happy birthday

how cute is she? Happy Birthday, Bec! The thing that makes me laugh about this picture, is that she ALWAYS looked sweet and angelic when we were kids, but was, in fact, almost always plotting EVIL. (not that some of it wasn't justified... )

oh, it's a list of stuff

+ Thursday is my sister's birthday! Happy Birthday, Bec!

+I finished and mailed my halloween cards today. For some reason they were a lot more (evil) fun for me this year than last. Mwahahahaha! I had to put extra postage on them and I didn't even care! It was worth it!

+Perhaps they were more fun because I finally have conceded to the season and have painted my toes the seasonally appropriate color known as Vampire State Building. Mostly because I love the name Vampire State Building, but the color is nice too. (and to tie this together with another item on this list, my sister gave me this polish for christmas a couple years ago -- she had to hunt all over to find it, and put on the card that it was from spike and dru!)

+Myers-Briggs typing: powerful tool (excuse me, "instrument") of self-knowledge, or tarted up horoscope? I am unsure, although I am apparently still safe to pursue library school according to "the instrument." To compare -- my myers briggs type , (that's right -- I put the J in judging!) and this week's Free Will Astrology horoscope. I think I prefer the horoscope -- it features costumes!

+I seem to be over the worst of my insomnia, but the celebrity dream cameos continue. Monday night featured Russ Tamblyn in a suit made out of sod (he was with someone else in a sod suit, but I can't remember who it was), and the night before that it was Will Ferrell delivering pizzas wearing red and silver sneakers that he would not shut up about while I was barefoot and trying to walk across a sheet of ice that wasn't ice. My questions: where the hell is Johnny Depp? Why does my brain hate me? However, my overriding sentiment remains "sleep, hooray!"

+ I was going to put some random television thoughts, but they are too many, so instead I will share some wisdom from The Givenchy Code : 1) Marines can't fight cancer. Or they can't fight cancer in other people and win. I'm not exactly clear on the details, but that seemed to be the thrust of it. 2) if you are a dude and in this book, your name has a 'y' in it. Stryker and Lynx, I kid you not. But, I am not full of complaints! It is serving its entertainment purposes admirably. I just finished reading an A.S. "humans are complicated and not very nice" Byatt short story collection and have been reading a lot of non-fiction (not deliberately, it just happened that way...) and this is light, rompy, and ridiculous. Sometimes, that's just the right combination.

spooky but jaunty

It's the Spooky Mix time of year! I have been thinking about this one for a while -- I would alternate working on it and the Indian Summer mix depending on the weather (rain: spooky/ sun: summer). this is not the Ultimate Spooky Songs mix or anything as final as that. I decided to make it short (13 unlucky songs!), and not really go out of my way to find anything that wasn't already on my computer, although I did purchase the Shankill Butchers from iTunes -- I have been meaning to get a physical CD (because the art is always so great) but haven't got around to it yet and I had to have it. I could probably make a bonus mix with a few of the more quietly creepy songs that ultimately didn't make the cut here. (admission: because of the biting song. I had to have it, and it influenced the rest.)

1. I Wanna Bite Ya -- PlanningToRock: This song... this song gives me that giddy euphoria that starts in the center of my chest and radiates outward. You know the kind where it seems like your neural net has unknit itself from whatever it was attached to and has re-made itself into an internal trampoline so you're all WOO HOO and bouncy, so much so that you might accidentally drop a brick on your foot and not even feel it due to neurons on trampoline duty, but you don't even mind because... WOO HOO? Yeah, it's like that for me with this song, and I'm not really sure why. Perhaps because it sounds like the fey but carnal love child of Glam Rock and Screamin' Jay Hawkins? Perhaps because of the gleefully perverse nature of the lyrics "I'll take a bite outta ya/ take a bite outta ya/ take a bite outta ya (I wanna bite you!)"? Perhaps it's just some atavistic combination of sounds... I don't know. Furthermore, I DON'T CARE! Just play it again and keep the smart remarks to yourself.

2. Black Magic -- Jarvis Cocker: At first I thought this sounded sort of Elvis Costello-y, but then maybe I thought that because Jarvis is wearing big Attractions-era Elvis glasses on the album art. Then I thought it actually kinda sounded like ... Tom Petty. (seriously! there are moments! and I CAN enumerate them if pressed.) Ultimately, it doesn't matter who I think it sounds like because there are spooky chiming bells, there is someone pounding away on a keyboard, there's some fuzzy guitar, there's a vaguely 80's hearkening 60's girl-groups feeling, there is black magic, and that's enough. It's true. "nothin' can compare to/ black magic, yeah yeah yeah!"

3. Mr. Punch -- Future Bible Heroes: Manic and freaky. Not unlike being trapped inside of some horror movie puppet show, but only for a few minutes so the scare is an enjoyable increased heart-rate instead of madness, despair and trying to fling yourself out into the audience which turns out to be comprised of pinwheel-eyed harlequin dolls with razor-sharp teeth and therefore not a viable exit. Good times!

4. They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh! -- Sufjan Stevens: Aww, what halloween mix would be complete with out a good zombie tune? this has lovely sweeping violins, a rousing zombie chorus, some sensitive and thoughtful zombie lyrics as well as some nice non-verbal "please don't eat my brains" wailing.

5. Nosy Neighbor -- The Ditty Bops: More creepy bells and chimes and violin... and getting rid of those pesky neighbors. I guess better to take care of it before they become zombies... "you'll disappear, not a trace to be found." I think it's slightly more sinister because they sound so sunny; like hearing Pollyanna sing about how many bodies the trunk of her car will hold.

6. Beware -- Andrew Bird and his Bowl of Fire: I couldn't leave this off -- it has the spoooooky violin, and then the wailing of "so, bewaaaaaaaaare, oh beware!" Safety first, is what I always say!

7. Shankill Butchers -- The Decemberists: Oooh -- this is delightful and frightful! I first heard this song in JANUARY when I saw Colin Meloy's solo performance. It is interesting to hear the final version vs. that early iteration. Colin's solo version was a lot more ramshackle and rollicking like a peg-legged maniac with a knife chasing you down the street, but this one is creepier and coiled up like the boogeyman behind the door with a cleaver.

8. Evil and a Heathen -- Franz Ferdinand: Those Franz Ferdinand boys aren't doing anything to make me love them less. Although I suppose it is possible that various members of the band keep bees or fly kites or other seemingly harmless hobbies, in my mind they exist only at night in a world of sharp tailoring and debauchery. (although I do recall reading about a karaoke excursion after a pdx show which involved lots of Everly Brothers songs, which I find extremely charming for some reason. Probably because it IS charming. But it was also at night, so it doesn't really disprove my theory. Besides, I'm sure the Everly Brothers could tell some stories!)

9. Little Ghost -- The White Stripes: "Can you scare me up a little bit of love?" I know I've mentioned this song before... but come on! It's so fun, and has a ghost and a mystery and one of my favorite song sound repetitions in recent memory... "The first moment that I met her/ I did not expect a spectre/ when I shook her hand I really shook a glove" Expect a spectre? My heart beats faster just thinking about it! and that's before we get into his mysterious "condition." Okay, maybe I'm just really easy, but what's not to love here?

10. Things Are Too Good (They're Bound To Go Bad): Marykate O'Neil: Finally! An ode to that sneaking suspicion that when things are going well... you shouldn't get too comfortable. Included because a) it's a fun song, and b) there is a laundry list of superstitions to ward off bad luck!

11. The Devil Himself -- Viva Voce: I think this is actually about the vagaries of recording contracts, but it has handclaps (!!!) and the chorus " hey now/ you're gonna get your blood sucked out!" so it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch...

12. Do They Know It's Halloween (Cadence Weapon remix) -- North American Hallow'een Prevention, Inc.: Hee hee! Celebrity-filled (including Beck and David Cross) benefit record to "save" the children from Halloween. "it's a mistake to be out when the ghosts are about/ it's Halloween!"

13. Fake Palindromes -- Andrew Bird: Let us not obsess about how this is the second Andrew Bird song on such a short mix, let us instead think on the fact that the man knows his way around some creepy! Any song that starts "my dewey-eyed Disney bride" and ends with..."I'm going to tie your wrists with leather and drill a tiny hole into your head" before spinning off into some opium-haze violin swirl seems like it belongs here. I will brook no arguments!

neon siren song of the poodle dog

I have so many things I have been meaning to write about, but [insert one of many excuses here]. ANYWAY, update very soon which may or may not include nanoyesno rationales, my new barely in time spooky fall mix, thrilling tales of grad school application self-sabotage, why it's not smart to read Iris Murdoch followed directly by A.S. Byatt, my deep thoughts on the solitary episode of Ugly Betty that I've seen, etc, and so on. I blame Andrew Bird. I've been trying to figure that one out and it's been blocking me up on the rest. [insert excuse explanation here].

In happier news, I am sitting at my new desk which barely wobbles at all anymore and has a view of a tree that is often full of birds and/or squirrels. Also, the sun is shining and may continue to do so for as many as three days!

photo note: if you're in Fife, Washington in search of a cheeseburger, might I recommend the Poodle Dog?

whatcha gonna do when you get out of jail?

I have been finally getting my pictures from the washington trip (pre-seattle) loaded onto flickr. I've still got the last day to go, but I should be able to get to those today. This particular one is from the ladies bathroom in the Port Townsend Safeway. I believe the original sentiment was "Shoplifters Will Be Prosecuted." I know it's stupid (and blurry!), but it cracks me up anyway (like so many things).

In other news, the weather today is... not bad. It's grey, but not raining. The sky makes the leaves that have turned yellow and orange really pop and glow. (not so much for the brown ones.) I like autumn, I really do -- but I spend most of it dreading the fact that it will turn into a wet and sun-miserly winter instead of enjoying it while it's here. There's a larger lesson in this, I'm sure.

The Dead Beat

by Marilyn Johnson #29
Full title: The Dead Beat: Lost Souls, Lucky Stiffs, and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries

I saw Marilyn Johnson read at Wordstock, and I liked her very much, but her book is even better! Before I get to what's inside, let's address the size and shape of this book. I don't know why, but the fact that it is sort of tall and skinny (5.25" x 9.25") made for an even more enjoyable read. I'm undoubtedly making too much of the physical pleasure of just holding this book, but I tell you -- publishers today are cheaping out on bindings and paper (don't get me started on the state of the trade paperback!), so when one is distinct, it deserves mention. Plus it sort of looks like a headstone, which is appropriate to the subject matter.

Here is a fact: we're all gonna die. Here's an opinion: we have a profoundly unhealthy and unbalanced attitude toward death and dying in this country. (also aging, the poor, sex, and the importance of art in society -- but that's not what this book is about so I'll leave it alone for now.) This book helps redress the balance.

Johnson tackles the obituary from many angles -- the obits themselves, the culture of obituary hounds, and the people who write them. I particularly like the look she takes at the differences between US obituaries and those published in the UK. Here's an excerpt discussing "the code." She's talking of Hugh Massingberd, "the master of the euphemism," who wrote for the UK paper the Daily Telegraph

This coded understatement is an art, and part of the pleasure of reading and writing obits. Massingberd spent his career at the Daily Telegraph refining that art. "We all know 'he didn't suffer fools gladly' translates as ' a complete bastard,'" he told a gathering of obituarists in Bath, England. Massingberd is a great elegant bear of a man, and in a self-penned mock obit claimed to possess "an appetite of such magnitude that friends counted him as three men at their table." He smacked his lips over his list as if it were a tower of profiteroles, then read it with lusty pleasure:

Gave colorful accounts of his exploits -- Liar!
No discernible enthusiasm for civil rights -- Nazi!
Powerful negotiator -- Bully!
Tireless raconteur -- Crashing bore!
Relished the cadence of the English language -- Old windbag!
Affable and hospitable at every hour -- Chronic alcoholic!
He was attached to his theories and sometimes urged them too strongly -- Religious fanatic!
Fun-loving and flirtatious -- Nymphomaniac!
An uncompromisingly direct ladies' man-- Flasher and rapist!
(end quote)

There is poignancy in this book as well, but predominantly a joy for stories, an enthusiasm for the small details that distinguish us one from another, and the impression that you don't honor the dead by whitewashing or neutralizing their lives.

The thing that's really stuck with me all these months (this is another one of those posts that has been staring at me from a list of Things To Do) is how a great obituary is not about death, but about how one LIVED. One of the things I took away from reading this is that I would like to have something more meaningful (or colorful -- it doesn't have to be both) than "she really knew her way around some keyboard shortcuts" in my obituary! I guess it's never too late to start my career in international intrigues, roguish adventures, making things from lint, or at the very least giving colorful accounts of my exploits in fun-loving flirtatiousness.

skateboarding gorilla king

I slept for longer last night than I have in a week! yay! But sleep might not be the answer. Sleep brings weird dreams. (this dream has been shortened -- a secondary storyline has been excised for not making any sense. Not that the rest of this makes much sense...)

I was in the lobby of a hotel (it was very crowded) and saw Rick James holding a diorama of a courthouse made of paper (???). I recognized it and said "hey, I made that!" He said he really liked it and wanted to send me a cake in gratitude... only first he would need my credit card number and a reasonable facsimile of my signature. Ha! Sneaky dream Rick James. Fortunately, dream me didn't fall for this and gave him bogus info. I was sad about missing out on the cake, but that worked out okay because in convoluted dream fashion, I was suddenly in a cupcake bakery by a river. (it was in a sort of rehabbed barn or mill house, I think). I was part of a tour and had an assortment of cupcakes in a box which I was holding on upturned palms about chest high. My party (there were about 6 of us, all familiar, but I couldn't tell you who was there and who wasn't) took these cupcakes and headed out to the bridge over the river... which only went 3/4 of the way across! So we turned around and headed back. What happened next is sort of a blur, but I do remember that there were people in purple choir robes wearing gorilla masks and Burger King masks. Not surprisingly, I woke up shortly after they started skateboarding.

google leads me to the following dream information:

dream cake: the definitions were really all over the board for this one, but generally favorable. (good luck, ease -- "piece of cake", accepting rewards and recognition, "A fortunate dream signifying satisfaction in both social and business affairs." My favorite definition was "anything to do with cake is lucky"!)

dream bridge: Most dream dictionaries agree that bridges signify transitions and "critical junctions." There was actually another bridge in this dream (two cakes, two bridges!) and the other one was driven over with no difficulty. This second bridge wasn't derelict or falling apart -- it just didn't go all the way to the other side. Hmmmmm. I didn't attempt to look up skateboarding choir robe wearing gorillas. Even google has its limits.

Anyway, there was no anxiety with any of this -- it's not like I can even be surprised that dream Rick James might not be on the up and up, you know? Honestly, I was just delighted to be sleeping!

insomnia song

I can't sleep. I have dark circles around dark circles around my eyes -- some sort of concentric sleepless rings of saturn pattern.

I need a new mattress, or a new mantra, or 7 glorious hours of uninterrupted slumber. Maybe it's the crazy (although it doesn't feel like crazy insomnia, which I have certainly had before -- I can GET to sleep, I just can't STAY asleep), maybe it's just one of those things. (not a trip to the moon on gossamer wings, but one of those other things.) One of those things that better go away soon, or else. (see how tired I am? I'm threatening INSOMNIA. Next thing you know, I'll declare a war on terror. Oh, wait.)

Please leave drugs in the comments.

Sigh. that probably doesn't work, although if I get much more tired I'll probably think it does.

Please leave insomnia song suggestions instead. I can only think of two right off the top of my head, but I know there are so many more! If I can't sleep, at least I can sing along.

I'm So Tired -- the Beatles
Four Hours in Washington -- M. Ward

day tripping: seattle

I know, I know! Andrew Bird, escaping tribal jail, what I really think of Gilmore Girls this season -- these are all things I've been meaning to write about, and here it is a week later with NOTHING TO SHOW. And now I'm going to write about My Day in Seattle.

How I Came to be in Seattle on Thursday: Despite having spent four days of the previous week in the car (also in Washington), despite having no desire to see an exhibit made up of preserved skinless human bodies, despite being tired (and whiny), when Blondie called and asked if I wanted to go to Seattle for the day, I quickly decided it would be stupid not to accept. She had to run some errands, wanted to see the Bodies exhibit and thought I might like to join her. I had that big list of despites above, but realized those boiled down to not wanting to see the exhibition. I recognize that there is educational benefit and that the human body is an intricate and complex organism, however I am not in a place where flayed bodies (however tastefully presented) are something I want to look at. Fortunately, this is not the only thing to do in Seattle! (imagine what trouble their chamber of commerce would have if it was!)

I remembered that Seattle had a fairly new (2004) central library branch that there had been a lot of fuss about it... so I could go there since it was in roughly the same part of town. Hooray! Blondie was on board with the plan and she wanted to see it too. Books and libraries are not a big part of her life, but she loves design and had seen a lot about the library in magazines and had been meaning to check it out. Hooray again! Asserting myself managed to enrich the our visit rather than ruin it -- why does this so rarely occur to me?

The Trip: It takes about 3 hours to drive from Portland to Seattle. Our trip was largely uneventful, although Blondie did award me with the distinction of being "most neurotic and overthinking person that I know, no offense." Strangely, I did not take offense. I didn't even internally fuss about it for very long, which now that I consider it makes me feel like somewhat of an overthinking fraud... ANYWAY, back to the skinless human bodies and flying fish juice! (Seattle, please consider me for your next advertising campaign!)

Our Arrival: Once off the freeway we were immediately greeted by a panhandler with a sign reading "father killed by ninjas. need money for karate lessons." (points for use of the word "ninja," but I don't think that karate is going to be of much use against them.) We parked by Pike Place Market, since that is pretty central to downtown and one of Blondie's errands was Right There. I'll spare you the details of the first errand, except to say it involved climbing a Very Steep Hill, a chichi shop, and receiving explicit directions on how to go to a restaurant at which neither of us wanted to eat, even though it was "very civilized for lunch." Second errand involved walking the whole Market, which was very pleasant, especially since we had some of that bright indian summer sun that the PNW grants its citizens before turning to 6 months of unrelenting grey drizzle. Outside the market proper are more crafty type vendors, like we have at the Saturday Market in Portland. Inside there were a few of these (including a mood ring vendor! We tried a bunch on -- either my mood is extremely variable within seconds, or mood rings are not the accurate scientific indicators they advertise themselves to be), but mostly it's fresh seafood and produce. My favorite part of the market was all of the flower vendors. There were many, or at least it seemed like many. This time of year the flowers on offer were mostly dahlias and sunflowers with some zinnias and lilies here and there -- beautiful, and that's no lie. And yes, the flying fish guys were there. It's actually pretty gross and the fish juice goes flying everywhere. (Is it really necessary to throw the same fish back and forth across the counter for reasons other than tourist photography? Am I just bitter because I forgot my camera? Perhaps.)

Anyway, the market was a lot of fun and is a popular destination for a good reason.

Food: For lunch I had a thai fried chicken salad, which maybe sounds gross, but I can assure you it was DELICIOUS and had little bits of plum and a really great vinegary dressing. We had a table by the window, which is so nice for people watching. Every third person had flowers from the market, and it was my pleasure to observe a lincoln continental try to parallel park on a slightly curved street. Once the land yacht was safely docked in only two parking places (down from three!), the entertainment switched to watching the driver try to figure out the parking meters. (in fairness, they are the stupid new kind which are completely counter-intuitive.)

For the meal known as "I am still really full from lunch but we need to kill an hour before trying to get back on the freeway so let's just get one little thing that will actually blossom into two medium sized things but that's okay because I was hungrier than I thought and we're sharing them anyway so shut up" we ate on the outdoor patio of a little place called The Pink Door. Blondie graciously gave me the view of the water (those commuter ferries go surprisingly fast) and she took the view of the room and the alley the restaurant was on. We had a fennel and orange salad and bruscceta that had three kinds of mushrooms, delicious white cheese I forget the name of, and FIGS. (so tasty, I can't even tell you) We also made up outrageous stories about our fellow diners. Good times!

The Library: Blondie and I split up after running the second errand so she could go look at her dead bodies and I could go investigate this library. I didn't read a lot about it before I went, because I figured "hey, I'll just figure it out when I get there!" which worked out pretty well. If you want to know what it looks like, click on the library link above. (the picture at the top of this post is one that Blondie mailed me since she remembered HER camera... it's taken from the 10th floor looking down to the 3rd.)

Now, I love the good old-fashioned dark wood, leather club chair, low-light, cozy library as much as the next nerd. This library is the opposite of that, but I love it too. It's very well lit -- taking maximum advantage of natural light which is important this far north. Many of the interior spaces appear to have been designed by Willy Wonka and Dr. Seuss's love child... but it WORKS. It's playful, modern, thoughtful, colorful, and fully wired. I mean, fully, fully wired. There's wireless internet available throughout (I stumbled across more than one patron sitting in the middle of an aisle with laptop open and books all around), there are also countless work areas set up for use with laptops -- including power sources and a hard-wired ethernet port if you're not set up for wireless. It's very nice. I wandered all through the library, including taking the yellow escalators all the way up to the 10th floor and walking down the "book spiral." The book spiral is pretty cool -- all of their collections are on a slightly downward .. spiral. You can walk from floors 10-5 without ever taking any stairs. The dewey decimal numbers are printed right on the floor, so you can easily find what you're looking for. Anyway, there are many more things I could say about this wonderful building, but I think I'll just say (for now) that if you're in Seattle and have exhausted the flayed dead body and fish juice opportunities, I can heartily recommend visiting the library.

The Way Home: Even more uneventful, except the moon was beautiful and not-quite full and the back seat was full of flowers. As I type this I realize it sounds sort of romantic and "ah, what a lovely day!" It WAS a lovely day, but I'd be remiss not to mention that I fell asleep twice on the way home (such bad manners I'm ashamed to admit it), and that we got into an argument about whether the moon was waxing or waning. (WAXING! like I said...)

In short (I know! way too late for that now) if Blondie calls up and says "do you want to go to Seattle with me?" the answer should be yes.

dashing around

I cannot believe it is SUNDAY already!!! and it's been almost a week since my last post. sigh. Anyway, I'll have something more substantive later tonight, but in the meantime, here are a couple of very enjoyable things found via boing boing:

1. Hilarious Iggy and the Stooges concert rider
2. An origami mashup movie -- on youtube. Someone printed out stills from hundreds of movie scenes onto paper, folded the paper into shapes, and filmed the paper... seriously, just go look at it!

more soon. I am off to take pictures of county courthouses. (don't ask)

the purloined poem

I am back from the rain forest, and while I am sad to report there were no monkeys or parrots, I am happy to say we didn't end up in tribal jail. More on all of this (and Andrew Bird) soon -- but first here's a poem that I spotted (and STOLE --okay, copied down) at the Tacoma Borders. It's from the Cummings collection 95 poems. I like it.

#60

dive for dreams
or a slogan may topple you
(trees are their roots
and wind is wind)

trust your heart
if the seas catch fire
(and live by love
though the stars walk backwards)

honour the past
but welcome the future
(and dance your death
away at this wedding)

never mind a world
with its villains and heroes
(for god likes girls
and tomorrow and the earth)

E.E. Cummings

pointy love

I just have a feeling I'm going to be taking a lot of pointy roof pictures in the next couple of months. There are a lot of them in my neighborhood, and they have been calling out to me lately. (does that sound crazy? it's not like they're calling my NAME or anything...)

this is a kind of place holder post with picture while I collect my Andrew Bird thoughts. Some I can share with you now: 1) if you have the opportunity to see him live, you should -- I promise it will be dynamic in one way or another 2) Cass McCombs (opening act) is not a girl! Cass McCombs is three DUDES. One of whom we dubbed Lanky Sparkles, which if it isn't his real name, it should be. 3) Andrew Bird ... sigh. He almost threw down with someone in the audience who was heckling his love of ancient Scythia. There is so much to love RIGHT THERE that it will take me a couple of days to make it form comprehensible sentences.

passengers in handbasket fight back

I don't know about you, but when times are grim (and it's pretty grim on planet earth right now) and things seem bleak, I look around and try to find something -- anything -- to cast a little light, to be a beacon of hope.

Recently two seemingly unrelated things floated up in front of my eyes and held out a little encouragement for humanity.

First of all, and I never thought I would be saying this, huzzah for Walmart! We live in a country where a lot of people have to make a choice between FOOD and the medicine that keeps them alive. This is such a repugnant notion to me -- we are the richest nation on earth, yet many of our citizens are either cutting pills in half or forgoing them altogether so they can, you know, pay rent and EAT. How people can get their panties in a twist over swearing on television and movies when this kind of real obscenity is going on all around them, I'll never understand. Anyway, Walmart has taken the bold step of using its not inconsiderable bullying buying power, for GOOD. They are rolling out a program for four dollar generic prescriptions. That's 4 dollars for a month's supply -- currently that price is anywhere between 10 and 30 dollars. To people on a limited fixed income, this is HUGE. The program will also be available to the uninsured. And in another little spot of sunshine (and in the spirit of capitalist competition), Target is following suit.

In oddly related news, Harvard has ceased its early admissions program. I don't have a full understanding of how it worked, but it seemed to give a leg up to those who already had a leg up (the wealthy), while putting those prospective students who required financial assistance at a disadvantage. Princeton quickly did the same.

I know as good news goes it's not much, but these days I'll take what I can find. What caught my eye with these examples is the pairing. Walmart:Target Harvard:Princeton -- all powerhouses in their respective fields (discount shopping and elite education), all putting the brakes on situations that were spinning wildly out of control.

It's an illustration of doing something, instead of just letting circumstances roll right over you. I'm not saying that any of these companies or institutions aren't also acting in their own self-interest, for they most certainly are. (after all, Walmart got a huzzah from me! I'm sure that was their ultimate goal.) But, I think it's a good reminder that thinking you can either only do good for others, or you can only do good for yourself is a false dichotomy.

Anyway, it's weird times when THE MAN is fighting THE MAN, but when the result is something more equitable, I'll take it.

In much happier and completely unrelated news, here is a charming interview with my favorite pusher of fake facts, John Hodgman.

indian summer mix

This mix has taken a lot of trial and error. At least 10 songs were in the mix at one point that have now been removed, and it's still a mess! But there comes a point where you just have to go with it. I was having many internal debates on whether I should split it up into Indian Summer: hammock songs and Indian Summer: windows down to divide the rockers from the more gentle tunes, but in the end I realized that was just a copout so I wouldn't have to decide! So I reminded myself that just because a song isn't right for a particular mix, it doesn't mean that it's not a good song! (I have got to do something about this rampant anthropomorphism. The song's feelings aren't going to be hurt, yet I still feel bad. I'll always love you, Genius of Love!!!)

1. The Sinking Game -- Marit Larsen: I like this song so much! It is jolly but serious, happy and hopeful, silly yet sincere. And I think there might be a singing saw in it. There's definitely that old-timey piano/banjo thing going on that always reminds me of some 70's musical set in the 1890's. Anyway, it's aces. I've been listening to it a lot, and even when it is diametrically opposed to my mood it doesn't piss me off! (that's a real test to pass, let me tell you.)

2. Rock And Roll Girl -- The Icicles: "me and my guitar/ baby we'll go far" This is one of those "follow your dreams" songs, which can be annoying, but this one is not! It's got a retro organ 60's girl singer indie rock vibe. "I'm going to go where the music is/ going to hang with the rock and roll kids/ I'm going to walk down the street/ and boys will throw flowers at my feet"

3. Sunshine -- Milkshake: I'll admit, this is obnoxiously, relentlessly cheerful. but it provides me with the opportunity to sing doot doot doot doot/ doot doot doot doot dooo yeah, so I'm not complaining. "I've got a big bottle of sunshine/ mix it up with a bowl full of daydreams/ pour it into a suitcase full of laughter that I found/ you won't find me sitting around" Actually, this is a good reminder song that sitting around on your ass is not really the path to happiness. I need this reminder wired to some sort of chair buzzer.

4. F.N.T. -- Semisonic: Power poppy! (secret code: F.N.T. Stands for Fascinating New Thing) despite this being adamantly catchy (you will AGREE, or your ears will be removed), I had some philosophical issues with it initially since the whole push of the song seemed to be that the girl being sung to was only fascinating as long as she was NEW. But then they redeem themselves by the end. I'm surprised, you've never been told before/ that you're priceless, yeah you're precious/ even when you are not new and then the best part "la lala la la la la la la la / la la la la la..."

5. The Ballroom Blitz -- The Sweet: according to King Dork, this song is from the greatest album of all time, (Desolation Boulevard) with The Sweet being the second greatest band of all time. When this song is playing I'm not convinced he's wrong. This is so perfect for driving around in the car it's not even funny. "all right, fellas, let's goooooo!"

6. Metaphor -- Sparks: Ha ha ha! This song makes me laugh EVERY TIME. I think it is because it always cracks me up when guys sing in high voices pretending to be girls. "chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors/ use them wisely, use them well/and you'll never know the hell of loneliness" . Such good advice! "don't don't don't don't mix them!"

7. Oh! -- Casper & the Cookies: The first of two songs by this name. Also, a handy contrast in the use of candy metaphor to the next song. Anyway, this song uses a lot of candy, kid's games, and jumping rhymes but they turn them on their head to be kinda sexy and suggestive, like all good candy songs do! By the time they get to the end with the "say say my name/ come out and play with me/ and bring your (??? )/ beneath my apple tree/ slide down my rainbow/ into my cellar door/ and we'll be jolly friends forever more (more! more!)" it doesn't sound so innocent, even though the words themselves read like the Toys R Us catalog or the Big Book of Jump Rope Rhymes. Ooh -- check it out -- you can get it at 3hive for FREE.

8. Candyman -- Christina Aguilera: This song, on the other hand... I included it because it is hella-catchy and I like the 40's big horns sound and prefer xtina singing more poppy songs (opposed to her power ballads). But she completely misses the joy of the candy metaphor! She can't resist over explaining! "he's a sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman" Sure, that sounds fine and like it works with the candy song genre, but then she gets into the whole " he's a one-stop, got me hot, makin' all the panties drop" section and I shake my head at her! Panty dropping! Where's the double entendre fun in that? Please. It's barely a single entendre! I won't even get into the mental picture painted by "he dances like sugar cane" except to say that sugar cane is not noted for its grace, sexiness, or fleet footwork.

9. Gold Digger -- Kanye West: This song is problematic. It's a guilty pleasure for me and I don't even believe in guilty pleasures! ( If it brings you joy and you're not hurting anyone, why feel bad, is my theory.) EXCEPT, when the whole booty-shaking foundation of your song is a lifted Ray Charles groove. EXCEPT when the thesis of your song is about a girl who screws around for money (in a lifestyle way, rather than an hourly way). I know, I know, it's not like Kanye is exactly rolling in my circle, but the whole Gold Digger philosophy is completely foreign to me. I find this song so compelling AND repulsive, I thought I would be wise to examine it a little closer. Speaking of examining it, the video was great! It's just Kanye in a white suit with girls in live remakes of old girlie magazine covers. It was cheeky and fun without being the usual grody rap/porno grind. And I think that sort of summarizes why this song works -- despite being about a social climbing hoochie who " my best friend say used to fuck with Usher", there's a sweet core. "I don't care what y'all say/ I still love her". I know, I know! It's an assault to feminism and independent women everywhere. But somehow they have bypassed my logic centers with that insidious beat, and I've even found singing "we want pre-nups YEAH!" to be strangely satisfying. I KNOW!

10. Oh! -- Sleater-Kinney : The second Oh! song!! I have already stated multiple times on this blog how much I like this song, but I think I can risk it one more time: I really like this song. A lot. In addition to totally rocking (as sleater-kinney is wont to do) with an addictive oh oh oh oh singalong bit, it is also a very sweet love song. "Nobody lingers like (your hands on my heart)/ Nobody figures like (you figure me out)/ I would be lying if (I didn't say to you)/ No one comes close (don't worry you got it!)"

11. Dancing With Myself -- Nouvelle Vague: Wheeeee! This cover is so fun. I could probably make a mix of covers of just this song -- but of all the ones I've heard, this may be my favorite. (it could also go on a mix where the phrase "sink a drink" is used. does anyone know -- is that a particularly british term? I think I've only heard it in songs by british singers.) I really enjoy the way she sings the word "Tokyo" it's sort of "tokeyoho" which feels vaguely piratical while still keeping with the whole breezy sophistication of the Nouvelle Vague sound.

12. God Knows (You Gotta Give To Get) -- El Perro Del Mar: -- this was from this year's music issue of The Believer, and it is So Great! It's very brian-wilson-girl-groupish and has the always good to remember message, you've gotta give to get/ you've got to give to get back. Let's all be more generous!

13. Mushaboom -- Feist: I was trying to think why I like this song so much, and beyond the obvious pleasure in singing shaboom shaboom a whole bunch, there is a sweetly domestic quality that appeals to me. She talks about putting in a garden! Nobody gardens in pop music! "planted lilacs and buttercups/ ooh ooh oooh " (warning: stealth window rattler)

14. Put Your Records On -- Corinne Bailey Rae: Is it wrong that I am charmed that the initials for this song are PYRO? I didn't think so! I had been hearing this song here and there, and it was okay, but not really ENTHRALLING me, but then one day I happened to have the tv on and saw the video. The images in combination with the song completely won me over. It was filmed on location in South Africa featuring a bunch of girls on bicycles and kites and tall grass and mountains... it was just so breezy, laid back and summer perfect that I had to have it. As it turns out, the song holds up without the visuals! "maybe sometimes we feel afraid, but it's alright" It's just sort of gently reassuring. "when are you going to realize you don't have to try any longer/ do what you want to" (also stealth window rattler)

15. She Said She Said -- Mark Mulcahy: A lot of times Beatle covers just irritate me with their blatant and overt wrongness. Wrong Sauce doesn't even BEGIN to describe how wrong many of them are. But this one works for me. Maybe because of the really sneaky snakey bass line and the handclaps (my kryptonite)? Anyway, this came off of the recent Mojo Beatles 101 magazine CD.

16. Britney's Silver Can -- James Kochalka Superstar: From the man who brought the world one of my mix CD staples: Monkey Vs. Robot! (I defy you to not enjoy chanting R-O-B-O-T!) The Britney song has evolved for me as I've been listening to it. At first I thought it was just a kind of jokey at Britney's expense, but it is actually quite sympathetic with the particular kind of loneliness that her level of celebrity brings. This poignancy does not in any way take away from the pleasure of singing along with "justin timberlake/ justin timberlake/ justin timberlaayaayaake/ (jus-tin tiiimber-laaaaaaake)" , which you get to do for about two minutes!

King Dork

by Frank Portman #28

I enjoyed this book so much it has been difficult for me to figure out how to write about it. I've been putting it off for MONTHS, and now I've had to go back to look around for things I half-remembered and wanted to check on and ended up reading a lot of it again. It's that kind of book.

Question: As a woman in my thirties, should I be concerned that I found King Dork, a Young Adult novel written in the first person voice of a fourteen year old boy, and considered by some to be a quintessentially "guy's book," to be so entirely relatable and one of the best novels I've read in a long time?
Answer: No. Good is good, and this IS REALLY GOOD. It probably doesn't hurt that it hits a lot of your quirk buttons, though.

Question: oh, really?? I don't suppose you mean my innate good taste and appreciation for a well-written and engaging story.
Answer: You know what I mean!

Question: do you have to make me sound like some sort of pervert? can't you just answer the question?
Answer: Well, since you brought it up, I will mention that this book is sexually frank and forthright, sometimes raunchy but not skeevy. But you probably think you're talking about the music, the mystery, the mods, the brilliantly drawn characters, the keen observation of high-school hell, the obsession with vocabulary....

Question: That's more like it!
Answer: that's not a question.

Question: Just shut it, will you?
Answer: I know it doesn't cost anything to post this, but don't you think you could make better use of your resources?

Question: Who's asking the questions around here?
Answer: ...

Question: Is the answer provided to the question "what is the best rock band of all time?"
Answer: yes.

Question: The 15th best rock band of all time?
Answer: yes.

Question: Did you find Tom Henderson (aka King Dork, aka Chi-Mo), our narrator, to be self-aware to an unbelievable degree?
Answer: No. He IS highly self-aware, and in lesser hands it would seem like a total bullshit author self-insertion, but he's ... I don't know. I bought it. He was breaking my heart and cracking me up simultaneously on just about every page, but all in a way that seemed believably fourteen.

Question: Did it remind you a little of Freaks and Geeks ?
Answer: at first, mainly because there is a Sam in both of them and both the book and the series are dealing with being completely socially unfit in high-school. And the army jacket, oddly. But other than that they separated pretty quickly in my mind (while both remaining excellent).

Question: Can you give me that quote, you know the one where Tom is being all insightful, wise, curious, yearning, fourteen and FUNNY all in one paragraph?
Answer:Well, there are certainly lots of those, but I think this one fits the bill. It's on p.133 where he is wondering what "sweet, ordinary boyfriend-girlfriend things" might be with Fiona. (or Fake Fiona):
"I only mention it because I have this idea, a dream, really, that part of what it would mean is that the boyfriend is in this little club with the girlfriend where when one is hurt or troubled or being assailed by the cruelties of the world, the other decides not to be on the side of the world, but to join forces with the other member of the club against the world, even if it is frowned upon, even if it's a doomed scenario, even if the world is definitely gonna win. Like you're allies. The last remnant of your people. A Sex Alliance Against Society. But maybe I have it all wrong. It does sound like a quaint, far-fetched idea, now that I've put it in words. And also overly dramatic, if something can be o. d. and q. at the same time."

Question: is there a glossary, and if so, is it hilarious?
Answer: yes and yes!

Question: Why are you so stingy? Can't you see I was totally hinting around for an example?
Answer: It's not like you're subtle.

Question: Look, will you give me an example or not?
Answer: okay. But don't be expecting everything to go your way because I capitulated on this one thing.

Question: ... am I having this argument with MYSELF?
Answer: ::sigh:: you don't want to know. Here is your glossary entry:

normal (nor-MAL): lacking in taste, compassion, understanding, kindness, and ordinary human decency.