Deviant Dispatches

Every day, the sun sets. Right now, I can think of a dozen poems and a dozen poets right for the occasion. But I have no words of my own. It's one of those times when I'm glad for other writers in the world - people who've been there before me, to give voice to feelings I can't articulate. Their efforts are a soothing balm in difficult times, though they can't heal on their own. I could go on. I could consider the cyclical nature of life, delve into memory, pound out words with a soft fury that I don't understand. But the most peaceful thing right now is in knowing that the sun will set today, just like it has for millennia past. Not everything has changed. But enough has. *** I wrote the above a week ago, the day my grandma passed away. In some ways, it's still unreal. In others, I'm both relieved for her and devastated for everyone who loved her. Since then, I've been to her visitation and funeral and seen first hand all the lives she...

Halloween has gotten pretty ridiculous in some ways. (To be fair, so has Christmas.) Chuck & Beans I've been over the Drool-Inducing Costume of Uncreative Idiocy since before it started. Now, it's almost impossible to find a prepackaged women's costume that isn't  focused on getting laid as quickly as possible. We all get it: sexy mummy , sexy Mad Hatter , and sexy pizza are all a thing (NSFW links, duh). Try a different adjective; you're starting to sound like a bad romance novel. This is one of many reasons I prefer to craft my own costumes. I've always really enjoyed pushing boundaries and pretending to be someone I'm not. For example, these are some of my previous costumes. Tigger A hobo boy Princess Leia Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull Bonnie Parker of Bonnie and Clyde Beaker Sure, baring it all is bold and sassy. But I think it's bolder to think outside the conventional and be true to your inner badass. That's why I...

Yesterday evening, after my second day in a row of writing absolutely nothing (which hasn't happened in many moons), I was so befuddled that I put a can of whipped cream in the freezer, then promptly forgot I'd done so and blamed it on Spousal Unit. Before bed, I made the mistake of asking him to open and pay his credit card bill so I could send the check in the morning. Turns out our last payment never made it to them - I have never  lost a check in the mail, so naturally, we have no record of it ever existing aside from a skipped number in our bank statement. Stress like that is a bad thing to have before bed. I had just made a cup of tea, and it stayed in the kitchen, full, all night. This came after a surprisingly jubilant afternoon and, combined with the unusual heat, made for a tossing-and-turning night. This is probably part of why I started singing Sleigh Ride in the shower this morning. It's going to be a weird day. Which is why I gave myself two little heaps...

Part I One of the coolest things about Bloodbuzz Ohio was in the theatrics. Behind the band, a screen depicted, for the most part, live video of  the band in abstract. But for Bloodbuzz, they used a feature that looked like blood cells creeping across the screen. The band was also cast in red by overhead lights, making them individual cells on stage to match the screen. Then, white light swept across the audience in a beautiful contrast. Aside from the fact that the lights were sometimes so bright that I had to close my eyes, the theatrics were wonderful. (No thanks to the idiot or two who started smoking during the concert. Inside the Orpheum.) Lead singer Matt, about halfway through, tossed a drink cup into the crowd. Between songs, one of the twin guitarists asked him about it. "It was a plastic cup," said Matt, "with a few drops of white wine in it. That's totally punk rock." He went on, pausing between each sentence. "They don't let me have...

On Sunday night, my friends Joey and Kaelin took me to see The National  at the Orpheum in Madison, with opening act Frightened Rabbit . I was excited for the opener because Joey was excited for the opener - he and I have very similar musical tastes, and I trust his opinion because he knows what he's talking about . He described them as very similar to U2, and lead singer Scott Hutchison said at the concert that they built their band with The National as a role model. I don't remember what songs they played that night, but here's one I've enjoyed since then: Living in Colour, from their album The Winter of Mixed Drinks . The National themselves were excellent. (Oddly comforting side note: the lead singer, Matt Berninger, wore glasses for the concert.) They had excellent sound throughout, with Berninger throwing in some interesting heavy-metal screams for certain songs (for example, at the end of Squalor Victoria  - I hadn't thought about it, but their songs...

I recently added more music to my happy music playlist and discovered something amazing: a lot of songs from the '60s and '70s era are really happy. Okay. Maybe it's not that amazing. But they're songs I hadn't given too much thought before - such as My Girl. I've been going through a weird kind of slump lately - instead of just feeling depressed, I've been way too crabby for no good reason. This has resulted in the same kind of scenario as depression by itself does: I decide to stay away from people for their own good (though Spousal Unit's been the only one to suffer my ire; thanks for putting up with me, love). I've been doing my best to combat that by hanging out with people anyway; the feeling fades for a while, but then returns. So I've been making an effort to turn off the news and turn on the happy music more often. It doesn't solve the problem, but it does give me a dose of happy, for however brief a time. I Feel Good - Ja...

When I was in second grade, I single handedly made my classmates develop a lifelong abhorrence of this song. They weren't too fond of me, either. Three times a week, the music teacher would come to our classroom with a cart full of large music books and instruments. Sometimes we would sing; sometimes we would play instruments. And sometimes, we would get to pick a song from the big music books to listen to. Whenever I was called on, I chose this song. I think part of why my classmates hated it was because it was boring to them, having no words at all. (My repetitive requests were probably also to blame.) My fondness for it was partially in the fact that it was by a Norwegian composer - even at that age, I recognized how awesome it was to be Norwegian. The other part was likely the awesome story behind the piece. (Though I didn't know that Grieg himself thought the piece "reeked of cowpats." Interesting.) I think even then, I loved the dark intensity of t...

On Saturday, Spousal Unit and I were driving home and this song by the National came on. The day had been long. It started out lovely, but something shifted when I went to buy a dress for upcoming weddings. I think it had something to do with my self-consciousness about my body. I didn't terribly feel like putting on different skins, analyzing them, scrutinizing myself. But I did it, because it needed doing. I went to run a few other errands, and there were more of bad drivers out than usual, giving me heart attacks at every turn and making me seethe at their idiocy. I called errands off early and went home, where Spousal Unit reminded me of his need for dress shoes. So we went out again, because it needed doing. Something about the song Runaway speaks to the softest part of me - the part I'm always trying to protect, the part I rarely show. Part of it is the lyrics , but I think more of it is the emotion in the lead singer's voice. Sitting at a stop light, thi...

As we headed toward the Overture Center for the big concert, Spousal Unit and I still had time to kill, so we went to the art museum next door. We stood in awe of the beautiful interior for a moment, then asked the guy at reception what the coolest piece in the museum was at the moment. "Well, we're technically closed right now," he said. "But I think it's the painting over there." The painting was more or less an upskirt shot of a lady's crossed legs under a table. She seemed to have a tuba or something draped over one foot. Art is weird sometimes, but awesome at others. Through the glass wall next to the painting was an exhibit of children's art, and I saw this piece of glory. It's GIR from Invader Zim! At a distance, it was hard to tell the medium, but I think the black parts are felt and the green is papier mache. Anyway. You want to hear about the concert . We sat in the front row of the second balcony (there are three...

Last night, Spousal Unit and I went on a date to see Shen Yun. With a trailer like this, we were really excited, and have been since we bought the tickets. Which was in March. That's a long time to sustain such excitement. We went out to dinner at Gino's on State Street. It's basically Spousal Unit's favorite place ever, and they made us yet another stellar Chicago-style pizza. After dinner, we headed back to the car (parked across from the fire department) so I could put on fancy shoes for the performance. Across the street at the fire department, we noticed a pink hardhat on the other side of the window that had a smiley face on top. I was about to take a picture when an ambulance pulled up. "You're going to get run over," Spousal Unit pointed out. I quickly moved, and we were about to go on our way without a picture when... "You're welcome to come inside, if you'd like!" one of the fire-guys said enthusiatically. ...

Over the course of the last week, I decided to write down the songs that randomly popped into my head - things that my brain radio played that weren't a result of hearing a song on the radio. Here's that weird, random list of songs I get stuck in my head at work. 98.6 - Keith (I get this in my head a lot, because at work I have to check percentages. I often run across 98.6, which puts this song in my head.) Daydream Believer - The Monkees I'm Sensitive - Jewel Fine Again - Seether (I didn't even know this song's name or artist till I looked it up, but it ends up in my head quite frequently) Put That Thing Back Where It Came From or So Help Me - from Monsters Inc. Be Prepared - from The Lion King (because I was walking down the hallway singing, "New pants! New pants! La la la la la la!" Also, that link is four minutes of that line in different languages. Worth it.) Thrift Shop - Ryan Macklemore Pure Imagination - from Willy Wonka E...

I heard a great song on the radio last weekend, but I've had trouble finding a full online version to listen to. The song is Tall and Resolute by the Summarily Dismissed. You can hear a clip of it on Pandora , and it is available on iTunes . It's a fun, jazzy tune, and I love the melody. But my favorite thing about it is that it's paired with great lyrics, too. ( My friend Joe talks about the connection with much more authority than I.) The song is about a woman who is... vertically challenged. You can read the full lyrics here , but my favorite lines are as follows. I call myself a femme fatale, but other folks refuse And say I'm just cute 'Cause I'm not tall and resolute Mostly, I love that the word "resolute" is rhymed with throughout this song. The words are intelligently chosen. Speaking of music, I plan to do a post next week of all the songs that randomly popped into my head this week. I highly doubt there will be any connection be...

Last night, Spousal Unit and I saw Rising Gael play at the Stoughton Opera House . The group is originally from Wisconsin (one of the CDs we picked up was recorded in Cottage Grove), and from their witty banter on stage, it sounded like they had many friends in the audience. Spousal Unit first heard them on The Irish and Celtic Music Podcast and has loved them ever since. Their first song of the night was Nova Scotia Farewell, which is becoming my favorite song the more I think about it. Lead singer and pipe master (a.k.a. flautist) Erin Ellison has such a strong, distinctive voice - I especially love the effects when she hits the high notes in this song. Despite that, the audience was quiet early on. A little too quiet. (Can you blame them? Stoughton is full of Norwegians - we don't get rowdy unless we're instructed to.) "We're used to playing pubs," guitarist Peter Tissot announced, encouraging the audience to get into it. And that was all it took. ...

In the last couple of days, I've been connecting two songs in my mind, for no apparent reason. (Full disclosure: I've also had Kiss by a Rose stuck in my head, thanks to Spousal Unit's evil ways.) The songs are Wisconsin by Whitehorse and Change by Churchill.  Wisconsin is rather folksy, with a hint of country twang in the guitar and almost lackadaisical singing in the lyrics at the beginning, despite talking about union busting. The lead singers intertwine their harmonies throughout the song, and the drum set plods along methodically, setting a kind of "marching to our death" tone. My favorite line is tied between "All our pirates are Johnny, not Somali" and "They're keeping Science in the basement/Speaking tongues and making fools." Change only seems folksy due to the use of a mandolin instead of a guitar - the song is much more pop-driven than anything else. The lead singer goes solo for the first few verses, not enlisting...

Some people get sick of listening to the same five versions of White Christmas or Jingle Bells every holiday season - especially those who have to listen to it at work, where there is no hiding from the terrible renditions of Santa Claus is Coming to Town (which would be better if they kept the industrial rock thing going). There are a lot of unique Christmas songs out there that I really enjoy, and in years that I've listened to the same three CDs over and over at work, I cling to any holiday tune that doesn't make me want to barf. The season just isn't the same if the music you put on for tree decorating is the same stuff you listened to twenty times that day. Which is why I present the following list of tunes that are easy on your barf reflex. The Muppets are always a sure bet that you'll have something to laugh at instead of cry about. Coldplay has several Christmas songs, including Christmas Lights - a song they wrote, with an awesome music video. Ma...

A new Ben Folds Five, now with more Fraggles!

I got some new music this week, and Anoushka Shankar's "Red Sun" is a favorite of mine. Spousal Unit heard a piece about her on NPR a few weeks ago; she's the daughter of famous sitarist Ravi Shankar, and this piece is on her CD Rise . But her new CD, Traveller, features a blend of Indian and flamenco music. This live video of the title track features some gorgeous Indian dance, too. Another new song I got was Garbage's "Bleed Like Me." Nothing like Garbage to make you feel that your weirdness isn't that weird after all - plus, the melody is very catchy. (If you know Garbage, you know without my saying that this song is full of potential triggers. It's beautiful, but listen with caution.) Last was a new-ish song by The National: "Exile, Vilify." I love the duality of the song, and how it changes when the word 'vilify' is first used. Two halves of the same whole. This video features a sock puppet. At first...

This weekend, I partook in a way of life that is slowly fading away, as more country roads become big highways and more corn fields become parking lots: a barn dance. I went to lots of events like this when I was little, except they were held at a small rural town hall. They served as family reunions for the adults; they gave me the excuse to eat too many rosettes and spin in circles like a maniac. For hours. I loved going to those events, despite the cheek pinches from people I didn't know and the long drive there and back. I usually wore a dress my mom had made for me, with a pair of frilly socks - back when pink was my favorite color. My family provided the music for these events, as they did at this weekend's dance. Back then, there were a maximum of five or six musicians at once; this weekend, there were between five and ten. (Not pictured here are the ladies who played mandolin later on.) There was even a caller for the square dances. The only ones I knew ...

After seeing Love by Cirque du Soleil a couple of weeks ago (I promise, this might be the last time I mention it here), I felt really inspired. That's my favorite thing about the good art of others, no matter the medium: really good art inspires others to do good art, too. (Sometimes bad art does that too, but I'm focusing on the good stuff right now.) I have a couple of specific future projects in mind. One is a Help! scarf. Source I've been trying to think of a way to distinguish it from a Where's Waldo scarf, and the best I can come up with is adding Beatles silhouettes on the white part of the scarf. Available on Etsy I also want to make some cross stitches, featuring Beatles lyrics and psychedelic patterns. While I haven't found anything like my particular vision out there, I have found some amazing Beatles-related artwork. Available on Etsy Look at the detail! And look at Ringo's afro! Source This Beatles cross sti...

It wasn't long into our Vegas trip that I revoked Spousal Unit's camera privileges. Once we landed, I felt the magic pretty quickly. One might imagine this is how an acid trip feels: the hotel lobby was full of floating flower balls. (If you could even call it a lobby. They might prefer "atrium.") If that was impressive, I was completely floored by the view from our room on the 52nd floor. We could see forever. Including the Vegas we lived in for a few years, I've never seen a place where grass looks so ridiculous; the natural landscape is completely barren, so all the greenery is man-made. See the big patch of grass near the window? A golf course. $500 per game. We wandered the strip a little, and discovered some other cool things, like this siren motorcycle at Treasure Island... ...and a Sistine Chapel-esque ceiling at the Palazzo. Then the event we all came for: The Beatles Cirque du Soleil. We were not allowed to ...