On Amanda Palmer and TED talks

So here's the thing: I'm not a huge Amanda Palmer fan. Besides not being overly fond of her music, her clothes and language make me uncomfortable and frankly I feel like her eyebrows and armpits are in direct contradiction of each other. (Oddly, the pits don't bother me, but the eyebrows do.) I don't say that because I think that she needs to change herself but so that you'll know I'm not a crazed fangirl. I'd never even heard of her until she and Neil Gaiman got married.

I watched her TED talk the other day and was blown away by people saying negative things about her in the comments. It boggles my mind. Her story of the interaction of art (between an artist and those consuming the art) is simply beautiful and how someone could ignore that to fuss that they don't like some aspect of how she recruits musicians for her gigs just makes me sad.

Watch it. Ignore any feelings you may have about her or her actions and just listen to what she says. It's really quite beautiful.

Fall!

It seems to be impossible to turn around without running into someone expressing their glee that autumn has arrived. Tweets, Facebook statuses, hay bales displaying pumpkins on porches, and to top it off just about every greeting starts off with "don't you just love this cooler weather?"*

Well, guess what? Not everyone is enamored with fall. Some people don't like being cold and aren't particularly fond of pumpkins (in the yard or in the pie). Others end up with severe headaches from all of the pumpkin spice candles that are burning everywhere. Cold weather brings on static electricity in hair and shocks when touching the shelves at the grocery store. Zillions of layers of clothes add to the laundry that must be done and feet as well as noses are going to be cold for the duration of the chilly weather. It even brings out the grumpy in die hard summerites. (Can you tell?)

Since politeness seems to dictate that a "Ugh, no! I hate cooler weather" is not an appropriate response to the greeting mentioned earlier, I'm shouting it to the blogosphere:

I don't like fall!

*[Incidentally. I really don't mind that some people like this time of year. I just don't like them assuming that I do, too. I'm thinking of responding to "Don't you love this cooler weather?" with "Well, it's not really my favorite but I'm glad you're enjoying it." Do you think that fits within the parameters of polite? Or should I just keep it to myself?]

Social Networking

Facebook and Twitter are my two main social networking addictions. All around the interwebs this is being heralded by many as the beginning of the end of my social interaction skills. Sadly, it seems to be very popular right now to decry the use of the internet to keep up with each other. Not many people are willing to admit that there are some benefits to social networking. Or if they do, it's a one line sentence in a diatribe against the whole idea.

My voice wants to join the few that find benefit in online interaction. As with anything, too much can be detrimental, however, it seems to me that the "you'll never catch me on Facebook or Twitter" crowd are missing out on a great opportunity.

I love that I can keep up with family and friends that live far away. We've moved a lot and FB has been a fantastic way to stay in touch with and even in most cases learn things I didn't know about my acquaintances. It has also helped me to interact better with the younger generation, as well as with people I don't know very well. (I'm not great at starting up conversations with people I don't know, and having seen some interesting tidbit about them on FB or their Twitter feed gives me something to break the ice with.) It's fantastic to see pictures that people are posting while they're on holiday or just of their daily life. I also think it makes me a bit more relevant to the young people I know. They see me as being interested in them (which I am).  They also get to see that I am just a regular person -- not some old lady that condemns the way they communicate but rather meets them where they are. And, it's fun. :-)

Cash for Clunkers

In hindsight, perhaps the Cash for Clunkers program wasn't such a good thing for our government to undertake. I'm not sure. Like most things, it's most likely that it had some good results and some not so good. That said:


We traded in our old 1993 VW Eurovan with the program. Our rapidly emptying nest did not need two vans. And though it still ran, it needed a lot of work. "Kronk" (thus named by the kids many years ago) had been parked in the garage for months, slowly filling up with storage items that wouldn't fit elsewhere. So, after much agonizing, we decided to let it go. 


Kronk had been a part of our family identity for many years. We drove that thing to 47 of the 50 states as well as into Canada. Over 190,000 miles in sixteen years. Bumper stickers from our many stops adorned the rear windows. If you know us, chances are that we parked Kronk in your driveway at one time or another. Or you sat in the back wondering why you thought you wanted to ride backwards. Over the years all that traveling bestowed upon our family lots of wonderful memories, but took it's toll on the car. The wear and tear was pretty obvious. A trip to Florida gave us memories of camping on the beach in Pensacola, and a fantastic used book store in Jacksonville, but had it sporting a dent in the back and reconstructed fiberglass bumper. Time in Michigan endowed us with a taste of living up north but blessed Kronk with rust spots along the side that were sanded down and covered with whatever paint semi-matched. The Texas heat melted the grease right out of the door hinges as we were driving to visit friends and family. Years of sandwich crumbs and spilled drinks contributed to the gook in the cracks and crevices while we saved money on eating out. Time went by and as we drove around enjoying visits, monuments and national parks, some foam part inside the a/c vents disintegrated and would blow bits out all over whoever was sitting up front. The interior molded parts began to break down and became sticky to the touch. It was time to retire.

It's interesting though, how difficult it can be at times to get rid of things that are falling apart. While looking at news stories about the Cash for Clunkers program, the proliferation of submissions to the "tell us about your clunker" articles made it obvious to me that many others were having the same struggle. So, this is my clunker story, and an admission that though I am the de-cluttering type, letting go of this vehicle was not the easiest thing for me either. As a result, we all spent a happy time remembering our trips as we cleared the van out, then completed our farewell to Kronk with one last picture of all of us.  Goodbye to a most excellent van that journeyed far and wide over the years with us. 

Epic Fail

Do you have any teenagers or early twenty year olds in your family? Do you interact with young adults in this age range? If you do, chances are pretty good that you've heard the phrase "epic fail". In my youth the phrase of choice would have been something along the lines of "I blew it!" and earlier generations all certainly had their way of saying the same thing. There is no doubt in my mind that some way of expressing this sentiment has evolved over the years from whatever it was Adam and Eve uttered to themselves when they thought back on that fateful day in the garden of Eden.

So, considering that it has been two and a half years since I posted here, you may pick your exclamation of choice and apply it to me here today. I choose "epic fail". It seems to fit the best.

I'll be in the loo!

The other day I was hanging out with some friends, and one happened to comment on how she always tells her husband when she goes to the bathroom. We all laughed, especially when she described how he always looks at her like she's nuts for telling him. Later on, it occurred to me that I do the same thing, with both my husband and kids. I've figured out though that it's actually more of a defense mechanism than a desire to keep my family updated on my waste elimination processes.

When my kids were little, they always used to want me for something every time I went into the bathroom. Over time I've taught them to leave me alone when I'm in there unless it is an emergency. The thing is though, if you don't tell them where you're going, they'll be running around the house yelling for you the minute you pull out your reading material.

So, Sandy, we may have laughed when you admitted to this habit, but truth is, I do it too, and it's a good self-preservation practice. Anyone else out there with the same habit?

On the Internet: Insights from C. S. Lewis' Life

What we see in Lewis
is the steady place of his parish church;
the quiet regularity of his Bible-reading and prayers;
the natural large place for his main work of study and writing;
the large blocks of time for leisurely conversations with special friends;
and the importance of letter writing,
especially with those who sought his help
in the matter of Christian pilgrimage

For all of his immense output of literary work,
his life is marked by a spacious,
un-frantic rhythm
of
worship,
work,
conversation,
availability,
and intimacy.

Read the rest of the article:
Dick Staub: Staublog - CS Lewis: On the unfrantic life

Peter's Tree

My Dad sent me a picture of our son Peter's tree today. It's planted on the grounds of the Westover Hills Church of Christ in Austin, TX, put there by our friends and the kids bible class. It's been there since 1993, planted during the year after his death. As far as we know this is only the second time in all those years that it has bloomed.

I'm too practical to think that there is anything miraculous about the tree not blooming. It's probably the soil or something. But, still.

Comparing weather

So, here's the weather in Texas and Michigan today. The screen shot was taken originally because the snow from the MI weather widget was covering part of the TX widget, and I thought it looked neat. Then I thought I'd add it here. I'm pleased to be out of the snow, though I do miss it a bit. Come August I'll post another comparison and then undoubtedly be wishing for the cooler climate of Michigan.

Movie: Wild Hogs

We saw the preview for this movie when we went to see Music & Lyrics, and my son decided it was a movie he wanted to see. The rest of us were not unwilling, either.

It was certainly funny. Side-splitting funny. Along with that there was some beautiful scenery, and even a few truths to ponder on. I liked how the four men were friends and stuck with each other, despite being very different people. And, the old biker dude had some good words of wisdom for the young ones who had gotten off track. Be sure to stay for the credits. You'll walk out laughing. And seriously contemplating getting that motorcycle out of the garage.

Just out of curiosity...

I stumbled across a web site called Great FireWall of China that will tell you if a site is blocked in China. So, I plugged in my two blogs to see if they were blocked or not. My reading list, bibliophilist is blocked, and this one is not.

Reusable Grocery Bags

I recently saw a gal with a t-shirt on that said, using a very cute play on words, Plastic Bags Blow. As well as giving me a good laugh, it gave me a topic for a blog post.

As I've mentioned before, I enjoy collecting bags. Using them to carry my grocery shopping home is one of the main uses they get. They are kept in the van, ready to go in whenever I go shopping. The baggers are always willing to load the groceries into my bags (even though I'm sure it's not quite as easy as using the plastic ones). Then my groceries are packed in bags that will not tear and I do not end up with piles of plastic bags that I can not use.

If you think you might like to try using your own reusable bags, let me encourage you to do so. It's a small thing to do that can help cut down on the trash in landfills or blowing around on the side of the road. Many grocery stores offer cloth bags for sale, especially health food stores. If you can't find them locally, you can purchase them online from reusablebags.com.

Music and Lyrics

Last night we went to see Music and Lyrics that stars Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. I was not in the mood for any gunfights or chase scenes, and this movie fit the ticket. My main objection to the film is the "diva" who was unfortunately portrayed as acting just like young divas do these days. Yuck. (Not too many clothes and very suggestive dancing.) Other than that (and the obligatory sex scene which wasn't graphic at all) it was a cute romantic comedy. Even my teens did a lot of laughing and they were very captivated by the 80's music. We all enjoyed it.

The romantic comedy Music & Lyrics By follows Alex Fletcher (HUGH GRANT), a washed-up 80s pop star whos been reduced to working the nostalgia circuit at county fairs and amusement parks. The charismatic and talented musician gets a chance at a comeback when reigning diva Cora Corman invites him to write and record a duet with her.

Watch the Preview

Well, if I wait one more day it can be a month since I posted anything here. I know most bloggers out there will understand that sometimes it just isn't the right time to be blogging. It just hasn't been, and probably still isn't.

Really I just wanted to say something to anyone who might be finding Valentine's Day difficult. As I've mentioned before, we don't do "Hallmark Holidays" around here, but reading all the posts about love today got me to thinking about those who might be feeling depressed by Valentine's Day. I haven't got anything profound to say, I just felt like to acknowledging that holidays like today are not always easy for everyone.

God bless your day today, whether you've got a Valentine or not.

I don't understand why people who come into your home to repair or install can not clean up after themselves. How difficult is it to pick up the wire clippings or sweep up the wall bits? I will admit that there have been one or two who have cleaned up their mess, but the number who do not far outweigh the ones that do. It's a mystery to me.

Movie:Scoop

We watched Scoop this week. I was not sure I would like it. I'm not sure I've ever enjoyed a Woody Allen movie before. I definitely enjoyed this one, though. Maybe my sense of humor has changed or perhaps this is not a typical Woody Allen film. Either way, we all laughed out loud and thought this was certainly an enjoyable way to spend the evening. (Those of us watching ranged from teenagers to grandparents.)

Linkage: rexeffect on Jesus and Walmart

rexeffect: Jesus Is Good for Business

Computers: Me Quiz

If you're bored, you can give this a try:


Create your own friendquiz here

Computers: Facebook

I've been playing with Facebook. I know I'm a little late coming to the party, but I'm here now and am having fun. I'm pretty low in the friends department, so if you'd like to be my Facebook friend, here is where to find me:

Linkage: Top Halloween Costumes

I saw something recently that said that Halloween should be called "Slut-o-ween" based on the way many women costume themselves for this holiday. If the young women I saw yesterday were any indication of a trend, then I would have to say that I agree. I haven't seen that many short skirts and fishnet stockings in a long time.

Here's a survey done by the National Retail Foundation of the costumes people intended to wear this year:

Top Children's Costumes 2006

1. Princess (generic) 11.5%
2. Pirate 5.0%
3. Witch 4.8%
4. Spider-Man 4.4%
5. Superman 3.7%
6. Princess (Disney) 3.1%
7. Power Ranger 2.9%
8. Pumpkin/Jack o'Lantern 2.2%
9. Cat 2.0%
10. Vampire (generic) 1.5%
11. Angel 1.4%
12. Fairy 1.4%
13. Ninja 1.4%
14. SpongeBob SquarePants 1.4%
15. Batman 1.3%
16. Cheerleader 1.3%
17. Football Player 1.3%
18. Tinker Bell 1.3%
19. Monster (generic) 1.2%
20. Star Wars character 1.2%

Top Adults' Costumes 2006

1. Witch 17.5%
2. Pirate 3.7%
3. Vampire (generic) 3.7%
4. Cat 2.6%
5. Clown 1.8%
6. Fairy 1.6%
7. Gypsy 1.6%
8. Superhero 1.6%
9. Ghost 1.4%
10. Dracula 1.3%
11. Devil 1.2%
12. Hooker 1.1%
13. Nurse 1.1%
14. Pumpkin/Jack o'Lantern 1.1%
15. Athlete 1.0%
16. Princess 1.0%
17. Zombie 1.0%
18. Angel 0.8%
19. French Maid 0.8%
20. Cowboy/Cowgirl 0.7%

From: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Top Halloween Costumes 2006

See also:
Katie Couric speaks her mind on modesty