate parts of the band’s personality into music that is undeniably their own. Even the band’s name is a reflection of that cultural mash-up (a name singer/guitarist Tony Aguilar’s mother often used to describe his grandmother’s broken English). That merging of backgrounds, Tony the son of migrant farm workers and bass player Meg Castellanos’ Cuban roots, gave the couple’s sound a flavor that’s unique in the world of modern heavy music. Listen here
5. “Her Morning Elegance”, Oren Lavie I have  Rock and Roll Mama to thank for this one
6. Joe South’s Greatest Hits The vinyl of this found it’s way into my home over the weekend. these things happen. I heard a couple of “Who the hell is Joe South?” He sang that one song….”Hush”….and “Games People Play” (not to be confused with the Alan Parson’s Project “Games People Play”). He also has this doozy on his Greatest Hits repertoire – “Children”. I think it’s meant to be a somewhat positive and wistful homage to childhood innocence but ugh - “Children (children)
   Need someone to understand
   Children
   Need someone to hold their hands
   Yeah
   To cheer you when you’re sad
   To spank you when you’re bad now
   Children

   Haughty (children)
   Naughty (children)
   Children

   Pride goes before destruction
   A holy spirit goes before a fall
   Don’t you know that we’re all children
   And it’s all for one and one for all mmm

7. Middle Cyclone, Neko Case “A Meterological masterpiece”
8. “Divinations”, Mastodon single from the upcoming (much anticipate by me) album,Crack the Skye.
   

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Monday Music Mambo

Hello mamboers!  Today is Happy Texas Day!

Name three of your favorite Texan artists and one good song by each.

Oh,easy peasy for me

1. Townes Van Zandt    “Waiting Around To Die”  always gives me goosebumps. There’s a story behind it that’s kind of funny (to me,anyway). He wrote it after getting married and called it his love song for his new wife. She was not amused, from what i gather. “Pancho & Lefty” is probably his most known song,though. My favorite lyrics … Now you wear your skin like iron
   Your breath’s as hard as kerosene Although the song is best known by Willie Nelson & Merle haggard covers, I prefer to hear Townes sing it,even though most live performances that exist exhibit a Townes who isn’t quite there or looks a little ragged
2. Stevie Ray Vaughn “Texas Flood”
   
3. ZZ Top “Beer Drinkers and Hellraisers”

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Monday Movie Meme

Is the movie ever really BETTER than the book, comic book, musical, play, folk story, or true life story?

I can’t think of a single instance this morning where the movie is better than the book. Some have been close. When I watched No Country for Old Men, I was amazed at how RIGHT the Coen Brothers got it.That was as close as impressed to the movie as the book as I’ve been.

The Shining , although not better than the book, was a great movie in part because Kubrick did neglect parts of the book. How ridiculous would  the bit with possessed trees shaped like animals have been in film version? Pretty ridiculous.

[blog title from: "Road" by Nick Drake]

But E eats everything Yeah, E eats everything

I’m not supposed to be on the interwebz today. I has work to do. But I had to share 2 things.

First, MC Lars new video for “Guitar Hero Hero(Beating guitar Hero Doesn’t Make You Slash). Check out Parry from Nerf Herder singing  andPaul Gilbert of Mr Big playing guitar. I have previously mentioned how I feel about MC Lars so we’ll skip that part so you can just watch the damn video.

Second….

Knowing how much I have a heart-on for Neko Case, my dear hubby bought me tickets to go see her in April. I am orgasmically excited.  On NPR, her new album is featured as an Exclusive First Listen, which means you can listen to the whole album in it’s entirety.  Good stuff.

Oh…oh….

One more thing!

I tried to watch The Fountain last night. I was looking forward to it – Darren Aronofsky directing Hugh Jackman & Rachel Weiscz …in a film with a sci-fi twist. Yeah,exciting stuff for dorks like me. Halfway through the movie, my son bailed and went to go read but I was determined to stick it out. Next thing I knew, I was having my toe nibbled on by a cat and the DVD menu was cycling through it’s ..whatever you want to call it.  I just could not stay awake. I wanted to, really…just as much as I wanted to love the movie and declare it amazing and astounding but….yeah,it just didn’t happen for me. Maybe I need to watch it again. During daylight hours,when I’m not so tired.

Um…and one more thing.Really, last thing.

This is a taste of what plays CONSTANTLY on my TV lately:

It’s from They might Be Giants “Here Come the ABCs” .This has been part of our collection for years but the youngest only recently discovered it and plays it on an obsessive loop. The funniest part is that he sets up his drums and plays along. This kid is a drummer. I mean, there’s no way around it. He says,”Someday I’m gonna play drums on a real stage and be a drummer.”  Yesterday he said, “Someday when I  get big, I’m gonna play on a stage with dancing letters”.  Go for it,kid. It can’t be any stranger than some of the things people do on stage.

ok.that’s it.

No,wait. Must share these links, which caused my hubby to be even more concerned about my mental health:

“What is it with you and weird fucking?”

Dinosaurs fucking  Robots artistic and comical representation of interspecies love

Zombie Sex Guide exactly what it says

Sex Tips for Zombies zombies are sexual beings too,ya know

I can justify spending so much time at the last two sites because I look at them as valuable research tools. I was challenges last week to write a romance novel, which I began writing. Many words into it, I realized that far too many people had died to probably be considered a romance novel (but the sex was good…that’s romantic,right?Oh,wait…. people should actually like each other when they fuck for it to be romantic. Nevermind. ) so I figured since everyone was dying, I should just go ahead and make them zombies. I was then challenged to “redefine the zombie genre and make zombies sexy and romantic”. I’m on it.

Also, that you Aine for introducing me to Zombie Bukkake. My life is totally and utterly complete now!

Ok.NOW that’s it. Buh bye.

[blog title from "E eats everything" by They Might be Giants]

I hope you die,and I hope i die,too

Media Whoreishness

( or, “What I’ve been listening to,reading,watching)

1. Tutorial on “How To Make Whipped Cream Soap” from ZAJA
2. Charlie & Lola both reading and watching on dvd
3. Bones, Season 1 Temperance Brennan is easily the most annoying TV protagonist ever.
4. The Cat Empire, So Many Nights
5. Run Fatboy Run
6. Installing a Radiant Floor Heat System
7. Making papercrete
8. Video about cob houses
9. “Right is Wrong”,by  Graveyard Swedish guys who obviously like Black Sabbath and the result is awesome
10. So,Your Tiny Black Heart is Broken -songs for those of us not so into Valentine’s Day
11. Polo:The Runaway Book – a wordless book we’ve been “reading”.
12. The Weekly Feminist Reader
13. Inkspell – having a harder time getting into the sequel to Inkheart
14. Study: Brain Substance may halt Alzheimers
15. Justin Timberlake @ the Grammys just following up on all the comments on Twitter that were all like, “ZOMG, Justin Timberlake is so hot”

[blog title from "No Children", The Mountain Goats]

The words are off, but they don’t feel that wrong She came in through the bedroom window like a blue girl

Moody Monday:  curious

"Does it taste blue,too?"- Pookie,Circa 2004

[blog title from "Little Lilly(aka Blue Girl)" by Widespread Panic]

————————————————————————————————-

The Recent Media List

Nanking stunning documentary, a must see.

Feminist Fuck You: The Academy Awards

And You Shall Know Us By The Trail of Our Vinyl allrighty, then….

Revolutionary Road….still reading. Would help if son wasn’t reading it too .He keeps stealing my book.

X , More Fun In The New World

Tsunami Bomb, The Ultimate Escape

The Action Design

Mike Doughty …@ Castaways

Darth Maul can’t stop me (I’m on fire tonight) Boba Fett can’t stop me (I’m on fire tonight)

Wednesday Media Mix, 1.21.09

Listen: What was the last concert you went to, and what was your experience like?

I think the last concert I went to was MC Lars. The show itself was awesome .Of course. I have the biggest, geekiest crush on MC Lars. It’s sad.I can’t help it though. It’s the brains that gets me.  But anywhore…being there in itself was an interesting experience. I went alone (probably the last time I will ever go to a concert alone) and right away, a security guard started giving me shit. Was barely thru the gate and this guy was like, “Hey, shouldn’t you be home in bed?Are you here with someone?” . Apparently he thought I was 12 or something (I know…looking like I’m 12 when I’m nearly 36 should be a huge compliment but it’s mostly just a pain in the ass. And honestly,I’m a little offended! I have curves like a woman,dammit! ). THEN, this old,very inebriated guy started hitting on me…and I kept thinking back to the security dude who thought I was 12 and was just like, “EW.Awesome. Pedophiles think I’m hot”. Oh…and he offered me a small round white object he tried to make me believe was a breath mint. Wow.I ended up hanging out with 2 lesbians and some guy who didn’t speak English and was even more creeped out as Mr. Creepo Pedophile tried talking to young boys about how their summer vacation was going.

Watch: Is there a movie that inspires you? If so, which one?

some of that German amateur porn I watch sometimes . Now that is inspiring. However, I tried our own version the other night and I’m not quite ready to pull off the German accent …nor do I speak German well enough yet to make it authentic. It just ended up sounding like a dirty remake of Fargo.”oo,yahh…”

Read: What was the last time you read a book and saw the film adaptation afterwards? What was your reaction?

It was A Man Called Horse .It was an excellent short story by Dorothy M. Johnson and for whatever reason, I thought I must see the movie afterward. I’m usually sorry when I watch the film after reading the book. I get way too annoyed with all-wrong casting,plot changes and even itty-bitty details no one cares about. Really, I should just look at the book and the film as two separate art forms but my brain doesn’t let me do that.

Bonus points go to the movie though  for accurate depiction of Sioux culture and traditions.

[blog title from "Space Game" by MC Lars]

If you want to feel me Better be divine

I never include a picture for the  Monday Music Memoirs so this gets the job done, plus writes the list out for me.

Weekend

On The Needles: Just basic kids’ socks for my Pookie.

Music Not Shown:

“Yardsale” by The Avett Brothers – love this song

The guitar I am holding is way out of tune
The neck it is warped and the saddle is through
I wonder if sweet music ever was played
From the hands of a boy to a girl in the shade
From this rickety ghost of a song
Here at this yardsale

“Attack El Robot! Attack!”, Calexico

“What the hell is this music we’re having sex to?”-Carlos

“Killer Queen”,Panic at the Disco

“Mom,watch this! Now!”-one of the pre-teens

Watched:

His Kind of Woman wonderful  

Hamlet 2 either the worst movie ever or the most brilliant. Whichever

All in the Family,Season 1 just like my childhood

Reading:

Revolutionary Road

“Hating Every Minute of Mommyhood”

Thank the gods I’m not like the people in the stuff I’m reading.

[blog title from: "Kiss Me On My Neck", Erykah Badu]