Kacey's Summer Music Part 2…

Jamie- you are on a role. So much said in such a short amount of time. Well I've got another one! (Personal best- 3 blogs within 1 week, I guess being unemployed and totally unsure what is coming in the fall for me has its perks- more free time for blogging!)

Summer update: Spent one evening playing four games of Settlers of Catan with my parents. I went berry picking. Practiced the ukulele (it's coming along). And I finished one book and then I laid in a hammock and started another.

Can't wait to see what week two has in store for me!

Inspired by my summer movie list I created another music mix. This is a list that I would consider “family friendly.”  Not in the Disney “family friendly” way but meaning it will be played this summer while hanging out with my family and is less modern than the last mix.

Summer Music Mix #2

School’s Out by Alice Cooper- Only fitting, right? Also from Dazed and Confused

Tequila by The Champs- Consuming tequila is very much a summer activity. Plus it's in The Sandlot.

Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles- Because living in the Pacific Northwest the sun can be hit and miss in the summer so when it does appear it needs a theme song.

Iko Iko by The Belle Star- Not sure what my motivation was other than this song just says summer.

Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison- A lot of my mixes these days have Van Morrison and this is totally summer worthy.

Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams- It has summer in the title. And I know we all have a summer we could write a song about. With all my ukulele playing this might be my summer for that!

Free Falling by Tom Petty- Great group sing along around the camp fire. Everyone knows the words (or at least the chorus).

Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis- The Stand by Me soundtrack is awesome and this has always been a favorite of mine.

Coconut by Harry Nilsson- It’s almost a requirement to listen to this song sitting in the sun with a drink in hand.

ABC by The Jackson 5- Because I know the girls from Now and Then danced around to this song.

Centerfield by John Fogerty- Summer mix without a song about baseball?! Um, not gonna happen.

Highway to the Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins- This is mostly for my dad… he digs Loggins and I know when it comes on he’ll say “oh, good song.”

Weather is Here by Jimmy Buffett- This song is two-fold: 1- No summer mix is complete without a little Buffett and 2- No family friendly mix for my family is complete without a little Buffett for mom.

Hitchin’ A Ride Vanity Fare- Riding a bike (without a helmet) down some back road with good friends… in 1970s.

Rock and Roll, Hoochi Koo by Rick Derringer- One Dazed and Confused song is not enough.

Green Onions by Booker T and the MG’s- Great Sandlot scene... scrappy poor kids and rich uniformed kids hurling insults at each other all accumulating with “you play ball like a girl!” Which normally I would take offense- but it’s just so funny.

Stand By Me by Ben E. King- Not really an upbeat fun song, but it is the theme song for a great summer movie.

Tiny Dancer by Elton John- Another great sing-along, because all problems can fixed with a sing-along.

Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Wanes- Because nobody puts baby in the corner.

Coming Soon: It preparation for her trip to Greece Sarah develops an error proof plan to save the Greek economy involving sacrifices to several Greek Gods and lots of Ouzo.

Jamie Writes to Speaker Boehner

We don't get super political on here a lot, but that's not because we aren't highly opinionated and aware of issues.  So I was listening to NPR this morning, like I do, and heard that the do nothing Congress was planning yet another vote to repeal the health care act in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling yesterday.  And it really pissed me off.  So I wrote a little letter to the Speaker.


Dear Speaker Boehner:
31 times? Seriously?  I get that your majority was voted into office largely thanks to a campaign of fear that centered on the health care bill. I know that you really don't like this bill, although I don't really know why. I mean, it's not perfect, and I would probably have gone another direction (which, man, would have sent you through the roof. If you think the current bill or anything Obama does even flirts with socialism, my health care thoughts would give you nightmares), but compromise is how we get things done. It is, however, an important step in making sure that all Americans have access to health care. You don't think health care should only be accessible to those who can afford its constantly increasing price tag, do you? I didn't think so. I really want to believe there is a person under all that orange. (Sorry, that was a little personal, but I am upset) And I know you don't want to spend more on it than necessary, or at least that is the rhetoric you are always spewing, so let's pretend that's what you mean. Of course this not wanting to waste government money thing is pretty weak when you are continually spending your time (which my tax dollars pay for) voting to repeal the same law over and over, even though nothing has changed.
Did we have an election yesterday that changed the Senate or the Presidency and I missed it? *Checks the internet* Nope. All that happened was the Supreme Court shut down one of your major arguments against this act. And it was led by one of "your" guys. That hurts, doesn't it?  Have a little cry and then let's move on.
I understood your desire to have a symbolic vote with your new majority the first time, even though you knew it couldn't go anywhere. You put it on your lit pieces and go back to your tea parties and say you tried and hope they give you a majority in the Senate and a Romney in the White House (although he could change his mind tomorrow) that will allow you take health care away from people with pre-existing conditions and young adults who need a couple more years because they can't get a job, etc.
Oh! That brings me to my point. Jobs. The economy, it's not so hot. Now, I don't think you can fix it. I mean, even if I had never taken an Econ class and believed that the government had a magic wand they could wave to just make it better, you haven't me given any reason to believe this Congress can get anything accomplished. Was that too harsh? Well, too bad. People are without jobs, losing their homes, and you're wasting time trying to take away their health care. See what I did there? I learned that watching pundits and politicians, many of whom are on your side. That may be exaggerated, but that's not the point. It's a good line and it gets the purpose of this little rant across. We have actual problems, and while I have no confidence in your ability to do anything about them, you could try.  Maybe even prove me wrong. I would appreciate it if you would quit voting on the same thing over and over again and wasting your tax payer funded time. If you can't come up with anything to discuss, just let me know and I'd be happy to give you some ideas. Or even better, ask President Obama. He has a ton of great ideas and I think you could probably even find some common ground if you stopped wasting time trying to make the extreme members of your party happy. The President is far more moderate than anyone but the far left wing will give him credit for (and with them it's more blame than credit), and no matter how many times you say that he's a crazy liberal trying to appeal to a left wing base, it simply isn't true. (I know you're going to say something about gay marriage, but that isn't appealing to a base, that is about accepting reality. Just stop or you're going to look like an even bigger moron than you & your party already do on this issue)
Just stop it with the same bullshit political gestures to appease your whackjob base. You lost this one. You're not going to get it back, and by the time you have the opportunity, people are going to be comfortable with the changes. They are going to like it, rely on it. So move on. Plenty of other issues to work on. That's kind of what we pay you to do.


Thanks for listening.  I feel a little better now.


Jamie



Books read: 31


Coming soon: Sarah writes a top ten list of things Congress could do with the time they have wasted trying to repeal the ACA.

Jamie on Nora Ephron and the rambling thoughts that followed

This morning on NPR was a touching tribute to Nora Ephron, who passed away this week. Yesterday when the world was notified, my twitter feed (which is pretty nerdy and includes a number of authors) was filled with quotes and memories of this writer, director, and journalist who gave us some of the most iconic films of the last 30 years. Okay, so perhaps as a Seattleite, I give Sleepless in Seattle a higher rating than most, but you can't tell me that When Harry Met Sally isn't one of the best films of all time. It isn't a dramatic mob film like The Godfather or an epic tale of a galaxy far far away like Star Wars, it's about people you probably know. They are funny and neurotic and real. Ephron gave us characters we could relate to, and put them in films we could enjoy. Recently Meryl Streep blasted film studios at a luncheon for continually preferring to back big budget action movies like the recent Battleship (a huge flop) despite the commercial success of so-called women's films like The Help and Bridesmaids which are a struggle to get made. Ephron was an early leader on this; not only did she write the exact type of film that exemplifies this, but she criticized an industry that refused to figure it out. This, and her tremendous wit and talent, made her a hero to many, especially it would seem, to her fellow female writers.

I wanted to write something after reading all those comments and listening to the post this morning. I think that her legacy of being a pioneer in the world of female screenwriters and directors is a natural place to go, but my mind went more to thinking of my favorite, let’s see, celebrities seems like the wrong word, let’s go with my favorite artists/creators. And sure, I have a top 5/laminated list/free list/whatever you call it (currently: David Wright, Eddie Vedder, John Cusack, Nathan Fillion, & Adam Scott, although it fluctuates), and I gushed over seeing Chris Pine the other week at SIFF. Plus there are a number of talented actors & musicians that I absolutely adore and them being in a film or coming to town increases the chance that I will watch or attend something. But what makes something mandatory for me to view is the writer/director/creator. If it’s got Joss Whedon, Aaron Sorkin, or JJ Abrams in the credits, I am looking up the premiere date. If it’s Kevin Smith, John Waters, Wes Anderson then it’s an in-theatre priority. And not just them, but let’s make sure to include Jane Espensen, Alex Kurtzman (I was as excited to see him at SIFF talking about his new film as I was to drool over the film's star, Chris Pine), & Marti Noxon, who are significantly less known, but whose names are starting to be recognizable because they make all your favorite things. Well, they make all of my favorite things. Check out the credits on Fringe, Buffy, Alias, Once Upon a Time, Battlestar Galactica, Warehouse 13, Hawaii 5-0, Glee, and many more, and you will see that these talented writers/creators come up over and over again. They make the shows, and more importantly for me, the characters that I love. Listening to people talk about how important Ephron's career was to them made me go automatically to this list of people that I admire above even the talented folks that bring their creations to life (and not just those listed, but also Steven Moffat, Cameron Crowe, Rob Thomas, David Simon, Felicia Day, Bill Prady...I could go on and on).

An anecdote: At Emerald City Comicon last year, a friend & I were discussing the very long signing line for some of the actors in attendance. We are both big fans of the brilliant James Marsters (best known as Spike on Buffy) and he was there. She noted that she had contemplated waiting in line, but didn’t really have anything that she really wanted signed by him. She just purchased the first volume of the Buffy season 8 comic and noted that Spike wasn’t even in that volume, so that didn’t really make sense, and then added, now if Joss (Whedon) were here… And I didn’t even let her finish. I interrupted with, if Joss were here we would already be in line, we probably would have gotten in line first thing in the morning, I’d be carting around my complete set of Buffy DVDs for him to sign and I’d be trying to figure out how not to melt into a puddle like Alex Mack when we got to the front of the line. Now, that was probably a slight exaggeration, I would probably go with a comic or perhaps the Firefly DVDs instead of the complete Buffy set, for practical reasons, and I could probably avoid a full on melting. But the point was that I am far more likely to have a fangirl style freakout over the writer/creator of my favorite show than its lead actor.

This is not to take anything away from the actors, who are clearly incredibly important to the enjoyment of a show, but for me, it’s more about who wrote the words and crafted the story. I am a big John Cusack fan (as noted, he's in the top 5), but I have missed a number of his films because they didn’t really seem like movies I would enjoy. But I would watch a brand new show written by anyone listed above with completely unknown actors with bizaare premises because I completely trust their abilities to create something I love (not to say that they never let me down, but it's rare).

So this turned out to be a little bit more rambling than I intended, but I just wanted to share where my brain went as I listened to all these tributes about Nora Ephron. I’m going to continue to contemplate this while I plan my Nora Ephron movie marathon. I’ll probably stick with the Meg Ryan trilogy, so plenty of Kleenex will be required. And I’ll love every minute of it, cause Nora Ephron gets me every time.

Books read: 31 (You didn’t think I’d really finish a Storm of Swords that quickly, did you?)

Coming Soon: Sarah explains the science behind melting in a puddle, Alex Mack style.

Jamie & the Doctor

*I just met you, this is crazy* Oh, hi. Sorry, I was just listening to Call Me Maybe. It's just so catchy, and then Kacey put it on her mix, and, I couldn't help it. Did you notice her little dig at me in there about not knowing songs unless they are on Glee? I did. There is nothing wrong with that. It happens because I don't listen to pop radio. I listen to NPR, like a proper liberal Seattleite. I also learn new pop songs via Internet parodies. I still prefer the California Dorks lyrics to the California Girls lyrics. But I'm getting way off topic. I came on here to say that I am super excited Kacey posted 2 days in a row and to put my little love letter to Doctor Who on here. I wrote this a little after finishing series 6 (okay, I think I wrote it last month) and now that we are mere months from the premiere of series 7, I guess now know is as good a time as any to share…

It was inevitable really. That I would love the Doctor. As you are slowly but surely pulled deeper into the world of awesome nerdy pop culture, he is unavoidable. You can't go to any kind of convention without coming across him in some form. It might be the scarf. That ridiculously long multi-colored scarf that is an international sign of a Who fan. The scarf is easy though, for the more committed it's brown pinstripes and Chuck Taylor's, quite possibly the hottest outfit you can find at any nerd gathering. It's basically the male equivalent of the Princess Leia gold bikini. And then came the bow ties. There was some hesitation to embrace them, but we know it's true, bow ties are cool.

And it wasn't just strangers. My friends were slipping it into conversations. Hillary was the most adamant, of course. She told me I needed to watch Doctor Who. It was too fabulous. They even had a marathon one day, but I couldn't make it. Jeff was a little more subtle, saying he thought I would enjoy it, given my increasing appreciation for Sci fi TV and such. Even a couple others turned out to be Whovians, although they are all about the classic Who and I don't think they have yet to watch any of the reboot.

When I started (with the reboot, forgive my lack of scarf-era episode. viewing), I wasn't sure. Nine is no one's favorite, but I think that is because he quit after 1 season. He was definitely starting to grow on me. Of course it could have been the appearance of Captain Jack that helped keep my interest. I would watch John Barrowman read the phone book, so long as he did it with that Captain Jack smirk. But as soon as David Tennant came along, saving the world and accidentally quoting Lion King lyrics, I knew I was hooked.

Of course, I still had some concerns. When Rose left, I had to take a break. I wasn't ready for a new companion any more than the Doctor. But they knew that, and eased us into accepting Martha. Each companion has managed to have a different relationship with the Doctor that fits with their character and respects those that came before. But the companion shifts were nothing compared to my concerns about changing Doctors. Even though it went very well for me the first time, I was now attached. David Tennant is, to use Who fan jargon, "my doctor." Much like he is for many of my generation. Who was this funny bow tie wearing man that was coming to take his place? Thanks to his (Matt Smith) immense talents and the brilliance that is Steven Moffat, I didn't have to stress long. I loved him at fish fingers and custard, right along with Amelia Pond.

With every change, I just keep loving it. There are, of course, elements of the ridiculous. But that's what keeps it fun. I will watch just about any type of show if I like the characters. Plot, that's important too, but more important is how it shapes my beloved characters. I will watch them fight evil, solve equations, or mock each other endlessly. It really doesn't matter.

And the Doctor and his companions always keep my attention. Wherever they go across time and space, whether they are battling angels or daleks, I just want to see more.

Books read: 31 (on to the 3rd book in the Song of Fire & Ice, which is long, but I am hooked)

Coming Soon: Sarah posts a Doctor Who inspired parody of Call Me Maybe. "I just met you, and this is crazy, but trust me won't you, cause I'm the Doctor" It needs work.

Kacey’s Summer Music Part 1…

I know I left you all on the edge of your seat wondering  “what did Kacey do with her first official day of summer break.” Well it was not filled with tree houses, water balloon fights and playing baseball but I did make a really awesome music mix.

I don’t blog about music much… strike that… I don’t think I’ve ever blogged about music. But I flippin’ love music- although I have very little music ability. Although Jamie and Sarah did by me a ukulele for my birthday this year which I have been practicing and hope to get even better at this summer! (stay tuned for tour dates)

So I made a mixed CD (cuz I still do that and I love it). I’m actually working on a few summer themed ones but this first one is mostly all 2012 released music (or late 2011) and is all fun, dance around and feel happy music. Some of it is actually rather poppy- but I apologize for nothing.

Summer Music Mix #1

1. Out On the Town by Fun. – Right now most mixes I make include music from Fun. The Some Nights album is pretty amazing and as often as I listen to it I have yet to get tired of it. This particular song is one of my favorites.

2. Gold Rush by Ed Sheeran- I have fallen in love with this ginger songwriter and again most my mixes right now include music by him. This song is one of my latest downloads and it makes me dance around.

3. Glad You Came by The Wanted- Admittedly I heard this song first on Glee (which in my defense doesn’t happen often), but I then decided I liked this version best.

4. Brokenhearted by Karmin- I dare you to listen this and not want to dance (or at least tap your foot a little).

5. Stare Into the Sun by Graffiti6- This band is a recent discovery and this song just says “summer.” I mean it’s about staring into the sun.

6. Back In Time by Pitbull- Not only does this song sample another song from one of my favorite summer movies, but Pitbull is sexy.  Win all around.

7. Drive By by Train- Train does it again. They are awesome at making catchy singles.

8. Good Girl by Carrie Underwood- New sassy Carrie Underwood?! Yes please!

9. Everybody Talks by Neon Trees- My mom thinks she likes this song because of the commercial it is in… I will have to play it for her in its entirely to see if it holds true. There may be dancing with our hands in the air.

10. Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen- I don’t think it’s currently legal to make a poppy 2012 mix without this song. It is EVERYWHERE! Again, try not to dance.

11. Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men- I am putting this song on a lot of mixes.. there are horns and stuff… it’s pretty fantastic.

12. Starships by Glee Cast- I did know this Nikki Minaj song a little prior to hearing it on Glee, but something about drag queen performing it was just way more awesome.

13. Gold on the Ceiling by The Black Keys- Songs about ceilings of gold-sweet. I always turn it up when it comes on.

14. Ass Back Home by Gym Class Heroes (featuring Neon Hitch)- I love the move like Jagger song… but I actually think I like this song a little bit better. Gym Class is knocking out the singles right now and I enjoy them all.

15. The Wrong Direction by Passenger- This band is a recent find and this song makes me dance around. They also sing a song about a man who goes to the moon and sails with pirates. High recommendation.

16. Don’t Leave Me (Ne me quitte pas) by Regina Spektor- New Regina! And I don’t know even know what half this song is saying but I like it lots.

17. Too Close by Alex Clare- Admittedly first heard this song and in a commercial. I just think it sounds so awesome!

This is mix 1… stick around mix 2 is soon to follow.

2 days... 2 posts!

Coming Soon: Sarah listens to the new the Bieber “Boyfriend” song backwards and reveals the hidden messages she finds.

Kacey Talks Summer...

While May rocked for posts we seem to be slacking a little this month. And when I say we I really mean Jamie- because my once a month blog is pretty standard. However, the time has come for me to pick it up as I have completed my student teaching and now have a little more free time on my hands! *Waits for applause*

Summer has begun for me… and really I will be spending my time looking for a teaching job or even looking for temporary work for the summer. But before all that fun begins I can’t help for take a deep breath and enjoy the moments. Since last Friday “School's Out” by Alice Cooper has been playing over and over again in my head. This of course makes me think of “Dazed and Confused” which leads to thoughts of other great summer themed movies which lead to- time to make a list!

Kacey’s Favorite Summer Themed Movies!

If you are unsure about how to spend your summer then you may find some inspiration from these movies (both of what to do and what might not be such a good idea).

Either way- all movies will entertain!

Dazed and Confused: Maybe more what not to do than what to do… but a total first day of summer classic. Plus awesome soundtrack.

Sandlot: Why not spend your summer playing baseball at neighborhood field. Really, nobody does this anymore. This movie reminds me of a simpler time.

Wet Hot American Summer: If you have ever worked at a summer camp you will fully appreciate this movie. If you haven’t you will still find it hilarious. Plus this movie takes place in one day instead of a whole summer- which makes it even crazier.

Dirty Dancing: Carrying watermelons and learning to dance.  Even organized fun can be awesome with a dance instructor like Patrick Swayze.

Stand By Me: Maybe going in search of a dead body isn’t the best idea. However, bonding with friends on a little adventure never hurts.

Now and Then: Mystery, tree houses and summer- why not spend you summer going to grave yards and solving mysteries with your best friends that you will meet up with again twenty years later.

Camp Nowhere: Best idea ever. If you can pull this off- do it. With technology today it would take quite a bit of trickery… it’s totally unsafe and any adult who agrees to help is not to be trusted. But still- brilliant idea.

Almost Famous: Travel with a rock back for the summer and when there is a problem just sing “Tiny Dancer” and all will be alright. 

Okay after I made this list I realized all these movies are at least 15 years old or take place at least 40 years ago and are mostly about school aged people. Makes me think that summer used to be a lot cooler and we don’t enjoy it like we used to. Plus I guess there comes a point where we aren’t allowed to slack off all summer. So I have made a goal of at least trying to make my summer sound totally awesome- even while on a budget and the next part of my life totally unknown. My first task will be to make some awesome Summer Mixes… stick around because you will want to know about those.

Coming Soon: Sarah recounts how after chatting with Dr. Seuss and watching Batman and a Transformer argue in Los Angles she accidentally ended up in Las Vegas in a bar that reminded her Mclaren’s Pub.

Jamie's Fave Five for May

May was officially our month with the most posts ever.  Yay!  Not too bad, huh? I know what you’re thinking, Jamie, you completely dominated the posting in May.  What happened?  I don’t know.  And I really hate to get your expectations up like that and then have to deliver again.  But I’m confident we can at least get close.  Kacey is almost done with school, which should free up a little time for her (well, when she’s not busy applying for jobs), and we all know Sarah has a pile of posts that she’s working on.  And I have some ideas.  Stay tuned.

But since another month has gone by I’m going to try and stick with this whole fave five thing.  Two months makes it a thing, right? So here’s what I was loving in May.

1) Joss Whedon’s letter to his fans - This month was all about the Avengers (I’ve only seen it twice, so far...) and the rest of the world realizing what all of us Whedonphiles have known for years, Joss is a genius.  Or, to use the popular (although admittedly cheesy) rhyme, Joss is Boss.  But in case you were concerned that it was going to his head that he has what is destined to be in the top 10 (5? 3?) all time grossing films, never fear.  Joss posted this lovely letter to those who have loved him the longest on Wedonesque, a very popular fansite.  

2) Doctor Who Tumblrs - Originally this was going to be a specific image (an Avengers/Doctor Who mashup, involving a mischievous look from Matt Smith’s Doctor beneath a picture of Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury assembling his team), but I can’t find it.  And when I was trying to find it, on tumblr, I instead came across a plethora of awesome images on tumblr and so many amazing Doctor Who images.  Many of which I was previously missing out on (since I was not caught up and did not want to stumble upon any spoilers).  There are quite a few, but I’m partial to the official one, seen here.  

3) tvbythenumbers - I was checking this site compulsively as the various seasons winded down and the major networks announced cancellations and new lineups for the fall.  They tracked (well they track) ratings and made predictions on what shows would survive the year.   Like Nate Silver for TV.  Okay, maybe not that good, but until Nate adds TV ratings to his repertoire, tvbythenumbers is a more than adequate substitute. While I have many issues with the ratings system that networks are ruled by, my favorite shows (well, and every other show) live and die by it, so I figure it is good to pay attention.  This year was mostly kind to me, with Fringe getting a 13 episode final season (instead of cancellation) & a second season of Hart of Dixie.  However it was less kind of my dad, who saw Alcatraz, A Gifted Man, & Missing cancelled.  Sorry Dad!

4) Book Club Question List - I had to send this out to my book club.  While not all are completely accurate, there are definitely more than a few that are ‘so us’, and those that aren’t crack me up anyhow. Like the obvious “is there more wine?”  Although we don’t typically ask that, because we’re generally never short on wine, the question is just can you please pour me some more wine.

5) The Opposite of Loneliness - This is simultaneously uplifting and devastating.  This was written just before a young Yale graduate was killed in a car accident.  Tragically this is making the rounds because of her untimely death.  It is an excellent read, and not just for her fellow 22 year olds whom she is addressing, but for the rest of us.

Books read: 29

Coming Soon: Sarah writes an open letter to the Mariners, pleading with them to spread their offense over more games in hopes of trying to win more often.  31 runs over 2 games is awesome, but being swept by the Angels at home is an embarrassment.