Documentaries and The Fratellis

I've already accepted the fact that I'll probably be that obnoxious old person in college classes who asks an in-depth question 2 minutes before class ends. I'm okay with that. I had to put up with it while I was in college, so it only seems fair.

Except my questions won't be stupid. They'll be awesome.

I really like learning new things. Nerdy, I know, but it's the truth. Because I don't have the time and I really rather spend my money on other things, I'm not taking any classes for fun/learning. But I am reading lots of non-fiction and watching documentaries like there's no tomorrow. Thanks to Netflix, Hulu, PBS, and National Geographic (I will NEVER call it NatGeo) I have a lot of documentaries to watch.

This week alone I've watched Cosmos: The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean, Storyville: The Naked Dance, Taboo: The Third Sex, Nova scienceNOW: How Does the Brain Work, and Mystery of the Disembodied Feet

I've been trying to watch American Gypsy on the PBS website for weeks. Every single time it was unavailable and now it's expired. PBS, you're ruining my learning.

I like documentaries for the same reason I like trivia. Most of it's not important, but it might be useful some day. I'm a trivial hoarder. Does A&E have a show about that?

Did you know chlamydia is running rampant among koalas in Brisbane? Now you do. You can thank PBS's Cracking the Koala Code.

Probably mad about being out in the rain AND his raging case of chlamydia.

I've moved from going steady with the 60s Oldies station to pretty exclusively listening to the Ska Punk station on Pandora. Keepin' life fresh, (as ya do.) The ska punk name is a leading misleading for the station, in addition to ska punk, I also hear celtic punk, pub rock, skate punk, and according to Wikipedia there's a genre called Oi! (with the exclamation mark) and it plays that too. As a result this week's hot jam is of the punk variety: For the Girl by The Fratellis. I've had For the Girl stuck in my head for days and now you can too! It's fun, it's fast, and there are lots of La's to sing along with. You're welcome.

Postcards and Fleetwood Mac

It's no secret that I love getting mail. It's also no secret that I love weird stuff. So weird postcards are pretty much the best thing ever in my book. I think weird postcards harken back to the era of roadside attractions and trips along Route 66 - the glory days of American road travel. Which, let's be honest, is probably the era I should have been around in.

Circa 1950

Circa 2011

Regardless of which time period I should have been born in, my friends humor my love of weird postcards and send them to me pretty regularly. Here are some of my favorites (and weirdest):

I got this one today. Perfect timing, Sarah!

This week's hot jam is Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac. Really, what's not to love about Fleetwood Mac? My favorite thing about this song is that Lindsey Buckingham wrote it about his relationship with Stevie Nicks and they still performed it together all the time. That had to be awkward, right? Like when two of your friends break up, but insist on still hanging out like everything's normal. I wonder how he introduced it to the rest of the band. "Hey guys, I wrote this really personal song about Stevie and me. But don't worry, it totally won't make anything weird."

Life's busy. Back to regularly scheduled writing soon.

Love to Hate and Backyard Tire Fire

Usually I avoid writing about things I hate because that would be depressing. But there are a few things I LOVE to hate. I'm sure that says something about my psyche, but I don't care.

 1) Bananas - I hate bananas with the fire of 1,000 suns.  I hate banana flavored candy, banana bread, and bananas in my smoothies. If I was on a deserted island and had the choice to eat sand or bananas, I would pick sand. I haven't always had such a passionate hatred for bananas. They were never my favorite, but I could tolerate them. Then in 6th grade I developed a weird illness and the doctors thought it might be a potassium deficiency. Their prescription: eat bananas. A lot of bananas. I've never been the same. Thanks, pediatricians.

Enjoy this weird video someone made for Demetri Martin's banana joke

2) Twilight series - I'm fully prepared for hate mail on this one, but I'm steadfast in my dislike for this series. In theory, I should love this series. I love a good young adult romance, but even reading an excerpt made me want to claw my own eyes out.  I would have no problem with them if they were well-written, but they are TERRIBLY written. When I worked at the library and (mostly girls) came in to check them out, I always tried to get them to read something else. "Oh sorry, all 17 copies of the Twilight series are checked out. Have you read The Hunger Games?"

3) Internet-Speak - Being the mid-20something I am, I was around when the internet was invented. (Okay, not exactly. Researchers in 1972 blah blah blah ) I remember patiently waiting for this sound to finish so I could hear "You've got mail!" and see what sweet forwards and quizzes I had in my inbox. Sure, at the time I used my fair share of internet-speak, but I avoid it these days. BECAUSE I'M A GROWN UP. I make quick work of deleting facebook friends whose sTaTuS LOoKs LyKe DiS.

Don't say "C U laterz" Because you won't. Because you'll be on my dunzo list. C U neverz.

4) Baseball teams ending in Sox - Duh.

Go Tribe!

This week's hot jam is not something I love to hate, but rather something I love to love. It's How in the Hell Did You Get Back Here by Backyard Tire Fire. I have a soft spot for Backyard Tire Fire being the Illinois boys they are. (Ed and Matt Anderson grew up 30 minutes from me. Not that I knew them, but still). I like to support my fellow Illinoisans (except the White Sox, obviously) so it's about time they made the hot jam of the week. I love that this song sounds like it's being sung through a megaphone and all the random locals in the video. It looks like home.

Southern rock/alt-country is a genre with little room for error, it's really obvious when it's good, but it's also really obvious when it's bad. Luckily, Backyard Tire Fire is good.

Visitors and Osborne Brothers

This past week I had my first non-family visitor. Megan got here on Thursday and stayed for almost a week.

  We hadn't seen each other in 3 years (since our days at Teton Science Schools) so it was extra fun to catch up (in person.)

Sometimes I forget that Alaska is a pretty cool place. I definitely take the mountains and glaciers and moose, etc for granted, so it's fun to have a guest around to remind me of all the cool things to see and do.

 Like go to Exit Glacier

Or drive on the Seward Highway

Or take a (free!) glacier cruise

This week's hot jam is Rocky Top by Osborne Brothers (But according to the video, it's been recorded over 100 times) It's been stuck in my head all week, and now it will be stuck in yours too. You're welcome.

Dive Bars and Paul McCartney

Recently, Anchorage was voted America's Worst Dressed City, and based on subsequent news stories, residents appear to be wearing (no pun intended) the title with pride. (And for the record, Sarah Palin lives in Wasilla, not Anchorage.)

You want to see some really great Anchorage fashion? Head to one of the cities many dive bars. Fashion (or lack of) aside, there are a lot of things I love about dive bars (in Anchorage or elsewhere), including:

1) Bar games - Darts is my game of choice, but I've been known to play some shuffleboard too. If a bar has Big Buck Hunter (or any variation), it's all over, I'm moving in.

This is actually a bar trick rather than a bar game, but it's just as fun

 

2) Cheap beers - I've been known to buy a pricey 6 pack, but honestly, I'm just has happy to drink PBR or High Life. Maybe even happier?

At the Fairview in Talkeetna, you can get 3 sizes of PBR, 12, 16, or 24 ounces. All in a can.

3) Jukebox - They are full of classic rock and you know Bon Jovi is going to play at some point in the night. And who doesn't want to hear Bon Jovi? Good jukebox leads to awesome dance moves.

4) People watching - See Worst Dressed City.

5) Decor - I may not want my house to look like a dive bar, but I do love places with beer posters from 1987, decorated dollar bills stapled to the walls/ceiling, and neon signs.

This week's hot jam is Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney (who probably doesn't hang out at dive bars these days.) I realize it would be much more conventional to pick a Beatles-era Paul McCartney song, but it's my blog and I can do whatever I want. I'm a sucker for a love song and Maybe I'm Amazed is a great one. (According to Wikipedia, it's regarded as one of his "finest love songs." And if it's on Wikipedia, it must be true.)

Writer's Block Edition and blink-182

Last night I was trying to decide what to write about for this week’s favorite thing. And I couldn’t think of anything. Not one single thing. I have lots of favorite things, why couldn’t I come up with anything good? I’m blaming writer’s block.  I was talking to my friend Jonathan K. Lawrence at the time (I’m an excellent multi-tasker) and because I talk to him nearly every day, I assumed he might have a good suggestion.  (I should have known better.) This is what transpired.  (Pictures weren’t part of the original conversation, but they make things more fun.)

me: what should i write about for my favorite thing this week?
Jonathan: Jonathan Lawrence and They Might Be Giants.
Wait.
 me: ...
Jonathan: Jonathan Lawrence and THIS GUY

 
Watch his other videos for a larger musical sample to write about.
me: i already narrowed the hot jams down to two, but i'll consider changing it for that guy...
  i assume you mean this jonathan lawrence? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Lawrence
Jonathan: Not him or the Lord of the Punjab.

Jonathan Lawrence, Lord of Punjab

me: this one? http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492845/
  or this one? http://crime.about.com/od/deathrow/ig/Florida-Death-Row-Inmates/Jonathan-Lawrence.htm
or this one? http://matchstic.com/blog/2012/01/ten-questions-with-jonathan/
  or this one? http://pluralism.org/affiliates/lawrence/
  i have a lot of choices 
Jonathan: Jonathan K. Lawrence
me: this one? http://www.usafns.com/show-msg.shtml?state=ar&msg=03504

We went on to discuss what middle name goes with Biggie Smalls (Answer: D’Ragonbreeder or D’Ragonslayer) Then later:

me: please pick a number 1 - 5
Jonathan: 2
me: okay. pick a number 1 - 15
Jonathan: 2 (editor's note: who picks the same number two times in a row?)
me: thanks
Jonathan: Does that mean I made it into your favorite things?
me: haha no. but you did pick what episode of 30 rock i'm watching right now.
  season 2 episode 2 
Jonathan: Does the "haha no" mean you're not writing about me?
me: no. i haven't decided yet.
  it depends whether i can come up with something better (editor's note: obviously i didn't)
Jonathan: I already know the answer to that.
  If you need any full-size photos (that won't be used to print on a body-pillowcase), I can provide some.

me: what makes you think i want a body pillowcase of you? you don't know my life!
  please imagine that in a mexican gangster accent 
Jonathan: *Willy Wonka look

me: my cholo voice plus you as willy wonka just made me lose it. i wonder if stompy heard me laugh out loud. 
Jonathan: Please tell me that you're wearing a button up shirt with only the top button fastened.
  Bandanas are optional at this hour. Baggy jorts are not.
me: duh. and i have my socks pulled all the way up.

Jonathan: This is way funnier than it should be.

And that's why Jonathan is one of my favorite things. But because he "don't know know my life", the hot jam is neither They Might Be Giants nor the weird guy from YouTube. It's What's My Age Again by blink-182. Friday will mark 13 years since Enema of the State came out. Whoa, right? So it seems appropriate to celebrate with the first single released on that album.