The Longest Weeks

It's been a very, very long two weeks, full of deadlines and surprise/emergency projects, two classes, missed meetings, insomnia, panicking students and lots and lots of venting and anger from multiple directions. Everyone's nerves are frayed, and all I really want to do is stay home and sleep for a week.

Even gaming sounds too much like work right now.

For the last three days I've eaten lunch in my car, with the windows rolled down a bit. Funny how a car can feel like a hothouse even in 40-degree weather if the sun's out. For that matter, it's funny how a couple of 40-degree days with sunshine feel like a heatwave after the winter we've had. Today I even went for a drive over lunch, just to get away.

The sun is helping a little. Will is also trying very hard to keep me from crashing; I still find it a little bewildering how well we balance each other. I've also watched the new OK Go video about four times. I'm not the world's biggest fan of their music, but I have to admit this and the treadmill video are pretty amazing -- and handy when you just need to unfocus for a bit.



We were amused to see HIM as the featured artist on X-Box live today, as well. I love them dearly, but they really don't strike me as a band that would be popular amongst the XBL set. [Side note: The HIM pack for Rock Band was labled "01", so that may mean there are more in the future. Hopefully with some of the older songs?]

Time to try that sleeping thing again. But before I do:

Okay, week: you have two days to make up for the last 10. You have been warned.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Media Musings

Music

Amazon is having a $5 MP3 album sale, so I snagged a few I've been meaning to pick up and hadn't gotten around to -- Lacuna Coil's Shallow Life, Otep's Smash the Control Machine and Bat for Lashes' Fur and Gold.

(Aside: Will informs me he heard Otep on local radio on the way back from picking up his car. Huh. It's about time they got airplay around here.)

It was interesting to note the presence of the Fever Ray album on both John Allison's and Jason Pitzl-Waters's top album lists for 2009, but I'm still trying to figure out why. (Follow the link to John Allison's blog for samples.) I like the idea in my head, but my heart barely gives it a shrug before heading off blithely to be crushed by the disappointment that is the newest Faith and the Muse CD. Honestly, Fever Ray's music is fine, I suppose, but Karin sounds like a less squeaky Bjork, to me. Then again, I'm not exactly a connoisseur of indie music. I still haven't made it all the way through The Hazards of Love while conscious, as much as it pains me to admit it. Colin's voice grates on me and induces a serious zone-out effect after a while.


Movies

Moving on. We watched Ink (trailer: here) the other day -- it's an indie film, an amazing little modern story about a little girl and her father, and their entanglement with the bringers of dreams (Storytellers) and the bringers of nightmares (Incubi). I loved it; it manages to combine fast-paced action with surreal artistic sequences to great effect, despite the indie production, and the sound direction was spot-on, IMO. Unfortunately, because we watched it on Hulu, the movie was broken up periodically by a commercial, so that threw the pacing in some places.

Highlights:

1. Loved the environmental stasis effect in the first confrontation sequence
   
2. Jacob the Pathfinder manages to steal the show in several spots; he's definitely the character I found most intriguing despite my initial reaction to him
   
3. It has a sequence that is possible the best on-screen example of fate magic, ever
   
4. I found the incubi suitably creepy, and found myself wishing the leader of the Assembly had gotten more screen time
   

Lowlights:

1. Suffers a tiny bit from shaky camera syndrome in spots and some of the combat scenes are a bit hard to make out
   
2. The world mythology is rich enough that I actually would have preferred more of that and less of the main character
   
3. The little girl's dad is a jerk ... but I can understand why, at least
   

I was less pleased with the ending than the rest of the movie, but will refrain from commenting for fear of spoilage. (The ending certainly didn't ruin the rest of the movie for me.) If anyone else has seen it, I'd be interested in hearing their thoughts.

Also finally saw UP, thanks to Edige and Auzumel. For anyone who hasn't seen it, I recommend the UPular Remix by DJ Pogo. Though I confess I can't make out a lot of the "lyrics," it's the remixing of the vocal track bits into musical notes that makes UPular interesting.

I'd still like to see Sherlock Holmes, and probably Avatar, at some point. (I just can't get excited about Avatar for some reason...) Also, the 2008 Swedish vampire flick, Let the Right One In. They are on the Things to Do list. Mom informs me that It's Complicated is hi-larious, as well, and she insists that I must watch it. We shall see.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

"Buch der Balladen"

I just found out one of my favorite bands, Faun, has a new CD coming out this month. There's a limited edition version being released ... but only in Germany. Sigh.

I don't get to dust off the German very often, except for singing "Perfekte Welle" in Rock Band. The last time I used it, oddly enough, was also to track down some Faun discs that I couldn't find via US retailers. Luckily, I'm still on that shop's mailing list, and they happen to be the official online vendor for the band, as well.

It is interesting, carrying on a conversation in a foreign language I never really use. I can only imagine the native speakers on the other end are giggling at my screwed-up gender suffixes and whatnot, but just as they were before, they're extremely polite and helpful. Sadly, Ines told me their copies of the LE disc are already sold out, so I either have to settle for the normal version (minus the bonus track and hardcover booklet) or ... order through Amazon.de.

I wasn't aware the various Amazon shops actually share a login database, but apparently, they do. I can sign into the German site with my normal email and password, and it's got all my shipping info, etc. Now I just have to decide whether I really want to fork over the $43 for the CD + shipping or wait and hope that the normal version gets imported via Dancing Ferret at some point.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

And a Good Day to You

Happy Tuesday!

Funny how things happen... I was just talking about Kula Shaker the other day with some friends -- the recent Rock Band: Beatles has KS heavy on my mind again. And then today Will was happy to pass on that they're releasing two Kula Shaker songs for RB 2! /squee!

Before I was obsessing over weird Finnish bands, I was obsessed with a weird Brit-pop band who was, in turn, obsessed with the Beatles and Indian spirituality. The whole thing also re-sparked a cyclical interest of my own in Hindu mythology, and, as it happened, helped me work through my own issues as I watched a good friend die of cancer. This year, 2009, happens to be the 10-year anniversary of both D's death and the last Kula Shaker album before they split. (The band is back together, now, but they've lost a lot of the original magic, IMO.)

So. This week I'm happy to report we're getting "Hey Dude" and "Knight on the Town," both off the album K. I'm very pleased by the selection of "Hey Dude," honestly. It's a fun song. I really hope we'll see more of the old stuff in the future. I don't know how well they'd translate for the other band pieces, but I'd love to sing "Tattva" and "Govinda" off of K and "Great Hosannah," "Timeworm," or "108 Battles" off of Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts. Actually, I suspect they deliberately chose some of the least Indian-influenced songs ... most of their lyrics aren't terribly subtle. Ah well.

In other retro-awesome news, I saw Monica's post on FlamesRising.com -- ABC is rebooting the "V" series. Remember? Leezards with stylish black shades and an appetite for rats? Robert Englund playing the bumbling vegetarian Visitor? The unsubtle manipulations of Diana and Lydia? Robin's half-Visitor baby? Yeah ... I loved that series. Sadly, my father saw an episode where the Visitors locked a patsy in a coffin with a dead body and ejected it into space. After that I could only watch it when neither parent was home. /sigh

--
Qwertial aphasia edit: It's Robert Englund, not William. Don't want Freddy Krueger bugging me about that one. Nope.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Happy Grapes and Apples Day!

I don't have my own garden -- haven't in a couple of decades or so, a situation I should rectify at some point. And I live in a small city, just far enough in that I have to make a point of driving a few miles out of the way to catch a glimpse of the familiar soybean and corn fields that surrounded me for the first 3/4 of my life. Because of the chilly weather we've had all summer, I haven't even been making the rounds on my usual late-night drives -- sadly, there's not been one single perfectly rainy, hot August night amongst the corn fields to be had this year.

Still, I find a certain amount of comfort in marking the milestones of the year. Especially when they're delicious milestones.

Today is the second of the three Neopagan harvest holidays: Autumn Equinox, Mabon, Harvest Home, Mid-Harvest ... like a lot of recently created holidays, it has quite the roster of names. I use Mabon just because I like the way it sounds, but to me, it really does just boil down to being the Grapes and Apples Harvest. Today would be a good day to visit a local vineyard or orchard ... grapes, wine, apple butter, apple cider, apple cakes, apple pancakes, grapes and apple slices with cheese ...

Hm. Is it me, or is it hungry in here?

This is also the time of year I begin to feel the baking bug again, and apples and pumpkins are almost entirely to blame for that. I don't really do much in the way of cookies and pies and that sort of thing, but oh, how I adore the loaves -- beer, zucchini, apple, and pumpkin bread -- as well as apple cake. Auzumel has agreed to show me how to make pumpkin rolls sometime in the next couple of weeks, too. Since it seems to involve some degree of finesse other than throwing things in a baking tin and setting the oven, I guess we'll see how that goes. :)

Tea starts to creep into the repertoire again this time of year, as well. Specifically black tea with just a bit of vanilla, cream and honey. My grandma always made it with milk and sugar instead of cream and honey, and called it Cambert Tea. I have no idea where the name came from, but it is apparently a staple in several branches of the family, and predates the current generations.

In other news, I'm looking forward to seeing the Tokyo String Quartet with Edige this Friday. Looking over the playlist earlier, I recognized Bela Bartok as a composer that I enjoyed quite a bit back when I was taking piano lessons so many moons ago, but I'm less familiar with Schubert and Mendlessohn. They exist in a nebulous zone of generic classical music with others who failed to catch my attention. Still, free tickets, with a wine and cheese reception afterward, should we feel the need to stay and chat with anyone. It should be a nice change of pace, if nothing else.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Abney Park at DragonCon

Wish I had the money to go ... /sigh



So unfair. I have yet to experience their gleeful steampunkery in person. Perhaps someday. The last album was the best yet. I'm already impatiently awaiting the next!

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Fröliche Walpurgisnacht!

Happy Beltaine ... Vapunaatto ... May Day Eve ... whatever you'd like to call it. I'd really love to attend a bonfire all-nighter sometime, but this year I'll be celebrating with a bonus Changeling session. That works for me, since I really shouldn't stay up until dawn if I have to come into work. Grr. I would so take the day off if it wasn't my assistant's last day with us.

This week has been full of weirdness, both good and bad. The bad: temper flares and spots of petty possessiveness, having the bus driver look right at me walking up to the door and then drive away, hearing the hateful messages left for my boss because some rightwing nutjobs feel the need to spew their venom about the President's impending visit, and oh, the big-ass prop-plane banner that's been circling campus for the last few days (an anti-abortion ad that's basically a ginormous picture of a 10-week fetus).

Also, I had to submit a proposal to "justify" hiring a student assistant to replace the one who's graduating. I was polite. But oh, the fury.

The good: the campus flowers are in full bloom, and they're loving the pleasant, drizzly rain we're having today. (So am I. It's a little chilly out, maybe, but it finally smells like spring.) Lilies of the Valley will be up soon. :) Oddly, I've been in an Otep mood the last few days. Not that I'm particularly angry anymore ... okay, maybe a little (I'm glaring at you, work. Yeah, you heard me.) ... but there's something a bit wild and terrifying and fierce in a Kali-Ma kind of way in all that power and fury. Some days, I just need a little of that fire.

Also good. No, scratch that. Also excellent: my brilliant and amazing friends. I'm riding one hell of a creative buzz today from all the insanely good stuff they've been writing.

It never ceases to amaze me how infectious your friends can be, for good or for ill. If you surround yourself with petty, high-maintenance, selfish people, it just tears your soul away, bite by bite. If you surround yourself with creative, cooperative, encouraging people, you just can't help but laugh and wonder why it took you so long to figure out the big secret.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Spring? Hello?

Deadline week, now with added arbitrary deadlines! Argh.

We're halfway through April and it feels like we're still peeking around the corner at March. The weather has been cold and dreary, with few exceptions, and I'm caught between equal bouts of cabin fever and just wanting to snuggle up on the couch and write. Or play that horrible Animal Crossing game. Normally by this point I'd be dying for a good drive, but other than this Sunday, the weather just hasn't been very conducive so far this year.

Speaking of Sunday, Easter/Ostara/Bunny Day was pretty laid back and nice this year. Mom went to a banquet with Middle Brother and his girlfriend, so I accompanied Will to his parents' for the first steak cookout of the season. It was the first time I've spent any real time around his family (other than meeting his parents for five minutes or so when he first moved in) and they're pretty funny. Also, there was Jolly Rancher wine, and his brother spoke actual words! Overall, I'd call it a win.

What else...

I'm waiting patiently to begin more Changeling game-related writing with Cher Mere. Are you jealous? Yes, of course you are. She's a lot of fun, and I enjoy our characters immensely. (And I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it to her Passover dinner this year ... hopefully next. I've never been to one before!) Will and I are tentatively working on something for the same game as well, but we'll see where that ends up.

I have discovered MJK of Tool and A Perfect Circle fame has yet another musical effort out: Puscifer. And damned if I'm not addicted to a couple of the songs already. (I'm looking at you, "Momma Sed" and "Queen B"...) Now, I like Tool, but since Opiate and Undertow, they've been a bit too overwrought for my taste. I recognize the talent, like the sound ... but my brain relegates it to the realm of really good background music, and by the time I've reached the end of the CD, it's all bled together into some strange musical miasma. APC is a different story altogether; that was, and is, instant love. The music's much more accessible and insidious in that brain-burrowing way that keeps it in the braintape loop for days after hearing it. I've only heard a few Puscifer songs, so far, and of the ones I was able to pay attention to, one I actively despise, and three have landed squarely in the loop. And soon, very soon, I will give in and buy some MP3s to assist with the burrowing process.

Speaking of adding to the loops, I managed to infect Edige with the Serj Tankian bug. Win.

Follow the breadcrumbs...

Kronos Quartet

So, this weekend Edige was kind enough to go with me to see the Kronos Quartet here on campus. It's no secret I love cellos, and even violas, to a lesser degree. In general, I'm less enamored of string quartets as a whole, though -- or at least, the strictly classical variety, anyway. The two major exceptions now being Kronos and Apocalyptica. (Have I mentioned yet how much I love Apoc? Love, love, love them. Heavy metal cellos? Oh, yes, please.)

I was able to get free tickets for this concert, and having heard Kronos before, I knew it wasn't going to be a run-of-the-mill classical concert, so I was pretty excited. We sat in the group section that my office had bought out, so I ended up introducing Edige to my supervisor, who sat two rows behind us, and pointed out my überbosslady, as well, which led to amusing commentary on his part.

In any case. The show was divided into two sections:

J. G. Thirlwell / Nomatophobis *
John Zorn / Selections from The Dead Man *
  Nocturne
  Fantasy
  Prelude
  Etude
  Manifesto
  Meditation (The Blue of Noon)
Ram Narayan (arr. Kronos, transc. Ljova) / Alap from Raga Mishra Bhairavi +
Aleksandra Vrebalov / …hold me, neighbor, in this storm… *

(Intermission)

Terry Riley / Transylvanian Horn Courtship * World premiere
  I. The Weaver and the Waterwheel…or the Good W’s that We Know
  II. Arangojuice
  III. Heavy Breathing in Dangerous Snowfields
  IV. Drunken Lovesong
  V. Rajastani Loops for K.M. Bhatt...That’s Mr. Kool Man Krishna Mohan Pandit
  VI. Moonlight Shadows Dyno Walk
  VII. A Tender Moment in the Maze
  VIII. Ram Chander Maharaj…a Dancing Toot Sultan in Beggar’s Clothes
  IX. Keep Hands up Close to the Face before the Knockout Punch

The first half was a selection of pieces that really showcased their versatility and were, quite honest, amazing. After the first piece -- lovely and haunting and a bit jarring in places; the sort of music Silent Hill wishes it could have -- Edige turned to me and said, "And that's why I love 20th century composers." I'll have to find more of that at some point. The rest of the offerings in the first half were also dynamite, in turns funny and heartbreaking, and a bit nervewracking. By the intermission, I was contemplating buying tickets for the following night's performance, since they'd already announced they would perform a different mix for the second night.

The second half was comprised of the premiere of Terry Riley's "Transylvanian Horn Courtship." While I admire the ingenuity of the piece, and was fascinated by the specialty instruments used to play it, it was much less dynamic (IMO) than any of the selections in the first half. The sound quality was muddied a bit by the string/horn hybrid instruments, rather than actually sounding like the horns they were meant to be. However, the part I found most interesting were the sections in which they played along with recordings of themselves; i.e., they had taped recordings of them playing a rhythm section with their instruments, and then played live over, above and through that recording. The timing was impeccable, and the illusion was skillful, I have to say.

For the "Transylvanian Horn Courtship" it's as if "the group will actually transform itself right in front of the audience; the kind of thing I've always wanted to do and now we get to do it," says David Harrington.

"There are new instruments that are being built right now for Transylvanian Horn Courtship. These instruments are going to look different from other bowed, stringed instruments because they're related to what's called the trumpet violins or Stroh instruments, in that they have a brass bell that comes out from the bridge. It was an early way to make an almost electrified instrument but was totally acoustic so that it ends up sounding quite a bit like a trumpet," Harrington adds. "Cello becomes tuba, viola akin to trombone."

All in all, an excellent concert, and one that I'm grateful to have seen. Even if you're not a big fan of modern compositions, their live show is surprisingly engaging, and definitely magnifies the enjoyment factor. Given the chance, I'd see them again, and I'm looking forward to hunting down more of their music.

Follow the breadcrumbs...