A Trivial Buttonhole

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

new music & videos

My recent-ish purchases...

An album by a Parisian band I'd never heard of, Caravan Palace. It's 1920s X techno. 1920s steampunk.

The new Big Boi album. But I'm still getting into it, so not much to say, except I like this song.

A Nigerian-French singer named Féfé:

He sang the French version of "Wavin' Flag."

I downloaded another single from Hawsley Workman's Meat.

My best discovery of the week, though, was Greek-Welsh singer Marina and the Diamonds. "She has cited a wide-range of influences such as Daniel Johnston, Blondie, The Distillers, Patti Smith, Tom Waits, Nirvana, Kate Bush, PJ Harvey, Yann Tiersen, Elliott Smith, Dolly Parton and Madonna.[7][8]" (wiki) Well! Can't complain about her influences!

In video news...

Justin Bieber & Usher's latest single is cute-ish, but the video is worth watching cause it's full of old America's Best Dance Crewers! I love watching dance crews. Sometimes I wish artists would get out of the videos and let me just watch a great dance routine.

Especially in this case cause their hot dancing just shows how forced Bieber's is. Stop dancing you little goof! And pronounce your TH's. You're from the nabe, not the hood.

There's a new boy band in town (from the UK.) They're boring, don't watch this.

And finally, leave it to the Canadian Tenors to produce The Only Version of "Hallelujah" That Totally Sucks. "Hallelujah" is one of those songs I thought you couldn't ruin. You could give a mediocre performance, but the song itself would carry a certain weight. It's even survived Idol treatment. It's even survived Il Divo!! Whoever produced this, they managed to turn a masterpiece into a completely bland and passionless piece of blargh. And the real shame is that it's Canadians ruining a Canadian song. Get out of there McLachlan! Save yourself!!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

46 questions

Who's your favorite Muppet?

While I admire Piggy, I don't remember explicitly having a favourite on The Muppet Show. Probably Gonzo. Nowadays, the old men in the balcony, and Rizzo the Rat. On Sesame Street, it was definitely Snuffy.

What's the habit you're proudest of breaking?
What's your favorite Web site?
What's your favorite school supply?
Who's your favorite TV attorney?
What was your most recent trip of more than 50 miles?
What's the best bargain you've ever found at a garage sale or thrift store?
Where were you on September 11, 2001?
What's your favorite tree?
What's the most interesting biography you've read?
What do you order when you eat Chinese food?
What's the best costume you've ever worn?
What's your least favorite word?
If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?
Who's your favorite Care Bear?
Describe something that's happened to you for which you have no explanation.
If you could travel anywhere in Africa, where would it be?
What did you have for lunch yesterday?
Where do you go for advice?
Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Have you ever been snorkeling? Scuba diving?
Have you ever been stung by a bee?
What's the sickest you've ever been?
What's your favorite form of exercise?
What's your favorite Cyndi Lauper song?
What did you do for your 13th birthday?
Are you afaid of heights?
Have you ever taken dance lessons?
What's your favorite newspaper?
What's your favorite Broadway musical?
What's the most memorable class you've ever taken?
What's your favorite knock-knock joke?
What's your favorite commercial?
If you could go to Disney World with any celebrity alive today, who would it be?
Do you prefer baths or showers?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?
What's your favorite breakfast food?
Who's your favarite game show host?
If you could have a super power, what would it be?
Do you like guacamole?
Have you ever been in a food fight?
Name five songs to which you know all the lyrics. (Better yet, sing them.)
What's your favorite infomercial?
What's the longest you've ever waited in line?
What's on the cover of your address book or day planner?
Have you ever taken a picture in one of those little booths?

Noooooooo! Harvey Pekar!!!

I'm so upset! Harvey Pekar has died! SADNESS!! Pekar is my favourite graphic novelist, since seeing American Splendor years ago. I was hoping to enjoy his biographical stories until he was an even-grumpier 90 year old!

Aw menowz. His writing was so honest and vulnerable, and even though he was a depressed and sad guy, and depressed about the world, he still viewed it with a lot of compassion.

Fernando and I saw the movie when it came out, without knowing anything about it other than it had good reviews. We lurved it, and I ran out and bought the American Splendor collections and read them all. I still have one left that I haven't read, and I'm sort of treasuring it.

Do see the movie, it's so good. And of course, I recommend the comics themselves.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Scenes from a family - Kicking the Cat

Scene: Me reading in bed. Husband wanders in.

Fernando - Did you feed the cats? Haley's screaming bloody murder out here.
Mabel - [fed up with Haley bad mouthing her all the time] Yes! I fed them an hour ago! That's why I yell at her!!
Fernando - Well there's no need to yell at her. ...Just kick her.

Note: No, we don't kick our cats. And only I yell at them.

47 questions

What's your favorite Barry Manilow song?

Can't even name one.

Who's your favorite Muppet?
What's the habit you're proudest of breaking?
What's your favorite Web site?
What's your favorite school supply?
Who's your favorite TV attorney?
What was your most recent trip of more than 50 miles?
What's the best bargain you've ever found at a garage sale or thrift store?
Where were you on September 11, 2001?
What's your favorite tree?
What's the most interesting biography you've read?
What do you order when you eat Chinese food?
What's the best costume you've ever worn?
What's your least favorite word?
If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?
Who's your favorite Care Bear?
Describe something that's happened to you for which you have no explanation.
If you could travel anywhere in Africa, where would it be?
What did you have for lunch yesterday?
Where do you go for advice?
Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Have you ever been snorkeling? Scuba diving?
Have you ever been stung by a bee?
What's the sickest you've ever been?
What's your favorite form of exercise?
What's your favorite Cyndi Lauper song?
What did you do for your 13th birthday?
Are you afaid of heights?
Have you ever taken dance lessons?
What's your favorite newspaper?
What's your favorite Broadway musical?
What's the most memorable class you've ever taken?
What's your favorite knock-knock joke?
What's your favorite commercial?
If you could go to Disney World with any celebrity alive today, who would it be?
Do you prefer baths or showers?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?
What's your favorite breakfast food?
Who's your favarite game show host?
If you could have a super power, what would it be?
Do you like guacamole?
Have you ever been in a food fight?
Name five songs to which you know all the lyrics. (Better yet, sing them.)
What's your favorite infomercial?
What's the longest you've ever waited in line?
What's on the cover of your address book or day planner?
Have you ever taken a picture in one of those little booths?

Sunday, July 11, 2010

48 questions

What's the longest you've gone without sleep?Probably about 1.5 days.

I can't remember the occurrence, because I've gone entire nights without sleep so many times. My first one was at a friend's sleepover party--we stayed up all night, and I probably went to bed in the late morning when I returned home. But I vaguely remember setting a new record sometime later in life.

What's your favorite Barry Manilow song?
Who's your favorite Muppet?
What's the habit you're proudest of breaking?
What's your favorite Web site?
What's your favorite school supply?
Who's your favorite TV attorney?
What was your most recent trip of more than 50 miles?
What's the best bargain you've ever found at a garage sale or thrift store?
Where were you on September 11, 2001?
What's your favorite tree?
What's the most interesting biography you've read?
What do you order when you eat Chinese food?
What's the best costume you've ever worn?
What's your least favorite word?
If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?
Who's your favorite Care Bear?
Describe something that's happened to you for which you have no explanation.
If you could travel anywhere in Africa, where would it be?
What did you have for lunch yesterday?
Where do you go for advice?
Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Have you ever been snorkeling? Scuba diving?
Have you ever been stung by a bee?
What's the sickest you've ever been?
What's your favorite form of exercise?
What's your favorite Cyndi Lauper song?
What did you do for your 13th birthday?
Are you afaid of heights?
Have you ever taken dance lessons?
What's your favorite newspaper?
What's your favorite Broadway musical?
What's the most memorable class you've ever taken?
What's your favorite knock-knock joke?
What's your favorite commercial?
If you could go to Disney World with any celebrity alive today, who would it be?
Do you prefer baths or showers?
Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight?
What's your favorite breakfast food?
Who's your favarite game show host?
If you could have a super power, what would it be?
Do you like guacamole?
Have you ever been in a food fight?
Name five songs to which you know all the lyrics. (Better yet, sing them.)
What's your favorite infomercial?
What's the longest you've ever waited in line?
What's on the cover of your address book or day planner?
Have you ever taken a picture in one of those little booths?

bleh bleh

Feeling in a meh-meh mood. We rented Hot Tub Time Machine earlier today, but I didn't like 2/4 of the characters, so I didn't find it very entertaining. But then Hollywood/Bollywood was on TV, and rewatching it made me feel a little more up. I'm now rewatching Monsoon Wedding, which I recall lurving.

I think I'm going to put Henry V on the backburner for a little while, and go back to the story I was rewriting when I started school. It was a modern take on Georgette Heyer's Frederica.

I've been tempted a few times to go back and finish it properly (it was a Nanowrimo story), and now I'm re-reading Frederica, so the mood has grown. Frederica is soooo good. My days, that Heyer woman... she knew her stuff!!

It's about a very arrogant, very bored-with-life sort of marquis, who never lifts a finger to help anyone else if he doesn't want to, but somehow gets roped into helping a young woman, her supa-gorgeous sister, two trouble-making younger brothers, older brother, and their excitable dog.

I'm reading 3 other books at the same time --> literally switching from one to the next cause I'm enjoying them all.

A book about change, called Switch. It's good but I agree with one of my profs who advised--always find the journal article that came before the academic book, cause you get the whole point in 1/10 of the size. That's what I wish I had for business books.

The first book from a French series, the most popular teen series at the moment, Aurélie Laflamme. It's almost as good as the Angus series, and similar in format.

And an Elizabeth George mystery. It's slow-moving, but enjoyable.

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