Is there anyway this can possibly be real!?!

I just saw this commercial on TV- it is like an SNL sketch

Writers Blockade

Oh man.

A couple of nights ago as I was falling asleep I was listening to the New Yorker Fiction podcast as I was falling asleep, and the featured writer- honestly I don't even remember his name- but he was an English Professor to supplement his writerly income. I'm not sure what triggered it, but I could feel the hot blush creeping across my face in the dark just thinking about my days as a "writer" in college.

I had some fairly well known authors as both my professors and my advisor as I was working my way through the English department, and in all honesty they were pretty universally terrible as teachers. It was clear that they were just barely tolerant of their students, frequently opting for peer to peer editing rather than reviewing the students work themselves. At the time, in my late teens and earliest twenties I dismissed them as assholes in general and bad professors at the best, frequently at the bar

But now- can you imagine a worse job!? Ugh ugh ugh I am so painfully horrifyingly embarrassed at the thought of reading the fiction and the poetry exercises (especially the poetry exercises) that I submitted in college. I cringe at the thought that people EVER read them, even the students from back then who's face I can vaguely remember but who's name escapes me. The last time I put any time reviewing anything I had written (blogs excluded) was probably five years ago? Even when I was moving I could barely even look at the color coded binders from 2000-2004, just shoved them in a box then duct tape duct tape duct tape and hopefully never open again. UGH

But back then I thought I was so good- like sooo good. It's kind of like looking at pictures of yourself from prom and you laugh, but back then you really thought you had it Goin' ON! I thought I was so good, and nobody could tell me anything. Those old, published, noted authors who told me that I could maybe try writing about someone who was not so clearly just myself- they just didn't understand me.

But now. . . just imagine having to deal with 20 or 30 people like me, four times a year for 10 years. I would give up and go with peer-to-peer editing too!! I should have realized what was what back then, because I frequently disliked the other students work too because --- exactly what was wrong with my work-- it was hack, it was too wordy and it was pretty clear that they should try using a narrator that was not so clearly just themselves, groping their way desperately through post adolescents. I still dislike most peoples writing- because most of it isn't any good, but you can never say what you honestly think

In other words, when you are young you think you know everything, but really you know nothing. It use to make me so angry when people would say that- but it really is true.

All that being said- I also had some AWESOME . wonderful, beautiful Creative writing professors, mostly graduate students that really helped me develop as a writer and a critical thinker. So. . . yeah!

amigurumi!

With all my extra free time (har har) I have really been crocheting up a storm! I mean hats, mittens, blankets, basically all sorts of textile arts. This is the one I am the most proud of though- a little amigurumi octopus I made for Kendra!!

Hi!!

Hair Update

Red was so March

Pink was so April

















May is for Blondes:



















PS how do you like my Old Skool Myspace picture!

RIP Alex Chilton

I never get very far without a little Big Star. . .

A real long time aGO

Im watching Ed Sullivan's Rock and Roll Classics (excuse me Rock'N'Roll Classics) and I can't help but laugh at Mick Jaggers Red Shirt against a red background

The Rolling Stones - Ed Sullivan 1966 - kewego
The Rolling Stones

Ed Sullivan

13 de Febrero de 1966

(I can´t get no) Satisfaction

Keywords: rolling stones rock the mick jagger keith richard

Video from juangolf

Hee hee! I mean it's POSSIBLE that no one told Mick that The Stones would be playing against a solid red background, and someone as well connected as the star of an internationally reknown rock band couldn't get another shirt. . .


But even this terrible combo is so much better than any set on a variety show on TV right now- even in the last twenty years. Yes there is the terrible terrible clip of The Doors playing infront a group of. . . doors- but even that is a million times better than Saturday Night Live's Grand Central Station set week after week.

I think that this is just a small example about how rock really doesn't matter anymore. Its a lot like what has happened to music videos (Andy! I wanted to link to your blog but I couldn't find the one I wanted where you talk about how music videos are just a few clips of the band playing live and some booty shots linked loosely together- read his blog)! Not to bring the party down- but I mean every week Ed Sullivan Show would have a different, sometimes cheesy but always interesting set, taylored for the band being featured that week

Look how sick it looks in this clip of the Animals:

This set for Sly and the Family Stone is like walking into a magic technicolor dream (ps if you watch the whole thing dig on his absolutely fantastic sign off)


And ESPECIALLY Petula Clark singing Downtown- I wish I had a mural of this painted in my house!



I love watching I just feel like our stupid times could deal with a little more glamour. If I want to see a band play infront of a couple of candlabras, I go see them in concert. I can't remember honestly the last time I stayed up late just to see a band play on tv (ok i think it was to see eels on Carson Daily maybe 8 years ago) (although technically I AM up late watching bands on tv right now-its just because I can't sleep)



Ok and just for fun- here is a video of The Beach Boys looking (or sounding) like they could give a fuck about being on tv:


Weirdly awesome this video just came on tv RIGHT now. Word Brian Wilson.

OLYMPICS!!

(Directors Note- if you would like to quietly hum the olympic theme to yourself, that would be strongly encouraged- or if you like you could open this link in another window and have it as back ground music while you read)

OK THE OLYMPICS!!




We headed up to the Olympics on Tuesday (incase you were wondering it was in Vancouver in 2010!!)





Vancouver is in CANADA!!


Whoa Nelly was there no question about that! Canadians were so into being from Canada and having the Olympics in Canada it was a little overwhelming at times. It was like Spirit Week in your highschool times 5 million (that much more money as well as people). Every store front, bus billboard, childs face and street sign was painted Go Canada, go Olympics. Not to get too far ahead of myself but one of the neatest parts of the day was being in the city of Vancouver while Canada defeated Norway (I think) in Hockey. It was like (I imagine) being in a Superbowl City. Here is one of the giant screens set up around Vancouver for people to watch the game:

So the point is- Canadians love being Canadian and love Hockey and Canada.

Admitedly I had previousl only spent a few days in Canada (in Victoria which I absolutely adored, but I was out of my mind sick as a little dog then zonked on crazy Canadian cold medicine and accordingly was unable to draw any realistic conclusions) but the whole time I was walking around Victoria I was thinking about how much Canada is Bizzaro America. I expected to pass an exact version of our olympic group except they would have goatees and say "badbye, eh?" -- Seriously everything is the same but just a little different (like people put maple syrup in their hot chocolate? is that a joke Canada?) street signs, fast food shops, the love of hockey instead of football. This whole same-differentness put a surreal spin on day.

The Olympics themselves- I have mixed feeling about. I really love the Olympics- the whole idea of bring the world together for two peaceful weeks etc etc. And I really loved going to them and being part of that! But that being said - The Vancouver part of the Olympics were not very well organized and just a little disapointing. As my friend Brian Alamars said "I think I've gotten a gold medal in the Olympic Experience of waiting in lines." Everywhere we went- there were mind blowing disneyworld lines. It was an hour wait to get IN to the Olympic Store to see if there was anything you wanted to buy and an other hour and a half to check out (we didn't go). It was two hours just to pick up our Olympics tickets, and another hour to get through Security at the venue. I realize that there were literally thousands of people from all over the world desending upon Vancouver- but there was also only two or three places you could pick up your Olympic tickets- and they were manned by only two or three people. That is just a small example of how the Olympics were just not very well planned. There was a total lack of signs and maps - and although our team leader had done extensive research before we left (in fact this was our saving grace) it was extremely difficult to figure out what was up. This might be the case for all Olympics- that the Games are just to massive an event to properly manage- but I've only been to this one and again I was a little disapointed.

Ok enough bitching- you dont care about that shizzle! Olympics Olympics Olympics!! We DID get to see the Olympic Torch, which was pretty incredible!


Although don't be fooled- the picture below was about as close as we could get without a sweet zoom function on your camera


Here I am with the Olympic Torch:


Another thing that was cool was seeing athletes just walking around- we saw groups from Italy Germany and Russia in the various Olympic areas (outside of the event we went too), and our friends Brian and Tiffany were at the same resturant as Sven Kramer the Netherlands Superstar of Speed Skating. And it was really neat seeing people from ALL over having pride for their country. Like this person:

Ha ha! This was on the way to the Women's Hockey Russia vs USA game that Andy and I went too. Going to the event was incredibly fun- and in the way the Olympics came up a little short in other regards, being at this event and seeing Team USA play was completely awesome.

The security line was a little long- but they had audio recordings of Canadian celebrities like Martin Short, Mary Hart and David Copperfield welcoming you to the games while you waited, and all the Olympic Staff and Volenteers were very very nice.

This is the Olympic Logos on the Ice, which I thought was pretty cool:








The Olympic International Press- their section was HUGE!




And OLYMPIC ZAMBONI!!


Here is the Olympic Village from afar!!

If you click on the picture it will make it bigger- then you can see all the flags hanging off the balconies

This is some kind of Olympic thing:


Here is the Olympic Ice Skating Rink


Here is my Olympic Lunch!

After the Hockey Game Andy and I ended up in some kind of crazy Olympic street fair outside a CASINO! We had this delicious noodle pile

To me- one of the coolest parts of the whole Olympic set up was the SOCHI Dome! It is a little embarassing to admit- but I didn't even know what Sochi was until going to the Olympics- it is the host city of the NEXT Olympic games, in Russia. Here is the Sochi Dome by Day:



And by Night:

Overall- the Olympics get a 6.5 out of ten from me. I am so glad that I went- and if there is any chance of getting up their in the next week I really recommend you go too!

"You only have three cats? That's too few, I have six"

Sometimes you hear a quote that so perfectly encaspulates an experience, and this ("You only have three cats? That's just too few, I have six") was it for the Portland Cat show. We had this conversation less than five minutes in the door with the wonderful woman who (in a cat sweatshirt) who sold us our tickets for the show.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. My friend Kendra had heard of this international cat show that was happening in Portland last weekend, and knowing that I was a cat fanatic also she invited me to go! (Look for Kendra's FABULOUS Pet Blog coming soon!)

So we headed down to P-Town, bright and early Sunday morning fortified with pop chips and doughnuts and a chihuahua named Wolfgang. We made great time drivng- Apparently there was an important sporting event last Sunday which may have been why we made such good time? We arrived just as the cat show was starting, and despite the temptation of those door buster cat show savings we decided to fortify ourselves with a quick trip to Pets on Broadway (it was sort of like a Cat Show Pre-Funk) and a hearty breakfast at the Village Inn. Which was a lot more delcious than it looked and we didn't have to wait at all which is crucial for the elusive Portland Breakfast:

Ok but you don't care about that lets get to the CAT SHOW!!

We were amazed at the number of . . . uh. . . grungy looking men in pick up trucks who were headed into the Portland Expo Center for the Cat Show, and even commented on how open minded and awesome Portlanders must be. Until I saw an older gentalman walking through the parking lot carring a shot gun in one hand and a Pepsi in the other. I wish had the presence of mind to take a picture, but by the time I got my camera out it was too late. It turns out the Portland Gun Show was happening in the other Exhibition Hall and as we all know and love you don't have to wait three days to buy a gun.

Luckily Kendra and Jen already had their tickets to the Gun Show.

So we walked around the building and finally we found The Cat Show:

The sign was a little disappointing after seeing the Gun Show Sign

The Cat Show was only $8 ($5 with coupon) which was about the right value. You walk in and it is rows and rows of tables set up with crates of cats. All different kinds, long hair, short hair, bald, and maybe even more interesting their owners:

The cat crates were set up so they owners had a crate and right next to it they had a space for prejudging grooming or a second crate. All the crates were a little different- but my favorite ones were decorated. (side note:) I know the shots below may not be the best- but I wasn't sure of the cat show etiquette and all snark aside I really didn't want to offend anyone. These were people (albiet odd) doing what they really love and I respect that.) People went all out! The crates varried from simple wire cages to custom made cat cabinets made of wood and glass. Oh and different themes (some of which were named) like America, Purple Fantasy and a Night to Remember, these are pictures of just some of my favorites:

Then around the entire perimeter there was judging going on. Cats were put in different holding cages and the judge would pull them out display them for the crowd, feel their bone structure in a similar way to the Westminster Dog Show, look in the cat's face and eyes and then check their reaction to a cat toy. It was funny because like on the show Toddlers and Tiaras, it was clear that some of the cat contestants clearly loved being judged. They showed off for the crowed were alert and attentive to the toy and kissed up to the judge in their own feline way. Others were terrified and spent their time in the spot light just tring to get away. (Infact one owner was telling us she had a beautiful show worthy cat that as a kitten was a cat show superstar and won big all the times he was displayed but as an adult decided that he just didn't want to do it anymore and she was now trying to sell him off as a private pet) Here are some pictures of cat judging:

The last picture is of Brian Moser, he was our favorite judge because he was quiet and kind to the cats and genuinely seemed to enjoy what he was doing. We watched long enough that he would sometimes narrate to us what was he was doing, which was really the only insight I got all day.

Also there was a cat agility course:

Which, as you might imagine was rather diffcult. We only saw one cat complete the whole course the entire time we were there- but it was still fun to watch.

Oh! But my favorite part of the whole cat show was the fact that there was meowing happening all the time!! It was a noise hard to explain, but after weeks of listening to pretty constant hissing and growling it was kind of fun to listen to a cat ch

Ok so now the real question: what were the people like? The people were definately different. There were older women who I suppose could qualify as "cat ladies" but of course like anything there were all different ages types of people, and yes men too! But all the people took the show very very seriously and were just a little off. We even got drawn into some major cat show controversy, that I am not at liberty to talk about on the off off chance that anyone from the CFA would ever read this blog, I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but the next time you see me ask me about it and I will tell you But yes many differen types of odd cat-loving people. I tried to see if there was any corolation between breed and type of owner, but there wasn't any pattern that I could tell.

Truthfully I couldn't really figure out the pattern of the cat show at all. Cats seemed to be not grouped in any particular order, and not really judged in any order either, and judging was happening constantly. In the three or four hours we were there, ribbons were being awarded at all times. All the cats at the show had mutiple awards already on their cages and were getting pulled to judging all the time (seriously, we had to wait almost 40 minutes to talk to one breeder because she has taking her same cats to multiple juding rounds in a row). And this is a two day event. I watched for a long time trying to figure out exactly what was happening and truthfully I could not come to any real conclusions. This is what it feels like to be an anthropologist studying extinct cultures maybe.

Black Cat Attack

I recently blogged BEMOANING the criminal underuse of black cats in movies, tv and commercials (except for bringers of evil or villians). I was delighted to see this commercial for Pledge- featuring not one one but FOURTY or so!! Yes!! While it isn't entirely positive- I would say it is at least neutral which is a great start!



Keep fighting the good fight. Have you seen any positive examples of all black cats in media? I am on the hunt! Also- wow! I really want to buy this? Does this work? Does anyone know? Aleistar is not very sheddy- but he is sheddy enough!

RAIN

Dear Nature:

Stop Raining

Seriously

Enough

Love,
Everyone

TV Time With Sarah

*Good for you Conan. Because it really is true that you can only get pulled around by the nose so many times before it isn't worth it anymore. In the long run it doesn't matter to anyone much but you yourself, but that makes all the difference, right?

*I keep seeing ads for this show My Life As Liz. Here is a synopsis of the show:
"My Life as Liz" explores high school life through the eyes of Liz Lee, a precocious, sometimes sarcastic, always witty teenage girl trapped in a conservative Texas town. Ever the outsider, the series explores Liz's attempt to make the best of her senior year by carving out a place of her own among her more "normal" peers. While Liz's off-kilter outlook and impeccable comedic timing make her journey of self-discovery an often humorous one -- her openness and honesty allow viewers to bear witness to the truest and most tender moments of being a teenage girl. "

Here is a picture of Liz:







Does she remind you of anyone?












*I know there is no way that the new Showtime show with Matt LeBlanc "Episodes" can be as funny as Lisa Kudrow's The Comeback (one of the most painful, funniest shows of all time) But this actually looks pretty good, and I will probably watch it:

Jezze!

Thank you for your wonderful, thoughtful comments. Ha! I feel like my blogs are comments to your sweet blog comments. As usual you rock my socks right off

GREAT Idea

Mister Rogers' Sweater Drive!

Do it!

Pied Piper

I don't have anything to report really today, I took a shower, I watched Cash Cab, I couldn't sleep last night because I was using some new sheets and they make my "Princess and the Pea" skin too sensitive.

I recently heard on a history podcast that I like that The Pied Piper might have been based on a true story. Hamelin is a real place, and 185 children did disappear from that town in a single incident- however it is unclear from the towns history what that incident was. Yikes!

Like the Miracle Worker, there is a specific incident in the Pied Piper that I like to reference, but this reference is almost universally misunderstood- is the story of the Pied Piper familiar to most people?

Blood Diamonds

Just watched Blood Diamond on TV, I just don't understand why things have to be so bad in the world, there is really no reason for it. It may seems simplistic-- but it really just doesn't make sense to me at all.

I was reading about the Bubonic Plague (like you do) and it got me to thinking how lucky I am to be living now, and if the inevitable other shoe will drop in my lifetime. This made me wonder if in the history of time more people have lived in horrible traumatic times (war, disease, famine) or in relatively normal times like we are in (or at least I am in)now? Is "normal" the exception or the rule. There hasn't been an entire generation of Americans who lived without a major war, and least as far and I can tell. I don't know if it is a post 9-11 syndrome or what, but a lot of times I feel like I am on eggshells

The Fantastic Mr Fox is just so Fantastic

By some wonderful chance, I caught The Fantastic Mr Fox in Theaters Last night. Well we were headed to the Imaginarium of Dr Parnasus, but my companion was nice enough to make a last minute surprise switch. I know that I read this book maybe 20 years ago, but I couldn't remember any of the story. I spent half the movie giggling and the other half sighing with delight. Fun, nice, wonderful

Stop motion animation is really one of my favorite medias, it is so magical and so inventive, it just fills my heart with joy

Articles of note

Well documented is my absolute disdain for the NYT Best Sellers! And finally vindication from the New Yorker:

We have a rubric on this blog called "Best-Seller Bizarre," which pretty much sums up what I think about the genre. When I get the Times's Sunday Book Review, after glancing at the table of contents to see who has written about what, I invariably turn to the best-seller lists with a vulgar curiosity—it's the reality television of a book nerd.

Yes! But this article is really interesting! It is about a website the chronicles the best sellers for the last century! It is pretty interesting, well to me anyway

First blog contest

Guys! My blog views have almost doubled this month! That means my little blog is being viewed upwards of 14 times this week! ha ha ha

Anyway thanks for reading! I have a special suprise! Here is a blog trivia question for you- if you can answer it correctly you can win a fabulous prize!

Here is the question:

Q) Who are the only two US Presidents to deny a salary while they were/are in office?

Put your answers in the comments!

Courtney Love love

I had a couple of things I wanted to blog about today: the weird pressures put on women when they eat, the weird people who ride on my us, the weird history of Andrew Carnegie, but all that can be put on hold for a sec while I blog fondly and probably futilely about a possible Hole Reunion in 2010.

I can't even believe it And I don't believe it, because it will never happen. I don't even care if it is a whole Hole reunion, I want Courtney to go on tour so badly. I have never seen her, and I'm scared to see her. I'm afraid she would be mean to me, and she has meant so much to me as a symbol and as a musician in my young life.

It is true, there are very few other women who have had the kind of success that Courtney Love has for better or for worse. When I was just starting out as a wee lass listening to DC 101 there were not a lot of angry female voices (and oh how I was an angry young female). Pre-internet I had no idea the comfort that awaited me in peeps like Kathleen Hanna and Mia Zapata, and so had to wade through the Toris and the Natalies bored bored bored. But one gravely voice cut through, about a sky that was all violet or violence I could never tell, and I would jump up and down in my knock off converse.

As I grew up and sort of fell apart for a little while, it was always so nice to know no matter how badly I fucked up, it was ok because Courtney fucked up too. It was ok to try wearing make up and keeping the company of people who were bad for me, and to fall down- a lot (and I did fall down a lot). Because not matter how lost she/I were, there was below the surface a core that was strong, that made her/me different than those aforementioned bad people she/i had surrounded herself with. Plus, she says things like "I will rock my way out of this" and means it.

I knew this, about this depth about Courtney because of her songs. Ms Love once famously said "I lie a lot but never in my music" in the height of one of her craziest periods she released America's Sweetheart, still to this day one of my favorite albums from any artist. Even as the very people she allowed to interview her mocked and mourned her, her sad, strong songs stood up for her in a way she could never stand up for herself.

I can't even go into all the ways I was sort of obsessed with Courtney Love because it is too personal and in some ways too painful (I will however never stop talking about this if you get me going over a pitcher of booze) But all I can say is, a lot of magic is gone from rock for me now for many reasons. But in the back of my closet behind my graduation gown and my old halloween costumes still hangs pineapple baby doll dress. I save it for you Courtney, incase one day you come back.

The Simpsons are my kind of people

I don't watch The Simpsons very regularly, but I am not sure why. I really really enjoy it when I do watch it. It is just a nice little show that makes me chuckle out loud quite a bit.

But the reason I like the Simpsons the most is because it is the only show I know of that doesn't stereotype or discriminate against black Cats!!! Snowball!!:















Most shows portray all black cats only as the pets of witches or as harbingers of evil! (Im looking at you Sabrina the Teenage Witch) Even my beloved Cats 101 on Animal Planet rarely IF EVER shows black cats at the models. In fact, the only time I can recall an all black cat being on the show is when there was a freak fat cat. Anyway- give those poor little black cats a break! They have a hard enough time keeping up a positive body image.

SO the Simpsons are great examples of pet owners! Their dog is a stray they adopted and their cat is a wonderful black cat. Afterall black cats are the best- I have warmed up toes thanks to one right now!!

(While I was researching this blog I saw that PETA spays and neuters black cats for free on Halloween! That's quite a treat for owners, but a trick for cats!)