Catch up before summer break

Things I’ve done lately:

• Watched the director’s cut of Alien at the Tyneside.
• Kept up with World Cup semi-finals.
• Watched Kasabian, Metallica, Jack White, and Dolly Parton at Glastonbury. (Lana Del Ray was so boring live.)
• Baked cupcakes for 4th of July (even though I’m in England.)
• Taken down and put up displays in the classroom (cutting and pasting are not my forte.)
• Read Never Let Me Go, and started Age of Miracles.
• Started my gym membership again.
• Went to the North East Retro Gaming event (lots and lots of pinball and old arcade games to play.)
• Watched some more of Breaking Bad and finished Fargo.
• Had two of my ten objectives for my Teaching Assistant course signed off.
• Ben Folds. (Planning on seeing him Friday – Steve’s choice. He’s trying to show me why I should be a fan. All I know is ((awful)) Brick and You Don’t Know Me.)

Things I’ll do over break:

• Write. (Enough said.)
• Read. (Ditto.)
• Edit. (I have a project that I’m putting off a 2nd draft because I just hate the story and don’t think it’s worth bothering.)
• Maybe go to London on a day trip. (Super excited about this one.)
• Try to go to Maths and English classes somewhere other than where I was going (my TA instructor agreed that I had every right to be angry about how stupidly those tutor sessions were being handled.)
• Get my hair done.
• Go to the nurse to ask her about my stupid knee.
• Exercise. (Swimming is on the agenda.)

What’s Happening this Wednesday

• Teaching – The teaching assistant gig has been going fine. We’re in our last term of the year and the regular teacher has taken over the class again. We have two student teachers in the class too so there’s lots of support. I’ve been trying to figure out how to do classroom displays because middle/high school teachers don’t really need to do this that much (from my experience.) I was given advice to look to Pinterest (*groan*) for ideas, but I really just have trouble with making the paper frames for the mounted work all uniform and straight. We only have a small paper cutter that slides back and forth, making this loud squeaking sound, so my resources are a little limited. Oh well, the one I did this week looked a little better than the first (ridiculously janky) one I did my first week.
• School – Aside from my TA course, I’ve been working on these silly Level 1 and 2 English and Maths assessments. I have to turn them in today and I’m praying they at least let me off the hook with the English because it seriously is wasting my time. I’ve taught this stuff myself. I don’t need someone telling me I’m a Level 1 because I don’t use semicolons. *another groan*
• Travel – We took a trip down by Liverpool to visit Steve’s family over the bank holiday. We went to Chester Zoo while we were down there (as you can see from the Butterfly House photo above) and it was super fun. The trip was kind of long, but I was glad we went for a drive. I’d never gone on the motorways before like that, so it was definitely an experience.
• Family – Steve’s birthday was last weekend, so we had a late night viewing of Godzilla along with an even later night of cake baking. While we waited on the movie we ate at Gourmet Burger Kitchen and hung out in the arcade. Don’t care how old we get, we still manage to stay young.
• Reading – I’ve been trying to read more contemporary and sci-fi lately. I’ve updated my book blog on my lately reads.
• Writing – The JuNoWriMo thing hasn’t been going well, as I feared. I did write 900+ words of my current project (the one I started for Camp NaNoWriMo), but that’s it. With this new English/Maths sessions, I’m limited to one day of absolute freedom to get things done. I have to help my CP out as well, but she’s also going to read some of the new project, so I’ll be forced to get the first draft done. Hooray!
• Music – new album discovery is Kasabian’s 48:13 which features Eez-eh – a very Hot Chip-esque song. Saw them do this on TV during the Glasgow music fest. Great stuff.
• Movies – recently saw: Godzilla and Ender’s Game (and Tinkerbell on Netflix, if I’m being completely honest.)
• Television – On S2 of Breaking Bad, and we fell behind two episodes of Fargo.
• Games – Watch_Dogs, of course. (Steve did some of the UI design.)
• Me – I was absolutely exhausted yesterday after running around late Sunday, then running around at school for two days. I’ll be running around less today at least, but tomorrow I hope to relax, read, and get lots and lots of writing done.

Ten Things I've Never Done

Paris, France by garycycles6

I found this idea from Suzie Tullet’s blog but it took me forever to think up a full list.

It took a lot of thinking to come up with some good items for this list. I think I've at least tried most things people like.

1. I've never been on TV or the radio. I know people who were on TV because of minor acting gigs or been interviewed by the news. I know people who have called in or been guests for radio shows. I have never done either.

2. I've never gone skydiving or bungee jumping. Never will. I am not an adrenaline junkie. My sister-in-law loves skydiving even though her parachute didn't open, she broke both her legs and, well, could have died. On the same token, I’ve never flown a plane. I’ve never driven a motorcycle either (I’ve tried a scooter but not a Vespa.) I often thought maybe I’d enjoy learning to fly but now that I know how hard it is to drive in the United Kingdom, maybe not.

3. I've never seen The Sound of Music. I’ve never seen all of Grease either. I don't like musicals. When I first saw A Nightmare Before Christmas, I left the theatre because there was so much singing. I have been to musicals at our local theatre when I was a part of it but once, during a production of Carousel, I fell asleep. I’ve seen Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Chorus Line when it used to be on Encore a lot – they weren’t too bad. I've learned to appreciate the music in Disney movies. However, I would never go to see Les Miz or Phantom of the Opera live. I was forced to see the trailer for the star-studded musical movie version of Les Miz – I don’t care how much money they put into that or how amazing the fact that they’re singing live will be, I’d never see it. (Now, the non-singing movie with Claire Danes was fine.) I just get really uncomfortable and embarrassed when I see the singing stuff. I tried to watch Glee once and turned it off the minute the singing started. It's just not my thing.

4. I’ve never met anyone famous. Since I’ve lived in the UK I’ve seen The Queen with Prince Philip and recently I saw Kate Middleton with my own eyes, but I’ve never met a member of the Royal Family. My in-laws have met Daniel Craig and John Lennon’s family and there’s even some ancestral ties to George Washington but not me. I’m not related to anyone famous, nor have I ever shook a famous person’s hand. I’ve never been backstage at a show or even spoken to a new, up-and-coming band even though The Strokes use to hang out in the club I frequented in Orlando.

5. I’ve never had a professional pedicure. I’ve had my nails done a handful (get it?) of times in my life but I, honestly, could have done better in some instances. I liked the little hand dryers they have though but I know you can buy those to use at home. I know some women get their mani-pedis as often as they buy Starbucks coffee (and even have their little girls coming along) but I’ve never bothered. Getting the fancy spa treatments, yes, I loved doing that once a month or so when I was working.

6. I’ve never gone to a spinning class. Exercise for me is a solitary event. I read my book while on the bike or the elliptical, use the weight/tension LifeFitness machines, then head to the cafe. I use to run on the treadmill a bit, then I finally twisted my ankle. Being unable to walk is not worth it to me. (Though I’m all for having my husband, the ex-marathon runner, train me to jog.) I like my Wii and the Kinect. I’ve been to yoga class by myself and with my friends before. I’ve taken dance and gymnastics classes a lot as a kid and into my high school years. But, nope, no spinning, no Zumba, no Pilates classes for me.

7. I’ve never been on a big rollercoaster. I’ve been on Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, Thunder Mountain and Test Track but I refuse to go on anything like the Manta or The Hulk. Again, I’m not an adrenaline junkie, I don’t need to go upside down and falling to my death to have a good time. I can’t stand that feeling on my stomach which, Steve tells me, not everyone gets. The butterflies, or queasy, or whatever you call it is awful. I’ve learned just to scream my head off if I go on a Disney ride.

8. I’ve never been to Europe. I mean, I live in England but I’m talking continental Europe. Steve tells me that I’d love France, Germany, and Italy. I also want to see Ireland. When we came back from Florida in September, we flew over Dublin – looked amazing. I’ve been to Mexico, England, Scotland and the US. I’ve not even seen Canada.

9. I’ve never gone snorkelling or scuba diving. I’m not opposed to trying it, I’ve just not had the opportunity. I’ve fished a lot as a kid, and I’ve gone skiing in my life (I was terrible at it) so trying new things in an ocean isn’t beyond my scope of reason. I’ve tried to surf before in high school but I was terrible at that as well. I’m a good swimming so I’d probably enjoy the snorkelling – especially if I had an underwater camera and the reassurance that no sharks would try to nibble on me while I was swimming around.

10. I’ve never published a book…yet.

The Tuesday Seven

The Sage Gateshead

1. The Olympics are over and it’s back to regular daytime television. Today while Steve worked from home, I watched some more of my Pretty Little Liars and The Secret Circle episodes that are still on my V+ box.

2. The Closing Ceremony wasn’t great, no. Even British people were unhappy with the outcome. No David Bowie, no Elton John, no Duran Duran, or Tears for Fears, or Depeche Mode, or a ton of other people they could have included in the line-up (and who wouldn’t have lip-synched either.) I was happy to see The Pet Shop Boys and their fabulous entrance though.

3. Steve was home yesterday to make sure his back was all mended. He’s been throwing his back out often so we’re going to have to get him to a doctor to get some advice (or just head straight to a chiropractor.) He couldn’t lie in the bed Friday night so at 2:30AM on Saturday, we camped on the couch (the cat included.)

4. Being in the house all day made the place stuffy so I got the brilliant idea to open all the windows and let the fresh, August air in. The next day I ended up with the beginnings of an allergy attack which I’m still fighting off today. (I refuse to believe this is a cold even though I’ve gone through the motions like had a dose of Lemsip and drank my Mrs. Grass chicken noodle soup.)

5.  Today I was able to get out of the house, window shop, drink coffee and read. I’m almost finished with Unbelievable: Pretty Little Liars #4. I really liked these books even though they aren’t high brow or anything. They keep the reader engaged and wanting more so that’s enough for me. Plus, it got me out of my slump where I didn’t want to read anymore YA for a while. Also, I am fully okay with the books being in third person. Generally I only choose first person POVs but this one, after I got into the first book, was fine. I like the suspense and mystery elements. It’s like a modern day Nancy Drew of sorts. (Wow, I just got flashbacks of my old Sweet Valley High books.)

6. Driving is back on tomorrow. I’ve finally bought myself a DVD-R that I can practice my theory and hazard test. I was thinking today how I’m so not in a rush to take this silly test. I mean, the Leave to Remain will be after Christmas and my Life in the UK test is so much more important than this. I don’t even know when I’ll be ready to take any of the driving tests either. I’m still not 100% confident on the roads or the stick shift.

7. After thinking that it was going to be too scary, I watched The Walking Dead Season 2 with Steve. By the second or third episode I was totally into it. At first I didn’t like the characters (because I hadn’t seen Season 1 and how they all got together) but I eventually found myself shouting at the characters and really looking forward to watching each episode. Of course, I had zombie nightmares here and there, but it wasn’t too bad. I loved the final episodes where it looked very much like a horror movie with the full moon, out in the middle of nowhere by a big farm house. Just good, good stuff. I also didn’t realize that Rick was played by a British actor who was Linton in my favourite version of Wuthering Heights. That’s a fine slightly Georgian accent he has for that show. Kudos to you, Sheriff Rick! (Now keep your kid in the house so he doesn’t screw something else up.)

The Tuesday Seven

1. It was a windy Sunday here in the North East. We had our roast dinner and are watched the documentary on the race car driver Senna. (I fell asleep for 30 minutes of it though.) I really find biographies of people of all types of careers quite interesting. Senna said at the start of his career that his being from Brazil, trying to live in Europe and succeed at driving was always a fight, it was never easy. I think things are more of a struggle than some and their challenge makes them all the more real.

2. This week is only going to be semi busy for me. I won’t be having a driving lesson until next week so I’m able to be at home more. However, I went to see how my blood work turned out this morning, early. As predicted, I am absolutely fine. No low blood sugar or anything so I’m just going to have to have some kind of food when I first get up in the morning. It’s simple but it’s easy to not do, especially on weekends when I sleep in. Now I get up (the cat never lets me sleep past 7AM anyway without alerting me of his empty food dish) and have a cereal bar or something before lying back down. Granted, eating and sleeping right after isn’t good either, but neither is getting sick from not having any food.

3. I have another interview. I'm really feeling like I'm getting close to something but there's still that hurdle of, "But you don't have as much experience in British schools as the other candidate..." I really hope that I won't have to go through the ropes all over again here like I did in Florida. Talk about something always being a fight. This finding a job thing has just never, ever been easy. Also, the school I am interviewing with gave me a letter with an incorrect date so I had to call and confirm which day I should turn up. They also indicated that I should email the person listed on the letter to confirm I was coming. Later, after I’d talked to the front desk, someone called me to verify that the candidates knew what day to show up (Lord knows how many candidates there are) and the lady said, “So you’re coming to the interview then?” “Yes.” Still, I tried to send email as the letter indicated, but it won’t go through to that address. Today I have been trying to call the school all morning, but the calls just go to voice mail. I won’t be surprised a bit if I show up tomorrow, bright and early, and they weren’t expecting me. Oh well, nothing more I can do, with any of it, right?

4. But I still keep working at home. Well, lately I've been out of the house each day so I've gotten side-tracked. I am totally unmotivated. I have the "what's the point?" question in my head more than usual. All the books and writers in the world, it's hard to make myself want to do something that is "life changing" for someone else.

5. We went to the Summertyne Americana Festival at the Sage Gateshead on Saturday (as seen in the photos above.) There was a lot of dancing (see video of the hip, rockabilly kid) and live country music (see this other video.) We also ate jambalaya, cupcakes, and BBQ Cajun chicken. We had awesome margaritas too but I drank mine too quick to bother taking a photo.

6. After taking photos with my current camera of The Queen and of the festival, I am getting a new camera for my birthday in September. My Dad (who really needs a photography site of his own) got me started on the hobby when I was a kid, so he’s my go-to person for cameras and pictures. He chose this one because it has a way better zoom on it, wide angle lens, and more options. I need more options. What I have will only do so much. It’s getting frustrating when I see nice photos taken with an iPhone when mine can’t handle what I’m trying to do with it. Now I can up my game!

7. We’re going to see the Opening Ceremony on Friday! Steve’s coming home early from work just to make sure he’s here on time. We have 24 BBC HD channels, just waiting on our cable box for us to enjoy the festivities. I told Steve we should just stay in all weekend and watch the games. Then next Saturday, we’re headed to St. James’ Park to see a football (that’s soccer to us Yanks). We have to arrive at least 2 hours ahead of time. We can’t bring bags or have bottles of water either. Oh well, I’m fine with them being extra safe. I just want to be a part of the excitement. I was ready to bring my camera but I don’t think I’m allowed to. Oh well. I don’t want technology getting into the way of my fun anyway. I’ll make sure to record the game on the V+ box – maybe we’ll be on TV!

Here’s a photo of me in my cowboy hat, American cupcakes in hand, standing by the Olympic rings on the Tyne Bridge to help you guys spot me easily:

Just keep swimming

Last night we were watching a special about David Bowie on BBC1. Today the grocery truck came by, as usual, and now we’re waiting to get out exchange IKEA couch. After all the pain we went through to put it together and wondering why the lovely red cover didn't fit right (we had to cut it to get it on the back cushions), we found out that IKEA gave us the wrong sofa. Not only is it the wrong sofa, but it's a £400 more expensive couch. Good job, IKEA! Of course this means Steve’s downstairs taking apart the old couch so he can put the new one back together again when they arrive “sometime this afternoon.”

I was bummed about my not getting that last, awesome library job. I still am, honestly. But after I felt sorry for myself for a while, slowly I got back into the swing of things. I signed up with another teacher recruiter and have two more appointments next week. While getting a day wage isn't ideal, it will keep me busy. Yes having some money is better than none. Having experience in the school is great (too bad all Headmasters don't seem to understand the transition from English teacher to school librarian -- seems natural and positive to me.)

Aside from my busy schedule of registering for as many agencies as possible, I still have my driving lessons. The lesson I had right after I heard I had the insane interview to do, I had such a hard time getting into my driving after a two week break. I hated it, wanted to cry and tell the instructor that I quit. I told Steve I wanted to quit too but he convinced me to go through my five pre-paid lessons at least. Last Tuesday, after wanting to just hide in the living room and pretend I didn't remember my lesson, I faced the music and got in the car. It was fine.

I think having a lesson once a week and first thing in the morning really helped. Granted I didn't do great but I improved. Even the instructor said at one point, "Now that's how you make a bloody turn!" Making a turn requires early assessment and preparation, especially on hills. I have to use my brain to drive now and not go around on auto pilot like I did for all those years in America with the automatic.

This means, I plan on keeping up with my lessons even though it's going to take me a while. Every British person I talk to tells me it takes three or four times before they pass their driving test -- and they're use to these roads! Even the highway, or the motorway as we call it here, is different. I mean, you're merging in and out from the left. Naturally I want to look over my right shoulder instead of the left so it gets kind of disorienting. Luckily the guy whose lane I swerved into let me go in front of him. It reminded me of the freeway scene in Clueless -- not as bad but I thought about freaking out like that.

I had this brilliant idea that I would try out Weebly for a mobile blog while I’m out and can’t set up a proper entry. After seeing the whole thing up I discovered that the badges didn’t work unless I created one via Twitter or Flickr myself, the mobile theme didn’t automatically detect, and there was no support to update posts via email. All kinds of fail. Since I have Missus P. On the Move anyway, I can update mini-posts here and there through email if I want to. I would do it for my this blog but I’m kind of fussy about things being all uniform and consistent.

Lastly, I found a place to swim! When I was in Florida, I swam about every day. I only do freestyle but I love exercising that way. The bike and the elliptical (cross trainer) gets boring so finally being able to get a lane at a pool makes me ecstatic. Plus, the place I went to has a smaller pool for the kids so the rest of us can be in our Zen-like state as we swim back and forth. Too bad the pool can get busy but it's better than the one near our house -- that place is too small for the amount of people coming in each day.

Oh yeah, and I caught up on my book reviews!

But everyone else likes it: Popularity vs. Quality

Hey you, get off of my cloud.

Have you ever wondered why something is popular? Have you ever questioned the quality of something popular? Have you ever tried something that everyone else seems to be raving about, only to be disappointed? Of course you have. We all have. Why is that?

This morning Steve and I were discussing how the world is more accepting of crap these days. The more other people accept it, the more it becomes popular. Then the powers that be get the idea of, “well, lots of people liked this, so let’s rejig it and package it as something slightly different but the same.” They make money because people love the same crap.

Granted, we can’t argue taste. This is all about television shows, movies, music and books, of course. Plenty of people said they couldn’t stand Gilligan’s Island but it still stayed on television forever. I know that the argument is, “Well, I don’t want to think about it, I just enjoy it.” That’s fine but it makes me sad to know that quality books, movies, shows, and music aren’t even known about by some of these people who don’t want to think about it. I know people who have also thought I was in the wrong for not going along with the sheep-like following of a certain popular show. (I’ll give you a hint, it’s a competition and the one who wins year after year sounds just like the winner from the last season.)

We all have our guilty pleasures, as I mentioned in my last post about contemporary and classic books. I watch reality shows even though they aren’t good, quality shows. Even when I watch them I ask myself why I’m bothering but sometimes a little thoughtless fun in your entertainment decisions is good. But most of us know the difference. We may know things such as “Moves Like Jagger” is a terrible song that shames Mick’s good name, for example. We may also know that Twilight fan fiction is based on books that were called out by Stephen King himself as terrible. We could also know that a movie like Battleship is bound to be awful if it’s based on a board game. And I’m sure we all know that half of the stupid shows in prime time are bloody awful. Why, why do they still watch them?

But some people can read, listen to, or watch these for a cheap thrill. However, knowing that they aren’t “good” is the difference between those who go “this is the best book/show/song/band/movie ever.” No, no it’s not. You can enjoy it but it’s not “good.” Good connotes quality, effort, style, talent and creativity. I am not trying to demean anyone who likes music on Radio One or Hillybilly Handfishin’ (thank you, Joel McHale for reminding me what kind of crap the US television producers can create.) My hope is just that they give things that aren’t popular a second chance. Some good things are popular, of course, but the majority, not so much.

Technorati Tags: Mick Jagger,Rolling Stones,Animal Planet,Joel McHale,The Soup,Twilight,world,money,television,music,Gilligan,Island,argument,sheep,competition,winner,entertainment,difference,Jagger,song,Mick,example,fiction,Stephen,movie,Battleship,band,effort,talent,Radio,Handfishin,Joel,McHale,decisions,producers,crap

Z is for Zoolander

 

Zoolander: Unlike some of my other choices, the only Z I could think of was actually one I would have picked anyway, had there been a bunch of other Zs. This is one of my favourite comedies because Ben Stiller does such a fine job of making fun of the ridiculous fashion and model industry. Plus, he and Owen Wilson as perfect male fashion models is as funny as Will Ferrell being a fashion designer who wants to eliminate the Prime Minister of Malaysia. (How does he get Derek Zoolander to do such a task? By brainwashing him to the tune of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax,” of course!) So, yes, it’s ridiculous and Derek is so stupid and funny that you can’t help but love the idiotic things he says. Besides, wouldn’t you at least want to see a “walk-off” judged by David Bowie? And “The Derek Zoolander Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good Too” is just hilarious, especially the part with the little model of the school that confuses Derek. “What is this a school for ants?” I even remember referencing this movie when I first started working at the library and seeing how tough it was just on my hands to put all the DVDs back in order. It reminded me of Derek saying he’d gotten The Black Lung like his family of coal miners and his dad said, “Derek, you've been down there one day. Talk to me in thirty years.” See, the message is universal!

From this post I also learned two things about the film: First, Brett Easton Ellis claimed this was stolen from his book Glamorama, which I only read the very beginning, otherwise I would have caught that too. and secondly, there’s going to be a Zoolander 2! Hooray!

So watch it, it’s funny.

Derek Zoolander: Well I guess it all started the first time I went through the second grade. I caught my reflection in a spoon while I was eating my cereal, and I remember thinking "wow, you're ridiculously good looking, maybe you could do that for a career."
Matilda: Do what for a career?
Derek Zoolander: Be professionally good looking.

Yay! I made it to the end of Culture Month. Hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I did. Thanks for reading my A-Z April Blog Challenge of movie reviews. I appreciate all the comments and new followers. I’m following back so I can keep up with everyone who’s been painstakingly working on their lists for next year as well, I’m sure.

Technorati Tags: Ben Stiller,Owen Wilson,Will Ferrell,David Bowie,Christine Taylor,Milla Jovovich,David Duchovny,Jon Voight,90s,Frankie Goes to Hollywood,Brett Easton Ellis,blogging,blog,writing,atozchallenge,a-z

Y is for Young Guns

Young Guns: was first a movie before it was a band. Now, I remember these movies fondly as a kid because it starred every hip, male actor (Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Christian Slater was in the sequel as well). Emilio Estevez played a pretty funny, charming Billy the Kid. This is why I think a young audience maybe could appreciate this because they would know Sutherland and Sheen, plus the movie isn’t played a lot anymore on cable and, more than likely, the historical reference to William H. Bonny got lost somewhere between 1990 and now. The thing I remember the most about the second movie was the Bon Jovi song which was so “cool” back then. (Jon Bon Jovi as an actor now is fine, but the music, sorry, no. Time to move on.) I always liked western movies to a degree because I’m from the hills of Ohio so it’s pretty much a prerequisite for us there. I just found out that John Locke was in this too – crazy!

Alex McSween: I'm not leaving my house.
William H. Bonney: Alex, if you stay they're gonna kill you. And then I'm gonna have to to go around and kill all the guys who killed you. That's a lot of killing.

Technorati Tags: Emilio Estevez,Kiefer Sutherland,Lou Diamond Phillips,Charlie Sheen,Dermot Mulroney,Casey Siemaszko,Terence Stamp,Terry O'Quinn,Billy the Kid,Lost,Bon Jovie,90s,80s,western,cowboy,Christian Slater,atozchallenge,a-z

W is for War Games and The Wedding Singer

Only four more posts to go – time for W movies! Now, my favourite W television show is, of course, The Wonder Years which I doubt a lot of younger people have seen and really should because of it’s time frame. However, the W films I chose were contenders with Willow, The Witches of Eastwick, Wuthering Heights (Tom Hardy as Heathcliff is so good), The Wizard of Oz (which I am going to assume everyone in the world has seen because it’s so, so good and students like Wicked so much) and my first runner up: Wayne’s World (Part time! Excellent!) But in the grand tradition of SNL and 80’s Brat Pack actors I give you two of the most important W films for Culture Month.

War Games: I chose this movie, not only for the Matthew Broderick / Ally Sheedy aspect, but for the new, cool emerging technology that pre-dated the Internet. Younger audiences don’t have a concept of a time when computers were new and mysterious so I think seeing this would be pretty eye-opening. I’m sure they’d laugh at this idea but considering that by 1983 we had already been sending people to space, it’s remarkable what little we still didn’t have as far as the modern technology we have today. Plus, the concept of the movie is pretty great. I mean, we’re still trying to figure Steve Jobs out, just as David is trying to figure out how Falken thought to begin playing the computer games he created. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this so I found a clip to share (and help learn German!) I don’t even think students now would understand why these computers aren’t using Windows 7. I also love how Jennifer is fascinated by the fact that the computer can talk. Wonder if Ally Sheedy has Siri now. Hhmm.

Joshua: Shall we play a game?
David Lightman: Oh!
Jennifer: [giggles] I think it missed him.
David Lightman: Yeah. Weird isn't it?
Jennifer: Yeah.
David Lightman: [typing] Love to. How about Global Thermonuclear War?
Joshua: Wouldn't you prefer a nice game of chess?
[Jennifer laughs]
David Lightman: [typing] Later. Let's play Global Thermonuclear War.
Joshua: Fine.

The Wedding Singer: Pretend the movie Jack and Jill never existed and Adam Sandler had just left SNL two years ago and put out Happy Gilmore a year later. When this movie came out, Sandler was still new to the movies. His creating an overly-emotional, mullet-wearing, wedding singer set in the 80s named Robbie, was the funniest thing ever. I still think a lot of it is pretty good even though I’ve seen it tons of times. I know Sandler is revered by kids on the Kids’ Choice Awards so more than likely anyone in their teens and twenties who hasn’t seen this would like it. (Especially since the 80s or still retro, or something, I think…) Anyway, the beauty of the film is Sandler’s dialogue and acting. Drew Barrymore was a perfect choice in casting for Julia and the whole romantic comedy was cute, different and funny without being overly gross, stupid or annoying. Plus, after seeing this, you will never hear songs like “You Spin Me Right Round” quite the same, again – just watch the opening credits. Ah, still love it! Also, not sure if everyone in their 20s and teens would get the importance of Billy Idol being in the film but I saw a student wearing a Siouxsie and the Banshees shirt the other day so  while I hated the idea of kids not getting “our” music years ago, now I’m glad that it’s still living through to new generations. (I think I’m getting wiser in my years.)

Linda: I've been talking with my friends the last few days...
Robbie: Oh, boy, here it comes.
Linda: ...and I think I've figured out what's been bothering me. I'm not in love with Robbie, now. I'm in love with Robbie, six years ago. Robbie, the lead singer of Final Warning; I used to come watch you when you were in your silk shirt and Spandex pants, and you would sing into the microphone like you were David Lee Roth.
Robbie: I've still got the Spandex; I'll put 'em on right now.
Linda: The point is, I woke up this morning and realized I'm about to get married to a wedding singer? I am never gonna leave Richfield!
Robbie: Why do you need to leave Richfield? We grew up here. All our friends are here; it's the perfect place to raise a family.
Linda: Oh, yeah - sure! Living in your sister's basement with five kids while you're off every weekends doing wedding gigs at a whoppin' sixty bucks a pop?
Robbie: Once again, things that could've been brought to my attention YESTERDAY!

Technorati Tags: Siouxsie and the Banshees,80s,90s,Saturday Night Live,Adam Sandler,Drew Barymore,Matthew Broderick,Siri,iPhone,Apple,Ally Sheedy,computers,technology,Steve Jobs,Kids Choice Awards,Nickelodeon,Billy Idol,atozchallenge,a-z

R is for Reality Bites and Romeo + Juliet

 

Only nine more letters to go – this Culture Month is moving right on along, isn’t it? Well, then, on to the Rs. Reservoir Dogs is the first contender, especially since it’s another Tarantino gem that is brilliant in its own right. There’s Risky Business, a movie that we all need to see to remember Tom Cruise back in the 80s. I also like Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Romancing the Stone (I’ve seen that so many times!), Roxanne which is one that students should see if they’re leaning Cyrano de Bergerac in English as I did, and finally our troubled teenage hero and heroine of the 1950s, James Dean and Natalie Wood, in Rebel Without A Cause. If I do my TV show list next year, I’ll list Roseanne because I still love watching The Conners. But luckily the two Rs I’ve chosen for today are ones I’ve seen tons of times and that hold a special place in my teenage past.

Reality Bites: Long live 1994 and the cynical, grunge era of young adulthood in the Generation called X. I absolutely lived this film when it came out and Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke were just the coolest people on the planet. I had the soundtrack, I knew all the lines to the movie, I thought everyone was hilarious and I thought that Ben Stiller ruining a video diary was just the worst criminal act a preppy businessman could do to an edgy, independent girl like Lelaina. (And no, you can say her name without thinking about how Sammy says it.) The thing that was great about this movie was we understood how the characters felt. We were supposed to get a job and have a career and know what to do with our lives but we didn’t want to be big corporate money grabbers. We had music and books and a college education and a cultural awareness that made us so much better than all of that. (Heck, I still feel that way.) So I think the reason why students should see this, is just to get an idea of how people their age felt not so long ago. It’s a culturally important movie, in my humble opinion, just as Singles because it is very aware and definitive of the time frame it’s set in. And again, it’s has a lot of great songs and funny quotes.

Troy Dyer: Did he dazzle you with his extensive knowledge of mineral water, or was it his in-depth analysis of, uh, uh, Marky Mark that finally reeled you in?

Romeo + Juliet: I was actually just watching a performance of the play at the Globe Theatre on Sky Arts earlier tonight and I realized I know that play so much because of this 1996 version. On Twitter this week people were saying that Shakespeare’s language is too archaic and it alienates a whole generation who can’t get engaged in literature like this. I know it’s difficult but I taught it when I was teaching in the public school and kids understood it. It’s all about presentation and giving them the tools to understand how to enjoy these plays. I mean, the greatest writer in the English language can’t just be disregarded in education. Students have to be aware of who had inspired countless other writers since the Elizabethan era. And movies such as this one give young audiences a visual that they can relate to so the timeless themes of the play doesn’t become an obstacle. While it’s probably not the best Shakespearean acting of all time, the point is that it’s edgy, fast, modern and presented in such a way that the audience can understand and love what the characters are going through. I always loved Claire Danes as an actress so I was super pleased to see that she had been chosen for this role. Leonardo DiCaprio, of course, was the best choice as Romeo in 1996 and I still remember seeing this in the theatre when girls oohed and aahed over him when the first scene shows him on the beach. What was the best part (though I didn’t understand it at the time) was that this was the first time many of those kids had been exposed to Shakespeare so they didn’t know the play. That meant that this whole funky movie with guns called “swords” and a modern soundtrack was entertaining despite the language difference. I’ve heard people complain that Shakespeare shouldn’t be modernised but that’s the beauty of his work – it’s timeless. It can be appreciated generation after generation if people are creative and give in to interpretation as literature is intended. *walks away from lecture podium* Oh yeah, and Michael from Lost plays Mercutio and he dances in drag. Best part of the whole movie!

Anchorwoman: A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun for sorrow will not show his head. Go hence and have more talk of these sad things. Some shall be pardoned, and some punished. For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Technorati Tags: Claire Danes,Leonardo DiCaprio,Lost,Harold Perrineau,Shakespeare,Globe Theatre,Winona Ryder,Ethan Hawke,90s,literature,play,Elizabethan,England,grunge,Ben Stiller,Janeane Garofalo,atozchallenge,a-z

P is for Pretty in Pink and Pulp Fiction

I pretty much love every P movie on the list today. First, there’s Parent Trap, the original with Hayley Mills which is just spot-on cute, Disney entertainment and has a lot more heart than the remake (even though I don’t dislike the remake my any means.) Another Hayley Mills movie that I love is Pollyanna which, again, is another Disney classic that has an Anne of Green Gables vibe. I also love Purple Rain, Peggy Sue Got Married, Postcards from the Edge, Pleasantville, Point Break, Prozac Nation, Parenthood, and the third contender for the top two spots: Princess Bride. So my top choices are films that I’ve seen a million times and still love and consider the most important viewing during Culture Month.

Pretty in Pink: But, Missus P., surely everyone has seen this movie. Oh, contraire. There are plenty of people who have not seen this, which is a travesty to young girls everywhere who need to understand how social class and the power to have a self-created wardrobe can make you an amazing woman. Molly Ringwald, our 80s, Brat Pack queen is Andie Walsh the poor, motherless girl who, you guessed it, loves to wear pink. She has a best guy friend, Duckie Dale (who is still the hippest dressing male character) who is in love with her but she has a new romance with the “richie” boy Blane. (Say it with me, “Blane? His name is Blane? That’s not a name, that’s a major appliance!”) So, while Andie has to deal with her beat-down father, she also has to contend with the snobs at her school who can’t stand her or the fact that she is going out with Blane. It’s just a cool high school clique, girl triumphs over everything that tries to get her down. The punk/goths against the preppy/rich kids. What more could you ask for? And now, I love this movie. I’ve even seen the Psychedelic Furs sing the theme song live in Orlando. It’s just an awesome movie and, again, James Spader is great as a bad guy. (I do not condone, however, making a tacky looking pink trash bag of a dress to wear at your prom. Please buy something vintage such as the dress she got from Annie Potts and go with it.)

Andie: I don't know what I'm doing!
Iona: Wishful make-upping!

Pulp Fiction: I’ve been waiting through all these posts to finally get to this film. It was the most amazing thing when I first saw it and I still to this day love to watch it and say the lines to the movie. In the past, I wrote college papers on what was in the briefcase, I’ve nominated this as a best movie for as long as I’ve had blogs (which, coincidentally, is about the same time when the movie came out.) Because it was the first movie we had scene that wasn’t in sequential order, now the general public takes it for granted when movies do it now. Tarantino is a master at dialogue and just the comedy involved with the dark, violent, disturbing nature of the movie makes it likeable. You like every single one of these main characters who are nothing but drug dealers, killers and thieves. It just has something so many movies don’t have and that’s innovation. It’s different, it’s entertaining, it’s solid. 12 years later I am catching scenes that look off and the age of the film but all in all, it’s still completely cool. All star cast (Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Walken, Bruce Willis…), cool, off-beat soundtrack, nothing paranormal or CGI to ruin the blood and guts (see what I did there?) or the story. I don’t know if it’s not being as revered these days so younger audiences wouldn’t have seen it (plus a lot of them wouldn’t know how cool seeing John Travolta again was when he made his comeback in this movie.) There’s a lot of movie blood but knowing how this film was made and who the actors are these days, it’s not as shocking as it may have been in 1994. Seriously, just watch it. A+ film. (I had to choose through a lot of great dialogue for one quote too.)

Jules: [Jules shoots the man on the couch] I'm sorry, did I break your concentration? I didn't mean to do that. Please, continue, you were saying something about best intentions. What's the matter? Oh, you were finished! Well, allow me to retort. What does Marsellus Wallace look like?
Brett: What?
Jules: What country are you from?
Brett: What? What? Wh - ?
Jules: "What" ain't no country I've ever heard of. They speak English in What?

Technorati Tags: Uma Thurman,Bruce Willis,John Travolta,Samuel L. Jackson,Christopher Walken,Ving Rhames,Quentin Tarantino,Molly Ringwald,Jon Cryer,Annie Potts,Andrew Mcarthy,80s,90s,atozchallenge,a-z

N is for The NeverEnding Story and Natural Born Killers

Some good Ns today: Napoleon Dynamite (a movie that my students taught me to appreciate – “your Mom goes to college!”), Nacho Libre (cracks me up every time), Nightmare Before Christmas (obviously a number one N for the list) and other films I liked such as Never Cry Wolf and Norma Rae. Again, I chose the ones I have watched the most and ones which I think students probably haven’t seen before.

The NeverEnding Story: I just started singing the theme tune in my head the minute I typed it out. Now, I know this movie got referenced on Family Guy but due to the age and not as amazing special effects as modern movies have, I’m guessing some haven’t seen it. Watching it today we go, “Wow…that looks so bad” in spots (not that I don’t say that about movies these days too) but the overall story and magic of the movie is what I think kids, at least, should see. The best part of this is that Bastian enters the world of the book. It’s an amazing fantasy adventure that promotes reading – what’s not to love? There are some sad parts, some bizarre parts, but all in all it’s such a good movie that I love watching even today. I mean, how many of us didn’t hope that we got swept up in some mysterious land where we had to save the fate of its people, then end up flying on Falcor just to chase away the bullies in our school? My favourite though was always Atreyu and Artex (and that scene still makes me cry.) I also loved the concept of “The Nothing” that threatens Fantasia. After watching it a couple of years ago I finally put the movie on closed caption just to figure out what Bastian named the Childlike Empress – Moonchild. His mother’s name was Moonchild? Okay, then. All these years I never understood what he said so I assumed it was Jennifer or Heather or something very feminine and 80s movie cool. Oh well, doesn’t ruin my love of the film any less.

Atreyu: Do you have a cold?
Morla, the Ancient One: No, we are allergic to youth.

Natural Born Killers: This movie is full of violence and cursing and crazy crap going on. No, it’s not for everyone but when I first saw this in 1994 (before Pulp Fiction came out, mind you) I was absolutely amazed. Written by Quentin Tarantino and edited/produced by Oliver Stone is puts together the absolute insanity that can be caused when two lunatics fall in love and decide to go on a mass murdering spree. Again, pretty intense, but the way it’s handled it’s dark comedy way (I mean the abusive father is Rodney Dangerfield and the dutiful, useless wife is Edie McClurg, otherwise known as Grace from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.) Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis are Mickey and Mallory Knox the infamous Bonnie and Clyde type couple that the public absolutely adores because of the media reception that they’ve gotten. Robert Downey Jr. is Wayne Gale, the Geraldo-type news anchor who is so over the top stupid that he he doesn’t realize that no one cares about him or his journalism style. The movie was quite different in many respects from things most standardized audiences had seen and it made you cheer for the two most cold blooded killers in fictional history. But that’s the point. Why would we care about these two? Do we sympathize with them because of the things that happen to them that made them the way they are? Or do we hate society just as much as they do and are happy when the crooked cop, the buffoon prison warden and the annoying news anchor get theirs in the end? Not everyone can get past the movie blood to like the film and today I see it as a silly looking movie at times but, man, as a teenager, it was quite a remarkable thing. Hands down, one of the best soundtracks in a movie too.

Mickey: You'll never understand, Wayne. You and me, we're not even the same species. I used to be you, then I evolved. From where you're standing, you're a man. From where I'm standing, you're an ape. You're not even an ape. You're a media person. Media's like the weather, only it's man-made weather. Murder? It's pure. You're the one made it impure. You're buying and selling fear. You say "why?" I say "why bother?"

Technorati Tags: Robert Downey Jr.,Woody Harrelson,Juliette Lewis,Nine Inch Nails,Leonard Cohen,Quentin Tarantino,Family Guy,80s,90s,atozchallenge,a-z

L is for Less Than Zero and The Lost Boys

There were some good Ls to chose from today: Labyrinth, Lucas, The Last Unicorn, Legend, Lean On Me, License to Drive, Little Women and, of course, The Lord of the Rings trilogy (for crying out loud, guys, watch this, would you?!)

Less than Zero: Loosely based on the Ellis novel, this movie was always one of my favourites because it depicted that shallow, rich kid in Los Angeles that we saw a bit too glamorized in other television shows like 90210. Robert Downey Jr. is Julian, a druggy who continues to try and pay back his dealers, just to end up getting deeper and deeper into a dangerous world of debt. This movie is particularly good for the fact that most students remember Downey as Iron Man but we’ve known for a long time of his acting chops that we thought were lost long ago. (Granted he’s playing another non-sober character that just works for him.) Andrew McCarthy and Jamie Gertz (also in Lost Boys) plays Blair, the poor little rich girl (sound familiar, Gossip Girl fans?) who is going to end up just like Julian if she isn’t saved ultimately saved by the hero, Clay played by our beloved Andrew McCarthy (or, Blaine, as you may know him from Pretty in Pink.) I really like the odd, messed up friendship that these three characters share and I like how Clay had gone to college in the East to get away from these fools, only to be thrown right back into the drama during his Christmas vacation. Of course, as is in Pretty in Pink as well, no one can play a bad guy like James Spader who is Rip (great name for a bad guy), Julian’s creepy, evil drug dealer. Plus, the soundtrack is pretty good in this film too. If you read the book, I warn you, it’s not exactly what you’d expect after seeing this film.

Blair: Did you talk to Julian yet?
Clay: No.
Blair: Clay, I asked you to talk to him.
Clay: Okay, I'll call Betty Ford, you want me to get him a room, fine.
Blair: No, just talk to him, I mean, he's your friend, too.
Clay: It's funny. When you called me, I thought I was coming home to see you.

Lost Boys: I didn’t realize I liked vampire films this much but since this is my second mention of a film that people should see to compare to Twilight. Someone online recently was saying that Lost Boys was funny because it didn’t stand the test of time. I don’t really agree with that – the film is categorized as “comedy/horror” so it wasn’t supposed to be scary (even though I distinctly remember watching this as a kid at my friend's house during a slumber party and her little sister was scared out of her mind.) As someone put it Lost Boys had a cool factor, a great cast and an awesome soundtrack. They were a biker cult, killers, those who cannot be trusted. That is what a vampire movie needs – a danger factor. People don’t want to be vampires because eternal life in “the blood sucking Brady Bunch” would, well, suck. Kiefer Sutherland is a good bad guy and he’s a great vampire. Granted this movie has some hokey shots, questionable yellow eye/makeup tricks and odd costume choices (even though I wanted to be hippie-chic like Star) but all in all it’s good, solid entertainment. I watch this every time it’s on. Plus, hello, it has Echo and the Bunnymen’s version of “People are Strange” during the opening credits. And most importantly, this film stars Corey Haim during his prime. Rest in peace, Corey, you will always be missed.

Alan Frog: He's a vampire all right.
Edgar Frog: All right, here's what you do: get yourself a good sharp stake and drive it right through his heart.
Sam Emerson: I can't do that; he's my brother.
Alan Frog: OK, we'll come over and do it for you.
Sam Emerson: No!
Edgar Frog: You'd better get yourself a garlic T-shirt, buddy, or it's your funeral.

Technorati Tags: Kiefer Sutherland,Andrew Mcarthy,Robert Downey Jr.,Jamie Gertz,Corey Haim,Corey Feldman,90s,80s,Echo and the Bunnymen,The Doors,James Spader,atozchallenge,a-z

30 Things About Me

Since this was trending yesterday online I decided to go ahead and make a blog post about it.  Most of the information is pretty uneventful that you could find on my resume but nonetheless, here it is:

1. I worked at grocery store for 4 years.

2. I have a Master's Degree in Library Science.

3. A lot of what public librarians have to do reminds me of working at a grocery store.

4. I have a Bachelor's in English Literature.

5. I've taught middle school, high school and college.

6. I worked for United Space Alliance for a year.

7. I use to have an email address through NASA.gov.

8. My first job was working for the Department of English at my community college.

9. My first salary was $4 an hour, working 12 hours a week.

10. I have a Master's in Creative Writing.

11. I liked teaching college the most.

12. I used to be able to jog pretty well when I was in middle school.

13. Last year I twisted my ankle from jogging.

14. I moved to England a year ago.

15. I started reading more last year.

16. I finished my first draft of my first book before Christmas last year.

17. I'm a slow at re-reading and editing.

18. I wear my glasses more than contacts.

19. My favorite bands in my life have been: R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins and The White Stripes.

20. I really like taking photographs - it's my way of being artistic.

21. My feet are cold all the time.

22. I went skiing twice - once in Aspen, and then in Gatlinburg. I wasn’t very good at it.

23. Shows like “Glee”, “X-Factor” and “American Idol” don’t appeal to me at all but I love to watch documentaries and period piece movies.

24. I love swimming. It’s one thing I really miss about living in Florida – big, outdoor heated pools.

25. I could swim before I could walk.

26. My husband is my very best friend.

27. I don't like to listen to music or the television when I'm reading or working. I’m too easily distracted by noise.

28. Foods like sushi and fondue don't appeal to me at all but I love Chinese, Mexican and Italian food.

29. I love going to Disney for our vacation except I am not a big fan of the rollercoasters.

30. I love The Sims 3, Saints Row and Grand Theft Auto on the Xbox. I’m not good at 1st person shooter games. I fail the tutorial missions.

Technorati Tags: life,me,list,about,things

My playlist needs an upgrade

It’s been a while since I’ve written a music post so I may as well do one now.  I have a playlist that I listen to each time I go to the gym.  I’ve listened to this since I’ve been here in January.  I use to have an XM radio where I could find new music to snag here and there but, alas, I am out of touch with the outside hip music world.  I can look Alt Nation’s playlists but discovering a song I like is so much more rewarding.  So since I’m out of touch, I need new music and I need suggestions.  For now this is what I play when I’m on the elliptical machine or when I’m sitting here at the computer (in order of importance):
Arcade Fire “Rococo” – I always start my music listening time with this.
Arcade Fire “Rebellion (Lies)” – Wow, this band is so good.
The Black Keys “Everlasting Light” – There’s a certain feeling you get when this album starts that is like no other.
The Black Keys “Tighten Up”
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Y Control”
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Down Boy”
Kasabian – “Underdog”
Kasabian “Vlad the Impaler” – Can’t listen to this w/o thinking of Noel Fielding chasing people with a stake.
Interpol “Lights” – Love this!
Interpol “Barricade”
She Wants Revenge “Save Your Soul”
The National “Anyone’s Ghost” – My favourite National song.
Matt and Kim “Good Ol Fashion Nightmare”
Santigold “Lights Out”
Crystal Castles w/ Robert Smith “Not In Love”
White Stripes “Death Letter” – This is listed last because I’ve heard it a million times already. Still one of my favourite songs though.
There are more by each band that I’ll play here and there but generally this is what I make sure to listen to before I switch off the iPod.  I have the Zune player now for looking up new stuff so what will it be next?

Technorati Tags: NaBloPoMo,music,Arcade Fire,White Stripes,Black Keys,Yeah Yeah Yeahs,Interpol,Kasabian,National,She Wants Revenge,Matt and Kim,Santigold,Crystal Castles,Robert Smith,iPod,Zune

The cat sitter cometh

Today will be my first visitor as a fine, English lady.  I will offer her a cup of tea and introduce her to my sweet Jake.  Now whenever we need to go out of town, we’ll have someone to watch the cat, check on the house, give us piece of mind that everything is fine.  (That is unless Jake decides to knock down some more DVDs in the living room, or something.)

I’m busy playing with Zune that Steve put on the computer in lieu of his Windows 7 phone.  Now that I have Smashing Pumpkins, White Stripes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Strokes, Interpol, etc. at my disposal I don’t think a lot will get done writing-wise if I keep this thing playing in the background.  I’ve mentioned before on Twitter that I just can’t work with some kind of flickering, noisy piece of technology going on in the background.  Reading while watching TV?  No.  I even have to read with my iPod going while I’m on the stationary bike at the gym and I realize that I’m just glossing over the words. 

This is why I miss having a car – I miss listening to music when there’s nothing else to do.  Just like I miss going to work so I can wear pretty clothes;  the icing on the cake makes the necessary action much more enjoyable.  But that’s just me.  I always had friends who could listen to music before going to bed.  I like quiet.  I’m starting to listen to audiobooks when I do weights at the gym because, honestly, that’s a menial task that needs something to make it bearable.  In the bath, I started listening to podcasts a la my Stitcher app but I really don’t mind the quiet. 

Incidentally, I do my best thinking when I take a shower or wash the dishes. 

Female singers who are okay to like

It takes a lot for me to like female singers.  I’m know I’m not the only one who feels this way.  With the abundance of good, solid male musicians leading bands the girls still have a hard time holding their own.  However, there are only a handful of bands who have a female play an essential role of musician, not just a singer.  Still, there are some female music artists who are okay to like.

 

Meg White

Band: The White Stripes

Cool points: Part of the best American band of my time (imho).

While Ms. White maybe isn’t the talented Mr. White, she still is quite, quite cool.  She was chosen for a reason and you can’t help but admire her for that. Just too bad that they broke up this year.  I’m really going to miss seeing her.

Alison Mosshart

Band: The Kills, The Dead Weather

Cool points: Part of a couple of very cool bands, edgy look/music, funky lyrics

While “VV” isn’t playing an instrument most of the time, I give her credit for being a funky singer with the ability to hold her own among very good rock musicians.

Karen O

Band: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Cool points: edgy lyrics, funky outfits, unique voice

While Karen O has allowed her music to be on the horrible teenage musical television show which shall not be named, and she did music for a horrible movie, Where The Wild Things Are, her music with the band is awesome.

Courtney Love

Bands: Hole

Cool points: Kurt Cobain married her, Billy Corgan liked her enough to write songs for her, the whole look she had going.

No, this is not the best singer or band or even celebrity to listen to.  However, given the grand scope of grunge music in the day and her desire to be famous and do whatever it took to get into the ring, I give her credit.  Ugly plastic surgery and insane stupidity aside, she’s still on my iPod.

Siouxsie Sioux

Bands: Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Creatures

Cool points: amazing band, unique voice, trendsetting music, plus every hip female who wears back with too much eyeliner can thank Siouxsie for their look

Siouxsie doesn’t have to play an instrument for us to like her.  We look at her and think she’s amazing and cool.  She is in a category all her own.

Tori Amos

Bands: solo artist

Cool points: plays piano, writes her own music, unique, completely wacky (as are all of the above)

While I lost interest in Tori Amos a long time ago, I still appreciate what she does and her talent.

Liz Phair

Bands: solo artist

Cool points: plays the guitar, writes her own songs

Now remember, this is Liz Phair before her horrible “Why Can’t I?” radio friendly music.  In the 90s she was the grunge girl for everyone to appreciate.  We’ll just remember her that way.  She doesn’t have a strong voice or the most innovative lyrics but that’s what makes her interesting.

Bjork

Bands: The Sugarcubes, solo artist

Cool points: awesome wardrobe, awesome voice, awesome music

What else do you need to know about Bjork? Iceland has brought us one of the best female musicians of our generation.  Not all of her music is spot-on but when she gets it right, man, is it good.  Surely she is the inspiration for Karen O’s look and style as well.

Fiona Apple

Bands: solo artist

Cool points:  plays piano, writes her own music, developed lyrics

I do like Fiona Apple a lot and her antics are mild compared to a lot of female musicians.  I’m not a fan of the washed-out anorexic look or her dramatic speeches but she’s a good artist.  The overly emotional lyrics get to me after a while but all in all I like what she has to say.

Honorable Mentions

With the above big-name ladies that needed mentioning, I have to include to the list: Beth Gibbons of Portishead (awesome), Alison Goldfrapp of Goldfrapp (new stuff is awful but the Black Cherry and Supernature stuff is amazing), Emily Haines of Metric (good stuff, just wish they weren’t on the Twilight bandwagon), Beth Ditto of The Gossip (girl’s gotta voice on her), Tegan and Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara (hip, cute songs – good enough for White Stripes to cover). Plus Debbie Harry, Stevie Nicks, and last but not least our First Lady of Female Singers: Janis Joplin.

Anyone I’ve missed is unintentional. Or is it?