Naysayers spurn technology but I say, what's cooler than right now?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Best Collaboration?
Yesterday I was listening to 80s on 8 on the satellite radio in my car. I heard Walk This Way by Run DMC and Aerosmith. "This has to be the best musical collaboration of all time." OK. So I am prone to hyperbole when feeling nostalgic for the 80s, but it is pretty cool--at least I think so.
Usually when I write a music post or pose a question about, for example, the best album title or all-time coolest re-make I've secretly already made up my mind and will never be persuaded. But this time I'm really asking. What do you think? Let's decide this once and for all.
You might think, Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. But I thought Paul McCartney's duets with Michael Jackson were a lot more fun. Who doesn't love Say Say Say?(Communists.)
For a collaboration to be the good, there has to be something really satisfying in the pairing. The best is when former enemies come together. The worst is when has-been desperately embraces up-and-comer. The song also has to be good. The quality of the song can outweigh, in my opinion, a lackluster pairing.
Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee is pretty quintessential. And what about Moby? Do we need to distinguish between a duet and a collaboration? I don't know. You tell me.
Usually when I write a music post or pose a question about, for example, the best album title or all-time coolest re-make I've secretly already made up my mind and will never be persuaded. But this time I'm really asking. What do you think? Let's decide this once and for all.
You might think, Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. But I thought Paul McCartney's duets with Michael Jackson were a lot more fun. Who doesn't love Say Say Say?(Communists.)
For a collaboration to be the good, there has to be something really satisfying in the pairing. The best is when former enemies come together. The worst is when has-been desperately embraces up-and-comer. The song also has to be good. The quality of the song can outweigh, in my opinion, a lackluster pairing.
Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee is pretty quintessential. And what about Moby? Do we need to distinguish between a duet and a collaboration? I don't know. You tell me.
Monday, August 17, 2009
I'm In Parents Magazine
Last year an editor from Parents magazine contacted me and said they wanted me to rewrite one of my blogs for them. What a thrill! It finally came out in this September's Back to School issue. Back to School issue! That's the best and fattest issue. Guys, it's an honor on top of an honor.
Gabby from Design Mom (I know her in real life--Eat your heart out) works with Parents and she's the one who referred them to my blog. What a pal! It is especially sweet that Gabby's first feature article is also in the September issue along with mine. I guess I'll have to think of something else to get Gabby for Christmas, but everyone else on my list is getting a copy of the magazine. Look for it on news stands. I tried to buy it last week but it wasn't out yet. Someone mentioned the article to me on Facebook but I couldn't find it in real life. I was dying. Christian's friend took a picture of his wife's copy of the article with his cell phone and e-mailed it to me. What a pal! This is how I first saw it:
If you read it--and I hope you do--I just want to clarify that #28 was supposed to be "Don't allow the word weenis in your home." But they changed it to wienies. Maybe they had never heard of the word weenis. Well I have. And I don't like it. I have no problem with wienies. I mean, I can take them or leave them. But whatever. Artists like me have to get used to this kind of stuff. I just hope my soul doesn't die from it.
I am working on another article for Parents now. You may recall how I'm obsessed with other people's housekeeping styles and schedules. They've got me trying out four different housekeeping books and reporting on them. For example, one of them is a "green" approach. I don't want to scoop myself, but I will say that I've converted to cleaning with vinegar. That's all I'm going to say.
Ever since Parents published my article I've been a lot less interested in reading magazines. I guess its because if they are written by people like me then I'm not interested anymore. I don't care what I have to say. It's kind of sad because I used to really enjoy magazines. Oh well.
Gabby from Design Mom (I know her in real life--Eat your heart out) works with Parents and she's the one who referred them to my blog. What a pal! It is especially sweet that Gabby's first feature article is also in the September issue along with mine. I guess I'll have to think of something else to get Gabby for Christmas, but everyone else on my list is getting a copy of the magazine. Look for it on news stands. I tried to buy it last week but it wasn't out yet. Someone mentioned the article to me on Facebook but I couldn't find it in real life. I was dying. Christian's friend took a picture of his wife's copy of the article with his cell phone and e-mailed it to me. What a pal! This is how I first saw it:
If you read it--and I hope you do--I just want to clarify that #28 was supposed to be "Don't allow the word weenis in your home." But they changed it to wienies. Maybe they had never heard of the word weenis. Well I have. And I don't like it. I have no problem with wienies. I mean, I can take them or leave them. But whatever. Artists like me have to get used to this kind of stuff. I just hope my soul doesn't die from it.
I am working on another article for Parents now. You may recall how I'm obsessed with other people's housekeeping styles and schedules. They've got me trying out four different housekeeping books and reporting on them. For example, one of them is a "green" approach. I don't want to scoop myself, but I will say that I've converted to cleaning with vinegar. That's all I'm going to say.
Ever since Parents published my article I've been a lot less interested in reading magazines. I guess its because if they are written by people like me then I'm not interested anymore. I don't care what I have to say. It's kind of sad because I used to really enjoy magazines. Oh well.
Friday, August 07, 2009
You Could Come Back Next Fall as a Completely Normal Person
It started for me with Mr. Mom--I know it's not quintessential John Hughes, but it was funny and it had kids in it. Besides Kramer vs. Kramer, it's the first movie I remember that had a working mom. My mom worked and much of our lives revolved around my little sister's woobie. Mr. Mom resonated. Plus, drying a baby bum with a hand drier--Like I suppose you've ever seen anything funnier.
Family is always important in John Hughes movies, especially bumbling imperfect ones. That was a big deal to me and to every tween or teen because we all think our families are bumbling and imperfect. For example, I recently heard my daughter speaking of me in hushed tones to her friend explaining that I didn't go to girls camp with the other leaders because I get really bad headaches and can't go. They didn't even need me to go! I didn't stay home because of my headaches. She thinks she has to make excuses for me. Sad. (But, I do get bad migraines so don't ask me to do anything.)
I grew up with all the other John Hughes movies: 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful. We rented those movies but I remember seeing Ferris Bueller's Day Off in the theater. And I had my first post-modern moment when Ferris acknowledged that he was in a movie and we were in the audience and told us to go home after the credits ran. Remember last season when Lost's innovation with narrative blew us away by flashing forward instead of back? It was a little like that. Hughes' characters are the first I remember that were self-aware of that 4th wall--Brian and Duckie sometimes looked right at the camera. We were in on the joke with those geeks. That might be what primed us to accept Bill Gates and is probably why those of us who grew up on John Hughes love Apple so much.
I wouldn't say I grew up poor, but I hated richies. John Hughes taught me that it's ok to hate richies and also to have secret crushes on them and also that richies have feelings too. But most of all John Hughes taught me that some richies are simply jerks.
Before I get stymied by teenage angst, let's move on--as John Hughes did through all the stages of our lives. She's Having a Baby was a really wonderful movie. Who didn't rent it when they were pregnant with their first baby to horrify their husbands and make them love us more?
Guys, I'm as big a fan of the cancer dance on So You Think You Can Dance as the next sucker. But Tyce Diorio took advantage of my feelings for John Hughes. And that I resent.
He sure could throw a soundtrack together, no?
Family is always important in John Hughes movies, especially bumbling imperfect ones. That was a big deal to me and to every tween or teen because we all think our families are bumbling and imperfect. For example, I recently heard my daughter speaking of me in hushed tones to her friend explaining that I didn't go to girls camp with the other leaders because I get really bad headaches and can't go. They didn't even need me to go! I didn't stay home because of my headaches. She thinks she has to make excuses for me. Sad. (But, I do get bad migraines so don't ask me to do anything.)
I grew up with all the other John Hughes movies: 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful. We rented those movies but I remember seeing Ferris Bueller's Day Off in the theater. And I had my first post-modern moment when Ferris acknowledged that he was in a movie and we were in the audience and told us to go home after the credits ran. Remember last season when Lost's innovation with narrative blew us away by flashing forward instead of back? It was a little like that. Hughes' characters are the first I remember that were self-aware of that 4th wall--Brian and Duckie sometimes looked right at the camera. We were in on the joke with those geeks. That might be what primed us to accept Bill Gates and is probably why those of us who grew up on John Hughes love Apple so much.
I wouldn't say I grew up poor, but I hated richies. John Hughes taught me that it's ok to hate richies and also to have secret crushes on them and also that richies have feelings too. But most of all John Hughes taught me that some richies are simply jerks.
Before I get stymied by teenage angst, let's move on--as John Hughes did through all the stages of our lives. She's Having a Baby was a really wonderful movie. Who didn't rent it when they were pregnant with their first baby to horrify their husbands and make them love us more?
Guys, I'm as big a fan of the cancer dance on So You Think You Can Dance as the next sucker. But Tyce Diorio took advantage of my feelings for John Hughes. And that I resent.
He sure could throw a soundtrack together, no?
Thursday, August 06, 2009
With Six You Get Egg Roll
I am so mad at this lady who sells plates of her so-called "egg rolls" door to door on my street. She seems like this nice Asian mom who is industrious and hard-working. I was excited to buy her wares and try them. She was so demure with her bangs and her black Keds. Is it racist that I assumed she made great egg rolls?
So I bought a plate of her egg rolls last year and they were terrible. They aren't like frozen Ling Ling from Costco at all. They have lima beans in them. Lima beans, green beans, and peas. And sprouts. That's it. We bought them again this year. What a racket. If I wanted to eat a gross salad I would have made one.
So I bought a plate of her egg rolls last year and they were terrible. They aren't like frozen Ling Ling from Costco at all. They have lima beans in them. Lima beans, green beans, and peas. And sprouts. That's it. We bought them again this year. What a racket. If I wanted to eat a gross salad I would have made one.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Check Out Tony Stark's Shoes
Robert Downey Jr. is 5' 8" 1/2 and Gwyneth Paltrow is 5' 9''. Take a look at his lifts in Iron Man 2. Or maybe he always wears boots like that. It's his right, I suppose. I don't care what he does with his shoes as long as he stays off the drugs.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Here's Something
I am in charge of our ward bulletin for the next two weeks while the woman who regularly does it is out of town. I don't mind doing it. I also don't really want to do it. Such is the gospel. I'm actually kind of dreading it because I have to create the bulletin on the computer with tabs and all the right spacing (will fail) and then take it to Stevensons Genealogy Center (Kinkos=secular) where I will attempt to run off 100 DOUBLE-SIDED (will fail) copies. I also think I'll have to split the page and make it go sideways. I am getting anxious thinking about it. But whatever. Christian will just do it, which is why he volunteered me for it in the first place--so he wouldn't seem like a service hog (which he is).
At any rate, it's no big deal. And yet today several people at church came up to me and said, "Oh! I was so happy to see you are doing the ward bulletin." (There is an announcement about it in today's ward bulletin. You see, these are the kinds of things I will be tracking and publicizing as I work with the bulletin.) I was totally surprised that anyone even knew I was doing it (again--not a big deal). Plus, I'm only doing it for two weeks (even less of a big deal). Which leads me to ask, What's the big deal?
It makes me wonder if people don't know I already have a calling in Young Women. And if they don't know that, maybe they think I have no calling and that I'm inactive. Because "it's so great to see that you are doing the ward bulletin" is kind of something you say to an inactive person. I was lavished today with all the goodwill and encouragement of a woman just come back to church. It was sort of great. I don't care if people think I was inactive. As long as they know I'm active now because of this ward bulletin gig that gets me out to my meetings.
I have a few other fantasy reasons people could be excited about me doing the ward bulletin. Maybe they love my blog and think the ward bulletin will provide a nice forum for my brand of wacky humor. Or maybe everyone is dying to call me to tell me their announcements for the bulletin because they want to announce that I'm great. Or that there is a present drive going on for me. If that were the case, I would put it in bold.
I think "it's so great to see that you'll be doing the ward bulletin" is probably just something to say to make conversation. I've certainly said things like that in order to make conversation. It's basically just an acknowledgment that hey, I saw your name mentioned somewhere and now I'm talking to you and remembering that fact so I'll congratulate you for it because what else am I going to do? And it's why I prefer to conduct all my social interactions via Facebook, where clicking "Like" is enough (and where bulletins make themselves).
As far as making conversation goes, "it's so great to see that you'll be doing the ward bulletin" is fine. But "Holy crap! I LOVE your hair!" is much better. Give me something I can work with, people.
At any rate, it's no big deal. And yet today several people at church came up to me and said, "Oh! I was so happy to see you are doing the ward bulletin." (There is an announcement about it in today's ward bulletin. You see, these are the kinds of things I will be tracking and publicizing as I work with the bulletin.) I was totally surprised that anyone even knew I was doing it (again--not a big deal). Plus, I'm only doing it for two weeks (even less of a big deal). Which leads me to ask, What's the big deal?
It makes me wonder if people don't know I already have a calling in Young Women. And if they don't know that, maybe they think I have no calling and that I'm inactive. Because "it's so great to see that you are doing the ward bulletin" is kind of something you say to an inactive person. I was lavished today with all the goodwill and encouragement of a woman just come back to church. It was sort of great. I don't care if people think I was inactive. As long as they know I'm active now because of this ward bulletin gig that gets me out to my meetings.
I have a few other fantasy reasons people could be excited about me doing the ward bulletin. Maybe they love my blog and think the ward bulletin will provide a nice forum for my brand of wacky humor. Or maybe everyone is dying to call me to tell me their announcements for the bulletin because they want to announce that I'm great. Or that there is a present drive going on for me. If that were the case, I would put it in bold.
I think "it's so great to see that you'll be doing the ward bulletin" is probably just something to say to make conversation. I've certainly said things like that in order to make conversation. It's basically just an acknowledgment that hey, I saw your name mentioned somewhere and now I'm talking to you and remembering that fact so I'll congratulate you for it because what else am I going to do? And it's why I prefer to conduct all my social interactions via Facebook, where clicking "Like" is enough (and where bulletins make themselves).
As far as making conversation goes, "it's so great to see that you'll be doing the ward bulletin" is fine. But "Holy crap! I LOVE your hair!" is much better. Give me something I can work with, people.
