A couple of weeks ago, I heard Hell, the first single off this album, while I was in my car. I was kind of in shock at how much it...rocked. I turned it up so loud that my car shook.
In a lot of way, Sainthood is a departure from the sound you're used to hearing from Tegan and Sara. For one thing, there are way more rock and electronica influences. You might attribute the chances they took, sonically, to Chris Walla's production. You might attribute it to Tegan's work with AFI bassist Hunter Burgan. Or you might attribute it to Tegan and Sara's collaboration with Tiesto on his remix of their song 'Back in Your Head.'
The thing that hasn't changed, though, is the way in which the sisters can write a lyric that stops you in your tracks. Gut wrenchingly honest, the duo treks through the muddy, murky waters of the way in which we sacrifice ourselves for those we love and who we hope will love us back.
For me, the aforementioned 'Hell' and the album-closing 'Someday' were the best songs on the album. Other standouts included 'Alligator' (a total earworm) and 'The Ocean' (careful: this catchy chorus is hard to shake). Fans of Tegan and Sara's...folksier sound need not worry. The earnest song 'Sentimental tune,' a track that sounds eerily like their earlier song 'And Darling,' is a throwback track that would fit in on any track from If it was you.
There was only one song that just didn't work for me: Night watch. It wasn't bad, necessarily, but I did think it lacked cohesiveness. And on an album full of standouts, a 'meh' track is hard to ignore.
Overall, I'm a fan of Sainthood. It's totally worth the investment.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
White Rabbits at the Firebird: Local-ish boys made good
If you were at Firebird last night, you got a little taste of the Brooklyn music scene. You also got what felt very much like a homecoming show for the headliner.
White Rabbits, a band who got its start at Mizzou, came across as catchy and technically proficient on their album It's Frightening. The album was good, but if I'm being honest, it struck me as neither exceptional nor memorable.
The show last night blew me away and unseated Matt&Kim for the best show I've seen in 2009.
The short set was tight, and though there were a lot of musicians on stage, their sound wasn't muddy and none of the musicians stepped on each other's toes. They played songs that I recognized from the new album--Percussion Gun, Company I keep, and Midnight and I were standouts--but they also managed to pull out what I could only assume was some older stuff. They were engaging and kept the crowd interested. I rarely say this, but I could've done with a smidge more crowd interaction. The length of the set didn't lend itself to much banter, but they sometimes didn't pause between songs--something that is always a little off-putting for me when I want to clap.
There were two opening acts--one of which I really dug (Suckers) and one of which (Glass Ghost) didn't really work for me.
I give Glass Ghost an 'A' for effort--they played bulk of their set with a singer/keyboard player and a drummer. But the singer just didn't "sell it" in a way that convinced me he was anything more than either disinterested or terrified. I am curious to hear the album, though, to see if their setup works better that way.
I loved (loved!) Suckers. Read this article to get the gist of why they're so awesome. My husband and I thought they sounded a little bit like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah or TV on the Radio. Their music was interesting and their set was tight. Clearly they're skilled musicians, even if I didn't always get what they were doing. They featured 'two' lead vocalists who carried the band through their range of music and a drummer who was amazing.
Overall, it was a fantastic homecoming of sorts with an enthusiastic crowd and skilled musicians.
White Rabbits, a band who got its start at Mizzou, came across as catchy and technically proficient on their album It's Frightening. The album was good, but if I'm being honest, it struck me as neither exceptional nor memorable.
The show last night blew me away and unseated Matt&Kim for the best show I've seen in 2009.
The short set was tight, and though there were a lot of musicians on stage, their sound wasn't muddy and none of the musicians stepped on each other's toes. They played songs that I recognized from the new album--Percussion Gun, Company I keep, and Midnight and I were standouts--but they also managed to pull out what I could only assume was some older stuff. They were engaging and kept the crowd interested. I rarely say this, but I could've done with a smidge more crowd interaction. The length of the set didn't lend itself to much banter, but they sometimes didn't pause between songs--something that is always a little off-putting for me when I want to clap.
There were two opening acts--one of which I really dug (Suckers) and one of which (Glass Ghost) didn't really work for me.
I give Glass Ghost an 'A' for effort--they played bulk of their set with a singer/keyboard player and a drummer. But the singer just didn't "sell it" in a way that convinced me he was anything more than either disinterested or terrified. I am curious to hear the album, though, to see if their setup works better that way.
I loved (loved!) Suckers. Read this article to get the gist of why they're so awesome. My husband and I thought they sounded a little bit like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah or TV on the Radio. Their music was interesting and their set was tight. Clearly they're skilled musicians, even if I didn't always get what they were doing. They featured 'two' lead vocalists who carried the band through their range of music and a drummer who was amazing.
Overall, it was a fantastic homecoming of sorts with an enthusiastic crowd and skilled musicians.
Friday, October 23, 2009
NPR's All Songs Considered and the Top Songs of Aught Nine...so far
I just finished listening to the All Songs Considered podcast from July (yes...July!) where they asked listeners to vote on their top songs and albums of 2009 at that point.
The top 5 songs were:
1. My girls by Animal Collective
2. Two weeks by Grizzly Bear
3. Blood bank by Bon Iver
4. The Rake's song by The Decemberists
5. Zero by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
If you want to see the whole list, go here. The blog also has clips from some of these songs.
I couldn't really argue with the list. I mean, I don't really dig on Animal Collective, but that song was pretty hot. I might've put the Bon Iver song closer to the top and I would've had a Phoenix track or something by Passion Pit in the Top 5 (on the podcast, Liztomania was no. 6 but on the blog it's no. 5).
Anyway...check it out if you're interested.
The top 5 songs were:
1. My girls by Animal Collective
2. Two weeks by Grizzly Bear
3. Blood bank by Bon Iver
4. The Rake's song by The Decemberists
5. Zero by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
If you want to see the whole list, go here. The blog also has clips from some of these songs.
I couldn't really argue with the list. I mean, I don't really dig on Animal Collective, but that song was pretty hot. I might've put the Bon Iver song closer to the top and I would've had a Phoenix track or something by Passion Pit in the Top 5 (on the podcast, Liztomania was no. 6 but on the blog it's no. 5).
Anyway...check it out if you're interested.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Mike Doughty at the Duck Room
This is a 'things I love' blog. As such, I don't spend much time dwelling on things that suck. It's just more fun for me, the author, to write about those things that are awesome. And the more fun it is for me to write, the more fun it is for you to read.
That having been said, I have to start out this review by saying that this concert "experience" was the worst I've ever had. There were these guys standing behind me that would. not. shut. up. Seriously...for the entire show, they were either talking really loudly or singing really loudly. And no amount of looks or subtle 'hey...do you mind?' comments would shut them up. They were hell bent on being "those guys" at this show. They were clearly fans of Doughty because they knew all the words to all the songs. Doughty himself even had to ask the audience to 'take it down a level' not once but twice.
The best part of the evening was when the lady next to me lost her shit and yelled at Doughty.
The exchange went something like this:
Lady: Do you ever go to someone's job and take the broom out of their hands?
Doughty: Huh?
Lady (slower): Do you ever go to someone's job and take the broom out of their hands?
Doughty: Uh...no?
Lady: Those guys (pointing behind her) are stealing your broom, Dude.
The guys didn't get booted, but at least her public shaming shut them up for five seconds. I would love to buy this lady a beer. Do you know her?
That having been said, the show was pretty awesome. I think the venue wasn't quite right, but Mike Doughty and Scrap were awesome. It was a "Question Jar" show, which meant that Doughty played acoustic guitar and his only accompaniment was Andrew 'Scrap' Livingston on the cello or bass guitar. It also means that the audience got to submit questions which Doughty and Scrap answered during the course of the evening.
Turns out that Doughty won't play at your wedding, loves cherry sno cones, would go to the 1982 Knoxville World's Fair in a Time Machine, loves Steinbeck, and only sometimes misses the drugs. Also, he's still f***ing that chicken.
The limitations of playing an acoustic set meant that Doughty had to make careful choices about which songs he could tackle. Some of his catalog just doesn't stand up to that kind of limitation. But he did pull out a couple of surprises--top among them was Saint Louise is Listening. He also played a lot of songs you'd expect him to play in a setting like that--Janine, Unsingable name, Madeline and Nine, I Hear the Bells. He pimped the new album, playing about half of it. Standouts included (He's got the) Whole World (in His hands) and (You should be) Doubly (Gratified).
Staying true to his roots, his "fake last song" before the encore was from his Soul Coughing days--Soft Serve--and was, for my money, the highlight of the evening.
I was worried about the Question Jar element of the evening. Stage banter is good, but only if the person doing it is witty enough to make you care. Good singers, it is my experience, aren't always great at banter. It was nice, though, the way that Scrap and Doughty managed to interact and answer questions thoughtfully.
I think the Duck Room wasn't a great venue for this show. I'd never been there before but some frustrated post-show tweets lead me to believe that it isn't a good venue for bands who want the quiet, intimate show that a space that small has the potential to provide. I'm not sure, though, what would've been better. Off Broadway, perhaps? The only thing I know for sure is that I will probably not go back to the Duck Room any time soon.
Overall, a good show. Not a great show, but that was more to do with the venue and the concert goers than the performer.
That having been said, I have to start out this review by saying that this concert "experience" was the worst I've ever had. There were these guys standing behind me that would. not. shut. up. Seriously...for the entire show, they were either talking really loudly or singing really loudly. And no amount of looks or subtle 'hey...do you mind?' comments would shut them up. They were hell bent on being "those guys" at this show. They were clearly fans of Doughty because they knew all the words to all the songs. Doughty himself even had to ask the audience to 'take it down a level' not once but twice.
The best part of the evening was when the lady next to me lost her shit and yelled at Doughty.
The exchange went something like this:
Lady: Do you ever go to someone's job and take the broom out of their hands?
Doughty: Huh?
Lady (slower): Do you ever go to someone's job and take the broom out of their hands?
Doughty: Uh...no?
Lady: Those guys (pointing behind her) are stealing your broom, Dude.
The guys didn't get booted, but at least her public shaming shut them up for five seconds. I would love to buy this lady a beer. Do you know her?
That having been said, the show was pretty awesome. I think the venue wasn't quite right, but Mike Doughty and Scrap were awesome. It was a "Question Jar" show, which meant that Doughty played acoustic guitar and his only accompaniment was Andrew 'Scrap' Livingston on the cello or bass guitar. It also means that the audience got to submit questions which Doughty and Scrap answered during the course of the evening.
Turns out that Doughty won't play at your wedding, loves cherry sno cones, would go to the 1982 Knoxville World's Fair in a Time Machine, loves Steinbeck, and only sometimes misses the drugs. Also, he's still f***ing that chicken.
The limitations of playing an acoustic set meant that Doughty had to make careful choices about which songs he could tackle. Some of his catalog just doesn't stand up to that kind of limitation. But he did pull out a couple of surprises--top among them was Saint Louise is Listening. He also played a lot of songs you'd expect him to play in a setting like that--Janine, Unsingable name, Madeline and Nine, I Hear the Bells. He pimped the new album, playing about half of it. Standouts included (He's got the) Whole World (in His hands) and (You should be) Doubly (Gratified).
Staying true to his roots, his "fake last song" before the encore was from his Soul Coughing days--Soft Serve--and was, for my money, the highlight of the evening.
I was worried about the Question Jar element of the evening. Stage banter is good, but only if the person doing it is witty enough to make you care. Good singers, it is my experience, aren't always great at banter. It was nice, though, the way that Scrap and Doughty managed to interact and answer questions thoughtfully.
I think the Duck Room wasn't a great venue for this show. I'd never been there before but some frustrated post-show tweets lead me to believe that it isn't a good venue for bands who want the quiet, intimate show that a space that small has the potential to provide. I'm not sure, though, what would've been better. Off Broadway, perhaps? The only thing I know for sure is that I will probably not go back to the Duck Room any time soon.
Overall, a good show. Not a great show, but that was more to do with the venue and the concert goers than the performer.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Erin McKeown's Hundreds of Lions
Erin McKeown's new album, Hundreds of Lions, is something I've been anticipating for a while. Recorded without support from a major label on the front end, this is McKeown's first album of original music since 2005's We Will Become Like Birds and her first collaboration with Ani DiFranco's label, Righteous Babe.
One thing I really appreciate about McKeown as an artist is her capacity to challenge me as a listener. Her new album, Hundreds of Lions, is no exception. The creative freedom that comes from not having having major label support is evident from all of the risks that McKeown takes. And I, for one, dig it.
Always lyrically nimble, McKeown spends a lot of this album experimenting sonically. The first time through, the rich arrangements threw me. Strings, a drum machine, and birds all serve as accompaniment on tracks throughout the album.
Even with a more complex sound, McKeown is very meticulous in making sure that nothing is extraneous. And after a second listen, I could see that every instrument added a necessary layer of richness and depth to songs with inspired lyrics.
McKeown seems to have found a comfortable home among the songs she covered on Sing You Sinners. Though original tunes, standouts like To a Hammer, The Lions, and The Rascals all could've been covers of long-ago written standards. And McKeown shines when she's playing witty, carefully crafted songs with a vintage feel.
For my money, though, the best track is You, Sailor. Previously released on McKeown's live album, Lafayette, the studio version takes an already beautiful song and breathes new life into it.
It may take you more than one listen to crack through its shell, but I assure you that Hundreds of Lions is worth the work.
One thing I really appreciate about McKeown as an artist is her capacity to challenge me as a listener. Her new album, Hundreds of Lions, is no exception. The creative freedom that comes from not having having major label support is evident from all of the risks that McKeown takes. And I, for one, dig it.
Always lyrically nimble, McKeown spends a lot of this album experimenting sonically. The first time through, the rich arrangements threw me. Strings, a drum machine, and birds all serve as accompaniment on tracks throughout the album.
Even with a more complex sound, McKeown is very meticulous in making sure that nothing is extraneous. And after a second listen, I could see that every instrument added a necessary layer of richness and depth to songs with inspired lyrics.
McKeown seems to have found a comfortable home among the songs she covered on Sing You Sinners. Though original tunes, standouts like To a Hammer, The Lions, and The Rascals all could've been covers of long-ago written standards. And McKeown shines when she's playing witty, carefully crafted songs with a vintage feel.
For my money, though, the best track is You, Sailor. Previously released on McKeown's live album, Lafayette, the studio version takes an already beautiful song and breathes new life into it.
It may take you more than one listen to crack through its shell, but I assure you that Hundreds of Lions is worth the work.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Best music of Aught Nine...so far?
For the past couple of years, The Dude and I have done a "best music of the year" list. And every year, December rolls around and I feel like there's so much music I haven't listened to.
So let me break it down for you.
So far, I've enjoyed:
Grand--Matt&Kim
Fantasies--Metric
Sad Man Happy Man--Mike Doughty
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix--Phoenix
It's frightening--White Rabbits
Manners--Passion Pit
October's new releases that I'm excited about:
Hundreds of Lions--Erin McKeown
Sainthood--Tegan and Sara
So here's the question: What have you loved that isn't on this list?
Leave a comment and fill me in.
So let me break it down for you.
So far, I've enjoyed:
Grand--Matt&Kim
Fantasies--Metric
Sad Man Happy Man--Mike Doughty
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix--Phoenix
It's frightening--White Rabbits
Manners--Passion Pit
October's new releases that I'm excited about:
Hundreds of Lions--Erin McKeown
Sainthood--Tegan and Sara
So here's the question: What have you loved that isn't on this list?
Leave a comment and fill me in.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Music for running
I am constantly trying to craft the best playlist to run to. See...I don't like running very much.
Well, that's not entirely true.
I do enjoy the feeling of accomplishment I feel when I finish and run. And I like how running makes the numbers on the scale get smaller.
But when I run, I get bored. I am not one of those people who goes to some blissful, zen place when they run. I don't think through problems. I don't think *anything* beyond how quickly I want to be done running.
So I need music that is both upbeat and lyrically interesting so that I distract myself from how bored I am and focus on being in the moment.
My newest playlist:
Lisztomania--Phoenix
Daylight--Matt&Kim
Absolutely Still--BTE
Little Secrets--Passion Pit
Yeah Yeah--Matt&Kim
Sick Muse--Metric
Satellite Skin--Modest Mouse
Lasso--Phoenix
Good Ol'Fashioned Nightmare--Matt&Kim
Gold Guns Girls--Metric
Golden Age--TV on the Radio
Off That--Jay-Z feat. Jimmy (well..Drake--I refuse to call him that, though)
All in--BTE
I am going to take this for a test drive tonight and see how it works.
Well, that's not entirely true.
I do enjoy the feeling of accomplishment I feel when I finish and run. And I like how running makes the numbers on the scale get smaller.
But when I run, I get bored. I am not one of those people who goes to some blissful, zen place when they run. I don't think through problems. I don't think *anything* beyond how quickly I want to be done running.
So I need music that is both upbeat and lyrically interesting so that I distract myself from how bored I am and focus on being in the moment.
My newest playlist:
Lisztomania--Phoenix
Daylight--Matt&Kim
Absolutely Still--BTE
Little Secrets--Passion Pit
Yeah Yeah--Matt&Kim
Sick Muse--Metric
Satellite Skin--Modest Mouse
Lasso--Phoenix
Good Ol'Fashioned Nightmare--Matt&Kim
Gold Guns Girls--Metric
Golden Age--TV on the Radio
Off That--Jay-Z feat. Jimmy (well..Drake--I refuse to call him that, though)
All in--BTE
I am going to take this for a test drive tonight and see how it works.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Matt and Kim: Heroes of New Sincerity
Okay, so there's this phenomenon known as "New Sincerity."
Basically, New Sincerity thumbs its nose at postmodern cynicism. It's an oversimplified explanation, but it'll do. Most notably, New Sincerity has been linked to Jesse Thorn's show The Sound of Young America. Heroes of the New Sincerity include Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Shaq.
I went to see the band Matt and Kim last night, and walked away believing that they, too, could be considered Heroes of the New Sincerity. Two musicians from Brooklyn, Matt and Kim seemed to be having the time of their lives as they danced, handclapped, and crowd surfed their way through their hour-long set.
If you've heard the Bacardi ad that features the song 'Daylight,' you've heard Matt and Kim. And though their second album is way more polished than their first, the song clip in the ad gives you the basic idea of who they are.
The set was tight and featured a ton of songs while, at the same time, making room for banter that rivals that of Banter Queens Tegan and Sara. Highlights included the aforementioned Daylight as well as Kim singing on Lessons Learned, a song they debuted at last night's show.
The band seemed genuinely overwhelmed that they had such a large crowd (300+) show up for the show. They made every effort to keep it clean for the kidlets in the audience (as an aside: who takes elementary aged kids to an all-ages show on a school night? Matt and Kim didn't even go on until 10!) and they put themselves on risers on the stage so that people in the back of the club could see them.
The show ended with an impromptu dance party and the band sticking around to take pictures with the horde of starstruck fans.
At first, I couldn't imagine that Matt and Kim were sincere. They were so...happy. And energetic. I was sure this was an indie rock joke that I just didn't get. I was sure that they were jaded hipsters who would reveal their true selves before the set was over. The thing is, as the set went on I grew more confident that they really were sincere. They just really love playing music and they love the fans who come to their show.
So, in conclusion, Matt and Kim are awesome. And heroes of the New Sincerity.
Basically, New Sincerity thumbs its nose at postmodern cynicism. It's an oversimplified explanation, but it'll do. Most notably, New Sincerity has been linked to Jesse Thorn's show The Sound of Young America. Heroes of the New Sincerity include Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Shaq.
I went to see the band Matt and Kim last night, and walked away believing that they, too, could be considered Heroes of the New Sincerity. Two musicians from Brooklyn, Matt and Kim seemed to be having the time of their lives as they danced, handclapped, and crowd surfed their way through their hour-long set.
If you've heard the Bacardi ad that features the song 'Daylight,' you've heard Matt and Kim. And though their second album is way more polished than their first, the song clip in the ad gives you the basic idea of who they are.
The set was tight and featured a ton of songs while, at the same time, making room for banter that rivals that of Banter Queens Tegan and Sara. Highlights included the aforementioned Daylight as well as Kim singing on Lessons Learned, a song they debuted at last night's show.
The band seemed genuinely overwhelmed that they had such a large crowd (300+) show up for the show. They made every effort to keep it clean for the kidlets in the audience (as an aside: who takes elementary aged kids to an all-ages show on a school night? Matt and Kim didn't even go on until 10!) and they put themselves on risers on the stage so that people in the back of the club could see them.
The show ended with an impromptu dance party and the band sticking around to take pictures with the horde of starstruck fans.
At first, I couldn't imagine that Matt and Kim were sincere. They were so...happy. And energetic. I was sure this was an indie rock joke that I just didn't get. I was sure that they were jaded hipsters who would reveal their true selves before the set was over. The thing is, as the set went on I grew more confident that they really were sincere. They just really love playing music and they love the fans who come to their show.
So, in conclusion, Matt and Kim are awesome. And heroes of the New Sincerity.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Flipping the script
One of my friends is feeling frustrated about something in her life. She is feeling this intense feeling of being stuck in a situation that she doesn't like and isn't sure how to change it.
Before we go any further, this isn't one of those stories where "My friend is" is actually code for "I am."
She wrote an email to a group of her friends that laid out all of things about this situation that frustrate her. Then she wrote another email that flipped the script, so to speak, and set out some short term (1-2 years) and long term (2-4 years) goals as well as what she ultimately wanted the situation to look like.
I was struck by how simple this re-framing was and yet how brilliant.
How often do I feel like a situation is both sucktastic and beyond my control? A lot. How often do I see how a situation can be changed and what I can do to change it? Not often.
As a related matter, in a meeting yesterday, a colleague spoke at length about "outcomes assessment" in which she discussed the concept of writing outcomes.
Outcomes, she stated, are desired changes in behavior, attitude, or skills.
The formula she presented for writing an outcome:
Verb/action phrase + "in order to" + Why = Outcome
An example:
Complete couch to 5K program in order to successfully run 3 miles.
So what do these two ideas have to do with one another?
I sometimes feel like I choose to believe that a situation is beyond my control instead of looking for ways I can change it. The next time I feel frustrated at how stuck I feel, I need to stop and consider what I want the situation to ultimately look like (using my handy-dandy outcome-writing skill) and then set short and long-term goals to get from where I am now to where I want to be.
What do you wish was different? How can you work to change it?
Before we go any further, this isn't one of those stories where "My friend is" is actually code for "I am."
She wrote an email to a group of her friends that laid out all of things about this situation that frustrate her. Then she wrote another email that flipped the script, so to speak, and set out some short term (1-2 years) and long term (2-4 years) goals as well as what she ultimately wanted the situation to look like.
I was struck by how simple this re-framing was and yet how brilliant.
How often do I feel like a situation is both sucktastic and beyond my control? A lot. How often do I see how a situation can be changed and what I can do to change it? Not often.
As a related matter, in a meeting yesterday, a colleague spoke at length about "outcomes assessment" in which she discussed the concept of writing outcomes.
Outcomes, she stated, are desired changes in behavior, attitude, or skills.
The formula she presented for writing an outcome:
Verb/action phrase + "in order to" + Why = Outcome
An example:
Complete couch to 5K program in order to successfully run 3 miles.
So what do these two ideas have to do with one another?
I sometimes feel like I choose to believe that a situation is beyond my control instead of looking for ways I can change it. The next time I feel frustrated at how stuck I feel, I need to stop and consider what I want the situation to ultimately look like (using my handy-dandy outcome-writing skill) and then set short and long-term goals to get from where I am now to where I want to be.
What do you wish was different? How can you work to change it?
Monday, July 27, 2009
Concert review: BTE at the Pageant
I was nineteen the first time I saw Better Than Ezra. I was a sophomore in college and they were touring behind How does your garden grow. It was an epic show that ended with them playing an acoustic set in the parking lot because the sound in the venue was terrible. I feel in love with Kevin, Tom, and Travis and have been a BTE junkie ever since.
On Saturday night, I saw Better Than Ezra for the ninth time at the Pageant. Nine times of seeing one band over eleven years seems staggering, right?
The long and short of it is, I'm not as young as I used to be. And, honestly, neither is BTE.
The biggest change to the band is new drummer, Michael Jerome, who made his StL debut on Saturday night. Travis McNabb, the band's long-time drummer, left the band to tour with Sugarland. Jerome, who certainly has mad drumming skillz, brings a different flavor to the band. McNabb's larger-than-life persona and tendency toward the flashy were replaced by Jerome's understatedness. In my mind, it moved BTE from feeling like a trio toward feeling like a duo with a touring keyboardist and drummer.
The band opened with Turn on the bright lights, the hallmark of how far the band has come in the 20 years they've been making music. A mid-tempo rock song, Turn on the bright lights is a 'nothing special' kind of tune that gets new life breathed into it when played live. For whatever you can say about how lame Better Than Ezra has become, you can hardly question their skills at playing live. They have the audience in the palm of their collective hand from the first note to the last chord.
The first three songs featured a very distracted Kevin. He was having problems with the amp, and he flat out didn't sing about 1/3 of Misunderstood. I would've preferred that they stop the show for a minute rather than this half-assed attempt to keep the show going despite technical difficulties.
The band finally got its act together and played an impressive show filled with songs from Paper Empire, some older hits, and some quirky covers. I would've preferred more songs from How does your garden grow and Closer, but a die hard fan always leaves wanting more, right?
All in all, BTE has lost a half-step over the past few years, but proved they can still get a crowd up and moving.
Set list:
Turn on the bright lights
Good
Misunderstood
All in
Extraordinary feat. Sexy Back (cover--Justin Timberlake)
Absolutely still
King of New Orleans
Sincerely Me
Get you in
Live again
Boom boom pow interlude feat. Michael Jerome's drumming
Nightclubbing
Laid (cover--James song)
Juicy feat. Miss You (cover--Rolling Stones)
Desperately wanting
Encore 1 (just Kevin--acoustic):
Jolene (cover--Ray LaMontagne)
Porcelain
Encore 2 (entire band):
Just one day
Let my love open the door (cover--Pete Townsend)
In the blood feat. Song 2 (cover--Blur)
On Saturday night, I saw Better Than Ezra for the ninth time at the Pageant. Nine times of seeing one band over eleven years seems staggering, right?
The long and short of it is, I'm not as young as I used to be. And, honestly, neither is BTE.
The biggest change to the band is new drummer, Michael Jerome, who made his StL debut on Saturday night. Travis McNabb, the band's long-time drummer, left the band to tour with Sugarland. Jerome, who certainly has mad drumming skillz, brings a different flavor to the band. McNabb's larger-than-life persona and tendency toward the flashy were replaced by Jerome's understatedness. In my mind, it moved BTE from feeling like a trio toward feeling like a duo with a touring keyboardist and drummer.
The band opened with Turn on the bright lights, the hallmark of how far the band has come in the 20 years they've been making music. A mid-tempo rock song, Turn on the bright lights is a 'nothing special' kind of tune that gets new life breathed into it when played live. For whatever you can say about how lame Better Than Ezra has become, you can hardly question their skills at playing live. They have the audience in the palm of their collective hand from the first note to the last chord.
The first three songs featured a very distracted Kevin. He was having problems with the amp, and he flat out didn't sing about 1/3 of Misunderstood. I would've preferred that they stop the show for a minute rather than this half-assed attempt to keep the show going despite technical difficulties.
The band finally got its act together and played an impressive show filled with songs from Paper Empire, some older hits, and some quirky covers. I would've preferred more songs from How does your garden grow and Closer, but a die hard fan always leaves wanting more, right?
All in all, BTE has lost a half-step over the past few years, but proved they can still get a crowd up and moving.
Set list:
Turn on the bright lights
Good
Misunderstood
All in
Extraordinary feat. Sexy Back (cover--Justin Timberlake)
Absolutely still
King of New Orleans
Sincerely Me
Get you in
Live again
Boom boom pow interlude feat. Michael Jerome's drumming
Nightclubbing
Laid (cover--James song)
Juicy feat. Miss You (cover--Rolling Stones)
Desperately wanting
Encore 1 (just Kevin--acoustic):
Jolene (cover--Ray LaMontagne)
Porcelain
Encore 2 (entire band):
Just one day
Let my love open the door (cover--Pete Townsend)
In the blood feat. Song 2 (cover--Blur)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
When it's time to change...
This one comes straight out of the 'keeping it real' file.
I did South Beach Diet for a while, but it's safe to assume I've fallen off that wagon.
I got tired of eating (and not eating) the same things all the time and I kept justifying my sneaks and treats. And, honestly, I bent the rules until they broke.
I'm not gaining any more weight, but I'm also not losing.
So, I figure I have two options:
1)Abandon SBD altogether and adhere strictly to a restricted-calorie diet.
2) Get back on the SBD wagon, starting with a 2-week Phase I "detox."
I'm trying to weigh my options pretty carefully (no pun intended).
I heard myself telling someone today that my change in lifestyle is about making choices and giving some things up to have other things. But I'm realistically starting to wonder what I'm giving up of late. It seems, more and more, like I've been justifying things more than giving them up.
As I see myself settling into a weight that is significantly higher than my goal weight, I know things have to change.
I did South Beach Diet for a while, but it's safe to assume I've fallen off that wagon.
I got tired of eating (and not eating) the same things all the time and I kept justifying my sneaks and treats. And, honestly, I bent the rules until they broke.
I'm not gaining any more weight, but I'm also not losing.
So, I figure I have two options:
1)Abandon SBD altogether and adhere strictly to a restricted-calorie diet.
2) Get back on the SBD wagon, starting with a 2-week Phase I "detox."
I'm trying to weigh my options pretty carefully (no pun intended).
I heard myself telling someone today that my change in lifestyle is about making choices and giving some things up to have other things. But I'm realistically starting to wonder what I'm giving up of late. It seems, more and more, like I've been justifying things more than giving them up.
As I see myself settling into a weight that is significantly higher than my goal weight, I know things have to change.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
No. 3: A portrait of the artist as a young man by James Joyce
James Joyce's kinda sorta autobiography-disguided-as-a-novel comes in on our charts at number 3.
Stephen Dedalus wants to be an artist, but there's one BIG thing standing in his way: he's Catholic. And it's hard, in early 20th century Ireland, to be both Catholic and an artist. But Stephen? He's gonna make it after all.
This novel is told in 5 vignettes that stand together as a loosely linear narrative. My favorite vignette by far was the one where Stephen hears a hellfire-and-brimstone sermon and decides to repent of all his sins including but not limited to prostitute patronage.
I realize this all comes off as super glib, but I only kind of mean it that way. Because, while Portrait might be influential in the 20th century, there are far "better" books on this list. Or, perhaps, books I liked better.
Stephen Dedalus wants to be an artist, but there's one BIG thing standing in his way: he's Catholic. And it's hard, in early 20th century Ireland, to be both Catholic and an artist. But Stephen? He's gonna make it after all.
This novel is told in 5 vignettes that stand together as a loosely linear narrative. My favorite vignette by far was the one where Stephen hears a hellfire-and-brimstone sermon and decides to repent of all his sins including but not limited to prostitute patronage.
I realize this all comes off as super glib, but I only kind of mean it that way. Because, while Portrait might be influential in the 20th century, there are far "better" books on this list. Or, perhaps, books I liked better.
The Modern Library Top 100 challenge
On the eve of my 30th birthday, I decided to start reading (or, in some cases, re-reading) the Top 100 novels of the 20th century as determined by the board of the Modern Library.
I'm not sure what prompted me to do this other than the fact that I have not read a lot of the classics. The idea of reading 20th century classics seemed appealing to me.
I usually don't break 50 novels a year, so I figure it'll take the first two years of my 30s to read all of these books.
I'm going to post my thoughts on each novel I read as well as keep track of what I've read in the sidebar.
I'm not sure what prompted me to do this other than the fact that I have not read a lot of the classics. The idea of reading 20th century classics seemed appealing to me.
I usually don't break 50 novels a year, so I figure it'll take the first two years of my 30s to read all of these books.
I'm going to post my thoughts on each novel I read as well as keep track of what I've read in the sidebar.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
You, yes you...
We are fixed
We are fixed
We are fixed right where we stand
--The view, Modest Mouse
I have lost 30 pounds in the last 9 months. I've also gained a lot of perspective on how little power we, as people, think we have.
Today, someone who hadn't seen me since April said "you've lost a lot of weight. You look great."
My initial reaction was to think about how to deflect that compliment.
I'm not at my goal weight. I haven't been eating the way I should lately. I haven't been running as often as I should lately. And I've been in the 150s since March.
Instead, as if outside of my own body, I said "Thanks! I've lost 30 pounds since September."
The person's reply? "I wish I could do that."
I immediately said, "if I can do it, you can too. I'm not doing anything special. I'm just eating less and exercising more."
If someone had said this to me ten months ago, I wouldn't have believed them. 'It's too hard to change habits,' I would've thought, 'and I totally don't have that kind of willpower.'
There are a lot of legitimate things that stand in people's ways. I get that.
But can I tell you a secret?
90% of the time, you do have what it takes to make the change in your life you're longing to make.
I was a couch potato; now I'm a runner. But it didn't happen overnight. I started and quit Couch to 5K more times than I can count before it stuck.
I used to be an emotional eater...and still am. But I've found some non-eating coping mechanisms that work for me, so I'm less likely to reach for a box of cereal when I'm sad/bored/lonely.
I used to eat whatever I wanted with no regard for portion sizes; now I measure my portion of cereal and make choices about what I'm willing to not eat (hello, croutons!) in exchange for what I refuse to give up (hello, red velvet cupcakes!).
The point is, you (yes...you) have everything you need inside of you to be the person you want to be.
Exchange my weight loss for the one thing in your life that you wish was different. And know it's true when I say, "if I can do it, you can too."
Love,
Mrs. Dude
We are fixed
We are fixed right where we stand
--The view, Modest Mouse
I have lost 30 pounds in the last 9 months. I've also gained a lot of perspective on how little power we, as people, think we have.
Today, someone who hadn't seen me since April said "you've lost a lot of weight. You look great."
My initial reaction was to think about how to deflect that compliment.
I'm not at my goal weight. I haven't been eating the way I should lately. I haven't been running as often as I should lately. And I've been in the 150s since March.
Instead, as if outside of my own body, I said "Thanks! I've lost 30 pounds since September."
The person's reply? "I wish I could do that."
I immediately said, "if I can do it, you can too. I'm not doing anything special. I'm just eating less and exercising more."
If someone had said this to me ten months ago, I wouldn't have believed them. 'It's too hard to change habits,' I would've thought, 'and I totally don't have that kind of willpower.'
There are a lot of legitimate things that stand in people's ways. I get that.
But can I tell you a secret?
90% of the time, you do have what it takes to make the change in your life you're longing to make.
I was a couch potato; now I'm a runner. But it didn't happen overnight. I started and quit Couch to 5K more times than I can count before it stuck.
I used to be an emotional eater...and still am. But I've found some non-eating coping mechanisms that work for me, so I'm less likely to reach for a box of cereal when I'm sad/bored/lonely.
I used to eat whatever I wanted with no regard for portion sizes; now I measure my portion of cereal and make choices about what I'm willing to not eat (hello, croutons!) in exchange for what I refuse to give up (hello, red velvet cupcakes!).
The point is, you (yes...you) have everything you need inside of you to be the person you want to be.
Exchange my weight loss for the one thing in your life that you wish was different. And know it's true when I say, "if I can do it, you can too."
Love,
Mrs. Dude
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Odds and ends
I am too lazy to compose an entire blog post about any one thing, but I've been itching to tell you some things.
Part the First: Things I am digging right now
1. Mass transit
2. Running
3. Smoothies made with cottage cheese, chocolate soy milk, no-sugar added chocolate milk mix, Splenda, and ice
4. Southern Vampire novels (aka the Sookie Stackhouse books)
5. Visiting the public library
Part the Second: Things I have done
1. Seen The Hold Steady in concert
2. Visited the Tower Grove farmers market
3. Gone to the movies (I saw Disney's Earth)
4. Watched Casino Royale and decided I like Daniel Craig as Bond
5. Eaten bacon-wrapped meatloaf at Schlafly's Taproom
Part the Third: How I intend to spend my Summer Vacation
1. Turn 30
2. Meetup with friends in Vegas
3. Go to Chicago for ALA's annual conference
4. Try my hand at container gardening
5. Run at least 1 5K
I think that about covers it for now.
Part the First: Things I am digging right now
1. Mass transit
2. Running
3. Smoothies made with cottage cheese, chocolate soy milk, no-sugar added chocolate milk mix, Splenda, and ice
4. Southern Vampire novels (aka the Sookie Stackhouse books)
5. Visiting the public library
Part the Second: Things I have done
1. Seen The Hold Steady in concert
2. Visited the Tower Grove farmers market
3. Gone to the movies (I saw Disney's Earth)
4. Watched Casino Royale and decided I like Daniel Craig as Bond
5. Eaten bacon-wrapped meatloaf at Schlafly's Taproom
Part the Third: How I intend to spend my Summer Vacation
1. Turn 30
2. Meetup with friends in Vegas
3. Go to Chicago for ALA's annual conference
4. Try my hand at container gardening
5. Run at least 1 5K
I think that about covers it for now.
Friday, April 24, 2009
A quote worth considering
"Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses, and disappointments, but let us have patience and we shall soon see them in their proper figures."
--Joseph Addison
I was going to write some awesomely lofty blog post about how I have tried really hard to see pain as a blessing.
But the truth is, I rarely do. I am the Queen of Doom and Gloom. When things are going even the tiniest bit wrong, I freak out and adopt this annoying sky-is-falling attitude. And only later, in the safety of a storm that has just passed, do I see the lessons embedded in the tumult.
So in the interest of keeping it real, I'm not going to editorialize more than I already have. I'm just going to leave this simple thought for you to consider.
--Joseph Addison
I was going to write some awesomely lofty blog post about how I have tried really hard to see pain as a blessing.
But the truth is, I rarely do. I am the Queen of Doom and Gloom. When things are going even the tiniest bit wrong, I freak out and adopt this annoying sky-is-falling attitude. And only later, in the safety of a storm that has just passed, do I see the lessons embedded in the tumult.
So in the interest of keeping it real, I'm not going to editorialize more than I already have. I'm just going to leave this simple thought for you to consider.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Perfect fifths by Megan McCafferty: a review in verse
Marcus Flutie's Lloyd
Dobbler-esque charm is
Not enough, sadly.
Which is not to say
that I didn't enjoy his turn
at speaking his peace.
But that stories left
untold are often the best
gift an author gives.
Dobbler-esque charm is
Not enough, sadly.
Which is not to say
that I didn't enjoy his turn
at speaking his peace.
But that stories left
untold are often the best
gift an author gives.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A tale of two novels
I was sick over the weekend, so I had the rare opportunity to just read. Though both books I finished were the second book in a series, they couldn't have been more different.
Knit Two, the second in Kate Jacobs' Friday Night Knitting Club series, was heavy and slow moving. Jacobs spends a good part of the novel reminding us about the characters in the Club. This choice seemed puzzling to me as I'm not sure that Knit Two could stand on its own. The characters seemed stiffer than in Friday Night Knitting Club. It was as if Jacobs was conscious of her writing process in order to have another blockbuster. The novel found its stride midway through, but by then I was only reading out of obligation to the characters I loved so much from Jacobs' first novel.
Living Dead in Dallas, the second of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels, was light and whimsical while also being otherworldly. I liked, but didn't love, Harris' first Stackhouse novel, but I know a lot of people who dig them. LDiD was fast-moving and fun. Harris doesn't spend a lot of time reminding readers about what they already know. Instead, she relies on the reader to remember characters and realtionships. I think that makes it easy to either read the Stackhouse novels as a series or pick up any individual title. Sookie is likeable--spunky and funny in a way that she wasn't in Dead Until Dark, the first book. It feels like Harris made strides as a novelist between the two books and Sookie is well-served by her creator's newfound comfort. A quick read, I read LDiD in about 3 hours.
In short, skip Knit Two but pick up Living Dead in Dallas.
I'm picking up Perfect Fifths from the library tonight. I am equal parts excited and terrified. I really hope this is the last Marcus Flutie/Jessica Darling book. For reals.
Knit Two, the second in Kate Jacobs' Friday Night Knitting Club series, was heavy and slow moving. Jacobs spends a good part of the novel reminding us about the characters in the Club. This choice seemed puzzling to me as I'm not sure that Knit Two could stand on its own. The characters seemed stiffer than in Friday Night Knitting Club. It was as if Jacobs was conscious of her writing process in order to have another blockbuster. The novel found its stride midway through, but by then I was only reading out of obligation to the characters I loved so much from Jacobs' first novel.
Living Dead in Dallas, the second of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels, was light and whimsical while also being otherworldly. I liked, but didn't love, Harris' first Stackhouse novel, but I know a lot of people who dig them. LDiD was fast-moving and fun. Harris doesn't spend a lot of time reminding readers about what they already know. Instead, she relies on the reader to remember characters and realtionships. I think that makes it easy to either read the Stackhouse novels as a series or pick up any individual title. Sookie is likeable--spunky and funny in a way that she wasn't in Dead Until Dark, the first book. It feels like Harris made strides as a novelist between the two books and Sookie is well-served by her creator's newfound comfort. A quick read, I read LDiD in about 3 hours.
In short, skip Knit Two but pick up Living Dead in Dallas.
I'm picking up Perfect Fifths from the library tonight. I am equal parts excited and terrified. I really hope this is the last Marcus Flutie/Jessica Darling book. For reals.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Mrs. Dude and the shame-induced pity party
I've been having a rough week. The "exercise and eating well" wagon are nowhere to be seen and I'm laying in the dust having a big, fat pity party.
So you know where I'm coming from, I've been on South Beach Diet (from this point forward referred to as "SBD") since September. Between following a regimented eating plan and exercising, I've lost 26 pounds.
But the past few weeks have seen me heading down a path where I'm just not sticking to my eating or my exercise. I've excused away some pretty half-hearted workouts and some off-plan snacks.
You ever have that moment? You know, the one where you just know you can will yourself to get your act together while, at the same pretending like you never had a moment while you're act wasn't together?
It's exhausting. And the shame of not having it all together and wanting to quit was weighing me down.
Why aren't I good enough to stick with it? What's wrong with me that I'm so weak?
The shame of not being perfect had me in its grips.
I was better, more together, more dedicated I could stick with it. I wanted this bad enough I wouldn't feel so frustrated.
So you know where I'm coming from, I've been on South Beach Diet (from this point forward referred to as "SBD") since September. Between following a regimented eating plan and exercising, I've lost 26 pounds.
But the past few weeks have seen me heading down a path where I'm just not sticking to my eating or my exercise. I've excused away some pretty half-hearted workouts and some off-plan snacks.
I'm at this weird place right now where I'm just ready to be done with it. Not to be at my goal weight, but ready to quit. Ready to stop watching what I eat and to stop going to the gym.
I feel really unmotivated. I know that if I want to succeed, my choice to follow SBD can't be a "diet," even though its name has the word "Diet" in its name. I have to be willing to accept that my choice is one to change my lifestyle and to agree to respect myself enough to stop putting crap in my body.
While were here, I also know that an active lifestyle won't stop for me when I reach a magic number. I fell in love with running. Yeah, it's hard, but it makes me feel good and strong and powerful.
So what's the deal?
I know it's probably all of the junk I've been eating over the past few days talking, but I just want to lay on my couch, eat cupcakes, and watch the newest 'Real World/Road Rules' challenge until my brain melts.
I was trying to hold all of these icky feelings inside. I was pretending that everything was okay while trying to convince myself that I could force myself back on track.You ever have that moment? You know, the one where you just know you can will yourself to get your act together while, at the same pretending like you never had a moment while you're act wasn't together?
It's exhausting. And the shame of not having it all together and wanting to quit was weighing me down.
Why aren't I good enough to stick with it? What's wrong with me that I'm so weak?
The shame of not being perfect had me in its grips.
I was better, more together, more dedicated I could stick with it. I wanted this bad enough I wouldn't feel so frustrated.
You ever been there?
I decided enough is enough. I was done wallowing in my shame. I told a few of my friends how frustrated I am, and verbalizing that frustration robbed shame of its power over me.
My friends gave me the good advice and accountability I needed. Just saying the words, 'this is really frustrating' felt empowering. Acknowledging that I am nowhere near perfect and that shame was keeping me from doing what I knew what right meant more to me than any run or day of healthy eating ever could.
The "exercise and eating well" wagon is still out-of-sight, but I've picked myself off the ground.
The first step is throwing out all of the leftover junk that has creeped into my house. The second is making some good-for-me food. The third step is getting back into the gym by the week's end. I will run at least a mile--not because I have to do it, but because it brings me joy.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Mrs. Dude speaks seriously, but not smugly, about money
I was listening to someone interview Rachel Naomi Remen about the 'current economic crisis' when she said the most amazing thing:
"Money is the densest form of human energy."
I have heard Dr. Remen interviewed before, and found her to be unbelievably wise in the simple, straightforward way that wise people often are. Yet, I was taken aback by this simple, yet powerful, observation.
Money isn't just paper, she asserts, it's the physical embodiment of the work we have done in the world. And how we spend that money is a direct reflection of who we are as people--what we value, what we fear, who we are.
Later in the interview she says:
"If you want to find out who a person is (and you might be surprised at what you find out), follow them around and watch them spend their money."
I don't think it's news to anyone that as consumers we "vote with your pocketbook." That we, as people who believe things, owe it to ourselves to be educated about the places we most often spend our money. I think that's something that people have been concerned with since long before the 'economic downturn.'
What was, however, new to me was the idea that we tell our stories in how we spend our money. What are you most afraid of? What do you value? Who are you?
And how do the latte or new shoes you just bought reflect your story?
As right as Remen is, I don't think I would want people following me around and determining who I am based on the things I buy. I fear that I would be seen as shallow and self-absorbed, concerned only with how I appeared to people.
So how do we align our values and our spending? I think it requires hard work and some tough self-evaluation. And I think it demands that we tell our spoiled, petulant inner children "no" once in a while.
Let me tell you a story...
I used to spend a lot of money on books. I would go to a bookstore and spend a long time picking out a stack of books to take home with me. More often than not, most of the books in the stack never got read. The fun was in acquiring the books, though not necessarily in reading them.
If I think about what matters to me, acquiring books would make sense, right? I love to read.
I think that's a perfect valid and valuable way to look at it, especially if I read everything I bought before buying more books.
I came to the conclusion, though, that what I was really saying was that I valued amassing things. That I wanted to insulate myself from the world with good books. That I wanted to be able to say about the newest literary masterpiece, "oh, right, I picked that up but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet."
I decided in early January that I wasn't going to buy any new books unless I absolutely couldn't avoid it. If I wanted to read something, I thought, I'll go to the library.
It was the hardest thing I've ever done. For reals.
But, it's now April. And I have purchased just one book.
The point is that making "good" decisions about how to direct our money is hard. These hard economic times have made it necessary, but what happens if things get better? Will we go back to our 'old' ways of gluttonous consumption?
There are a lot of places where I still need to continue to 'take stock': My dining out habits, the number of cable channels we subscribe to, the magazines I get every month but never read. So please don't see this as smug virtue. It's not.
I just wanted to take a second to think about what Remen has to say. And to challenge you to think about how the direction of your money aligns itself with your story.
"Money is the densest form of human energy."
I have heard Dr. Remen interviewed before, and found her to be unbelievably wise in the simple, straightforward way that wise people often are. Yet, I was taken aback by this simple, yet powerful, observation.
Money isn't just paper, she asserts, it's the physical embodiment of the work we have done in the world. And how we spend that money is a direct reflection of who we are as people--what we value, what we fear, who we are.
Later in the interview she says:
"If you want to find out who a person is (and you might be surprised at what you find out), follow them around and watch them spend their money."
I don't think it's news to anyone that as consumers we "vote with your pocketbook." That we, as people who believe things, owe it to ourselves to be educated about the places we most often spend our money. I think that's something that people have been concerned with since long before the 'economic downturn.'
What was, however, new to me was the idea that we tell our stories in how we spend our money. What are you most afraid of? What do you value? Who are you?
And how do the latte or new shoes you just bought reflect your story?
As right as Remen is, I don't think I would want people following me around and determining who I am based on the things I buy. I fear that I would be seen as shallow and self-absorbed, concerned only with how I appeared to people.
So how do we align our values and our spending? I think it requires hard work and some tough self-evaluation. And I think it demands that we tell our spoiled, petulant inner children "no" once in a while.
Let me tell you a story...
I used to spend a lot of money on books. I would go to a bookstore and spend a long time picking out a stack of books to take home with me. More often than not, most of the books in the stack never got read. The fun was in acquiring the books, though not necessarily in reading them.
If I think about what matters to me, acquiring books would make sense, right? I love to read.
I think that's a perfect valid and valuable way to look at it, especially if I read everything I bought before buying more books.
I came to the conclusion, though, that what I was really saying was that I valued amassing things. That I wanted to insulate myself from the world with good books. That I wanted to be able to say about the newest literary masterpiece, "oh, right, I picked that up but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet."
I decided in early January that I wasn't going to buy any new books unless I absolutely couldn't avoid it. If I wanted to read something, I thought, I'll go to the library.
It was the hardest thing I've ever done. For reals.
But, it's now April. And I have purchased just one book.
The point is that making "good" decisions about how to direct our money is hard. These hard economic times have made it necessary, but what happens if things get better? Will we go back to our 'old' ways of gluttonous consumption?
There are a lot of places where I still need to continue to 'take stock': My dining out habits, the number of cable channels we subscribe to, the magazines I get every month but never read. So please don't see this as smug virtue. It's not.
I just wanted to take a second to think about what Remen has to say. And to challenge you to think about how the direction of your money aligns itself with your story.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
In which we discuss 'For the Love of Ray J,' Tom Green, and Warren G.
Last night I was watching this week's episode of 'For the Love of Ray J.'
This might be a good time to tell you that I'm a sucker for almost any VH1 reality show.
I'm not proud of that. But true is true, my friends.
I like Ray J. Okay, yeah, he's the Kim-Kardashian-sex-tape guy, but everyone makes youthful mistakes, right? I want him to find love. And, since this week was "meet the folks" week, so do Ray's friends, family, and entourage.
Anyway, after Ray J. introduces the moneygrubbing whores, er contestants, to his grandma, Ray J. takes them to meet his entourage. Or, as he calls them, his "homies."
As an aside, it was funny to see how quickly the ladies put some clothes on when it was time to meet grandma. I think they had more clothes on at lunch than they'd worn during the rest of the show.
It was as if they thought that Grammy Norwood was actually judging whether or not they would make good wives for her grandson. After lunch, though, she proved to be no help at all when she basically said that Ray J would have to make his own choice.
I suspect if Slutty, Crazy, and Manipulative had known Grammy wasn't paying any attention them, they wouldn't have wasted the time covering up.
Or, in Manipulative's case, putting a bra on.
As another aside, why doesn't Manipulative wear a bra? Doesn't that wear on her back?
Okay...back to the entourage. And the meat of this rambling, rambling post.
Apparently Ray J. counts both Warren G. and Tom Green as members of his Inner Circle.
Take that in for a minute.
Warren G. and Tom Green.
What in the world could the three of them possibly have in common? Can you even imagine how hilarious it is when they all hang out?
I feel like VH1 missed an excellent opportunity when it chose to give Ray J. a Rock of Love/Flavor of Love-style dating show.
Someone was clearly dozing off during that pitch meeting.
Because, honestly, wouldn't you rather see a show where Warren G., Tom Green, and Ray J. have awesome adventures together?
One episode they could go out to lunch and the next they could, I don't know, go sky diving or something.
I feel like someone at VH1 missed something here...
This might be a good time to tell you that I'm a sucker for almost any VH1 reality show.
I'm not proud of that. But true is true, my friends.
I like Ray J. Okay, yeah, he's the Kim-Kardashian-sex-tape guy, but everyone makes youthful mistakes, right? I want him to find love. And, since this week was "meet the folks" week, so do Ray's friends, family, and entourage.
Anyway, after Ray J. introduces the moneygrubbing whores, er contestants, to his grandma, Ray J. takes them to meet his entourage. Or, as he calls them, his "homies."
As an aside, it was funny to see how quickly the ladies put some clothes on when it was time to meet grandma. I think they had more clothes on at lunch than they'd worn during the rest of the show.
It was as if they thought that Grammy Norwood was actually judging whether or not they would make good wives for her grandson. After lunch, though, she proved to be no help at all when she basically said that Ray J would have to make his own choice.
I suspect if Slutty, Crazy, and Manipulative had known Grammy wasn't paying any attention them, they wouldn't have wasted the time covering up.
Or, in Manipulative's case, putting a bra on.
As another aside, why doesn't Manipulative wear a bra? Doesn't that wear on her back?
Okay...back to the entourage. And the meat of this rambling, rambling post.
Apparently Ray J. counts both Warren G. and Tom Green as members of his Inner Circle.
Take that in for a minute.
Warren G. and Tom Green.
What in the world could the three of them possibly have in common? Can you even imagine how hilarious it is when they all hang out?
I feel like VH1 missed an excellent opportunity when it chose to give Ray J. a Rock of Love/Flavor of Love-style dating show.
Someone was clearly dozing off during that pitch meeting.
Because, honestly, wouldn't you rather see a show where Warren G., Tom Green, and Ray J. have awesome adventures together?
One episode they could go out to lunch and the next they could, I don't know, go sky diving or something.
I feel like someone at VH1 missed something here...
Friday, March 20, 2009
Because sometimes blogging is better than therapy
This started out as a post about R.E.M. I have 299 R.E.M. songs on my iPod and I've been listening to them for the past couple of days at work.
R.E.M. has been my favorite band since the mid-90s when I was a freshman in High School. I fell in love with them sometime between Automatic for the People and Monster.
At the same time I was falling in love with R.E.M., the show My So-Called Life debuted.
Somehow, in my mind, the two will always be inexplicably linked.
And this is where this post takes an wildly different turn than I originally intended it to...
Imagine being surrounded by kids who loved grunge or hip hop and telling them that you favorite band was a bunch of middle aged guys from Athens, Ga. My love for Michael's melancholy voice and nimble lyrics made me feel intellectually superior to my peers. In High School, I was invisible. Loving R.E.M. made me feel like I stood out.
I fancied myself a brunette Angela Chase--cool beyond words with a sweet, fragile sensibility. The truth is, I was a lot more like Brian Krakow--socially awkward, geeky, and pretending not to care what other people think while wanting desperately to be accepted.
Like every teenager ever, I struggled to identify who I was and to accept the parts of myself that made me feel different from my peers. I was bookish and quiet and didn't dress quite right. I didn't have perfect hair or social graces. I didn't go to football games or dances or to parties.
Honestly, I kind of carried my pain like a cross I had to bear. I got an almost sick amount of pleasure from being on the outside looking in. I felt intensely lonely sometimes, but I didn't do anything to change my situation. I could've cut my hair or bought new clothes. I could've gone to football games. I could've worked harder to "fit in." Instead, I reveled in my outcast-ness. But I wasn't even really an outcast, truthfully. An outcast would've been made fun of or treated poorly. Me? I was invisible to most of the people I went to school with. Just another body they bumped into in the hallway between math class and lunch.
R.E.M. spoke to me then, made me feel normal in much the same way that watching My So-Called Life did. Angela Chase and Brian Krakow made me feel like it was okay to want to be liked and to hurt when I not only wasn't like but also wasn't noticed. R.E.M. spoke to the quiet place in me that felt uncomfortable in my own skin like nothing else I had ever heard.
I don't actually remember what my point was. When I started writing, this was going to be an ode to R.E.M. Somewhere along the way, though, it became a blog post about me. It kind of feels like an ode to the 16-year old me who just wanted to be noticed.
R.E.M. has been my favorite band since the mid-90s when I was a freshman in High School. I fell in love with them sometime between Automatic for the People and Monster.
At the same time I was falling in love with R.E.M., the show My So-Called Life debuted.
Somehow, in my mind, the two will always be inexplicably linked.
And this is where this post takes an wildly different turn than I originally intended it to...
Imagine being surrounded by kids who loved grunge or hip hop and telling them that you favorite band was a bunch of middle aged guys from Athens, Ga. My love for Michael's melancholy voice and nimble lyrics made me feel intellectually superior to my peers. In High School, I was invisible. Loving R.E.M. made me feel like I stood out.
I fancied myself a brunette Angela Chase--cool beyond words with a sweet, fragile sensibility. The truth is, I was a lot more like Brian Krakow--socially awkward, geeky, and pretending not to care what other people think while wanting desperately to be accepted.
Like every teenager ever, I struggled to identify who I was and to accept the parts of myself that made me feel different from my peers. I was bookish and quiet and didn't dress quite right. I didn't have perfect hair or social graces. I didn't go to football games or dances or to parties.
Honestly, I kind of carried my pain like a cross I had to bear. I got an almost sick amount of pleasure from being on the outside looking in. I felt intensely lonely sometimes, but I didn't do anything to change my situation. I could've cut my hair or bought new clothes. I could've gone to football games. I could've worked harder to "fit in." Instead, I reveled in my outcast-ness. But I wasn't even really an outcast, truthfully. An outcast would've been made fun of or treated poorly. Me? I was invisible to most of the people I went to school with. Just another body they bumped into in the hallway between math class and lunch.
R.E.M. spoke to me then, made me feel normal in much the same way that watching My So-Called Life did. Angela Chase and Brian Krakow made me feel like it was okay to want to be liked and to hurt when I not only wasn't like but also wasn't noticed. R.E.M. spoke to the quiet place in me that felt uncomfortable in my own skin like nothing else I had ever heard.
I don't actually remember what my point was. When I started writing, this was going to be an ode to R.E.M. Somewhere along the way, though, it became a blog post about me. It kind of feels like an ode to the 16-year old me who just wanted to be noticed.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
In which Mrs. Dude discusses exercise
I hate "working out." I have never been athletically inclined, and I'm clumsy. Moreover, I would rather read a book or watch TV than go to the gym or play sports.
I like walking MollyB, my dog, but I feel like that doesn't count. I can't not walk her. I mean, I could, but I don't want to end up on an episode of Animal Cops or anything.
I am in the process of trying to lose weight though exercise and eating well. As a result, I go out to eat less and cook and exercise more.
To fulfill the "exercise" part of the plan, I choose to go to a gym.
I sometimes feel bad about it, since I could save money and just go running in my neighborhood instead of going to the gym and jogging on a treadmill.
Remember how I told you I would rather watch TV than exercise?
My dirty secret is that all of the cardio equipment in the gym I go to has TVs attached to them. And the TVs all have cable.
It feels sort of strange to go to the gym and watch TV. But it's the only way I can motivate my lazy self to exercise.
So 3 times per week I go to the gym, plug into a TV, and jog.
I've been doing the Couch to 5K program. It's a 9-week program, but I've been working on it for a year. I guess that tells you everything you need to know about my level of commitment.
I recently switched to exercising in the morning. My gym is overrun in the evening and I hate waiting to use a treadmill. It makes me not want to exercise, and I have a hard enough time getting to the gym without this extra layer of soul crushing complication.
It turns out that the majority of people who go to my gym don't want to get up early to work out. The place is dead in the morning--even less busy than when I've been there on a Friday night. It tells you something when more people would rather work out on a Friday night than get up early, right?
The moral of my story is this: if I can get up early and exercise, you can fit 30 minutes of physical activity into your day. Park far away from the store you're shopping in. Go for a walk with your dog or your kids or, alternately, to get away from your dog or your kids. Find a trail and go for a ride on your bike. Start a recreational kickball team. Go dancing.
Joining a gym isn't necessary to be successful. You might want to do it, but you don't have to.
Just choose to be active.
I like walking MollyB, my dog, but I feel like that doesn't count. I can't not walk her. I mean, I could, but I don't want to end up on an episode of Animal Cops or anything.
I am in the process of trying to lose weight though exercise and eating well. As a result, I go out to eat less and cook and exercise more.
To fulfill the "exercise" part of the plan, I choose to go to a gym.
I sometimes feel bad about it, since I could save money and just go running in my neighborhood instead of going to the gym and jogging on a treadmill.
Remember how I told you I would rather watch TV than exercise?
My dirty secret is that all of the cardio equipment in the gym I go to has TVs attached to them. And the TVs all have cable.
It feels sort of strange to go to the gym and watch TV. But it's the only way I can motivate my lazy self to exercise.
So 3 times per week I go to the gym, plug into a TV, and jog.
I've been doing the Couch to 5K program. It's a 9-week program, but I've been working on it for a year. I guess that tells you everything you need to know about my level of commitment.
I recently switched to exercising in the morning. My gym is overrun in the evening and I hate waiting to use a treadmill. It makes me not want to exercise, and I have a hard enough time getting to the gym without this extra layer of soul crushing complication.
It turns out that the majority of people who go to my gym don't want to get up early to work out. The place is dead in the morning--even less busy than when I've been there on a Friday night. It tells you something when more people would rather work out on a Friday night than get up early, right?
The moral of my story is this: if I can get up early and exercise, you can fit 30 minutes of physical activity into your day. Park far away from the store you're shopping in. Go for a walk with your dog or your kids or, alternately, to get away from your dog or your kids. Find a trail and go for a ride on your bike. Start a recreational kickball team. Go dancing.
Joining a gym isn't necessary to be successful. You might want to do it, but you don't have to.
Just choose to be active.
Friday, February 20, 2009
A blog post in vignette-form
I haven't been reading enough, or listening to enough music, or doing anything crafty lately.
I have "hobby block," I guess. Like writer's block, but with hobbies.
**
My blog would be significantly easier to write and much more interesting for you to read if it was written with fewer than 140 characters. Like Twitter. When I write my Tweets, the character limits force me to be so concise and so careful with my words.
**
Going to the gym at 6:30 a.m. is much nicer than going at 6:30 p.m. It's quiet and I never have to wait for a treadmill. Probably because nobody really wants to work out that early in the morning.
**
My musical tastes have changed over the past year. Over the past year I've grown to love female singers and alt-country.
**
The Kanye West song 'Heartless' is almost sad enough to make me not hate him. Almost.
I have "hobby block," I guess. Like writer's block, but with hobbies.
**
My blog would be significantly easier to write and much more interesting for you to read if it was written with fewer than 140 characters. Like Twitter. When I write my Tweets, the character limits force me to be so concise and so careful with my words.
**
Going to the gym at 6:30 a.m. is much nicer than going at 6:30 p.m. It's quiet and I never have to wait for a treadmill. Probably because nobody really wants to work out that early in the morning.
**
My musical tastes have changed over the past year. Over the past year I've grown to love female singers and alt-country.
**
The Kanye West song 'Heartless' is almost sad enough to make me not hate him. Almost.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Good deals on digital music? Yes please...
If you're on Twitter, you should think about following the Amazon.com mp3 feed. It links to the Amazon mp3 store which has a "Deal of the Day."
Generally speaking, it looks like Amazon sells digital music for cheaper than iTunes. Not in every case, but generally.
I'm also not sure about DRM with files you get from Amazon.
I don't think that Amazon will replace the iTunes Store for me. I am lazy, and the iTunes store is right in front of me when I've got iTunes open. Still, the Daily Deal is enough to at least make me look at Amazon's mp3 store when I've got an album I want but am not willing to pay $10 for.
Generally speaking, it looks like Amazon sells digital music for cheaper than iTunes. Not in every case, but generally.
I'm also not sure about DRM with files you get from Amazon.
I don't think that Amazon will replace the iTunes Store for me. I am lazy, and the iTunes store is right in front of me when I've got iTunes open. Still, the Daily Deal is enough to at least make me look at Amazon's mp3 store when I've got an album I want but am not willing to pay $10 for.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
I support 'Sound of Young America' awareness...do you?
Did you see the teal ribbon on my sidebar?
It links you to Maximum Fun's website which is kind of the nerve center of The Sound of Young America.
If you're not aware of TSOYA, you should be. If you're not, I'm beginning to think you aren't paying attention to me.
Anyway, click the link and show TSOYA some love.
It links you to Maximum Fun's website which is kind of the nerve center of The Sound of Young America.
If you're not aware of TSOYA, you should be. If you're not, I'm beginning to think you aren't paying attention to me.
Anyway, click the link and show TSOYA some love.
Profiles in courage: Nie Nie Dialogues
I'll admit it: I came late to the party. I didn't know that Nie Nie Dialogues existed until I saw the "I read Nie Nie" patch on AnonymousK's blog.
I told y'all the other day about my love of blogs whose authors "keep it real." Nie Nie is the queen of Keep it Real-ville.
She's a wife and mother of four kids. She struggles with the same things that all women struggle with, only she seems to do it without breaking a sweat. It's not that these things come effortlessly to her so much as it's that she finds joy in it--even the messy, broken parts. She loves her life and exudes the kind of happiness that comes with true contentment.
In August, Nie Nie and her beloved Mr. Nielson were in a plane crash.
Now Nie Nie navigates marriage, motherhood, and the burn unit. And remarkably, even in the face of adversity, she still exudes joy.
Nie Nie's blog a well-written, compelling story about finding contentment wherever you are. Her blog challenges me to live authentically and to find joy in the midst of manure.
I told y'all the other day about my love of blogs whose authors "keep it real." Nie Nie is the queen of Keep it Real-ville.
She's a wife and mother of four kids. She struggles with the same things that all women struggle with, only she seems to do it without breaking a sweat. It's not that these things come effortlessly to her so much as it's that she finds joy in it--even the messy, broken parts. She loves her life and exudes the kind of happiness that comes with true contentment.
In August, Nie Nie and her beloved Mr. Nielson were in a plane crash.
Now Nie Nie navigates marriage, motherhood, and the burn unit. And remarkably, even in the face of adversity, she still exudes joy.
Nie Nie's blog a well-written, compelling story about finding contentment wherever you are. Her blog challenges me to live authentically and to find joy in the midst of manure.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A non-sequiter of an observation
Do you know what I don't understand about athletes who take performance enhancing drugs and then say 'I don't know exactly what it was that I took'?
If you get paid oodles and scads of money based on how well your body performs, it doesn't seem natural to take something without knowing exactly what it is and how it will affect your body.
If you get paid oodles and scads of money based on how well your body performs, it doesn't seem natural to take something without knowing exactly what it is and how it will affect your body.
Monday, February 9, 2009
AnonymousK: blogger extraordinaire
I have this friend, AnonymousK, who writes a blog. In fact, you might be visiting my blog from hers as I was lucky enough to be featured as one of her Valentines.
I read a lot of blogs, most of which are written by people I don't know. I especially like blogs whose authors "keep it real." I like people who are self-assured enough to tell the truth, even when it's ugly. I find people like that inspiring.
AnonymousK's is not only a blogger with the courage to speak the truth, she is also someone I could email and not be embarrassed or fan girl-y about it. See, AnonymousK and I used to know each other well. We were friends 'back in the day.' What this really means is that she knew me at my most awkward and, as a result, has ammunition a-plenty. We lost touch, though, but through the magic of the Interwebs we became reacquainted.
The nice thing is, now we know each other as grown ups. What this really means is that we have decided to not bring up those awkward years and, instead, choose to relate to each other as mature, has-it-together versions of the people we used to be.
AnonymousK totally keeps it real. She talks about her life and her family (as a side note, AnonymousK's husband, Mr. K., was a friend of mine for many years. We were in First Communion class together back when I was Catholic.) She talks about her joys and her struggles. And she does it with a grace and authenticity that make me green with envy.
So go give AnonymousK some love, y'all! You'll be glad you did.
I read a lot of blogs, most of which are written by people I don't know. I especially like blogs whose authors "keep it real." I like people who are self-assured enough to tell the truth, even when it's ugly. I find people like that inspiring.
AnonymousK's is not only a blogger with the courage to speak the truth, she is also someone I could email and not be embarrassed or fan girl-y about it. See, AnonymousK and I used to know each other well. We were friends 'back in the day.' What this really means is that she knew me at my most awkward and, as a result, has ammunition a-plenty. We lost touch, though, but through the magic of the Interwebs we became reacquainted.
The nice thing is, now we know each other as grown ups. What this really means is that we have decided to not bring up those awkward years and, instead, choose to relate to each other as mature, has-it-together versions of the people we used to be.
AnonymousK totally keeps it real. She talks about her life and her family (as a side note, AnonymousK's husband, Mr. K., was a friend of mine for many years. We were in First Communion class together back when I was Catholic.) She talks about her joys and her struggles. And she does it with a grace and authenticity that make me green with envy.
So go give AnonymousK some love, y'all! You'll be glad you did.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Mrs. Dude and the 'orgy of overshare'
I have this ridiculous love-hate relationship with Facebook.
I enjoy Facebook because I canstalk people catch up with people that I might not otherwise have time to stalk connect with.
The people in my life who are my Facebook friends fall into two categories:
1.People I am currently acquainted with either virtually or "In Real Life."
2.People I was friends with at some point in the past but with whom I will probably not become reacquainted with more than superficially.
There are some people who started out in Category 2 who have moved to Category 1, and for that I am eternally grateful for Facebook.
My problem with social networking is--
Wait? You're tired of hearing people rant about social networking?
Humor me.
--something I'd like to call the 'orgy of over-share.'
The thing that made me aware of this 'orgy of over-share' that Facebook is facilitating was that '25 things' meme that every. single. person. on Facebook is doing.
The gist is this:
Get "tagged" by your friend, make a list of 25 things about yourself that nobody knows, tag 25 of your friends.
I have enjoyed learning more about the people I truly am interested in. I even came up with 25 facts about myself. All of them were true, and most of them were dreadfully boring.
But it's growing tiresome.
There is now a 100-question meme and a meme for mommies about the birth of one's first child.
There's an A-Z meme and an iPod shuffle meme.
It's 'meme madness' people!
This giant orgy of over-share is making me kind of want some time away from Facebook. I like you, but I really don't want to know that much about you.
And I posted a status message yesterday that said something about stopping the 'meme madness.'
In response, my awesome friend Amy sent me a link to this article that included the phrase "virtual narcissism."
And that, my friends, is where we get to the heart of my beef with social networking.
For all of the awesome ways in which social networking helps us connect to other people, it's still just another way for us to talk on and on about ourselves.
It reminds me of that thought in psychology that when you talk to someone, you spend more time formulating your next thought than you do paying attention to what they're saying.
I know that I sounds like a hypocritical Jerky JerkFace by saying all of that after having participated in the 'orgy of overshare' myself.
I guess I just wish that all of us, myself included, were a little bit better about self-censoring and not so keen to share so much about ourselves.
I enjoy Facebook because I can
The people in my life who are my Facebook friends fall into two categories:
1.People I am currently acquainted with either virtually or "In Real Life."
2.People I was friends with at some point in the past but with whom I will probably not become reacquainted with more than superficially.
There are some people who started out in Category 2 who have moved to Category 1, and for that I am eternally grateful for Facebook.
My problem with social networking is--
Wait? You're tired of hearing people rant about social networking?
Humor me.
--something I'd like to call the 'orgy of over-share.'
The thing that made me aware of this 'orgy of over-share' that Facebook is facilitating was that '25 things' meme that every. single. person. on Facebook is doing.
The gist is this:
Get "tagged" by your friend, make a list of 25 things about yourself that nobody knows, tag 25 of your friends.
I have enjoyed learning more about the people I truly am interested in. I even came up with 25 facts about myself. All of them were true, and most of them were dreadfully boring.
But it's growing tiresome.
There is now a 100-question meme and a meme for mommies about the birth of one's first child.
There's an A-Z meme and an iPod shuffle meme.
It's 'meme madness' people!
This giant orgy of over-share is making me kind of want some time away from Facebook. I like you, but I really don't want to know that much about you.
And I posted a status message yesterday that said something about stopping the 'meme madness.'
In response, my awesome friend Amy sent me a link to this article that included the phrase "virtual narcissism."
And that, my friends, is where we get to the heart of my beef with social networking.
For all of the awesome ways in which social networking helps us connect to other people, it's still just another way for us to talk on and on about ourselves.
It reminds me of that thought in psychology that when you talk to someone, you spend more time formulating your next thought than you do paying attention to what they're saying.
I know that I sounds like a hypocritical Jerky JerkFace by saying all of that after having participated in the 'orgy of overshare' myself.
I guess I just wish that all of us, myself included, were a little bit better about self-censoring and not so keen to share so much about ourselves.
Monday, February 2, 2009
January's epic failure, or, how I should never have resolved this in the first place
You know how I said that I resolved to read one non-fiction book per month?
You know what I'm about to tell you, right? That I'm not even halfway done with my book for January and it's February 2nd already?
I guess I could read two non-fiction books in February to salvage things. But that seems disingenuous somehow.
I'm kind of disappointed, but the truth is that I set myself up for failure. I should've started the month with the non-fiction book so that I had plenty of time to finish it.
In other news, I went on an awesome vacation that I plan to tell you about shortly.
You know what I'm about to tell you, right? That I'm not even halfway done with my book for January and it's February 2nd already?
I guess I could read two non-fiction books in February to salvage things. But that seems disingenuous somehow.
I'm kind of disappointed, but the truth is that I set myself up for failure. I should've started the month with the non-fiction book so that I had plenty of time to finish it.
In other news, I went on an awesome vacation that I plan to tell you about shortly.
Monday, January 26, 2009
The one where Mrs. Dude hopes to embrace non-fiction
Over time, I've noticed that I read much more fiction than non-fiction. I really like learning new things, but I can't read non-fiction very quickly.
It's discouraging, so I end up reading a lot less non-fiction than I want to. I don't even start the book, knowing that it will take me several months to finish it.
In an effort to challenge myself, I have resolved to read one non-fiction book per month.
This month, I'm reading The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
as my January non-fiction challenge.
Of course I waited until the last week of the month to start it. Of course I've read three novels before this one.
I have a week to eek this out, though.
I guess that's part of the challenge.
It's discouraging, so I end up reading a lot less non-fiction than I want to. I don't even start the book, knowing that it will take me several months to finish it.
In an effort to challenge myself, I have resolved to read one non-fiction book per month.
This month, I'm reading The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
as my January non-fiction challenge.Of course I waited until the last week of the month to start it. Of course I've read three novels before this one.
I have a week to eek this out, though.
I guess that's part of the challenge.
How Guitar Hero helped me embrace my inner gamer
The Dude and I have been eyeing Guitar Hero for a while now. We've talked about how much fun it would be to have our very own plastic guitar controllers and to rock out.
Over the weekend, we found a crazy good deal on Guitar Hero at one of the Big Box electronic stores. Apparently they're rotating out some of the old versions in favor of newer versions that aren't that much different from the old ones. It was cheaper for us to buy two older games that each came with a controller than it was for us to buy a bundled up new game that came with two controllers.
And, since we're ever the spendthrifts, we decided to go that route. And by "spendthrift," I mean grown ups who don't necessarily need the newest tricked-outest version of the game.
We decided to play the game in "career co-op" mode which allows both of us to play at the same time. For the record, our band name is "Achieve." The Dude picked it. For the record, I think DDC21, the band name I use on the Guitar Hero game I have for my DS is way more cleaver. But whatever...
After playing for about 3 hours between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, we have successfully completed the game on "Easy" and started the game on "Medium."
I complained that there was a huge difference between the skill required to play on "Easy" and the skill required for "Medium." And by "complained," I mean whined and cursed.
Just keeping it real, y'all.
What I learned is that I can't play lead guitar in co-op mode. I mean, I am physically able to do it. I just don't want to. The Dude is way better at it. I am more of a bass or rhythm guitar kind of woman. It works well for us, since he seems to prefer to play lead guitar.
I kind of feel like this could some sort of crazy video game-based metaphor for our marriage.
Over the weekend, we found a crazy good deal on Guitar Hero at one of the Big Box electronic stores. Apparently they're rotating out some of the old versions in favor of newer versions that aren't that much different from the old ones. It was cheaper for us to buy two older games that each came with a controller than it was for us to buy a bundled up new game that came with two controllers.
And, since we're ever the spendthrifts, we decided to go that route. And by "spendthrift," I mean grown ups who don't necessarily need the newest tricked-outest version of the game.
We decided to play the game in "career co-op" mode which allows both of us to play at the same time. For the record, our band name is "Achieve." The Dude picked it. For the record, I think DDC21, the band name I use on the Guitar Hero game I have for my DS is way more cleaver. But whatever...
After playing for about 3 hours between Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, we have successfully completed the game on "Easy" and started the game on "Medium."
I complained that there was a huge difference between the skill required to play on "Easy" and the skill required for "Medium." And by "complained," I mean whined and cursed.
Just keeping it real, y'all.
What I learned is that I can't play lead guitar in co-op mode. I mean, I am physically able to do it. I just don't want to. The Dude is way better at it. I am more of a bass or rhythm guitar kind of woman. It works well for us, since he seems to prefer to play lead guitar.
I kind of feel like this could some sort of crazy video game-based metaphor for our marriage.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris
I'll be honest...I didn't expect to like Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.
I don't really like vampires or books about vampires.
I don't get all high and mighty, literarily speaking, about books about vampires. There's nothing wrong them or with people who read them. They're just not my thing.
We have HBO, though, and I saw some previews for True Blood--the show based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels. It looked okay, which is saying a lot for scripted television these days, and I wanted to watch them.
Unfortunately, I am the victim of 'have to read the book before watching the movie' syndrome. Even more unfortunately, this extends to television, too. Take pity on The Dude, would you?
When I picked up Dead Until Dark, I had fairly low expectations since it was a book about vampires.
I have to say, I like Sookie Stackhouse.
Sookie lives in a small Louisiana town and works at a bar. Seems fairly normal, right?
Given that this is a book about vampires, it can't be that normal.
Sookie meets Bill, a vampire who lived in her town during the Civil War who has come home to try to live a normal life. He quickly learns that with Sookie in his life, it will be anything but normal.
The novel is part romance, part fantasy, and part mystery.
And I loved it. Even if it was a book about vampires. :-)
I don't really like vampires or books about vampires.
I don't get all high and mighty, literarily speaking, about books about vampires. There's nothing wrong them or with people who read them. They're just not my thing.
We have HBO, though, and I saw some previews for True Blood--the show based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels. It looked okay, which is saying a lot for scripted television these days, and I wanted to watch them.
Unfortunately, I am the victim of 'have to read the book before watching the movie' syndrome. Even more unfortunately, this extends to television, too. Take pity on The Dude, would you?
When I picked up Dead Until Dark, I had fairly low expectations since it was a book about vampires.
I have to say, I like Sookie Stackhouse.
Sookie lives in a small Louisiana town and works at a bar. Seems fairly normal, right?
Given that this is a book about vampires, it can't be that normal.
Sookie meets Bill, a vampire who lived in her town during the Civil War who has come home to try to live a normal life. He quickly learns that with Sookie in his life, it will be anything but normal.
The novel is part romance, part fantasy, and part mystery.
And I loved it. Even if it was a book about vampires. :-)
Speech after long silence...
...it is right.
My apologies to Mr. Yeats for taking his poetry grossly out of context.
I haven't been faithful to my blog in quite a while. I have found a hundred other things to occupy my time. But the part of me that likes to write hasn't feel very satisfied with the silence. And that nagging part of me that tries to ignore things long put-off kept nagging.
I have had a lot of trouble knowing how to set the bounds of my blog. I adopted this pseudo-pseudonym because I never wanted the blog to be about me--not really, anyway. I love blogs about people's lives, but I always wanted to let people into my life by showcasing things I liked. I wanted to share poems or books or music. I wanted you to see me through the lens of things that brought me joy.
I feel this need to let the blog change a little bit and not be so secretive and obtuse. I like the kinda sorta anonymity that comes from using "Mrs. Dude" instead of my real name. And honestly, I just really like using it. But I feel like the blog lacks a certain authenticity when it's about me but not really about me.
So, having gotten all of that off my chest, I feel like it's okay to start blogging again. And I aspire to write every day. Some days it may be about stuff I like. Some days it may just be something about me. I hope those of you who read when I was writing regularly will continue to read. I hope I give you things worth reading.
My apologies to Mr. Yeats for taking his poetry grossly out of context.
I haven't been faithful to my blog in quite a while. I have found a hundred other things to occupy my time. But the part of me that likes to write hasn't feel very satisfied with the silence. And that nagging part of me that tries to ignore things long put-off kept nagging.
I have had a lot of trouble knowing how to set the bounds of my blog. I adopted this pseudo-pseudonym because I never wanted the blog to be about me--not really, anyway. I love blogs about people's lives, but I always wanted to let people into my life by showcasing things I liked. I wanted to share poems or books or music. I wanted you to see me through the lens of things that brought me joy.
I feel this need to let the blog change a little bit and not be so secretive and obtuse. I like the kinda sorta anonymity that comes from using "Mrs. Dude" instead of my real name. And honestly, I just really like using it. But I feel like the blog lacks a certain authenticity when it's about me but not really about me.
So, having gotten all of that off my chest, I feel like it's okay to start blogging again. And I aspire to write every day. Some days it may be about stuff I like. Some days it may just be something about me. I hope those of you who read when I was writing regularly will continue to read. I hope I give you things worth reading.
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