It was a wearying drive there (horrendous traffic for the first good half of the journey and taking a wrong highway costing me gas as well as time) and a not-so-good stay at a hotel causing a not-so-good next morning (a VERY noisy night causing me to wear earplugs and sleep through my alarm. I woke up five minutes before I was due to check out and missed opening ceremonies!) The rodeo, in spite of all this, was well worth the trouble as it always is.
As you may alreay know, I am a big fan of rodeo but a HUGE fan of high school rodeo. These kids really put it all on the line, give it all they've got, have incredible heart and bravery, mad athletic skills, and they love their animals and treat them well (in spite of what some people would like you to think.)
Rain had been forecast for this weekend and I was afraid the event would be rained out at worst and very messy at best, but there was no rain though it got very cold by the last event. I don't even know if they would have cancelled it. I have a feeling it's like soccer or football: the game must go on! I may or may not post pictures and/or video at some later time.
Wanting new tunes to listen to on the drive there, I was finally able to pick up some of the new albums I've been wanting to get.
I listened to Build A Rocket Boys by Elbow (scroll over the name on their site--very cool) on the road there. Elbow has done some amazing songs that I really love, such as 'Mirrorball' and 'Grounds for Divorce,' but it's not a group I can listen to all the time. I think I'm going to enjoy listening to this album while drawing or other non-verbal creative endeavor, something where I'm able to let it drift through me. It's music I need to just feel and hear and not (necessarily) listen critically to the lyrics. There's something about a lot of their music that reminds me of my favorite composer, Debussy; a 'tone poem' quality that's lovely to dream and imagine to, but would not be my first choice for music to drive to. This is the title track:
Chevelle, on the other hand, is perfect for driving to. I had high expectations for their newest album, Hats Off to the Bull, having loved every track of their last, Sci-Fi Crimes (my favorite being Shameful Metaphors*) which were completely justified as track after track proved they'd done it again, at least for me. After each track I wanted to go back and listen to it again, but resisted, preferring to get to the end of the album and listen to the whole first. They've proven their consistency to me and I definitely count them now as one of my favorite bands. I haven't had a chance to listen to this again yet, but it will be the first thing on the player when I get in my car in the morning.
Very often my favorite tracks are not the ones that grab me on a first listen. They're the ones that I have to hear a few times before I start going, "Wow, I really like that." Then that will be the one(s) that end up speaking to me the most, for whatever reason, whether it's something in the music itself or something in the lyrics hits home. I try to get the gist of lyrics on a first listen, but honestly, I'm just listening to the music. If the music doesn't grab me first, I may never discover what beautiful/clever/otheradjectivehere lyrics the song has. In fact I may need to listen several times before I decide whether I really like something, and then it's worth investigating the lyrics, but that's just the way I'm made. This album, however, has caught me completely already and I'm looking forward to listening over and over. It's much too early to say which my favorite track off this album is, but the opener, 'Face to the Floor' will certainly suit my purpose here:
Another album I had been looking forward to greatly is Port of Morrow by The Shins. Although they've been around for a long time, I've really only become aware of them in the past year or so, and that was because of Caring Is Creepy which I first heard on the radio and loved on first hearing. I had to have the album and wasn't quite sure what I'd found, but after listening many times I loved them more and more. I still get very tripped up by their lyrics which I'm ashamed to say I still haven't gotten to the bottom of and here, I've got the new album to decipher! Another favorite track off that last album Oh, Inverted World is New Slang.
I listened to Port of Morrow mostly on the way home and got through it a couple of times (some tracks even more). Fall of '82 really caught my attention for a lot of reasons. It has a mid-era Beatles (Sgt. Pepper) feel to it, though the verse also reminds strongly of an old Thin Lizzy song. Elements I really loved on this track were the retro instrumental sounds (maybe even a little Chicago in there?), a very tasty muted trumpet solo, and lead singer James Mercer's (I assume) lower vocal register.
The other stand out track to me is '40 Mark Strasse.' Very haunting music, very cutting lyrics. It reminds me of something . . . but I'm not sure what. Something also from the late 60s or early 70s. I'll have to think about that.
Then there's 'Port of Morrow' itself, which makes me laugh every time I hear it. I don't really know what the lyrics are about (yet-yes I could run and read them right now, but I really want to finish this post TODAY!) but it sounds like the way he sings in Broken Bells, which I also love. Anyway, it's a great album, I loved every track and look forward to picking apart the lyrics later when I can concentrate on them. Here is the track being played on the radio most right now:
Sorry for the VEVO :( I've avoided it where I could.
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
From Russia with . . .
. . . spam.
Apologies to those of you who actually read my blog. I love you. I really do. But the spam is killing me. When I started this blog (on the WordPress site--I have no problem with Blogspot) I had the comments turned off for unregistered users. It seemed like the safest way to go, but of course I got no comments. So I thought I'd see what happened when I took that requirement off and I actually got real reader feedback. Unfortunately most of it was still mostly spam. And most of that seems to be coming from Russia and the Ukraine. To those of you from those countries and regions that actually read my blog and enjoy it, thank you! You are very welcome here. To those of you spamming, just stop. Please.
Unfortunately, my sense of humor won't allow me to completely move on from this until I share the kind of thing I'm talking about. They're just too darn funny:
Uh . . . you're welcome?
Well if most people will agree with my website, I must be on the right track! I feel so . . . so . . . validated!
And apparently I completely confused this person with my complicated concepts:
I'm sure those of you that are more tech-savvy, and especially BLOG-savvy could explain it to me, and I'd sure appreciate it if you could, but for now I've got the comments set to registered users only again (on WordPress only). It's too depressing to deal with all the garbage. I hope by disabling comments for a while I'll drop off the spammers' radar. If you know of a way to discourage it, especially on WordPress, please let me know! I do plan on enabling comments again soon, so please don't give up on me! I'll post a 'normal' blog post soon with some exciting news. Yay.
And speaking of spam, I'm sorry but I just have to:
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook!
Apologies to those of you who actually read my blog. I love you. I really do. But the spam is killing me. When I started this blog (on the WordPress site--I have no problem with Blogspot) I had the comments turned off for unregistered users. It seemed like the safest way to go, but of course I got no comments. So I thought I'd see what happened when I took that requirement off and I actually got real reader feedback. Unfortunately most of it was still mostly spam. And most of that seems to be coming from Russia and the Ukraine. To those of you from those countries and regions that actually read my blog and enjoy it, thank you! You are very welcome here. To those of you spamming, just stop. Please.
Unfortunately, my sense of humor won't allow me to completely move on from this until I share the kind of thing I'm talking about. They're just too darn funny:
"Undeniably believe that which you stated. Your favorite reason seemed to be on the net the easiest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I definitely get annoyed while people think about worries that they plainly don’t know about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole thing without having side-effects , people could take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thanks."(Posted on my novel's Prologue page.)
Uh . . . you're welcome?
"You made some good points there. I looked on the internet for the issue and found most persons will agree with your website."
Well if most people will agree with my website, I must be on the right track! I feel so . . . so . . . validated!
And apparently I completely confused this person with my complicated concepts:
"You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!"(also posted on Prologue.)
I'm sure those of you that are more tech-savvy, and especially BLOG-savvy could explain it to me, and I'd sure appreciate it if you could, but for now I've got the comments set to registered users only again (on WordPress only). It's too depressing to deal with all the garbage. I hope by disabling comments for a while I'll drop off the spammers' radar. If you know of a way to discourage it, especially on WordPress, please let me know! I do plan on enabling comments again soon, so please don't give up on me! I'll post a 'normal' blog post soon with some exciting news. Yay.
And speaking of spam, I'm sorry but I just have to:
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Clogged Drains and Spam
I'm pretty sure the only things that have gone down the garbage disposal lately are egg shells, and they are supposed to be good for garbage disposals.
I'll cover the spam in my next blog (gives me something to talk about), but I couldn't resist a little word play. And yes, I'm referring to Green Eggs and Ham.
Friday was Read Across America which also coincided with (what would have been) Dr. Seuss' 108th birthday. I had an opportunity to observe this special day at a local elementary school. I had wondered what took place and admit to having been a little skeptical when hundreds of children invaded and then inhabited the open library and adjoining walkway spaces.
As you can imagine, they were pretty excited to be doing something so outside their normal school routine. The noise and activity seemed antithetic to an atmosphere conducive to actual reading, but surprisingly, little by little, the students settled and became quiet (if not silent) and most were indeed reading. Some of the reading material might have had questionable value (video game strategy guides, manga, etc.) but reading is reading and most kids seemed to be reading traditional enough fare. I saw several copies of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and one fifth grader was in the last eighth or so of The Hunger Games. He'd even brought Catching Fire with him in case he finished the first book.
The principal later read Horton Hatches the Egg which I'd never read (or heard read) before. I think I only have one Dr. Suess book left, and that's my personal favorite, One Fish, Two Fish, but it has somehow ended up wedged between The Chicago Manual of Style and an ancient copy of Make Every Word Count which I think is hilarious. I think Dr. Suess would agree.
Then I found this video which I thought was pretty cool, and it has Danny DeVito and Zac Efron helping to mark the day (and blatantly promoting the new Lorax movie which I won't see, but I admit to having a crush on Zac).
And in case that's not your cup of tea, have some Imogen Heap covered acapella by an amazing young singer. I love it!
Oh, and my clogged drain? I finally got it open with baking soda, boiling water, and a plunger!
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook!
I'll cover the spam in my next blog (gives me something to talk about), but I couldn't resist a little word play. And yes, I'm referring to Green Eggs and Ham.
Friday was Read Across America which also coincided with (what would have been) Dr. Seuss' 108th birthday. I had an opportunity to observe this special day at a local elementary school. I had wondered what took place and admit to having been a little skeptical when hundreds of children invaded and then inhabited the open library and adjoining walkway spaces.
As you can imagine, they were pretty excited to be doing something so outside their normal school routine. The noise and activity seemed antithetic to an atmosphere conducive to actual reading, but surprisingly, little by little, the students settled and became quiet (if not silent) and most were indeed reading. Some of the reading material might have had questionable value (video game strategy guides, manga, etc.) but reading is reading and most kids seemed to be reading traditional enough fare. I saw several copies of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and one fifth grader was in the last eighth or so of The Hunger Games. He'd even brought Catching Fire with him in case he finished the first book.
The principal later read Horton Hatches the Egg which I'd never read (or heard read) before. I think I only have one Dr. Suess book left, and that's my personal favorite, One Fish, Two Fish, but it has somehow ended up wedged between The Chicago Manual of Style and an ancient copy of Make Every Word Count which I think is hilarious. I think Dr. Suess would agree.
Then I found this video which I thought was pretty cool, and it has Danny DeVito and Zac Efron helping to mark the day (and blatantly promoting the new Lorax movie which I won't see, but I admit to having a crush on Zac).
And in case that's not your cup of tea, have some Imogen Heap covered acapella by an amazing young singer. I love it!
Oh, and my clogged drain? I finally got it open with baking soda, boiling water, and a plunger!
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Face melted . . .
Maybe it's culture clash--my insular, northwestern European roots colliding against those of my predominantly warmer-climed and possibly gregarious-cultured, or obviously all-American, party-loving neighbors.
Maybe it's my age--naw, I've always been like this and some of my neighbors are about the same age as me.
Maybe I just wear my neural receptors on my sleeve.
I feel like one of those guys in Raiders of the Lost Ark. You know the ones; the guys at the end whose faces melt off or their heads explode. Not good.
Yes, I have spoken nicely to these neighbors. I thought perhaps they just didn't realize how loud their activities are inside my house. With the doors and windows closed. I'm already dreading summer when everybody seems to be outside and partying and the windows have to be open or we fry. And I'm looking forward to getting to work tomorrow for a little peace and quiet. (Anyone really knowing me understands this as a HUGE joke.)
Whatever. I resent being kept up all night, then having adults yelling, doors slamming, children screaming for long periods throughout the day (these seem to be visiting children, thank God) and feeling forced to retreat to my darkened bedroom, putting ear-plugs in, and pulling the covers over my head, trying to block it out at least for a little while. Not the way I was planning on spending my weekend. I was hoping to actually get some work done today.
Instead, I composed this blog while trying to block out the noise, must have slept as I dreamed pleasantly of positive book reviews, and this song was in my head--unhappily and a little too appropriately--when I woke up.
Does anyone else have to deal with noisy neighbors like me? What do you do? Is there anything you've said that makes any difference? I've thought about retaliating, like waking them up at four in the morning banging pans outside their window or something, but of course I'd never do it. I'm hating the idea of having to move again when my lease is up. I otherwise like it here and it fits my budget--an important consideration.
Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to rant, I promise not to make a habit of it, and I promise to be more positive next time but honestly, I have to do something productive today. And it gives me an excuse to share some Incubus. Just making lemonade. :)
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook!
Maybe it's my age--naw, I've always been like this and some of my neighbors are about the same age as me.
Maybe I just wear my neural receptors on my sleeve.
I feel like one of those guys in Raiders of the Lost Ark. You know the ones; the guys at the end whose faces melt off or their heads explode. Not good.
Yes, I have spoken nicely to these neighbors. I thought perhaps they just didn't realize how loud their activities are inside my house. With the doors and windows closed. I'm already dreading summer when everybody seems to be outside and partying and the windows have to be open or we fry. And I'm looking forward to getting to work tomorrow for a little peace and quiet. (Anyone really knowing me understands this as a HUGE joke.)
Whatever. I resent being kept up all night, then having adults yelling, doors slamming, children screaming for long periods throughout the day (these seem to be visiting children, thank God) and feeling forced to retreat to my darkened bedroom, putting ear-plugs in, and pulling the covers over my head, trying to block it out at least for a little while. Not the way I was planning on spending my weekend. I was hoping to actually get some work done today.
Instead, I composed this blog while trying to block out the noise, must have slept as I dreamed pleasantly of positive book reviews, and this song was in my head--unhappily and a little too appropriately--when I woke up.
Does anyone else have to deal with noisy neighbors like me? What do you do? Is there anything you've said that makes any difference? I've thought about retaliating, like waking them up at four in the morning banging pans outside their window or something, but of course I'd never do it. I'm hating the idea of having to move again when my lease is up. I otherwise like it here and it fits my budget--an important consideration.
Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to rant, I promise not to make a habit of it, and I promise to be more positive next time but honestly, I have to do something productive today. And it gives me an excuse to share some Incubus. Just making lemonade. :)
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook!
Monday, February 13, 2012
Happy Anniversary . . .
. . . to me!
One year ago today my first novel was published (paperback). It will be coming out this June in a hardbound edition with much more nurturing than it's original paperback had. But that doesn't matter today. And yes, it is also Valentine's Day, and YES, that was on purpose.
Unfortunately very few people know about it (my YA novel, Bronze), but hopefully Dave, Allison, Chris, and Robin will make many more friends this summer. I love having Valentine's day as my little romance's birthday though.
And to celebrate, I'd like to share this sweet animated short (hijacked from PBS Books). It's apparently up for an Oscar this year and it's easy to see why.
Enjoy! (And Happy Valentine's Day!)
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook! Thanks!
One year ago today my first novel was published (paperback). It will be coming out this June in a hardbound edition with much more nurturing than it's original paperback had. But that doesn't matter today. And yes, it is also Valentine's Day, and YES, that was on purpose.
Unfortunately very few people know about it (my YA novel, Bronze), but hopefully Dave, Allison, Chris, and Robin will make many more friends this summer. I love having Valentine's day as my little romance's birthday though.
And to celebrate, I'd like to share this sweet animated short (hijacked from PBS Books). It's apparently up for an Oscar this year and it's easy to see why.
Enjoy! (And Happy Valentine's Day!)
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook! Thanks!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Grammys, Writing, and Comparisons
Seems like forever since I posted anything, but there's not much going on. It is the Grammys tonight though, and I am slightly interested in that. Only slightly because I'm not at all impressed by celebrity and I don't think the people/groups that win awards in general (music or otherwise) necessarily deserve them--sometimes it seems clear that popularity or politics are more involved than any real talent or quality--but I find it interesting none-the-less and am always happy when my bands and musicians win!
This year I'm rooting (in general-whatever they're up for) for Foo Fighters, Foster the People, the Black Keys, and Radiohead. If I can find a decent livestream to watch I may, otherwise I guess I'll find out tomorrow (feel free to fill me in!)
The writing is going well, but I don't plan on giving a play-by-play on what I'm doing, tempting though it is. I will probably let you know of major 'checkpoints,' etc. For now, suffice it to say that I'm writing every day and Dave has started bugging me again. A lot. That's always a good sign.
Apart from that, there's nothing much to add; nothing new. I'm not the kind of person who likes to describe the minutiae of their day, and I'm not famous enough for anyone to be interested anyway. That leaves ranting (of which there's been plenty lately, especially the $@#%* drivers I manoeuver around everyday!) and though many of the blogs I follow have very entertaining rants which I enjoy reading--in moderation--I promised myself I would NOT use my blog for that or subject my readers to it. But I do make observations at times and here is one of them.
Lately I've been hearing very familiar sounds coming from my radio. Two songs in particular (and I just heard a third recently) have elements that I first heard in music by Hirasawa Susumu years ago. And he may not be the first to use these elements, but it's the first time that I was aware of it. You may not be familiar with him, but if you are into anime at all, you've probably heard his work. So I thought it would be interesting to do a little comparison.
The first of his works is from an anime called Paranoia Agent, a rather disturbing, mind-messing show with adult themes (2004).
I'm refering to the little voice at the beginning and end. A small thing, perhaps, but distinctive. Then there's Don't Stop (Color on the Walls) from Foster the People (Don't look to me to explain the video; I don't even...):
And I recently heard this from Coldplay:
The second element is the electronic voice (Vocaloid) employed in some of Hirasawa's music for the full-length Paprika (again, very weird, disturbing, and adult in themes--just so you know)
I'm hearing very similar sounds here in Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites from Skrillex:
My point? I don't have one...it's just a comparison and old habits die hard :P
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook!
This year I'm rooting (in general-whatever they're up for) for Foo Fighters, Foster the People, the Black Keys, and Radiohead. If I can find a decent livestream to watch I may, otherwise I guess I'll find out tomorrow (feel free to fill me in!)
The writing is going well, but I don't plan on giving a play-by-play on what I'm doing, tempting though it is. I will probably let you know of major 'checkpoints,' etc. For now, suffice it to say that I'm writing every day and Dave has started bugging me again. A lot. That's always a good sign.
Apart from that, there's nothing much to add; nothing new. I'm not the kind of person who likes to describe the minutiae of their day, and I'm not famous enough for anyone to be interested anyway. That leaves ranting (of which there's been plenty lately, especially the $@#%* drivers I manoeuver around everyday!) and though many of the blogs I follow have very entertaining rants which I enjoy reading--in moderation--I promised myself I would NOT use my blog for that or subject my readers to it. But I do make observations at times and here is one of them.
Lately I've been hearing very familiar sounds coming from my radio. Two songs in particular (and I just heard a third recently) have elements that I first heard in music by Hirasawa Susumu years ago. And he may not be the first to use these elements, but it's the first time that I was aware of it. You may not be familiar with him, but if you are into anime at all, you've probably heard his work. So I thought it would be interesting to do a little comparison.
The first of his works is from an anime called Paranoia Agent, a rather disturbing, mind-messing show with adult themes (2004).
I'm refering to the little voice at the beginning and end. A small thing, perhaps, but distinctive. Then there's Don't Stop (Color on the Walls) from Foster the People (Don't look to me to explain the video; I don't even...):
And I recently heard this from Coldplay:
The second element is the electronic voice (Vocaloid) employed in some of Hirasawa's music for the full-length Paprika (again, very weird, disturbing, and adult in themes--just so you know)
I'm hearing very similar sounds here in Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites from Skrillex:
My point? I don't have one...it's just a comparison and old habits die hard :P
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
And please "Like" us on Facebook!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Too Noisy!
I had great hopes of organizing notes, writing, and rewriting today. In fact, except for a short trip this morning, I thought I had all day to do it. Little did I know: it was a football (American) AND hockey day.
Now I love certain sports, but I'm not much of a stadium sport fan, except maybe baseball. My mother was a HUGE baseball fan (I mean that she was very enthusiastic, not that she was huge!) She even played on a community powderpuff team when I was a kid. Go Mom! So baseball is okay. And I love soccer (footy) but seldom get to see it played. I'll watch just about anything equestrian, and I adore board sports and "extreme" sports. But I'm not really a sports person.
I have quite a few neighbors and they ALL seem to be big stadium sport fans. And they want everyone to know about it too. Noise has been an issue ever since we moved in, but when it's a Big Game Day--oh boy. So I cleaned the house. I did research. I tried to read, but couldn't concentrate (I am VERY easily distracted.) Then I surfed, because sometimes it's all I can do, but I usually find really cool stuff. And I did, so I'll share. And try again tomorrow.
The Joy of Books
Snow "tubing" crow (or Russian equivalent--I think)
And because I loved it the first time I heard it (a couple of weeks ago), it's playing all over the place now, and I consistently wake up with it in my head, I'd love to give Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" to you, but I'm not sure the video is appropriate for here. So I'll leave you with this one instead.
WARNING: The lyrics are very sad, but the video is wonderful, and a little less sad, and if you let it (and want it to), it will distract you from them. Full screen view is best. :)
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
Now I love certain sports, but I'm not much of a stadium sport fan, except maybe baseball. My mother was a HUGE baseball fan (I mean that she was very enthusiastic, not that she was huge!) She even played on a community powderpuff team when I was a kid. Go Mom! So baseball is okay. And I love soccer (footy) but seldom get to see it played. I'll watch just about anything equestrian, and I adore board sports and "extreme" sports. But I'm not really a sports person.
I have quite a few neighbors and they ALL seem to be big stadium sport fans. And they want everyone to know about it too. Noise has been an issue ever since we moved in, but when it's a Big Game Day--oh boy. So I cleaned the house. I did research. I tried to read, but couldn't concentrate (I am VERY easily distracted.) Then I surfed, because sometimes it's all I can do, but I usually find really cool stuff. And I did, so I'll share. And try again tomorrow.
The Joy of Books
Snow "tubing" crow (or Russian equivalent--I think)
And because I loved it the first time I heard it (a couple of weeks ago), it's playing all over the place now, and I consistently wake up with it in my head, I'd love to give Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" to you, but I'm not sure the video is appropriate for here. So I'll leave you with this one instead.
WARNING: The lyrics are very sad, but the video is wonderful, and a little less sad, and if you let it (and want it to), it will distract you from them. Full screen view is best. :)
Reviews for The Glister Journals: Bronze
More Glister info and chapters at the book's website here: theglisterjournals.com
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