I'm still working on "Anna Karenina" but am also trying to work my way through "Imperfect Birds" by Anne Lamott. While I enjoyed her writing in "Bird by Bird" this is the first novel I've read of hers. The first few pages didn't impress me but we'll see.
Okay, it looks fake but this Honda commercial took years to make and was accomplished by taking apart a car. It looks CG but I think that has to do with the lighting. I saw the 'making of' video and some of those interviewed said they'd been working on the project for, get this, five years. How insane is that? The creepiest part is definitely the windshield wipers.
I heard this at the end of "Kick Ass". This is the perfect music to run to, trust me.
I'm finding "Anna Karenina" slow going. It reads more like "One Hundred Years of Solitude" in that you need to really concentrate and read in large chunks in order to 'get' the story. I'm not sure I understand why we start with Levin and not Anna but I have no complaints.
I've never been a big fan of Apple's 'i' products, mainly because I'm not that tech-saavy but this illustrated "Alice in Wonderland" for the Ipad video made me rethink my opinions. Doesn't the interactivity look amazing! I would have loved this as a little kid.
This is Ok Go's newest video extravaganza called "This Too Shall Pass" and it's one giant Rube Goldberg machine.
I'm still working my way through the beginning of "Anna Karenina" but I'm enjoying it. I think the characters names will shortly become difficult to remember but that was also true of Marquez's "One Hundred Years of Solitude". Unlike Marquez there's no family tree but there is a list of character names.
One thing I don't understand is why some characters seem to be members of royalty. What was the point and wasn't Tolstoy all for the peasants?
I think I'll eventually have to watch the Vivien Leigh movie version. I'm sure the costumes will be great but I'm not sure about the rest of the film.
Witness here the most adorable parallel parking job you will ever see.
This is Edith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose". She first came to my attention because of Marion Cotillard's Oscar win but I'd heard the song many times before. Please to enjoy this blast from the past.
Here are some easter chicks from England and no this hasn't been Photoshopped. The chicks are actually that colour. Apparently the farmers injected non-toxic dye into the eggs before they hatched. The article was quick to stress that the dye doesn't hur the chicks and that when they grow their adult feathers, they'll come in as the normal yellow everyone's used to. Aren't they adorably colourful?
I found the most amazing book yesterday. It's called "the death of picassco" by Guy Davenport and it was a steal at $4.
I'm struggling with the last 100 pages of "Little Women" but I'm so close that I'm not going to give up. I'm frustrated by the sexism inherent in the book and it's tough to remember that at the time it was written it fit perfectly into society's views on women.
But I need to finish it because the heavy lit that is "Anna Karenina" starts tomorrow.
This is amazing. I found a mashup of Michael Jackson's "Bad" with the Ghostbusters theme. Surprisingly they fit well together. The only explanation I can find is that they were both made in the 80s, which had a certain sound to it.
It has been a slow week for books at my house. I'm still working on "Little Women" and rereading "Fahrenheit 451" but I'm dreading an email from my library. No, it's not because I owe a huge fine or lost a book. It's because I'm about to go where I've never gone before: The Russians!
I've steered clear of those guys for years because I always saw them as giantic books full of heavy metaphors and a proliferation of characters I could never keep track of. Well, against my better judgement I am waiting to pick up "Anna Karenina" for my book club. I am excited but worried and not entirely looking forward to it, considering that the book was ruined for me years ago when someone spoiled the ending. Strangely enough I believe "Psycho" was spoiled in the same year for me.
This is Wheezy Waiter and I think he's hilarious. He gets up early before he goes to work to vlog from Chicago. Enjoy!
This is from Matthew Barber's newest album 'True Believer'. Please to enjoy "Insanity or Death"
Still working on Kublai Khan. Did you know he was Emperor of China? I had no idea how important he was. Even Marco Polo spoke well of him and you know if Polo gives you the thumbs up that you're okay in everyone's books.
Watching:
I've just discovered that YouTube has episodes of "Bonanza". My mom always wanted to watch this show when she was little but it was on too late. While I find the show to be racist and sexist in the worst ways, it's interesting to watch. It was popular enough to have a run of 14 years with various storylines, some of which are ridiculous by the way. I'll never get over how the Cartwright boys manage to avoid getting shot in the face when guns are fired point blank range in their direction.
I'm also a little disheartened by the fact that any woman who decides to remain within the vicinity of Ponderosa or heaven forbid strike up a relationship with one of the boys, will inevitably end up dying or being killed. You have no idea how many stray arrows/pitchforks/sharp pointy sticks there are lying around near Virginia City.
Here's the intro and theme. Enjoy.
Thinking:
I'm so happy for the Mens Rowing Eight! It's considered 'the' rowing event at the Olympics or so I've been told. We won gold and I couldn't be prouder. It's well deserved after what happened four years ago in Athens.
I was also able to see Carol Huyhn's final against Japan and she was amazing!
Listening:
I guess it's a bit of a Bonanza theme this week because after I found out Johnny Cash had a song called "Bonanza" I just had to listen to it.
I decided to skip "Hound of Death" when my copy of "Kubilai Khan's Lost Fleet" arrived. It's amazing to think that the Chinese invented the stern rudder way back when and it took Europeans about a thousand years to adopt the technology.
Listening To:
Dean Martin and Victor Borge collaboration. I am so glad to have discovered Victor Borge. He's the only man I know who combines humour and classical piano playing.
Just watch Dean try to keep it together.
Thinking:
I never knew sorbet was so tasty. Folklore says Roman Emperor Nero invented it in the first century A.D. when he had runners along the Appian way pass buckets of snow hand over hand from the mountains to his banquet hall. There he mixed the snow with honey and wine.
My sorbet/sherbet was more like a lesser cousin of ice cream though, like Jay Osmond or Marlon Jackson.
Watching:
I recently stumbled upon this and can't stop watching. Enjoy!
After dispensing with the disappointment that was "Master and Commander", I've moved on to what I hope will be a more rewarding book. It's Agatha Christie's, "The Hound of Death". The title sounds interesting enough so I can only hope the stories prove to be the same.
Listening To:
I heard this in a recent and original Toyota commercial and decided to try and find the real song. It's "Do I Go" by Evren.
Thinking:
It's really unfair that fats and salts taste so good but are so bad for us. Don't get me wrong I like a handful of cherry tomatoes, fresh blackberries and a tasty Caesar salad as much as the next person. There's just something about fries cooked in oil and covered in salt though that makes them irresistible. Could it be the high blood pressure, the cholesterol (not the good kind), the atherosclerosis (try saying that five times fast)? Who knows. All I can say is, sometimes the craving for a fast food burger and a large fries just hits you.
Watching:
I found this little gem after sifting through various Cookie Monster vids on YouTube. In it, my favourite blue monster recites a poem. Enjoy!
Reading: I'm still stuck on "Master and Commander" but not for long. I'm still confused most of the time and I think in future I'll stick to Alexander Kent books when I want to read a series set on ships of the line during the Napoleonic era.
Listening:
I discovered a treasure trove of new made for the internets Muppet-related music. Thanks to inspiration from The Indextrious Reader I've decided to share some more of this material. More Beaker in fact. (I've got a soft spot for this certain lab assistant).
Watching:
Would you be jealous if I said I spent the afternoon with Gary Cooper? I watched "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town". If you've seen the movie then I'm sure you'll agree that the man has the sexiest bedhead you've ever seen.
Here's the crazy echo clip from the movie.
"The Evil Finger is upon you!"
Thinking:
Hamburgers are pretty awesome. On Thursday I made the most amazing burgers with eggs, lean ground beef, garlic, parmesan cheese, an onion, green onions, rosemary and half a leek. Yes, half a leek. The rosemary creates this amazing smell while you're cooking and and an even more amazing taste when you bite into the burger. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love food experimentation!
Reading:I'm in the midst of Patrick O'Brian's "Master and Commander" but as I have no knowledge of naval terms and practices I'm a little lost. I do like Jack Aubrey's way of speech, his jovial nature, his quick friendship with Stephen Maturin.
Watching:If you're a fan of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie then you will love this. It's called "Austrailian Soap".
Listening To:
This clip is from an amazing movie called "Auntie Mame", starring Rosalind Russell. I'm sure it's on YouTube. The song is from the musical "Wicked" and if you've seen the movie you know that it's a good fit.
The blah horror that was "Nana" is now over and I've started "Murder at the Vicarage". I have to say though, if you've read "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" this book will sound very familiar. A phone call, floor plans, etc. I have to say though, as the book that introduced Miss Marple to the reading public, she's kind of a jerk. My only other exposure to her has been Geraldine McEwan's portrayal on tv.
Watching:
I've just watched "Hellboy 2" and while I think Del Toro's imagination is right up my alley the storyline left something to be desired. Currently I'm watching the latest BBC remake of "Sense and Sensibility" Willoughby isn't nearly handsome enough and Edward is far too handsome. Everyone else seems to have been perfectly cast though. I do miss Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon though. He seemed a far more perfect fit than David Morrissey
Listening To:
This is "Stuck for the Summer" by Two Hours Traffic. A perfect song for the season I believe.
Reading: So I have fifty pages left of "Nana" and I can't wait to move on. It started off as a promising read but has floundered somewhat.
Watching: I just watched "Meet Me In St. Louis", a Judy Garland vehicle that follows one upper middle class family through an entire year in St. Louis, 1903. I still don't understand the Halloween scene entirely but Margaret O'Brien is a deliciously morbid little child.
The family dynamic is hilarious and I loved all of the little touches. The grandfather with the fez, the banter between the father and the maid and the interactions between the various siblings.
Listening: I love how I keep discovering all of these great bands and when I mention them to my parents they give me this look. They then proceed to tell me "I know. I was there."
I love Sergio Leone, his Spaghetti Westerns and Ennio Morricone. So imagine my joy when I discovered this gem. If you have never appreciated ukuleles before this moment you will after listening to this amazing adaptation of "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly".
Thinking: I'm so happy to be finished moving. Hopefully tomorrow at the clinic they'll be able to tell me what's wrong with me. It could be asthma or a respiratory infection but in any case I'm moving on to another job, one that doesn't involve bleach thankfully.
Reading: I'm still stuck on "Nana" with about 100 pages to go.
Watching: Nothing much to report. Yesterday I spent most of the day staring at the ceiling. It's not something I would recommend.
Listening To: This is how I feel about my stupid cough. If you've ever tried to suppress violent coughing then you know exactly what I'm talking about. While I was trying to get my email fixed I managed to cough in this poor technician's ear the entire time I was on the phone. Of course, I would have to have a coughing attack while I'm on the phone.
Thinking: Can accidentally inhaling bleach sanitizer at work give you respiratory problems? I've been coughing non-stop since Friday and I'm wondering if that's the cause.
Reading: About halfway through "Nana" but picked up a ton of books at the library yesterday. I'm currently on an Agatha Christie binge so it should be interesting to compare her style as it developed over her writing career.
Watching: I just finished watching "The Shop Around the Corner" yesterday. It stars Jimmy Stewart and Maureen Sullivan and portrays life in retail as accurately as I've seen it in a movie. My favourite part was where a window shopper asks how much a 2.95 belt was and poor Jimmy had to answer, $2.95.
Listening To: This week's song is called "Starlight" and is by Muse, an amazing band if you've never heard them.
Thinking: You know the saying "there's no rest for the wicked"? Why is that? Do they have a good work ethic? Do they work overtime? Are they insomniacs?
Reading: I finished "A Game of Thrones" and loved the re-read. I've moved on to Emile Zola's "Nana" and I'm loving it. I was a little skeptical but I've seen the movie about his life and was intrigued about his work. Sadly I continued to break my rule about not buying books by purchasing this book while on my Convocation Vacation.
Watching: Well I just finished watching "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". It was good but not great. There was some cheese involved, mostly with dialogue and probably thanks to George Lucas. George, sometimes less is more. I would rate it below "Prince Caspian".
I never go to movies anymore because of the expense but I still want to see "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E" before the summer's over. So many movies, so little cash.
Listening To: The quality isn't great but these songs are what I classify as most awesome. As well I was pleasantly surprised to see a woman on stage as part of the band. Her name is Norma-Jean Wofford aka "The Duchess". Enjoy!
Reading: I'm still working on "A Game of Thrones" but I'm almost finished and I already have the review ready. I'm noticing a lot more in terms of details and world history and mythology. There are more connections between characters than I realized. I think this is mainly because in my first read through I was racing to get to the end and find out what happened instead of enjoying the writing.
While up island I bought four books. Yes I know, bad duckthief but wait, they were less than ten dollars and three were on my BTRBID list. Next I think I'll start "Candide" by Voltaire. It's short and a great satire.
Watching: I didn't get out to "Indiana Jones" unfortunately but I'm hoping after I figure out my schedule for this week that I can go. Otherwise I watched "Superman" last night and Hilary Clinton's concession speech.
"Superman" was a little cheesy in places and his costume looked more like a circus outfit with the bright red and sky blue colours. But Christopher Reeve as always was wonderful.
Hilary Clinton's speech was very well done though I did think she was heavy handed with her repetition of "elect Barack Obama as the next president". I don't know if her speech writers were trying to emulate Churchill's "we will fight them on the beaches, we will fight them on the streets" speech but it seemed similar. The problem with Clinton's speech was she hit people over the head with that phrase until I wanted to turn off the tv.
I've been paying attention to the campaign in the US because whether a Democrat or a Republican is elected, it affects Canada. I think it's ridiculous how long they campaign for. Eighteen months is enough to exhaust anyone including the candidates, the public and the media. Aren't they concerned about saturation? I've heard so much about the election north of the border that I'm sick to death of hearing about it. Just get it over with and then you stop spending millions on your campaigns.
Listening To:
Thinking: BC has the highest gas prices in the entire country. I need a car that runs on brain power or irrelevant facts or movie trivia or potato peels. It's bound to be less than $139.9/L.
Currently Reading: I'm in the midst of re-reading "A Game of Thrones" for GoodReads. I'm a little apprehensive though, as the discussion leader has already posted her review, letting us all know she didn't like the book. To give you an idea of how much I love Martin's "Game of Thrones", I've already written the review and I'm not even on p300 yet. I suppose it also helps that I already know what's going to happen.
Watching: I will be seeing "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" sometime next week. Now I know it hasn't gotten very good reviews but dammit I want to see an Indy film on the big screen. I've missed out on so many classic movies on the big screen I don't want to miss this one, no matter what. I want to get that same shiver going down my back when I heard the Superman theme in theatres in "Superman Returns".
Listening To: This week's pick is "You and Me" by The Moody Blues. I heard this on a friend's cd player one day and fell in love with the group. Fortunately my parents held onto all of their vinyl and I found their Seventh Sojourn album in the mix. I don't care much for the video but the song is awesome with amazing lyrics and I love that beginning guitar riff.
Thinking: The world is a beautiful place. Don't you think it's worth saving? I walk through a meadow on my way to work and it's filled with wildflowers, birds, a black cat that won't let me get near her and an industrious ant hill that I keep my eye on. Wild grains and green grasses grow up on either side of the path and Garry Oak trees dip their branches, heavy with leaves, towards me. Rocks covered with lichen dot the area and a nearby blackberry bush's got my name on it.
Okay so it's been a while since I've done this. But hey, I've recovered from my food poisoning and am steaming ahead.
Currently Reading: I've put aside "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" because it's like having a seizure while reading. In the meantime I've finished "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" and "The War of the Worlds".
Next I think I'll try to finish "Tommy" the other book I put aside for being information heavy.
Watching: I did just see Prince Caspian and loved it, despite the departure from the book. But I did find this interesting Thelma Houston music video "Don't Leave Me This Way". Notice the setting, a record store and the big bird pant suit. But wait, the best part and by far my favourite is at 1:06. Notice the girl in the background and what she does. I couldn't stop laughing after seeing it.
Listening To: Elvis Presley's first album, modestly named "Elvis Presley". 18 Songs? This is a huge album with a lot of good songs, though I believe some are covers.
Thinking: So, pesticides get rid of pests, insecticides gets ride of insects but what about herbicides? I'm quite aware of what it does but the name bothers me. In my world herbicides would be for getting rid of unwanted herbs.
Are you tired of growing Rosemary? Does Mint make you nauseous? Say goodbye to Basil with new 'Honest Pete's Organic Herbicide'. Only six payments of $24.99 and we'll include this pre-used trowel. Order now!
Reading: Well I finished Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" and I have to say, never read this book while eating. Especially meat. Seriously.
I've now moved on to "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl. I have a feeling this is going to be slog but I'm enjoying the various movie and literary references.
Watching: I went to recycle and refill some ink cartridges at the mall and while I was waiting for my refill I walked in to HMV. I have no idea what "HMV" stands for though. Hi-definition movies and videos? Haagendaaz Marshmellows and Voodoo? Holy Moly Voley?
Anyway, I walked into HMV and found three great movies for $15. "Cool Hand Luke" "Soylent Green" and "Master and Commander". These movies can be summed up by eggs, 'failure to communicate', 'it's people!' and 'the lesser of two weevils'. If you haven't seen these I'll leave it up to you to translate my cryptic message.
Listening To: It's stupid and silly but extremely addicting. I stumbled upon and then found myself singing the stupid thing for the rest of the day. And now I find it to be my job to pass on this little curse to you, dear reader. And so I present the song lovingly named: I've Got a Jar of Dirt
So this was meant to be posted on Sunday but I've been ill. First it started with a sore throat thanks laughing too hard at coffee time with friends. Then it migrated to a mild headache accompanied by stuffiness. Thankfully the sore throat dissipated only to be replaced by a runny nose that just won't quit. I sniffled all through a family dinner and had to excuse myself several times to flush out my nostrils. Ew.
Reading: I have finished Cloud Atlas, an amazing read and have moved onto Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" for an online book club. Five chapters by Thursday and I'm only on page nine. I don't know much about turn of the century working class Chicago so this should be somewhat of an educational experience for me.
Watching:After completing an exhaustive run through my Gilmore Girls Season One dvd set I've been steering clear of the tv. IF you don't know the show then I highly recommend you check it out. They talk as fast as Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant in "His Girl Friday", make references to current pop culture and also slip in the occasional obscure trivia. The characters are real with quirky townspeople, coffee, coffee, coffee, literature, movies, food and some of the best dialogue I've ever heard on tv.
Currently Listening To: I heard this song a few weeks ago and liked the melody. I had no idea it was a hit and that Debbie Reynolds was known for singing it. The song is "Tammy" and was a big hit back in the 50s.
Thinking: I really want to try some of that popcorn flavouring they sell in grocery stores. I mean, you could have a different flavour for every bowl and who doesn't like options? And I don't mean gourmet flavours; they're gross. Ever tried Cinnamon flavoured popcorn? That stuff is gag-worthy. I mean different cheese flavours, or spicy italian. Although, I do have a special place in my heart for caramel corn.
I'm still working on "Anna Karenina" but am also trying to work my way through "Imperfect Birds" by Anne Lamott. While I enjoyed her writing in "Bird by Bird" this is the first novel I've read of hers. The first few pages didn't impress me but we'll see. 
