And Happy Boxing Day Too!!!!

Merry Christmas, One and All!

I hope everyone had a fine time. I got the presents of a lifetime: snowshoes and an octopus box, plus a rare book on atomic testing. It's everything I love!

I plan on writing more soon, and getting photos in. There might be a wee surprise visit from a good friend that will deserve some documentation, and my parents will be here on Monday.

But for now, dear readers, please learn about the Catalonian Christmas. All I can say is I laughed so hard I felt my stomach muscles. And a new respect for poop. Also, really try to sing the songs and get in the spirit.

To All Lurkers

Please don't lurk. Comment or something.

(I'm looking at you, Canadian lurkers.)

Also

I can say whatever I want about Canada and its people. My blog. So there, RG.

The Decade in Music, Pt 1

According to Pitchfork (and brought to you by Haagen-Daaz. Thank you Haagen Daz, for helping me through this decade)

Any other music decade lists?

Thoughts on the Week

My moms is here and we are kicking it. I mean, kicking it. We've been cleaning, decorating, baking, touring, watching films, drinking toddies by the fire. We got our seasonal agenda on point. Except we don't have the tree up yet. It will happen soon.

I've still got a crush on Idris Elba and think that Christian is secretly threatened by this. I think he will get over it. Normally I get comedy crushes: John Oliver, Eugene Mirman, Jermaine Clement. This is the first regular famous-person crush Ive had.

Christian has finally discovered etsy and may well be addicted.

I was diagnosed with bronchitis but am on the mend. I still get wicked tired really quickly. I sometimes swoon for no reason.

That is the week so far.

Plus, Another Luminous Beast of Pain

It's a jellyfish.

And you are welcome.

OCTOPI ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!

This may be late, but as the only site DEVOTED to all things cephalopodic and octopi especially, this is important news.

Octopus can use tools!

Specifically, they can tippy-toe around the ocean floor with coconut shells suctioned underneath them and then hide in the coconut shells when they feel scared. Think of the person you know that still believes in the usefulness of bomb shelters, and then this is the octopus equivalent. They need the shell just in case.

(Image courtesy of National Geographic)

LET THE DECADE ROUND-UPS BEGIN!

If anyone finds some good ones, post them in the comment section. Personally, C and I are breaking up the years in the decade into three days each and listen to songs from that year only. Right now we are in 2002. For me, 2002 was a lost year, musically. I was in Japan and just did not get any jopp or pazz or whatever. I was inundated by Glay.

Favorite songs from each year? Anyone?

I feel old because I need someone to explain Lady Gaga to me.

In other news:

Friends came to get a Christmas tree yesterday--Super Fun! -- and my mom comes tonight so I'll upload pictures soon.

They Won't Even Admit This In American Papers!

EXTRA EXTRA!!!

It's Embarrassing To Be A Canadian!

Hey Canada, clean up your act.

And stop being so damn smug.

And get your Governor General to stop clubbing baby seals and eating their beating hearts. It's pretty creepy.

And I had to go the UK's The Guardian to get this. Shame on you Canada. Shame.

A Passive-Aggressive Note for Neil

When I saw this I could not help but this of my cousin Neil. I really, really hope this makes your day. Thanks, Passive-Aggressive Notes.com

This Would Make a Suitable Laptop Bag

. . . for me, who still lacks a laptop bag sleeve/bag that would pad it and keep it safe.

Do You Guys Know About This?

I need to share this. I love these guys: Seth Romatelli and Jonathan Larroquette (yes, John Larroquette's son). It's "America through the eyes of two American Americans," alternatively put as "Two American Americans saving America from herself." I love that Seth is off the grid and doesn't do social networking or email. (He does believe in the phone, but not the cell phone.)

Please, please take a listen to the podcast of Uhh Yeah Dude. I really like them and look forward to their podcast every week. Their website has some video clips too so you can see them in action. To quote them: We do our best to make it easy.

I Don't Know Whether to Laugh or Cry

A can of pork and beans for buying a house?

whaaaa?

Christmas Wish List

Emily Post’s Etiquette

Zip drive/external hard drive

Uggs (short classic in chestnut)

Fresh Sake eau de toilette

Snowshoes

Lush Bath Bombs:

Ones that I like:

--Butterball

--All That Jasmine

--Golden Slumbers

--Vanilla Fountain

(Dead Sea Salts would also be exciting)

Some kind of waterproof casing for my iPod

What Else?

Books about Japan

Things my parents and friends make me

Surprises

I do like things that are non-Christmas themed. I feel like a sweater is more useful if it doesn't have Santa on it. It's not that I don't like Christmas, I just don't like presents that I can only use at Christmas.

There. I'm done and I won't talk about it again.

Ohhhhhhh Idris

First, I didn't mean for this to be the celebrity installment of my blog. But I just found out this morning that Idris Elba (aka Stringer Bell) is a cockney boy from East London and a serious Thespian (that's with stress on the "Th" and the "sp," so you know those skills are on lockdown.

So I Googled him and found some interviews he's done in his normal British accent and I think I love him. I mean, I really think I love his art. (By that, I mean I really love him.) Normally I go for comedy nerds like John Oliver and Eugene Mirman. But I think I can be forgiven for having a crush on a hot dude like Idris for once.

Two Actresses I Would Like To Drink A Beer With

I have a feeling that a drink with Amy Ryan and Mary-Louise Parker would be such a good time. You'd just come out of it feeling like you spent time with two women that are so cool. I wish we were buddies.

Trauma and Cuteness

So after a wonderful Thanksgiving with Neil, Andy and Laura we decided to do our annual trip to MASS MoCA.

One of the things that really caught my eye was Robert Taplin's work. As described by the MASS MoCA website:

Robert Taplin's Everything Real Is Imagined (After Dante) consists of nine sculptures, each referencing scenes from Dante's Inferno as modern allegories of political strife. Taplin's story begins as Dante's does with the uncertain sense of whether or not we are in a dream or reality. Thus My Soul Which Was Still In Flight (The Dark Wood) depicts Dante, as a modern-day everyman, rising from bed to start his journey. As Talpin's story unfolds, things become more complicated. The third canto of Dante's Inferno brings Dante and Virgil to the River Acheron in order to cross into the First Circle of Hell. In Across The Dark Waters (The River Acheron), Taplin takes this iconic scene and turns it into a metaphor for the refuge crisis, representing people trying to cross waters, unknowing, just like Dante, of what awaits them upon their arrival. Taplin's cycle ends with Dante mourning the fall of civilization -- in We Went In Without a Fight (Through The Gates of Dis), Dante stands witness to a city destroyed, mourning both life on earth and what may await down below.

What's crazy is that these scenes are in diorama form, essentially a very adult and dark message in a childish medium. It got me thinking and I think I've got to polish up my thoughts on Japanese trauma and cuteness and either get the essay published or put it up here and see what happens. I feel like Ive put so much time and thought into it that its worth putting up somewhere. Right? Probably.

Or Just the Tentacles

I love just the tentacles too.

Octopus Mug

Isn't it adorable? From etsy Wildcard Pottery.

I Don't Know What To Think About This

I've just heard about this thing called Mad Pride. It's not about people who are just super-cool with themselves and their lifestyle. No, it's like people who are schizophrenic and bi-polar rejecting their meds and considering their mental health conditions to be "dangerous gifts" instead of illnesses. Mad Pride activists are working to get larger acceptance of mental diversity.

And I can understand that these people, probably their whole lives, have been looked down on and reject the pressure to be normal by taking pills. On the other hand, I'm not sure if just avoiding sugar and doing yoga is going to help them find some equilibrium. Newsweek does an article on it here.

There is also a slideshow of art. Now, I am into art and trauma and all that, but frankly, if this was the stuff I saw in my head, I don't think I'd consider my mental state a "dangerous gift," but a "scary as hell, please dope me up" kind of gift. But that is just me.

Over to UC

If you haven't been following the events unfolding at University of California, things are going down and it is crazy bananacakes. I feel bad even saying that because it undermines what's going on. Here is the New York Times take on its.

I feel like just focusing on the tuition hike is looking at the story too narrowly. Faculty have been furloughed, and asked to take their furlough days on non-teaching days. While that might sound like an innocent request (or demand), what it really does is make research and writing a non-paid activity. Research and writing is just much a part of an academic's life as teaching is; it's like asking a foreman to only accept payment for when s/he is interacting with workers on the floor, while the time that goes into planning and supervising goes unpaid.

Inherent in this is the fact that UC is probably not going to be an attractive option to brilliant young academics, and so the quality of faculty will suffer from this in the long term.

It's not just about the tuition hikes, it's what they mean and the ways UC is changing. Balancing the books, in this case, means screwing over the faculty and the students and that is just not cool.

sorry, i had the sickies

that's about all. I was, as my dad (and now my husband) say, feeling punk. But Im on the mend and for the first time in ages I feel great.

The Neko Case show was AWESOME! And we had our mad cool friend Richard with us. No pictures of the evening, but it was really fantastic. Neko even brought her dog on stage which I thought was lovely. Her voice is so amazing. I'm more impressed by her range than someone like Mariah Carey who has a big octave range but does so little with it expressively. Neko has range, but also this depth of feeling that goes along with it. It was just a magical evening and I thank Christian for arranging it and Richard for coming. Thank you.

Off To Meet Miss Neko Case

Me and my hot piece are going to see Miss Neko Case perform tomorrow night in Northampton with Calexico (well, some members from Calexico). So probably no more updates till Saturday. Methinks you can handle it somehow.

Oh, you might ask why I can't update at some point earlier in the day to which I would say "good point." But I have a class on Japanese Literature tomorrow and I'm really freaking freaked out by Mishima so I'm going to make sure I handle that.

Handle this.

All The Octi Were Kung-Fu Fighting . . .

Please, if you can, go to the museum and love the pictures for me. It's Utagawa at the British Museum.

Gender Equality in Japan

A website I sometimes check, Shibuya246 posted what the top "husband" and "wife" Google searches were for Japan. It looks like, perhaps, the ladies are venting a bit and the fellas are clueless.

Searching under “husband”

• husband, I want him to die
• husband, I hate him
• husband, allowance, average
• husband, verbal violence
• husband, allowance
• husband, how to call (his name)
• husband, dead, procedures
• husband, depression
• husband, out of work
• husband, dead, pension
  

Searching under “wife”

• wife, birthday present
• wife, birthday present ranking
• wife, present
• wife, hysteria
• wife, how to call (her name)
• wife, depression
• wife, present ranking
• wife, documents not received
• wife, shochu (sake)

I love that both searches -- the womens' super-dark ones and the mens' clueless ones both include "how to call their name." Like, whaaa? You need to do a search on how to call your lady and she is doing a search on how to call you, kill you and collect your pension after you're dead?

This is So Dope

First, it kinda looks like this is a '60's pic (I think that because of her eyebrows), which makes the fact that she is smoking a pipe and popping some major cleavage all the more wicked cool. That is called defying convention. Does anyone know who she is? I don't. But she is thinking about something important, and that is also wicked cool.

Oh goodness, I just can't get over this lady's style, just kicking it with her pipe.

Still Feeling A Little Icky

I had this cold, with chills and a headache, and then I gave it to Christian (he did thank me politely), and now this whole sore throat thing has set it and it is kicking my bottom. We've had about two weeks of feeling sicky and Im ready to be done with it!

One More Thing

It's not like everyone knows all the deets about me, and thats cool. But listen, I do not have a cellular telephone anymore. Please stop telling me you've called my cell and can't get through and have therefore given up on me as a person.

I have a landline. If I'm not in, leave a message and I will call you when I get back. Like normal people used to do. Or send me an email. Or, oh god, write me a letter. I would effin' LOVE to get a letter! A real letter! That would be the best! I would love that!

PO Box 86
Pownal, VT 05261

And you can get my phone number easy, just write me or email me and I'll send it to you.
But please, don't do this thing anymore. Don't tell me my cell is down and you can't call me or be my friend anymore. I haven't had a cell for over a year. Don't get mad because I don't have a cell because that's not nice. Call, email, write. That is still plenty of choices.

WHA?????????

I'm just completely befuddled by this. A bra that is a no-bra that supports you? The little inset picture does not look very supportive to me. And is this whole thing just to be like

"Look, we know you like to look very slutty -- very slutty -- but you still want some support so your boobs don't fall apart as an old woman. So here, we made this just for you, you slut. Love it and wear it."

Uh, okay. It seems really non-functional, but maybe I will. I do try to obey advertisers.

This Is How Bears Are Supposed to Look

Playful, happy, and part ninja. It's in their nature.

Inglourious Basterds

We saw the movie again yesterday and Brad Pitt just kills me in it. He just does the best reading of his lines.

Christian is giving his talk on Wednesday! Come if you can.

On Tarantino, Nazis, and Movies that Can Kill You

4:00 p.m., Paresky Auditorium

The Future of an Illusion Film Series lecture by Christian Thorne. Refreshments. Sponsored by the English Department.

I Love This!

From FU Penguin

If only more penguins cared.

A Little Word About Where I Am Now

Just so everyone knows and all up to date: I live in Vermont with my husband Christian Thorne. We have this farm (see above: barns) and a meadow and views of the Green Mountains. I love it! I love it so much, with all of the seasons--the fall colors and the snowy winters and the bright spring unfolding and a summer that is hot but not too hot.

We have a guest room so you can come visit. I'm writing and homesteading. I make apple butter and knit stuff! And I effin' love it. Cranberry applesauce, anyone? I got it. I'll give you some. Zucchini relish from homegrown zucchini? I gots it. You can have some of that too. You want to cuddle down with a woodstove fire and some kitty cats and watch a movie? You can. It's awesome.

Ooooh, so the homesteading--the planning and growing and harvesting is time-intensive at certain times of the year. April to May has to be scheduled super-tight so that things get planted at the right time. Growing and propagation and then making sure the seedlings get enough water but not too much takes a couple weeks and then things are cool. The apple orchard needs to get sprayed regularly. Honestly, I am surprised at how regimented things have to be to produce food. I guess it's not that surprising, but it does take a lot of planning.

Writing is always intensive. I have kind of a ridiculous routine with that: I need to do a diary entry, read about the craft of writing (a couple pages), a writing exercise of a couple pages and then a thousand words. I have a couple different projects going and try to work on one until it feels exhausted, then switch to another until the other one opens up again. Then I also have to read and try to figure out the tricks the author is using to make the story work. After a couple hours of sitting then its time for physical work--homesteading or planning or whatever. I just can't sit for more than about three hours without getting ants in the pants. Props to people that can sit and read and work for hours: I just cannot do it.

So that's that. That's what Im doing, that's where I live, that's where Im going.

What The Hell Is Going On In This World Of Ours?

First, I cannot stay awake during "30 Rock" anymore, then suddenly the annuals I planted are becoming perennials and now the bears are sick!? What's next? I can handle it, world, but I know you got another shoe to drop, so drop that shit.

So the bears:
These bears are super-creepy without their fur. Apparently it's just the female bears that have lost all their fur. Don't tell me Todd Haynes is making a movie called "Bear Safe," because that's not funny, and it's not fair to the bears. It's winter and they lost their fur, and that is sad sad sad. But then, every time I start to get really weepy for the bears, I see how creepy they look -- like they might be the monster in M. Night Shamalayan's next picture. I realize that was two movie references in one paragraph, but Im going to let it stand.


Eeee, and the skin folds make me feel weird.

You Cannot Trust The Japanese Yazuka

All I can say is damn, if I knew the Japanese mob was on my tail, I'd go under deep cover. But it's amazing that the FBI and the National Police Association in Japan are working hand in hand to protect the Japanese mobsters.


Just because this picture is teeny-tiny and there are loin-cloths involved does not mean these guys will not kick your ass if you giggle at them.

Also, I'm married

Christian and I got married on Sept 3rd. I love that man.

HELLS YES!!

Can you imagine coming home and finding this in your house? I'd poo myself. I think it's some CGI project octo-monster made in the interior of a real house, otherwise I'd give some props. Damn.

On the other hand, there are these cute, tiny, poisonous blue-ringed octos that kill you too:

They just do it cuter. And don't get me started on Australia and all the dangers there. I saw "Rogue," I know those crocodiles stalk you. Ugh. But octopus? They rule!

I Can Not Twitter; But I Can Blog

Just for the memories. The special memories.

I don't think I've gotten any kind of overwhelming response or anything, but since I cannot twitter (and god knows I've tried) I guess I will stick with blogging. Kendra, Casey, Erica--where my girls?

Oh Goodness, Have I Left This Too Long?

I'm considering picking up the blog again. Does anyone care? If I get more than ten responses I will. Otherwise, lets let it go, right? Lets give it a good sending-off party. More than ten and its on. On . ON! As much as I can.

Ps: Picture is for shock value. pls respond.

Ahhhh! Octo-Obsession sets in, courtesy of Etsy

This says it's a squid wallet, but come on--that is clearly an octopus. An octo-wallet! Oh, a girl can dream, can't she?






This little guy is just adorable!



























This bag just kills me. Will I forgive the person who mis-spelled 'Octopus'? You bet.

Back in Vermont

Christian and I went down to North Carolina, went to church at my dad's new church in Robbins, NC. Then up to Raleigh, where we did a seven-course meal for my parent's 40th anniversary, then out to Hickory to get some more work done on my tattoo. New photos soon, I promise. The lower back is almost done.

I think we both really enjoyed the trip but it went so fast!
I'm glad to be home. The raspberries are ripening--it finally feels like summer.

Don-Lee Memories

I am in this photo. 1997 was a cracker summer for me. I got to be support staff to the Leaders In Training (also pictured here). This is where the magic of facebook comes in. Lately, we've almost all connected up and are talking. It's really pretty great. This was also the summer I was head lifeguard and trained all these people to be lifeguards. I also got to lie to many many little children. When a water moccasin got in the water I'd call a buddy check, get the kids out of the pool (ha, you don't often hear it that way, do you?), obtain possession of the snake and then assassinate it. Usually by chopping off it's head and then disposing of the remains. Then everyone back in the pool!!!! Swim time is fun time!

This part of the job gets even funnier when I admit that now I am a jumpy, screamy, tightly wound woman.

True story, after watching "28 Weeks Later" I was bragging to Christian and my mom that the movie didn't scare me all that much. Then I noticed Christian's brother Josiah was standing behind me, somewhat zombie-like, and I screamed the sounds of a woman about to be killed.

I then apologized to Josiah. It's not nice to scream at people.

But anyway, I have many good memories of Don-Lee. A big kiss--mwah!--to everyone here. I hope I see you soon.

The New Phobias

I can't imagine that an image of a monkey would be tightly copyrighted, but I felt like I needed to list my current phobias:

1. Ticks
2. Bears
3. Bedbugs
4. Leftovers (of more than 48 hours of age)
5. Wild parnsips
6. Films in which animals may be harmed (artistically, not in a PETA-kind of way. I still haven't finished "Bambi" for this reason).
7. Silvio Berlusconi's Sardinian grotto and ex-Czech Prime Minister's Mirek Topolanek's penis
8. Japanese Knotweed (such a horrible name)

Thriller

Unfortch, I did this way before MJ passed on (sing on, MJ!). This was at Heather's wedding shower and we took a trip to the bridal store. I could not resist the mirrors. Trish kept doing this part of the thriller dance all weekend, so I needed those mirrors to also do the dance.

You can dance, You can dance
Everybody look at your pants

So please, everyone, make a note: If you have a hall of mirrors, I will be dancing in it.

Habitat for Hunanity, Bennington Edition

Good news!
It looks like Im going to be involved in the Bennington Area Habitat for Humanity. They call it Bennington "area" because they have a pretty wide area in which they work. They're currently only doing about one house a year, but they have the skill set, materials and volunteers to do more--it's just about creating the infrastructure.

I don't know exactly what form my help will take--building or PR or fundraising, but it was FUN!
Here is a link:
http://tinyurl.com/lwgeyl

I learned that Hazel has an 81 year old brother with a glass eye who flies his plane around. She's worried he might crash it. Paul has a crazy sense of humor. And I met Zach too. He needs to find a way to get down to Massachusetts and Connecticut to visit some friends he met on a cruise. I'd lend him a car, but he doesn't have his permit yet.

I'm really looking forward to getting to know these peeps better. God, I love eccentricity.

Spy in the City

There are a couple things I love about these photos:
1. That Neil is wearing a white silky scarf. He looks like a WWII pilot
2. My beret
3. How easily is was to get secret information from his PDA.
4. How innocent I look in the first photo

Yes, I collected many many secrets in those days. Many secrets indeed . . . .

I'M BACK!!!!

So I live in Pownal, Vermont. In case you didn't know, Pownal is the gateway to Vermont. It's just over the line from Massachusetts and New York. It's a little hamlet full of arty, eccentric people. I have a writing room, a coupla acres, a raspberry patch and so much more.

I took a long break for personal reasons: my ex-husband and his mother were tracking me through this blog.

But now I'm back! The ex is a real ex. His mother has probably moved on to cyber-stalking Gavin's new girlfriend and we can all move on with our lives.

So, to update:
I miss all my Dirrty D peeps: C-Dub, Erica, Jenny Woodruff, Lindz, Layla, Matt, Andy B, and tons of other people. Ohhh. I miss you guys.
I'm meeting new people!
I'm writing!
I'm reading tons of stuff! (what do you think of "The Piano Teacher?")

mwa, thats all for now. Hopefully I'll be blogging daily.
Love love love
Hannah