Twitterings at Artist Share

Saturday's Artist Share session on creative writing/poetry as a nice experience. While not as many people brought writings to share, there was a good discussion about what inspires us to write and authors who impacted us as writers.

I shared that Carolyn Keene played a big role in my development as a writer. I think it's funny that I had to name a pseudonym, since there were so many writers for the Nancy Drew series. The story I told was about the time we had to write ghost stories for a reading class in sixth grade. I used the word "sobered" to describe the mood of one of my characters at some point.

My reading teacher asked, "That's a great word. Where did you come up with that?"

I answered simply, "Nancy Drew."

The piece I chose to read to everyone was "Twitterings". It was well-received and it was suggested that I stamp a copyright on that word. I joked that I was a step behind since there was a new service called Twitter.

Next month's theme for Artist Share is visual art. I encourage anyone who may dabble in any kind of visual arts to attend. It's a very gentle atmosphere where you don't have to be afraid of being torn down. That alone is a reason to go aside from being able to see all the neat things people can create.

Media Black Out

I'm planning to go on a media blackout of a sorts for the next week. This equates to no instant messaging, no FaceBook, no MySpace, no text messaging, etc.

A big however will be that a few blog entries that have been rumbling in my brain might get posted.

If you really need to get in touch with me, please email me at muzenews(at)gmail(dot)com or call me if you know my cell number. Please, NO text messages.

I'll update you on my experiment sometime next week.

Artist Share: Creative Writing/Poetry this Saturday

The monthly "Artists Share" takes place tomorrow at the Reg Studio Theatre. I plan to go and read something I had posted earlier this year.

If you've written something lately that you'd like to share, and get other people's opinion on then I encourage you stop by tomorrow between 2 and 4pm. It's a free event!

Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Arts Council for Chautauqua County are partnering in the encouragement and support of local artists. Please join us once a month in sharing and supporting the local art community by meeting at the Reg Studio Theater - 108 East Third Street, Jamestown.

Artists Shares will provide those interested an opportunity to share ideas and projects, to show off their work and to enjoy interaction and conversation with fellow artists. No Door Charge. Meeting time: 2 to 4pm. Themes for upcoming Saturday Share Meetings are as follows:

September 22: Creative writing/poetry
October 20: Visual Art
November 10: Creative Art Workshop
December 15: Acoustic Music Share

Please contact Tara Eastman at eastman_tara@yahoo.com for more details

An Ear Tearer

Sometimes I like to inflict pain on my friends. My latest torture device has been a "music" video by Lil' Mama for the so-called tune "Lip Gloss." I don't know why I feel so compelled to keep sending this video around. Perhaps it's because I find it hysterically absurd. It's poppin'!

Whoosh!

Earlier, I meant to dedicate several posts to last weekend. At least I got up one with the video from the Local Music Awards. Last weekend was amazing with the Local Music Showcase and a great Warren Riverside Chamber Orchestra concert. I started this week feeling exhausted and happy.

Life is moving fast. People have been asking me how my summer was and I keep giving them blank looks as I try to remember everything I've been up to for the past several months. I know there was a wedding, several groups of out-of-town guests, time with family, and many nights at Forte with friends. A lot of good things.

Fall will continue at a breakneck pace. Every few months, I have an almost optimistic feeling that the next season won't be quite as busy. That our weekends will free up and we'll be able to get stuff done around the house. That we won't have obligations more nights of the week than not. And that, for once, we'll be able to sit down with an unhurried feel and appreciate everything we've accomplished because we've been able to reclaim "our" time.

But one must be realistic.

The reality is that our life is full of stuff that we choose to do for the most part. I choose to play violin in several ensembles, be the secretary for an alumni chapter, do the news for a local radio station, be involved with a leadership network group, spend time with our friends, and make time for Matt. Matt, in turn, devotes a lot of time to work-related activities, a class he's taking through JCC, a personal project that involves a lot of computer time, spending time with friends, and making time for me.

It's no wonder we haven't finished painting the different rooms in our house in the 2 years we've lived there. I think I've come to a point where that doesn't upset me when I look at the grand scheme of things. Would it be nice to have stuff done? Sure. But I think I'll take the time we've made to be with friends and family over a fully painted wall.

Knowing The Issues

I listened to both Mayor Sam Teresi and Republican-Endorsed Candidate (Democrat) Shirley Sanfilippo on WJTN's The Hall Closet this week. Even if you're aligned with a certain political party, I believe that you should get to know where the candidates stand on the issues. The big issue locally is the BPU Power Plant's proposed Clean-Coal Project (The other side here).

The latest Jamestoon in the WORD gets at what's ticking me off about one of the candidates best.

Click to embiggin:
If you're going to run for office, you better know the issues and have a stance on the big ones.

What You Missed at the CCMAs

I have a whole post brewing about the Chautauqua Region WORD's Local Music Showcase but just to give you a taste of the awesomeness in Jamestown last night, here's the Desecrator Mash-Up performance from the Chautauqua County Music Awards. If you stayed home to watch the MTV VMAs, your loss:
2007 Jamestown Music Awards & Hall of Fame Induction

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A Little Scrape and Dig

I had the pleasure of a teeth cleaning yesterday at the dentist. I don't really mind going to the dentist, or the doctor, even when it's for that exam. I figure I'd rather know that I was in good health and have one less thing to worry about.

Going to the dentist locally is like taking a trip back to the 1970s. The time warp begins as soon as you enter the office. Wood paneling covers the walls along with an assorted collection of cutesy wood carvings. The furniture echoes the time period and it's almost shocking to see the latest edition of Martha Stewart's Living on the coffee table.

When the hygienist calls me into the office, I'm unsurprised to see a cheesy, ocean landscape painting adorning the wall. It's the kind of painting you'd expect to see at one of those "Starving Artist" sales where you can pick up paintings for $29.

While the hygienist gets me settled in and starts sorting out her instruments, "Islands In The Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton waft over the sound system. As my teeth and gum are gouged away at, I hear Karen Carpenter's voice trying to ease any pain I might be feeling. That's soon followed by Richard Marx. The hygienist hums happily along, pausing to tell me to rinse and spit.

I receive a clean bill of health and some Listerine for a final mouth rinse. Looking at my watch, I'm surprised that less than a half-hour as passed and I'm back to 2007 as some Kylie Minogue blares over my car stereo.

Love Child of the Violin & Turntables

via videosift.com

Jamestown: Vote With Your Feet

2007 Official Guide
Mike Salamone posted some good thoughts about the upcoming Chautauqua Region WORD's Local Music Showcase. Here it is re-copied for your benefit:

Jamestown: Vote With Your Feet

My friend Todd Thomas said something recently about the WORD's upcoming Local Music Showcase which really got me thinking. He said the event was an excellent way for people to vote with their feet and their wallets on what type of Jamestown they would like to see.

It wasn't long ago that artists and musicians came out in numbers to a City Council Public Safety Committee Meeting to show their overwhelming support for downtown events, after a few naysayers began trying to shut such events down. Though this is the fourth annual CR WORD Local Music Showcase, it is only the second year in Jamestown. Frankly, last year only the Friday and Saturday night events and Sunday awards show were well attended. The free concerts were not.

I tend to think of the event primarily as a way to market the area's immense music scene in one package. That was the goal of the event when I started working on it. It then also became a fundraiser for some deserving kids. Last year we finally added the recognition piece to the weekend with the Chautauqua County Music Awards and Hall of Fame, which was something I'd wanted to do since the beginning. (We had moved up the first LMS a full year to try and help Infinity and I decided not to bite too much off in that first year.)

--But Todd got me thinking about the event in a bigger picture. It's not the marketing of the music scene I hoped for, or even the fundraiser for Infinity it became, as much as it is a gathering of people to support live music. Think about it. If the demand is shown by people coming to the free concerts on the streets Friday and Saturday, a clear message will be shown that live music in the streets is supported. Of course, if there is excellent attendance at the evening shows again this year, this hopefully encourages downtown businesses to book musicians on a regular basis.

The Chautauqua Region WORD's Local Music Showcase is indeed an excellent way for people to transform their setting. By attending as many of the events as possible, you can help voice the type of music enhanced community you want to belong to. Besides, it's rather inexpensive. Even if you went to only the paid events and none of the many free events, the most you'd spend on admission is $20 for the entire weekend.

I hope to see those of you who can make it at our fourth annual LMS. Full details are available at http://www.3thick.com/LMS.

Who Wants To Mash Up A Song?

Someone else gets the credit for noticing that "LoveStoned" and "This Is Radio Clash" can be mashed up. A much better JT mash-up idea than the Queen-"Another Bites The Dust" and JT="Rock Your Body" idea that came to mind at one point. Listen to both songs below, feel the pain, and smile.

(Note: Push play on both videos, then pause so they can load up, and then hit play again. It's possible to get them in sync - no pun intended)

Clogging Arteries on Labor Day

My body really wants to cry from what I did to it at dinner time tonight. But it's Labor Day, and that means the prerequisite American dinner of grilled hot dogs (Sahlen's), macaroni & cheese (out of the box), baked beans (doctored up naturally), and a carbonated drink (generic cola). The only healthy part of this entire meal was the whole wheat bun.

We enjoyed our feast from the peaceful tranquility of our front porch, while watching our neighbor slave over painting his house. The more healthy eating lifestyle resumes tomorrow.

A Journalist for a Journalist by a Journalist

To employ a new favorite phrase, the "FUN" was in full effect last night in downtown Jamestown. Matt and I took in a pre-season Erie Otters hockey game at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena (JSBIA). I was admittedly pretty rusty in my hockey-watching skills since I purposefully blocked any knowledge of hockey out of my brain after a certain final game of the season on May 19th. Ahem. But as I said to the wife of Matt's boss, "Well, I feel like I can enjoy the impending Sabres' season because I don't have any expectations. God. I guess I really am a Western New Yorker!" The game ended in a tie with no overtime or shoot-out.

SBIA is doing some cool things to enhance the facility to make spectator sports a little more comfortable. We got a peek at what will be a club lounge. Before the Rusty Nail was torn down, Arena staff bought/took out part of the bar with plans to install it in one corner of the lounge. The walls are painted a deep red with modern, wrought iron sconces. We were told by management that flat screens will adorn the walls eventually. Comfy chairs from Crawford Furniture and round coffee tables are scattered throughout the room. There's some other things planned for the Veranda Room off the club area that sound good as well. I'm not sure about the final timeline for completion of everything, but this will be great stuff for the Jamestown Vikings' season.

After the game, we headed on over to The Cherry for a bite to eat. Can I put a plea out there to Jamestown-area restaurants to extend your dining hours until 10 or 10:30 (coughs Forte)?

After some stomach buffering, we made our way to Forte to mildly harass the WORD's "Bartender of the Week".












Nick made me a gin-based drink called "The Journalist." It was quite good and I enjoyed it with caution.

A good night out before Matt's free time becomes non-existent over the next few weeks and, then, months.

Like You Imagined

A year later, this song still rocks everything. The video is kind of ehnnn, but the official version on YouTube was un-imbeddable and the other was out of sync. Excuse me while I go hook up my iPod to my speakers downstairs and blast out the windows in our house.

One A Day

Being a string player, I'm easily amused when I hear a popular song transferred to a string quartet. This has resulted in a slight overindulgence in all things from Vitamin Records. Fortunately, eMusic is once again feeding this latest listening quirk.

Panic! At The Disco and Hinder sound so much better on violin, cello, and viola. And then there's the delightful interpretations of songs like "Been Caught Stealing" by Jane's Addiction and "Lovecats" by The Cure. I love it!

Backwards Tilt Toward Autumn

I just realized that September 1st is Saturday. While Autumn is my favorite season, it seems to creep up on me. I forget that the summer heat will end and that soon I'll be able to wear my most comfortable outfit: jeans and a t-shirt under a hoodie. Then, as the sun casts a warm glow on everything, I'll welcome the season with music I was listening to exactly 14 years ago as I moved from one part of my life into another.

Cranes - Jewel


Pet Shop Boys - Can You Forgive Her?


Kate Bush - Eat The Music


Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Someday I Suppose


Saint Etienne - Who Do You Think You Are?


Liz Phair - Never Said

Decorating Inspiration

As Matt and I continue fixing up our house at a very leisurely pace, I've been contemplating decorating schemes and the various sources of inspiration for what I want in our house. I thought a group of pictures would show it best:

As Seen in Inc. Magazine

Best. Name. For. A. Company. Ever.

I saw an ad for that company on the second to last page of the latest issue of Inc.

Jane Says She's Going Away To Spain

Well, thankfully I didn't renew my subscription to Jane magazine. This week I received a postcard saying that Conde Nast has decided to discontinue publishing Jane, but that they think I will "love" the issues of Glamour that they will send to fulfill my subscription terms.

Are they serious??? I mean, I may not have been as big of a Jane fan after Jane Pratt left as editor, but Glamour? Do the publishers take their readers to be insipid females whose main concern is how to lose ten pounds in 7 minutes in order to fit into that size 0 dress for that happening party at the new "it" club in the city? Please. If you think I'm exaggerating, take a look at the majority of topics for Glamour's blog page.

NY Post naturally dished about this issue too.

I guess I'll stick with my Stepford-Wife-ish subscription to Real Simple and the "Polish Bible": Consumer Reports. At least there I know I'll always have a handle on what the "classic" looks are in fashion and what ballpoint pen won't die in a middle of journal writing bender.

The World Goes By Like The Humid Air

The air is very close in our house. I know it's easier to bear this humidity inside than out because I've closed every window and shade against the sun and hot air. Still, my hair is sticking to my neck and my shirt is clinging to me in an uncomfortably, lewd fashion. That'll learn me to attempt doing any kind of housework in this tropical heat. Well, the dancing around to Scissor Sisters probably wasn't a good idea either. September and its cool breezes cannot come fast enough.

What A Wicked Thing To Do

Someone kill me now. I have seen it all, and it was bad. I curse Jeff Spevak for even mentioning that this exists in his review.



For some relief, here is the original in all its sensual, glorious state:

Two In One

The mix is done. It's all on one disc with a distinct switch mid-way from the driving-too-fast-with-the-windows-down musical section to a series of cover songs. It's being left on a desk tonight when I go do the news.

Unassuming Guest Hostess

Part One
Keane - Is It Any Wonder?
The Darkness - Dinner Lady Arms
Matthew Sweet - Where You Get Love
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Someday I Suppose
Mint Royale - Kenny's Last Dance
Touch And Go - Would You?
K-OS - Electrick Heat/The Seekwill
Tricky - Brand New Rettro
Justin Timberlake - LoveStoned/I Think She Knows Interlude

Part Two
Nouvelle Vague - Ever Fallen In Love?
Vitamin String Quartet - Been Caught Stealing
Faith No More - Easy
Ministry - Lay Lady Lay
Easy Star All-Stars - Let Down
Ivy - Let's Go To Bed
New Found Glory - The Glory Of Love
Reel Big Fish - We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful

Artist Share

Matt and I went to the first Artist Share session at the Reg Studio this afternoon. It's a pretty cool concept that Tara Eastman put together in conjunction with Westminster Presbyterian and the Arts Council. For a taste of what took place today, and information about upcoming Artist Share events, watch this little video: (You might see a few familiar faces)

Unassuming Hostess

Several ideas are floating around in my head for a new iTunes mix, but I haven't completely nailed down the theme. The subject of this post is probably going to be the title for the mix.

The great thing about iTunes mixes is that they can be as small or large as you want. When I first got my iPod, the first thing I did was create a "WBER Vicariously" mix that featured all the music I had that I knew had been played on WBER at some point. Then I would drive around, pretending I had my own digital link to the station. Unfortunately, I haven't kept it updated and now it's more like "WBER Vicariously Circa 2003."

Last year, I started creating mixes that I actually burned to disc for one of my friends in The Unexpected Guests. That evolved into making mixes specifically for that group, even if they didn't request them, because it was fun (ahem *whispers* fan girl). Suddenly, I had a challenge to compress the list of songs buzzing in my head down to fit onto 80mb of disc space.

The latest mix, whether for them or my amusement, has boiled down to two thoughts. One is a mix of interesting covers of songs. Maybe covers that stylistically are not what you'd expect. The other thought is to do a mix of interesting sounding songs that maybe sound pretty ordinary alone, but paired up might perk someone's interest. That kind of theme is ordinary and what everyone tries to do, but it works. We'll see. I'll post it when it's done.

Addendum: I worked on it some more over lunch, and it's evolved into something that will sound perfect in my car, with the windows down, driving along a 55 mph highway, singing at the top of my lungs. Very happy with it so far. It rocks a little, shakes a little, and has a certain element of cool. No one else may like it, but it's pretty damn fine to me. Final play list forthcoming.

Rootless Tree

My current favorite song. This is a different version than what's getting air play, but it's ever so good.

Damien Rice - "Rootless Tree"

Mud-luscious

The State University College of Brockport will display seldom-seen art by E.E. Cummings in its MetroCenter on 55 St. Paul Street this Fall.

When I took AP English as a senior, our teacher had us pick an author's name out of a hat to study for the year. I, unluckily in my opinion, chose E.E. Cummings. This also happened to be the author our teacher was studying for the year. Naturally, my luck also extended to picking a Poet. I find poetry hard enough to decipher without the personal quirks of E.E. Cummings.

Nonetheless, I trudged through the year reading more about the man than studying his poems. In all honestly, for someone who likes to learn I took very little away from the project. When I skimmed the wikipedia entry today, nothing jumped out as "Oh yeah! I remember that!" Chalk it up to senioritis combined with the fact that I was stubbornly opposed to being told to dive passionately into a research topic that wasn't my picking. Teenage girls, I tell ya'.

Fortunately, time dulls that sullen edge and I'm a little more receptive to learning more about the man I was meant to know quite well 12 years ago. Perhaps I will find myself in Rochester in October for this exhibit.

Faithful Musings

A few months ago, I found a site where a guy had written blog commentary on the various books of the Bible. I find the commentary insightful and interesting.

Those who know me best know that I'm not religious. I was raised Catholic, but never fully embraced that religion even as a kid. My feelings toward any kind of organized religion are tolerance at best. But years of Catholic up-bringing do tend to result in what I call an "agnostically challenged" state when it comes to religion and my feelings about a higher power.

I've asked myself the question on several occasions about how I feel about the possibility of a God. Over the years, this has led to me considering other faiths including Judaism, Wicca, Lutheran, and a return to Catholicism. Each time, the main issue that confronted me was my ability to "suspend belief" and believe that a God existed as explained by scripture or that multiple Gods/Spirits existed. I found it near impossible.

However, I've never quite doubted that something exists outside of ourselves as human beings. And that is why I never classified myself as an Atheist, but sometimes feel "agnostic" even too specific a label.

Part of me thinks that I will find the answer some day, but that the answer will only truly come with death. I'm not looking to be saved, nor do I wish anyone to try. It took me awhile to determine that sitting with other people in an attempt to worship something that we all probably had different opinions about was not the right thing for me.

She Is Raging

I'm in a mood today. The rational outward side of me is civil and almost pleasant, but inside I'm raging. It's the kind of raging that wishes to challenge any emo boy band to even try to write something that can compare to the monthly madness that most women go through.

Limp Bizkit says it the best.

This is uncensored. You've been forewarned:

Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis

I've spent a little part of this morning getting caught up on the Interstate Bridge 35W collapse in Minneapolis. This included tuning into the morning show on KDWB to make sure my "little brother" and his girlfriend were okay.

James Lileks live-blogged it on buzz.mn yesterday.

Emotional Aural-scape

Rather than do the shuffle thing on my iPod, I thought I'd talk more about a couple specific songs that trigger the most intense memories and emotional whirl-a-gigs inside me.

Pet Shop Boys - "A Different Point of View": It's September 1993. I'm getting ready for school in my room and listening to Jennifer V do the morning show on WBER. The Pet Shop Boys have a new album out called Very and this is the latest song. Some people will say that your senior year in high school is the best year, but for me it was junior year. I had become friends with several people who would have an immeasurable impact on the way I viewed the world around me and what I claimed as important values for myself. All the while, I was diving into the vast world of alternative music with no intention of resurfacing into the airy world of pop.

New Order - "Regret": If I mention junior year, then I have to mention the song that makes me think of senior year. I'm in my dad's Nissan Sentra, pulling out of the parking lot for Apollo Middle School after an RPYO rehearsal when the guitars chords for this song chime out from the radio. The sky is gray with a tinge of sunlight shining through. The leaves are golden around me and I feel that sadness Autumn brings, because you know that the crisp, cool days will turn more blustery. On top of that, this is the last year before you leave home. Going to college represented not just leaving home, but leaving some of what constrained me from fully being who I knew I was and wanted to be. Was I sad? Sure. But I had no regrets.

I'll Take Mine Black

You Are a Plain Ole Cup of Joe

But don't think plain - instead think, uncomplicated You're a low maintenance kind of girl... who can hang with the guys Down to earth, easy going, and fun! Yup, that's you: the friend everyone invites. And your dependable too. Both for a laugh and a sympathetic ear.

What Kind of Coffee Girl Are You?

What Air Bud is REALLY About

Matt was flipping through tv channels this morning and paused on Air Bud: Spikes Back. I wasn't paying much attention until I caught the end of a scene where the main teenage girl character stares mournfully at the sold sign on a house, flashing back to her best friend who had apparently moved away.

"That's not a 'I miss my friend' look she just had!" I said. "I thought this was a kids movie."

Scenes with much sighing, endless crying, staring longfully out the window, listless laying on the bed, sorrowful visits to places the two girls had hung out together followed.

This all culminated in the girl skulking in the window, waiting for the postman. He delivers the treasured post card from the lover who now lives on the other side of the county. The lead female, in turn, grabs it and does some speed before joining her family in the kitchen. Okay, she didn't take speed but the manic-hyper-happiness she exhibits makes me question who these kid actors have on speed dial on their cells.

Fortunately, the new next door neighbor is introduced. Of course he's a hot, curly haired boy whose sole purpose in the movie is to metaphorically deflower the nubile lesbian.

And then Matt changed the channel.

Cloaked In Fog

After our friends left our house this morning to go birding, I decided to go walking around the Tom Erlandson Overlook Park in Frewsburg. The last time I had been there was with my parents and grandmother a few years ago, and we only went for the view. Today, the view was obscured but still beautiful.



















I found the trail at the park by accident since you couldn't see the sign from the road. Into the woods, I came across this magical view:


















Blissful solitude was mine for almost two hours. Just the insects, birds, fog, and a cool breeze accompanied me.

Psst... Do Something

Unsurprising, bad behavior by Fox News.

Five Ways To Shuffle Through A Morning

Thought I'd do the iPod shuffle post with just five songs I listened to this morning before work. Aural memory recall sometimes freaks me out because of its ability to pick me up and toss me down into various points in my life or places I've been. One song may bring me amazing joy and others are more like a hit in the gut.

Hot Hot Heat - Middle Of Nowhere: Great song, although I still have too many associations with visiting my grandmother in hospice whenever this comes on. Incidentally, because of that I always think of that golden time of summer that's hot, sunny, clear, but breezy enough to make it bearable.

The Beastie Boys - Hold It Now, Hit It: Not something I listen to regularly enough to have any opinions other than the Beasties rock.

Ben Folds Five - Don't Change Your Plans: When I moved to Jamestown in 1999, I listened to "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner" a lot.

XTC - Dear God: This is the second song after "Mayor of Simpleton" that I heard by XTC on the radio. I was, and am, a lyrics junkie, so as a teenager I got off on the straight-forward questioning of a higher power.

Cracker - Someday: I don't like country music, but I don't have a problem with bands like Cracker or Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. The lead singer doesn't have the most spectacular voice, but the back-up harmonies can be sublime.

Until....

In honor of three years with Matt, here is the video for the song we danced to for the first time as husband and wife.

Who Would Have Thought?

As we drank coffee at a cafe table outside Java's this morning, I my musings took on the form of a run-on sentence to Matt,

"If you had told me twelve and a half years ago that I would still be drinking coffee outside Java's, but no longer a Rochester resident, and would be recovering from post-wedding celebrations where Sean married Anne, where Karen Weller came as the wife of Mike Burns, that Heidi brought Ryan as her date, that Julie B. would be married and pregnant, that Sarah R. would have married the younger brother of another classmate, that most of the wedding was like one big IHS reunion, and that I would have married an out-of-towner and stayed in that out-of-town, well, that would have seemed completely crazy to me."

Matt looked at me for a moment, and added, "You forgot to say that you would instrumental in setting up the guy you were head over heels about your senior year in high school with one of your best friends, and that they would, 12 and a half years later, be married."

"That's exactly what I was getting at," I replied. "Isn't it great when everything turns out as it should?"

Congratulations to Sean and Anne for finally taking the plunge after 12 years of courtship!

In Starbucks.. Wait...

I've succombed to the Evil. The Chain. The Convenient. (Takes a Sip of Coffee). The Wretched. Well, I may have patronized the closest coffee-product location to get my caffeine fix while waiting for a nail salon to open for a manicure/pedicire, but Goddamnit! I will not enjoy it. No, I shall not (as she grimaces after another revolting sip of liquid).

It's Anne & Sean Wedding time in Rochester for the next 48 hours. Na zdrowie!

Over Geeked

The Shattered Moon Alliance Convention II (SMA CON II) is officially over. The last of our friends headed out of Jamestown yesterday morning.

This means no more talk of plat farming, guild merging, or drawing agro or soul suckers every time we walked by a forest or by bodies of water.

Full update to follow in the coming days.

Residual Dining

Earlier this week, I had the misfortune of not noticing my neighbor's truck parked opposite our driveway as I pulled out to go do the news at night. A small dent in the fender led to notes left, phone calls made, and a visit last night by my neighbor to fill out an accident report for his work place.

We haven't had a lot of neighbors in our house since we moved in 2 years ago just because our house is an infinite work in progress. Although, Matt did make great progress in the living room this week. One of the things we do almost immediately after moving in was rip up carpet from the floors all through out the house. The hardwood floors underneath need to be re-finished, but still look good enough to be exposed.

As our neighbor walked into our dining room to go over the paperwork, he looked over to his left at the floor near our china cabinet.

"And that would be where Mrs. White died," he stated as if pointing out something on a tour.

"Mrs. White? That must have been three owners ago?" I asked.

"Yes. Yes, that's where I found her," the neighbor replied. "That's probably why the wood is discolored. You know, from the fluids that collected underneath her."

I stared at the spot on the floor he was gesturing toward and considered the fact that not only did someone die in our house, but left a reminder of that on our floor.

Matt and I see the people who moved into the house after Mrs. White died often since we work in similar circles. It sticks in my mind that the wife said they used to see a ghost of an elderly woman in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Since the house was built in 1920, I wasn't overly surprised that someone had died in our house. My parents are the second owners of their house, which was built in 1950. The first owner's wife, Helen, died in the living room on the couch of that house. When I was a kid, I used to joke that Helen was haunting the toilet in the basement because it would flush all by itself.

Keith Olbermann's Comment on President Bush

Best of Chautauqua...

A big thanks to Mike Salamone and the crew over at the Chautauqua Region WORD for mentioning In Java, Literally as one of the top five local blogs in the 2007 Best of Chautauqua County issue.

I wouldn't do it if it wasn't fun.

Fictional Family

I've followed For Better, Or For Worse diligently since I was in elementary school. It was around the time that I figured out that Michael and I were the same age that I felt a connection to the comic strip. We even both went into a similar profession after school, even though our lives have deviated quite a bit over the years.

When I was in college and didn't have daily access to a newspaper, I would call my mom and get caught up on all the story lines. Sometimes other friends or relatives will catch us talking about the strip and say, "Who is this you're talking about? Someone Julie is friends with?" That's how much we love the strip.

So when I saw today's strip, my reaction of, "YES!!!!" was appropriate. What a great line by Anthony! Maybe Liz and him will finally be together, as they should have been all these years. These are the things that turn me to mush.

Despicable. Seriously.

I can't believe this so-called man runs our country. What a disgrace.

And he wonders why people consider his presidency a failure.

I will not be a bitter hockey fan. I will not be a bitter..

I'm not pleased about what happened with Drury and Briere yesterday. As I refreshed news pages online yesterday, I shook my head. I know this is all par for the course in the game, but I can't help but think that Darcy should have done more. I'll let BfloBlog take over on this topic.

A Great Blog or Two

It must be "Best of Chautauqua" time over at the WORD since I got an email from editor Mike Salamone asking whether In Java... was my main blog or if I was using one of my other two sites now. I'll let the record stand that I could never abandon the site I've kept going for six years. If this blog was a child, it would be entering first grade this Fall. How I could deny it that experience? Anyway..

I passed along to Mike the short list of sites I check regularly that include:
Galoot's Hoot Page
Makkaio
Preppy Girl's Guide

A special nod goes to Galoot for his entry about being in a local production of The Nutcracker. The post and comments still provide me endless amusement and laughter.

Happy Blog-i-versary

Here's to SIX years of ramblings on In Java, Literally.... Let's give a quick run down of all that has happened then in my personal life:

• Changed jobs three times
• Got engaged/married
• Bought a house
• Got two dogs
• Met many new, cool people
• Mourned the loss of some friends and family members
• Replaced a car
• Started doing the news again on the radio
• Changed radio stations
• Became more violinistically involved with several music groups
• Made up a new word "violinistically"
• Had so much fun and heartache, that it's difficult to measure or summarize in a short list

Antoinetta Gets a Tune-Up

When I was in Rochester earlier this month, I dropped off my violin to Signorelli's for some maintenance. The bridge needed an adjustment, the bows re-haired, and I needed a new set of strings. My mom picked "her" up this Friday and brought "her" to Buffalo yesterday, where I retrieved "her" at a graduation party.

And yes, I named my violin. I figured, some people name their cars, so I was going to name my violin. I decided that since the instrument has curves and wears a G-string, it had to be a girl, so Antoinetta it was named.

Satan Has a Marketing Budget

Those crazy Christians. Always coming up with some new catchy way to lure parishioners to their church.

Vanilla Coke Is Back!

I don't normally get overly excited about sugary sodas that corrode the enamel on your teeth and destroy the lining of your stomach, but I was overjoyed to hear that Coca-Cola is bringing back Vanilla Coke.

When Vanilla Coke began to disappear from grocery store shelves back in 2005, I bought the last two cases of it from Wegmans. These have been savored slowly ever since. I even brought a case to SMA Mini-Con 2006 to share with the other Vanilla Coke enthusiasts.

Wikipedia: Vanilla Coke
(HT to Sabrina for instant messaging me the news)

The push and pull of grocery carts

I created the rule that every time you go into Wegman's, you will see three people you know. It's an inevitable truth.

The rule worked Friday to the tune of 5 people, and tonight to the requisite three.

I wander the aisles, pushing or pulling my cart in a daze. I nearly walk into a display as I turn to look toward the entrance and exit. The sun is trying to shine a beam of light through the clouds. I turn away and face the warm glow of display cases around me.

I frown when encountered with a blur of deli meats. I will not decide tonight. Shiny plastic containers wink softly at me from the prepared food cases. I will not look.

I thump a container of milk into the cart and push my way to the row of cashiers.

"Can I put this all in one bag?" says a young boy. I stare through him and nod.

Happy Father's Day (a buck short)

I laughed a little too hard at this.

Metaphors That In Theory Don't Work

I spent an inordinate amount of time considering the phrase "drink like a fish" today. I'm not a marine biologist, but I didn't have the impression that fish actually drank water. Sure, they use the water to aspirate, but I didn't think they guzzled it down. So it might make more sense to say "drinks like a drunkard."

The whole aspirate thing got me thinking of another phrase people use in reference to fresh air, and other sensory-things. "She/he drank in the (fill in blank with non liquid reference)." Consider I'm standing outside in the fresh air. If I go by the metaphorical logic that I'm "drinking in the fresh air" like a fish aspirates water, then I could be considered drunk. But it being that I'm referencing air, it means I'm drunk on a gas. So wouldn't it be more appropriate to say, "She was high on the fresh air" as opposed to "She was drunk with the fresh air around her" or however you'd write it?

I think I need better distractions.

The Big Blush

There's blushing brides, wines that blush, the blush of a rose, and then the blush that you buy at the drugstore or your favorite cosmetic counter. The latter is what led my Aunt Carol to submit a story about a blush of embarrassment to Neutrogena.

Give it a read and a vote. My impression is that the higher the story is rated, the better chance she has at winning a Girl's Day Out at a Spa. It's a fun distraction either way.

Who Loves You? And Who Do You Love?

One of those notsofun things about getting older is the increasing difficulty of looking cool out on the dance floor. Oh sure, I've been out dancing at Sky Bar with my friends where all the guys are extremely hot, if not extremely gay. But, it's hard to feel like you're doing the floor any favors when some 22-year old size-zero girl sidles up to the wall-to-ceiling mirror and breaks out some hippy moves that even makes some friends of Dorothy think twice about their sexual preference.

When I became club-legal age, one of my favorite places in Rochester was Club Zei. It's gone through several incarnations, and I'm not even sure if it's a dance club anymore. But in the mid-90s, it was the place to if you wanted to shake it to some alternative club music.

Before I was old enough to go out, I would dance around my bedroom to stuff by The Shamen, Apotheosis, and Praga Kahn. I didn't like all the club/techno music, but if it had a great beat, sampled another song (Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds or Utah Saints' "Something Good"), and cleverly lifted pop culture reference like Messiah's "Temple of Dreams" I was there. Here's a video of the latter. Ignore the video and just listen to the music. The other video I found on YouTube was better, but it was a different mix of the song.

New Cells!

Our new cell phones are pretty fancy schmancy compared to the outdated model we were using before. This is a pic I took yesterday.

Naturally, I had to throw caution to the wind and download a ring tone. U2's "Beautiful Day" reminds me every time someone calls that things are good.

T-Shirts in Motion

A fun, visual feast.



HT Neatorama

2007 Thursday In The Square Schedule

Buffalo Place, Inc. has released the Thursdays In the Square schedule for this summer.

Violent Femmes and Dropkick Murphy's stood out the most of me. And then there was Melissa Ferrick opening for the John Butler Trio.

An Important Message for the Buffalo Sabres

This video was produced before Monday's game, but it still resonates for Wednesday night.

Our friend/sportscaster/Red Sox Fan, Kevin Carroll, predicted well before the play-offs began that the Sabres would be down 3 games in the series before the Stanley Cup.

"It's gonna play just like the Red Sox-Yankee series. Buffalo is going to be down three games but they're gonna come back and win four in a row, and then sweep the Stanley Cup series."

We laughed at that statement then, but half of that statement represents our only hope. And, yes, I know I just broke practically all the rules of superstition by mentioning several unmentionable words.



(HT Buffalo Pundit)

Bill Wants You To Vote For Hillary

Lunchtime Line Dancing

Several women I work with decided to do some line dancing in a break room area on their lunch break on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One of those co-workers, Jackie, asked me to find a copy of "The Electric Slide" for them. I channeled my early high school years and burned this for her:

"Electric Slide" by Marcia Griffiths
"Cha Cha Slide" by Mr. C
"Poison" by Bel Biv Devoe
"Move Your Feet" by Junior Senior
"Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch
"It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
"La Tortura" by Shakira (featuring Alejandro Sanz)
"Pump Up The Volume" by M.A.R.R.S.
"Bust A Move" by Young MC

This isn't my workplace, but check out all the people that join the fun around the 2:22 minute mark.

Wired.Com: "New Army Rules Could Kill G.I. Blogs (Maybe E-mail, Too)"

A friend of mine alerted me to the story about how the Army is banning personal blogs by its personnel.

I understand that "in times of war" that the military has censored letters home by soldiers, but I have concerns about the fact that they also want to censor blogs by family members of Army personnel.

Actually, I uttered a lot of four-letter words and other NSFW comments when I read the story.

Hullo, Big Brother.

Girl, I Must Warn You

Another Word for That Game Where You Shoot a Ball Through A Hoop

Too good not to re-post. Another shining example of literacy submitted to our local paper:

Get Jamestown Back In Business Day
To the Readers’ Forum:
I just read the paper about downtown events
which they say 40 city residents came to their meetings
at City Council.
Well there are petitions out about what the rest of
us think which is more than 40 people. I don’t
applaud downtown DJDC. What about businesses
that should be brought downtown. They all left
because of taxes and other reasons.
We need to build up downtown with new buildings
for business and move events to other places,
which there are many parks.
There are some things that can be brought from
town, but not basketpole. We have Baker Park to
use.
What are people thinking? Is it more important
for entertainment or business downtown. What are
they thinking we are a ghost town now because
taxes are too high and people leave here because of
it.
Bring in new building, tear down some of the old
ones. Bring in people to get Jamestown back in
business.
(name redacted to protect them from finger pointing and laughter)
Jamestown

My Last Week on Kiss FM

This is my last week at 106.9 Kiss FM (WKZA).

I've had a fabulous time doing the news here and being "The Truth Lady" for the past year and nine months, but it was time to move on.

Fortunately, I'm not going too far away. Starting May 7th, I will be doing the morning news for 107.9 WRFA: Radio For the Arts here in Jamestown. This is a low-power FM station owned by the Arts Council of Chautauqua County. Time Warner Cable 8 News will continue to sponsor the newscast.

Even though the station is low-power and can only picked up by radios in the immediate Jamestown-area, WRFA streams online and can be heard all over the world. For the first time, my parents will be able tune in to hear me do the news in the morning if they wished.

I've made some wonderful friends at Kiss FM, and will certainly miss seeing those left there on a regular basis. I hope all of you who have tuned in, especially since August when I started visiting the Morning Show in person, have enjoyed what you've heard. Keep listening and tune into 107.9 WRFA from time to time to hear what cool, interesting things are happening over there.

Supporting Downtown Jamestown Events

In my opinion, you can often tell what the health of a downtown area is by how many events are held in the city center and how many people attend. Since I moved to Jamestown almost 8 years ago, I've seen the number of events throughout the season grow and expand remarkably.

Almost all, if not all, the events are family friendly and the excitement generated by them is palpable. More than several businesses are experiencing record sales and traffic as a direct result of return visits by people who might have had their first glance at a city business due to an event held downtown.

However, it seems that a very small majority isn't too thrilled with all these good things:

Dear Myspace Friends,

There is a small group of people trying to put an end to events in Downtown Jamestown. This could effect our Local Music Showcase as well as many other community events like Gus Macker, the Holiday Parade, Rib Fest, you name it.

Basically, a small group is trying to rally support to shut down all downtown events. They are taking their case to the City Council's Public Safety committee on Monday. Their voices must not be heard over the many who enjoy having activities in downtown.

To save these events, please attend the meeting Monday night, April 23, 2007 at 6:30pm, Tracy Plaza, City Hall, 4th Floor, for the public safety meeting. Don't let a few trouble makers put an end to downtown activity and development.

If you can't attend, please email your thoughts to Lee Harkness at the Downtown Jamestown Development Corp. at lharkness@discoverjamestown.com so he can put them into record for us.

This is very important and was announced after our issue went to press, or else I would have editorialized about it. You can write a letter to the editor to the POST-JOURNAL today though, and try to increase awareness on this issue. Repost this bulletin. Do not let these people sign Jamestown's death sentence by outlawing public events.

Our own downtown events have been very successful and the public has been wonderful. The police have been kind and supportive. Many people from Chaut. County told us they hadn't been to downtown in years. We got thank you cards and emails from families and those who attended. Business owners thanked us. It will be a shame if we have to move our events because of a few trouble makers.

Please pass this on.

Sincerely,
Michael Salamone
editor in chief
Chautauqua Region WORD newspaper

It's time for our community to rise up and shout the positive rather than let a few naysayers whine their negative refrain.

I ask you to join us on Monday at the Public Safety meeting, or to write a letter of support for downtown activities to the Post-Journal or to Lee Harkness.

Addendum: Meeting Location - Public Safety this evening is on the 4^th Floor of Jamestown City Hall. Get off the elevator, turn right and go straight into the police training room. You should probably get there by 6:15 as you will have to go through security. (ht to Lee Harkness for the additional info)

The Phone Number You Have Reached...

I get a lot of misdirected calls at work simply because our office number was published in a phone book with the word "Information" next to it a few years ago. Since I'm fairly knowledgeable about the area and the places you need to call for various services, I'm happy to give callers the right number. Today I had a "wrong number" call of the odd variety.

A woman called and stated that she and her husband live in New Jersey. Since I work for an economic development program, I did a quick mental prep to answer whatever question she had about moving or expanding a business in our city. But then her next question threw me off balance a little,

"Um.. we need to find someone who can do a roofing estimate for us."

I think I responded with an, "Oh! Um. Wait, what???" Before recovering and answering, "Oh dear, well unfortunately you've reached a government office. Um.. wait, you said you're in New Jersey???"

The nice lady on the phone replied, "Yes, but the estimate is for a place in Rockaway."

I was flabbergasted. "Rockaway?? My god. You've reached an office in Jamestown, NY. Rockaway is clear on the other side of the state! Ahh.. can I ask how you managed to get this number?"

"We did a search for Rockaway municipality and this number came up," she said.

I felt bad for the lady and spun through my mental files of what I could offer her so her call wasn't fruitless until I remembered a new tool I came across.

"Well, I'm not sure if this would help, but Google has a free 4-1-1 tool where you can call and get business listings. I used it last weekend to try to make reservations at a restaurant in another city and they connected me directly to the place. So that might work for you too."

I gave the woman the 1-800 number and she seemed pleased to at least have something useful to try out. All in a day's work.

Sabres Superstition Handbook

I solemnly read the WEDG Superstition Handbook tonight. As it is play-off time, extreme measures are to be taken as to not jinx our Team.

The Sabres seem to play their best when I'm at home, with the game on, and I'm doing housework. I also have not worn a certain hockey jersey all season because we haven't been able to get to a Sabres game. All signs, I tell ya'.

My favorite rule from the book?

This one:

"If Andrew Peters scores a goal rules do not apply for the duration of the game. Anarchy ensues."

One Billion Abstinence Campaign A Flop... DUH

$1bn 'don't have sex' campaign a flop

Who seriously thought that if we told teens to just abstain from sex, that they'd actually follow through? Not me. When Not Me, Not Now was dreamed up by Monroe County in the 1990s, I said, as a teenager, it was a stupid idea and money spent unwisely.

How about giving our teens all the tools they need to know about sex, including the line about abstinence, so at least they know how to use protection if they decide to have sex?

WBNY Alumni Show - Whatever Julia Feels Like Playing

If you had a chance to tune in to 91.3 WBNY this weekend, you would have heard a lot of talented disc jockeys spinning the widest assortment of music imaginable. If you were kind enough to tune in on Sunday between 10am and noon, you would have heard the following music spun by your's truly:

(Legal ID - 10am)
Camera Obscura - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken
New Pornographers - Sing Me Spanish Techno
(mic break)
Deerhoof - Plus 81
Deerhoof - Kidz Are So Small
Kelly - What R U Guys Talking About? (Canadian Version)
Pizzicato Five - Pizzicatomania
Pizzicato Five - Twiggy vs. James Bond
(mic break)
The Pietasters - Little Engine (live)
Flogging Molly - What's Left of The Flag
Matisyahu - King Without A Crown
Joseph Arthur - Dear Lord
(mic break)
Fountains Of Wayne - Someone To Love
OK Go - Television, Television
The Launderettes - I Wanna Jump Your Bones
The Legion of Doom - Crazy As She Goes
Imogen Heap - Goodnight & Go
Splashdown - Mayan Pilot
(Legal ID - 11am)
Mike Doughty - Unsingable Name
(mic break)
The Format - Dog Problems
XTC - Scarecrow People
Poole - Fall For Anything
(mic break)
David Usher - Black Black Heart 2.0
Tokyo Police Club - Shoulder & Arms
Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running
MC Lars - Internet Relationships
Junior Senior - Boy Meets Girl
Mint Royale - Don't Falter
(mic break)
Ladytron - Destroy (Everything You Touch)
The Pre-Sets - Girl & The Sea
Catherine Wheel - Crank
(mic break)
London Suede - Trash
Franz Ferdinand - The Outsiders

Sadly, my tape deck crapped out and I don't have a recording of my show. It was still a great time and I thank those who told me they tuned in.

"I Miss Those Planes!"

One of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies. Well.. minus the subtitles.

LET'S GO BUFFALO!

R.I.P - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

A brilliant author has passed on.

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. died Wednesday at the age of 84.

2nd Annual WBNY Alumni Bash!

The Second Annual WBNY Alumni Bash will take place this Saturday at Mohawk Place, starting at 7pm and will feature The Great Train Robbery and Nancy's Candy.

Admission is $5 and there will be a ticket auction that features items from Righteous Babe Records, VH-1/MTV, Elvis Presley CDs and DVDs, gift certificates and more. All proceeds benefit Buffalo State College radio station, WBNY.

WBNY Alumni also will be taking over the airwaves this weekend. I will be doing a show on Sunday from 10 to noon. You can listen to me, and others, online. My show will be either a Six Degrees (of separation) of The Cure, Musical Quirks & Smash-Ups, or Whatever Julia Feels Like Playing. Tune in THIS Sunday 10am-noon to find out.

Addendum: Buffalo Rising: Who needs an antenna? 91.3 WBNY-FM streams on-line.
BuffaloRoots: You're Gonna Hear Me On Your Radio

Seven Songs

I was tagged by Galoot (unless he knows of another Julia) on this one.

Pick seven songs that you've been listening to and tag seven friends to share. I tend to not listen to a lot of songs repeatedly due to the wonder of shuffling over 4,000 songs on my iPod. Here are my picks:

1. "Someone To Love" by Fountains Of Wayne - The new single off FOW's recently released Traffic & Weater. It's catchy and caused me to car-dance, much to Matt's annoyance, the first time I blasted it on our way to work.
2. "+81" by Deerhoof - I could listen to the marching band intro over and over again. It's a crunchy song that catches you by surprise. At times I feel like I'm listening to a garage band. Sometimes it seems to evoke video game bleeps and bloops. Then the chorus of "choo choo cho"? I can't tell, but it makes me think of my English AP teacher. Great modern prog rock-ish song.
3. "The Fallen" by Franz Ferdinand - Damned, catchy song with killer lyrics. Plus it mentions Tesco. It's a song that feels smarter than everything around it musically. I keep reaching for the repeat button every time this comes on.
4. "Goodnight & Go" by Imogen Heap - A twinkling song with some curious vocal slides.
5. "Black, Black Heart" by David Usher - The only song I like by him. There's at least 3 different versions of it, and my favorite is the one on his myspace page. Dark, brooding stuff that suits early spring weather.
6. "She Doesn't Get It" by The Format - I first heard this song sometime in November. It stuck with me. I like the line "She doesn't get it, It's all before she's born." Something about turning 30 and the stuff from when you were a kid isn't even a memory for the truly young and hip.
7. "Least Complicated" by Indigo Girls - I forgot about this song for awhile, and then remembered to put some Indigo Girls into my iPod rotation. It's an easy song to sing along with, so I do.

Tag: Matt H., Courtney, Stenz, Matt F., Kevin H., Heidi, & Lynn

Guilty Pleasure of the Week: "Because of You" by Ne-Yo. I've overdosed on this song and lost almost all respect from my husband for my obsessiveness about this pop rendering.

Google's April Fool

Here's to a great April Fool's Day joke by Google. The concept of Gmail Paper was heralded on the Gmail log in page. I wouldn't have even saw it if I hadn't logged onto a different computer to check my email tonight. The ludicrous nature of the service raised suspicion and then my suspicions were confirmed when I checked the file name of the image you see in this post: "ss_afj.jpg" (afj= April Fools Joke). I'll be smiling for the rest of the evening.

Addendum:
Apparently there was one other joke that Google had up its sleeve for April Fools. This one is Google TiSP beta. The joke is that you can get wireless internet in your house through the "toilet internet service provider." Heh.

Cradling The Sky

My back felt the curve and sharpness of the brick street beneath me. Tendrils of my hair crept out across the cobblestone as I gazed at the sky, framed by stark tree limbs. A blush of rose spread above as a warm breath of air grazed my cheek.

***

Pearlescent clouds gleamed against a smooth night sky. The moon pulled back and let go of startling burst of light into my heart.