Off The Bookshelf

When Izgard of Garizon put on the Coil and crowned himself King, he set in train a course of tumultuous events that would reverberate around the continent. For the Coil must have blood.

And the first blood to flow is that of Berick of Thorn, the legendary conqueror of Garizon. His son, Camron, wants revenge and knows that Izgard can only be stopped by force of arms. He seeks out the man who knows most about Izgard's murderous hordes - Lord Ravis, a ruthless mercenary with a dark and secret past.

And Tessa McCamfrey is about to become caught up in this dangerous and exotic world - with the piratical Ravis, a beautifully patterned gold ring and a role to play in the momentous events that unfold.

I had a sudden yen to read again this, one of my favorite fantasy novels by one of my favorite fantasy writers. With every leap the same, and every plot and turn known, I suppose it should seem rote to the point of boring, but this novel never loses its fire for me. I highly recommend this novel as well as others of hers. You won't be disappointed! If you click on the cover art or synopsis above, a link will lead you to Amazon's Quick Look Inside.

Meter Exercise

A QUATORZAIN / IAMBIC / RHYMED / VARIED FEET

I took an angry walk today.
Not very far, but far enough away
to breed a distance from all I knew
-- and sat on the slant of a hill view,
on a lock of concrete overlooking a creek.
The late spring evening was a pleasant feel
against my livid cheek; that and the hustle
and leap of the stream relaxed me. Light shuffled
between the water and the trees,
gleaming like tinsel in a breeze.
If it were winter still,
the light would touch ice, not the rill;
and by this hour have come and gone, with the moon
already donned just like a cap on the sun.

Patience & An Eraser

William Kentridge

With patience and an eraser as his primary tools this artist creates, deconstructs and reconstructs a simple drawing on a single page and smooths each transition using the magic of an animator. It is a beautiful expression of art. Here is an example of his work:

Fashionably Late to the Party?

Kid Cudi doesn't have the flow I prefer but his lyrical strength and charm more than make up for that tiny, tiny, tiny deficit. I like his flow, I do, it is just not my favorite type. However, I am (fashionably?) late to the party so there's a very good chance I am speaking out my ass. Knowing myself, it is a certainty. So what is the remedy for such fashionable tardiness? A thorough Kid Cudi musical gorging! Sure, gorging is impolite and indelicate to say the least but what else can one do to make up the difference? Tucking in, let the gorging begin... or, um, continue since it has already begun with 'Pursuit of Happiness'. Actually I guess it began with 'Poke Her Face' or whatever, however, I wasn't in love with that song; it didn't force me to take notice. Plus I had to work past my initial "So Annoying!" gut reaction. I also admit to being a bit turned off by The GaGa, although I will concede a few of her singles are quite catchy. Back to Kid Cudi: the next bon-mot is 'Soundtrack 2 My Life' (which, just a few bars in, I already love).

1. 'Pursuit of Happiness' linked from iLike
2. 'Soundtrack 2 My Life'
3. 'Lovestoned freestyle' linked from BigHouse
I am not in love with this song but it is
undeniably sweet.
4. 'Day n Nite' linked from Newborn Rodeo
At first I thought to file this under the same
heading as his 'Lovestoned freestyle' -- obviously
talented but not enough of a draw for me.
Instinct, however, tells me a few more listens
will take this strangely addictive beat and
fresh, imaginative lyrics from solid to f-ing
brilliant.
5. 'Sky Might Fall' linked from iLike
6. 'CudiZone' linked from iLike

Interrupting our current schedule of music to editorialize...

Shit. Seriously, so far, so good. Ooh, ooh, I love when I am given an opportunity to fall in love with an artist versus a song.

We will now continue our scheduled Cudi gorging... (at a later date)

7. Alive (Nightmare)
Eh.


Sigh, it is times like these I wish I listened to radio because maybe I wouldn't be so behind the bell-curve. Then again, radio makes me want to claw at furniture and my face in screaming frustration so... maybe not? Unlike Beyonce, I am not in love with my radio, once upon a time perhaps, but certainly no longer.

Just Started

Kathe Kollwitz, self-portrait

Isn't that gorgeous? There is something so very vital about it.

I recently started the summer session at the local college. Divided into three terms, I am registered for the two most condensed terms (5 weeks each), and first up is 'Art Appreciation'. Originally I planned to take more than one class for my first summer session but had a few problems with registration and required texts, and so settled for one class, the aforementioned 'Art Appreciation'. The next session, which begins only a few days after the current one ends, will see me attending two classes, a math course and 'Photography I'. Should be fun, right? Well, it is only the first day but we covered much of the basics (the class is four hours long) and while uneventful, it wasn't boring. The teacher answered a few private questions I had about majors and the job market as it applies to a B.A. and her answers created for me a sense of freedom and opportunity just as I was feeling hemmed in. So, yeah, good day.

This Sunday Comes With Music

Just some stuff I'm listening to these days, ^_^!

Emily Wells -- Symphony 1: In the Barrel of a Gun linked from YouTube
Brooke Fraser -- C.S. Lewis Song linked from iLike



Talib Kweli -- Ms. Hill linked from iLike
I miss Lauren Hill so much! I will swear to the day I die
that 'The Miseducation of...' is one of the most perfectly
crafted albums, of any genre, of all time. So whenever
I'm in the mood to mourn, and not to do so alone, I listen
to this song.
Big Scary -- At The Mercy Of The Elements linked from ArtistDirect
This song is purely instrumental and this particular
listen is only a 30 second click.



Regina Spektor -- No Surprises (Radiohead cover) linked from MusicVagabond
What a gorgeous cover! Apparently not many have gotten
on the Spektor train but I have. I find her voice and
instrumentation beautiful, and her approach to song very
different from the standard fare. She belongs to the
category of Tori Amos, so if you don't like the latter, you
may not care for Spektor. Plus she's Russian and
occasionally drops a Russian lyric in a song.
Nina Gordon -- Pure linked from iLike
The Heavy -- How You Like Me Now linked from YouTube
Yes, from the car commercial. Shut up. ;) This video
is so weird.

Pausing our regularly scheduled English language songs for a much needed foreign music injection...
Coffee House OST linked from YouTube
Its the soundtrack for the Korean television rom-com,
'Coffee House', and it's damn good. So, here's the
foreign portion of the list. Sorry but I can only share
the artist name since the Korean characters won't show
up on my post.
1. SG Wannabe, Ock Ju Hyun
2. Jo Sung Mo
3. So Yeon (of T-Ara) and Ock Ju Hyun

Now resuming our regularly scheduled English language songs...



Nas and Jay-Z -- Black Republicans linked from iLike
The Cardigans -- My Favourite Game linked from YouTube
Kid Cudi -- (Pursuit of) Happiness linked from iLike
and for good measure, here's the video. linked from VeVo
This song is such a damn good groove. Like a caramel's
warm sweetness on my tongue this song just makes me
want to sit back, nod my head, and relax.
Rihanna -- Te Amo linked from Clutch
Uh, Ri-Ri is much more progressive than I would have
initially assumed. That video is something different
from your standard Mistress of R&B/Hip-Hop fare.



Kanye West -- Power linked from Clutch
Oh, Kanye! Why can't I quit you, for you surely are an ass!
Then again most creative types are jerks so, okay, in that he's
just following the prescribed pattern.

Off The Bookshelf

Sometimes I forget how amazing Google is; this feature is an oldie but a goodie. I'm not sure precisely how many pages of The RF Reader are revealed but I got to page 42 before I stopped checking. So I encourage you to "thumb" through as many pages as possible. Also Bartleby's offers an impressive selection of Frost poems done up by collections, in this case, four.

A jaunt to Half-Price Books unearthed this metrical delight, and working my way through the poetry (and soon, the prose) has deepened my appreciation for the melodies of meter and the deceptive ease of rhyme. I had read Robert Frost is 'America's Poet' but now I know it for fact. His subjects are as down to earth as snow and fields and picking apples at the height of harvest; his words typically stretch no further than the vernacular but there is elevation in every poem. Again I am amazed by the power and subtlety of words, all words. Of course I have my favorites, a handful of selections I'd like to draw your eye towards --

Into My Own, from 'A Boy's Will'
The Trial By Existence, from 'A Boy's Will'
After Apple-picking, from 'North of Boston'
A Star in a Stoneboat, from 'New Hampshire'

Funny story: the day I bought this book I stopped by a local CVS on the way home. I had carried the book with me (don't ask me why) and at the counter the cashier exclaimed at the sight, "Ugh! I don't envy you!" She thought I was in school, you see, bound by some English course to read the "dreaded" poetry! And honestly, her expression was all sympathy and pity... until I told her, with a laugh, I had bought the book for pleasure. She looked sheepish then and mumbled, "Oh... well, en... joy?" We all shared a laugh then.

Early Monday Spin

It has been precisely one month since my last post, and what a month it has been! Like an eager little beaver I have been bustling to and fro all over my little corner of Texas trying to get my schooling/tuition together. If all goes well I should be taking classes in a month. Yay! Today's 'Early Monday Spin', however, has nothing to do with education and everything to do with music. For the past month I have obsessively listened to these singles falling ever deeper in love (for a time). In no particular order:

Holly Figueroa (O'Reilly) -- 'Everybody Knows' off the album, Gifts and Burdens
A folk/alt-country cover of a Leonard Cohen classic.
Holly's sparse arrangement and folkish twang allow
Cohen's lyrics to gleam against a dark backwoods
background.



REM -- 'Drive' off the album, Automatic for the People
Adele -- 'Hometown Glory' off the album, 19
Susie Suh -- 'Why' off the EP, The Bakman Tapes
I love this chick! She's Korean-American with a sultry
voice deep, smoky and blue. She has two other songs
I really like 'All I Want' and 'Seasons Change' but I've
had those for years. 'Why' is one of her newest songs.



Eddie Vedder -- 'Hard Sun' off the soundtrack, Into the Wild
Radiohead -- 'Reckoner' off the album, In Rainbows
Band of Skulls -- 'Light of the Morning' off the EP, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
Irene Cara -- 'Fame' off the soundtrack, Fame
It may be a bit of cheese but that doesn't dilute it's
overall awesomeness. Will only eighties babies like me
recall how wonderful was that movie? The iconic scene
of students pouring onto the NYC streets to dance and
strut their asses off, feeling for all the world like kings?

---
Here's a nugget of potential interest: EMusic (of emusic.com) is running several promotional offers -- variations on a large number of free audio downloads plus an audiobook. The deal I got came with a download of Winamp (a media player in the vein of Windows Media or Real Player) and included 50 free songs plus one audiobook for a span of two weeks. Offers on EMusic's site range from 35 to 45 free songs with or without a free audiobook. At the end of two weeks, or once all the free downloads are gone (whichever comes first), EMusic will activate the free account turning it into a paid one. If you have no interest in becoming a paying member be very mindful of the date and/or the number of downloads left in the purse.

What do I think of EMusic's site? Well, it gets high marks for a clean, uncluttered site that is very easy to use. The search function breaks down by general, artist, track, album, even label; however, funnily enough, it does not break down searches by genre which would have been more helpful than a label search, in my opinion. Under each artist is a gallery of comments either from established critics or current users of the site as well as relatively in-depth musical biographies. Although I managed to find 45 of 50 songs to download I did so with the help of my family. There were a number of songs which weren't available -- either because they could only be downloaded if paid for; or EMusic didn't have enough of an artist's discography; or didn't have the artist at all.

While EMusic has the bones of something good, currently it cannot compare to paying/streaming sites like Rhapsody, Pandora (internet radio), or iTunes for sheer access across a large cross-section of music and artists. In particular Rhapsody, which, for a reasonable monthly stipend, allows its users to stream all the music they like, even upload it to their mp3 players, on top of downloading. Pandora offers another unfair comparison since it, too, streams full songs (to EMusic's 30 second blurbs) and provides access to buying a liked song. The only system I know of which compares to EMusic's current setup is iTunes and that behemoth clearly mops the floor with EMusic. But if you are looking for an alternative to iTunes and its rabid protections, then certainly try EMusic -- you'll find just enough music to keep you relatively satisfied if not wholly so, just know you'll need to supplement with another music provider.

"Indeed."

on FFFFound!
quoted from dilemma on Flickr_Photo Sharing!
( farm4.static.flickr.com )

Tuesday Morning Liqueur

If it hasn't yet been made apparent, I am fascinated by a great many things, given to romantic stirrings over the classic and mundane. I am not a 'liqueur person'; for a good many reasons I limit my intake of alcoholic beverages. So it is with some incredulity that I recently found myself ensnared by articles enthusing the joys of homemade cordials & the like. Really. Like this fascinating little gem on 'milk liqueur' on Lottie + Doof, for example. Or this appealing piece of sunset in a glass courtesy of Gastronomer's Guide. Just glancing at it makes me ache to make it -- it's so simple (looking)! What stops me, however, is the question of who will consume my eager, eager efforts? Who?! Aside from a sip here and there, I will largely let it go to waste... unless I can successfully cook with it. That has been my thing for the last year or so; I cooked a lot of meats with some homemade Trini wines and they (the meat and the spirits) were much more delicious that way. We had Cane, Aloe, Ginger, Tomato (which was the best for drinking and for cooking) and something else I can't remember. So, if I can cook with any of the liqueur recipes that have been catching my eye, I may be able to talk myself into making a batch. I can also always send it away to friends, right?

In just writing this article I learned a little something, like the difference between liquor, liqueur and cordials. Well, I thought it fascinating.

Tuesday's Odds & Ends

Items like this make me want to take a wood-shopping class... then I remember my fear of circular saws. Ah, there goes the urge like a box of Krispy Kreme donuts in a room full of Airmen! Oh, lovely chair, you're still lovely. Too bad it's mad expensive... and sold out. On the bright side, the website has so many pretty, pretty things. With every post and site I cruise I am reminded of how clever and in search of beauty people are, how they continually carve it from whatever object grabs their clever fancy. It makes me kind of proud of "us".

---
Idaho, but why???


This is a hotel. I kid you not. And it's for people. Again, I kid you not.

Would you like to learn more?
---
Oh, History.com, what would we do without you?
On April 20, 1980 (hey, by this time, I'd been gestating in my mother's womb for about a month -- fun fact), the Castro regime announces that all Cubans wishing to emigrate to the U.S. are free to board boats at the port of Mariel west of Havana, launching the Mariel Boatlift. The first of 125,000 Cuban refugees from Mariel reached Florida the next day.

Would you like to learn more?

Sunday Evening at the Trailers

ONDINE
cast: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Alison Barry, Derva Kirwan, Stephen Rea
in theaters, June 2010


iTunes synopsis: the story of Syracuse, a simple fisherman who catches a beautiful and mysterious woman in his trawler’s nets. The woman seems to be dead, but then she comes alive before Syracuse’s eyes and he thinks he may be seeing things. However, with the help of his ailing, yet irrepressible daughter, Annie, he comes to believe that the fantastical might be possible and that the woman (Ondine) might be a myth come true. Ondine and Syracuse fall passionately in love, but just as we think the fairytale might go on forever, the real world intercedes. Then, after a terrible car crash and the return of a dark and violent figure from Ondine’s past, hope eventually prevails and a new beginning is presented to Syracuse, Ondine and Annie.

personal note: I am a sucker for fantasy and romance and this particular offering comes with a healthy dose of Irish brogue, so yeah, I'm there. Also, the trailer is quite lovely, succeeding in striking the intended balance between fairytale and modernity, the melancholic and oft-times brutal romance of British Isle fae. If it fully succeeds it could just be a cinematic cousin for Emma Bull's 'War for the Oaks'.

Click here to see the trailer.

---
KILLERS
cast: Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Thomas Selleck, Catherine O'Hara, Rob Riggle, Martin Mull, Casey Wilson
in theaters, June 2010

iTunes synopsis: Trying to recover from a sudden break—up, Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) believes she’ll never fall in love again. But when she reluctantly joins her parents on a trip to the French Riviera, Jen happens to meet the man of her dreams, the dashing, handsome Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher). Three years later, her seemingly impossible wish has come true: she and Spencer are newlyweds living the ideal suburban life – that is, until the morning after Spencer’s 30th birthday when bullets start flying. Literally. It turns out Spencer never bothered to tell Jen he’s also an international super—spy, and now Jen's perfect world has been turned upside down. Faced with the fact that her husband is a hit man, Jen is determined to discover what other secrets Spencer might be keeping – all the while trying to dodge bullets, keep up neighborly appearances, manage the in—laws…and work out some major trust issues. And you thought suburban life was easy.

personal note: I very much dislike Katherine Heigl. Oh, not in the admittedly irrational way I once disliked Keira Knightley -- a hysteria of irrational female dislike shared the world over it seems since Keira herself once remarked on it. Getting back to it, my dislike of Heigl has a bit more basis, at least to me. I find her to be grossly ungrateful to the vehicles which brought her fame, fortune and opportunities. However, I will probably watch this movie because it looks somewhat humorous, charming and right 'up my alley' as it were. Plus check out Ashton's body in the trailer and take a deep breath, kiddies... Yum!

Click here to see the trailer.

---
COCO CHANEL & IGOR STRAVINSKY
cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Anna Mouglalis
in theaters, June 2010

iTunes synopsis: Paris 1913. At the Theatre Des Champs—Elysées, Igor Stravinsky premieres his The Rite Of Spring. Coco Chanel attends the premiere and is mesmerized…But the revolutionary work is too modern, too radical: the enraged audience boos and jeers. A near riot ensues. Stravinsky is inconsolable. Seven years later, now rich, respected and successful, Coco Chanel meets Stravinsky again — a penniless refugee living in exile in Paris after the Russian Revolution. The attraction between them is immediate and electric. Coco offers Stravinsky the use of her villa in Garches so that he will be able to work, and he moves in straight away, with his children and consumptive wife. And so a passionate, intense love affair between two creative giants begins...

personal note: As with 'Ondine', I find the visuals of this trailer stunning (as they are meant to be). I only wish I had some assurance that the movie itself will be entertaining. For me, French films can be so hit-and-miss, swinging wildly from charged, fantastical and wonderful to inaccessible.

Click here to see the trailer.

---
CASINO JACK AND THE UNITED STATES OF MONEY
documentary
in theaters, May 2010

iTunes synopsis: This portrait of Washington super lobbyist Jack Abramoff—from his early years as a gung—ho member of the GOP political machine to his final reckoning as a disgraced, imprisoned pariah—confirms the adage that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. A tale of international intrigue with Indian casinos, Russian spies, Chinese sweatshops, and a mob—style killing in Miami, this is the story of the way money corrupts our political process. Oscar—winning filmmaker Alex Gibney once again wields the tools of his trade with the skill of a master. Following the ongoing indictments of federal officials and exposing favor trading in our nation's capital, Gibney illuminates the way our politicians' desperate need to get elected—and the millions of dollars it costs—may be undermining the basic principles of American democracy. Infuriating, yet undeniably fun to watch, CASINO JACK is a saga of greed and corruption with a cynical villain audiences will love to hate.

Click here to see the trailer.

---
THE HOUSEMAID
cast: Jeon Do Yeon, Seo Woo, Lee Jung Jae
in theaters, May 2010

javabeans synopsis: a housemaid moves in with a family of four and things take a dark turn. Seducing the husband is only the beginning of the trouble, as the maid’s bizarre behavior escalates and the wife tries to assert her place. Although its themes may seem familiar today — adultery, murder, twisted ambition — the provocative thriller was made in the “Golden Age” of Korean cinema, back before the censorship code descended upon the film industry.

personal note: I love the Korean entertainment industry, particularly their dramas. However I cut my teeth on their films and this one has me so excited (minds out of the gutter... okay, remain in the gutter). It is an erotic thriller after all!

Click here to see the trailer.

---
LIKE THE MOON ESCAPING FROM THE CLOUDS
cast: Cha Seung Won, Hwang Jun Min, Han Ji Hye, Baek Sung Hyun
in theaters, April 2010

javabeans synopsis: The historical action film pits main characters Chang Seung Won and Hwang Jung Min against each other; the former leads a rebellion to overturn the social order, while the latter is a blind swordsman who believes in protecting the world. Cha is of royal blood but was born illegitimate, and now vows to take the throne... As the preview opens, Cha Seung Won says, "I didn't dream this dream that we would all live together." Hwang Jung Min returns, "This is a dream that we all die together!"

Click here to see the trailer.

---
THE A-TEAM
cast: Liam Neeson, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Gerald McRaney
in theaters, June 2010

iTunes synop... Oh, who am I kidding? It's the friggin' A-Team!!! My childhood TV memories demand that I include this, especially since, despite my ample worries, it looks so good! B.A. Barracus... Face... Hannibal... and Murdock (my brother's childhood nickname, fun fact), oh how I've missed you! If you still don't have a clue as to who they are, I say it is time to bone-up on your eighties pop culture. Get thee to YouTube right quick!

Click here to see the trailer.

---

The Clever Girl Sings

Sing along with me, if you will, and roll with my current WMP list...

Doves
Everybody's Free
Swing
Kettering
Florence + the Machine
Civil Twilight
Metal Heart
Cinematic Orchestra
Siren

Blogshare: Jamie's From Me to You

her 'pears and the afternoon light'
Jamie's site, from me to you

Her blog is chiefly photography, with food and recipes thrown into the mix. So really, what's not to love? I especially enjoy her site's design -- a mixture of vintage brown paper, bits of string, gorgeous stationary, old typewriter fonts and old-fashioned scripts and pins. She has made a visit to her page such an experience I bookmarked it right away and had to share the very same day! So... Go visit!!

EDIT

Only ageless quiet attends our altars
shrouds our days in motes and in shade, a half-life
lived in half-light. Even our fire can pale in
twilight and gray or
starve in empty temples though instinct never
Wavers, never dulls in the pitch - the God Who
Slumbers in the Waters still sleeps; the sun still
sets in our brother's
bloodless breast. We follow the endless arc to
guard the sun, descend to lustrate in gold-tipped
shrines where chanted litanies hailed the dawn. But
no one reveres us

now: a younger god has transfixed man's needy
eye. Unsung, we leave empyreal climes, slough the
night off (like a barnacle fastened to the
hip of the sun) to
pace abandoned Houses. In temple dusk we
wonder, will we ever again be met at
dawn? Be praised, our manifold Names half-sung? Will
anyone love us?

FOUND

So, I found this written in a book I'm reading -- a little something I had jotted down and forgotten. This isn't the original. I'm too lazy right now to type it out, maybe later? You know (or maybe you don't) I'm on this metered poetry kick, right? So I decided to take a stab at turning this into a metered poem. I'm not sure as of yet where the subject of this poem is heading but the journey should be fun.

The sun set (as it does)
behind the thunderhead,
on a pathway that was
washed with pinks and with reds.
The sky shrank to a bruise.
And I saw this old wound
as something almost new...

{like pulling teeth, the line after this... actually, so were the lines after 'with pinks and with reds'... hm!}
{finally got it!}

The sun set (as it does)
behind a thunderhead,
on a pathway that was
washed with pinks and with reds.
The sky shrank to a bruise.
And I saw this old wound
as something almost new
under the argent moon...

{So I have a bit more to add, came up with that bit more tonight}

The sun set (as it does)
behind a thunderhead,
on a pathway that was
washed with pinks and with reds.
The sky shrank to a bruise.
And I saw this old wound
as something almost new
under the argent moon.
Fingers out, the stars, too,
gaped at the livid bloom
as if to ask, "But who...?"

Tuesday Singing

Cyber-wandering YouTube to find Omiya stirred me up a bit and I'm currently playing my YT musical playlist. Quite a few gems housed there if I do write so myself. *wink* So I decided to share:

Well, I already wrote about (and shared) Omiya, next up -- Ghost, as covered by Greg Laswell.

I had never heard of the dude but I just about love his voice and love his version of the song. Indeed I searched out the original (sung, written? by Kristin Hersh) and while it is attractive in its own light it doesn't hold a candle to his cover.

Lahlumlenze is joy; I don't know how else to describe it.

When it plays I have to move, just dance. The singer, Thandiswa, has a gorgeous voice, I mean, don't you just love her style? And (shallow note) I absolutely love her hair!

Okay, now this song is just funny.

Every Dawn

For me this is the sound of every dawn:
from 0:00 the first blush;
long, lean tendrils to wash the sky in blue.
And as her voice kicks in,
all things holy rise... all things corporeal rise...
to herald the dawning.

---
Omiya is off the track listing of the film soundtrack, Kama Sutra
I highly recommend the film and the soundtrack.
The film is an exercise in sensuality, petulance and passion.
The soundtrack is, to quote a YouTuber, simply blissful from start to finish.
It is what made me such a Mychael Danna (the OST composer) fan.

How F-ing Cool Is That?!

pilfered from the blog, Elements of Style

Sometimes I see an object, hear a song or read a line somewhere and think,
"If only I were as cool as this [insert here]..." This is one of those times.
How f-ing cool is that piece of art?! It's acting as a headboard, a headboard, people!!!
It is SO gorgeously distressed, to steal a phrase from Rachel Zoe, I DIE.
I mean, your eye just goes, "Whaaaaaaat!!!!" in full soprano!

I Want

... to live here:

pilfered from blog, Elements of Style
the hotel, La Mamounia


please?

pilfered from blog, Elements of Style
the hotel, La Mamounia



pilfered from blog, Elements of Style

pretty please?

pilfered from blog, Elements of Style
the hotel, La Mamounia


(I WANT)
... to bathe here:

pilfered from blog, Elements of Style
the hotel, Bellinter

Last Wednesday's Chicken

Last Wednesday I hungered for honey-sesame chicken. Armed with Google, pre-sliced chicken breast in the freezer, honey in the cupboard and sesame oil in the fridge, I decided to take a stab at recreating this Chinese take-out staple. I used the Nine Dragons version because 90% of the ingredients list was already in my kitchen. It was simple, quite delicious and nicely did the trick. Plus, the marinade (sans the rest) works on fish as well as poultry and bakes up great! I'm glad I didn't break and order take-out -- I would have missed out! I wish I had taken a picture before I devoured it. :(

Well, imagine the deliciousness!

Gonna Gonna Make You Mine!!

My current music single addiction: Fefe Dobson - I Want You, presented by Lala.com
One free full song listen, 30 secs for subsequent tries.
It is highly addictive. You've been warned.
Oh, and if you want to see the video -- BONUS!
Includes vid for her other addictive single, Watch Me Move --
Click on the photo above!

Sunday Evening Pie

I felt like pie so I made one from scratch, from the crust to the filling. I craved an apple pie, the mere phantom of its tart sweetness filled my mouth, turning me into Homer [insert drooling sound]. Unfortunately there were no apples in the house to be had and I was far too lazy to get my butt to the local Walmart to buy some, so I decided upon a Kentucky chess pie instead. The treat is also known as Jefferson Davis pie which is unpleasant, but it is delicious so I won't hold that against it. I need to take a photo of my efforts but for now, imagine a jpeg right... around... here.

The last time I found myself craving something sweet but had limited culinary options, I turned to my savior, Saveur, which is how I originally found this pie. Do not be dissuaded by it's ingredients list, it does not turn out at all as sweet as the listing may imply. It will satisfy a sweet tooth without crippling it. This go-around I used Crisco instead of butter to acquire the elusive flaky crust, only to encounter 'fail'. Well, now I know I prefer butter-based crust, at least when I'm the one making them. Also, either Crisco is coated in salt, or the recipe itself calls for too much salt, or I have grown sensitive but blech, the crust is salty! Not enough to make it terrible but enough for me to notice. Baking is such a science so I find it hard to believe it is the fault of the original recipe, particularly when I have used it before without such results. It has to be the Crisco. See what the pursuit of 'flake' has done? It has polluted my efforts. So, if attempting, do not make any substitutions! Just make it straight and be satisfied. :)

The recipe can be found here, on Saveur.com.

Saturday Morning Song, cont.

Hmm, what moved me to post the song? I'm not sure, Brandon. I was weeding my CDs and one Saturday, I came across the song in a mix. It's strange because I certainly wasn't in the mood for any song off the Gattaca soundtrack -- it just caught me up! Listening to it now as I type it sounds sort of sad but at the time, in my imagination, I saw a newly arisen sun and breaking white clouds on a damp day. It seemed very hopeful and lovely and I wanted to share it all of a sudden.

Saturday Morning Song

A Winning Saturday

The Saints thrashed the Cardinals which was an outcome I desired until the second half when it became clear this would be a blow-out and my heart was moved to pity. I didn't necessarily want the Cardinals to win but I wanted them to make it a game. Their defense was, is, anemic. I'm not a Saints fan and indeed fervently hoped all season they would fail to complete the perfect season (plus they beat my Giants as if they stole something and they were never right since). Once that became an actuality the fervency was gone and I sincerely dislike the Cardinals more, so... Who dat? Who dat? Who dat, Saints!!!

The Colts triumphed over the Ravens. Until the final two minutes of the first half this match had all the markings of a tightly contested barn-burner. Then the Ravens three-and-outed with about two minutes left on the clock and no team can give Peyton f*cking Manning two minutes (with two time-outs) and not expect to pay the man with a touchdown or field goal. The man is magic. The Colts scored ten points in approximately two minutes and the contest was lost from that moment onward. After one field goal, the Ravens never scored a single point thereafter, receiving not even a sniff at the endzone. I really like Peyton, and the Colts don't generally rub me the wrong way... though I call foul on cutting out on that Jets game, as well as the ones which followed! However, the way they won more than the win itself, as vital as it was, will subside the disgruntled whispers across the myriad fandom.

I am a fool but I am a fool with a good excuse. By the time I wrote my blurb on the Giants needing to fire their defensive coordinator, Bill Sheridan, the deed had already been done. A number of heads rolled by the time I wrote my post, in fact. My good excuse for not knowing this? I was so embarrassed by the Giants play I avoided all sports news outlets including my favorite Giants' site, the Big Blue View. I neither wished to read nor hear anything about the Giants. I knew if I waited long enough, with the start of the post season so close, I could avoid hearing my beloveds described as the losers they turned out to be this season. Cowardice. To quote Walter Bishop (of Fringe fame), I am learning to appreciate it.

Finally, the Australian Open starts today and I can't wait!!!! Plus the Cowboys vs. the Vikings, and the Chargers vs. the Jets. A very good sports day is a-comin.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Boys and girls, it is tennis season!!!! Three cheers, hip-hip-hooray!!!! I'm not sure how dedicated a tennis fan I am though -- I only watch between the Slams, meaning from the start of the Australian Open to the end of the U.S. Open I am tennis mad and catch as many matches as I can. Everything outside that period gets an 'eh' from me. I'm sure I have mentioned once, twice, maybe three times my favorite players: Rafael Nadal, Venus and Serena Williams. I ride or die with these guys so how much I'm feeling a season depends at least 80% on how they are doing, lol. Still last year was pretty good in spite of Rafa's mid year drop off and Venus's loss at Wimbledon, Serena's, ahem, incident at the U.S. Open, etc. Some good tennis was played and new talents emerged and anticipated talents (well, at least one) delivered. The Australian Open is rearing its Aussie head once more so I'll probably haunt my favorite tennis sites until September: Craig Hickman's Tennis Blog at Blogger; Nadal News; Tennis.com; and Forty Deuce (because she's funny) over at Typepad. Honorable mentions to Down the Line at Blogger and Tennis Talk. Tennis season, yay!!!!

Since I'm on a sports kick I should mention another of my favorite spectator sports that has been neglected on this blog -- football... of the American variety. I love me some football and my favorite team is the NY Giants (I'm from Jersey and their stadium is in Jersey and they train in Jersey and most of them live in Jersey... they're ours! LOL). My Giants though, have sucked this year. All-caps SUCKED. Thank you, Bill Sheridan, for taking one of the fiercest defenses in the league and turning them into mush. The man needs to be fired. Fired!!! My family is in agreement. This is his first year on the job, however, so the Giants' owners and manager might decide to suffer through him for one more year much to my utter disagreement. Sigh. Still, I like football and so have watched a lot of non-Giant games for the sheer fun of it. Yesterday I watched the two teams I wished to have win -- the Bengals and the Eagles, lose. It was a bad Saturday. Today, one team I wanted to win (Ravens) won, while the other (Packers) lost in the most preposterous manner. It was a middling Sunday.

What else... what else... what else? Um. The Winter Olympics??? ... Yeah, I don't care either.

I hope to keep better blog track of tennis this year as well as the waning football post-season. Ta-ta for now!

I am Otaku: fresh favorites and finishes!

*the mangaka is the artist

Update, update, update. Let's see:


Claymore has upped the ante yet again since last the last manga update. Abyss-eaters? Ha! As terrifying and disgusting as those horrifying beings were -- so much so as to make me weep for Easley, Destroyer of Towns & Claymores, they are nothing compared to what has come next. If twins weren't creepy enough in RL, Yagi (the mangaka) has found a way to make them creepier. Every chapter, which frustratingly only comes once a month, is so chockful of well-drawn plot and surprises, I cannot recommend this manga highly enough. Due to its limited release status I need other manga to fill the gap. As it turns out, I need a lot of manga to fill the gap ^^ and each one in different ways have stolen my heart away.

Midnight Secretary ended its run exactly the way I expected a smutty josei manga to end, happily. The girl got the guy; the guy got wise and thoughtful; and all the naysayers and get-in-the-way-ers were made to bow down before the glory of their love. Very satisfying. I'm not sure if this is truly the end for the characters of Kyouhei and Kaya. The mangaka, Ohmi, has a habit of returning to the scene, has done so with her last mega-manga hit so I half-way expect a return to Kyouhei's and Kaya's world. If not, that's okay too because it was all very satisfying.



And Bleach keeps on trucking... The pace has picked up and our hero has learned a new trick whether he likes it or not. Kubo (the mangaka) has turned the action to a semi-curious place and I'm interested in finding out what he plans. This manga is a weekly release and is a standard read for me. I don't think much about it but when a week is missed due to various RL reasons I fiend like a crack addict, so yeah, I think I like it. LOL



Deadman Wonderland is still alive and well but there is a glitch -- the scans on it have ground to a near-halt which is a damn shame. I'm not complaining... not really... Do I want the scans to continue? Hell, yeah! Do I understand that these guys are doing this out of the kindness of their manga-loving hearts and placing demands on them is unfair? Yes. Damn it. ^^ A new group picked up but I don't know what's going to happen from here on out. I have read rumors of an anime series in the works which would be kick-ass! Each time I read a chapter I think how wonderful it would be as anime. From the artwork to the f-ed up plot and scrawny hero granted unasked-for abominable powers, it just screams 'anime!'



Veritas is my number one manhwa. Yes, above Bleach, above the manga listed above and the ones to be listed below. I obsessively check for updates, spoilers, have been known to re-read chapters and have even read it again from beginning to temporary end. I heart this manga, manhwa really. The Koreans have it; S. Korea already owns my heart when it comes to television shows (except for Fringe, that is better than everything on TV so far), now they are dominating my manga with their manhwa. The protagonist is atypical in the freshest, most interesting and engaging way. He's a scrapper, a dog-fighter, and while he lacks the clearly-defined moral hang-ups and principles most manga/manhwa heroes have in spades, he is not without honor or a code. He's just pretty carefree and doesn't spend much time moping or many blocks pondering or looking determined... unless it is to fight. Boy does like to fight! Really, number one manhwa/manga and only one other comes close to threatening its crown. More on that later.

Cage of Eden is different from the others I tend to read because no one has any special powers and the only supernatural element involves the characters's plane crashing onto a 'Land of the Lost' type island. Actually this manga recalls some of my earliest loves as I child. I loved survival/rustic novels, some of my favorites being 'Island of the Blue Dolphin', 'My Side of the Mountain', Jean M. Auel's 'Earth's Children' series (Clan of the Cave Bear, etc.), Gary Jennings's 'The Journeyer', etc. Nothing thrilled me more than novels depicting people thriving on the land and their wits alone. I was such a city girl I guess it tickled me pink. Reading this manga recalls those precious times I sat on a cold bare floor, back to the bed, transported by the quick-witted hero or heroine as they caught abalone, trained a falcon to hunt or tanned deer-hide in a hollow stump. It's why I like Cage of Eden so much. Unfortunately, like Psycho Buster, its releases have stalled.

Ane Doki trucks on and, I suspect, is coming to its conclusion, although I could be wrong. I have enjoyed the ride. It's a light, easy read demanding nothing -- not overt excitement or profundity. It has its easy charm and that's enough for it and for me. Though it isn't listed on OneManga.com as harem, I consider it harem because at some point all girls in the manga aside from one has felt an attraction for the main hero. I tend to have a problem with harem. Harem situations quickly become ludicrous and annoying for me, the hero frequently stuck in some horn-dog state, the girls brainless in their need to be close to him. Plus the constant "comedic" situations and accompanying drawing affects are not funny and bother me to no end. So, that I enjoy this manga is something of a surprise. Then again, it isn't very harem about its harem. The girls are fairly charming and not brainless at all when it comes to the hero. The main guy isn't some helpless horn-dog but a pretty sweet kid just trying to get the gist of girls and to get the gumption to confess to a girl. It's fairly straightforward and as I stated, sweet. Charming.

Onto the new stuff:

In Psycho Buster a kid discovers a special little talent to affect time. He and a group of government test-subject runaways then work to stop a mad man and his special group of psychic crazies (also former government test-subjects) from, well, f-ing up the world. It's a lot of fun and was on the fast track to being one of my favorite manga due to the likable, if standard, protagonist and his cool ability. However the manga release has stalled out a bit, hopefully it will resume.



Psyren is a weekly and kick-ass! It releases in the same magazine as Bleach so the releases are as steady as clockwork, yes! It is also entertaining as hell with a well-realized world and great characters. I have a fondness for the supernatural (and shounen) so expect a lot of my manga recommendations to contain special powers and/or bishies, lol. This one is no different: in order to save a classmate, Ageha enters a savage world beyond his imagining, a future too terrible to allow to come to pass. He and others essentially spend the rest of the manga working hard to thwart the bastards who will bring the world and the human race specifically to its knees. I highly recommend this manga. In my opinion it is a standard read like Bleach and just as addictive.



Wolf Guy has crap artwork. Okay, scratch that. The artwork isn't crap, it's just not my cup of tea. Usually that's enough to turn me off but the characters are strong, so brashly drawn that it took me to a place where I didn't mind the artwork. If the title didn't give it away, it is about a werewolf. He's born one, not made, and apparently -- like in the song 'Woke Up This Morning' -- this kid was born under a real bad sign because a gypsy once told him violence and bad luck trails him like a shadow. The manga then bears this out. The characters are strong, even if the plot is a bit undetermined. Violence seems to be the prevalent theme and honestly I don't shy from it. If it's not your thing, I'd avoid this manga because it doesn't avoid that or other mature situations like attempted rape, nudity or sex. For all that it isn't sexual or sensual in spite of a few explicit scenes, those scenes simply are. This manga isn't for everyone but I suspect it is going somewhere worthwhile.



Here it is, the one which threatens the supremacy of Veritas; it's also a manhwa, go figure, and it is tight, tight, tight!!! This is a recent discovery and just as I did upon first discovering Veritas, I blew through all the available chapters of the one, the only, The Breaker. The protagonist is your basic manga/manhwa hero but what the mangakas excel at is placing a fresh twist on a standard point. The main hero, Shi Woon, is bullied to the point of brutality and we, the readers, are made to take that humiliating journey with him. Many manga would simply devote a chapter or two to something like this, but this isn't done in this manhwa. To understand the mettle this young man develops as the manhwa develops -- from cowardice and fear to courage and strength -- they can't, we can't afford to skip out on the painful journey that prepares and provokes Shi Woon for what comes next. I love this character almost as much as I love Gang Ryung, the main character of Veritas, yet the two heroes couldn't be more different. Both, in their own ways, are atypical and that excites me. As for the plot it is similar in its foundation to Veritas: young man meets future master/martial arts badass after having the crap beaten out of him; this meeting leads him into a hidden martial arts world that exists in tandem with normal society. Crazy fighting ensues. However, the two plots are really quite different and this is revealed from the first page of each manhwa. It sort of reminds me of YuYu Hakasho and Bleach. The first time Bleach was described to me, I dismissed it as a YuYu Hakasho wannabe. However, the first five minutes of the first Bleach episode wiped that idea right out of my mind. I highly, highly, highly recommend The Breaker. Seriously. Go read it. Go fall in love. It is insane!

Hair Kick, part 2: daily maintenance

So, I just tried this hairstyle:



with so-so results but that's my fault -- my cornrows were sloppy and didn't have enough 'pop'; I tried a braid-out in the back rather than a bantu knot-out; and the bang in the front didn't have enough braids. Still, it is too cute to not try again, hopefully with better results.

Yikes, I forgot something in my Hair Kick, part 1 post! Combs and brushes! As with the apple cider vinegar (acv) rinse, I alternate the weeks I use a comb on my hair. In fact, I don't use a comb in my hair at all, if I can help it, instead I use Goody Styling Therapy Jojoba Paddle Brush and haven't looked back since. The bristles bend like rubber and massage knots out of the hair, there is no other way to describe it. Many naturals swear by the Denman and I have nothing negative to say since I have never used it but I'll swear by this paddle brush, I really will! Hair loss after use is minimized mostly to shed -- the healthy shedding of hair from the root which occurs naturally in the course of a month. Even with this wonderful brush in hand I only use it on my hair every other week coinciding with the acv rinse weeks and my deep conditioning (dc) day, and then only once so I'm judicious as to when I use it, pre-wash or post-wash. The rest of the time I untangle my hair with my fingers; the first few times the process seems to take forever but once you get it down, it's easy like Sunday morning. Again this method minimizes hair loss mostly to shed. If the latter seems too tedious (trust me, I initially blew it off as such as well), or you really love your comb or Denman, then just remember this: curly haired boys and girls, wide-tooth comb, wide-tooth comb, wide-tooth comb! If you must use a comb, invest in and always use a wide-tooth comb. It will not break your hair (much, or when used properly) and will allow for better manageability. Also, comb hair in sections and start from the ends and work your way up to the root/scalp -- this is also to prevent unnecessary breakage as well as a lot of scalp pain and frustration. Whew.

This post on daily maintenance (part deux) should be more concise than part one but you never know with me, lol. Where did I leave off? Ah, yes -- with my hair conditioned within an inch of its life, sealed and styled for the week. For two days I don't touch my hair; I figure it should take that long for the oil largely to rub off. Once the two day mark has been reached a light conditioner or conditioning oil should be applied to the ends of the hair at least. The end is the most vulnerable portion of the hair shaft since it is the oldest portion thus prone to split ends, dryness and breakage. This step is pretty new to me but I recognize its importance particularly in the winter months when the sapping cold wreaks havoc on the kinkiest strands. Personally I apply shea nut oil, again from Mountain Rose Herb, to my ends as a conditioning oil. Everything I have read touts the oil as carrying all the properties and benefits of shea butter -- another Natural hair girl favorite -- simply in oil form. Again, no more than a few dots do the trick when it comes to oil. I continue this every two days until the next wash day. If my hair feels in need of a little moisture I do have a spritz bottle set aside for such an occasion -- it holds an inch or so of water, a dash of oil and a few drops of Afroveda's Holy Basil conditoner. I spray that on the ends and the roots of my hair before rubbing on the oil. That's about it for daily maintenance.

Until part 3!!!

Hair Kick, part 1: rinses and conditioners

I've been on a hair kick lately -- roaming YouTube for natural vlogs, hitting google for new hair blogs. It is endless fascinating to me, the variations and similarities in how naturals of all stripes approach their hair. I've learned new lessons and have had old ones reinforced. All this watching and reading has me itching to do another post on my hair so... here it is! LOL


Sister's first cornrow done all by herself!

All regimens need to be fine-tuned, especially when money is tight and the best bang for a buck is required. The current hair regimen scheme can be broken down into four parts -- weekly washes and conditioning; daily maintenance; monthly deep conditioning; and rest months. Let's start with the weekly washes which consist of rinses and conditioner washes (co-washes).

Baking soda (bs) rinse for cleanser, in lieu of shampoo (1 TB bs to 1 C water)
Apple cider vinegar (acv) rinse to clarify, soften and restore PH (1 TB acv plus 1 TB witch hazel to 1 C water)

This is something I have written about previously but there have been some tweaks to this area. For example, while the bs rinse is still used weekly, I now alternate weeks when it comes to the acv rinse. Essentially it shakes out to twice a month for the acv rinse, also coinciding with my monthly deep conditioning (dc) day. The order of usage during the weeks I use both rinses has also changed -- bs rinse first, then acv rinse versus acv rinse, then bs rinse. There has been a noticeable uptick in softness due to that change so, yay for change! LOL The last week or so I've added pure witch hazel (from From Nature With Love) to my acv rinse to a) finish it up and b) to fight off some minor dandruff. Plus the witch hazel kicks up the volume of my hair like you wouldn't believe! My hair just expands! The relative bargain of baking soda and apple cider vinegar coupled with their effectiveness make this combo a cheap no-brainer.

I always follow up rinses, no matter the week, with a conditioner. This is the co-wash portion of the weekly wash and here, Afroveda is my friend. I use their Holy Basil conditioner, $12 for 8 oz, which smells delicious and works like a dream on my thirsty locks. The consistency is creamy, it's very moisturizing and the 8 oz bottle has lasted... well, I ordered it the last week of August; it arrived the first week of September; although I use it weekly the bottle still isn't empty -- and it's the end of December!!! Best. Bang. For. A. Buck. Ever! There are cheaper natural conditioners which pack in more per fl oz, however, they aren't as all natural as Afroveda; and the thimbleful of artificial ingredients in Afroveda's conditioners are nowhere near as bad as the many artificial ingredients in the cheaper alternatives. Afroveda has turned out to be a real find and I've already bought my replacement bottle of Holy Basil since this one is on its last legs.

It's important for anyone (girl or boy) with length -- medium to long, straight or curly -- to wash the hair in sections. It cuts down on unnecessary breakage, makes the job easier (if you can believe it) and ensures your hair gets optimum effect from your products. With the rinses it is important to make sure it reaches the scalp, which is another reason why sectioning is helpful. I do pour my rinses along the hair shaft as well but the scalp is most important since that's where their effectiveness is most required. Always gently rub the scalp -- vigorous rubs are not helpful or required! Rinse out each rinse carefully before moving on to another product. Concentrate conditioners on the ends of the hair which is the oldest and most damage prone part, then work your way up. I try to leave on the conditioner for about 1-3 minutes before washing it out. Once I'm done with the rinse(s) and co-wash portion of my regimen I carefully "dry" my hair.

I write, "dry", because I deliberately leave my hair damp to moist. Hair shouldn't be toweled bone dry, or vigorously handled by a towel either. Worrying about towels and how to use them seems silly and trivial but cotton and other such materials absorb moisture -- that's what makes towels, well, towels. The last thing Black hair needs, however, is a loss of moisture; our hair is the most delicate around and puts a premium on moisture. Not to mention the materials from which towels are made snag, oh-so-easily on our curly, kinky tresses weakening the hair, if not outright breaking it. What I do is drop a towel on my head and press on the center of my head twice, then gently squeeze each hair section once, lift the towel and voila! Hair dry enough not to drip but damp enough for what comes next -- the leave-in conditioner. Conditioners, be they wash-out or leave-in, are better activated under damp to wet conditions. So, leaving my hair damp allows my leave-in to work better magic than dry hair would permit.

Always use a leave-in conditioner post-wash, it is too important a step for better hair health to skip. I use a hair butter by Afroveda called Totally Twisted Ginger Almond Butter ($9 for 8 oz, $15 for 16 oz) as a leave-in. By no means can I claim to have compared every available natural hair butter and/or conditioner on the market to this one. Of the many like products I have researched, though, the Ginger Almond is the cheapest and the most natural for the amount given. Add to this the fact that Afroveda fills every container to the brim and no more than a dab goes a long way and you have the best bang for a buck! Next, I seal in the moisture and conditioner with an oil. Sealing is a recent tip I picked up from the blogs and vlogs. As the word suggests, oils seal in moisture and conditioners by acting as a protective coating between the hair and the elements, allowing the moisture and conditioners to keep longer. It wasn't a hard step for me to pick up since my hair loves (most) oils. Right now the oil of choice is NOW Foods Refined Apricot Kernel Oil bought on Lucky Vitamin on the cheap ($7.99 for 16 oz). I think it can be bought for a few cents cheaper on Mountain Rose Herbs. I use no more than a dot for each twist so, like my Holy Basil, it has lasted a long time after purchase. As part of

I usually style my hair as I apply my leave-in conditioner. If it's too late or I'm too lazy I'll rub the conditioner into each section, retwist and leave as is until the next day. If I know it's going to take me a while to style my hair -- and the realization doesn't discourage me -- I keep a spray bottle of water handy to re-hydrate my locks as I work my way across the whole of my head. To give my scalp some love, I lightly spritz my scalp with a sandalwood hydrosol I bought on Mountain Rose Herbs. I really love the heavy scent of sandalwood -- I always associate it with something holy. Unfortunately hydrosols, by their nature, carry a very light scent but it is still lovely just the same. Plus sandalwood has been prized for centuries for its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. To seal in the moisture I rub a dab of Qhemet Biologics's Olive and Honey Hydrating Balm along the part and voila! I've got a moisturized and conditioned scalp to go along with my moisturized and conditioned hair.

Whew! Seems like a lot... writes like a lot... but it's pretty simply and quick except for doing up the twists. That is several hours of endurance but I like to do it on a Sunday while watching football so that adds to the time. LOL

I'm on it enough so I thought I'd share...

The wonderful Javabean's site, Dramabeans, deconstructing Korean dramas and pop culture one piece of media at a time! I check this site at least once a day, if not more -- it is wonderfully addicting even as it feeds that kdrama fix (I need it, :scratch, scratch:, I need it bad, man). Her site offers a wide range of streamed music and some real gems can be found there; her posts are insightful and informative; and if you were addicted to kdramas -- gone hallyu* as it were -- prior to reading her site, Javabeans sure will infect you with the hallyu bug!

*the term, hallyu, describes the entertainment phenomenon that has become Korean culture/media internationally. I'm not kidding: their stuff is HUGE worldwide; a large number of non-Korean Asians and non-Asians like myself flood the internet searching for their stuff. It's quite something.

We. Are. Beautiful.

'yin yang'
matthew jordan smith

linked to le coil

Surprise Pick-up!

'Kangpe'
Nneka

Cruising one of my many favorite natural hair blogs led me to Nu Kynk, now a new favorite hair blog, which in turn led me to Nneka's Kangpe. Nneka is Nigerian, and judging by this track, her sound is fresh. I hope Rhapsody has her full album(s) because I'd love to hear it in its entirety. I've heard good things, such as comparisons to Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of... High praise indeed since I consider L-boogie's debut one of the most complete and near-perfect albums of all time.

Click on the "hidden" link ---> artist name and song title, to hear the song in full.
Her album, No Longer At Ease, can be found on Amazon

Off the List

Happiness!
Just writing this blog post has introduced me to a new music site, thesixtyone.
The content seems just left of mainstream therefore many opportunities for new aural adventures.
The site compiles a song list based on the song being listened to and auto-plays it for your enjoyment.
So far I am loving it!

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'You Are Goodbye'
Holly Conlan

A gem of a song which has been in my possession for about a year now.
One of those iTunes's freebies picked up on the strength of the initial few bars
before promptly setting aside without a thorough listen.
(which reminds me to check iTunes freebies)
A recent computer purge brought this song to delightful light.
Sometimes a person can only open to a song when their mind is in a specific place.
This is my experience at least.

To hear the song in full click on the "hidden" link ---> artist name and song title
Available on Rhapsody, iTunes

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'What Goes Around... Comes Around'
Justin Timberlake

This song popped full bore into my head with an incessant pound,
refusing to let up until it was placed in rotation.

To hear the full song click on the "hidden" link ---> the artist name and song title
Available on Rhapsody, iTunes, Amazon

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'Addicted to me'
Anjulie

I happily recommend her album.
It's nothing serious: just danceable beats and caressing lyrics.
A very pretty listen.

To hear the song in full, click the "hidden" link ---> artist name and song title
Available on Rhapsody, iTunes and Amazon

What Should I Write Today?

Hello, my baby! Hello, my honey! Hello, my ragtime gal!

Yeah, I've got nothing.

All Good Things Come In Threes...???

Last post. I swear it. It occurred to me, as I moved to close this browser tab, that I never posted my finished sapphic verse poem (click here for more details). It won't win any awards but here it is:

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Only ageless quiet attends our altars
Shrouds our days in motes and in shade - a half-life
Lived in half-light. Even our fire can pale in
....Twilight and gray or
Starve in empty temples. But instinct never
Wavers, never dulls in the pitch: the God Who
Slumbers in the Waters still sleeps; the sun still
....Sets in our brother's
Bloodless breast. We follow the endless arc to
Guard the sun. Descend to lustrate in gold-tipped
Shrines where chanted litanies hailed the dawn. But
....No one reveres us

Now: a younger god has transfixed man's needy
Eye. Unsung, we leave empyreal climes, slough the
Night off (like a barnacle fastened to the
....Hip of the sun) to
Pace abandoned Houses. In temple dusk we
Wonder - will we ever again be met at
Dawn? Be praised, our manifold Names half-sung? Will
....Anyone love us?


photo & poem copyright belongs to: Shanee Gbelawoe

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Shameless plug but do remember to check out the two posts following this one as they are new too! And about music!