Monday=Music: Pete Seeger

So I had something totally different planned for this week's music post, but then last night, as I was knitting my first mitten, I watched some of Pete Seeger on PBS' American Masters, and I was completely inspired! He mobilized people on issues like civil rights, the Vietnam War and cleaning the Hudson River, just by singing about them with conviction. Where is our Pete Seeger?

Weekend Update

So I had a very laid back weekend. After a full week of work, finally, I needed the downtime to catch up on my blog reading and podcast listening. I was supposed to go to a few jazz shows with Charlie, but none of them quite worked out. I did make some granola and some peppermint biscotti. I also did some Christmas shopping in Hamden. While there, I picked up some free yarn to make mittens for kids in Baltimore City. It's always good to be working on an actual project.

I also learned that MGMT are really weird!


MGMT - Electric Feel from albi on Vimeo.


MGMT - Time to pretend from albi on Vimeo.

Why is he holding that baby?

So, what did you do this weekend?

Friday=Film: From Understated to Epic

So I know that it isn't actually Friday anymore, but I couldn't miss this post because so many good movies opened this week!

Wendy and Lucy



Doubt



What Doesn't Kill You



The Reader



Che

Wednesday=Words: Civil Eats

So I put this in my "Shared Items" on the right, but here it is again. Check out the entire blog, while you're there.

Monday=Music: Let it snow!

This video made me really excited for winter!

Weekend Update

So I had a cold, but full, weekend.

Friday night was unexciting in that I went clothes shopping, but exciting in that the new clothes are for the job I am starting tomorrow! The job is unexciting in that it is a temporary secretary's assistant position in my uncle's law office, but exciting in that it is a job!

Saturday morning Charlie accompanied Rhonda at the Station North Arts Cafe jazz brunch. The place is adorable, the food is delicious and they sounded great. In the afternoon it snowed! Then in the evening Charlie and I saw Billy Bang, a crazy good jazz violinist, at An die Musik. The bass player's solo was sick!

Today was a holiday craft fair day. Mom, Susan and I first hit up the Out of Hand Craft Show in Homeland. The highlight there was photographer Katherine Drew Dillard. We followed that up with lunch at the hot chocolate place. The highlight there was the Mayan hot chocolate. Then Mom and I checked out the Squidfire Art Mart at the Lyric. I'm always a big fan of Cotton Monsters (I went to high school with Jenny) and Red Prairie Press, but other highlights included:

Fisk and Fern
Magnolia Moonlight
TLane
Indie Fixx Shop
Girls Can Tell
Carly Goss

What did you do this weekend?

Friday=Film: Mos Def has a new movie! (and some other people too)

So I hope this makes up for last week's Friday=Film slim pickings...

Cadillac Records



Frost/Nixon



Let Them Chirp Awhile



Ciao



The Black Balloon

Wednesday=Words: Hooray for books! And Google! And compromise!

This article makes me happy!

Monday=Music: I could do this, right?

So I've come across a few sites where people are filming musicians playing in everyday public places and I'm in love with the concept.

Concerts a Emporter



I think this site is the best of the bunch. They are done as part of a French music blog and a lot of them are filmed by Vincent Moon, who seems to be pretty cool. The ones of Andrew Bird are of course my favorites, but I've been awed by every single one I've watched. It will take some time to get through them all, but other highlights are Fleet Foxes and Tunng.

Shoot the Player


Beach House: Used to Be from shoottheplayer on Vimeo.

It was difficult not to put up their Andrew Bird as well, but I restrained myself. I'm excited about Beach House, though, because this video is gorgeous, they're from Baltimore and guitarist Alex Scally is an '04 Obie (I took his Bob Dylan exco). These are mostly shot in Sydney.

They Shoot Music Don't They



I love the way this is shot, but the quality is so much better on the actual site than on youtube, so you should watch it there. I also highly recommend I'm From Barcelona. These are all shot in Vienna.

Handheld Shows


#22.1 St.Vincent - Marry Me from Handheld Shows on Vimeo.

These are filmed in Oslo. Cool. Also check out the Black Lips. The mustachioed guy's hat reminds me of Carolyn in Peru.

Friday =Film: Twinkies, Botox and Mediocrity

So I had a very nice Thanksgiving, how about you?

Here are the three movies opening today that are the most interesting to me:

Music + Words = Monesday?

So I missed this week's Monday = Music (but let's be honest, no one is reading this, so it doesn't really matter), and to make up for it this week's Wednesday = Words is music related.

Check out the Obama/hip-hop connection.

Friday = Film

So I found these to be the week's most intriguing new films...









But nothing can compare to these...







What? You were expecting vampires and superdogs?

Wednesday = Words

So I forgot on Monday that every post is supposed to start with 'So I', so I am sorry about that.

I am not sorry to hear about the latest misfortune of Alberto Gonzalez and Dick Cheney.

I am also not sorry about Obama's Attorney General pick.

Hurray for Attorney Generals!

Monday = Music

Tilly & the Wall - Reckless from Team Love on Vimeo.

Since I have so much time on my hands right now, I thought I'd try this blogging thing again. I wonder if anyone will notice.

Anyway, for awhile now I've been thinking that it would be cool to be in a band as a tap dancing percussionist, so while I can't say that I love the music of Tilly and the Wall, I have to love that they are putting this super cool idea in action.

Come to the Conference! (or at least look at the website)

So I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I would say "and ate lots of turkey," but only Lee and Carolyn are even looking at this and you are both vegetarians. Now it's December and time to start thinking about Christmas! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Chanukah, but it doesn't really require much thought.

Anyway, at PASA we're gearing up for the conference. The beautiful website went up, along with my registration store. It's not perfect, but pretty good considering what we had to work with and the time we had to get it done. You should check it out and consider coming. I know it's kind of expensive and far away and you're not farmers, but as I said before, if you eat, this stuff applies to you.

And what would a blog post from me be without an article link? Here's another one from the Times business section on food labeling. This is a big issue. If you are in Pennsylvania, or know someone who is, send them here.

It's SNOWING!!!!

So I know that this is neither personal nor professional but...IT'S SNOWING!!!! I love snow. I love sitting in the only room in our apartment that has windows and watching the snow fall.

Here today, gone tomorrow

So I'm back, for today at least. As basically anyone actually reading this knows, my personal life is currently a complete disaster zone, so I'm going to focus here on my professional life. Actually, living in Millheim and working for PASA, your professional life is your personal life. So yeah, here is something that is very important to me both professionally and personally. This is not just about milk, it's about all food. Do you eat? Than this is important.

And here is something that combines two of my major interests, food and language.

I'm in love

So I saw the Heartless Bastards last night in Hoboken and god damn they're good. I'm not going to try to explain how good they are, you just need to believe me. Even if you think you don't like them, blast their newer album in the car while you drive around Mississippi and you will be smitten.

The most wonderful time of the year

Do your holiday shopping here. I went to high school with this girl.

Weekend Update

So I spent Friday night eating tiramisu in celebration of Luke's birthday. Then Saturday my mom came up and we had a fine Peruvian lunch with Carolyn and her crazy family before seeing Carolyn's crazy Havel show. If anyone other than Carolyn is reading this and is in New York, go see a Havel show. They're cheap and good. Just do it. And wear Nike. After the show we wandered aimlessly around Williamsburg until my mom left and then we sat aimlessly around our apartment. At about 11pm I started reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and didn't stop until 5:30am when I was finished (which brings my count up to 72). I was so devastated by the end that I just stayed in the fetal position bear hugging the book for about 20 minutes until I finally fell asleep. It isn't perfect, but it is very powerful. All day Sunday I was unsettled by the book and the lack of sleep and so I never quite managed to motivate myself to get dressed. I had orange juice and chex mix for dinner, watched Manhattan and went to bed.