2006 Favorites

Movies
The Departed-Gets my vote for Best Picture. Leonardo DiCaprio is spot on.
Children of Men-intense and wonderful.
Volver-made me want to hug my mom.
Little Miss Sunshine-loved the family of misfits and the happy ending.
Little Children-a suspenseful drama that yearns painfully.
Half Nelson-a portrait of troubled humanity and the beauty of connection.
United 93-worthy.
Casino Royale-first james bond flick that kept my full attention.

DVD
Junebug-I love you!
Mad Hot Ballroom-A documentary about children, dance and so much more.
Arrested Development-too good for television.
Deadwood-gritty, great acting and female characters.
L'enfant-French drama that stays with you.
The final episodes of Six Feet Under.

Music
Madeleine Peyroux-You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go: a dylan cover done right.
The Decemberists-Yankee Bayonet: love the female vocalist.
Quelqu'un M'a Dit-Carla Bruni: it's sweet and french.
M.Ward-Post-War: the entire cd.

Books
Middlesex
Ahab's Wife
The Peoples Act of Love
The Power of One

TV
The Office-painfully funny.

Anyway you slice it

A milestone.

It's so unlike me to forget a birthday. I'm like the effing queen of birthday remembrance and yet, I missed the passing of my beloved but recently neglected blog's first birthday. Oh and for the record, this is my 110th posting.

So what does the next year have in store?
For months I have been spreading word about the concept for my new blog. As the STYLE MAVERICK concept continues to evolve I have revised my tentative launch date to sometime around the new year-007 is always good for style. I can't promise diligent efforts in my detecting...only good intentions of sharing my words however great or small.

Comments have been sparse and critics have questioned how many readers exist. I'm guessing there are still a handful but, who knows? Comments make a great (and inexpensive) holiday gift. So please, quiet the critics and write anything. Thanks for your attention.

over and out.

Excuse the hiatus

Kipu Falls










We had a little Kauai vacationing to attend to the past couple of weeks. Fortunately G-Ray, Summer Grrrl, and El Dorado were in the mix for the Na Pali Coat hike to Kalalau. Such adventures deserve good friends.

le ballon rouge

i can smell the gym on those rainy midwest days.

oh how i loved this movie. how do i get this on dvd? these clips aren't enough to satisfy.

another gym time great was hardware wars, youtube that if you need more odor.

you can't touch this

This photo comes from The Fruits of Imagination blog of the Leo Burnett Agency/Toronto

kindness...pass it on

you who?

Halloween is tomorrow. Many people have already donned costumes for weekend festivities. What did you dress as? What was the best costume you saw? While we're on the subject...check out this link to one of my favorite street style blogs
facehunter
I wish I was invited to the eyes wide shut party.

i hate blogger

why does this always happen to me when i haven't posted in a long time?

films that I am waiting for...

Babel: multiple plots in cross-cultural/national settings. It could be a mess if it weren't in the skilled hands of Inarittu.



Volver: Pedro Almodovar strikes again and this has got the oscar bees buzzing for Cruz.

View the trailer if you like

so glad

Pablo Picasso was born on this day.
Visit the Picasso Museum in Barcelona if you have ever doubted his talent.

Don't mind the drama

We have entered the time of Scorpio. Intensity is the theme of the next few weeks. Some suggestions for how to best enjoy the energy: Be creative. Ponder the mysteries. Let go.
Mercury goes retrograde next week so start double-checking facts, dates and all pertinent details. Use this period to re-connect with old friends and yourself.

more than skin deep?

I never really liked Dove ad campaigns until now...check out this link
She's a beauty

Out of the ordinary

favorite dress















sugar coat me


Fashion. Art. Music. Multi-Media saturation at the Grove last night. All-ages got in to see local designer Halle Balou's creations. Halle and teen apprentice design collaborations were also featured. Local store Habit kicked off the runway action.








favorite model





It was well attended and rightfully so. My only complaint is the $5 cover...who did it go to? It would have been cool to donate to a scholarship for some of those up and coming designers.













at the bar getting wiggy with it






Stay tuned for street style investigations from the pacific nw.

cinemantastic!

awards ceremony
I spent all of last weekend enjoying my favorite festival in Bend (and believe me, that is saying something when there are a score or more festivals in our fair city). It was not the fall, beer, or octoberfest. It was the bendfilm festival. I love it. I love identifying the hipster writers, directors and few and far between actors. I love the parties when the real estate millionaires come out dressed to the nines shaking their groove thing next to the denim clad filmmakers. Their were other bizarre juxtapositions to be witnessed. Such as C.Thomas Howell aka Ponyboy doing his best to kiss John Waters' ass while emceeing the awards ceremony. It was painful yet somehow captured the yuk & kitsch of Hollywood.
As Ponyboy shared that his first hand job was provided by Lea Thompson I thought, glory days have past him by. When he repeated the story pity turned to disgust and disinterest. Did it matter that I was sitting at his table? Only when my friend heckled him audibly and he responded.thursday night was the bash at the box




photos from bendfilm website, check the link!

Autumn days

Mem-o-random

I've found some meme efforts floating in the blogosphere and have decided to post my own. What's a meme? You tell me, I'm guessing meme is short for memorandum. Well, this puts the random in the word.
Please feel free to go postal, post your own meme or comment on any of these.


Things that scare me: an undereducated and overfed populace

Things I hate most: Arrogance, Racism, Close-mindedness

Things I don't understand: The continuing popularity of Reality Television, Exclusion, Greediness and Hoarding

Things I'm doing right now: Learning how to swim correctly, Brainstorming a new blog, Redefining and setting new goals, Quitting my caffeine habit, Being more direct in asking for what I want,

Things I want to do before I die: become fluent in Spanish, Have a nice yard,Write a book, Be kinder to myself

Things I can do: Mountain bike, Snowboard, be flexible (but not in the yoga way)

Things I can't do: Dive/Jump off of any sort of platform into the water--but I'd like to change this

Ways to describe my personality: playful, engaging, curious, patient, tenacious, well-intentioned

Things I think you should listen to: your own compassionate thoughts, the music you love, words of encouragement

Things you should never listen to: words spoken out of fear

Things I'd like to learn: how to use photoshop for better blogging


Shows I watched as a kid: The only programs regularly allowed were The Nightly News (with Dan Rather), Star Trek re-runs and 60 minutes.

Hello Again

Tell me about your lifestyle



Summer is rolling along and I have neglected my investigations. Could it be the new full-time job, the inviting out-of-doors weather or a lack of things to write about? Chalk it up to the "lifestyle changes" I am currently undergoing.

And, did you know, that the term lifestyle is fairly young in our lexicon. Before our lifestyles, how did we live? What does a life-style say about someone? Is it an image-conscious concept reflecting a culture more style than substance?

How would you describe your life style? Do you describe your life in those terms? Or do such terms make a mockery of the meaning? You tell me, in whatever style you please.

What is all the hubbub about?

Entourage is another HBO series that is referenced and discussed a la Sex & the City. Curious about the phenomenon I checked out the tvd even though the local video store only stocked the second season (the owner explained that he has the first season at home). What I found was a dude's delight of living the good life in California complete with Playboy Mansion parties, expensive homes and cars. What failed to capture my attention was the writing, acting or any technical quality that merits comparison to other successful HBO series. So tell me, why is this popular?

Is it the wink-wink knowledge that it is loosely based on Marky Mark Wahlberg's experience with his cronies? Or is it that many enjoy another opportunity to look into the world of celebrities? Feeling disenchanted by the first episodes on the tvd I decided to make use of my time by analyzing subsequent episodes. I put on my anthropological specs to look closer at the party scenes. There are many enhanced bodies scantily clad moving about as extras. My favorite observation was the tail end of one scene at the previously mentioned Hefner pajama party. Cut to women dancing. As the camera pans you first see amazingly toned bodies, a little further you see the normal extras complete with a little flab. Can't spot them? They are the ones doing the stripper dance amongst eachother trying not to look at the camera.

My Boston expedition

Boston's North End. Many Italians= great pizza, coffee, bakeries...

I have returned from my Boston expedition. The purpose: to explore the city that has captured and resided in my imagination. Once there, I found a city of delights. It helped that our hosts (who live in Jamaica Plain) have a large and lovely home and the orange line nearby.

Boston's public library. The first U.S. library to be free to all citizens. One of my favorite spots in the city.

Everything about this trip was easy. We visited the Museum of Fine Arts, the Fogg and Sackler Museums at Harvard. We walked most of the Freedom trail. Stopped in a Paul Revere's house, the old State House, and the old South Meeting House. We walked through the Boston Commons and returned for a free evening performance of Taming of the Shrew. We walked Commonwealth, Charles and Newbury Streets. We walked from Cambridge back to Boston proper via the Longfellow bridge.



Crane Beach. The sunshine came later.

We spent a day at Crane Beach. It was overcast keeping the beach comfortable with plenty of space to spread out our picnic. Later, the sun shone through though it never warmed up quite enough for a swim.



Paul Revere at one entrance of the Boston Commons
Goodbye for now Boston. I will return.

Where are you?

Mercury is in retrograde. It went in late on the 4th of July and will depart on the 23rd. This is a good time to revisit old ideas, reconnect with friends and family and
double check details. This retrograde began in the sign of Leo and is now backtracking through Cancer. The cancer influence emphasises family and home issues. During this retrograde period you might find yourself repeating old conversations. Pay attention to what has changed and explore your role in these conversations. Recognize the beauty of life and what remains as life moves through and around you.

The countdown begins

One week until departure for a Boston vacation. This is a trip I've imagined, discussed, and after a few years, will finally realize. Why Boston? I don't know exactly why.

Do you have any trip suggestions? Unfortunately the Red Sox will not be home during my stay...Anything else?

Another reason it's hip to be a collie.

NY Times article on the Hollywood trend of sheepherding Now, imagine if Maggie could corral all of the humans with sheep-like behavior and take them to An Inconvenient Truth. Would soaring temperatures drop?

global warming 101

This movie made me miss university life. It is essentially Al Gore's slideshow on global warming interspersed with images of changed environments and personal narratives explaining why the former "next president" is compelled to share this concern. During the movie Gore observes that he has given the presentation over one thousand times all over the world. Good. I would like to encourage everyone to see this. If you need to feel entertained for your ten bucks, wait for DVD. Don't be disappointed. As I left the theater my mind was full of current concerns: access to natural foods & clean water, the threat that global warming truly poses, and an administration focused on making money on their war machine. The discomfort and self-questioning are reminiscent of fallout from educational epiphanies common in my college experience. I find myself curiously in search of discourse regarding these issues.

Having a Capital Time

big trees and single track in capital forest



Time out for a little vacation explanation. We took five days and travelled familiar paths. Up to Seattle, further north to Bellingham and then returning to the beach house for an Independence Day celebration appropriate to NW living: food, family, boating. We also managed to get a few MTB rides in along the way. Bellingham trails humbled our high desert mountain biking sensibilities. Capital Forest showed us some fantastic singletrack.


looking out from the beach house

U.S. to get Smart

Daimler Chrysler is announcing that it will be importing the Smart Car to the U.S. beginning in 2007. While not altogether successful in Europe, the Smart Car adds a bit of whimsy to the roads. It also boasts getting up to 60 mpg. Marketplace observers wonder if Daimler can finally get a successful marketing strategy behind the little engine. They auto at least try.

In Celebration Of

Summer

the Wonder of meeting a newborn baby

understanding but disagreeing with another perspective

listening, hearing, caring
peanut M&Ms
unsolicited hugs when they are needed
fearing less
the wisdom of seeds and their magical growth
integration
friendship, family, community
simplicity
Peonies, Dahlias, Orchids
living within every moment

Most Definitely

Today's spotlight is on Dante Terrell Smith aka Mos Def. Actor, Film Music Composer, Hip Hop Artist, this guy stays busy. Have you seen Block Party? Mos was one of the primary fun ingredients. Other films include: The Woodsman, The Italian Job, Monster's Ball, 16 Blocks. Then, there's the music. If you haven't listened to Black on Both Sides, you ought to. Or, check out Black Star. Closing with a Mos quote

"What I take from writers I like is their economy -- the ability to use language to very effective ends. The ability to have somebody read something and see it, or for somebody to paint an entire landscape of visual imagery with just sheets of words -- that's magical. That's what I've been trying to strive for -- to draw a clear picture, to open up a new dimension."

Happy Father's Day

to all you dads out there.

NPR/PBS funding on the chopping block AGAIN!

Save Big Bird!
I am curious why President Bush and House Republicans are once again seeking to cut funding for NPR & PBS. Could it be that they do not want an informed populace? I know I am a shameless Nipper (that is, NPR junkie) but I rely on public broadcasting as an important source of cultural and political information. I have written letters and now I ask all of you (if you are out there) to take action!
If not for yourself, Do it for the kids...Like Henry who celebrated his 3rd birthday in Style. Three year old knows what's up

Sounds good

New iPod. New playlist started...so far listening to:

1.Cat Power-I Found a Reason
2.The Raconteurs-Steady As She Goes
3.Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Golden Lion
4.Arcade Fire-Lies
5.Death Cab for Cutie-Title & Registration
6.Pixies-U-Mass
7.Nightmares on Wax-You Wish

Any suggestions?

And, another thing. A round up of favorite sounds: Skateboard wheels on pavement, typewriters, coffee brewing, Chris King Hubs, furious rain and hail falling on the roof, a well-tuned bike, All Things Considered theme music, popcorn popping, tidal songs, most laughter...

dirty half would be me

A half dozen friends and I participated in the dirty half marathon yesterday. Some among us are legitimate runners, others all-around competitors, and about half the group are recent first-time mothers. Everyone met or exceeded their goals but only one actually finished really dirty. That would be me.

World Cup Futbol

Muy bien means very good, right?



The latest multitasking achievement around here is improving our Spanish while watching World Cup Soccer on the only station that offers it...Thank you Mexico.

It's supper time

These are a few of my favorite things

Sunshiny days*good conversation*Travel*Film discussion & recommendations*A sense of community*Sushi*deserved compliments*fancy cakes*Sense of freedom*mountain biking*creative minds*japanese gardens*flip flops*laughter*authenticity*

Michael Pollen, you're my hero

Check out this New York Times article Organic and Wal-Mart make uncomfortable bedfellows This guy continues on his crusade to educate the populace about their food. I'm lovin' it.

My remembrance

It's Memorial Day. While we are encouraged to remember the soldiers whose lives were sacrificed for our own, I think it is also appropriate to remember all the others who did not serve in an official capacity but quietly, with powerful effect.

Today I am thinking about a friend who died suddenly, only a week after learning she had cancer. She was clever, straightforward and honest about life. She was my first good friend old enough to be my mother. She taught me about life in between selling sandwiches in her cozy bakery. We discussed astrology, her children, my uncertainty about a path during my college years. She laughed at me, at herself, at the world. She quit smoking cigarettes and began exercising during our friendship. She loved her golden retriever and took her for long walks. She loved her husband but complained mercilessly about his lack of direction. She loved her children who, she observed, were too smart for their own good.

She and I lost touch when I graduated and moved away. Then, a few years later, we began emailing each other with updates. She told me she escaped from the cold, damp days of Washington and returned to California. She complained about real estate forcing her to live in Sacramento. Then she became a realtor, a very successful one. It was 2005, she was happy and then, she was gone.

Thank you Pat, for your life. I remember you as a teacher and a friend. You are in my thoughts as the warm bread comes out of the oven, enveloping me in a sense of comfort.

Masked performances

If you have seen the previews for the new Jared Hess movie(aka Napolean Dynamite director) you know that is stars Jack Black as a priest-in-training turned masked wrestler. But do you know about Lucha Libre? That is the mexican tradition of masked wrestlers enjoyed for decades by old and young alike. It is a tradition not to be mocked. The masks are integral to sport. To be unmasked is to be defamed, stripped of your power. The hipsters have beat the rush in celebrating Lucha Libre. Check out this website for a little insight. frompartsunknown.net I don't know about the movie but, the combination of a good mask, costume and some wrestling sounds...intriguing.

Best Birthday Wishes

to my sis. Who has always impressed me with her "no-nonsense" attitude, smart sense of humor, and heart of gold. And, all that was before her metamorphosis into Super Mom... Thanks for showing us how it's done.

Da Vinci dupe...once is enough

The word on the street is that the Ron Howard adaptation of Dan Brown's novel is a waste of time. Surprised? Not really. What Ron Howard movie do you remember really liking? He often goes overboard on sentimentality while giving characters the depth of cardboard. A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, even if they are successful at jerking a couple of tears I always feel a twinge of viewer's remorse as I leave the theater.

My early prediction for the DaVinci Code is that it would fail miserably. That was back in '05 when I saw the first trailer for the film. I couldn't help but notice that Tom Hank's hair detracts from the already difficult task of taking him seriously. Who can believe that Audrey Tatou, an adorable frenchy, would not provide a quick hairstyle upgrade. Beyond this...there's the story itself. the Louvre and Audrey Tatou, the only two reasons to see this movie

I remember the hype. I waited months before borrowing the book from one of the legion of fans raving about it. I was intrigued by some people's impulse to follow up on the Mary mystery. The fans purchased reader's guides and books explaining the symbology introduced in The Code. Lunch breaks were spent explaining the importance of personal epiphanies facilitated by the book. Their fervor seemed akin to the deadhead's dedication to Jerry. I remember Autzen Stadium



Unfortunately, I believed their hype and brought the book along on a holiday with friends. Even my atrophized critical thinking skills recognized the Code's pop literature recipe, closer to trashy television writing than revelatory fiction. Fortunately, I finished reading it by my second day at the beach and could pack it away beneath my never worn sarong.

It makes perfect sense that the Da Vinci code should be adapted for the big screen. But I don't think I'll fork over the ten bucks to see it. No, I may be slow but I have learned my lesson.

Al Gore as entertainer?

Actually, he is making the film festival rounds on behalf of upcoming release
An Inconvenient Truth.









Check the trailer here. Al Gore's Summer Blockbuster

Bird nerding

For the second consecutive year our porch has been chosen for a robin's nest. Last year, delighted by this close encounter with nature, I began a ritual of bird watching. I peered into the nest to see the small eggs and observed the bird's dilligence in sitting around waiting. This went on for a couple of weeks until all my wonder turned to horror when I arrived home to find bits and pieces of the nest and eggs on the ground below. I was distraught by the tragic end but Mas stoicly pointed out that it's part of the life cycle. Fast forward one year, the bird, the nest, the eggs. All I can do is hope that my little buddies make it out successfully.

the plot thickens

So, Thursday we find out that our friendly government (National Security Agency) has been purchasing our telephone records for the past five years. While I am all about a worthy stakeout, I find myself aghast (again) at the infringement on our personal liberties. I am also infuriated that the crooked communications businesses that bring us nonsensical cell phone plans make extra dough selling off our info without our knowledge. But, amid my fury I learn that there is a hold out. Qwest refused the NSA's request. I am proud of my phone company. All of a sudden I am awash in regionalistic pride. It must be something in the water that provides our west coast superiority-I buy a Starbucks giant latte celebrating our NW stubborn independence and all that. A round on me in my fervor








Then, the plot thickens: Joseph Nacchio (former CEO of quest who refused to sell) is currently facing federal charges of insider trading stemming from a financial scandal at Qwest. It may just be coincidence, but USA Today's scoop on the NSA program, which was sourced to "people with direct knowledge of the arrangement," seems quite helpful to Nacchio's defense as he prepares for trial in Colorado.

If you happen to be in San Francisco

Tonight! Air guitar championship. For more information check out this link
air guitar
Winners may qualify for Team USA that will travel to Finland.

Why is this so much cooler than American Idol?

That's our girl

Herding the sheep on nothing but instincts.