Day 3—A Song That Makes You Happy
There's lots of music that makes me happy, at least some of the time. This is just one piece of many.
I was (am) an orch dork; I studied piano and other instruments to varying degrees of competency. "Small c" classical will always be a favorite of mine, with a special nod to "big C" Classical (as in, the actual "classical period" that spans from about 1750 to about 1825). Something about the repetition and firm sense of structure appeals to me, I suppose. I once compared listening to Mozart to "defragging your brain."
Monday, May 9, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Happy Mother's Day!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Experiments in the Baking (Cooking) Arts: Gluten-Free Shells & Cheese
I decided to try my hand at making a gluten-free dish for my boss, whose husband recently passed away. And what better food than pasta with vodka sauce—grown up mac and cheese?
I decided to go with a vodka sauce recipe from Giada de Laurentiis, using a pre-made marinara sauce instead of the tomato sauce recipe she provided. It's pretty straightforward. I used more tomato sauce than the recipe called for simply because I didn't want the sauce to be too rich—I don't really see my boss eat that much in terms of cream sauces, even if she sprinkles parmesan cheese on her salads and veggies. It still came out okay, though probably not as thick as it should have been.
To be honest, I breathed a big sigh of relief when it came out tasty. There have been some horrible recipes on the Food Network shows over the years (Sandra Lee's Kwanzaa Cake, for example, is a full-blown Shakespearian tragedy of a dessert) and I didn't know if this would be one of them. Fortunately, Giada de Laurentiis fares better than Sandra Lee, at least in this case.
I baked the whole shebang (uncovered) at 350* F for twenty minutes, which you don't really have to do, I guess. Preliminary taste test yielded positive results, and Lawyer Mom agrees that it smells delicious. Yum!
I decided to go with a vodka sauce recipe from Giada de Laurentiis, using a pre-made marinara sauce instead of the tomato sauce recipe she provided. It's pretty straightforward. I used more tomato sauce than the recipe called for simply because I didn't want the sauce to be too rich—I don't really see my boss eat that much in terms of cream sauces, even if she sprinkles parmesan cheese on her salads and veggies. It still came out okay, though probably not as thick as it should have been.
To be honest, I breathed a big sigh of relief when it came out tasty. There have been some horrible recipes on the Food Network shows over the years (Sandra Lee's Kwanzaa Cake, for example, is a full-blown Shakespearian tragedy of a dessert) and I didn't know if this would be one of them. Fortunately, Giada de Laurentiis fares better than Sandra Lee, at least in this case.
I baked the whole shebang (uncovered) at 350* F for twenty minutes, which you don't really have to do, I guess. Preliminary taste test yielded positive results, and Lawyer Mom agrees that it smells delicious. Yum!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Music Monday
Day 2 — Your Least Favorite Song
Like the first day, it's hard for me to choose a stand-out least favorite because that will change with time and taste as well. For example, right now I want to drown puppies every time I hear Adam Lambert, but only because the adult contemporary station plays that godawful single on a daily (sometimes twice-daily) basis. So again, like the first day, I'm going with a song that has the longest track record of annoying me:
Not because of anything wrong with the song itself (even though it was intended as a B-side filler and the songwriters themselves thought it was mediocre), but because this single has the worst production quality I've ever heard, ever. I remember hating this song when I was single digits in age, because the tracks are so poorly mixed—and even now I could barely stand to listen to more than five seconds in the video up there, just to confirm that it still bothered me. You can barely hear Tommy James over the scratchy and mind-numbingly boring rhythm guitar part; it's Phil Spector's "wall of sound" technique gone horribly, horribly wrong.
Because otherwise I enjoy Tommy James and the Shondells. There is a staggering gulf in the distance of production quality between singles like "Crimson and Clover" or "Sweet Cherry Wine" and...this. According to James:
No. You wouldn't have fouled it up. You would have made it tolerable. Of course, when you record it at a radio station, you take what you can get. But I can't deal with this song at all, and I think if I had been working during the summer when this came out, I would have wanted to rip my ears off.
Like the first day, it's hard for me to choose a stand-out least favorite because that will change with time and taste as well. For example, right now I want to drown puppies every time I hear Adam Lambert, but only because the adult contemporary station plays that godawful single on a daily (sometimes twice-daily) basis. So again, like the first day, I'm going with a song that has the longest track record of annoying me:
Not because of anything wrong with the song itself (even though it was intended as a B-side filler and the songwriters themselves thought it was mediocre), but because this single has the worst production quality I've ever heard, ever. I remember hating this song when I was single digits in age, because the tracks are so poorly mixed—and even now I could barely stand to listen to more than five seconds in the video up there, just to confirm that it still bothered me. You can barely hear Tommy James over the scratchy and mind-numbingly boring rhythm guitar part; it's Phil Spector's "wall of sound" technique gone horribly, horribly wrong.
Because otherwise I enjoy Tommy James and the Shondells. There is a staggering gulf in the distance of production quality between singles like "Crimson and Clover" or "Sweet Cherry Wine" and...this. According to James:
I don't think anybody can record a song that bad and make it sound good. It had to sound amateurish like that. I think if we'd fooled with it too much we'd have fouled it up.
No. You wouldn't have fouled it up. You would have made it tolerable. Of course, when you record it at a radio station, you take what you can get. But I can't deal with this song at all, and I think if I had been working during the summer when this came out, I would have wanted to rip my ears off.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Spotted!: Video Game Goodies by Mark Wengryn
I work in a jewelry supply store (which is how I got into this). Today, I found out one of our regular customers MAKES THE MOST AMAZING JEWELRY EVER.
Bronze Goron Cuff Bracelet by Mark Wengryn
For the uninitiated, that is a bronze replica of the Goron's Bracelet from Ocarina of Time:
He also has a tiny, less-than-inch square Companion Cube. In case you were lonely and wanted something to accompany you for the rest of the experiment.
Weighted Companion Cube by Mark Wengryn
Bronze Goron Cuff Bracelet by Mark Wengryn
For the uninitiated, that is a bronze replica of the Goron's Bracelet from Ocarina of Time:
He also has a tiny, less-than-inch square Companion Cube. In case you were lonely and wanted something to accompany you for the rest of the experiment.
Weighted Companion Cube by Mark Wengryn
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Mission: Impossible: Bolo Ties
For years, bolo ties have been the butt of many jokes at work. They're probably the slowest-moving of the "mount it yourself" items—behind even the belt buckles!—and while you can blame our East Coast location for part of it, the official neckware of the state of Arizona (no, seriously) is not exactly the most understated of accessories:
But recently our boss put a whole bunch of bolo slides (the "pendant" part) and tips (the...tips) on sale, which gave me a mission.
I'm bringing bolo back.
5 Reasons Why Bolos Are Cooler Than You Give Them Credit For
Action shot:
So they're not just for cowboys and Southwestern sheriffs anymore! I have two (the other, slightly more understated, isn't pictured) already and I'm working on a third. I'm giving you the heads up now: these are going to be huge. ;)
But recently our boss put a whole bunch of bolo slides (the "pendant" part) and tips (the...tips) on sale, which gave me a mission.
I'm bringing bolo back.
5 Reasons Why Bolos Are Cooler Than You Give Them Credit For
- They can work for either gender! Which means: great (graduation) gifts for men! Especially the men who have everything—unless they live in Montana or the Southwest, because then they probably already have a collection. But they could always use another!
- It's all the dressy factor of a tie without the hassle of knots or the sensation of being slowly choked to death all day!
- It's a great, uncluttered way to feature just one stone or piece you really like.
- Adjustable for every neckline and comfort zone. Wear it high up close to the collar one day, or loose and opera-length the next. This is perfect if you're anal-retentive like me about having certain lengths of necklaces with certain necklines on tops. One tie is so many options!
- They're already pretty unique; they can also be stylish and cute! The aesthetic style of the bolo is not limited to Southwestern/ultra manly designs. Check my latest (and most glamorous) bolo creation:
Action shot:
So they're not just for cowboys and Southwestern sheriffs anymore! I have two (the other, slightly more understated, isn't pictured) already and I'm working on a third. I'm giving you the heads up now: these are going to be huge. ;)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Music Monday
There's a meme doing the rounds on Facebook: the 30 Day Music Meme. I'm porting it to my blog for a few reasons:
1) I love music.
2) It'll keep me posting regularly (at least on Mondays!).
3) I love music.
4) I already post enoughcrap content on Facebook.
5) Did I mention that I love music?
6) I have more room to justify my choices and expound upon them in a blog entry than in a Facebook status.
7) No, you don't understand. MUSIC.
Day 1: Your Favorite Song
This one is tough for me. I'm sure it's tough for many people. The problem for me is, I go through music cycles. While music I like, I generally like forever, I'll go for years listening to a few bands and genres, and then randomly shift gears into something else entirely for no apparent reason for the next couple years—while still enjoying what I was listening to before as well. So a favorite song of all time is really, really hard to come by. Out of all the music in my library, this has probably been near the top of my list for the longest (since I was 10, when it first hit the charts), so I feel it's the best answer to the question asked here.
Oasis was my first favorite band, though I never managed to tune in to the rest of the Britpop coming out at that time. Thanks to Pandora, I'm a little bit more informed about that whole trend now, but Oasis is still the only band from that movement whose discography I know at all and whose albums I actually own. They're always within the first three bands I list when asked to name favorites.
The general consensus among the music enthusiasts I know is that Oasis had an overblown sense of themselves, shamelessly ripped off other musicians (mostly The Beatles and Lennon's solo career), and that the mainstream success they've enjoyed doesn't really reflect the quality of their music. Since I'm not equipped to deal with them (both in terms of knowledge and in terms of temperament), I just keep my love of Oasis quietly to myself.
And yes, these same music enthusiasts have made me well aware of the fact that Noel Gallagher was so off his face when he wrote "Don't Look Back in Anger" that he doesn't even know what it means. Don't care. Still love this song.
1) I love music.
2) It'll keep me posting regularly (at least on Mondays!).
3) I love music.
4) I already post enough
5) Did I mention that I love music?
6) I have more room to justify my choices and expound upon them in a blog entry than in a Facebook status.
7) No, you don't understand. MUSIC.
Day 1: Your Favorite Song
This one is tough for me. I'm sure it's tough for many people. The problem for me is, I go through music cycles. While music I like, I generally like forever, I'll go for years listening to a few bands and genres, and then randomly shift gears into something else entirely for no apparent reason for the next couple years—while still enjoying what I was listening to before as well. So a favorite song of all time is really, really hard to come by. Out of all the music in my library, this has probably been near the top of my list for the longest (since I was 10, when it first hit the charts), so I feel it's the best answer to the question asked here.
Oasis was my first favorite band, though I never managed to tune in to the rest of the Britpop coming out at that time. Thanks to Pandora, I'm a little bit more informed about that whole trend now, but Oasis is still the only band from that movement whose discography I know at all and whose albums I actually own. They're always within the first three bands I list when asked to name favorites.
The general consensus among the music enthusiasts I know is that Oasis had an overblown sense of themselves, shamelessly ripped off other musicians (mostly The Beatles and Lennon's solo career), and that the mainstream success they've enjoyed doesn't really reflect the quality of their music. Since I'm not equipped to deal with them (both in terms of knowledge and in terms of temperament), I just keep my love of Oasis quietly to myself.
And yes, these same music enthusiasts have made me well aware of the fact that Noel Gallagher was so off his face when he wrote "Don't Look Back in Anger" that he doesn't even know what it means. Don't care. Still love this song.
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