now that the tryptophan has worn off...

I meant to blog about my Thanksgiving weekend. Is it too late? It's the first weekend of December and I'm listening to Christmas music right now. I'm probably exceeding the statute of limitations on this one.

Really briefly, let me just say that I love Thanksgiving, but I don't really enjoy Thanksgiving dinner (What? Turkey, again? *sigh*). So it was especially fun to go out for Thanksgiving this year. The 'rents and I hit up Magleby's for their annual Thanksgiving buffet. The line was long and homeless-like, but it was good food. Unfortunately, I'm now going to associate crab legs with Thanksgiving dinner from now on.

Other Thanksgiving tradition upheld: seeing a movie. Maria was in town and we saw Twilight. The parents were supposed to come as well, but things came up and mom was feeling goofy sick anyway. I strangely liked the movie. Maybe it was because the trailer was so lame and the movie was actually better than the trailer. I doubt the studio execs did such a thing on purpose, but it totally worked. Everybody was going to see it anyway, so it only helps spread the word when everybody coming out says, "It was way better than I thought it would be!" I think it's a good idea. Of course, I seem to be the only one actually saying that it's better than expectations. Anyway, I seriously found it more enjoyable than the book on several occasions -- most notably in providing some humor. The girl wasn't very good (of course with a lame character like Bella, how could she be?), but I thought the Pattinson guy who played Edward was plenty cool. I know all the girls are saying he's not hot enough, but think about it this way: Stephenie Myer constantly wrote about how beautiful the guy is, but she hardly ever delivered some non-subjective descriptions. When she did, however, she was totally describing Robert Pattinson. Anyway, the movie wasn't horrible. Probably won't make my year-end top ten, but it wasn't horrible.

My final Thanksgiving necessity was catching up on some overdue dvds.

First up: Square Pegs. I probably know only two people who are aware of this tv show from the early 80s. 'Twas a high-school sitcom starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Jami Gertz and the guy who played Kirk's son in Star Trek II. As my brother put it (my brother Andy is a HUGE fan), it was way ahead of its time. In many senses it was. It was a single-camera show, which means that it didn't look as staged as most traditional sitcoms at the time. It looked a lot more like The Office, 30 Rock or Scrubs. Another plus: it was definitely a product of its time. Most people would call that a minus, but it's a plus for me. It's like a fascinating study of the specific trends and attitudes of 1982. It wasn't Duran Duran that guested on the first episode, it was The Waitresses -- a perfect image of that exact time. Some annoying things: yes, there's a single camera, but there's also a laugh track, which makes no sense. They're obviously filming in a real school and not a studio audience. The kids are also VERY stereotypical. Maybe this is a plus, because it's so very very obvious. We got the shy girl, the girl who wants to be popular above all else, the weirdo music lover, the hopeful stand-up comedian, the bossy student government (pep squad) chick, the valley girl and (embarrassingly the most stereotypical of all) the sassy black woman.

Next: Star Trek: The Next Generation. I've started watching the entire series of TNG on behalf of another project. Now I don't care what you say or what your so-called credentials are, but Next Gen is pretty sweet. The first season, however, is howlingly not sweet at all. Fortunately, there's plenty of unintentional comic relief. Eventually, this show grew to a really great franchise, but how it got past the first season is beyond me. I guess it had the luxury of non-network syndication in 1987, plus legions of fans clamoring for a new Star Trek series for nearly 20 years. Those same fans will mistakenly bestow more accolades on TNG than on the original series (whatever).

Veronica Mars. I've only seen the first ten or so episodes, but it's becoming an absolute delight. I was really worried at the beginning. Unfortunately, I'm probably less of a fan of Kristen Bell than I was before. It's not that I dislike smart girls, but what I really hate is when a girl gets smart girl attitude. You know, the kind of attitude where everything you say is dumb and her tiny self is just standing there with an annoying smirk and her head cocked to the side. Yeah. Sass. I hate it. On everybody. Also alarming when I first started watching was how I had the assumption that it was a super smart, under the radar show that the mainstream simply didn't get. Imagine my horror, when the stunt casting of Paris Hilton occurred on, like the second episode. Quibbles aside, it's an awesome show. Funny, sad, thrilling and all that. I also love having a mystery to solve every time. The theme song "We Used to be Friends" by The Dandy Warhols is an awesome song. Fortunately it was done first on The O.C. I also love Logan Echolls. He plays the jerk. Veronica fans keep asking me if I "like" Logan yet which I think means "has his heart softened and has he won the heart of Veronica Mars yet?" The answer to that is no. I think I'll actually like him less when that happens. Sad to hear that the show only lasted for three seasons.

So next holiday plans: MLK Day! What're we doin'?

typalizer

I'm grabbing ideas from that other blog again.

Remember the Myers-Briggs personality test? It scores like this:

You get an E or an I depending on whether you have dominant extroversion or introversion.
You get an S or N depending on whether you're dominantly sensing or have introversion.
And so on with Thinking and Feeling...
and judging and perceiving.

This site:

http://www.typealyzer.com

allows you to input your blog and based on your blog word usage, breaks down your Myers-Briggs personality.

I scored an ISTP -- The Mechanics.

Here's what it says about that:

The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generally prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.

Here's the brain activity breakdown at the lower right.

The first paragraph (besides the awkward second sentence which I think is supposed to be two) pretty much fits me I think. The second paragraph -- not at all. Perhaps I tend to only blog about exciting events, such as fire-fighting. According to Wikipedia, 5.4% of Americans are ISTP.

Hmm. I've got a bunch of other blogs, I wonder if the test yields the same result. If the test works, it should yield the same response for all the others. I mean, I'm the same person writing all of these, right?

J.R. Watches Star Trek for the first time: ESTP -- The Doers

The active and playful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.


Maybe this one is different because It's not all me. Maybe J.R. throws the thing over to extroversion.

The Jon Madsen Movie Commentary Podcast: The Performers -- ESFP

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.


Hmm. I was hoping that I'd score a "think" on this one rather than "feel." Perhaps I'm not an intellectual movie snob at all, but a passive victim of manipulation.

Blogging Forgotten Realms: The Performers -- ESFP

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.


Scored the same on this one as for the Movie Commentary Podcast. Perhaps the results of this one should be tossed out, because the blog is supposed to be written as several different characters. I'm glad, however, that it scored a "feel." Maybe it means we've got some real characters going on over there and not lifeless robots.

should have been posted last week...

This was an actual text conversation I had with Kristi last week!

Kristi: We're watching a chick flick if you're not doing anything. [09:01:51 PM]

Jon: I'm on my way to the Maxim fire. What movie are you watching? [09:03:10 PM]

Kristi: Ps i love you. we just saw your car at home and thought we'd invite you. Have fun. [09:05:01 PM]

Jon: Um... i love you too. Seriously, though, what movie are you watching? [09:06:32 PM]

Kristi: You're such a dork. [09:08:06 PM]

Jon: That sounds like a pretty good movie. [09:08:56 PM]

100 reasons why high school sucked

After checking out some Google Analytics, I found myself checking out other blogs that have mentioned some of my other blogs (it really is a worldwide web, huh?). Anyway, here's one that name-dropped the J.R. Watches Star Trek blog seemingly out of nowhere. One of this girl's entries was to do the following:

A) Go to Music Outfitters.

B) In the search function, enter the year you graduated from high school. Get the list of the 100 most popular songs of that year.

C) Bold the songs you like, strike through the ones you hate, and underline or italicize your favorite.

D)Do nothing to those you don’t remember or don’t care about.

I checked her list (from 1985) and was immediately envious. Even though she claims she disliked most of the songs, I find the list overall to be pretty memorable. So it was even more disturbing when I checked out my year -- 1995. Man, I hated the music from my final year of high school! Most people my age are probably disagreeing right now. The 90s had grunge -- probably the defining musical genre of my generation. Unfortunately, A) I never appreciated grunge as much as I should have in high school and B) as this list clearly shows, there wasn't nearly enough of it in the middle of the decade. I would have welcomed a ton more grunge to this list.

Anyway, I'm about to do the little activity, but I'm doing it with changes.

Bolded are the songs I don't mind that much.

Strikethroughed are the songs I dislike/hate.

Italicized are the songs I don't remember at all.

And then just normal fonted ones are the songs that I have no feeling for one way or another.

1995

1. Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio
2. Waterfalls, TLC
3. Creep, TLC
4. Kiss From A Rose, Seal
5. On Bended Knee, Boyz II Men
6. Another Night, Real McCoy
7. Fantasy, Mariah Carey
8. Take A Bow, Madonna
9. Don't Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem Days), Monica
10. This Is How We Do It, Montell Jordan
11. I Know, Dionne Farris
12. Water Runs Dry, Boyz II Men
13. Freak Like Me, Adina Howard
14. Run-Around, Blues Traveler
15. I Can Love You Like That, All-4-One
16. Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?, Bryan Adams
17. Always, Bon Jovi
18. Boombastic/In The Summertime, Shaggy
19. Total Eclipse Of The Heart, Nicki French
20. You Gotta Be, Des'ree
21. You Are Not Alone, Michael Jackson
22. Hold My Hand, Hootie and The Blowfish
23. One More Chance-Stay With Me, Notorious B.I.G.
24. Here Comes The Hotstepper, Ini Kamoze
25. Candy Rain, Soul For Real
26. Let Her, w Hootie and The Blowfish
27. I Believe, Blessid Union Of Souls
28. Red Light Special, TLC
29. Runaway, Janet Jackson
30. Strong Enough, Sheryl Crow
31. Colors Of The Wind, Vanessa Williams
32. Someone To Love, Jon B.
33. Only Wanna Be With You, Hootie and The Blowfish
34. If You Love Me, Brownstone
35. In The House Of Stone And Light, Martin Page
36. I Got 5 On It, Luniz
37. Baby, Brandy
38. Run Away, Real McCoy
39. As I Lay Me Down, Sophie B. Hawkins
40. He's Mine, Mokenstef
41. December, Collective Soul
42. I'll Be There For You-You're All I Need To Get By, Method Man-Mary J. Blige
43. Shy Guy, Diana King
44. I'm The Only One, Melissa Etheridge
45. Every Little Thing I Do, Soul For Real
46. Before I Let You Go, BLACKstreet
47. Big Poppa/Warning, Notorious B.I.G.
48. Sukiyaki, 4 P.M.
49. I Wanna Be Down, Brandy
50. I'll Make Love To You, Boyz II Men
51. Dear Mama/Old School, 2Pac
52. Hold On, Jamie Walters
53. Keep Their Heads Ringin', Dr. Dre
54. The Rhythm Of The Night, Corona
55. Roll To Me, Del Amitri
56. Scream/Childhood, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson
57. Freek'n You, Jodeci
58. I Wish, Skee-lo
59. Believe, Elton John
60. Carnival, Natalie Merchant
61. You Don't Know How It Feels, Tom Petty
62. Back For Good, Take That
63. Tootsee Roll, 69 Boyz
64. You Want This-70's Love Groove, Janet Jackson
65. Tell Me, Groove Theory
66. Can't You See, Total
67. All I Wanna Do, Sheryl Crow
68. This Lil' Game We Play, Subway
69. Come And Get Your Love, Real McCoy
70. This Ain't A Love Song, Bon Jovi
71. Secret, Madonna
72. Player's Anthem, Junior M.A.F.I.A.
73. Feel Me Flow, Naughty By Nature
74. Every Day Of The Week, Jade
75. The Sweetest Days, Vanessa Williams
76. Short Dick Man, 20 Fingers Featuring Gillette
77. Brokenhearted, Brandy
78. No More "I Love You's", Annie Lennox
79. You Used To Love Me, Faith Evans
80. Constantly, Immature
81. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me, U2
82. 100% Pure Love, Crystal Waters
83. Ask Of You, Raphael Saadiq
84. Sugar Hill, Az
85. Good, Better Than Ezra
86. Brown Sugar, D'angelo
87. Turn The Beat Around, Gloria Estefan
88. 'Til You Do Me Right, After 7
89. 1st Of Tha Month, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
90. Like The Way I Do If I Wanted To, Melissa Etheridge
91. I Live My Life For You, Firehouse
92. Dream About You-Funky Melody, Stevie B
93. Cotton Eye Joe, Rednex
94. Thank You, Boyz II Men
95. I'll Stand By You, Pretenders
96. I Miss You, N II U
97. Give It 2 You, Da Brat
98. Best Friend, Brandy
99. Misery, Soul Asylum
100. Can't Stop Lovin' You, Van Halen

Wow! Look how many I didn't even know! Obviously I wasn't very into the 90s R&B and rap scenes. I remember more songs from when I was 8 than when I was 18. And to those of you who are like, "Since when did Jon ever like Take That! and Sophie B. Hawkins?" I say I'm actually not fan at all. I just had to pad the positive numbers slightly (and I've found myself singing along to both of those songs). Hardly any of the songs that I mentioned that I liked would be songs I'd not tune the station from if it came on the radio.

Take a look at your list. Did you fare better?

my karaoke song explained

A couple of nights ago I went Karaokeing with some friends. It was great fun. We hit up the Tavernacle. My only complaint was the song selection. Perhaps that didn't matter though. I have this (possibly annoying) habit of picking 80s songs that not too many of my peers remember (or were alive to hear). I like to think that if I do a really awesome karaoke job with a song that's unfamiliar to people, it becomes MY song even more so than the original artist in the eyes of my viewers.

Ultimately that night I went with "Would I Lie to You?" by The Eurythmics. VERY RISKY. Not only was I not extremely familiar with the song, but it's also sung by a girl That's always real tricky. I got up there and immediately said "Alright, sing along if you know the song." To my horror, partway through I realized that the most identifiable parts of the song are actually sung by the BACK-UP singers and the karaoke screen doesn't even pop up words for those parts. I held the mic out to the audience to sing along to it, but it appeared that all my friends had absolutely no idea what song I was singing. There were a few people singing along on my left side, so kudos to them for knowing the words. Actually, I don't know if they actually knew the song or if they just achieved "drunk knowledge" that often occurs during bar sing-alongs.

After I finished attempting to wail like Annie Lennox from the karaoke screened "ah"s and "oh"s, I confirmed with every single one of my friends that they had never heard the song before. I bet they have. They've just never heard me attempt the soul-diva vox of Annie Lennox before.

For your sakes, here is the complete version. It was actually taken from Eurythmic Dave Stewart's YouTube page. He requested no embeds so I had to sorta borrow the video and then upload it back into Blogger. Have you really not heard this song before?



One of my favorite things that Sports Guy does is do a play-by-play of YouTube videos. Thanks to my sick, extensive knowledge of 80s music videos, I'd be totally remiss if I didn't do the same with this one.

0:00 -- The first minute of the official music video is a non-musical cinematic prologue. Such a practice was gaining popularity ever since "Thriller" a few years before.

0:06 -- Eurythmics guitarist and producer Dave Stewart strolls in and (very politely) remarks that Annie Lennox is late. He A) appears blind and B) sounds exactly like George Harrison.

0:14 -- Evil motorcycle guy drops Annie off. This is part of an 80s trend where hip, strong-willed, short-haired blonde women are shoved around by an abusive jerk in their own music videos (see "Voices Carry" by 'Til Tuesday). This also showcases another trend in 80s videos, tv shows and movies. The heroine always either escapes FROM a guy on a motorcycle, or escapes WITH a guy on a motorcycle.

0:28 -- The record company bleeps whatever the jerk calls Annie. I scoured the net, but couldn't find the uncensored, uncut version anywhere.

0:40 -- Dave Stewart seems like Alan Rickman in Die Hard until he speaks in his supernally gentle voice. After offering his shoulder and soothing beard to lean on, he reassures her: "Just be yourself tonight." The album this song appears on is entitled Be Yourself Tonight. Some albums are named after songs; some are named after incidental lyrics in the songs. This may be the only album named after a throwaway cinematic sequence attached to the beginning of one of the song videos.

1:00 -- The song begins right at the one-minute mark. Right away we hear that they've bagged the synth-heavy nature of the band's stereotype. Now they're channeling motown soul.

1:14 -- Yeah, that's right! It's the 80s and we're swimming in one mother of a catchy guitar riff!

1:20 -- The music video trumpeter misses his trumpet lip sync cue by two full seconds. Today, music videos will go an extra day of shooting to fix such a problem. Back then? Whatev.

1:30 -- Annie comes in NOT singing the main chorus. She then slyly crosses in front of the back-up singers the camera is focused on. It's almost as if she's playing back-up to the back-ups. She is trying out her Aretha-like pipes, though.

1:58 -- Annie achieves femininity through her hip-shake on the catwalk. This absolutely extinguishes the model of androgeny that she achieved in the "Sweet Dreams" video.

2:14 -- Annie actually sings the words "would I lie to you?" These words were NOT provided in the karaoke version I sang.

2:30 -- Inexplicable 80s music video moment #1: Annie breaks the fourth wall of the club setting by singing directly to the camera. She also sings without the microphone up to her face. Was this a video shoot oversight or was it some sort of surreal artistic decision? I choose the latter.

2:44 -- The bad guy unwittingly provides a sweet motorcycle sample to compliment the song a la the 60s favorite "Leader of the Pack."

2:59 -- Dave inexplicably switches from lead to rhythm guitar. Video shoot oversight or artistic decision? I choose the former.

3:04 -- A businessman ballerino jumps onto the stage and pirhouettes back into the crowd. It's awesome. Unfortunately, Generations X and Y would NOT let such a thing happen today. They'd just ridicule the guy to tears.

3:22 -- The bad boyfriend is back from whatever errand he had to run. It apparently took him 142 seconds to accomplish it, whatever it was. Say what you will about the guy -- he is quite efficient.

3:54 -- It suddenly strikes me that all 80s British bandmembers with beards must also wear black leather jackets. Actually, Peter Hook, bassist of New Order (pictured), is the only other example that I can think of. He's worth at least five bearded Brits, though.

4:02 -- The motorcycle jerk plays right into Annie's game and attempts to continue the argument with her onstage. Bad move. By this point, Annie obviously has the crowd on her side. Plus, he doesn't even have a microphone so we don't know what he's saying. My guess is that he's abandoned the argument and has moved on to simply psyching her out. "You're singing is flat! FLAT!"

4:12 -- Annie shoves him into the crowd although he obviously stage dives and enjoys it. Either it was late in shooting or Annie, Dave and the rest of the band actually won the guy over through their awesomeness (see Rocky IV)

4:29 -- The return of the businessman ballerino! No shame! You go guy!

4:40 -- Now we have a fade into Dave doing a sweet stage jump in slow motion and not timed to the music. Perhaps this was to offset the fact that the song ends in an audio fade.

4:49 -- The horn section is randomly roaming about center stage! Chaos has replaced order and anarchy rules -- which is easy to do and look cool in a music video because the music is dubbed in anyway.

4:53 -- Two awesome things happen within a short timeframe. The same trumpeter who missed his cue at the beginning of the song now redeems himself by spinning his instrument on his finger like he's in the wild west. Right after that, Dave chucks his guitar into the crowd and the instrument KEEPS PLAYING THE SONG!

5:02 -- Obligatory 80s robot dance.

Well, there you have it. Keep in mind, I love this stuff. I AM NOT MAKING FUN OF THIS SONG OR VIDEO! Don't get any mixed messages.

Next time we're at The Tavernacle, you're singing along with me!

cinematic experience plug

Well, it's probably about time that I announced my latest collaborative venture. Chances are you already know because John and Cameron have already announced it and their blogs are way more popular than mine.

I edit The Cinematic Experience. It's the movie review show that I agree with nearly 75% of the time. Here's a great embed for your a'ganderin'.



It's supposed to be on tv I think. Maybe it is. Ask the guys. In the meantime you can see the whole selection on YouTube.

how i survived...

Amazingly people are still asking me how the game was. Strangely not everyone heard what happened (or more accurately didn't happen) to me.

I LOST THE TICKET!

Yeah, I know, right? What's up with that. Joe and Beau (hey, that rhymes!) and I were enjoying a wonderful lunch at Charlie Chow's and on the way out I felt my back pocket where I kept the ticket and it was totally gone. I was wearing my corduroy pants with shallow back pockets so it must've fallen out on the way to the restaurant. Either that, or the family of Utes picked my pocket because they didn't want their stadium corrupted by someone who obviously blued himself.

I told everyone that if anyone deserved to lose his ticket, it was me -- since I've been so wanting to sell it for a quick buck. Still, as long it's gone, the buck would have been nice (200 would have been far nicer)

Three quarters would have been pretty fun, but the fourth would have been horrendous, so it was nice to watch on a comfy tv with some other cougars. I'm not saying than I and my friends are older single women on the prowl (at least not all of us). I'm just re-iterating that yes, I am a BYU fan -- even more so than I was in school.

martyr for love

This may be the last time any of you see me.

As of this writing, I haven't been able to get rid of my BYU-Utah football game ticket, so it looks like I'll have to go to the game. Last time I went to the BYU-Utah game at Rice-Eccles stadium I SWORE I'd never go back.

Now, strangely, I'm going to torture myself all over again. Actually, I guess I'm going to allow 45,000 of the red menace to torture me. Maybe I'm a lousy fan, but I don't see BYU winning this one. The odds are clearly against us. That's still irrelevant though. I simply don't get the same joy out of the spite that comes from sticking it to the other team on their own turf. It's either freak out and get miserable or break even with me. I simply don't get enough pleasure out of sporting events.

Nevertheless, we got the tickets several months ago just to go to this game and now we're committing. It could be rough, and as I've said I may not be coming back. This may be the biggest game ever in the rivalry. I think fans on both sides will be taking this one personally. It could be life-threatening.

Tell my story.

the ascendancy of the child

I should have posted this news a while ago. People and Wikipedia have both confirmed that the child of promise foretold by the comedy gods entered our realm on October 25th, 2008. His name shall be known to us mortals as Archibald "Archie" William Emerson Arnett and he weighed 129 ounces upon gracing our world. Let us rejoice by watching Arrested Development, Hot Rod, Mean Girls and DVRed Weekend Updates all at once on several different tvs.

some dvd extras minus one dvd

I apologize to all you people who are constantly like, "the book is way better than the movie." This blog is pretty much turning into a video blog. I like movies a lot, okay?

Anyway, through the same cinematic computer magic that went into colorizing It's a Wonderful Life, I've managed to colorize Cyber Stalking Slaughter on Center St.



Also we've compiled a clip show full of outtakes from the movie this year. You'll probably think these are funnier if you were actually there, but then again most of these funny moments will probably be new to you if you weren't. It's sort of a good catch-22.

it's election day! yay!

Vote Nader/Gonzalez btw. I probably should have mentioned that sooner. I'm friends with Nader on Facebook. I'm not friends with Gonzalez, though. Hmmm.

So I just got done voting. I figured I'd go early to avoid the lines at the polling place (very successful) and also to avoid the lines at Ben & Jerry's. It was empty! But apparently they don't start giving away the free ice cream with the voting until 5:00. So I imagine it'll be plenty crowded by then. Dash it all! To make matters worse, I was in such a hurry to get out and Barack the vote (except I didn't actually vote for Obama) that i didn't bother changing my shirt from yesterday. That means my sticker is on yesterday's shirt and if I want the free ice cream people will probably see me wearing the same shirt. Yes, I know I can just transfer the sticker, but I'm always wary about the diminishing adhesive returns of sticker transference.


They really should change the stickers don't you think? What's to stop someone from just wearing their sticker from the previous election and claim that they voted this year when they actually didn't? The government should encourage people to vote every year. The sticker situation is just way too corruptible.

Here's a video I like. Lots of people hate Peanuts. I sure don't. I love those kids. It's actually kind of reminds me of the movie, Kids. Where are the adults? Anyway, this clip is great because it not only addresses the election, but it also discusses two other things that have been on my mind lately -- religious political policy and "Treehouse of Horror XIX." Anybody catch the Halloween Simpsons yet?




Yeah... I forgot to resize that video. You may need to squint.

Oh what the heck. Here's a favorite clip from this year's special. It's not The Great (Grand) Pumpkin stuff, but it's pretty good. AND REALLY GRUESOME!

the true meaning of halloween

Usually I don't follow the Onion News Network. I find them pretty unreliable. I swear, half the time it's like a total joke. However, in the current throes of Slutoween, mancandy and non-pagan parties; I've found that the following news brief is DEAD ON.


In The Know: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

Thanks to Jeff (of all people) for sending this along. Also, I just posted a recent and time-consuming post about the Halloween cd. Don't let it get buried in the new post! Scroll down and read that one too.

it's here!

Well, Halloween is here. It's today. Not a moment too soon to finish up this year's Halloween cd. J.R. or I will be glad to burn you a copy, but if you don't want to deal with us directly, feel free to download all the songs below. You can even NOT download some of the songs you may not want. However, I will explain why you SHOULD download each and every track and blast it all day today (and maybe tomorrow too, you know, for the Mexican Dia de los Muertos (and all during the Christmas holidays when it's just too Yuley)).


1. "Date With the Night" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Everybody knows "Maps," but YYY has far less of a feminine side. The cd opens pumped and ready to dress the night up. Good song to play with friends before trolling around on Halloween.

2. "Disturbia" by Rhianna
This is the same chick who sings "Umbrella" right? Well this one is way better. It's also better than that Shia LaBeouf movie.

3. "Evil and a Heathen" by Franz Ferdinand
I met these guys once. I made the mistake of referring to their music as a throwback to 80s dance music. He was like "why does everyone always say that? We want people to dance, but we throw back way farther than the 80s." Anyway, he's probably right. It's like dance rock sorta. Plus their lyrics tend to be pretty off the wall. This one gets ya hoppin.'

4. "Vampires Will Never Hurt You" by My Chemical Romance
I was a bigger fan of "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" and "Helena" than some of their recent stuff, but they know you can't go wrong with the classic theme of vampires.

5. "Rock the Night" by Europe
What party would be complete without Europe? Hot Rod has sort of messed and blessed my life.

6. "Walking With a Ghost" by The White Stripes
This is actually a Tegan and Sara cover. I thought I liked the original better, but I like how much fun Jack has with this one.

7. "Is It Scary?" by Michael Jackson
This song came out during one of Michael Jackson's bad publicity years. It's no "Thriller," but it beats hearing "Thriller" for the 500th time. Plus it's got the added subtext into Michael's psyche during a troubled time.

8. "Back In Flesh" by Wall of Voodoo
Too many people don't remember the 80s like I do. It was filled with weird stuff like this. Still, maybe you won't like it, but try to appreciate the way things were expressed back then. It's good weird, and a little deep too.

9. "Children of the Night" by NosfeROYtu
This is actually J.R.'s song that he composed in Garageband. It samples a little Dracula. It's legit spooky.

10. "Chill Factory" by Jondis and Thom Yorke
Here's my Garageband contribution. I stole some Radiohead vocals from their song called "The Reckoner."

11. "City of Delusion" by Muse
I fought for the inclusion of this song because it's Muse and Muse totally reigns. Nothing else needs to be said.

12. "Kingdom of Doom" by The Good, the Bad & the Queen
This band is from the Blur and Gorillaz guy. Some people put out new albums, he puts out new bands. Very British. It's sort of a protest, but the feel of it is very graveyard walky.

13. "Witchcraft" by Wolfmother
Obligatory Halloween air guitar song.

14. "Things That Scare Me" by Neko Case
Neko's got a voice made for Halloween.

15. "She's Lost Control" by Joy Division
Joy Division excel in bleakness. When you first hear the song you may think it's boring, but after a while the driving beat really riles you up. It's like fun despair.

16. "Children of the Grave" by Black Sabbath
Rock!

17. "Headhunter" by Front 242
Here's a blast from the past. This was popular in the early 90s I believe. If grunge didn't hit this sort of industrial dance sound would have been much bigger I think. It's almost a weird concept to have angry dance songs, but this one is mighty effective. Totally galvanizing.

18. "Mad World" by Michael Andrews
Here's another cover. You've seen Donnie Darko right? The movie sort of made this Tears for Fears song famous again. The movie version did a good job of showcasing the bleak lyrics which the original never did.

19. "The Beginning Is the End Is the Beginning" by Smashing Pumpkins
If you've seen the trailer for Watchmen, you know this song. Since the movie's coming out we had to put it on. Since it's titled the way it is, it closes the cd. Good thing it's so awesome.

Anyway, pop these into the 'ol iPod and enjoy. Oh and btw, we slipped in some great dialogue from 1408, Blacula, Poltergeist, Jeepers Creepers and Shaun of the Dead.

cyber stalking slaughter on center!

cyber stalker slaughter -- LIVE!

Watch this window at 9:15 Sunday for the showing of this year's Halloween movie. Hopefully it works. If it doesn't work, try refreshing.

Free video streaming by Ustream

plan on sunday night

I'm furiously putting the Halloween movie together right now. How furiously? My Google Reader is backed up to 35 items.

So we're still planning on the Sunday night premiere at my house at 9:15ish. Those of you who live more than 10 minutes away are probably sad that you are unable/too lazy to come. I'm planning on enclosing a Ustream feed into this blog at that time, so you can watch it live with us. Just keep that in mind.

Love to see you at my house or online!

halloween jambalaya

Yesterday I woke up with this incredible book idea. This is more unique than my other two book ideas, in that I know exactly how it will end. I also know that the book absolutely must be written before 2012. So my question is, should I write all three books in the next four years, or should I skip ahead to make sure the third book is written?

So yeah. I'm working on the Halloween movie right now. I'm getting pretty stressed about it. I love doing it, but I'm finding myself putting it off, like a school project to only have it come back and haunt me during crunch time.

A by-product of the stalling is actually something to help promote the movie. I figured the public deserves to have an official trailer for the 2008 Halloween movie. Here it is:



I've decided that I'm sort of like a Halloween parent. You know how Christmas is really stressful for parents, 'cuz they feel a need to make sure their kids have the best Christmas ever? I get more stressed out every year. Once again, J.R. and I are late on getting the Halloween cd done. Hey Roy, remember how those things used to take us one night to finish?

I'm not complaining. I'm just wondering if maybe I should take from the holiday more than I give. Perhaps that's not the best choice of words. I don't really give anything. All my projects I've made with me in mind.

So far I can't complain, though. Hit some haunted houses, watched some scary movies. Almost done with the cd, almost done with the movie.

this post is longer than some newberry award winners

My friend Emily is too good for a blog. She's kind of like my friend Pete, who's too primitive for a cell phone or like Rhett who's too scared for lasik.

Emily does have a lot to say, so sometimes it's up to one of us wired people to get the word out.

If anything, Emily's big claim to fame is that she's read every single Newberry Award winning book. I asked her to make a list of the best ones and she said that she didn't remember every single book in detail, so she decided to read them all again. How's that for ready (read: read-y (that was a lot of reads))! Earlier this week she emailed me the big list, with lots of insightful and funny comments. Looking for a book to read to your kids or a book that is written so well that it appeals to kids as well as adults? THIS is the DEFINITIVE list!

Her words follow:

The Newberry Award was established in 1922 to honor the best American book for children. I read all of the winning books in elementary school and decided to read them again after a discussion with a friend. So, I have spent the last seven marvelous months reading the best children's books in the United States. Needless to say, some of them were better than others. In an effort to save all of my dear friends the pain of a bad book I have written reviews. These reviews were written within minutes of finishing a book so it's really all about my first impressions. If you are looking for a good book to read, feel free to pick something from my list. However, I am not responsible if you don't like the book. Our tastes are just different. Enjoy!


Books to Read


1927 Winner: Smoky, the Cowhorse by Will James

One of my favorite books ever. Story written like an old cowboy would tell it -- grammar, spelling, and everything else. Smoky is a great horse, trained by Clint, then stolen and turned into a mean ornery thing. A story about what positive actions and words can do.


1923 Winner: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting

It was fun reading a book that is part of our popular culture. The bullfighting chapters made me laugh out loud. Really turned on my imagination.


1941 Winner: Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry

Kind of reminded me of Robinson Crusoe and Life of Pi. A young man whose name means courage but doesn't have any sets out on a quest to become courageous. Set in Polynesia.


1956 Winner: Carry on Mr Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham

A boy is constantly told he can't do something. But, he uses his brain and helps others and accomplishes more than anyone thought possible. Brings a ship through a fog and learns Latin.


1955 Winner: The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong

I remember liking this one from childhood. There is a sweetness and energy in it. It's the story of a little girl's impossible dream and the way an entire village came together to make it come true.


1959 Winner: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

This is a good girl book. Kit from Barbados teaches a little girl to read and saves a supposed witch from death. Everybody marries the right person.


1952 Winner: Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes

The story of a rather amazing little dog. I'd consider reading the other books in this series. I enjoyed the lesson about never stop looking for what you want.


1948 Winner: The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois.

A man wants to get away from the world so he builds a giant balloon with the idea to be alone for a year. Lands on Krakatoa, meets an Utopian society and flees with the group when the volcano explodes. Ironically, there was a story in the paper just after I read this about a priest floating away in a balloon (or something like that.)


1963 Winner: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.

It's A Wrinkle in Time -- what else needs to be said?


1968 Winner: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

The book that probably started me on the slippery slope of professional museum life. Because the next best thing to living in a museum is working in one! Also an interesting idea about wanting change and growth and something different about our lives.


1972 Winner: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Utopia building genetically altered lab rats totally rock. And there's a great story about fearlessly working for the benefit of others.


1978 Winner: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Really great book. Really sad ending. Nice references to CS Lewis and other Newberry winning books. Captured the spirit of childhood


1979 Winner: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Very clever. I was wrapped up in solving the mystery right along with the characters. Nice twist at the end.


1982 Winner: A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard

Poetry! Some nice nuggets in here. Should I know who William Blake is?


1991 Winner: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

One cool kid. His goodness, kindness, and love of the world changes the lives of everyone around him. I almost felt like a ten year old again when reading this.


1994 Winner: The Giver by Lois Lowry

A great book. The power and importance of memory -- good, bad, painful, happy, bitter, sweet. And the importance of choice. The utopian society they had built for themselves scared me a little.


1997 Winner: The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

On the surface a group of mismatched people accomplishes the seemingly impossible. I liked this one for the conclusions and connections it let you make on your own. You had to pay attention to catch it all.


1999 Winner: Holes by Louis Sachar

Very entertaining and nice mental images. A good story that doesn't beat you over the head with message. I can tell why it has been so popular.


2004 Winner: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo

An unlikely hero saves the day. I smiled and chuckled through this entire book. Great lessons told in a fun and approachable way.


Books to read once. They might change your life but they might not.


1942 Winner: Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray

Set in Medieval England. Story of the son of a minstrel and the lessons he learns about life as he is out on the open road.


1938 Winner: The White Stag by Kate Seredy

Really short (read it in an hour) Myth of how the Huns arrived in Hungary. Paints Attila the Hun in a different light. I liked it and the illustrations were very Art Nouveau and cool.


1937 Winner: Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer

Nice story. A little girl has a wonderful year and touches many lives when her parents move to Italy. She gets to roller skate all over New York City and meets people her aunt wouldn't approve of. Kind of sad ending as she grows up at the end of the year.


1926 Winner: Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman

Chinese folk tales -- how dynamite and kites were invented, how a tailor became a general and defeated the enemy, how a village beat away sea demons and stopped flooding. Liked this better than Tales from Silver Lands. (1925 winner) Felt more Chinese than Silver Lands felt South American.


1930 Winner: Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

History told from a doll's perspective. She travels on a whaling ship, lives in India, is adopted by a Quaker family, kidnapped by crows, and ends up in an antique store. It made me wonder about the stories my toys could tell.


1929 Winner: The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly

Cool story that for me came down to the importance of keeping your promises. Felt a little more advanced than previous winners. Made me want to visit Krakow.


1962 Winner: The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

In the beginning, it's about a Jewish boy who wants to rid Israel of the Romans and bring to pass the physical kingdom of God. In the end it's about Jesus.


1961 Winner: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Apparently based on a true story. The story of a girl who survives and thrives after being left on an island alone for twenty years. I was sad at the end for the loss of her civilization


1953 Winner: Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark

Story of a young Inca boy in the 1930s? and his place in the millenia of Inca experience. Not spectacular but not bad either. Maybe it would help if I knew more about Peru. Way better than the other South American book.


1951 Winner: Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates

A young man, stolen from his tribe, brought to the US as a slave, buys his freedom and frees others. I think I was supposed to be more inspired by this than I was.


1950 Winner: The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli

Another medieval England story. A crippled boy learns no wall in life is so impenetrable that it doesn't even have a door in it. He saves the castle, reunites with family, and becomes friends with a monk. I liked Adam of the Road more.


1949 Winner: King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

This was one of my favorite authors growing up. I guess I'm a sucker for a good horse book! Then and now I've been disappointed in the ending. I want Sham to have a triumphal race around the track -- beating his children.


1965 Winner: Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska

One of the better coming of age stories so far. The best part though is reading all about bullfighting. Not spectacular, just good. Why are women writing all these coming of age stories about boys?


1966 Winner: I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino

Good one. Not only makes me want to read a real biography about the main characters but to look at Velazquez paintings. A nice story about a man's faithful life to a family he loved.


1970 Winner: Sounder by William H. Armstrong

Very sad. A boy's father arrested for stealing food. Dog almost killed during arrest. Boy goes on a quest to find his father, becomes a man. Learns to read -- a huge deal for the family. Incredible love and loyalty for and from a dog.


1973 Winner: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

A girl leaves her modernized Alaskan village, lives off the wilderness and is adopted by wolves. Almost joins white society then realizes she would rather live by the ancient ways. A sad tale of the ending of the traditional way of life.


1976 Winner: The Grey King by Susan Cooper

Fourth book in a series of five. Another Welsh mythology story. It was good and there are some nice truths, but knowing the other books would probably help. This is a series I might go back and read.


1977 Winner: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Inequalities in 1920s Mississippi. In the end a father gives up (possibly) his most prized possession for the chance he might be able to save a life.


1980 Winner: A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832 by Joan W. Blos

A nice coming of age story set in 1830s New Hampshire. I'm not sure if I would have liked it more or less if I hadn't put on my historian's hat while reading it.


1987 Winner: The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

A fun story. A good reminder that boys constantly in trouble really need to be allowed to be boys. Jemmie's frustrations with Prince Brat are hilarious.


1990 Winner: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

I liked the idea that all of Denmark is the kings bodyguard -- in a sense it extends much further than that. Stories about the Holocaust are always gut wrenching for me.


1993 Winner: Missing May by Cynthia Rylant

About love, accepting others as they are and moving on through loss. Set in West Virginia, includes a boy named Cletus.


1995 Winner: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Filled with all kinds of great overactive teenage imaginations and differences between families. In the end, a sad book on many levels that was starting to move towards healing.


2001 Winner: A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

Small town life during a recession. A girl and her grandmother have a bond. They were interesting characters and I wanted to connect with them but didn't for some reason.


2002 Winner: A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

A 12th century Korean orphan grows up to become one of the best potters in the country. After he thinks he has failed, he finds a large enough remnant to accomplish his goal. I liked this one.


2008 Winner: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz

One of the better life in Medieval Europe books I read. (and there have been a lot in the Newberry winners) Monologues from different teenage residents in a village. Some of them consciously interact with each other, others interact but don't know it.


1984 Winner: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

I'm a Beverly Cleary fan -- I remember liking a lot of these books. I was drawn into Leigh's story -- his journey of discovery and his views of the world. He felt real to me.


1986 Winner: Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

More of a short story than a book -- read it in 30 minutes. A story about coming to love the place you are for what it is. About a mail-order bride.


Read it... or not... whatever...


1939 Winner: Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright

A 9 year old girl's summer in the Midwest. Hitchhiking, county fairs, swimming, going to town. It was ok. It was comparable to Roller Skates but I liked Roller Skates more. Weren't really a lot of good life lessons in this one.


1936 Winner: Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Has always felt like a cheap knockoff of Little House on the Prairie to me. (the books, not the 1970s tv show) Not one of my favorites. Little girl in Wisconsin -- grows up, has siblings, meets Indians, etc.


1935 Winner: Dobry by Monica Shannon

Follows a little boy in Bulgaria over the course of several years. What it means to be in a community. Grandfather is a master storyteller. The book ends as Dobry leaves his village to make his own way in the world. It ended where I wanted the story to begin.


1934 Winner: Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs

Was this really the best book of 1934? The whole point of it was that all of Alcott's life experience prepared her to write Little Women. Mostly hero worship. I think they wanted to give the award to Little Women but the rules wouldn't allow them to.


1933 Winner: Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Lewis

Yet another China book. I kept waiting for the big climatic moment but it never happened. Every chapter this coppersmith apprentice gets into a scrape, learns from it, then does something else stupid the next chapter. Exciting adventures left me disappointed in the end.


1932 Winner: Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer

Kind of bland. A Navajo boy coming of age written by a white woman who made yearly visits to the reservation. Really a reflection of 1930s thought about Native Americans. Story set in 1920s or 1930s -- automobiles, airplanes, hogans, and ponies. Very idealized.


1931 Winner: The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth

Really short (read in 30 minutes) A poor artist commissioned to paint an image of the dying Buddha. A kind and gentle cat can't be in the painting because it didn't honor the living Buddha. Redeemed in the end. Very Japanese.


1928 Winner: Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji

How to train a carrier pigeon. Set in India. Nice Hindu lessons about love, courage, etc but I couldn't get over the fact that it was about a pigeon!


1925 Winner: Tales from Silver Lands by Charles Finger

Short stories set in South America. Kind of like Hans Christian Anderson. Where armadillos come from, 400 young men who killed giants, origin of monkeys, etc. It was ok.


1922 Winner: The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon

History of the world (evolution into Western 20th century history) written for children. Definitely groundbreaking for 1922 but definitely not on my list of 600+ page books to read again. I got bored and stopped reading on page 160 just after the Normans invaded England. Has very cool illustrations.


1960 Winner: Onion John by Joseph Krumgold

Reminded me a lot of ...And Now Miguel. Not my favorite either! Why not just teach an Eastern European English and not try to remake his entire life! I didn't care as much about Andy either.


1958 Winner: Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith

Story of the western front of the Civil War. Kind of dumb. Jeff doesn't want Watie to get rifles and he becomes a spy for the Union army. Way down on my list of suggested Civil War reading. And, they spelled drought "drouth" (the old-fashioned way). It bugged me the entire book!


1957 Winner: Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen

Sweet story of small, daily miracles (and big ones too!) that happen to a family when they move to the country. Very sweet, wholesome. The biggest miracle is that the father recovers from the war.


1954 Winner: ...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold

And yet another southwest Indian book. This time about a sheepherders family. Miguel is the middle child and doesn't quite know where he belongs. He dreams big, learns a lot, and finds even seemingly great dreams have unfortunate consequences.


1945 Winner: Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson

How to keep animals from digging up your garden from the animals perspective. Kind of cute. Took a few pages to realize the book was from an animals perspective. I was kind of confused.


1944 Winner: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

A young man comes of age at the dawning of the American republic. Johnny Tremain is an apprentice silversmith who becomes friends with Paul Revere, Sam Adams, Josiah Quincy, etc. Very patriotic. Seemed to be a big reflection of what was going on in the US and world in 1944. Seemed a real departure from previous winners.


1964 Winner: It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville

Just ok. A New York City boy adopts a stray cat and takes it with him as he does his normal teenage boy things. Didn't stick out in any way.


1967 Winner: Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt

A girl's coming of age story. Nothing really happens -- she just grows up and learns to deal with everyday life. Nothing spectacular, nothing bad. Maybe because it happens slowly.


1969 Winner: The High King by Lloyd Alexander

I might like this more if I'd read the other four books in the series. Didn't understand the back story enough. Really clichéd ending. Part fantasy part welsh mythology -- not really my thing.


1971 Winner: Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars

Should really be called "Two Days of the Swans." A young mentally disabled boy gets lost and his 14 year old sister learns some good life lessons. Kind of blah -- quick read but I was getting bored.


1974 Winner: The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

This one confused me. Why write a book about a slave ship in 1974? This would probably give children nightmares -- people getting kidnapped, shot, thrown overboard, shipwrecked...


1975 Winner: M.C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton

Felt like a book you would read in highschool to dissect all the symbolism. Couldn't really tell you the point of it what life lesson I learned.


1981 Winner: Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

The message I learned from this book this time is that sometimes our "afflictions" are self-imposed because we're too selfish to look outside of ourselves. I really didn't have a lot of sympathy for Louise. Although as a 15 year old I totally related.


1983 Winner: Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

It grew on me as the story progressed. My final feeling for these characters was pity -- which I doubt was the authors point. Another story of growing up and changing perspective.


1985 Winner: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Fantasy. Such a departure from all other winners I don't know how to rank it. Good book on its own, but the whole ending section with Luthe left me confused and uneasy. Really enjoyed most of it.


1989 Winner: Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman

Clever two voice poems about bugs. Kind of out of place for the rest. I thought it was interesting to write something for two people when reading is so solitary. Maybe I would have liked it more if I had convinced a roommate to read out loud with me.


1992 Winner: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds

A boy and his dog. Nothing special. Kind of a morally ambiguous ending.


2000 Winner: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Shares a lot of elements of other award winners -- orphan, living on the street, black kid in a white man's world, hard economic times, finding your place in the world, and finding a family. Nothing particularly enthralling.


2003 Winner: Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi

Orphan boy, Medieval England, falls in with a juggler. I saw the plot twist coming about 100 pages before it happened. Sadly, the really cool sword fight is in the last five pages. I felt like someone slammed on the brakes for the ending. And what's up with the author with only one name?


2007 Winner: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Middle of the road book. There is no way this book would have been accepted 30 years ago -- divorce, foster care, electrocuted mothers, mothers in prison, eavesdropping on AA meetings...


2005 Winner: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

A Japanese-American family moves to Georgia and learns how to cope with grief and hard times. Not that good, not that bad.


Don't bother


1942 Winner: The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds

More of a short story than a book. A Dutch family attempts to ward off an Indian attack in about 1700 New England. I wanted more of their story. In the end, the mother is injured and the house burns down. Did they really succeed?


1940 Winner: Daniel Boone by James Daugherty

Not that great. The noble settler, the evil savage. Seemed a step back in cultural awareness from previous winners. Written for children but not one I would recommend to children. The historian in me went eek! a lot when reading this.


1924 Winner: The Dark Frigate by Charles Hawes

Pirates and other bad people in the entire book. The story of Phillip Marsham -- has the sea in his blood and gets mixed up with pirates. Escapes, acquitted of piracy charges, becomes a hero, and returns to the sea in the very same ship he had sailed on as a pirate (spooky eh?) Not very excited to be reading this one.


1947 Winner: Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

Miss Hickory is made of a hickory nut and a twig. Reminded me of Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. Very creepy, Alfred Hitchcock type ending.


1946 Winner: Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski

Set in rural backwoods Florida. All of it was in vernacular slang. Never got used to it. Never felt allegiance to any of the characters.


1988 Winner: Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman

The historian in me came out and I was disappointed. The author contradicted himself and oversimplified things. Too much text, not enough photos!


1996 Winner: The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman

A girl comes of age in Medieval Europe blah blah blah. Is midwifery and childbirth an appropriate subject for young adult fiction?


1998 Winner: Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Not such a fan. It felt like she was trying too hard with the free verse poetry. Was the dust supposed to symbolize something?


2006 Winner: Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

Teenagers growing up together and learning about life. This author was trying to be literary and deep. I think I missed something. Would a teenager really understand this book?

good luck mom!

This is my wonderful mother. I love her a lot and she did a fine job putting up with me for 30 years. If for any reason at any time I've been wonderful or kind or noteworthy in any way it's been because of her.

Tomorrow afternoon she goes into back surgery. It's got something to do with a disc or whatever, I'm not really sure. The doctors say it won't be too big a deal, but hey, it's still surgery.

For the past week, I've taken special care to not step on any cracks.

saturday night, on the way home...

greetings from the grave in my mind

The holiday season is upon us! Look! My supernatural ghostly powers are finally manifesting themselves! Sorry -- the video has like 30 seconds of black at the end.

It's all coming together people. I'm not totally ready for Halloween, but every single Halloweeny element is coming together. Most know that Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. Its lead over Christmas has steadily increased ever since I stopped buying gifts for people. This time, right now, is my holiday season. It's not all done, but it's coming together.

The script for the movie is finished and we'll be shooting this weekend (if people show up).

The Halloween 2008 cd playlist is finished and awaiting artwork and dialogue clips.

Nightmare on 13th is open and willing to accept us and our money.

My Frightmares pass is burning a hole in my pocket.

J.R.'s movie of the month is stacked scary.

My Netflix queue is filled with Suspiria, Ghoulies, House (the movie, not the tv show), and the like.

In the words of Garhalloweenfield -- "Candycandycandycandy."

About the only thing not working is my costume. I'm thinking of doing a repeat from a few years ago. Some people say that's lame and it totally is, but this is the 30th year in a row that I've costumed up. I deserve a break more than most.

Any ideas? And don't say skanky elephant. I've got some rules. It's gotta be scary. The weird, macabre stuff is what I like about Halloween, so I'm not gonna dress up as a roll of paper towels or something (unless it's an evil roll of paper towels).

Also, I don't want to wear a mask. Masks are annoying to wear and you also can't tell who someone is in a mask. I know that sounds weird since a costume is essentially a disguise, but I feel that a Halloween costume should represent some hidden recess about the self and not necessarily be something to hide completely behind. Also, I know the Church frowns on masks. I have no idea why. All I know is that there's this tenuous relationship with Halloween and I gotta play nice or pretty soon it's gonna be like "Alright, that's it. No more Halloween!" I'm thinking it'll happen in the next 15 years or so. It will be kind of cool to tell my kids about Halloween and be like, ha! In your face!

As long as we're talking about costumes, perhaps I should address the whole skank thing. Listen. I'm no prude, but I hope the sexification of the holiday ends. I don't like my holiday of fun darkness being replaced so exclusively by temporary sexuality. Like I said, I'm no prude -- save the skank stuff for the other 364 days of the year.

Hey, last note. Be sure to get out of Reader and check out the Song of the Moment on the site itself. I'm sure to adjust it for the times often this month.

approaching platinum

Looks like my YouTube video of Wild Mouse featuring the lovely Kaila has overtaken my video of Wicked as my most watched on-line movie. As of this typing: 20,231 views and 119 text comments. Thank you Wild Mouse video. Spread the viral fun. Here's to another 20,000 views!

infinaggie playligulous

This weekend could be huge.

Tomorrow we're heading up to the BYU - Utah State game, which should be breezy. However, there are some strange superstitious factors that could spell disaster. First of all, my brother feels really nervous about the game. He's far from the most sporty person I know, but he is the most emotional when it comes to killer losses. I'm afraid he may have tapped into some kind of weird emotional space flux that only he's attuned to and the BYU team really won't see it coming.

The other factor is that the only trash talk coming from the Utah State fans I know is that they're confident that the aggies will actually score. There is no pretension toward victory. The last time I remember this really well was back in seminary we did this thing called Seminary Bowl where we divided up into stakes and had a quiz show type thing testing our knowledge of the Old Testament and buzz-in proficiency. When the stake in last place went up against our first-place team, they had the same attitude of gracious humility. Somehow that humility must have built up to a glorious power because they... almost beat us.

Speaking of seminary, it's Conference Weekend everyone! That means we have more of a chance to have real fun, not just church fun.

Also worth noting is that Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist arrives in theaters this weekend (Saturday 10:30 PM anyone? anyone?). It's probably the last chance for Michael Cera to play his Arrested Development character without the rest of us getting mad. I think he'll go out with a bang. From the previews I like the look of the thing. It appears to be shot on dark film and has a sort of oldish classicish look to it. I have high hopes even though, as of now, Beverly Hills Chihuahua has a higher tomato rating.

The other movie coming out is Bill Maher's Religulous. Does anyone else think that it's weird that this thing is coming out conference weekend? It's probably not weird, it's probably simply fitting. From the preview we see that the guy actually captured footage in front of the Salt Lake Temple. Maybe he planned this weekend's opening all along. I don't hate the guy. Maybe I should say I don't completely dismiss all of his opinions. I actually have one of his books. He says some stuff I actually like hearing (such as the value of individual sacrifice and the definition of patriotism).

Following him over the years, though, he's become more and more of a specific warrior against religion. His atheism used to be just one of his traits, but now it's beyond the defining one. Now -- to him -- every issue, every problem, every talking point is about how religion is the cause of every negative thing on earth. I actually saw him on his show point out a bad event in the newspaper and then say something like "Well is it any wonder stuff like this happens when," and then he'd turn to a different headline, "72% of the people in this country believe that the story of Noah's ark actually happened." Granted, I can totally understand the skepticism of someone who doesn't believe in Bible stories. The problem with Maher is, he sees the intolerance of fundamental extremist religious behaviour and then fights back with the same intolerance and zeal he denounces.

As a religious person I'm glad. It's easy to see. His cause would be more effective if he wasn't so obvious about his bigotry. Perhaps since he started his career as a comedian, it's more natural for him to treat the subject as a joke rather than something that can be debated without mumbling that anyone who believes in God is an absolute moron.

In that same show where he pulled the Noah's ark story (and related it to whatever other story it was that had absolutely nothing to do with Noah's ark, or religion, or even belief) an annoying guest on his show finally asked him why he needs to bring religion into everything he talks about. The guest then said that his opinions on the matter go beyond debate and his rants are directed at religious people such as himself with a specific edge and tone that equates with bigotry. Maher's response to the accusation: "I am not a bigot." It seemed he wasn't able to elaborate on his defense without deepening the accusation.

Anyway, it's conference weekend. I've heard Maher say something to the effect that all religions are wrong, but Mormons are notable because they are even more wrong than everyone else. This weekend is probably not a coincidence.

Unfortunately, religion will always be on the losing side in a scientific debate. Faith is, after all, faith. I've always maintained that if God exists, he wants to be discovered in that method. No lab will ever disprove or prove the existence or merits of faith.

My religious stance will be the same despite the outcome of the BYU - Utah State game.